Chapters · Summit War › Marineford

Chapter 580: The War's Conclusion

Arc: Marineford · Saga: Summit War · Released: 2010-02-22 (est.)

Summary

“Red-Haired” Shanks and his crew land at Marineford and the assembled Navy and pirates recoil — the Emperor has arrived to put a stop to the war the very day after a “scuffle” with fellow Emperor Kaido. Before disembarking, Shanks gives Buggy a flashback-laden charge: he will not go to see Luffy, because seeing him now “would violate our agreement” (the straw-hat promise). As the Heart Pirates’ submarine flees with the wounded Luffy and Jinbei aboard, Aokiji freezes the sea (“Ice Age!!”) and Kizaru fires light (“Yasakani Sacred Jewel”), but the sub dives clear; Buggy, leaning on his mistaken Warlord status, commandeers a pursuit. Shanks calls Marco off, faces down anyone still wanting to fight, and offers Blackbeard a duel — which Teach declines (“This is not yet the time… for me to fight you!”) before withdrawing. Shanks brokers a ceasefire: the Red Hair Pirates will see to the burial of Whitebeard and Ace, Sengoku agrees and takes responsibility, and the narration closes the Paramount War of Marineford as “the greatest battle of the Great Pirate Age.”

New reveals

• The Red Hair Pirates end the war. Shanks arrives in person; the Navy, Whitebeard’s remnants, and Blackbeard’s crew all stand down before him. Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku grants his terms (pp. 2, 9-15).
• Shanks just fought Kaido. Marine dialogue: “The scuffle with another of the Four Emperors, Kaido, was only yesterday!” — confirms the New-World Yonko standoff kept Shanks away until now (p. 2).
• The hat covenant is the reason Shanks won’t see Luffy. “To see him now… would violate… our agreement. Right, Luffy?” — with a flashback to the Ch.1 handoff (“Keep this hat safe for me?… Promise that you’ll give it back to me someday… when you’ve become a great pirate.”) (pp. 3-4).
• Aokiji “Ice Age” + Kizaru “Yasakani Sacred Jewel” are deployed against the escaping submarine; it dives and survives (pp. 5-7).
• Blackbeard passes on Shanks — “I got what I wanted. This is not yet the time… for me to fight you!” — and retreats with his crew (p. 11).
• Mihawk withdraws from the field (“Hawk Eye! Where are you going?!”) (pp. 4, 9).
• The war is formally named in narration: “The Paramount War of Marineford will be carved deeply into the tablets of history” (p. 15).
• SBS canon (Vol 59): the three Admirals are modeled on real Japanese actors (p. 16, below).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Shanks (and crew), Buggy, Sengoku, Aokiji, Kizaru, Blackbeard (Teach), Mihawk (Hawk-Eye, withdrawing), Marco (addressed by Shanks), Benn Beckman (visible in the Red Hair crew lineup, p. 10), Luffy (in the submarine; referenced as “Ace’s brother” / “Dragon’s son”), Jinbei (referenced — fleeing with Luffy), Whitebeard + Ace (the dead, to be buried), Dragon (referenced — “Dragon’s son”), Kaido (referenced — clashed with Shanks “yesterday”).
• Crews: Red Hair Pirates, Buggy Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, Blackbeard Pirates, Marines. The fleeing submarine is the Heart Pirates’ vessel (established earlier in the arc; not named on-page this chapter).
• Devil Fruits / techniques: Hie Hie no Mi — “Ice Age” (Aokiji, p. 5); Pika Pika no Mi — “Yasakani Sacred Jewel” (Kizaru, p. 6).
• World-Building: Four Emperors (Yonko) (Shanks, Kaido), Seven Warlords of the Sea (Buggy’s bluff; Mihawk; Blackbeard’s recently-granted seat), the Paramount War of Marineford.
• Location: Marine Headquarters (Marineford).

Notable panels

• p. 1 — Standalone B&W chapter-title splash: a Robin-like figure with a sheathed long sword (tanuki + stone lantern at her feet) and a bespectacled Sanji reading a book in a wooded grove. Cover determination: no active cover serial during the war — verified on-page the title strip reads only “Chapter 580: THE WAR’S CONCLUSION” with no cover-serial banner and no “Vol. N” counter. Logged as a composite “where are they now” Robin+Sanji scattered-crewmate one-off in Marineford-Title-Page-One-Offs (decorative title art, not a serial).
• p. 2 — Wide shot of the Red Hair Pirates’ fleet arriving at Marineford; “IT’S THE RED-HAIRED PIRATES!” The Kaido “scuffle… only yesterday” line.
• pp. 3-4 — Shanks/Buggy exchange + the Ch.1 hat-handoff flashback; “To see him now… would violate… our agreement.”
• pp. 5-6 — Aokiji “Ice Age!!” freezes the sea; Kizaru “Yasakani Sacred Jewel” light barrage; the sub dives.
• p. 10 — Near-splash of Shanks flanked by his crew (Benn Beckman with rifle, et al.), “COME ON!!” — challenge to any who would keep fighting. (Mirror candidate.)
• p. 11 — Shanks offers Blackbeard a duel; Teach declines and withdraws.
• pp. 14-15 — “THIS WAR… …IS OVER!!”; Shanks claims the burial of Whitebeard and Ace; Sengoku takes responsibility. Closing narration names the Paramount War of Marineford. (Mirror candidate.)
• p. 16 — SBS Question Corner (Vol 59). Birthdays: Trafalgar Law Oct 6; Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard) Aug 3; Marco Oct 5 (“leader of Division 1”); Crocodile Sep 5; Emporio Ivankov Jan 8. The three Marine Admirals are based on real Japanese actors: Aokiji = Yūsaku Matsuda (b. Sep 21), Kizaru = Kunie Tanaka (b. Nov 23), Akainu = Bunta Sugawara (b. Aug 16).

Open questions raised

• When does the deferred Shanks-vs-Blackbeard reckoning come, and on whose terms (“not yet the time”)?
• What did Blackbeard mean by “I got what I wanted” at this war — beyond the Level-6 recruits and Whitebeard’s death?
• What exactly is the Kaido/Shanks New-World relationship now that their “scuffle” is over and Shanks left for Marineford?