Chapters · Summit War › Marineford
Chapter 572: The Times They Are A-Changin'
Predictions this chapter touches — filed in writing, chapter-cited, scored on the board.
This chapter's foreshadowing ledger — what it plants, what it pays off, and what debuts here. Locked seeds pay off beyond your ⚓ progress; tap one to reveal it anyway.
- Plants
- 1 seed🌱 chekhov-explicit
- Pays off
- 1 chainRobin Seated-Among-Animals Solo Title-Splash Composition
- Firsts
- Ace is freed from the execution platform — his seastone shackles come off and his Logia Mera Mera fire powers return; he and Luffy fight back-to-back for the first time as adults.
- Whitebeard physically STOPS his own crew's land-rolling escape ship and refuses to flee, declaring his final orders as captain: the crew must survive and return to the New World while he stays behind ('No ship can carry me into the new age!! I'm a relic of a bygone era!!').
- Whitebeard forgives Squard for stabbing him ('And you actually think that jab of yours hurt me?!'), framing the war's true cruelty as making a father bury his sons.
- Whitebeard heralds the coming of a new age ('Don't turn back!! A new age is coming!!') and turns to face the entire Navy alone.
- Doflamingo urges Sengoku to let the pirates escape because 'it'll make the future a lot more interesting'; Sakazuki (Akainu) counters that none of them will leave Marineford alive.
- Squard and the Whirl Spider Pirates reappear, with Squard consumed by guilt over stabbing Whitebeard and willing to die to atone.
Arc: Marineford · Saga: Summit War · Released: 2009-12-07
Summary
Luffy reaches Ace atop the burning scaffold and frees him — the seastone shackles fall away and Fire Fist Ace’s Logia flames roar back to life (“Fire Fist Ace… is FREE!!”), to the elation of the rescuers (“After all those impossible stunts back at Impel Down, he finally did it!!”). Ace thanks his little brother (“I never dreamed I’d see the day…when you had to save me. Thanks, Luffy”), and the two fight back-to-back through the surrounding Marines, Ace insisting he protect Luffy “for now” while Luffy vows to surpass him one day. Admiral Aokiji strikes (Ice Block / “Pheasant Peck!!”); Ace answers with “Mirror Flame!!” The Whitebeard Pirates roll a ship on land with paddles to evacuate, but the escape stalls when Whitebeard himself grabs and stops the ship — he is not leaving. Squard and the Whirl Spider Pirates surface, Squard wracked with guilt over having stabbed Pops and ready to die to atone; Whitebeard absolves him (“And you actually think that jab of yours hurt me?!”) and delivers his final orders as captain: his sons must survive and return to the New World, but he cannot — “No ship can carry me into the new age!! I’m a relic of a bygone era!!” He pushes the ship and his sons away (“Get away from here, my sons!!”) and turns to face the whole Navy alone. On the Marine side Sengoku rages at the breakout while Doflamingo grins that letting them go will “make the future a lot more interesting”; Sakazuki vows none escape alive. Whitebeard, reflecting that “it’s been a long journey,” charges: “Let’s finish this once and for all, Navy! …Don’t turn back!! A new age is coming!!” Page 18 is the Volume 58 SBS (Chopper’s voice actress, Ikue Otani).
New reveals
- Ace is freed and re-powered (pp. 2–7): the shackles come off, his Logia fire returns (“FIRE FIST ACE… is FREE!!”), and he fights at full strength again — “Can you still fight, Luffy?!”
- The brothers fight side-by-side as adults (pp. 5–9): Ace — “I never dreamed I’d see the day…when you had to save me. Thanks, Luffy”; Luffy — “I couldn’t have done it without that Whitebeard guy’s help!”; “I’ll surpass you one of these days, Ace!” / “You’ve gotten a lot stronger, Luffy!”
- Whitebeard stops his own escape ship and refuses to flee (pp. 11–16): “Something made the ship stop!!” — it is Whitebeard. He gives his final orders: “You must all survive and return to the New World!! …It’s time for us to part ways!! No ship can carry me into the new age!! I’m a relic of a bygone era!!”
- Whitebeard forgives Squard (p. 14): “And you actually think that jab of yours hurt me?! Don’t you realize how cruel it is…to make a father bury his sons? Everybody grows old and dies eventually.”
- Whitebeard heralds a new age (p. 17): “Let’s finish this once and for all, Navy!” / “Don’t turn back!! A new age is coming!!” — and Sengoku addresses him by his true name, “Newgate.”
- Doflamingo vs. Sakazuki on letting them go (p. 10): Doflamingo — “Don’t talk nonsense!! It’ll make the future a lot more interesting!! …Just let them go!”; Sakazuki — “Keep your head on your shoulders. They’re not leaving here alive.”
Foreshadowing seeds planted
Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)
Mentions / appearances
- Characters: Luffy, Ace (“Fire Fist Ace,” freed pp. 2–7), Whitebeard (addressed by true name “Newgate,” p. 17), Aokiji (“Admiral Aokiji!!” p. 9), Sengoku (“Fleet Admiral,” p. 10), Doflamingo (grinning feathered figure, “let them go,” p. 10 — attributed by design), Sakazuki (“Admiral Sakazuki!!” p. 10), Squard (Whirl Spider Pirates captain, p. 12). A tall top-hatted Whitebeard-allied pirate cheers the brothers on p. 8 (unnamed on-page).
- Crews / groups: Whitebeard Pirates, Marines, Whirl Spider Pirates
- Locations: Marine Headquarters (Marineford plaza / execution scaffold)
- World-building: New World (Whitebeard orders his sons to “return to the New World”)
- Devil Fruits (shown): Mera Mera no Mi (Ace — “Fire Pillar!!” p. 3, “Fire Fist!!” p. 7, “Mirror Flame!!” p. 9), Hie Hie no Mi (Aokiji — “Ice Block” / “Pheasant Peck!!” p. 9), Gomu Gomu no Mi (Luffy, throughout)
Notable panels
- p. 1 — Standalone B&W title-page illustration: Nico Robin sits reading a book in the crook of a tree beside a sloth.
- pp. 2–3 — Pillar of fire parts to reveal Ace freed and re-powered (“FIRE FIST ACE… is FREE!!”).
- pp. 5–7 — Ace and Luffy back-to-back; Ace’s “Thanks, Luffy” intercut with full-page flames.
- p. 9 — Ace’s “Mirror Flame!!” vs Aokiji’s “Pheasant Peck!!” clash (“DOOM!”).
- p. 13 — Near-full-page: the rolling escape ship slams to a halt (“KRASH!!”) because Whitebeard himself stopped it.
- pp. 16–17 — Whitebeard pushes his sons away (“Get away from here, my sons!!”) and turns to face the entire Navy alone — “A new age is coming!!
- p. 18 — Volume 58 SBS Question Corner (interview with Chopper’s voice actress, Ikue Otani). Flag for SBS cross-link.
Open questions raised
- Whitebeard has chosen to die at Marineford rather than retreat — what final blow does the “strongest man in the world” intend to strike against the Navy before he falls?
- What exactly is “the new age” Whitebeard heralds, and which of the present generation inherits it?
- Can the Whitebeard Pirates actually evacuate Ace and the breakout allies now that their captain has stayed behind and Sakazuki has vowed none leave alive?