Chapter 618: Proposal

Arc: Fish-Man Island Arc · Saga: Fish-Man Island Saga · Released: 2011-02-07

Summary

On the surface plaza of Fish-Man Island, the Straw Hats are caught fleeing with the runaway Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi; Sanji finally turns and sees her, petrifying to stone in a fit of bloody rapture (“Such beauty!!”) — a new symptom Chopper blames on a recent blood transfusion. Fish-Man soldiers move to behead the crew as “kidnappers,” recognizing Hatchan as Arlong’s old crewmate, when Vander Decken arrives in person, proposing marriage to Shirahoshi while threatening to kill her if she refuses — he has hunted her with homing weapons for ten years. Shirahoshi rejects him (“You’re just not my type!”); when Luffy insists she stay put so he can protect her, Decken hurls a weapon and Luffy retaliates with Gum-Gum Jet Hammer, downing Decken (who is, oddly, kept bound — “he’s still tied up”). Decken’s colossal fish-man enforcer Wadatsumi, “the giant monk,” surfaces to crush them and is decked by Luffy’s Jet Pistol. Shirahoshi unties her pet shark Megalo and flees toward the Forest of the Sea, the crew scattering after her. Underwater, Camie ferries Nami and tells her that Hody is Arlong’s successor and a former Arlong Pirate, that Jimbei left a message warning Luffy not to fight Hody, and that “the cause of this incident runs deep.” Inside Ryugu Palace the captured King Neptune orders his soldiers to surrender rather than die in vain. The chapter ends with Zoro drawing his swords underwater against Captain Hody and his band of fish-men.

New reveals

• Vander Decken appears on-page confronting the crew: he proposes marriage to Shirahoshi while simultaneously trying to kill her, and has been doing so for ten years (“You’ve been rejecting me for ten years!”) with thrown weapons that pursue her (p. 6–8).
• Decken is shown kept bound/tied up even while attacking — “He’s still tied up!” (p. 10) — a deliberate tell about how his thrown-weapon targeting works.
• Wadatsumi, an enormous fish-man “giant monk,” is Decken’s enforcer; he surfaces to “crush” the crew and loses a tooth to Luffy’s Jet Pistol (p. 14–15).
• Hody is Arlong’s named successor — “Hody is supposed to be Arlong’s successor” — and was himself “one of Arlong’s pirates” (p. 17). He commands a band of fish-men and has seized Ryugu Palace (p. 16, 18–19).
• Jimbei left a message for Luffy telling him NOT to fight Hody; Camie says Jimbei is trusted enough to enter Ryugu Palace anytime, that “the cause of this incident runs deep,” and that Jimbei “knows what’s behind it” (p. 16–17).
• King Neptune, captured, orders his soldiers to surrender the palace and regroup with Fukaboshi rather than die uselessly while he can’t fight (p. 18).
• Sanji’s new petrification symptom — he turns to stone on sight of the Mermaid Princess; Chopper wonders if it stems from “that blood transfusion from those two” (Hatchan having been wounded) (p. 4).
• The Forest of the Sea is named as the crew’s/Shirahoshi’s destination and the place where Hody (and Jimbei) said he’d be waiting (p. 15, 17).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Notable panels

• p. 1–2 — Two-page title spread “Chapter 618: PROPOSAL”: the Straw Hats (Luffy clinging to a giant “ONE PIECE” sign, Usopp falling, Robin, Nami, Brook with balloons, Chopper, a panda) in a colorful cobblestone café-town. Decorative title art (B&W); not a recurring cover-story strip.
• p. 4 — Sanji petrifies to stone with a nosebleed on seeing Shirahoshi — “Such beauty!!” (heart-shaped blood); Chopper diagnoses a “new symptom.”
• p. 6 — Vander Decken’s full-figure entrance — “I found you!! I think!! Ba ho ho ho!!”
• p. 7 — Decken’s “MARRY ME!!” / Shirahoshi’s “You’re just not my type!” rejection.
• p. 10 — “He’s still tied up!” — Decken attacking while bound (power-mechanic tell).
• p. 11 — Luffy’s “Gum-Gum Jet Hammer” downs Decken.
• p. 14–15 — Wadatsumi the “giant monk” surfaces; Luffy’s “Jet Pistol” breaks his tooth.
• p. 18 — “Inside Ryugu Palace”: captured King Neptune orders surrender.
• p. 19 — Cliffhanger splash: Zoro draws his swords underwater against Captain Hody and his fish-men.
• p. 20 — Vol. 63 SBS: the Seven Warlords drawn as children (SBS-specialist material).
• p. 21 — Spillover of the next chapter’s title page: “Chapter 619: AT THE FOREST OF THE SEA,” opening cover series Decks of the World, Vol. 6: “Grand Opening in Orange Town of the Giant Pet Food Shop Chouchou” (Chouchou the dog). Belongs to Ch. 619, captured here as overflow.

Open questions raised

• What exactly is Vander Decken’s power, and why must he be kept bound to use it? Why has he hunted Shirahoshi for ten years while proposing to her?
• What is the deeper “cause of this incident” behind Hody’s coup that Jimbei understands and warned about?
• Why did Jimbei specifically warn Luffy NOT to fight Hody — what does Jimbei know about Hody (or about Luffy) that makes the confrontation dangerous or wrong?
• How will Zoro fight a fish-man underwater (Usopp’s worry, p. 18)?
• Is Sanji’s petrification truly tied to the blood transfusion from Hatchan, and does it carry forward?