Chapters · Alabasta › Alabasta

Chapter 196: 1

Arc: Alabasta · Saga: Alabasta · Released:

Summary

At the Alubarna palace, four elite Royal Guards calling themselves the Kicking Claw Force force the gate open and confront Crocodile, ordering him to leave the kingdom (p. 2-4). They have drunk a lethal “Fatal Fuel” potion that grants temporary super-strength at the cost of only minutes to live — they intend to make Crocodile feel Alabasta’s wrath even if it kills them (pp. 7-8). Crocodile dismisses them as vermin, tells them to go home, and defeats all four with sand attacks (pp. 5-9). Chaka pleads with them to stop, then transforms into his jackal Zoan form (“Jackal Model… a Zoan type” — the Mutt-Mutt/Dog-Dog Fruit) and attacks Crocodile with Howling Fangs (pp. 10-11). Crocodile defeats Chaka too, asking “Will you… die for your king as well?” and pronouncing weakness an unforgivable sin (pp. 12, 18). Crocodile also baits Mr. 1’s defeated body, marveling that Zoro improved over the course of this battle and that cutting through him would have been a waste (pp. 12-13). Cut to the city: WINNER: ZOLO — Zoro has defeated Mr. 1 at the Medi Assembly Hall (p. 13). Usopp, Chopper, Sanji and Nami regroup in the streets; Sanji weeps over Toh-Toh’s death and reports she said Luffy… is dead (pp. 13-16). The crew steel themselves and head for the palace; the chapter closes on a palace-square clock: 25 minutes until the explosion (p. 19).

New reveals

• The Kicking Claw Force — four elite Royal Guards of Alabasta who got the palace gate open to confront Crocodile (pp. 2-4, captioned p. 4: “THE KICKING CLAW FORCE — ELITE ROYAL GUARDS OF ALABASTA”).
• “Fatal Fuel” — a lethal potion the four drank for temporary super-power; “they only have a few minutes to live… they can’t be saved” (p. 7).
• Chaka’s Devil Fruit transformation — Chaka transforms into his jackal Zoan form; bystanders name it “Jackal Model!! / Mutt-Mutt Fruit… / Hmm… a Zoan type…” (p. 11). First on-page confirmation of Chaka as a Zoan user (the Inu Inu no Mi, Model Jackal). Named attack: Howling Fangs (p. 12).
• Zoro defeats Mr. 1 — WINNER: ZOLO caption at Alubarna North Block, the Medi Assembly Hall, The Battle of the Main Street (p. 13). Crocodile’s “you actually improved over the course of this battle… cut through a diamond next? That would be such a waste” (pp. 12-13) confirms Zoro reached the cut-steel tier.
• 25-minute palace-explosion countdown set on the closing clock (p. 19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Crocodile · Chaka · Pell (background, downed) · Nefertari Cobra (background, captive at the palace) · Vivi (referenced) · Zoro (WINNER caption) · Mr. 1 (defeated) · Sanji · Usopp · Tony Tony Chopper · Nami (referenced) · Eyelashes (referenced) · Toh-Toh (reported dead) · Hatchan (cover) · Alubarna · Alabasta · the Kicking Claw Force (new)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Cover-story: Hachi’s Walk on the Seafloor, Vol. 13 — “A shadow draws near Hachi, who saves someone who had been eaten by a fish, who had also almost been eaten by a fish.” Hachi the octopus fish-man holds hands with a small mermaid on the seafloor; a large shadow looms top-right with a ? speech-bubble; a bones/skull fish-skeleton motif at left.
• Page 4 — The Kicking Claw Force caption-debut: four armored elite Royal Guards, “WE FOUR… will deal with him.”
• Page 5-6 — Crocodile dismisses them: “Go home.” / “They’re vermin. Don’t bother.” Sand-attack blast (SH-ROOM!! GRAAAAH!!) fells the four.
• Page 11 — “JACKAL MODEL!! / MUTT-MUTT FRUIT… / HMM… A ZOAN TYPE…” — Chaka’s jackal-form transformation; Howling Fangs strike (p. 12).
• Page 12-13 — Crocodile over Mr. 1’s defeated body: “You actually… improved over the course of this battle…” / “Cut through a diamond next? That would be such a waste. You got me.”
• Page 13 — WINNER: ZOLO caption; Zoro seated cross-legged amid rubble at the Medi Assembly Hall, The Battle of the Main Street.
• Page 14 — Sanji weeps reporting “that old mole… was dead!” (Toh-Toh); Usopp comic-relief beat.
• Page 15 — Crew steels itself: “…until we’ve put an end to this war!”
• Page 18 — Crocodile over the fallen Chaka: “Weakness… is an unforgivable sin.”
• Page 19 — Palace-square clock: “TIME UNTIL THE EXPLOSION… 25 MINUTES.”

Open questions raised

• Who reported to the Strawhats that “Luffy is dead” (p. 14, “she said Luffy…”) — Vivi? — and how does that mis-report resolve? (Forward-canon: Luffy was buried by Crocodile but survives; the report is Crocodile’s gaslight from Ch. 192 propagating.)
• Will the Royal Guards who drank the Fatal Fuel survive their few-minutes-to-live timer?
• Can anyone reach Crocodile before the 25-minute palace-explosion clock expires?