Chapters · Fish-Man Island › Return to Sabaody

Chapter 598: Two Years Later

Arc: Return to Sabaody · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released: 2010-08-16 (est.)

Summary

Two years after the Paramount War, the timeskip is over. On Ruskaina, a deserted island northwest of the Island of Women, Luffy — now the de-facto boss of the island’s giant beasts — finishes his training: Rayleigh left six months ago, Luffy has “learned all the basics in a year and a half,” and Boa Hancock (still proposing marriage, rebuffed but laughing) has stocked a ship with his favorite foods for the voyage. He sets out for Sabaody. A two-page “TWO YEARS LATER” splash reveals the whole crew in their new designs. At Sabaody Archipelago, locals marvel that “Straw Hat” is alive and recruiting a fleet to plunder the New World — but this is an impostor crew: a Fake Luffy (“son of Dragon the Revolutionary”) with fake Sniper King, Franky, Nami, Zolo, Sanji, Robin, and Chopper, screening recruits by bounty (210M/180M brothers Caribou and Coribou among them). The real crew trickles in independently: Brook (now the superstar Soul King) plays a farewell world-tour concert at the Sabao Dome; Sanji returns “from hell” (Momoiro/Kamabakka) woman-starved and nose-bleeding; Nami coldly refuses the Fake Luffy and reunites with Usopp, who routs the fakes with his new Pop Green plant weapon and reveals he’s “finally become a true warrior”; Chopper, mistaken for a pet by the fake crew, sees a wanted poster; Robin is chased by Marines who plan to take her alive. At Shakky’s Rip-off Bar (Grove 13), Rayleigh confirms the Thousand Sunny is fully coated and safe — guarded for two years by Duval’s Rosy Life Riders — and tallies the returnees (Zoro first, then Franky, Nami, Usopp, Chopper; only Robin and Luffy still out). The chapter also drops the world-state: Marine HQ has moved to the New-World side of the Red Line, Marineford is now Navy Branch G-1, and Sabaody has slid into lawlessness.

New reveals

• The timeskip is over. Narration: “Two years have passed since Navy Headquarters and the Seven Warlords of the Sea clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates in the Paramount War.” (p.1)
• Ruskaina named. Luffy’s training island — “a deserted island to the northwest of the Island of Women” (p.1). Luffy befriended/tamed its giant beasts (“they’re my friends”), is its boss, and finished training; Rayleigh left six months ago; “I learned all the basics in a year and a half.” (pp.1-3)
• Marine HQ relocated. The new Fleet Admiral who took Sengoku’s place moved HQ across the Red Line, trading places with the G-1 branch, “in the oceans where the Four Emperors reign.” Marineford is now Navy Branch G-1. (pp.10, 23)
• Sabaody → lawless. With the Marines gone two years, the archipelago “has become a hotbed of lawlessness.” (p.10)
• New-World rookie generation. “Kid, Drake and the others” who passed through Sabaody two years ago are now “wreaking havoc all around the New World.” (p.6)
• Impostor Straw Hats. A fake crew recruits a fleet to “plunder the New World”; Fake Luffy claims to be “the son of Dragon the Revolutionary” and screens recruits by bounty. Caribou (Wet-haired) and Coribou (Blood-Splatter), brothers and pirate captains with 210M/180M bounties “well-known for killing Navy soldiers,” are named among prospects. (pp.6, 11-12)
• Power-up tells. Usopp wields a botanical Pop Green (“Special Attack: Green Star” — instant man-eating plant) and is now famed as Sniper King (pp.13-16); Brook is the world-famous Soul King (pp.7-9); Sanji returns woman-deprived from Momoiro/Kamabakka (pp.9-10).
• The Sunny is safe. Rayleigh finished coating the Thousand Sunny; Duval’s Rosy Life Riders guarded it for two years (pp.17-18).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy (Rusukaina, then en route to Sabaody) · Hancock (Rusukaina farewell; marriage proposal rebuffed; stocks the ship) · Silvers Rayleigh (Shakky’s bar; coated the Sunny; trained Luffy; tallies the returnees) · Brook (Soul King; Sabao Dome concert) · Sanji (returns from Momoiro/Kamabakka, Grove 44) · Nami (refuses Fake Luffy; reunites with Usopp; shopping) · Usopp (Pop Green / Sniper King; “true warrior”) · Tony Tony Chopper (Grove 47; mistaken for a pet by the fakes) · Nico Robin (Grove 12; chased by Marines who want her alive) · Zoro (first to arrive; shown in the title spread with a new left-eye scar; his two-year tutelage under Mihawk — the world’s greatest swordsman — completed offscreen across the timeskip — see Worlds Greatest Swordsman) · Franky (came ~10 days ago; went straight to the ship; shown in the spread) · Duval / Rosy Life Riders (guarded the Sunny for two years) · Dragon (named — Fake Luffy claims to be his son) · Sengoku (named — the new Fleet Admiral succeeded him) · Eustass Kid, X Drake (“Kid, Drake and the others,” now in the New World) · Emporio Ivankov (“Give my regards to Iva,” p.9) · Caribou / Coribou (named recruits) · Kuja (Hancock’s tribeswomen see Luffy off) · Marines (relocated; hunting Robin) · the impostor Straw Hat Pirates (Fake Luffy & crew — unnamed) · Eleven Supernovas · Four Emperors (Yonko) · Locations: Rusukaina, Amazon Lily (“Island of Women”), Sabaody Archipelago, Sabaody Park, Sabao Dome (Grove 33), Shakky’s Rip-off Bar (Grove 13), Marine Headquarters (now G-1), Momoiro Island / Kamabakka Queendom, New World, Red Line.

Notable panels

• p.1 — Chapter opens on Ruskaina; bell toll “DO ON!!”, Luffy under his hat (“Yeah, I’m coming”), the island splash + timeskip narration + title box “Chapter 598: TWO YEARS LATER.” Luffy cradles a globe-shaped giant fruit.
• pp.2-3 — Luffy with the island’s giant beasts (“They’re my friends”); Hancock’s failed proposal and provisioning; Luffy sets out.
• pp.4-5 — The “TWO YEARS LATER” two-page title spread (the magazine color spread): the full crew in new post-timeskip designs amid treasure — Nami, Sanji, Brook (Soul King), Usopp, Franky, Zoro (left-eye scar), Chopper, Luffy.
• p.6 — Sabaody locals around a “CREW WANTED …Y LUFFY” poster; the New-World-rookie status report.
• pp.7-9 — Brook’s Soul-King farewell concert at the Sabao Dome, Sabaody Park Grove 33.
• pp.11-12 — The impostor crew caption panels: “CAPTAIN MONKEY D. LUFFY & CREW (SNIPER KING, FRANKY, NAMI)”; bounty-screening; Caribou/Coribou named.
• p.13-16 — Nami refuses Fake Luffy; Usopp’s “Green Star” plant rout; Usopp/Nami reunion; Pop Green reveal.
• pp.17-18 — Shakky’s Rip-off Bar (Grove 13): Rayleigh confirms the coated Sunny is safe and recounts Duval’s two-year guard; tallies who’s arrived.
• p.23 — Marineford re-labeled “G-1”: the G-1 fortress building captioned “Marineford (former Navy HQ)” (the relocation schematic diagram itself is on p.10).
• p.25 — SBS Question Corner (Vol 61): the smiley-face badges on Ace’s hat match his final expressions — Oda says it was coincidence (badges were a fashion statement; a parting smile to those he’d leave behind); plus a gag Q on why conveyor-belt sushi dishes spin.

Open questions raised

• Who is the new Fleet Admiral who succeeded Sengoku and ordered the HQ move? (Named only as Sengoku’s successor — identity withheld here.)
• How did Zoro get his closed left-eye scar during the timeskip? (Never explained.)
• Who is behind the impostor Straw Hats, and what happens when the real crew (and the New-World rumor mill) collides with them?
• Where/with whom did each crew member train? (Only Luffy’s tutor, Rayleigh, is shown.)