Chapter 228: Mont Blanc Cricket, the Last Boss of the Monkey Mountain Allied Force

Arc: Jaya · Saga: Sky Island · Released:

Summary

Masira and Shoujou burst into the boss’s house in a panic (“BOSS!! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!”), having heard the gunshots from the prior confrontation; they assume the Straw Hats have come to kill their boss and try to flee out the window, but accept that the crew is giving the wounded man medical treatment (pp. 1-4). Narration establishes this house is the headquarters of the Monkey Mountain (Saruyama) Allied Force, the boss’s home (p. 4). The boss — a huge, diamond-haired, sunglasses-wearing man with a bare chest — apologizes for attacking the crew earlier, explaining “I thought you were after my gold” (p. 6). When Luffy reveals they want to reach a Sky Island, the boss reacts; Nami doubts sky islands even exist, and the crew presses him (pp. 6-7). The man recounts the legend of “Noland the Liar”: one man down history claimed a Sky Island and a City of Gold existed and was branded a liar, and his descendants have been mocked ever since (pp. 7-8). He reveals he is Mont Blanc Cricket, Noland’s great-great-great-(etc.)-grandson — “I probably only have a drop of his blood in me” — and that the Mont Blanc family was driven into shame, yet his ancestor “was no liar” (pp. 8-9). He tells the full tale: Noland reported a mountain of gold to his king; when they returned the gold was gone; Noland was executed laughing like an idiot but actually weeping, his last words “I know! The mountain of gold must have sunk into the sea!” (pp. 9-10). The island, Cricket says, was Jaya — the same island that held the ruins of the City of Gold; Noland theorized the ancient ruins sank due to a shift in the earth’s crust, and was put to death as everyone laughed (p. 10). Cricket has spent ten years diving the deep ocean floor off Jaya searching for that City of Gold to clear the Mont Blanc name (pp. 10-11). He recounts leaving home ashamed of his family, becoming a pirate by accident, and ten years ago landing — fatefully — on this very island despite hating Noland and the family curse the most (pp. 11-13). Usopp objects emotionally, identifying with the “fool’s blood” of a mocked family (Noland reminding him of his own father’s reputation). Cricket clarifies he is not diving for the gold itself or to clear the name, but to settle his own grudge “with the man who ruined my life” — “this is my battle” (pp. 13-15). He recounts that Masira and Shoujou (“those monkeys”) found and saved him while he dove alone in the cold dark sea, and became his self-appointed henchmen; the three are devoted fans of the Noland story (pp. 15-16). Cricket pulls out Noland’s actual surviving log book and reads it: dated “Kaien 1120, June 21, clear skies, sailed from the lively town of Vira,” describing a “Waver” one-man sea-ski whose power only works on Sky Islands, and a living “sky fish” — proof people 400 years ago did not doubt that sky islands existed (pp. 17-18). Robin notes “That’s just what Robin said!! A sea in the sky!” (p. 18). Luffy excitedly insists he wants to go to the island in the sky (pp. 18-20). Cricket asks Masira and Shoujou if they like these pirates; learning the Straw Hats are determined to reach Sky Island, he declares “That’s why I’m asking. It’ll be up to us… to help get them there.” (pp. 19-20). Page 1 carries the cover (final volume of “Hachi’s Walk on the Seafloor”); page 20 ends on the SBS-free story beat (the SBS Question Corner runs at the back of ch 223; here the column is absent).

New reveals

• Mont Blanc Cricket introduced (pp. 2-9): the recluse “boss” the Saruyama Alliance protects — a huge man with diamond-shaped (drill-like) hair, sunglasses, a cigar, and a bare chest. He is a descendant of Mont Blanc Noland (“my great-great-great-great… he was my ancestor”; “I probably only have a drop of his blood in me,” p. 8).
• The legend of “Noland the Liar” told in full (pp. 7-10): the explorer Mont Blanc Noland reported a City of Gold (a “mountain of gold”) to his king; when the king’s party returned the gold had vanished; Noland was branded a liar and executed. His recorded last words: “I know! The mountain of gold must have sunk into the sea!” The book depicts him grinning like an idiot, but Cricket says he actually died with tears rolling down his cheeks (pp. 9-10).
• Jaya = the City of Gold island. The island Noland reported is named as Jaya — the same island that held the ruins of the City of Gold (p. 10). Noland theorized the ancient ruins sank due to a shift in the earth’s crust.
• Cricket’s ten-year dive. Mont Blanc Cricket has spent ten years diving the deep ocean floor off Jaya searching for the sunken City of Gold (pp. 10-11) — ostensibly to clear the Mont Blanc family name, but he reframes it as a personal grudge against Noland, “the man who ruined my life” (pp. 13-15).
• Mont Blanc family curse. “Countless Mont Blancs have gone to sea… and all of them disappeared without a trace… over the last 400 years… in order to restore the family honor” (p. 11). Cricket left home ashamed, became a pirate “by accident” trying to escape Noland’s curse, and landed fatefully on this very island ten years ago (pp. 11-13).
• Masira & Shoujou are Cricket’s henchmen (pp. 15-16). The two giant ape-like salvagers found and saved Cricket as he dove alone, appointed themselves his henchmen, and are devoted “fans of the [Noland] story.” They, with Cricket, form the Saruyama (Monkey Mountain) Alliance.
• Noland’s log book survives 400+ years (pp. 17-18). It is dated “Kaien 1120, June 21, clear skies, sailed from the lively town of Vira”; describes a one-man boat called a “Waver” ridden like a ski whose engine only runs on Sky Islands; describes a living “sky fish”; and shows people of that era did not doubt sky islands existed. (First on-page mention of the calendar marker “Kaien,” the town of Vira, the Waver, and sky fish.)
• Cricket commits to helping the Straw Hats reach the Sky Island (pp. 19-20): “These pirates are determined to go to Sky Island… That’s why I’m asking. It’ll be up to us… to help get them there.”

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Luffy · Zoro · Nami · Sanji · Usopp · Tony Tony Chopper · Nico Robin · Mont Blanc Cricket (first appearance / first named) · Masira · Shoujou (named on-page p. 14 “SHOUJOU!!” — provisionally first named; he debuts in the immediately preceding unread chapters) · Mont Blanc Noland (first appearance in book-illustration form; first named)
• Crews / groups: Straw Hat Pirates · Saruyama Alliance (Monkey Mountain Allied Force — first named)
• Families: Mont Blanc (first established as a family)
• Locations: Jaya (named as the City-of-Gold island) · Cricket’s House (Saruyama Alliance HQ) · Vira (town in Noland’s log, mentioned only) · the City of Gold (legendary, sunken)
• Cover (page 1): Hatchan — “Hachi’s Walk on the Seafloor,” final volume

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page + cover: Hachi at the helm of his “TAKO-8-YAKI” octopus-fritter ship, the final installment of the “Hachi’s Walk on the Seafloor” cover serial. Caption: “Grand Opening! Takoyaki 8, an octopus fritter shop on the high seas.”
• Page 6 — Full-figure reveal of Mont Blanc Cricket: bare-chested, diamond/drill-haired, sunglasses, cigar, name-tag splash “MARDOK”/“CRICKET.” “I thought you were after my gold… Sorry I attacked you guys.”
• Pages 9-10 — The illustrated book pages of Noland: depicted grinning like an idiot, dying with tears on his cheeks; his last words “The mountain of gold must have sunk into the sea!”
• Page 12 — Silhouette of Cricket standing on the cliff overlooking Jaya in a cape, narration ”…NOLAND” — a dramatic single-figure composition worth a mirror check.
• Pages 17-18 — Close-ups of Noland’s log book held open; the crew reads the Kaien-1120 / Vira entry and the Waver/sky-fish passages.
• Page 20 — Cricket, arms crossed, declares “It’ll be up to us… to help get them there,” sealing the alliance with the Straw Hats.

Open questions raised

• If the City of Gold “sank into the sea,” why has Cricket’s decade of deep diving turned up nothing — did the gold actually rise to the Sky Island rather than sink? (Posed implicitly; resolved later in the arc.)
• What exactly is the “Waver,” and where do its Sky-Island-only mechanics come from?
• What is the “Kaien” calendar, and how does it map to the present-day timeline 400+ years later?
• Where is the town of Vira, and what was Noland’s homeland/kingdom?
• What is the actual route from Jaya up to the Sky Island that “it’ll be up to us” to provide?