Chapters · Summit War › Marineford

Chapter 570: The Bridge of Life

Arc: Marineford · Saga: Summit War · Released: 2009-12-14

Summary

The shockwave of Luffy’s involuntary will-burst leaves tens of thousands of combatants reeling; the survivors realize he carries the Haki of the Supreme King, “like Pops and Shanks,” and Garp privately registers that his grandson was “born with it” — the marines tie the innate power to Luffy being the son of Dragon the revolutionary and order he must not survive the war. Whitebeard, dying but unbowed, blasts a path open and challenges Luffy: if he is one of the successors to the “Will of D.,” show what kind of era he will create. A coalition of former enemies clears Luffy’s road to the scaffold — Mihawk intercepts him and is stopped first by Daz Bones (“the Navy is my enemy for the time being”) then threatened off by Crocodile; Emporio Ivankov and Inazuma of the Revolutionary Army cover him. Inazuma uses the Choki Choki no Mi to slice the plaza floor and fold it skyward into a colossal bridge — the chapter’s titular “Bridge of Life” — and Crocodile launches Luffy across it. Luffy cries “I’m here, Ace!!” and breaks toward the platform, only to be stopped at the last stretch by Garp, who plants himself in the way: “I’m not going anywhere, Luffy!! I’m a Vice Admiral in the Navy!!”

New reveals

• Luffy’s Conqueror’s Haki, at crowd scale and named. Page 2: survivors of the will-burst — “He has the Haki of the Supreme King!! He’s like Pops and Shanks!!” Garp, watching: “So you really were born with it… You too, Luffy,” and “he did it instinctively… there’s a scary power hidden deep inside that kid.”
• Marines connect the power to lineage. Page 3–4: “He’s the son of Dragon the revolutionary!!”; “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!!”; “It’s still a hidden power for now, but that explains why people are so drawn to him.” They resolve “that boy must not survive this battle.”
• Whitebeard’s “Will of D.” dare (p. 5): “Give it your best shot, boy!! If you’re one of the successors to the ‘Will of D.,’ show me what kind of era you will create!!”
• A coalition of former antagonists protects Luffy: Daz Bones blocks Mihawk on Crocodile’s orders; Crocodile threatens Mihawk directly; Ivankov and Inazuma clear the path.
• The “Bridge of Life” (pp. 11–12): Inazuma’s Choki Choki no Mi cuts the ground and folds it up into a giant bridge to the scaffold.
• Grandfather vs grandson (p. 15): Garp physically bars Luffy’s final approach — “Grandpa!! Get outta my way!!” / “I’m not going anywhere, Luffy!! I’m a Vice Admiral in the Navy!!”
• Vice Admiral Doberman named on-page (p. 3).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Appear: Luffy, Ace (on the scaffold), Whitebeard, Garp, Sengoku (on the platform), Mihawk, Daz Bones, Crocodile, Emporio Ivankov, Inazuma, Buggy (referenced by his crew at the platform), Mr. 3 (in the charging crowd), Doberman (named p. 3)
• Mentioned: Dragon (Luffy’s father — pp. 3–4), Shanks (Conqueror comparison, p. 2)
• Fruits/powers: Choki Choki no Mi (Inazuma — the “Bridge of Life”), Suna Suna no Mi (Crocodile launches Luffy), Supa Supa no Mi (Daz Bones blades vs Mihawk), Haki (Luffy’s Conqueror’s burst)
• Location: Marineford
• Threads touched: Will of D, Worlds Greatest Swordsman (Mihawk on the field)

Notable panels

• p. 1 — B&W title page: lone bare-chested Ace on a raft aiming a flintlock at a blackened sun; torii-gong and leaping fish-creature; funereal mood.
• p. 2 — Aftermath of Luffy’s Conqueror’s burst; “He has the Haki of the Supreme King!! He’s like Pops and Shanks!!”; Garp: “So you really were born with it… You too, Luffy.”
• p. 5 — Whitebeard: “If you’re one of the successors to the ‘Will of D.,’ show me what kind of era you will create!!”
• pp. 8–10 — Mihawk intercepts Luffy; Daz Bones blocks (“the Navy is my enemy for the time being”); Crocodile: “You’d better watch out, Hawkeye!”; Ivankov: “Love is always a hurricane!!”
• pp. 11–12 — The Bridge of Life: Inazuma cuts and folds the plaza floor into a giant span; Crocodile launches Luffy across.
• p. 13 — Luffy: “I’m here, Ace!!”
• p. 15 — Garp blocks Luffy: “I’m not going anywhere, Luffy!! I’m a Vice Admiral in the Navy!!”
• p. 16 — SBS Question Corner (Volume 58 SBS — Haki Q&A; Ivankov modeled on Dr. Frank-N-Furter / Norio Imamura). Not story content; flag for SBS cross-link refresh.

Open questions raised

• Will Luffy ever learn to control the Supreme King’s Haki the marines say he can’t yet wield?
• Does Whitebeard’s “Will of D.” challenge mean he knows what the D. signifies — and does he count Luffy as a true successor?
• Can Luffy get past his own grandfather to reach Ace?