Chapters · Water Seven › Enies Lobby

Chapter 395: Ohara vs. the World Government

Arc: Enies Lobby · Saga: Water Seven · Released: 2006-01-23

Summary

Robin’s flashback to the destruction of Ohara, the Island of Archaeology, twenty-odd years ago. Marine warships ring the island and the CP9 Director (Spandine, holding a Golden Transponder Snail “entrusted to me by Admiral Sengoku” — the same Director dispatched from the West Blue Ch. 392, though his name is not re-captioned on this chapter’s pages) confirms the archaeologists’ guilt: they have illegally read the Poneglyphs. The Five Elders confront the captured Professor Clover, head of Ohara’s scholars, who delivers a sweeping deduction — the Poneglyphs were carved by people who feared their message would be erased by an enemy who survived into the present (the World Government), that the erased Void Century conceals an immense Ancient Kingdom, and that the WG fears that kingdom’s ideals far more than the Ancient Weapons. Just as Clover begins to speak the kingdom’s name, the agent shoots him and orders the Buster Call. The Tree of Knowledge (Ohara’s vast library) is set ablaze; the scholars frantically try to save the books. Interwoven is young Robin’s reunion with her long-absent mother, Nico Olvia, who — to spare her daughter the fate of a “criminal’s child” — denies being her mother even as she weeps. As the Buster Call’s simultaneous bombardment begins, Robin cries out that she became an archaeologist and can read the Poneglyphs too, begging to stay with her mother. The cannons fire on all of Ohara.

New reveals

• The annihilated island from the @0374 / @0359 exposition is Ohara, the Island of Archaeology (p. 19) — named for the first time on-page.
• Professor Clover, leader of Ohara’s archaeologists, is introduced (pp. 5–9). He articulates the Void-Century thesis: the Poneglyph-makers wrote on indestructible stone because they feared an enemy would erase their history; that enemy survived as the present World Government; the erased century hid an immense ancient kingdom whose ideals the WG fears (pp. 6–9).
• The WG’s stated motive is recast: not the Ancient Weapons but the existence and ideals of the lost kingdom that “threatens the very idea of the World Government” (pp. 8–9).
• The Five Elders (Gorosei) personally appear at Ohara and order Clover’s execution and “do not leave a single soul alive” (pp. 4–10).
• The Buster Call is depicted on-page for the first time (the @0359 / @0374 / @0386 mechanic seen in action) — triggered via the Golden Transponder Snail sourced from Sengoku (pp. 10–11, 18–19).
• Nico Olvia is revealed as Robin’s mother — an Ohara archaeologist returning from a long absence (pp. 14–17). She denies being Robin’s mother to protect her.
• Young Robin reveals she became an archaeologist and learned to read the Poneglyph to be worthy of joining her mother (pp. 17–18).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Appears (recurring, continuing the 0392 flashback): Clover (Professor Clover — shot here), Spandine (orders the kill + triggers the Buster Call; not re-captioned by name this chapter, but the same Director established @0392), young Nico Robin, Ohara, the Tree of Knowledge (Ohara’s library, set ablaze).
• Appears: the Five Elders (Gorosei) — shown in silhouette receiving Clover’s transmission.
• Mentioned (off-page): Sengoku (Admiral, source of the Golden Transponder Snail), the Buster Call, the Poneglyph.
• Threads touched: Void Century and Ancient Kingdom, True History Ohara Was Killed For, Ancient Weapons.

Notable panels

• Title page (p. 1): Cover story — “Ms. Golden Week’s Plan, A Baroque Reunion, Vol. 27: ‘Taking Over the Ship with Betrayal Black.’” Shows Hina’s Marine warship.
• p. 3: The CP9 Director and a capped Marine examine the unbreakable stone, identifying it as the object “known as the ‘Pongliff.’”
• p. 4: “It’s a giant!” — a Buster-Call giant looms; the Five Elders’ “execution” verdict.
• pp. 5–9: Clover’s full Void-Century / Ancient-Kingdom deduction to the Five Elders.
• p. 8: “Kill him.” — Clover is cut off (“…and its name is…”) as the agent cocks his gun (KAKLIK).
• p. 9: “BLAM!!” — Clover shot dead; silhouette tableau of the agent and Elders over the fallen scholars.
• p. 11: ”…The Buster Call!!” — the agent presses the Golden Transponder Snail; warships ringing Ohara light up to fire.
• p. 12: The Tree of Knowledge catches fire (“The Tree of Knowledge is on fire!!”).
• pp. 14–17: Olvia–Robin reunion; “Is that you, Mother?”; Olvia denies being her mother to protect her.
• p. 19: “Target all of Ohara, the Island of Archaeology!! Begin simultaneous firing…” — the cannons fire on all of Ohara. (“Commence the Buster Call!!” is the cap on p.18.)

Open questions raised

• What is the name of the Ancient Kingdom Clover was about to speak?
• What specifically about the kingdom’s ideals — not its weapons — does the WG find so threatening?
• What is the precise relationship between Spandine (the Director who triggered the Ohara Buster Call) and the present-day Director Spandam (@0355/0382) — shared surname root implies a namesake/lineage link, NOT stated on-page?
• Why did Sengoku entrust the Golden Transponder Snail / Buster-Call authority to Spandine for Ohara?
• Does Robin survive the Buster Call, and what becomes of Olvia?