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Chapter 616: Anniversary for Revenge

Arc: Fish-Man Island · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released: 2011-02-21 (est.)

Summary

On the day of their “anniversary for revenge,” Hody Jones and the New Fish-Man Pirates — joined by Vander Decken’s crew — sweep past the Ryugu border patrol to invade the kingdom (pp. 2-6). Hody preaches fish-man supremacy (“Humans are an inferior race that can’t even breathe underwater! It is our destiny to rule over them!!”), names his targets — King Neptune and the three princes Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi and Manboshi — and notes that “the Sun Pirates, that annoying band led by Jinbei, are gone now”; Vander Decken gloats about marrying Shirahoshi “tomorrow” (pp. 5-6). Far away in the Forest of the Sea northeast of the island — a “Graveyard of Ships” where the Sun Tree Eve makes coral flourish and whales gather — Nico Robin extracts the location of a Poneglyph from the border patrol and boards a fish-bus, certain the country “holds the key to the 100-Year Void” (pp. 7, 10). There Franky meets Den, Tom’s younger brother, a Bering Wolffish Merman who researches the forest; Den recognizes the Thousand Sunny’s Treasure-Tree-Adam wood (“Tom used exactly the same materials to make the Pirate King’s ship!”), offers to coat the ship, explains fish-man/merman heredity and atavism, and reveals he learned of his late brother through Kokoro’s letters — while the wanted Jinbei waits nearby, unable to enter the island (pp. 11-13). At Ryugu Castle, Zoro and Brook stand over the intruders they beat, while the Straw Hats are blamed for “kidnapping” Shirahoshi (pp. 8-9). Hody and Vander Decken both burst into the palace to find Neptune and his soldiers already bound; in the chaos Decken — accused by Neptune of taking his daughter — realizes Shirahoshi is missing and throws a marked piece of coral to find her. It flies away from the Shell Tower, confirming she has fled the castle, as Decken howls his decade-long obsession: “If I can’t have you, no one can!! I’ll kill you!!” (pp. 14-17). A Vol. 63 SBS column closes the chapter (p. 18).

New reveals

• The invasion begins. Hody Jones and the New Fish-Man Pirates (with Vander Decken’s crew) breach the border on “the day” of their revenge, vowing to capture King Neptune and the princes and become “the rulers of the deep sea.” Targets named on p. 6: “Ryuboshi, Manboshi… Neptune, Fukaboshi…” (pp. 2-6).
• Hody’s origin tell. “He was once one of the king’s finest soldiers” — Hody Jones is a former member of Neptune’s army turned fish-man supremacist (p. 14).
• The coup arrives to an already-occupied castle. Hody: “No way! I came here to start a war… but Neptune and his soldiers are all tied up!” — the Straw Hats’ accidental occupation has pre-empted his attack (p. 15).
• Mark-Mark Curse tracks the princess. Vander Decken throws a marked piece of coral (“Come on, Coral! Fly to Shirahoshi!”); it veers AWAY from Shell Tower (“It’s not going to Shell Tower!”), proving his palm is still locked onto Shirahoshi and that she has escaped the castle (p. 17).
• A Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island. Robin learns “The Poneglyph is here” and rides toward the Forest of the Sea: “This country should hold the key… to the 100-Year Void” (p. 7).
• Den, Tom’s brother. A Bering Wolffish Merman, shipwright and Forest of the Sea researcher (caption, p. 12). He recognizes the Sunny’s Jewel/Treasure Tree Adam wood as “exactly the same materials” Tom used for the Pirate King’s ship, offers to handle the coating, and read about Franky and Iceberg in Kokoro’s letters (pp. 11-13).
• Fish-man / merman heredity. Fish-men and mermen “have their own genes”; a child can resemble a distant ancestor (“a shark merman somewhere in their lineage”), so on Fish-Man Island “no one is surprised no matter what their child looks like” (p. 12).
• The Forest of the Sea. Northeast of Fish-Man Island; the “so-called Graveyard of Ships” where sunken ships gather; the Sun Tree Eve lets coral flourish and fish and whales gather (p. 10). Jinbei, a wanted fugitive who “can’t enter the island,” waits there (p. 13).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

(No seed fully resolves this chapter — see partial advances above: the Forest-of-the-Sea convergence and the Mark-Mark Curse both progress but their full payoffs remain forward.)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Nico Robin (rides a fish-bus to the Forest of the Sea, hunting the Poneglyph), Franky (meets Den; the Sunny to be coated), Zoro (“Zolo”; beat the intruders at the castle — “a natural born killer”), Brook (at the castle; wants to meet the mermaid princess), Luffy & Nami (reaction cuts) — Straw Hat Pirates.
• Forest of the Sea: Den (first appearance — Tom’s brother, Bering Wolffish Merman, researcher/shipwright), Jinbei (“Big Boss Jimbei”; wanted fugitive waiting there), Kokoro (wrote letters to Den — off-page), Tom (built the Pirate King’s ship — referenced), Iceberg (referenced in Kokoro’s letters).
• New Fish-Man Pirates / invaders: Hody Jones (captain; ex-royal soldier; supremacist speech), Vander Decken IX (gloats over Shirahoshi; throws the tracking coral), Hyouzou (“If you want me to cut ‘em, I’ll cut ‘em. Hic!”) plus an unnamed squid officer (“Muchiii!!”) — New Fish-Man Pirates.
• Ryugu royalty: King Neptune (bound; accuses Decken of taking his daughter), Shirahoshi (the missing mermaid princess; not shown — confirmed fled), Megalo (referenced — “stuffing her inside Megalo’s mouth”), Fukaboshi · Ryuboshi · Manboshi (named as invasion targets) — Neptune.
• Referenced: Sun Pirates (“led by Jinbei, are gone now”), the original Vander Decken / Flying Dutchman (Decken’s line).
• Locations: Fish-Man Island, Ryugu Kingdom, Ryugu Castle, Shell Tower, Fish-Man District, Forest of the Sea (Graveyard of Ships).
• Lore / ships: Mato Mato no Mi, Sun Tree Eve, Treasure Tree Adam (Jewel Tree Adam), Poneglyph, Ship Coating, Thousand Sunny, Oro Jackson (the Pirate King’s ship), Fish-Men, Merfolk.

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page / cover serial “From the Decks of the World,” Vol. 4: “Shells Town’s Server in Training, Rika.” Rika (the riceball girl from Shells Town) serves food beneath a “WANTED: STRAW HAT LUFFY” poster and an “ARDIE” sign.
• Pages 4-5 — Hody’s supremacist DOOM!! splash: “Mermen, mermaids and fish-men must come together! Today all of Fish-Man Island shall be united as one!!” / “Humans are an inferior race… It is our destiny to rule over them!!”
• Page 6 — Targets named (Ryuboshi, Manboshi, Neptune, Fukaboshi); “The Sun Pirates… are gone now”; “From this day on, the Ryugu Kingdom is finished! We will be the rulers of the deep sea!!”
• Page 7 — Robin: “The Poneglyph is here.” / “This country should hold the key… to the 100-Year Void.” Boards a fish-bus to the Forest of the Sea.
• Page 10 — Establishing splash of the Forest of the Sea: the Graveyard of Ships, coral flourishing under the Sun Tree Eve, whales gathering.
• Page 12 — Den introduced (caption: “DEN — Tom’s little brother, Shipwright and Forest of the Sea Researcher, Bering Wolffish Merman”); fish-man/merman heredity & atavism explained.
• Page 14 — Hody Jones (“once one of the king’s finest soldiers”) and Vander Decken IX both arrive at the Ryugu Castle gates.
• Page 15 — NA-DOOM!! Hody finds Neptune and his soldiers already tied up — “I came here to start a war…”
• Page 17 — Vander Decken throws the marked coral; “It’s not going to Shell Tower!”; “I’ve loved her these past ten years! Until death do us part! …If I can’t have you, no one can!! I’ll kill you!!”
• Page 18 — Vol. 63 SBS Question Corner: Chopper’s bonnet-over-pink-hat; Robin’s (terrible) Kraken drawing; Octopako’s backstory — the jealous socialite of Fishvery Hills who once dumped Hachi, furious that Camie and the pirates were invited to Ryugu Palace while she “never even” was.

Open questions raised

• Where on Fish-Man Island is the Poneglyph, and what does it say about the 100-Year Void?
• Why was Hody Jones — once one of Neptune’s finest soldiers — turned to fish-man supremacy, and what is the “anniversary” his revenge is timed to?
• Now that the marked coral confirms Shirahoshi has left the castle, will Decken (and the invaders) chase her to the Forest of the Sea — the same place Jinbei, Robin and Franky are converging?
• What does Jinbei intend to tell Luffy in the Forest of the Sea, and why does the Poneglyph lie there too?