Chapters · Water Seven › Water Seven

Chapter 340: The Woman Who Brings Darkness

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

Summary

As the Aqua Laguna storm-tide bears down on Water Seven, an official broadcast orders the city to evacuate — the docks of the shipbuilding factories become evacuation centers, the waves and wind keep rising, and “the pirate assassins are still on the loose.” Luffy, Zoro and Nami make a chaotic rooftop leap to escape (“we couldn’t use the elevator… it was too risky”) and split up to keep moving, since the manhunt for the Straw Hats (over the attack on Mayor Iceberg) is sweeping the town: passengers boarding the Sea Train for St. Poplar at 1 PM must show their faces, masks forbidden, and the searchers know only Luffy’s, Robin’s and Zoro’s faces from the wanted posters. Meanwhile, searchers find the Going Merry abandoned on the rocky cape — half-wrecked, cleaned out, “on its last legs” — and confirm it’s the Straw Hats’ ship by the jolly roger. Sanji and Chopper, hunting for the missing Robin and worrying she may have boarded the Sea Train, finally encounter her — and she tells them she won’t be going back to the crew. Robin delivers the chapter’s title speech: “There is a darkness in me that you and the crew do not know. A darkness that will someday destroy you,” adding that “every organization that Nico Robin has been associated with to date has fallen… yet she always survives.” She confirms she really did break into the mayor’s mansion the night before (“there are no lies about me in that article”) and coldly notes that the town blaming the crew “will help me make my escape.” Her farewell — “We’ll never meet again… I didn’t deserve [your kindness], but thank you… Goodbye” — leaves Sanji and Chopper stunned as she vanishes. Sanji splits off to keep searching and sends Chopper to relay everything to Luffy. When Chopper reports back (“Robin actually said that?!”), Zoro reframes her coldly — “Regardless of the circumstances, Robin first showed up as an enemy… we should’ve been ready for this” — while Luffy holds the question open: “…or a friend?”

New reveals

• The Aqua Laguna is here. An official broadcast names the Aqua Laguna and orders Water Seven to evacuate; “all docks of the shipbuilding factories” are designated evacuation centers; the waves and wind are rising, and the iron doors are being sealed (“if the house floods, everything will be destroyed”) (pp. 4–5).
• The Sea Train timetable. The afternoon Sea Train departs for St. Poplar at 1 PM; another train (the Enies Lobby route, “leaves in this terrible weather… at eleven”) and “one more leaves tonight” are noted (pp. 5, 8). Masks are forbidden aboard the Sea Train today and “all passengers please show your faces” — a manhunt screen (p. 5).
• The manhunt is town-wide. Searchers demand tickets and faces, “will pay any witnesses,” and explicitly note that the only faces they know belong to the wanted posters — Luffy, Robin and Zoro (Robin says it herself, p. 6) (pp. 5–8).
• The Going Merry, found abandoned. Searchers locate the Going Merry on the rocky cape — “falling apart,” “on its last legs,” “cleaned out,” nobody aboard — and confirm by the pirate flag that it’s “the Straw Hats’ all right” (pp. 6–7). The crew’s home ship is now in enemy hands’ reach.
• Robin quits the crew. Robin tells Sanji and Chopper: “Don’t bother. Stay there. No. I won’t be going back… to the crew. We part ways. This is where…” (pp. 11–12) — an apparent betrayal mid-arc.
• Robin’s “darkness” rationale. “There is a darkness in me that you and the crew do not know. A darkness that will someday destroy you,” and “every organization that Nico Robin has been associated with to date has fallen… yet she always survives” (pp. 13–14).
• Robin confirms the break-in. “I was definitely the one who entered the mayor’s mansion last night… there are no lies about me in that article” (pp. 12–13) — first on-page confirmation that she physically performed the act she’s accused of in Ch. 337.
• Robin weaponizes the frame. “It’s convenient that the locals are blaming you for the attack… as that will help me make my escape” (pp. 13–14).
• The farewell. “We’ll never meet again… I didn’t deserve it, but thank you for the kindness you’ve shown me till now. Goodbye.” She vanishes; Sanji and Chopper “lost sight of her” (pp. 14–16).
• The crew splits to search and debate. Sanji searches alone and sends Chopper to “go meet up with Luffy and the others… and tell them everything… don’t leave out a single thing” (pp. 16, 19). Chopper relays it; Zoro: “Regardless of the circumstances, Robin first showed up as an enemy… we should’ve been ready for this.” Luffy: “…or a friend?” Nami: “…an enemy…” (pp. 18–19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Luffy (rooftop-leap escape pp. 2–3; “…or a friend?” p. 19), Zoro (escape pp. 2–3; ship-search context; “Robin first showed up as an enemy” p. 18), Nami (escape group; relays/reacts pp. 8, 18–19), Sanji (finds Robin, chases, splits off to search pp. 9–17), Chopper (scents Robin p. 9; witnesses the farewell; hides Sanji/Nami; relays to crew pp. 16–18), Nico Robin (the chapter’s center — leaves the crew), Usopp (with the reunited group pp. 18–19, silent) (Straw Hat Pirates)
• Named-not-shown / referenced: Iceberg (Mayor Iceberg — the mansion Robin broke into; VIZ on-page spelling “Iceberg”; referenced, not on-panel), Galley-La Company / shipwrights (the pursuers; “we’re not that shipwright!!” p. 3), CP9 (latent — the true reason behind Robin’s departure)
• Ship: Going Merry — found abandoned and half-wrecked on the rocky cape (pp. 6–7)
• Location: Water Seven (Blue Station, the rocky cape, the canals/bridges, the shipbuilding-factory docks designated as evacuation centers); the Aqua Laguna storm-tide; the Sea Train to St. Poplar (1 PM) and Enies Lobby (11)
• Cover serial: Gedatsu — “Gedatsu’s Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea, Vol. 24: ‘On Our Return, We Were Startled by the Forest Boss’s Big Project‘“

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Title page: “Chapter 340: THE WOMAN WHO BRINGS DARKNESS.” Cover serial: “GEDATSU’S UNEXPECTED LIFE ON THE BLUE SEA, VOL. 24: ‘ON OUR RETURN, WE WERE STARTLED BY THE FOREST BOSS’S BIG PROJECT.’” Inset art: a Japanese-style public bathhouse (ed. note: main entrance reads “BATHS”; doors “MEN” and “WOMEN”; flag “UNEXPECTED BATHS”) with Gedatsu’s silhouette in the foreground and frog/forest characters around it. (Side B-plot — Gedatsu cover serial, Vol. 24.)
• pp. 2–3 — Comedic escape: Luffy (“UHN…!!”), Zoro (“AAAH!!”), and Nami leap/fall from a building. “We couldn’t use the elevator because it was too risky! How else was I supposed to do it?!” / “We’re not that shipwright!! That doesn’t mean we had to jump!” / “Let’s go back to the inn for now.” / “The town and the sky — they’re both stirred up…”
• pp. 4–5 — Aqua Laguna broadcast: “…are hereby designated as evacuation centers!! All docks of the shipbuilding factories… This is your official Aqua Laguna warning! Attention, citizens of Water Seven!” / “I’m sealing the iron door.” / “If the house floods, everything will be destroyed.” / “The pirate assassins are still on the loose too!” / “…is departing for St. Poplar at one P.M.” / “All passengers, please show your faces! Masks are forbidden today while riding the Sea Train!”
• pp. 6–7 — Zoro group at the cape: “Look at the mark on the pirate flag.” / “This ship is falling apart. They’ve probably abandoned it… at yesterday’s inspection, they were told it was on its last legs.” / “It’s the Straw Hats’ all right.” / “They’re carrying weapons… who are they? It’s definitely abandoned. The ship looks pretty cleaned out.” — the Going Merry found.
• p. 8 — Sea-Train discussion: “It leaves in this terrible weather for Enies Lobby at eleven, there’s an afternoon train, and then one more leaves tonight.” / “The Sea Train’s in service, huh?” / “You don’t think Robin… might have boarded the Sea Train, do you?” / “It’s hard enough searching Water Seven without adding more islands to the mix!”
• p. 9 — Sanji: “Maybe I did make her mad at the bookstore. …I wonder where she went.” / “Never mind Luffy. It’s Nami I’m worried about.” / Chopper: ”…? What is it, Chop—?” → “Hey… ROBIN!!” (Chopper scents her: “SNIFF SNIFF…!!”).
• p. 10 — Robin appears (“DOOM”). Chopper/Sanji: “ROBIN!!” / “Where have you been?! We’ve been looking for you!! Everyone’s worried sick!!”
• pp. 11–12 — Robin: “Don’t bother. Stay there. No. …I won’t be going back… to the crew. We part ways. This is where…” Sanji/Chopper: “Robin?! Robin, what are you saying?!”
• pp. 12–13 — “Pirates are always getting falsely accused whenever bad things go down… None of us believe it! It’s nothing to worry about… But… I was definitely the one who entered the mayor’s mansion last night… there are no lies about me in that article.”
• p. 13 — The title line, big eye-panel: “There is a darkness in me that you and the crew do not know. A darkness that will someday destroy you.”
• p. 13 — “Every organization that Nico Robin has been associated with to date… has fallen… yet she always survives.” / “Actually, it’s convenient that the locals are blaming you for the attack… as that will help me make my escape. Things will only get worse from here on out.”
• p. 14 — Sanji: “Robin! Come back with us!!” Robin: “There’s no need for you to know. …We’ll never meet again. We haven’t known each other long, but after today… for the kindness you’ve shown me till now… I didn’t deserve it, but thank you…”
• p. 15 — “Goodbye.” Robin walks off (KLAK KLAK); Sanji/Chopper give chase: “Quit joking around!!!” / “ROBIN, WAIT!!” / “ROBIIIIIN!!”
• p. 16 — “We lost sight of her.” / “Yeah…” Sanji slumps; sends Chopper: “I’m going to go around on my own for a little. …Go meet up with Luffy and the others and tell them everything that just happened… don’t leave out a single thing.”
• p. 17 — Shipwrights hunt Sanji (“Where did he go?! Search everywhere!! I know he ran this way!”); Chopper hides Sanji (and Nami) under a canal bridge (“Not yet. Is the coast clear yet?”).
• p. 18 — Reunion; Chopper relays Robin’s words: “Luffy and I were hiding just fine till you guys showed up!! …How did you know we were here?” / “Your scent.” → “ROBIN ACTUALLY SAID THAT?! She really said that?!”
• p. 19 — The crew’s split: “Isn’t it about time we settled this?” / “If she’s suddenly frightened by that and has run off, then I’m not gonna feel right about it… and we let her on the ship.” / Zoro: “Regardless of the circumstances, Robin first showed up as an enemy… we should’ve been ready for this.” / Luffy: “…or a friend?” / Nami: “…an enemy…”
• p. 20 — SBS “Question Corner” (Mihawk-bordered header; Q&A on Mr. 7 scouting Zoro, Sanji’s “Dart Boy” line, Chopper’s deer/raccoon/reindeer/human percentages, “Does Eneru like apples?”). Not story content.

Open questions raised

• Why is Robin really leaving? She confirms the break-in but withholds the motive and “there’s no need for you to know” (pp. 12–14) — the apparent betrayal whose true cause (CP9 coercion) the arc has not yet disclosed. ([[Crews/CP9]], [[Characters/Nico Robin]].)
• What is the “darkness” that “will someday destroy” the crew? (p. 13.) (Seeds the Ohara-survivor backstory — every organization she joins falls, yet she survives.)
• Who was Robin protecting / running from when she broke into Iceberg’s mansion? The second assassin from Ch. 337 is still unaccounted for. ([[Crews/CP9]].)
• Will the crew chase her down or let her go? Sanji (“I’m not gonna feel right about it”) and Luffy (“…or a friend?”) refuse to accept the betrayal; Zoro/Nami expect the worst (p. 19).
• What happens to the abandoned Going Merry now found by hostile searchers on the cape? (pp. 6–7.)
• Did Robin board a Sea Train (to St. Poplar at 1, or Enies Lobby at 11)? The crew fears it (p. 8); the manhunt’s mask ban (p. 5) frames the station as the next chokepoint.