Chapters · Final Saga › Egghead

Chapter 1085: The Death of Nefeltari Cobra

Arc: Egghead · Saga: Final Saga · Released: 2023-09-04

Summary

At the Empty Throne in Pangaea Castle, the wheelchair-bound, ailing King Cobra of Alabasta is confronted by Imu — the shadowed sovereign — flanked by the kneeling Five Elders. Imu tells Cobra that “the D is the name of those who once opposed us,” that the bearers are “empty husks, ignorant of the meaning of their name,” and pins the present age of pirate poneglyph-hunting on Queen Lily’s great mistake of 800 years ago: the liberation of the poneglyphs, which scattered them across the world — musing whether it was a “simple mistake, or was it planned?” Imu demands Cobra name the sender of Lily’s letter to Alabasta; Cobra, knowing he will not leave the room alive, speaks the name — Nefeltari D. Lily — confirming the Nefertari line carries the concealed D. Imu strikes Cobra down. Sabo, disguised and watching, bursts in with a Fire Fist but is repelled and cannot save Cobra. The dying king entrusts Sabo with a message for Luffy and Vivi — “we also bear the D,” and Lily’s directive to “bear the flag of the dawn against the world” — then dies as Sabo escapes. Wapol secretly witnesses the murder and flees Mary Geoise in terror. Elsewhere in the castle, Vivi has been bound and kidnapped by Kalifa and Jabra, now revealed as CP0 agents, who tell her she will go down as “missing.” The Reverie also erupts over the Revolutionary Army freeing slaves (with Fujitora’s help, while Ryokugyu turns on him) and declaring themselves “followers of Straw Hat Luffy” after beating a Celestial Dragon who tried to abduct Shirahoshi. Wapol flees the Holy Land with his wife, vowing to run to the ends of the earth.

New reveals

• Imu personally murders King Cobra inside the Empty Throne room — the true killer of Cobra is shown on-page (Cobra’s death was previously only reported @1054 and falsely pinned on Sabo).
• Queen Lily of the Nefertari dynasty = Nefeltari D. Lily. The 800-year-old letter sent to Alabasta is signed by her, revealing the modern Nefertari royal line secretly bears the D. (Cobra: “we also bear the D!!”).
• Imu’s doctrine on the D: “The D is the name of those who once opposed us”; its bearers are “empty husks, ignorant of the meaning of their name.”
• Origin of the scattered poneglyphs: Imu blames Queen Lily’s “mistake” 800 years ago — the liberation of the poneglyphs scattered them across the world; Imu pointedly asks whether it was “a simple mistake, or was it planned?”
• The Empty Throne’s meaning, stated: “No one is meant to sit upon that throne… it is not meant for one person’s will to sway the entire world.”
• Kalifa and Jabra are now CP0 (Cipher Pol Aigis Zero), shown via on-page captions; they kidnap Vivi from a Pangaea Castle guest room.
• Wapol is an eyewitness to Imu killing Cobra, and flees Mary Geoise as a result.
• The Reverie’s chaos: the Revolutionary Army (with Fujitora’s complicity) freed enslaved people in Mary Geoise; Ryokugyu turned on Fujitora; the Revolutionaries publicly declared themselves “followers of Straw Hat Luffy” after beating a Celestial Dragon who tried to abduct Shirahoshi.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Shown: Imu (silhouette/eye), Nefertari Cobra (killed), Sabo (Fire Fist), Vivi (bound/kidnapped), Wapol (eyewitness, flees), Kalifa (CP0), Jabra (CP0), the Five Elders (kneeling on the throne stairs), CP-0
• Flashback (childhood): Luffy, Ace, and young Sabo (the “you both have a D in your name” beat)
• Mentioned / off-page: Nefertari D Lily (named via the 800-yr-old letter signature — not shown), Shirahoshi (safety questioned), Fujitora (freed slaves), Ryokugyu (turned on Fujitora), Revolutionary Army (“followers of Straw Hat Luffy”), Wapol’s wife (Queen Kinderella, unnamed on-page here)
• Locations: Mariejois, Pangaea Castle (Empty Throne room + a guest room), Red Port (mentioned), Alabasta (mentioned)
• Concepts / fruits: Empty Throne, Poneglyph, Mera Mera no Mi (Sabo’s Fire Fist), the round-table Reverie council and the abolition of the Seven Warlords ruling

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page (B&W). Reader-request illustration: “Franky rooting on sea-turtle hatchlings as they crawl to the water” by Ringoyama. A one-off request illustration, not a serialized cover-story installment.
• Page 2 — The Empty Throne room: Imu’s voice (“…to sit upon that throne!!! No one is meant…”), Cobra in a wheelchair (“Who… are you?!!”), the Five Elders ranged down the long stairs.
• Pages 7–8 — Sabo’s “FIRE FIST!!!” entrance; he stands amid monstrous shadow-beast silhouettes filling the throne room; a chess-named counter “ROOK CHECK!!!” is thrown at him. Visually mirror-worthy (Imu/Gorosei beast-shadows).
• Page 12 — Wapol, hidden, witnesses the murder and breaks down (“I didn’t wanna know! Who was that?!”).
• Page 14 — “Guest room, Pangaea Castle”: Vivi bound; reveal captions “KALIFA — Cipher Pol Aigis Zero” and “JABRA — Cipher Pol Aigis Zero.”
• Page 17 — Wapol flees the Holy Land with his wife (“I’m goin’ to the ends of the earth, where no one can follow!!!”); the crowd mistakes it for an elopement. “To be continued.”

Open questions raised

• Was Queen Lily’s liberation of the poneglyphs a genuine mistake, or deliberately planned (as Imu pointedly wonders)?
• Who exactly was Nefeltari D. Lily — and why did the Nefertari line stay in the lower world, hide the D., and scatter the poneglyphs?
• What is the full text/meaning of Lily’s directive to “bear the flag of the dawn against the world”?
• Will Sabo successfully deliver Cobra’s message to Luffy and Vivi — and what becomes of the kidnapped Vivi in CP0’s hands?
• What are the monstrous shadow-forms glimpsed in the throne room (Imu’s? the Five Elders’?)?