Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 1004: Millet Dumplings

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2021-02-14

Summary

Inside the Skull Dome, Otama’s secret campaign turns the tide of the raid: with Speed distributing her cheek-dango “millet dumplings” disguised as “Master Queen’s special tonics,” she is quietly converting the Beasts Pirates’ Gifters — and Headliners like Daifugo and Gazelle-Man — to absolute loyalty. At the Right Brain Tower, Franky (as “Franosuke,” piloting General Franky) is overwhelmed by Sasaki’s Armored Division until the freshly-converted Gifters turn coat and fight for “Master” Otama; Page One and Ulti arrive to find their own forces betrayed. Nami hits Ulti with Thunder Lance Tempo (via Zeus) while Usopp fires “Millet Dumpling Star” rounds to convert beasts at range. Meanwhile, in the third-floor Banquet Hall, Black Maria has Sanji webbed and helpless — having let him wear himself out against his inability to hit a woman — and demands he call out for Nico Robin so his voice carries through the castle; she reveals Kaido wants Robin captured alive to read poneglyphs for years before she is killed. Then the Beasts’ surveillance detects the bruised, escaped Red Scabbards hidden beneath the roof; King orders Maria to the treasure room to “kill all the samurai for good,” and as Sanji begs her not to go, a mysterious figure approaches the downed Scabbards in the gloom.

New reveals

• Otama’s cheek-dango taming power is being deployed at army scale: she and Speed (with Usopp & Franky covering) are mass-converting Kaido’s Gifters via dumplings passed off as Queen’s healing/muscle “tonics” (p. 2-5, 9, 12).
• The conversion has already flipped named Beasts officers — the Udon Vice Warden Daifugo (p. 5) and Gazelle-Man (p. 4) — plus a whole “Armored Division” worth of Gifters (p. 9, 13).
• Otama’s motive stated plainly: she wants “a different Wano… with Momo as the shogun” and to never again be hungry (p. 4); she’s never known a Wano without Orochi and Kaido (p. 3).
• Black Maria confirms Kaido’s order is to CAPTURE Nico Robin — keep her alive to read poneglyphs “however many years that takes,” then kill and mutilate her (p. 14-15). This advances True History Ohara Was Killed For — another power coveting the last surviving poneglyph reader.
• The Nine Red Scabbards survived their rooftop clash with Kaido — bruised and bloodied but breathing — and escaped to beneath the roof / the treasure repository’s exterior second floor (p. 16).
• King is coordinating the castle’s defense by radio and orders Black Maria to execute the wounded samurai (p. 16).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Appear (on-page): Otama, Speed, Briscola (named as a dumpling recipient, p. 2), Gazelle-Man, Daifugo, Komachiyo, Franky (as “Franosuke” / General Franky), Usopp, Nami, Zeus (Thunder Lance Tempo), Sasaki, Page One, Ulti, Black Maria, Sanji, Kin’emon (downed, p. 16-17, with the other Red Scabbards).
• Voice / orders only: King (radioed orders), the Beasts’ surveillance broadcast (consistent with Bao Huang’s established role; not named on-panel this chapter).
• Mentioned (not shown): Nico Robin (Kaido’s capture target), Kaido (orders), Momonosuke (“Momo as the shogun”), Orochi, Queen (“Master Queen’s special tonics”).
• Groups / places: Animal Kingdom Pirates (Gifters, Armored Division), Akazaya Nine, Straw Hat Pirates; Skull Dome (Right Brain Tower; Banquet Hall, 3rd Floor; Performance Floor; Treasure Repository / Treasure Room), Onigashima, Wano Country; referenced: Bakura Town, Udon.

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page (B&W reader-request illustration, NOT a serial cover story): Tony Tony Chopper handing out Rumble Ball candies to a squirrel and a monkey “packing their cheeks” (request by Hiyu Mori). Mirrors the chapter’s “cheek-stuffing dumpling” motif.
• Page 2 — Speed (Animal Kingdom Pirates Headliner, Horse SMILE) distributing the dumplings disguised as Queen’s tonics; “I’ve got plenty for the Gifters too.”
• Page 4 — Otama’s declaration: “I wanna see a different Wano… with Momo as the shogun!!”; Gazelle-Man converted and rallying Gifters.
• Page 5 — “Right Brain Tower, Skull Dome”: Daifugo recognized and force-fed dumplings (“Now you will serve my master!”).
• Page 6-8, 13 — Franky/General Franky vs Sasaki’s Armored Division: “General Left!!”, “Franken-Sword!!”, “V-for-Victory Flash!!!”.
• Page 11 — Nami vs Ulti: “Thunder Lance… Tempo!!!” via Zeus; Nami refuses a repeat of the ch. 995 headbutt.
• Page 12 — Usopp’s “Millet Dumpling Star!!!” — slingshot dumpling rounds converting beasts at range.
• Page 14-15 — Black Maria’s Banquet Hall: Sanji webbed; “Go on… call for NICO ROBIN!!”; Kaido’s capture-and-read-poneglyphs plan for Robin.
• Page 16-17 — Beneath the roof: the wounded Red Scabbards detected; King orders Maria to kill them; “SOMEONE IS THERE!!!” cliffhanger.

Open questions raised

• Who is the figure approaching the downed Scabbards in the gloom (p. 17)?
• How far has Otama’s conversion spread across Onigashima, and will it reach the Beasts’ top tier?
• Will Black Maria reach the wounded Scabbards in the treasure room before the unseen rescuer?
• Can Sanji break Black Maria’s web / overcome his no-hitting-women code in time?