Chapter 628: Spring Cleaning

Arc: Fish-Man Island · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released: 2011-06-20

Summary

Hody Jones broadcasts his coup island-wide on a giant video Den Den Mushi. In the towns (Candy Factory Town, Coral Hill), terrified citizens are forced to trample Queen Otohime’s portrait to prove they don’t respect her — a public fumi-e loyalty test. Hody declares himself the “new king,” parades the chained King Neptune, and announces he will execute the king in three hours at Conchcorde Plaza, then “spring-clean” the old Ryugu Kingdom into a pure Fish-Man Island. He unveils a giant box he found at Ryugu Castle holding the citizens’ coexistence-petition signatures — more than half the population — which he reframes as a “list of traitors,” alongside a letter Queen Otohime risked her life to obtain from a Celestial Dragon ten years ago. He also shows the captured Straw Hats (Zoro, Usopp, Brook) in a cage that is filling with water to drown them, and brandishes Luffy’s new 400-million-berry wanted poster. Meanwhile, in the deeper Forest of the Sea, Robin reads a poneglyph unlike any she has seen — “almost like a letter, or maybe an apology” — and asks who it is apologizing to; the name “Joyboy” surfaces. At the Forest of the Sea, Jinbei stops Luffy and Shirahoshi from rushing off, explaining that the thing Hody fears most is Princess Shirahoshi’s untested ability to summon the Neptunians (Sea Kings) to destroy the island — which is why he allied with Vander Decken, who can strike her at any time. Luffy, learning his crew is in danger, insists on going; Jinbei recognizes him as Ace’s little brother but moves to block him.

New reveals

• “Joyboy” is named for the first time in the series (p. 15). Robin, reading a poneglyph in the deep Forest of the Sea, notes it is “a bit different from the other poneglyphs I’ve read before… It’s almost like a letter. Or maybe an apology” and wonders “who is it apologizing to?” — the name Joyboy appears in answer.
• Hody fears Shirahoshi’s ability above all (pp. 17-18). Jinbei explains the power that “terrifies him too much” to even exploit: Shirahoshi can summon the Neptunians (Sea Kings) to destroy Fish-Man Island. Shirahoshi herself has never spoken to a Neptunian and isn’t sure the power is real.
• Why Hody allied with Vander Decken (p. 18): Decken can strike Shirahoshi with his Mark-Mark homing at any time, so Hody keeps him close as a kill-switch on the princess.
• Otohime’s signature box + the Celestial-Dragon letter (pp. 10-11): Hody found at Ryugu Castle the giant box holding the citizens’ coexistence-petition signatures (over half the population) plus a letter Otohime risked her life to get from a Celestial Dragon ten years ago. Once destroyed, the box “can never be replaced.”
• Execution clock: Hody will execute King Neptune in three hours at Conchcorde Plaza (p. 9), then begin the “spring cleaning” of the old Ryugu Kingdom.
• Captured Straw Hats Zoro, Usopp and Brook are caged and the room is being flooded with water to drown them as an example (pp. 12-14); Nami escaped to fetch Luffy (p. 14).
• Luffy’s bounty is 400 million berries (pp. 13, 16); Jinbei notes bounties rarely rise past 300 million — Luffy became “instantly famous after the war.”

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Hody Jones, King Neptune (captive), Otohime (portrait/mention), Shirahoshi, Jinbei, Megalo, Nico Robin, Luffy, Nami (escaped, mention), Zoro, Usopp, Brook, Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Vander Decken IX (mention), Arlong (mention), Joy Boy (named)
• Groups: New Fish-Man Pirates, Straw Hat Pirates, Neptune Army, Sea Kings (the “Neptunians”)
• Locations: Fish-Man Island, Candy Factory Town (named + shown, p. 3), Coral Hill, Conchcorde Plaza, Ryugu Kingdom / Ryugu Castle, Forest of the Sea, Fish-Man District (mention)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page: Luffy making a karate-chop/“knife” hand-gesture under the “SPRING CLEANING” banner, with thumbnails of Robin, Usopp and Franky. Decorative/thematic (ties to Hody’s “spring cleaning” line); grayscale in this scan.
• Page 2 — “Chapter 628:” montage splash (flames, Zoro, Nami, Brook’s skull, fangs).
• Pages 3-7 — Island-wide fumi-e: terrified citizens trample Otohime’s portrait while Hody broadcasts his takeover.
• Page 8 — Reveal of the chained King Neptune (“Here is your ‘Great Knight.’”).
• Page 12 — Zoro, Usopp and Brook caged together on broadcast as the Straw Hats who “stirred the rage of the fish-men.”
• Page 13 — Luffy’s “DEAD OR ALIVE” wanted poster (400,000,000) brandished by Hody.
• Page 15 — Robin reads the apology poneglyph; the name “Joyboy” appears (series-first).
• Page 17 — Shirahoshi rushes off on Megalo; Jinbei stops the group.
• Pages 20-21 (scan bleed-over — volume material, not Ch. 628 content): page 20 is the Vol. 63 SBS Question Corner (Oda confirms Megalo is based on the prehistoric Megalodon); page 21 is the Chapter 629 title page (“Former Warlord in the Way”) carrying the cover story Decks of the World, Vol. 14: “Coco Village.”

Open questions raised

• Who is the Sea-Forest poneglyph apologizing to, and who/what is Joyboy?
• Is Shirahoshi’s Neptunian-summoning power real, and what is it (the unnamed Poseidon)?
• Will Nami reach Luffy in time, and can the caged Straw Hats escape the rising water?
• What is in the Celestial-Dragon letter Otohime died to obtain, and why does Hody prize the box?