Chapter 604: To the Deep Sea

Arc: Fish-Man Island · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released: 2010-11-15 (est.)

Summary

The coated Thousand Sunny sinks past the photic zone, 3,000-plus feet down, the crew marveling at the silence and the whales (one resembling Whitebeard, one mistaken for Laboon). Nearby, a pirate captain — Caribou — rallies his crew to ambush the Sunny, only to be surprised by a “sea beast” bearing down on them: it is the Straw Hats’ ship riding the current. Caribou boards but is instantly seized by Zoro, and the sea-cow towing the Caribou ship turns out to be Momoo of the old Arlong Pirates, who recognizes Nami and Luffy and rounds on his captors. Caribou’s brother Coribou, left on the enemy ship, orders the Gatling gun — but his captain is already a hostage on the Sunny. Caribou flips to a sniveling, pious act (begging not to be thrown in the sea, “the Lord is watching you,” claiming he’s just “cannon fodder”) while inwardly scheming to slip his ropes and “pick them off one by one.” Meanwhile Nami, Robin, Franky and Brook explain the route to the deep sea: ships ride the deep current / downwelling plume, a colossal underwater waterfall created where cold, heavy, salty water sinks. The Sunny — built from Jewel Tree Adam wood, “the ultimate ship” — plunges into the waterfall. At its bottom looms a monstrous Surume that has been crushing every ship on the current; Luffy grins and resolves to tame it.

New reveals

• The Sunny’s coated dive passes the photic zone into the aphotic zone, at least 3,000 ft down; deep water grows colder (and “ghost-rumored”) the deeper you go.
• Caribou Pirates ambush. Captain Caribou plots a head-cutting/ship-sinking ambush, then is captured aboard the Sunny by Zoro; he switches to a hypocritical helpless act while internally plotting escape (“I’m outnumbered nine to one… I can get out of these ropes any time I want”).
• Momoo returns. The Arlong Pirates’ Grand-Line sea-cow now serves the Caribou Pirates, “caught around here” and used to pull their ship as an underwater-travel beast; he recognizes Nami/Luffy and attacks his own captors, then tries to follow the captured Caribou (“Big brother!”).
• Deep-current / downwelling-plume route. Reaching the deep sea means riding a deep current that surfaces and submerges “like a giant dragon”; a downwelling plume (an “ocean waterfall,” thousands of feet across) forms where water is cold, heavy and salty — conditions met at severely cold winter islands where sea-ice raises salinity. The Red Line is “a collection of interlocking islands” of mixed climates.
• Thousand Sunny is abyss-rated because she’s built from Jewel Tree Adam wood (Treasure Tree Adam) — “the ultimate ship.”
• The Surume. A giant monster octopus — “the mass-murdering demon of the seas, the chaser of ships, the enemy of man” — has been snatching every vessel riding the downwelling current. Luffy decides to tame it.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats (all 9): Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Nico Robin, Franky, Brook — Straw Hat Pirates.
• Antagonists: Caribou (boards, captured by Zoro), Coribou (on the Caribou ship, orders the Gatling gun) — Caribou Pirates.
• Creatures: Momoo (reappears, pulling the Caribou ship), the Surume (first appearance, deep-sea monster octopus).
• Referenced: Arlong / Arlong Pirates (“Momoo of the Arlong Pirates”), Whitebeard (a whale “looks like Whitebeard”), Laboon (a whale mistaken for Laboon).
• Ship / lore: Thousand Sunny, Treasure Tree Adam (Jewel Tree Adam wood), Deep Current (downwelling plume / ocean waterfall).
• Locations: Fish-Man Island (deep-sea destination), Red Line (“collection of interlocking islands”), Grand Line.

Notable panels

• Pages 1-2 — Chapter-opener title splash “TO THE DEEP SEA”: the post-timeskip crew in new designs travelling alongside assorted beasts, with the “ONE PIECE” wordmark as backdrop. Decorative crew-portrait splash (B&W here) — mirror candidate; not a foreshadowing color spread.
• Page 3 — The submerged Sunny among deep-sea whales; “No, that one looks like Whitebeard!!” / “LA-BOOOO-OOON!!” (Whitebeard + Laboon visual nods).
• Page 5 — KREEK: the Caribou pirates realize the “sea beast” at their stern is the Straw Hats’ ship riding the current straight at them.
• Page 6 — “Aren’t you Momoo of the Arlong Pirates?!” — Momoo recognized; Luffy “WINDMILL” punch.
• Page 16 — Full-page spread: ”…WATERFALL!!” the Sunny dropping into the downwelling-current plume.
• Pages 18-19 — The Kraken revealed grabbing crushed ships; “THE KRAKEN!!” Luffy: “Let’s tame it!!”
• Page 20 — Standalone Vol-61 SBS Question Corner (Oda on “I’m starting SBS,” a Buster-Call gag, and a callback to Luffy getting fat then thin on takoyaki at Sabaody, Vol 51).
• Page 21 — Next chapter’s opener “Chapter 605: THE KRAKEN AND THE PIRATES” (reader-request illustration “Chopper being sketched by raccoon dogs” by Mossari). Capture overflow — belongs to ch 605, not 604.

Open questions raised

• Will Luffy actually tame the deep-sea Kraken, and how? (Set up here; resolved forward.)
• What is Caribou really after now that he’s a captive aboard the Sunny, and how dangerous is he beneath the helpless act?
• What lies at the bottom of the downwelling current — does it lead straight to Fish-Man Island, and what else preys on ships along the route?