Chapters · Sky Island › Skypiea

Chapter 281: Deathpiea

Arc: Skypiea · Saga: Sky Island · Released: 2003

Summary

Atop the rising Ark Maxim, Enel readies his endgame: the ark grinds upward, snapping the Giant Jack beanstalk, and Enel unveils “Deathpiea” — a project that spews a massive jet stream of lightning clouds to blanket Skypiea in darkness, accumulate energy, and “annihilate the whole country.” Down on Angel Island the people panic and evacuate to Cloud’s End; the Shandian warriors below note the unnatural black sky over Upper Yard. Luffy, defiant (“Just because you’re the Kami, that doesn’t mean you can just destroy everything!!”), is harried by Enel’s Mantra-aided high-voltage attacks. He counters first by blanking his mind (“Space-out”) so the Mantra can’t read his next move — only to realize he can’t attack while thinking nothing either. Enel taunts that, against his Mantra, Luffy “has nothing other than being impervious to lightning.” Seizing on that, Luffy starts rebounding his stretched attacks off the Maxim’s hull — flying hits that aren’t under his own control, which Mantra can’t foresee — and finally lands a string of blows, capping it with a long-range stretch-punch that connects despite Enel sensing it coming.

New reveals

• Enel’s secret weapon has a name: “Deathpiea.” With his Goro Goro energy the Ark Maxim spews a jet stream of lightning clouds that envelop all of Skypiea in darkness; the clouds accumulate energy and become “dozens of lightning bolts” to “annihilate the whole country.” (pp. 4, 8)
• ⭐ Rubber is immune to lightning. Enel himself states it: against his Mantra, “Whatever you try, you’ve got nothing other than being impervious to lightning!” — the on-page canonization of the rubber-vs-Goro-Goro matchup the arc has been building toward. (p. 15)
• The Giant Jack beanstalk is broken/uprooted as the Ark Maxim grinds upward out of the varse. (pp. 2–3)
• Mantra counter, part 1: Luffy blanks his mind (“Space-out”) and dodges on pure instinct — Nami narrates that “since he’s not thinking anything, Enel can’t read his mind.” But it’s a dead end offensively: “Since I’m not thinking… I also can’t attack.” (pp. 13–14)
• Mantra counter, part 2: Luffy lands hits by bouncing his attacks off the ship’s hull — the rebounding “flying hits” aren’t under his control, so the Mantra can’t predict them and Enel takes a barrage. (pp. 15–17)

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Luffy — fighting Enel atop the Ark Maxim
• Enel — unveils Deathpiea; attacks Luffy with high-voltage strikes
• Nami — captive aboard the Maxim; narrates Luffy’s tactics
• Wyper, Aisa, Genbo, Kamakiri — Shandian warriors below, observing the blackening sky over Upper Yard (p. 7)
• Upper Yard, Skypiea, Angel Island, Cloud’s End (evacuation target, p. 9)
• Ark Maxim, Giant Jack, Mantra
• Goro Goro no Mi, Gomu Gomu no Mi
• Cover: Ace (cover-serial “Ace’s Great Search for Blackbeard, Vol. 9”)

Notable panels

• Page 1 (cover): “Ace’s Great Search for Blackbeard, Vol. 9 — ‘A Little Favor for Saving My Life.’” Ace stands atop a coiled sea-serpent/sea-king mount, raising a small folded note/paper, with a waving girl, a cow, and a small town in the background.
• Pages 2–3: The Ark Maxim grinds upward and snaps the Giant Jack (KRAK / GR-RRKK), the beanstalk pillar to the Kami’s temple uprooting.
• Page 4: Enel’s reveal panel — “The ark’s final act… is primed and ready. It will redeem this world of despair! I call it ‘Deathpiea.’”
• Pages 6–7: Maxim’s engine fires (FWOOM) with the 神 (Kami) kanji on the hull; Shandian warriors below note the unnatural dark sky.
• Page 8: Enel’s full Deathpiea exposition — lightning clouds, darkness, accumulated energy, “annihilate the whole country.”
• Page 13: Luffy goes blank-faced (“Space-out”) to defeat the Mantra read.
• Page 15: Enel’s “impervious to lightning” line — the rubber-vs-lightning canonization.
• Pages 16–17: Luffy’s wall-rebound barrage (BAM BAM BAM); Nami names the trick — “flying hits.”
• Pages 18–19: Long-range stretch-punch; Enel “I felt it coming!” yet is struck (WHAM).

Open questions raised

• Can Luffy’s wall-rebound tactic land a finishing blow, or will Enel adapt now that the trick is exposed?
• How far can Deathpiea’s lightning-cloud blanket spread, and how long until it discharges on Skypiea?
• With the Giant Jack broken and the Maxim airborne, how do the people below (and the Shandians) reach the fight in time?