Chapters · Water Seven › Long Ring Long Land

Chapter 318: Closure

Arc: Long Ring Long Land · Saga: Water Seven · Released:

Summary

The Davy Back Fight ends. In the third and final round — the Combat duel between captains — Foxy is knocked clean out of the arena and into the sea, ending his “legendary record of 920 consecutive wins” and crowning the Straw Hats the victors (pp. 2–6). Luffy collapses, briefly wonders if the whole thing “was a dream,” and is reassured by the crew that he won (pp. 7–8). The referee announces that, as winner, Luffy now gets to choose one member from the Foxy crew — the Foxy Pirates anxiously offer up candidates (“Gina, the sexy ship carpenter?” / “Donovan, the carpenter who can also fight?”), and Luffy seems to want Chappy (pp. 9–10). Instead, to everyone’s shock, Luffy demands the crew’s Jolly Roger flag — “Give me your Jolly Roger!!” (p. 11). The Foxy crew is horrified that he’d strip away “the very symbol of pirate pride,” but Luffy, after taking the flag, draws them a replacement so they can still legally go to sea — a hideous cat-skull doodle that leaves the whole crew gloomy (“That’s horrible!!”) (pp. 12–13). The Davy Back Fight is formally declared over, the Foxy Pirates sail off vowing “We’ll… remember… this!!”, and the Going Merry is released back to the Straw Hats (pp. 13–14). Onshore, Tonjit is tearfully reunited with his horse Sherry after waiting ten years, and the crew agrees to help him find his village (which has relocated since the ten small islands drifted apart) (pp. 15–17). As they reach Tonjit’s old yurt, they encounter a strange tall figure they’d mistaken for a tree — a lanky, dark-skinned man with an afro and a sleep-mask, dozing on his feet. He wakes, looks at Robin, and says “Oh my… you’ve turned into a pretty woman… Nico Robin” — naming and recognizing her as Robin freezes in fear. The closing caption identifies him: “Admiral Aokiji, Navy Headquarters” (pp. 18–19).

New reveals

• Luffy wins the Davy Back Fight’s Round 3 (the Combat duel) against Foxy — Foxy goes “flying” out of the ring and into the sea, ending his “legendary record of 920 consecutive wins” (pp. 2–6).
• As victor, Luffy may claim one Foxy crew member (per the Davy Back rules) — the Foxy crew nervously names candidates: “Gina, the sexy ship carpenter,” “Donovan, the carpenter who can also fight,” and Luffy appears to want Chappy (pp. 9–10). (These Foxy-crew names — Gina, Donovan, Chappy — are spoken only as offered candidates; none join.)
• Luffy instead demands the Foxy Pirates’ Jolly Roger flag — “Give me your Jolly Roger!!” — citing the Davy Back rule that a winner may strip the loser’s flag (p. 11).
• Luffy draws the Foxy crew a replacement flag so they can “still go out to sea” — “It’s just a symbol… I’ll draw you a new one over it” — producing a hideous cat-skull doodle that demoralizes the whole crew (“That’s horrible!!”) (pp. 12–13).
• The Davy Back Fight formally concludes; the Straw Hats are the victors (p. 13). The Foxy Pirates depart vowing revenge (“We’ll… remember… this!!”, p. 14).
• The Going Merry is released back to the Straw Hats — “Woohoo! The Merry Go is finally being released!” (p. 14).
• Tonjit reunites with his horse Sherry after a ten-year wait (“You’ve faithfully waited ten years for me”); the crew agrees to escort him to find his village, which has moved because “the ten small islands are actually all connected to form one island, so the Log can’t pinpoint it” (pp. 15–17).
• FULL DEBUT of Marine Admiral Aokiji (pp. 18–19): a very tall, lanky, dark-skinned man with a curly afro and a sleep-mask, found standing dormant (“SNORE”) at Tonjit’s old yurt — the Straw Hats had mistaken him for a tree (“I thought you were a tree”).
• Aokiji recognizes Nico Robin on sight: “Oh my… you’ve turned into a pretty woman… Nico Robin” (p. 19). Robin reacts with visible shock/fear, implying a shared past. The closing caption names him “Admiral Aokiji, Navy Headquarters.”

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Luffy, Nami, Nico Robin, Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, Chopper (Straw Hat Pirates)
• Foxy Pirates: Foxy (knocked into the sea, loses), Porche, Hamburg (Foxy Pirates). Offered-but-unrecruited crew names spoken on-page: Gina (ship carpenter), Donovan (fighting carpenter), Chappy (p. 10). (No new character notes — these are passing names, no faces/profiles given.)
• Marines: Aokiji “Admiral Aokiji, Navy Headquarters” — full debut, pp. 18–19 (Marines)
• Long Ring Long Land locals: Tonjit and his horse Sherry (pp. 15–16)
• Events/concepts: Davy Back Fight (concluded), Going Merry (“Merry Go finally being released,” p. 14)
• Location: Long Ring Long Land
• Cover serial: “GEDATSU’S UNEXPECTED LIFE ON THE BLUE SEA, VOL. 4: ‘GORO THE HOLE DIGGER’S DREAM IS HOT SPRING ISLAND’” — Gedatsu cover story (p. 1)

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Title splash “Chapter 318: CLOSURE.” Cover serial: Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 4 — “Goro the Hole Digger’s Dream is Hot Spring Island” — Gedatsu (upside-down on a porch) outside a small stone bathhouse, two figures on the deck.
• pp. 2–3 — “BOSS WENT FLYING!!” Foxy is launched out of the combat ring; “KER-SPLASH!!” as he hits the sea. The Foxy crew cries “Boss!!”
• p. 4 — Narration: “The boss’s legendary record of 920 consecutive wins has been broken… and the winner of this game is…” over Foxy sinking. Luffy’s own resolve recapped: “Even if it kills me!!! …I won’t lose a single member of my crew.”
• p. 5 — “DOOM!!” The crowd roars “LUFFYYY!!” / “STRAW HAT…!!”; Chopper, Nami, Sanji celebrate “You did it, Luffy!!”
• p. 6 — ”…This traditional ‘three coin’ game… Davy Back Fight… is now over!!” Foxy is fished/dragged from the water.
• pp. 7–8 — Luffy regains consciousness (“Was it a dream? …I thought I won!!”), is told “Don’t worry, you won.” Robin: “There’d be no point in me being a pirate if not on this ship.”
• pp. 9–10 — Referee: “Choosing rights go to ship captain Straw Hat Luffy!! …Who do you want from my crew? Now hurry it up and choose!” Foxy crew offers Gina / Donovan; Luffy “I wanted Chappy.”
• p. 11 — “Give me your Jolly Roger!!” — “DOOM!!” Foxy: “What…?! No way! You have no scruples about snatching away the symbol of pirate pride?!” Luffy: “If I actually get what I want, I’ll forget why I accepted the challenge in the first place. I’m glad.”
• p. 12 — Luffy: “It’s just a symbol… All right…” then “…so I’ll draw you a new one over it!” — redrawing the captured flag.
• p. 13 — The new flag revealed: a crude cat-skull “FOXY” doodle — “That’s horrible!!” “GLOOM.” Then “And this concludes the Davy Back Fight!! The victor is the Straw Hat Crew!!”
• p. 14 — “Woohoo! The Merry Go is finally being released!” The Going Merry is freed. The Foxy Pirates sail off: “We’ll… remember… this!!” Robin: “What a weird group of pirates…”
• pp. 15–16 — Tonjit reunited with his horse Sherry (“You’ve faithfully waited ten years for me”; “Now it’s my turn to wait with you”). The crew arrives: “We kicked their butts!”
• p. 17 — Nami explains the village relocated: “the ten small islands are actually all connected to form one island, so the Log can’t pinpoint it.” Tonjit invites them in (“Come on inside — you are most welcome!!”).
• p. 18 — A towering figure beside the yurt, sleep-mask on, “SNORE.” Crew: “A person?! Has he been there all this time?!” / “I thought you were a tree.” / “Who are you?!”
• p. 19 — The figure looks at Robin: “Oh my… you’ve turned into a pretty woman… Nico Robin.” Robin recoils in fear. Caption: “ADMIRAL AOKIJI — NAVY HEADQUARTERS.”
• p. 20 — SBS “Question Corner” page (Q&A: “believing heart,” Sanji’s “Brother Soul,” super-sparrow Chuchun’s diet of super-earthworms/super-sharks/super-football-fish).

Open questions raised

• How does Aokiji know Nico Robin? He recognizes her on sight and notes she’s grown up — implying he knew her years before her bounty. (p. 19 — the hook for Robin’s pre-Baroque-Works / childhood past.)
• Why is an Admiral — “the greatest power in the Navy” — standing alone at Long Ring Long Land? Is he hunting Robin/the Straw Hats, or is this a chance encounter on one of his “sightseeing” wanders (cf. Ch. 303)?
• What is Aokiji’s intent toward the Straw Hats? His tone is casual/friendly, but Robin’s terror signals danger.
• What becomes of Tonjit and the search for his relocated village?