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Chapter 486: Piano

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

Summary

One day after Moria’s defeat. Absalom and the remaining Thriller Bark crew cloak the island and flee, having relayed Kuma’s message — Blackbeard is to replace Crocodile as a Warlord — while the newspaper reveals Blackbeard captured “Fire Fist” Ace, now on death row in Impel Down. On the island the freed victims feast in the restored sunlight; the living woman Lola (whose stolen shadow had animated the warthog zombie) thanks Nami, who declines to loot her saviors. Sanji corners Lola’s two pirates, learns that Zoro told Kuma “Leave him, take me!” and absorbed all of Luffy’s suffering nearly to death, and threatens them into silence — only for Robin to have already overheard and quietly join the conspiracy of “nothing happened.” Brook brings out a piano and plays “Binks’s Brew,” which Luffy recognizes as Shanks’s old song. Brook reveals his unfinished promise is to the whale Laboon at the Twin Cape; learning Laboon still waits after 50 years, he breaks down in joy and the chapter closes on his Rumbar Pirates flashback playing music for the baby whale under Captain Yorki.

New reveals

• Kuma’s errand to Thriller Bark was to relay that Blackbeard will replace Crocodile among the Seven Warlords; the newspaper ties this to Blackbeard’s capture of Ace (p. 3).
• Ace is reported captured and awaiting execution in Impel Down; “the government scored a big win” against Whitebeard and “this could signal a big change in the age of pirates” (p. 3).
• The living Lola appears — the warthog zombie “Lola” had carried her shadow; she recognizes Nami through the returned shadow’s memories (pp. 5-6).
• The hidden truth of the finale: Zoro absorbed all of Luffy’s pain that Kuma extracted, saying “Leave him, take me,” and nearly died. Sanji swears the witnesses to silence; Robin independently overhears and keeps it (“Tee hee!”) (pp. 8-13).
• Brook’s promise is to Laboon, the whale at the Twin Cape; Luffy already knows Laboon (told by Franky’s group; the crew met him entering the Grand Line) (pp. 15-18).
• “Binks’s Brew” is established as the universal old pirates’ song; Shanks’s crew sang it (pp. 13-14).
• The Rumbar Pirates and Captain Yorki are named on-page for the first time in Brook’s flashback (p. 19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy · Zoro · Nami · Sanji · Usopp · Tony Tony Chopper · Nico Robin · Brook · Franky · Hogback · Absalom · Lola (living, first appearance) · Lola the Zombie (referenced) · Gecko Moria (mentioned) · Kuma (mentioned) · Perona (mentioned, missing) · Ace (newspaper) · Blackbeard (mentioned) · Crocodile (mentioned) · Whitebeard (mentioned) · Shanks (mentioned) · Laboon (mentioned + baby flashback) · Yorki (named, flashback) · Gyoro · Nin · Bao · Rumbar Pirates · Straw Hat Pirates · Whitebeard Pirates · Thriller Bark · Impel Down · Twin Cape · Seven Warlords of the Sea · Binks’s Sake

First on-page namings this chapter: Lola (living human), Rumbar Pirates (crew name spoken on-page; previously forward-canonical), Captain Yorki. First mentions : Gyoro, Nin, Bao — Moria’s three zombie servants, named in Absalom’s recap (p. 3).

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page “PIANO.” Cover-story strip: “Where Are They Now? Shot 4: Yokozuna no longer challenges the Sea Train” — the Water 7 / Blue Station scene with Yokozuna the frog, Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe. Logged in Where Are They Now? (Shot 4 — first non-Skypiea installment).
• Page 2 — Thriller Bark cloaks / turns invisible (“Release the invisibility cloak!!”) and escapes; “What was Kuma the Tyrant doing on Thriller Bark?”; “Perona’s still missing!!”
• Page 3 — Hogback reads the newspaper aloud: Ace captured, Impel Down execution, Blackbeard to replace Crocodile as Warlord; “I want a real, living woman!!!”
• Page 5 — The living Lola reunites with Nami; “are you Lola?!”
• Pages 8-9 — Sanji drags off Lola’s pirates; the recount of Kuma’s extraction and Zoro’s “Leave him, take me,” ending on Sanji’s “Nothing happened!!” (his verdict to bury the truth: “Zolo didn’t do this to make Luffy feel grateful” / “Don’t go blabbing about this!!”)
• Page 10 — Robin (SHNOO) has overheard; joins the silence.
• Pages 15-17 — Brook reveals the Laboon promise; Luffy confirms the crew met Laboon at the cape.
• Page 18 — Brook breaks down crying (“After all this time, he’s still …!!”), flashback to baby Laboon following the Rumbar ship.
• Page 19 — Rumbar Pirates flashback; “Captain Yorki!!!” — the crew plays for the baby whale.
• Page 20 — SBS page (printed in Vol. 50, which collects this chapter): the CP9 = “Cadet Panties: 9-pairs” gag (Oda joking he was once in CP9, re Lucci’s crew); a Q&A on who dressed Nami into the wedding dress — a reader asks whether it was the old measuring-tape zombie from Chapter 458, but Oda gives a non-committal daydream non-answer (“Who could have done that?! It’s just filthy.”) and does NOT identify the culprit (Hogback is never confirmed); plus the Sanji-vs-Kalifa / Zeff Q&A (“Sanji can’t kick women”; “Zeff is just a man among men”). See SBS Volume 50.

Open questions raised

• Where did Perona go? Absalom’s crew cannot find her anywhere on Thriller Bark (p. 2).
• Will Blackbeard actually take Crocodile’s Warlord seat, and what happens to Ace on death row at Impel Down (p. 3)?
• Will the crew keep Zoro’s sacrifice from Luffy permanently (pp. 8-13)?
• Will Brook return to the Twin Cape to reunite Laboon with the last of his crew (pp. 15-18)?