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Chapter 339: Rumors

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

Summary

From a rooftop above Water Seven, Luffy, Nami and Sanji scout Galley-La Company / Dock 1 and Iceberg’s mansion, where a crowd of reporters has gathered. Nami warns of the island’s weather: a typhoon may come tonight, the air pressure is dropping, and “it’s just asking for flood damage.” Luffy refuses to wait — he wants to ask “Ice Guy” himself why he says Robin was the criminal — and dives in: in broad daylight he smashes through Galley-La HQ and storms the mansion to reach the bedroom, panicking the guards (“Straw Hat Luffy has broken into the mansion”). Inside, the bedridden, bandaged Iceberg has actually summoned Luffy (“I called you here… I gambled on a silly little hope… that I could get closer to the truth”). Iceberg says he saw Nico Robin with his own eyes the night he was attacked — “she is one of your crew” — and asks to see her “one more time,” but Luffy can’t help because the crew doesn’t know where she is. A gunshot rings out; Kalifa, Iceberg’s secretary, relays the mayor’s “favor”: capture the whole Straw Hat crew, every last one of them. Elsewhere, alone, Nami despairs that Luffy really did reach Iceberg and got told Robin attacked him; Luffy roars “Don’t believe it!!” Meanwhile in downtown Water Seven, Franky is drinking at Blueno’s Bar (run by the horned bartender Blueno), flush with “one million berries” of leftover cash and buying rounds — the “real boss of Water Seven.” The old hag Kokoro is there (mistaken at first for a grotesque statue), now homeless after losing her house, and warns “Aqua Laguna’s coming.” Talk turns to the attack on Iceberg “by pirates,” and Kokoro probes whether the bar’s patrons know about the World Government’s secret unit. Blueno and the patrons discuss CP9 by name — a “covert unit, totally off the books,” who “erase people without ever being discovered,” to whom “shadowy jobs are left” — and the bumbling government man Corgy who “always trails around after Iceberg.” That, they say, is “what’s called a rumor.” The chapter closes on Robin herself, hidden in a vacant warehouse with a shadowy CP9 handler: she’s now wanted by the whole town, but the important thing is “tonight.” The handler instructs her to break back into Iceberg’s mansion and steal what “someone named Tom” originally had — Iceberg being “the only one still living among his followers” — “in the name of CP9,” telling her to remember “this is a mission for justice.”

New reveals

• Aqua Laguna / typhoon warning. Nami reads the island’s topography and weather: a typhoon might come through the island tonight, the air pressure is dropping, and the wind keeps blowing — “it’s just asking for flood damage” (pp. 2–3). Later, Kokoro flatly states “Aqua Laguna’s coming” (p. 15). First on-page setup of the flood night. (Aqua Laguna)
• Luffy breaks into Galley-La HQ / the mansion in broad daylight to reach Iceberg and demand why he named Robin the criminal (pp. 3–8). The guards/foremen scramble — “Straw Hat Luffy has broken into the mansion!!” (pp. 5–7).
• Iceberg summoned Luffy. Bandaged and bedridden, the mayor reveals “I called you here… because I have a favor to ask” and “I gambled on a silly little hope… that I could get closer to the truth” (pp. 8–10). He insists “Last night, I saw Nico Robin with my own eyes! She is one of your crew” and asks to see her “one more time” (pp. 9–10). Luffy: “We don’t know where she is” (p. 10).
• Kalifa named and shown. Iceberg’s secretary Kalifa appears (“Kalifa, I’ve got a favor to ask…”, p. 6; “Miss Kalifa!!”, p. 7) and relays the order: “Capture the crew! Every last one of them!” / “As you wish, sir!!” (pp. 6, 11).
• Iceberg orders the entire crew captured (pp. 6, 11) — escalating the frame into an open manhunt sanctioned by the mayor.
• Franky at Blueno’s Bar. Franky is drinking and buying rounds downtown, hailed as the “real boss of Water Seven,” and reveals he has “one million berries left from yesterday” after some shopping change (pp. 12–15). His body is shown bare-chested and metallic (“SUPER!!”, p. 15). Not a Devil-Fruit user; cybernetic.
• Blueno’s Bar / Blueno introduced. The bar is named “Blueno’s Bar” in “Downtown Water Seven”; the bartender Blueno is a hulking horned (bull-like) man who greets Franky (pp. 12–13, 16–17). (His Devil Fruit / CP9 membership are NOT revealed on-page this chapter — inference only.)
• Kokoro introduced. An elderly woman (“Kokoro the hag”), first taken for “a grotesque statue,” is at the bar; she’s lost her house (“No house, no worries… that’s what I call carefree!”) and warns of Aqua Laguna (pp. 14–15).
• CP9 named for the first time. Patrons discuss “CP9” by name: a World-Government “covert unit, totally off the books,” to whom “shadowy jobs are left,” who are “so scary — since they’re always… a rumor” and “erase people without ever being discovered” (pp. 17). The reveal is framed as gossip: “That’s what’s called a rumor.” (CP9)
• Corgy named. A government man named Corgy (“the guy with the beer gut! He’s not the assassin type”) is identified as “government guy Corgy” who “always trails around after Iceberg” — tying the World Government to the attack-on-Iceberg case (p. 17).
• Robin’s secret orders. In a vacant warehouse on the backstreets, Robin meets a shadowy CP9 handler. She’s “become wanted by the entire town… but it’s only temporary.” The handler orders her to break into Iceberg’s mansion again tonight and steal what “someone named Tom” originally had (“Iceberg is the only one still living among his followers”), “in the name of CP9,” and to “feel free to erase all evidence” if things go wrong (pp. 18–19).
• Tom named for the first time as the original owner of CP9’s target (p. 19). The object itself is not named on-page. (Tom)
• It is to be done “tonight.” Robin’s mission and the Aqua Laguna flood are explicitly set for the same night (pp. 15, 18).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Luffy (breaks into the mansion; meets Iceberg; “Don’t believe it!!”), Nami (weather read; despairs over Iceberg’s testimony), Sanji (scouting the rooftop with Luffy and Nami) (Straw Hat Pirates)
• Nico Robin: Nico Robin — seen by Iceberg the night of the attack (pp. 9–10); revealed in a warehouse taking CP9 orders, set to rob Iceberg’s mansion that night (pp. 18–19)
• Galley-La / Iceberg’s household: Iceberg (bandaged, bedridden; summoned Luffy; VIZ on-page spelling “Iceberg”), Kalifa (secretary; named pp. 6–7; relays the capture order) (Galley-La Company)
• Franky Family: Franky (drinking at Blueno’s Bar; “real boss of Water Seven”; one million berries) (Franky Family)
• Blueno’s Bar: Blueno (horned bartender), Kokoro (the hag; homeless; warns of Aqua Laguna), bar patrons
• World Government / covert ops: CP9 (named as rumor, p. 17), Corgy (government man who trails Iceberg, p. 17), the World Government (named p. 17), Marines (Marine/Government framing of the case)
• Named-not-shown: Tom (the original owner of CP9’s target; p. 19 — named only)
• Location: Water Seven (Galley-La HQ / Dock 1, Iceberg’s mansion, Downtown Water Seven, the backstreet warehouse)
• Cover serial: Gedatsu — “Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 23: ‘The Hot Springs Inspection Squad‘“

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Title page: “Chapter 339: RUMORS.” Cover serial: “GEDATSU’S UNEXPECTED LIFE ON THE BLUE SEA, VOL. 23: ‘THE HOT SPRINGS INSPECTION SQUAD.’” Inset art: Gedatsu (winged headgear, “番” helmet) flanked by three Blue-Sea companions and a turtle, on a tropical beach. (Side B-plot — Gedatsu cover serial.)
• pp. 2–3 — Rooftop scouting. Nami: “The island made a name for itself as the city of water… A typhoon might come through the island tonight… and the air pressure drops… It’s just asking for flood damage.” Luffy: “What’s that to us?” The mansion (“That place connects to Dock One”; “The mayor has got to be in that mansion!”) and a crowd of reporters are spotted.
• p. 3 — Nami: “Be extra careful… Figure out where Iceberg’s room is and don’t make a move until you’re sure the coast is clear.” Luffy: “Of course! Why would Ice Guy say Robin was the criminal?! …Okay. I’m off.” (he dives in early).
• pp. 4–5 — “KRASH!!” Luffy smashes into HQ. Guards: “We’re being attacked!!” / “It’s Straw Hat!!” / “Protect Mayor Iceberg!!” / “He’s wearing a red vest and a straw hat!!”
• pp. 6–7 — Pursuit through the building (“Where is he?!” / “In broad daylight?!”). Iceberg (off-panel): “Kalifa, I’ve got a favor to ask…” / “…about all the noise outside.” A guard: “Ah! Miss Kalifa!!”
• p. 8 — “DOOM!!” Luffy reaches the bedroom; the bandaged figure on the bed (Iceberg): “Oh my. I take it you’re looking for me… pirate boy.” Luffy: “I came because I want to know the real story!!”
• pp. 9–10 — Iceberg: “Last night, I saw Nico Robin with my own eyes! She is one of your crew.” “I called you here… because I have a favor to ask.” (CHAK — he aims a pistol). “I want to see Nico Robin… one more time.” Luffy: “We don’t know where she is.” / “I can’t help you.”
• p. 11 — A gunshot (“BOOM..!!”) from the bedroom; “Mayor Iceberg!!” Iceberg (to Kalifa, silhouetted with straw hat): “Capture the crew! Every last one of them!” Kalifa: “As you wish, sir!!”
• pp. 11–12 — Cut to Nami / Sanji reaction: “Did you really get to talk to him, then? To Mr. Iceberg?” / “He says he really… saw Robin.” / Luffy: “Don’t believe it!!! I…”
• p. 12 — “Downtown Water Seven” / “Blueno’s Bar.” Blueno (horned bartender): “C’mon in.” A patron tackle-greets Franky: “How’s it going, Blueno?!” / “Everything super?!”
• p. 13 — Franky pays: “We have that much left from yesterday?! …One million berries.” / “Ha! You mean it?! You’re a generous guy, Franky! Thank you, ‘real boss’ of Water Seven!” / “Drink all you want! It’s on me!!”
• p. 14 — “Yeow! Kokoro the hag!” / “Is that you?! I thought you were a grotesque statue!” A child wants juice; Franky: “This is a bar. It’s no place for kids.”
• p. 15 — Franky flexes: “SUPER!!!” Kokoro: “Aqua Laguna’s coming.” / “Have you weatherproofed your house?” Kokoro: “No house, no worries… that’s what I call carefree!”
• pp. 16–17 — Talk of the attack: “I hear he’s been shot… Looks like the work of pirates.” Kokoro (probing): “Do you really think that? …You sound like you know something.” → “government guy Corgy did it?! The guy with the beer gut! He’s not the assassin type.” / “The World Government! Who’s always trailing around after Iceberg?”
• p. 17 — The CP9 reveal: “Listen to you, know-it-all. There’s no such thing as CP9!” / “I’ve heard rumors! …It’s a covert unit, totally off the books. …That’s why they’re so scary — since they’re always… a rumor. They erase people without ever being discovered. And that’s what’s called a rumor.” / “Know about them, Blueno?!”
• p. 18 — The warehouse. Caption boxes (handler, in silhouette): “You did well… about what had to be done yesterday… a vacant warehouse… the backstreets of Water Seven… Of course, you’ve also become wanted by the entire town… but it’s only temporary.” Robin: “True.” / “The important thing… is tonight!”
• p. 19 — Orders, big close-up of Robin: “Someone named Tom had it originally… among his followers… Iceberg is the only one still living. Get into Iceberg’s mansion again. If things go wrong, feel free to erase all evidence. …However much he pretends he’s innocent… in the name of CP9… we will not fail to steal it tonight. Whatever happens, remember… this is a mission for justice.”

Open questions raised

• What is the object CP9 wants that “someone named Tom” originally had and Iceberg now guards? (p. 19 — object unnamed.) (Inference toward the Pluton blueprints — not named on-page.)
• Who is Tom, and who were his “followers” beyond Iceberg? (p. 19.) (Seeds the Tom’s-Workers backstory.)
• Who is Robin’s shadowy CP9 handler in the warehouse? (pp. 18–19 — in silhouette, unnamed.) (Spandam is NOT named on-page this chapter.)
• Is CP9 real, and who in Water Seven is secretly a member? The unit is dismissed as “just a rumor” even as it’s clearly operating (p. 17). (Seeds the foremen / Blueno reveals.)
• Why is Robin really obeying CP9 — what hold do they have over her, given she calls it “a mission for justice” but is framed and wanted? (pp. 18–19.)
• Will the Aqua Laguna flood arrive “tonight” as warned, and how does it collide with Robin’s mission and the manhunt? (pp. 2–3, 15, 18.)