Chapters · Alabasta › Sea-Voyage Transit (Drum → Alabasta)

Chapter 156: Oh Come My Way Days

This chapter's foreshadowing ledger — what it plants, what it pays off, and what debuts here. Locked seeds pay off beyond your ⚓ progress; tap one to reveal it anyway.

Plants

20 seeds🌱 name-etymology 🌱 parallel-arc-structure 🌱 chekhov-explicit 🌱 dialogue-doctrine 🌱 prop-tell 🌱 prop-tell 🌱 chekhov-explicit 🌱 character-coding 🌱 worldbuilding-install 🌱 chekhov-explicit 🌱 visual-debut 🌱 visual-debut +8 more

Pays off

1 chainMane Mane no Mi Clone-Clone Fruit Foreshadowed Pre-Debut

Firsts

**Chapter title — *Chapter 156: Oh Come My Way Days*** (pp. 1, 3). Title sources directly from the slogan stitched on the back of **Bentham / Mr. 2 Bon Clay's swan-coat** — first new-character title-naming convention of the post-Drum transit. The chapter title is a *costume-prop tell* for the arc's first Baroque Works officer-agent debut.
**Fifth day out from Drum Island — Merry sails toward Alabasta** (p. 1). Caption: *'The fifth day out from Drum Island... The Merry-Go slowly makes its way towards Alabasta.'* — first explicit transit-clock and destination-confirmation since the crew departed Drum Castle. Sets the *en-route* tableau for the chapter's central encounter.
**Undersea volcano creates a steam-cloud on the Grand Line** (pp. 4-6). Crew sees what Nami names as a *'hot spot'* and Chopper clinically describes as *'an undersea volcano... a place where magma comes out of the ocean floor.'* / *'In a few thousand — or tens of thousands — of years, right there... a new island will be born.'* — First on-page Grand Line geological-formation install: islands are born from undersea volcanoes over geological timescales. Pre-loads the *new-island birth* register the series will revisit (Sky Island vine-island, Wano formation, Egghead engineering).
**Mr. 2 Bon Clay debuts — caught on the Straw Hats' fishing line** (pp. 7-9). A flamboyant figure with a swan-ringed crown and tutu-skirt is hauled aboard the Merry on Usopp's hook, swan-poses (*'TA-DAH!'*), and announces *'Swan thanks!'* Sopping wet from the steam-fog, he asks the crew (whom he does not recognize as Straw Hats) *'Do you think I could have a warm bowl of soup? I am forever in your debt!! ...My life has been saved by pirates I've never met before.'* **First on-page appearance of Bentham (Mr. 2 Bon Clay)** — and the chapter's *new-villain-meets-protagonists-in-disguise-of-strangers* set-up.
**Bon Clay's swan-coat is stitched *'OH COME MY WAY'*** (p. 8, with editor's footnote *'TEXT ON JACKET SAYS "OH COME MY WAY"'*). The chapter's titular slogan is a costume-prop on Bon Clay's back — debut-frame of the character's signature wardrobe-text branding.
**Bon Clay confirms he's a Devil Fruit user** (p. 10). Asked if he can swim, he answers *'Of course not. I've eaten the Devil Fruit.'* (*'You have?! What kind?!'* — Usopp). Defers the fruit-reveal to a demonstration.
**Mane Mane no Mi (*Clone-Clone Fruit*) debuts — face/body copy power** (pp. 11-13). Bon Clay touches his own face, then Luffy's, and **transforms his face and physique into Luffy's** (*BA-BOOM!!*) — *'That is the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit!!!'* / *'And with one swipe of my left hand... voilà! Back to normal!!'* — copies face, voice, and physique (*'Even his voice... were Luffy's!!'*). Names the fruit's two-touch toggle mechanic: **right-hand touches a face to copy, left-hand wipes back to normal**. Adds *'...and that includes my body!!'* — copy extends from face to full physique.
**Mane Mane no Mi *Memory Function* — face-library doctrine** (pp. 13-14). Bon Clay declares *'I never forget. Once I've touched a face, it's mine forever!!'* / *'Memory function — activate!!'* — names the fruit's persistent face-library subsystem. Every face he has *ever touched* is permanently in his repertoire. This is the install that makes him an infiltration-grade enemy: he carries an arsenal of stolen faces.
**Bon Clay's *Friendship* monologue — Baroque Works' first sympathetic-villain register** (pp. 15-16). Mistaking the Straw Hats for non-pirates, Bon Clay parts ways with a sincere goodbye: *'Friendship is not determined by how much time you spent together!!!'* / *'I hope we meet again!!!'* — climbs aboard a swan-prowed ship calling *'Let's go, men!!!'* with the crew responding *'Aye-aye, Mr. 2 Bon Clay!!!'*. First Baroque Works officer with a *hospitality-and-emotional-loyalty* register — pre-loading the arc's most famous heel-face-payoff (Bon Clay's later sacrifice for Luffy at Impel Down).
**Mr. 2 Bon Clay's ship — swan-prowed Baroque Works officer-agent vessel** (pp. 15, 19). Bon Clay's ship has an enormous *swan*-figurehead matching his coat's *swan-thanks* iconography. Aboard the ship he is greeted *'Mr. 2 Bon Clay, you seem to be in high spirits'* — confirms his crew/sub-agent structure (Mr. 1 / Miss Doublefinger silhouettes visible alongside him on p. 19) and the Baroque-Works fleet-of-themed-vessels pattern.
**Bon Clay mimicked Vivi's father's face during his demonstration** (pp. 17-18). After Bon Clay sails away, Vivi realizes (*'He mimicked my father's face!! What does it mean!?'*) that one of the random faces Bon Clay cycled through *'from memory'* on pp. 13-14 was **King Nefertari Cobra's** — **first on-page proof that Baroque Works has had personal contact with the King of Alabasta**, and the chapter's central reveal: Bon Clay is an enemy who carries Cobra's face in his fruit's library. Nami spells out the tactical disaster: *'He could do a lot of damage. If he were to pass himself off as the king... if he decides that we're his enemies!!'* / *'If he disguised himself as one of us, we wouldn't be able to trust each other.'* Loads the *enemy-with-our-king's-face-and-our-friends'-faces* threat for the entire Alabasta arc.
**Vivi's worst-case Alabasta scenario named — Bon Clay as identity-saboteur weapon** (p. 18). Vivi/Nami's analysis re-frames the upcoming arc: the war Vivi is racing home to stop now has an in-built *false-king / false-friend* operator. **Mr. 2 Bon Clay is established as Crocodile's *trust-warfare* agent before Crocodile himself even appears on-page.**

+6 more in the dossier below

Arc: Sea-Voyage Transit (Drum → Alabasta) · Saga: Alabasta · Volume: 17

Summary

Five days out from Drum Island (p. 1), the Merry is sailing toward Alabasta. Luffy and Usopp have eaten all the fishing bait; the crew is bored and hungry. A bonus splash (p. 2) shows Sanji pouring Sanji Rouge wine into Luffy’s glass; a second title-splash (p. 3) places three unidentified travellers in a giant ribcage cave.

In-story (pp. 4-6): the crew spots a vast cloud of steam ahead. Vivi and Tony Tony Chopper explain that it’s an undersea volcano — ‘a place where magma comes out of the ocean floor’ — and that in tens of thousands of years a new island will be born there. First on-page Grand Line geological-formation install. Nami orders ‘FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!’ (p. 7) and the Merry punches through the fog.

When the steam clears (pp. 7-9), Usopp’s fishing line has snagged a person — a flamboyant figure in a swan-feather coat, ringed crown of tiny swans, and tutu-skirt — who is hauled aboard with a triumphant ‘TA-DAH!’ / ‘Swan thanks!’. He introduces himself with sincere gratitude — ‘My life has been saved by pirates I’ve never met before’ — and asks for a warm bowl of soup. The crew (and the reader) do not yet know his name: the editor’s footnote on p. 8 cues the title-slogan — ‘TEXT ON JACKET SAYS “OH COME MY WAY”’.

To repay the Straw Hats (pp. 10-14), the stranger confirms he’s eaten the Devil Fruit — ‘Of course not. I’ve eaten the Devil Fruit’ — and demonstrates: he touches his own face with his right hand, then Luffy’s, and transforms his entire face, voice, and physique into Luffy’s (BA-BOOM!!). ‘That is the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit!!!’ He explains the toggle (‘with one swipe of my left hand… voilà! Back to normal!!’), cycles through several faces ‘from memory’ — ‘I never forget. Once I’ve touched a face, it’s mine forever!! …Memory function — activate!!’ — and lets the crew demand more performances (‘Do some more!’, ‘You’re awesome!!’).

The stranger then sees his own ship approaching (pp. 15-16) — a swan-prowed vessel — and parts with a heartfelt goodbye: ‘Friendship is not determined by how much time you spent together!!!’ / ‘I hope we meet again!!!’ He boards calling ‘Let’s go, men!!!’ and his crew answer ‘Aye-aye, Mr. 2 Bon Clay!!!’ — and the Straw Hats finally hear his name (p. 17): ‘That… was Mr. 2 Bon Clay!!?’ Vivi immediately identifies him: ‘They say he wears makeup and talks like a girl and wears a swan coat that says “Oh Come My Way” on the back.’ — confirming her tactical-intel grammar as a Baroque-Works defector.

Then the chapter’s twist (p. 18): Vivi realizes that one of the faces Bon Clay cycled through ‘from memory’ was King Nefertari Cobra’s — ‘He mimicked my father’s face!! What does it mean!?’ Nami spells out the threat: ‘If he were to pass himself off as the king… if he decides that we’re his enemies!!’ / ‘If he disguised himself as one of us, we wouldn’t be able to trust each other.’ — installing Bon Clay as a trust-warfare / false-king / false-friend operator for the entire Alabasta arc.

The chapter parallel-cuts (p. 19): on the swan-ship, Bon Clay beams ‘I made some new friends today!!’ — and the silhouettes of Mr. 1 (Daz Bones) and Miss Doublefinger answer ‘Now we can plan our strategy. This was a lucky encounter for us.’ / ‘Hold on. Luffy’s opinion may be groundless…’ — first on-page appearance (silhouette only) of two more Baroque-Works officer-agents. Luffy himself, gravity not registering, smiles at the Merry: ‘You think?’

Back-matter (p. 20): SBS Volume 17, Vol. 1 opens with Oda being roused into the Question Corner. Confirms in-text that Dr. Kureha will be around for a long time — authorial signal that the Drum-arc supporting cast is not one-and-done.

New reveals

Chapter title — Chapter 156: Oh Come My Way Days — sourced from the slogan stitched on Bon Clay’s coat (pp. 1, 3, 8). First new-villain-costume-text-becomes-the-chapter-title of the series.
Fifth day out from Drum Island — Merry sails toward Alabasta (p. 1). First explicit transit clock since departing Drum Castle.
Undersea-volcano island-birth install — Grand Line geology (pp. 4-6). Chopper/Vivi explanation; islands are born from undersea volcanoes over geological timescales.
Bentham (Mr. 2 Bon Clay) — first on-page appearance (pp. 7-9). Hauled aboard the Merry on Usopp’s fishing line in the steam-fog of the undersea volcano. Does not recognize the Straw Hats as the Straw Hats; they do not recognize him as Baroque Works.
Bon Clay’s swan-coat ‘OH COME MY WAY’ slogan-text (p. 8). Editor’s footnote names the chapter title’s costume-prop source.
Mane Mane no Mi (Clone-Clone Fruit) — debut (pp. 11-13). Bon Clay copies Luffy’s face, voice, and physique by touching his own face then Luffy’s; reverses with a left-hand swipe.
Mane Mane no Mi Memory Function — face-library doctrine (pp. 13-14). ‘I never forget. Once I’ve touched a face, it’s mine forever!!’ — the fruit retains every face ever touched.
Bon Clay’s friendship-doctrine speech (pp. 15-16). ‘Friendship is not determined by how much time you spent together!!!’ — first Baroque-Works officer with a sympathetic-villain register; pre-loads his eventual heel-face turn.
Mr. 2 Bon Clay’s swan-prowed officer-agent ship (pp. 15, 19). Themed Baroque-Works fleet vessel matching his costume iconography.
Mr. 1 (Daz Bones) and Miss Doublefinger — silhouette debut (p. 19). Two more Baroque-Works officer-agents present on Bon Clay’s ship, in pair-coded officer-agent grammar.
Bon Clay mimicked King Nefertari Cobra’s face on-page (pp. 13-14, 17-18, retro-cue). First on-page proof Baroque Works has had close personal contact with the King of Alabasta — Cobra’s face is now in an enemy’s permanent fruit-library.
Vivi names the trust-warfare threat (p. 18). ‘If he disguised himself as one of us, we wouldn’t be able to trust each other.’ — pre-frames the entire Alabasta arc’s identity-warfare register.
Bon Clay knows the Straw Hats’ faces now — by the chapter’s logic, Bon Clay touched at least Luffy’s face on-page (p. 11) and may carry the entire crew’s facial repertoire forward. The crew is now in Bon Clay’s library by mid-chapter.
Parallel-cross-cut between the two ships’ opposite framings of the encounter (p. 19). Bon Clay’s ‘new friends’ framing vs. the Straw Hats’ ‘enemy let go’ framing — first cross-cut misread-encounter tableau between two crews who don’t yet know they’re fighting each other.
Splash-art p. 2 — Sanji pours “Sanji Rouge” wine into Luffy’s glass. Volume-tankobon-only B&W splash.
Title-splash p. 3 — three travellers + reindeer in a giant ribcage cave. Decorative chapter-opener art; figures unidentified.
SBS Volume 17, Vol. 1 — Question Corner debut (p. 20). Oda confirms in-text that Dr. Kureha will be around for a long time.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Ch. 156 pp. 13-14, 17-18 — Bon Clay’s face-library contains King Cobra (Vivi reveal)

While Bon Clay performs his memory-function face-cycle for the crew (pp. 13-14), one of the random faces he flips through is King Nefertari Cobra’s. Vivi only realizes after Bon Clay’s ship has sailed away (p. 18): ‘He mimicked my father’s face!! What does it mean!?’ The implication is structural: Baroque Works has had close, prolonged personal contact with the King of Alabasta — close enough for an officer-agent to have touched his face — and now carries his face as a permanent infiltration asset. This is the chapter’s central plant: the Alabasta civil war Vivi is racing home to stop has a false-king operator waiting to be deployed. Pre-loads forward-canon: Bon Clay impersonating Cobra (deployed during the Alabasta climax); the enemy-with-our-friends’-faces threat informs every subsequent Straw-Hat-vs-Straw-Hat misrecognition scene.

Ch. 156 pp. 15-16 — Bon Clay’s friendship is not determined by how much time you spent together doctrine

After a single shared meal with people he believes are friendly civilians, Bon Clay parts with a sincere goodbye: ‘But don’t be sad. Every voyage must come to an end!! Just remember one thing… Friendship… is not determined by how much time you spent together!!! I hope we meet again!!!’ First Baroque-Works officer-agent with a non-cynical emotional register — every BW agent shown so far (Mr. 3, Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, Mr. 9, Miss Monday, the Unluckies) is mercenary, sadistic, or both. Bon Clay’s capacity for genuine bond with strangers is the seed that converts him from an arc-antagonist into the Impel Down arc’s most famous heel-face: he will eventually sacrifice himself to save Luffy on exactly this doctrine. technique: dialogue-becomes-doctrine, parallel-arc-structure (Impel Down forward-canon).

Ch. 156 pp. 4-6 — undersea volcano new-island birth Grand-Line geology install

Chopper/Vivi explain that the steam-cloud ahead is an undersea volcano — ‘A place where magma comes out of the ocean floor.’ / ‘In a few thousand — or tens of thousands — of years, right there… a new island will be born.’ First on-page formal Grand Line geological install — establishes that the Grand Line is geologically young and generative, and that new islands are born from undersea volcanoes. Pre-loads forward-canon island-formation lore (Sky Island vine-island, Wano-island formation, Egghead engineering, Punk Hazard’s frozen-fire split). The line ‘I don’t think people live that long’ (Sanji) is Oda’s lampshade of the geological vs. human timescale gap — a time-is-deep note the series will return to (Joy Boy 800 years ago, Roger crew flashbacks 22 years ago, Ohara 22 years ago).

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Characters present (on-page): Luffy (pp. 1-19), Nami (pp. 1, 4-7, 11-19), Sanji (pp. 1, 4-6, 11-19), Usopp (pp. 1, 4, 7-9, 11-19), Vivi (pp. 1, 4-7, 11-19), Tony Tony Chopper (pp. 4-19), Karoo (pp. 1, 4-7, 11, 16 — fishing companion, catches Bon Clay), Bon Clay (pp. 7-19 — full on-page debut).
Characters in silhouette: Mr. 1 / Daz Bones (p. 19), Miss Doublefinger (p. 19) — Bon Clay’s officer-pair on the swan-ship.
Splash-art appearances (non-canon): Luffy, Sanji (p. 2 — Sanji-pours-wine splash); three unidentified figures + reindeer (p. 3 — chapter-title splash, likely decorative).
Mentioned (off-page / by name): Nefertari Cobra (Vivi’s father; Bon Clay mimicked his face on pp. 13-14, named by Vivi p. 18).
Crews/Groups: Straw Hat Pirates, Baroque Works (Bon Clay, Mr. 1, Miss Doublefinger as on-screen officer-agents).
Devil Fruits demonstrated: Mane Mane no Mi (Clone-Clone Fruit — first on-page demonstration, named on p. 12).
Locations: Grand Line (open ocean, fifth day out from Drum Island, undersea volcano steam-cloud); Drum Kingdom (origin of voyage, named p. 1); Alabasta (destination, named p. 1).

Notable panels

Page 1 — Chapter title-card. Chapter 156: OH COME MY WAY DAYS. Caption: ‘The fifth day out from Drum Island… The Merry-Go slowly makes its way towards Alabasta.’ — Merry sailing under the title. Below, comic panels: Luffy and Usopp confess they ate all the fishing bait (‘I only ate what was stuck to the lid of the bait box!!’ / ‘You ate some too.’ / ‘You ate all the bait, Luffy!!’). Vivi asks ‘Luffy, Usopp, have you caught anything?’; Karoo headbutted (WHAK!! KAROO!!! QUACK!!! AAAAAAH); Sanji & Usopp talking fishing (‘I hope we catch a sea monster.’ / ‘Maybe we’ll catch a shark.’). Bottom panels: Vivi spots something — ‘What’s that?’ Karoo: QUACK.
Page 2 — Splash-art (B&W tankobon insert). OH COME MY WAY DAYS title-band at top. Reclining Luffy holding a cocktail glass; Sanji (tattoo-sleeved) pours from a ‘Sanji Rouge’-labeled wine bottle into the glass. Stylized clean-line illustration, no story content.
Page 3 — Chapter title splash. Chapter 156: at top. Three figures inside what reads as a giant rib-bone cave (whale-bones or fossil ribcage): a tall man in a cap and backpack with a sword across his back; a small armored knight-figure carrying what looks like a polearm; and a small reindeer in three-quarter pose. Decorative; figures not clearly identifiable as series characters.
Page 4 — DOOM!! FWOOF FWOOF… SMOKE!!! a steam-cloud rises off the open ocean. Sanji to Nami (galley): ‘Nami, come quick!! There’s something up ahead!!’ Luffy: ‘Maybe it’s cotton candy.’ (mouth wide). Vivi: ‘What is that?’ Big panel: Nami close-up, smiling: ‘Oh, that? Don’t worry.’ / ‘It’s just steam.’
Page 5 — Top: a tiny Merry in vast steam-rings (OOOOO…). ‘STEAM?! In the middle of the ocean!!?’ / ‘What’s that?’ / ‘It’s a hot spot.’ Middle: crew gathered (Luffy, Sanji + Vivi + Chopper) — ‘Who cares? We can’t eat it.’ / Vivi: ‘Actually, there are more volcanoes under the water than above it.’ / Sanji: ‘A volcano? Under the water?’ / Chopper: ‘A place where magma comes out of the ocean floor. There’s an undersea volcano here.’ Bottom: Merry sailing into the steam-bank (OOOOO), Vivi narrating: ’…A new island will be born.’ / ‘And in a few thousand — or tens of thousands — of years, right there…’
Page 6 — TWOING TWOING / QUACK / SPLASH. Karoo + Usopp fishing off the rail (rod-tips wobbling). Nami: ‘What an amazing phenomenon.’ Vivi & Nami chatting: ‘Yeah.’ / ‘I don’t think people live that long.’ / ‘I wonder if I’ll still be alive in tens of thousands of years.’ / Sanji-aside: ‘Nami, you’re terrific. ♥’ Middle: steam-fog (FWOOG FWOOG / KOFF!! KOFF!! GACK!!!) — ‘I can’t see anything!! / It smells like sulfur!!’ / ‘Don’t worry!! It’ll clear up soon.’ Bottom: helm panel — Nami: ‘Pay it no mind!! Sail right through it!!’ (Usopp/Sanji: ‘There’s smoke dead ahead!!! Aye-aye!!!’); right: ‘Mr. 2 Bon Clay?’ / ‘Mr. 2 Bon Clay!!’ (mystery voice from off-panel — first on-page mention of Bon Clay’s name, from his own ship somewhere in the fog).
Page 7 — Top: KSHWOOO Merry burning through the steam — ‘FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!’ Middle band: ‘We’re clear!! KOFF!! WOOSH… AAAAAH! I can’t see a thing! AAGH!!’ — clearing emerges. Bottom: a Baroque-Works ship’s interior, two BW officers panicking (KSHWOOO!) — ‘Mr. 2 Bon Clay!? Mr. 2 Bon Clay is gone!!?’ / ‘Impossible!!! He’s not there! Check his cabin!’ / DOOM!! GASP!!!. The Baroque-Works officers (sun-emblem behind them) realize their officer fell overboard in the steam.
Page 8 — Top: Luffy and Usopp looking up open-mouthed at something dangling on Usopp’s fishing line (above-frame). Middle: Usopp’s reel jerks (QUACK / KLUNK) — Usopp lifting the rod, a figure dangling from his line over the Merry’s deck (footnote: TEXT ON JACKET SAYS “OH COME MY WAY” — Ed.). Bottom: a wide-eyed close-up of the figure being hauled in (OH DEAR!! How did I manage… to get caught by a duck!!?) — ‘PTOOF!!’ and a chorus of ‘AAAH! That’s a weird fish!’. Bottom right: Merry tiny on the water with the figure on the line.
Page 9 — TA-DAH! — Bon Clay strikes a pose, arms wide. Swan-feathered ruff, swan-ring crown of small swans around his head, striped tutu-skirt, sopping wet (PLIP PLIP). ‘Swan thanks!’ / ‘Oh my!’ / SPLOOSH! Middle band: Bon Clay seated on the deck, ringed by the crew — ‘No way!!! Do you think I could have a warm bowl of soup? I am forever in your debt!! …My life has been saved by pirates I’ve never met before.’ / Nami (off-panel): ‘We’re the ones starving here!!’ Bottom: Bon Clay leering at Nami — ‘You are SOOO cute! Just my type. I could just eat you up.’ / Nami: ‘What a weirdo.’ / ‘Ugh…’. Vivi (background): ‘Oh!!’
Page 10 — Top band: Bon Clay seated, dripping. ‘So you can’t swim?’ (Luffy crouching, Usopp foreground) / ‘Of course not. I’ve eaten the Devil Fruit.’ / ‘You have?! What kind?!’ Middle: Bon Clay rises, arms out (WHOOSH!) — ‘Behold my power!!!’ / ‘But until then, perhaps I can entertain you a bit.’ / ‘Anyway, my ship will certainly come for me.’ (Merry sailing tiny in the background panel). Bottom big panel: Bon Clay strikes (WH—AAA!!), arms flailing — ‘UGH!!!’ — he reaches for Luffy.
Page 11 — Top: hands on faces (THP!! WUMP) — Bon Clay’s right hand on Luffy’s face: ‘LUFFY!!!’ Middle band of crew reaction faces (Nami, Sanji, Chopper-with-X-hat, Usopp) — ‘What the…?’ / SHK…. Bottom: Bon Clay backing off, hands raised — ‘What!?’ / ‘It’s all part of my act!! You’ll see!!!’ / ‘Wait, wait! Please!’. Hands raised, plea.
Page 12 — BA-BOOM!! — close-up of Luffy’s face wide-eyed at another Luffy face directly across from him — ‘This ain’t no joke!!!’ / ‘TA-DAH!!’. Middle: crew reactions — Sanji: ‘Surprised!?’ / Nami: ‘They’re identical!?’ / Luffy: ‘Huh?’ / Usopp: ‘He’s me!!’. Bottom band: Bon Clay (back-to-normal-face) lifts his left hand, mid-swipe (SWISH!) — ‘That is the power of the Clone-Clone Fruit!!!’ / ‘And with one swipe of my left hand… voilà! Back to normal!’
Page 13 — Top: Bon Clay grinning at Nami — ‘Well, actually, I didn’t have to punch you.’ / Nami: ‘That’s amazing!!’ / ‘…and physique were like Luffy’s!!!’ / ‘Even his voice…’ (WAP WAP WAP). Middle band: four close-ups — Nami, Chopper, Usopp, then Bon Clay — each in turn pinching faces (CHING! CHING! CHING! CHING!) as Bon Clay narrates: ‘…look like anyone!! …and just like that I can… …just touch your face… With my right hand…’ Bottom: OW!! / STOP THAT!! / WOOF!!! SNAP!! (Nami slaps Chopper-form / Luffy slaps Usopp-form during the impromptu face-trial) — ‘And that includes my body!! ♥’
Page 14 — Top: SWUP!! / FWUEE / KAYEE… — Bon Clay struts and poses, swan-ring crown bouncing — ‘Do some more!’ / ‘You’re awesome!!’ / ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t show you any more of my powers.’ / (off-panel) ‘He’s easily persuaded.’ Middle: Bon Clay closes his eyes, head tilted back (CHING!) — ‘I never forget.’ / ‘Once I’ve touched a face, it’s mine forever!!’ / Luffy: ‘Yeah!!’ / ‘Memory function — activate!!’. Bottom band: rapid cycle of borrowed faces (RA-AAH / WH—A / CHING! CHING!) — Bon Clay flips through borrowed faces in succession including idiots… (one of the cycled faces) / Vivi blinking, foreground: ’!!’. This is where the Cobra-face cycle happens — Vivi is the only one in-frame paying close attention to the cycle.
Page 15 — Top: KLAP KLAP KLAP / RAAAAH / SHWUP! Bon Clay accepts applause (crew claps); ‘COOL!!!’ / ‘How did you like my special trick!!?’ / ‘I never show that to anyone, you know.’ Middle: Nami spots Bon Clay’s ship — ‘Hey, there’s a ship coming this way!’ / ‘Is that yours?’ (KSHWOO in background) / ‘Idiots…’ / ‘HA HA HA HA THIS AIN’T NO JOKE!! THIS AIN’T NO JOKE!!’ (Bon Clay laughing). Bottom: Bon Clay deflates (HUH!!! / GASP!!) — ‘Oh! Is it time to part already!? Too bad.’ / ‘But don’t be sad. Every voyage must come to an end!! Just remember one thing…’
Page 16 — Big top panel: Bon Clay close-up (SNAP!) finger raised — ’…Friendship…’ / ‘…is not determined by how much time you spent together!!!’. Middle: WHUP!! / WAAAH — Bon Clay leaps to a rope swing-line off-frame: ‘Aye-aye, Mr. 2 Bon Clay!!!’ (from his ship’s crew) / ‘Let’s go, men!!!’ / Chopper + Usopp (X-hat + sniper-goggles): ‘I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN!!!’ Bottom: wide panel — the Merry on the water, !!!? — the swan-prowed ship sailing tiny in the foreground.
Page 17 — Top: Luffy + Usopp gaping back at the departing swan-ship — ‘Mr. 2!!!’. Middle: the crew putting it together — ‘That… was Mr. 2 Bon Clay!!?’ / Luffy: ‘No! I’ve never encountered Mr. 1 or Mr. 2 before!’ / ‘Vivi!! Didn’t you know what he looked like!!?’ / Usopp: ‘I didn’t even know what their powers were!!!’. Bottom: Vivi (eyes hidden under hair-fall): ‘I’d only heard rumors about Mr. 2!’ / ‘Are you blind?’ / ‘They say he wears makeup and talks like a girl and wears a swan coat that says “Oh Come My Way” on the back.’ / ’…’ / WHUP. The chapter’s name finally land in-text.
Page 18 — Top big panel: Vivi close-up, hands pressed to her face, single eye visible through her hair — ’!?’ — ‘He mimicked my father’s face! What does it mean!?’ / ‘When he was doing those faces from memory, one of them was my father’s!!’ Middle band — Chopper: ‘He was our enemy?’ / Usopp: ‘We let a bad guy get away.’ / Sanji (in profile): ‘He could do a lot of damage. If he were to pass himself off as the king…’. Bottom: Vivi (GULP…) and Nami close-up: ‘…if he decides that we’re his enemies!!’ / ‘If he disguised himself as one of us, we wouldn’t be able to trust each other.’ / ‘That guy could make a lot of trouble for us…’. The chapter’s central reveal.
Page 19 — Top: huge Luffy close-up, eyes wide, eyebrows up — DOOM! — ‘Huh?’ / ‘You think?’. Middle band: cut to Bon Clay aboard his swan-prowed ship (between two silhouette-figures) — KSHWOOO KARNNN — ‘Ha ha ha ha… I made some new friends today!!’ / (silhouette, broad-shouldered male = Mr. 1): ‘Mr. 2 Bon Clay, you seem to be in high spirits.’ Bottom band: DOOM!! with the male silhouette in profile — ‘Now we can plan our strategy. This was a lucky encounter for us.’ / (silhouette, slender female = Miss Doublefinger): ‘Hold on. Luffy’s opinion may be groundless, but I don’t think we have to worry about Mr. Bon Clay. Listen, Luffy…’ / inset: the Straw Hats grouped, Nami at center, WA F (papers/maps?). Cross-cut parallel-edit between the two ships, both crews completely misjudging the encounter.
Page 20 — SBS Volume 17, Vol. 1. Title-banner with stylized SBS logo over a globe with a bearded face. Reader-Oda dialogue opener (Oda’s fly is open, removes pants to continue). Q: ‘Dr. Kureha always talks about the secret of youth, but what is the secret? I’ve gotten so old lately.’ A: ‘Gotten old? You’re only 13! Anyway, the secret is — be happy!! Dr. Kureha is probably going to be around for a long time.’ Q: Reader threatens Oda with ransom for an editorial assistant’s lunch money (Budomint Tanisugi). A: ‘You!!?’. First SBS of Volume 17.

Open questions raised

How does the Mane Mane no Mi limit work? The chapter shows Bon Clay copying Luffy’s face + voice + physique perfectly. No clear limit on copy-fidelity is given yet (can he copy rubber-stretch? Devil-fruit powers? Body-mass changes?). Forward-canon to be tested.
When will Bon Clay deploy the false king operation? Cobra’s face is in Bon Clay’s library and the Alabasta civil-war is in flight. Vivi’s tactical anxiety is the chapter’s primary forward-promise.
How long has Baroque Works been operating against Alabasta? Bon Clay touched Cobra’s face at some prior point — implying BW agents have had physical access to the King. When? How? Through Crocodile’s hero-of-Alabasta persona, or via earlier infiltration?
What is Mr. 1’s (Daz Bones’s) Devil Fruit? Silhouette-only; physical menace implied by broad-shouldered build. Forward-canon to be revealed.
Who is Miss Doublefinger? Pair-coded to Mr. 1 in the BW grammar. Codename deviates from the Miss-Day-of-Week pattern (body-feature codename). Forward-canon to be developed.
Will Bon Clay’s friendship is not determined by time doctrine ever land on the Straw Hats? The chapter sets it up as a sympathetic-villain register; whether it ever pays off as a true heel-face turn is the long forward-canon question.
What is the Straw Hats’ counter-measure for face-impersonation? Nami names the problem; no in-chapter solution. Forward-canon to be developed.
Did Bon Clay also touch Sanji’s, Usopp’s, Chopper’s, or Nami’s faces during the demonstration? Pp. 13’s middle band suggests yes (he’s pinching faces while explaining the touch-to-copy mechanic) — the entire crew may now be in his library.

Specialist follow-ups

etymology — Bentham (Bon Clay’s given name, not yet revealed in-text; likely Jeremy Bentham reference); Mr. 2 Bon Clay (bon kure JP wordplay possibility — good day / good evening); Mane Mane no Mi (mane = imitation JP); Oh Come My Way (engrish slogan — possible play on o-kama = JP cross-dresser); Daz Bones (Mr. 1 — dazzling-bones or Daz-bo-like); Miss Doublefinger; Sanji Rouge (splash-art wine label). Worth researching swan-iconography for ballet/okama coding.

is a recurring Oda new-character-pulled-from-the-water device (cf. Jinbe later, Crocus); cross-check. The cross-cut parallel-edit on p. 19 is also worth indexing — does this device recur at arc-finales?

cover-tracker — chapter has no cover-story B-plot; ch 156 is a pure transit-chapter with title-splashes only. Note the absence — the Django cover-arc may have closed at ch 155 (verify with ch 155 read) or be on hiatus.
sbs — flag p. 20 SBS Vol. 17 Vol. Key in-text canonical: Kureha will recur in-canon (“around for a long time”).
score-predictions — THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT DELIVER THE CHERRY-BLOSSOM SNOWFALL. The crew is already five days out from Drum (p. 1) — the cherry-blossom payoff has already happened off-page (or in a chapter before this one). Verify against ch 153-155 reads. The just-filed prediction 2026-05-25 Drum Arc Closes With Cherry-Blossom Snowfall Over Drum Castle should be evaluated against the actual ch 153 or ch 154 Drum-finale. 2)** — the wine-pouring-from-bottle-into-glass tableau may foreshadow forward-canon Sanji-as-host scenes (Baratie register continued); cross-reference.
master-weaver — the enemy-with-our-faces identity-warfare grammar that opens here is structurally important enough to deserve its own Thread alongside (or under) the Baroque Works identity-mystery cluster.

⚓ Where are you in One Piece?

⚓ Uncharted waters