Chapters · Water Seven › Post-Enies Lobby

Chapter 438: Pride

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

Summary

Sanji reports that Usopp is at the shore rehearsing his comeback speech, and the crew moves to go fetch him — until Zoro plants himself between Usopp and the ship. By the logic of their duel (Ch. 0332-0333), Zoro argues, the only thing that matters is who won: Usopp lost and left of his own will, so he cannot simply slip back as if nothing happened. “A crew that doesn’t respect their captain and a captain who doesn’t deserve that respect is destined to fail” — and Zoro will quit too if Luffy refuses to act like the captain. The condition is set: Usopp may rejoin only if the first thing out of his mouth is an apology. Luffy and Robin accept it; they will wait the few remaining days. Meanwhile a Marine fleet under Vice-Admiral Garp closes in, and Usopp races back through Water Seven rehearsing a face-saving, triumphant “I’ll be your first mate” return — never imagining the door now has a price. The Franky Family sails off without their big bro; the new ship sets sail; Luffy, who quietly kept an empty room waiting for Usopp the whole time, gives the order to go. Garp opens fire — hurling cannonballs with his bare hands (“Meteor Fist Shower”) — as Usopp finally catches up, only to find the ship already at sea. He tries every casual, prideful gambit to be welcomed back; Zoro forces Luffy to ignore him until, breaking at last, Usopp kneels and screams a sobbing, total apology across the water: “I’M SORRY FOR BEING SO STUBBORN… please let me join!” Luffy thrusts out a hand — “Hurry up and grab on, you idiot!” — and the crew is whole again, fleeing Garp’s barrage onward to adventure.

New reveals

• Zoro’s captain-respect doctrine (pp. 3-5): a duel’s only verdict is who wins; Usopp lost and left, so he must apologize before he can rejoin — “A crew that doesn’t respect their captain and a captain who doesn’t deserve that respect… is destined to fail!” Zoro threatens to quit himself if Luffy won’t hold the line. Luffy: “We aren’t playing a game of being pirates!” Robin: “If the first thing that comes out of Usopp’s mouth is an apology, then it’s all good.”
• Garp attacks despite the goodbyes (pp. 6, 10-11): bound by Marine duty, Garp fights the crew “single-handed,” throwing cannonballs with his bare hands faster than any cannon and ordering 1,000 for a “Meteor Fist Shower.” First real display of his monstrous raw strength.
• The Franky Family leaves Water Seven on its own ship without Franky, who stays with the Straw Hats (p. 8).
• Luffy waited for Usopp — he kept the Galley-La room empty and waited the whole time, but Usopp never came before they had to sail (p. 9).
• Usopp apologizes and rejoins (pp. 16-19), swallowing his pride completely — the Water Seven crew rift is healed and the crew is reunited.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Usopp (rehearses a triumphant first-mate return; chases the ship; finally apologizes on his knees and rejoins; still in the Sniper King mask early — “I’m Sniper King, don’t you realize?!”, p. 13), Zoro (sets the apology condition; the captain-respect doctrine; forces Luffy to ignore Usopp until he breaks), Luffy (accepts Zoro’s condition; secretly waited for Usopp; pulls him back aboard), Nami (sides with Zoro — “completely right for once”), Sanji (reports Usopp at the shore), Nico Robin (“If the first thing out of Usopp’s mouth is an apology, then it’s all good”; hopes to meet Usopp on the sea someday), Tony Tony Chopper (overjoyed Usopp is back), Franky (stays with the Straw Hats as the Franky Family departs), Garp (Vice-Admiral; attacks single-handed with bare-handed cannonball throws / “Meteor Fist Shower”).
• Groups: Straw Hat Pirates (reunited at chapter’s end), Franky Family (sails off without Franky — “The Franky Family is forever!”), Marines (Garp’s fleet pursues and opens fire).
• Locations: Water Seven (the crew sets sail; Usopp races through town), Scrap Heap Island (the ship sets sail “from Scrap Island”, p. 6).
• Cover only: Enel — “Eneru’s Great Space Mission, Vol. 9: ‘The Creeping Shadow’” (Enel cover serial; deferred to cover-tracker).

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page “PRIDE.” Cover-story banner: “ENERU’S GREAT SPACE MISSION, VOL. 9: ‘THE CREEPING SHADOW’” — Enel on a moon-surface, four orbs hovering around his head, staff in hand, a small automaton at his feet, and a long dark shadow creeping across the ground. Enel cover serial (deferred to cover-tracker).
• Pages 3-4 — Zoro’s doctrine speech; BAP BAP BAP (knocks Luffy); “…is destined to fail!”; threatens to be “the next one to leave this group” if Luffy won’t act like the captain.
• Page 5 — The crew accepts the apology-condition and resolves to wait; “So long, Usopp. It’s been fun.”
• Page 6 — BOOM: Garp’s Marine fleet — “We’ve located the Straw Hat Pirates! Vice Admiral Garp!”; his men grumble that he forced them to turn back over the transponder snail because Luffy is “my grandson.”
• Page 7 — Usopp sprints back through Water Seven rehearsing his grand “First Mate Usopp” return fantasy (“I may fall down, but I just get back up!”).
• Page 8 — The Franky Family ship sets sail (skull-and-crossbones figurehead): “The Franky Family is forever!” / “Big bro! Take care!” SPLASHAAA.
• Page 9 — Luffy reveals he kept the room empty and waited, but Usopp never came (crying through laughter); then KABOOM — Garp’s battleship attacks.
• Pages 10-11 — Garp on the snail (“I’ll fight you single-handed… send you to a watery grave”); throws a cannonball bare-handed (“baseball?!”); cracks his knuckles and orders “1,000 cannonballs” for “Meteor Fist Shower.”
• Pages 13-15 — Usopp leaps to catch the ship; Zoro makes Luffy pretend not to hear him; Usopp’s casual gambits fail; he blurts “I’m quitting this crew!” and Zoro answers ”…KNEEL!”
• Page 16 — Full-page splash: “I’M SORRY!” shouted across the harbor as the ship pulls away over Water Seven.
• Pages 17-19 — Usopp’s sobbing, total apology (“…please let me JOIN!”); Luffy thrusts out a hand — “Hurry up and grab on, you idiot!” — and the reunited crew flees Garp’s barrage onward to adventure.

Open questions raised

• Will Garp truly try to sink the crew, or is the bare-handed barrage a face-saving half-effort against his own grandson?
• Now whole again and aboard the new ship, what does the crew face crossing toward the Florian Triangle?
• Does retiring the Sniper King mask mean the persona is gone for good, or will Usopp keep it in reserve?