Chapter 214: Strategy to Escape the Sand Kingdom

Arc: Alabasta · Saga: Alabasta · Released:

Summary

Alabasta’s denouement. At the palace, Igaram rushes “bad news” to Vivi: the Straw Hats are gone — they’ve put to sea (p. 3). At Nanohana port, Marine Captain Hina has thrown a 30-ship blockade around every Alabasta port; her newly-recruited subordinates Fullbody and Django — now captioned “Third Mate, Navy” — report all harbors sealed, but the Straw Hat ship that was supposed to be at Erumalu has vanished (pp. 4-6). The crew, riding the Supersonic Duck Squadron back across the desert, mourns leaving Vivi behind — until Nami flips her grief into the running billion-berry gag (p. 8). At the palace Igaram chooses not to tell Vivi the crew’s bounties; Vivi goes to bed for “a big day tomorrow” but lies awake (pp. 9-10). A Transponder Snail call comes in from “Bon-chan” (pp. 11-12): Bon Clay (Mr. 2), still calling them friends, reveals he saved the Going Merry from the navy and has it hidden upstream on the Sandora River (p. 13). Aboard the strategy scene the crew plots the getaway and sets the X-mark farewell: a brief, no-anchor stop at the East Port at 12 noon tomorrow — Vivi has 12 hours to decide; it is her one and only chance to join them as a pirate (p. 14). Vivi computes the four-hour Karoo run and agonizes over the choice (p. 15). At the riverbank, Bon Clay’s swan-ship reunites with the crew (“SWAN!!”, p. 16); he reveals the navy’s blockade trapped his own swan-ship on the island too, declares “YOU’RE MY FRIENDS!!” (p. 18), and proposes they fight Hina together “for friendship’s sake!” (p. 19). Hina’s lookout locates the Merry — “It’s on the Sandora River!!” — and she orders, “Prepare for battle” (p. 19). The chapter closes on Chopper grinding medicine (p. 20).

New reveals

• Captain Hina debuts (pp. 4-5), commanding the Marine blockade of Alabasta — “All of Alabasta’s ports… are sealed tight by 30 ships and support forces!!” Her subordinates address her as “Lady Hina.” Heart-eye sunglasses, MARINE cap, fur-trimmed cloak.
• Fullbody and Django are now Marines under Hina, both captioned “Third Mate, Navy” (Fullbody: “Double Iron Fist Fullbody”; Django: “Django the Turncoat”, p. 4). They are an inseparable comic-duo who keep getting scolded (“Hina is very dissatisfied,” p. 5); their “good excuse” for being late: “We were picking flowers for you. ♡” (p. 6).
• The Going Merry is missing (p. 6) — the ship that should have been in Erumalu cannot be found by the navy. The lone gap in the otherwise-airtight blockade.
• Bon Clay saved the Merry and has it upstream on the Sandora River (pp. 13, 18). He phones the crew via Transponder Snail, still framing himself as their friend, and offers to return the ship at the East Port. The navy’s blockade had also trapped his own swan-ship on the island (p. 18).
• The 1 billion berries Igaram promised (Ch. 0110) is reaffirmed by Nami as still owed (p. 8).
• Igaram chooses not to tell Vivi the crew’s bounties (p. 9) — reasoning the news wouldn’t change her decision and would only make the people happy.
• Hina locates the Merry on the Sandora River and orders her fleet to prepare for battle (p. 19) — the cliffhanger that hands directly into Ch. 0215.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Hina (first appearance) · Fullbody · Django · Vivi · Igaram · Nefertari Cobra (referenced) · Luffy · Zoro · Nami · Sanji · Usopp · Tony Tony Chopper · Bon Clay · Karoo · Hatchan (cover story) · Marines · Straw Hat Pirates · Baroque Works (referenced as “history”) · Mane Mane no Mi · Going Merry · Den Den Mushi · Alubarna · Nanohana · Sandora River · Erumalu (referenced)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page + cover story Hachi’s Walk on the Sea Floor, Vol. 28: “Alas, the Village of the Headband-Wearing Catfish Is Crushed by a Shipwreck” (Hatchan serial; B&W, no color spread this chapter). Hachi laughs (“HEE HEE HEE!”) atop a sunken shipwreck above a polka-dot creature and a crowd of seafloor catfish-folk.
• Page 3 — Vivi alone in the empty palace hall to Igaram: “They’ve gone to sea. ‘Cause that’s where pirates belong.”
• Page 4 — Fullbody and Django captioned “Third Mate, Navy”; “BO-OING!!” dance-pose. First Hina partial reveal (heart-eye sunglasses, “MARINE” cap).
• Page 5 — Hina-at-Nanohana panorama: “All of Alabasta’s ports… are sealed tight by 30 ships and support forces!!” Hina referred to as “Lady Hina.”
• Page 6 — The one gap: the Straw Hat ship that should be in Erumalu is missing. Fullbody/Django’s “We were picking flowers for you. ♡” excuse.
• Page 8 — Nami: “the one billion berries Igaram promised.” “DA-GOM!!” — crew riding the Supersonic Ducks across the desert; Usopp falls off.
• Page 9 — Igaram declines to tell Vivi the bounties; Vivi: “Come on, Karoo. You can sleep with me.”
• Pages 11-12 — Bon Clay calls on the Transponder Snail (“Bon-chan?”); the crew debates whether it’s a trap and takes the call; “It’s ME!!”
• Page 13 — The crew agrees to go to him: “He’s upstream on the Sandora River.” Vivi watches, uncertain (“I don’t know what to do…”).
• Page 14 — Compass-oriented Sandora River / East Port strategic map; the X-mark farewell rendezvous is set (12 noon tomorrow; 12-hour clock); “Vivi, you’re a princess. We can’t offer you much.”
• Page 15 — Vivi sleepless at the palace, agonizing; Karoo’s four-hour clock; “I never thought I’d actually consider becoming a pirate.”
• Page 16 — Bon Clay’s swan-ship “SWAN!! Long time no see!!!” reunion with the crew; ducks unload at the riverbank; ED. note: “Text on coat says ‘Oh Come My Way.’”
• Page 18 — Bon Clay: “YOU’RE MY FRIENDS!!” — reveals he saved the Merry from the navy; the blockade trapped his own swan-ship too.
• Page 19 — Bon Clay: “Let’s join forces and fight together! For friendship’s sake!” / Hina, cloak grit: “Prepare for battle.” Lookout: “It’s on the Sandora River!! Lady Hina, we’ve located the ship!!”
• Page 20 — Chapter-tail (final story page): Chopper grinding medicine (“GRIND GRIND GRIND…”) in a narrow letterbox panel.

Open questions raised

• Will Vivi make the East-Port rendezvous, or stay to rule Alabasta? (The arc-finale choice, set up here and resolved at the farewell ~Ch. 216.)
• Can the crew get the Going Merry past Hina’s blockade now that she’s located the ship?
• How dangerous is Hina herself? (Her “Black Cage” epithet and Devil Fruit are not yet shown on-page; she only orders, “Prepare for battle.”)