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Chapter 369: Ramen Kung Fu

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

Summary

Aboard the Sea Train Puffing Tom bound for Enies Lobby, a CP9 officer (Kalifa) reports the onboard situation by Den Den Mushi: the two rear cars were cut loose, Captain T-Bone’s marines were overcome, and the train is now five cars long — Robin held in Car One with Lucci, Kaku, Blueno, Kalifa and Corgy; Nero in Car Three; Wanze in Car Four. Lucci is unconcerned: Franky’s loose, three boarders (Sanji, “the long-nosed man,” and a blond man in a suit) are aboard, but he declares that no matter how hard they try, they will “never” be able to retake Nico Robin. Sanji, Franky, and the masked long-nosed boarder push toward the front and are stopped in Car Four by Wanze, a World-Government criminal-escort guard who wields “Ramen Kung Fu” — extruding razor-sharp noodles and finally tempering them into a “Ramen’s Formal Suit,” an edible combat armor. Sanji sends Franky and the masked man ahead and stays to fight, blocking Wanze’s blow once while landing roughly ten kicks, then finishing him off (“So… what are you?”). One car forward, “Sea Weasel” Nero — CP9’s newest agent and “Four Powers Master” — toys with his fellow agent and pledges not to kill the “precious prisoner.” Meanwhile the masked long-nosed boarder reaches Robin in Car One; she recognizes him: “Mr. Long Nose?!”

New reveals

• The Sea Train Puffing Tom is currently running with five cars (the rear two were cut loose) (p. 4).
• CP9’s Water Seven cell composition aboard the train: Car One holds Lucci, Kaku, Blueno, Kalifa, and Corgy guarding Nico Robin; Nero in Car Three; Wanze in Car Four (p. 4 diagram).
• Wanze — a World Government criminal-escort-team guard with a noodle-based martial art, “Ramen Kung Fu” (pp. 7-8, 17).
• Wanze’s techniques: extruded “Ramen Beam” of sharp noodles (p. 11), “Ramen Kung Fu Noodle Slicer / Fire Skate Blades” (pp. 13-14), and the “Ramen’s Formal Suit” — an edible combat uniform formed by tempering the noodles (“everybody’s dream weapon”) (pp. 16-17).
• Nero, epithet “Sea Weasel” — a CP9 member, introduced as the “CP9 newbie, four powers master” (pp. 18, 13). Stated to “love killing” but instructed not to kill Robin, a “precious prisoner” (pp. 13, 18).
• Captain T-Bone — named as the marine captain whose forces aboard the train were overcome (p. 4). Named, not shown.
• The boarding party is Sanji, Franky, and a masked “long-nosed man” (the Sogeking-masked boarder); Lucci pegs the latter as “probably one of the Straw Hats, the long-nosed man” (pp. 5, 20). Robin recognizes him as “Mr. Long Nose” (p. 20).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

(None resolved this chapter — this is rising action of the Sea Train chase.)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters (shown): Sanji, Nico Robin, Franky, Rob Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, Blueno, Usopp (as the masked long-nosed boarder), Wanze (first appearance), Nero (first appearance)
• Characters (named, not shown): Captain T-Bone, Corgy (named in Car One diagram)
• Groups: CP9, World Government criminal-escort team, Marines
• Locations / structures: Sea Train (Puffing Tom), Enies Lobby (destination)
• Cover: chapter opens on a magazine color-spread of the Straw Hat crew (VIZ panel labels: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Sniper King, Roronoa Zolo, Tony Tony Chopper, Sanji, Nico Robin) (pp. 1-2)

Notable panels

• Pages 1-2 — Color spread: the Straw Hat crew rendered as framed photo/poster panels with VIZ name labels (“Sniper King” for Usopp’s Sogeking persona). Decorative line-up splash; “CRASH! We can fight it!” tagline.
• Page 4 — Kalifa’s Den Den Mushi situation report with the five-car Sea Train diagram (Car One: Lucci/Kaku/Blueno/Kalifa/Corgy + Robin; Car Three: Nero; Car Four: Wanze).
• Pages 5-6 — Lucci unbothered; “No matter how hard they try to retake Nico Robin… they’ll never… be able to do it.”
• Pages 7-8 — Wanze blocks the boarders, declares “Ramen Kung Fu”; comedic exaggerated face.
• Page 11 — Wanze kneads “alloy flour” and fires the “Ramen Beam” of sharp noodles.
• Pages 16-17 — Wanze tempers the noodles into the “Ramen’s Formal Suit,” an edible combat uniform.
• Page 18 — Splash-style intro card: “NERO / CP9 / ‘Sea Weasel’.”
• Page 20 — The masked long-nosed boarder reaches Robin; “Mr. Long Nose?!”
• Page 21 — SBS “Question Corner” (volume-opening SBS): finger-pistol lethality, Nami’s underwear, Paulie’s rope tricks (“Half Knot”).

Open questions raised

• Who is the masked “long-nosed man” to Robin, and will the Sogeking persona hold once she’s face to face with him?
• What is Nero’s “Four Powers” mastery, and how does an incomplete Rokushiki user fare against the boarders?
• Can three boarders breach a CP9 cell that includes Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno before the train reaches Enies Lobby?