Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 1048: Twenty Years

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: —

Summary

The present-day rooftop duel intercuts with a sweeping 20-year flashback of Wano’s suffering. Above the Flower Capital the adult-dragon Momonosuke strains to drag Onigashima off the city — “Wait, Luffy!! I can’t!!” — recalling Oden’s charge to “rebuild the Kozuki clan” when he reaches the future (p. 2). On the roof, Kaido taunts Luffy: did he know the hero of this country (Oden) “was burned to death” 20 years ago, leaving Wano a “lawless place” — and unleashes Flame Dragon Torch and Flame Bagua (p. 3–7). Luffy, refusing to melt, winds up his Gear-5 finisher: Gum-Gum… Bajrang Gun — a colossal Haki-coated fist he throws without touching, crediting “the old man” (Rayleigh) for the technique; Kaido notes that “what you call Haki… is known as Ryuo here in Wano” (p. 6). Interwoven flashbacks show the Kozuki clan’s annihilation: Oden’s retainers screaming for him to run, the order to kill his infant heir, the daimyo of Kibi/Hakumai/Ringo/Udon rising to “avenge Oden’s death” only to be crushed by Orochi backed by Kaido, then 20 years of polluted rivers, conscription, starvation, SMILE-scrap-fed laughter in Ebisu Town, and Toki’s counsel to be patient through “a long, cold winter.” In a parallel present-day beat, Orochi in eight-headed serpent form burns in the Kazenbo flames beside the woman in Komurasaki’s likeness (Hiyori), howling “Never count out the wrath of Kurozumi!!!” as wish-lanterns beg the heavens to “free us from this hell.” The chapter closes mid-collision: Gear-5 Luffy and Kaido’s dragon scream into each other — “AAAAAAA!!!” — To be continued.

New reveals

• The finisher is named: “Gum-Gum Bajrang Gun.” Luffy forms a Conqueror’s-Haki-coated giant fist and hurls it at Kaido without touching — “the old man taught me how to do that without touching!!” (p. 6).
• Rayleigh = the source of distance-Haki. “The old man” who taught the no-touch technique is Silvers Rayleigh (Rusukaina training); Kaido confirms this is Ryuo, Wano’s word for Haki (p. 6).
• Kaido’s flame arsenal named: Flame Dragon Torch (p. 4), Rising Dragon (p. 6) and Flame Bagua (p. 7), against Luffy’s Bajrang Gun wind-up.
• Orochi is consumed by the Kazenbo flames in full eight-headed Yamata-no-Orochi serpent form, near Hiyori/Komurasaki — “Never count out the wrath of Kurozumi!!!” — apparent death (p. 15–16).
• The 20-year fall of the Kozuki, dramatized: clan “thoroughly wiped out,” heir Momonosuke hunted, Oden’s wife confirmed dead in Bakura Town, the regional daimyo’s revolt crushed by Kaido’s army (p. 9–12).
• Two decades of tyranny shown: Kaido’s factories poison the rivers, young men conscripted, crops dead, the nation sealed; Ebisu Town’s people ate SMILE scraps and can now only laugh (p. 13–14).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters (present): Luffy (Gear 5), Kaido (dragon form), Momonosuke (adult dragon, straining to move Onigashima), Orochi (serpent form, burning), Kozuki Hiyori / Oiran (top courtesan of Wano) (guise, at Orochi’s death), Kin’emon & Okiku (dropped by Momonosuke, p. 8)
• Characters (flashback / referenced): Kozuki Oden (burned to death 20 years ago), Kozuki Toki (“Oden’s wife”, dead in Bakura Town; “Lady Toki’s words”), Silvers Rayleigh (“the old man”)
• Devil Fruits: Hito Hito no Mi, Model Nika (Gear 5, Bajrang Gun — name not re-spoken; established 1043–1044), Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model Yamata no Orochi (Orochi’s eight-headed serpent form)
• Locations: Onigashima, Wano Country, Flower Capital, Kuri, Bakura Town, Oden Castle; Wano regions named on daimyo placards — Kibi, Hakumai, Ringo, Udon (p. 11); Ebisu Town (p. 14)
• Groups: the daimyo of Wano’s regions (revolt, p. 11–12); Kurozumi (Orochi’s dying invocation)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Cover: “Germa 66’s Ahh… An Emotionless Excursion, Vol. 10 — ‘I think Germa’s come to Chocolat Town!!’” — Sanji seated beside a woman (likely Pudding) in a frilly room. (Cover-story B-plot; defer to cover-tracker.)
• Page 2 — Momonosuke’s adult dragon strains over the Flower Capital: “Wait, Luffy!! I can’t!!” — recalling Oden’s “rebuild the Kozuki clan… when you reach the future.”
• Page 4 — “Flame Dragon Torch!!!”: Kaido’s flame-dragon engulfs the panel; “ever since, this has been a lawless place!!!”
• Page 6 — “Gum-Gum… Bajrang” wind-up; “the old man taught me how to do that without touching!!”; Kaido: “What you call ‘Haki’… is known as Ryuo here in Wano.”
• Page 7 — “Gun!!!! / Flame Bagua!!!!”: the two finishers collide.
• Page 11 — Daimyo of Kibi/Hakumai/Ringo/Udon declare war: “Avenge Oden’s death!!! Our only shogun is Kozuki!!!!”
• Page 13–14 — The 20-year montage: poisoned rivers, conscription, starvation, Ebisu Town’s SMILE-fed laughter, Toki’s “long, cold winter” counsel.
• Page 15–16 — Orochi burns in the Kazenbo flames in serpent form: “Never count out the wrath of Kurozumi!!!” beside Hiyori/Komurasaki; wish-lanterns: “I wish Orochi would go away.”
• Page 17 — Wish-lanterns “Please free us from this hell”; Gear-5 Luffy and Kaido scream into the final collision — “AAAAAAA!!!” — To be continued.

Open questions raised

• Does the Bajrang Gun fell Kaido, or only stagger him? (resolves forward)
• Is Orochi truly dead this time — does fire bypass the eight-life serpent mechanic, finally closing How Did Orochi Survive His Beheading?
• Can Momonosuke’s dragon actually lift Onigashima clear of the Flower Capital before it falls?