Chapters · Summit War › Post-War

Chapter 596: Spectrum

Arc: Post-War · Saga: Summit War · Released: 2010-08-02 (est.)

Summary

A “spectrum” survey of five scattered Straw Hats, each independently deciding to grow stronger after the Marineford war. On the sky island Weatheria, Nami guilt-trips the weather scientists into room and board, then begs Haredas to teach her New World weather so she can carry her captain anywhere — and learns of the island’s greatest invention, a weaponizable “Weather Ball.” In the Longarm Kingdom on Sword Mountain Island, Brook is caged as a freak-show oddity for the long-armed crowd; recalling Luffy’s invitation and his fifty lonely years, he trains and reinvents himself as a musician (“Bone to be Wild!”). At the giant bridge in the East Blue (Tequila Wolf), Dragon’s Revolutionaries take Nico Robin aboard and set sail for Baltigo; Robin, wanting for the first time to grow stronger for others’ sake, wonders if she can do so by seeing the world through Luffy’s father’s eyes. On the mechanical island Future Land Baldimore, the “cyborg gorilla” Franky uncovers a hidden lab whose research ranges from warships to human cells and resolves to live there and upgrade himself for the “ship of dreams.” On the Bowin Islands, a fattened Usopp, fired up by a message from Luffy, takes the survivalist Heracles as his master and learns to wield Pop Greens to become “the real Sniper King.” The chapter closes on a Vol-57 SBS Question Corner.

New reveals

• Weatheria’s “Weather Ball” is the island’s greatest invention; the scientists warn that “if abused, it could throw the whole world into turmoil” — i.e. it can be used as a weapon (p.5).
• Brook’s current location: the Longarm Kingdom on Sword Mountain Island (Grand Line), where he is exhibited as a single-jointed “skeleton” freak to the two-jointed Longarm crowd (p.6).
• Robin joins / allies with the Revolutionary Army: Dragon’s people had long wanted to meet her; she boards their ship and sails for Baltigo (p.9). The Revolutionaries had earlier reviled her as “the survivor of those demons of Ohara” and assumed she was “cooperating with Crocodile” (pp.9–10).
• Franky finds a hidden secondary laboratory on Baldimore, exposed by an explosion, holding research “from warships to human cells” and the source of the island’s cyborg animals; he decides to live there (pp.12–13).
• Usopp’s master is Heracles (“Heracles-un”), who teaches him about Pop Greens — aggressively fast-growing seed-plants, “each with their own special uses” — to make him “the real Sniper King” (p.19).
• Each scattered crewmate independently resolves to train during the separation to be of use to Luffy after seeing the news of the war / a message from their captain.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters (shown): Nami (Weatheria), Brook (Sword Mountain Island), Nico Robin (Tequila Wolf → Revolutionary ship), Franky (Baldimore), Usopp (Bowin), Heracles (Bowin); Haredas the Weatheria weather scientist (named, p.3).
• Characters (in flashback / thought / title art): Luffy (each castaway’s memory of him), Ace + Sabo (title-page art only, as children).
• Characters (mentioned, not shown): Dragon (“Mr. Dragon has wanted to meet you”), Crocodile (Revolutionaries assumed Robin “cooperated with” him), Vegapunk (implied — the island’s “genius” lab-builder; not named on-page).
• Locations: Weatheria, Sword Mountain Island (Longarm Kingdom), Tequila Wolf (“a giant bridge, the East Blue”), Baltigo (destination), Future Land Baldimore (Karakuri / “Mechanical Island”), Bowin Island, Sabaody Archipelago (mentioned).
• Groups: Revolutionary Army, Longarm Tribe, Straw Hat Pirates.
• Items / tech: the Weather Ball, Pop Greens.

Notable panels

• p.1 — Title-page splash: Ace, Sabo, and Luffy as children running together (Ace’s hat reads “ACE,” Sabo with top hat/goggles and pipe, Luffy at right); footnote glosses a held sign “*IOU TREASURE.” A nostalgic mirror of the Goa-Kingdom ASL childhood flashback. (Standalone title illustration — no serial cover-story B-plot this chapter.)
• p.5 — Nami learns of the Weather Ball; “you can use it as a weapon?!” “Stop grinning!”
• p.6 — Brook caged on Sword Mountain Island; the Longarm crowd marvels “he only has one joint in his arm!” (establishing the tribe’s double-jointed arms).
• p.8 — Brook picks up the guitar: “Listen to my new single! BONE TO BE WILD!” — the seed of his musician reinvention.
• p.10 — Robin’s Enies-Lobby flashback: Luffy’s “BRING IT ON!!” against the whole world.
• p.11 — Robin: “Luffy… will I be able to grow stronger by seeing the world through your father’s eyes?”
• pp.12–13 — Franky the “cyborg gorilla” and the hidden Baldimore lab (warships → human cells); “DEAD OR ALIVE FRANKY” wanted poster.
• p.18 — Usopp: “He needs me to help him!!”
• p.19 — Heracles introduces Pop Greens; Usopp: “I’m gonna become the real Sniper King.”
• p.20 — SBS Question Corner (Vol-57 Q&A: Sanji-as-president, the missing 8th Whitebeard division leader “Namule,” Chopper-without-cuteness, Marine “Justice” coats).

Open questions raised

• How powerful is the Weather Ball, and will Nami weaponize Weatheria’s science?
• What exactly is in the hidden Baldimore lab, and is its “genius” builder the same scientist behind the island’s cyborg tech (Vegapunk implied)?
• Will Robin’s alliance with Dragon’s Revolutionaries reveal more about Dragon and Luffy’s parentage?
• How long will the separation last, and will each castaway complete their training before reuniting?
• What are the full capabilities of the Pop Greens Usopp is learning to wield?