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Chapter 323: The City of Water, Water Seven

Arc: Water Seven · Saga: Water Seven · Released:

Summary

The Straw Hats set sail from the sea-train station where they met Kokoro and her granddaughter Chimney. Before they go, Kokoro — a big, hard-drinking old woman — hands them a simple map of the island and a letter of introduction, telling them to “have them fix up your ship nicely,” that Water Seven is a huge town so don’t get lost, and that the Log Pose will take a week to set there. As the Merry pulls away, Kokoro warns them to “watch out for the government people,” and Chimney (with the rabbit-cat Gonbe) waves goodbye. Narration notes the crew had “inadvertently reached a sea train station, something none of them had ever seen before.” En route, the crew debates their goals — find a “city of meat” (Luffy), a real shipwright/carpenter (“a big mountain of a man, about five meters tall”), a new crewmate, and someone named Iceberg marked on Kokoro’s map. Nami passes out the crew’s allowance for their one-week stay. Usopp gets emotional over the Going Merry’s worsening condition — the patchwork plates “hold the memory of our battles and adventures” — and the crew weighs the cost of a real repair against their dwindling money. Then Water Seven itself erupts into view: a colossal fountain-fed industrial city built on pillars under the water’s surface, a “city on the water” on the Grand Line, with the sea train running through it and a station (“Blue Station”) at the front. A canal-man directs pirates to enter from a side dock; the crew learns the city is unafraid of pirates (“pirates are customers too”; “really strong bodyguards who don’t fear pirates”). At Dock One — the Water Seven Shipbuilding Factory — the Big Helmet Pirate Gang, led by Mikazuki (bounty 36 million), is refusing to pay for repairs and harassing the shipwrights. A blonde secretary, Kalifa, reports the dispute to her boss, and the Galley-La Company foremen — master craftsmen and “purveyors to the World Government” — coolly demolish the pirate gang, declaring “Pirate ways don’t fly… in the world of craftsmen.”

New reveals

• The Log Pose’s next destination is Water Seven, “the City of Water” on the Grand Line (splash caption, pp. 7–8). The Log “will take one week to set at Water Seven” (p. 2).
• Kokoro gives the crew a simple map of the island and a letter of introduction, instructing them to have their ship “fixed up nicely” and to seek a man named Iceberg (pp. 2, 5, 13). She warns “watch out for the government people” (p. 3).
• Kokoro and Chimney are left behind at the sea train station; narration: the crew “had inadvertently reached a sea train station, something none of them had ever seen before” (p. 3). The station building is labeled “STATION” / “Blue Station” (pp. 3, 10).
• Water Seven is a giant industrial shipbuilding city built on pillars under the water’s surface — houses appear to “sink,” with foundations standing on submerged pillars; it is fed by a huge central fountain (pp. 7–11). “No wonder the sea train runs through here” (p. 10).
• The city is unafraid of pirates — “pirates are customers too,” and either it has “really strong bodyguards who don’t fear pirates” or “this city is huge” (pp. 12). Pirates are routed to a side dock so they don’t “enter from the front” (p. 10).
• The Galley-La Company is named on-page: “Water Seven Shipbuilding Firm (Purveyors to the World Government)” (p. 18). Its foremen are master craftsmen who effortlessly crush a non-paying pirate gang (pp. 15–19).
• Kalifa — Iceberg’s blonde, bespectacled secretary — is named at Dock One (“Kalifa, what’s going on?”); she reports the customer “refusing to pay for the repairs” and runs the “sexual harassment!” gag against an unnamed cigar-smoking foreman (the future Paulie) (p. 15).
• Mikazuki, “Captain of the Big Helmet Pirate Gang,” bounty 36 million berries, refuses to pay Galley-La for ship repairs and is dispatched by the foremen (pp. 14–17).
• The crew’s Water-Seven to-do list: use Kokoro’s letter to find Iceberg → get the Merry repaired → exchange their Skypiea gold into cash → find a new shipwright/crewmate (pp. 5, 13).

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)
• Water Seven locals (debut/intro in-arc): Kokoro (the sea-train-station woman, named & shown; gives the map + letter), Chimney (her granddaughter; with the rabbit-cat Gonbe), Kalifa (Galley-La secretary, named p. 15), Iceberg (named only, not shown — “Iceberg” in VIZ)
• Galley-La Company: the foremen lineup (pp. 18–19) — one cigar-smoking blond foreman (unnamed here; the future Paulie), a top-hatted X-marked foreman, a bearded foreman, a goggled foreman, a square-jawed foreman with a mallet (Galley-La Company)
• Enemy pirates: Mikazuki (“Captain of the Big Helmet Pirate Gang,” bounty 36,000,000), the Big Helmet Pirates
• Ship: Going Merry (worsening condition; “patchwork of plates”)
• Concepts/infrastructure: Sea Train (Blue Station), Galley-La Company (shipbuilding firm; purveyors to the World Government), Log Pose (one week to set), Skypiea gold (to be exchanged for cash)
• Location: Water Seven (“The City of Water,” Grand Line) — Dock One, Blue Station
• Cover serial: “Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 9” (Gedatsu)

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Title splash: “Chapter 323: THE CITY OF WATER, WATER SEVEN” (editor’s note: “KANJI SAYS ‘BATH’”). Cover serial: “GEDATSU’S UNEXPECTED LIFE ON THE BLUE SEA, VOL. 9: ‘YOU MUST BATHE AFTER DIGGING SO MANY HOLES, MASTER GEDATSU’” — Gedatsu and another digger heating a large 風呂 (bath) barrel.
• pp. 2–3 — Kokoro (drinking, “URP,” “NGA GA GA!”) hands the crew the map and letter; “Have them fix up your ship nicely.” / “Water Seven is a huge town, so don’t get lost.” / “The log will take one week to set at Water Seven, so spend some leisure time there!”
• p. 3 — The crew thanks “Ms. Kokoro and Chimney”; Kokoro: “Watch out for the government people!!” Chimney + the rabbit-cat (Gonbe) wave (“MEOW!”). Caption: “The crew had inadvertently reached a sea train station, something none of them had ever seen before.”
• p. 4 — At sea: Luffy wants “the city of meat”; the crew sets out to find a new crewmate and a shipwright (“a big mountain of a man… about five meters tall”). “They headed for Water Seven, the City of Water.”
• p. 5 — Nami: “We have to go to the spot marked on the map and find someone named Iceberg.” Usopp’s reaction-gag about an octopus-shaped guy.
• p. 6 — Nami passes out the week’s allowance; Usopp’s eulogy for the Merry: “…this patchwork of plates… holds the memory of our battles and adventures.” Zoro: “And a bronze statue. We’ll add more cannons.” The money-vs-repair tension.
• pp. 7–8 — “DOOM!!” double-page reveal of WATER SEVEN — THE CITY OF WATER, GRAND LINE. The crew gawks (“How pretty.” / “Amazing.” / “WHOAA!”).
• pp. 9–11 — A giant central fountain (“PLASH PLASH”); the city is “a real industrial city”; “No wonder the sea train runs through here.” The town is “actually IN the water” — houses on pillars under the surface. “Blue Station” labeled.
• p. 10 — A canal-man directs the pirates to “go around to the other side of town” so they don’t “enter from the front.”
• p. 12 — Waterway guards warn the pirate ship off (“What’s a pirate ship doing here looking for loot?”). The crew notes the city isn’t afraid of pirates — “pirates are customers too” / “really strong bodyguards who don’t fear pirates.” Usopp snaps the Merry’s rope/sail pulling on it (“SNAP!!”) — the ship is in “such bad condition.”
• pp. 13–14 — Plan set: find Iceberg via Kokoro’s letter, arrange repairs, exchange gold for cash. Luffy: “Let’s go visit the City of Water!” → Trouble at Dock One — Water Seven Shipbuilding Factory: pirates causing a scene.
• p. 14 — MIKAZUKI, “CAPTAIN OF THE BIG HELMET PIRATE GANG, BOUNTY: 36 MILLION BERRIES,” refusing to pay: “the price just seems too high.”
• p. 15 — A cigar-smoking blond foreman (future Paulie) and the secretary Kalifa (“Yes, Mr. Iceberg.” / “Kalifa, what’s going on?”). The “sexual harassment!” running gag. “It’s not a good idea to annoy craftsmen.”
• pp. 16–17 — The foremen effortlessly cut down Mikazuki’s gang (“SWAK!!” / “B-BOSS!!”); a foreman casually orders “…test fire that cannon?” → “BOOM!!” scattering the pirates.
• pp. 18–19 — The GALLEY-LA COMPANY foremen lineup revealed over the wreckage: “Pirate ways don’t fly… in the world of craftsmen.” Caption: “GALLEY-LA COMPANY — Water Seven Shipbuilding Firm (Purveyors to the World Government).”
• p. 20 — SBS “Question Corner” (wig question — Beautiful Female Warrior Luffy Moon / Moronic Feudal Lord Luffy / Greaser Luffy / Old Man Luffy; “peanut strategy” Davy Back Fight question). (Not a cover-serial continuation — standard SBS column.)

Open questions raised

• Who is Iceberg? (Named pp. 5, 13; not shown.) Why does Kokoro know him and send a letter of introduction? What is his standing in Water Seven?
• What exactly is the Galley-La Company, and why are mere shipwrights “purveyors to the World Government” with combat skill that crushes a 36-million-bounty pirate gang? (pp. 14–19.)
• Will the crew repair the Going Merry, or is she beyond saving? Usopp’s attachment vs. Nami/Zoro’s “make her better than new” — and the money problem (pp. 6, 12).
• Why “watch out for the government people”? (Kokoro’s warning, p. 3.) What government presence is in Water Seven?
• What is the sea train, where does it run, and why had none of the crew ever seen one? (pp. 3, 10.)