Chapters · Water Seven › Enies Lobby

Chapter 400: The Key to Freedom

Arc: Enies Lobby · Saga: Water Seven · Released:

Summary

The Sea Train Rocketman, ridden by the Straw Hat alliance (Straw Hats + Franky Family + Galley-La), comes crashing down off the waterfall and slams into the Tower of Law at Enies Lobby, freeing Franky from his chains (pp. 2-7). Kokoro — who drove the train — and Chimney survive the crash. In the command tower, Spandam orders CP9 to act and protect him, brandishing his elephant sword Funkfreed (pp. 5-6), then escapes toward the Gates of Justice dragging the captive Robin. The allies reach the tower stairway only to be blocked by Blueno, who reveals CP9’s standing orders are to kill them all, then explains the chapter’s title device: Robin is locked in sea-prism-stone handcuffs (“the key to freedom”), and the five CP9 agents in the tower each hold a key — but only one is the real cuff key, and Blueno tosses all five keys away into the building to send the crew on a scavenger hunt. The crew resolves to fight every CP9 agent, win even if it kills them, and recover Robin before she passes through the Gates (pp. 8-14). The chapter ends with the crew splitting up into boss matchups: Franky meets Fukuro in the pantry (p. 16); Chopper stumbles on a different CP9 agent asleep with a key in an “underground prison” room (p. 17); Nami is cornered by Kumadori (p. 18); and Sanji meets Kalifa, who offers him tea (p. 19), while a sword-themed exchange (a masked agent goading Zoro’s blades — “it wants to taste blood… you’ve already drawn your sword”) opens a parallel Zoro confrontation (p. 19).

New reveals

• Funkfreed is a Devil Fruit user. Spandam’s elephant transforms into the “Elephant Sword” — captioned “Elephant Sword FUNKFREED (Elephant-Elephant Fruit)” (p. 6) — a living sword/elephant Zoan. First on-page reveal of his nature; pays off the elephant-sword seed.
• The “key to freedom” device. Robin is locked in sea-prism-stone handcuffs that neutralize her powers; Blueno reveals five CP9 agents in the Tower of Law each carry a key, but only one is the real cuff key (pp. 10-13), and scatters all five keys to force the crew to beat every agent.
• Sea-Prism Stone restated: it blocks Devil Fruit powers, is “as hard as diamond,” and wearing it “is the same as sinking you in the sea” — why Robin, normally so strong, has been pushed around so easily (pp. 10-11).
• CP9’s standing orders are to KILL the whole alliance — “Our orders are to kill you all!!” (p. 10).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Chopper, Usopp, Franky, Robin, Spandam, Lucci (named, off-page — has taken Robin to the Gates), Blueno, Fukuro, Kumadori, Kalifa, Funkfreed, Kokoro, Chimney, Paulie, Roger (named in flashback dialogue, p. 3), Tom (named in flashback dialogue, p. 3)
• Groups: CP9, Straw Hat Pirates, Franky Family, Galley-La Company (“Tom’s Workers” referenced helping the crash), Tom’s Workers
• Locations / lore: Enies Lobby, Gates of Justice, Sea Train (Rocketman), Sea-Prism Stone, Six Powers (Rokushiki) (Blueno: “he can use that technique too” — Soru/Shave, p. 11)
• Devil Fruits: Funkfreed’s Elephant-Elephant Fruit (Zou Zou no Mi — VIZ “Elephant-Elephant Fruit”) — first on-page

Notable panels

• Cover page: “Ms. Golden Week’s Plan, A Baroque Reunion, Vol. 32: ‘Let’s Reunite!’” — the freed Baroque Works officer agents (Mr. 2 Bon Clay, Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, Mr. 4 & Ms. Merry Christmas, Mr. 5 & Miss Valentine) in prison-stripe garb reuniting from a jailbreak. (Side B-plot cover story.)
• Page 1: Title splash — the Baroque Works reunion cover tableau.
• Pages 2-4: The Rocketman comes off the waterfall and crashes into the Tower of Law (Kokoro’s flashback line about Roger/Tom; “I’m Luffy, and I’m gonna be the King of the Pirates!”).
• Page 6: Funkfreed transforms into the Elephant Sword — caption “Elephant Sword FUNKFREED (Elephant-Elephant Fruit)”; Spandam: “Good boy.”
• Pages 10-13: Blueno’s “key to freedom” exposition — sea-prism cuffs, five keys / one real lock.
• Page 14: “Everyone, win even if it kills you!!!” — the alliance charges into the tower.
• Page 15: Spandam flees toward the Gates of Justice dragging Robin; Robin: “Robin!!!” / “I won’t let them take you to the Gates of Justice!”
• Page 16: Fukuro confronts Franky in the pantry — “I am Fukuro the Silent, lover of gossip!”
• Page 17: Chopper finds a CP9 agent asleep with a key in an underground-prison room — “He’s sleeping with the key right there…!”
• Page 18: Kumadori confronts Nami — “Halt thy trespass!” / “Yo yoi!!”
• Page 19: Kalifa confronts Sanji — “Would you like some tea?” / Sanji: “I’d love it! ♥”; a parallel beat goads Zoro’s swords (“it wants to taste blood… you’ve already drawn your sword”).

Open questions raised

• Which of the five keys is the real one — and which CP9 agent holds it?
• Can the crew reach and intercept Robin before Lucci and Spandam push her through the Gates of Justice?
• What are the powers of the three “home cell” agents now squaring off — Fukuro, Kumadori, Kalifa (Kalifa’s gifted fruit from @0379/0385 is still unnamed)?