Chapters · Thriller Bark › Thriller Bark

Chapter 462: Adventures of Oars

Arc: Thriller Bark · Saga: Thriller Bark · Released:

Summary

In Perona’s Wonder Garden, Usopp’s bottomless pessimism out-negatives Perona’s Negative Hollow ghosts — and overwhelms Perona herself, who collapses into apologetic despair while Usopp boasts that no one can beat him. With only the strange animal zombies still chasing, Sanji peels off to find Nami (“Nami!! I won’t let you get married!!!”), launching himself toward the church as “a burning ball of love.” Inside the mansion laboratory, Brook duels the dragon-slaying samurai zombie that carries his stolen shadow; the zombie fights with Brook’s own quick-draw arts (“Three-Pace Hum Notch Slash”). Brook, breaking down over Laboon and his fifty wasted years, clashes blades with it. Sanji and then Zoro arrive; Zoro blocks the zombie’s strike, recognizes him as the legendary samurai who slew a dragon, and — coveting the zombie’s legendary sword — takes over the fight. The zombie names the blade: the Shusui, a Black Blade and one of the 21 Excellent Grade swords; Zoro declares he’ll make it his, and the duel is set. Meanwhile Thriller Bark itself is lurching: the Special Zombie Oars, holding Luffy’s shadow, has seized the ship’s wheel and is “randomly steering” the island through a giant sea current. Ordered to stop, Oars instead uses Luffy’s Gum-Gum techniques and speed to annihilate the entire army of Zombie Generals in an instant, roaring that nothing will get in the way of “my adventure.” As the Moria faction panics that their ultimate weapon is out of control, Luffy smashes into the church, hunting for Nami.

New reveals

• Shusui named (p. 13): the dragon-slayer zombie’s sword is “the Shusui,” “one of the 21 Excellent Grade swords” (O Wazamono), a Black Blade with a reverse waved temper line. Zoro: “I’ll make that sword mine!!”
• The samurai zombie = the legend who slew a dragon in ancient times (pp. 12-13); Zoro had “wanted to meet” him and steps in to fight him for Brook’s shadow and the Shusui.
• Brook’s swordsman past: he served in his kingdom’s Raider Squad; his signature quick-draw was “Three-Pace Hum Notch Slash,” renamed “Requiem Lebanderole” by his comrades. The zombie wields these same arts via Brook’s shadow (pp. 6-8).
• Brook ↔ Laboon: mid-duel he sobs “Laboon…,” “Fifty years in these dark waters! …it was all for nothing!!,” apologizing to Laboon “more than anything” (p. 9).
• Oars uses Luffy’s powers: “Gum-Gum… Gatling!!,” Luffy-speed blink (“How can he be that quick?!”), and stretch reach “even though I’m not made of rubber” (pp. 15-16).
• Oars is uncontrollable: annihilates the Zombie Generals (Thriller Bark’s “strongest army of zombies”) in an instant and steers the island-ship, threatening Thriller Bark itself (pp. 14-18).
• Thriller Bark is a giant steerable ship caught in a sea current; Oars at the wheel makes the whole island shake (pp. 14-15).
• SBS (p. 20): the zombie-class numbering rule is canonized (Wild 0-199 / Surprise 200-399 / Soldier 400-799 / Zombie General 800-899 / Special 900; numbers recycled as zombies are purified).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters (shown): Usopp, Perona, Sanji, Brook, Ryuma (the dragon-slayer samurai zombie), Zoro, Absalom, Nami (church, bride), Oars, Luffy
• Characters (mentioned only): Gecko Moria (the faction giving orders / “Sir”), Laboon (Brook’s outburst), Enel (cover story); plus Perona’s zombie bear “Kumacy” (minor, named p. 3)
• Groups: Straw Hat Pirates, Zombie Generals
• Devil Fruits: Horo-Horo no Mi (Perona’s Negative Hollow), Kage-Kage no Mi (the shadow mechanic), Gomu Gomu no Mi (replicated by Oars)
• Swords / lore: Shusui (named O Wazamono Black Blade); Sword Grading System
• Locations: Thriller Bark (revealed as a giant steerable ship in a sea current) — sub-locations: Perona’s Wonder Garden, the Mast Mansion First-Floor Church, the mansion laboratory

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page doubles as the cover-story art: Enel’s Great Space Mission, Vol. 28 — “Attack Now, Ask Questions Later” (VIZ on-page “Eneru”). Enel silhouette with his Spacey automata.
• Pages 2-3 — Usopp’s pessimism out-negatives the Negative Hollow ghosts; Perona herself is flattened by his negativity (“It’s even affecting Mistress Perona!!!”); Usopp: ”…No one can beat me!!!!”
• Page 4 — Sanji peels off: “Nami!! I won’t let you get married!!!” — launches as “a burning ball of love” toward the church.
• Pages 6-8 — Brook vs the samurai zombie; reveal of the Raider Squad past and “Three-Pace Hum Notch Slash” / “Requiem Lebanderole”; both perform the named quick-draw — DOOM!! ”…Notch Slash!!”
• Page 9 — Brook’s Laboon breakdown (“Fifty years in these dark waters!… My life was so dreary!!! So desolate!!!”).
• Pages 11-12 — Zoro blocks the zombie’s blade (“Hold it right there”), IDs the dragon-slaying samurai legend (”…I’ve wanted to meet you!”).
• Page 13 — The Shusui named (Black Blade, one of the 21 O Wazamono); Zoro: “I’ll make that sword mine!!”
• Pages 15-18 — Oars at the ship’s wheel; “Gum-Gum… Gatling!!”; he annihilates the Zombie Generals — big rampage splash, “…of my adventure!!! GRAAAAAH!!!”
• Pages 19-20 — Luffy bursts into the church for Nami; a zombie IDs him as a Straw Hat.
• Page 20 — SBS Question Corner bundled in the scan: (1) Chopper eating four Rumble Balls = loss of control; (2) Oda’s zombie-numbering/class system (Wild/Surprise/Soldier/General/Special ranges; numbers recycled). (SBS — defer to SBS specialist.)

Open questions raised

• Can Zoro defeat the dragon-slayer zombie (Ryuma) to reclaim Brook’s shadow and take the Shusui?
• How can Oars — wielding Luffy’s shadow, abilities and dream, and now uncontrollable — be stopped at all?
• Will Luffy reach Nami before Absalom’s wedding completes?
• Does the legend of “the samurai who slew a dragon in ancient times” matter beyond this island?