Chapters · Fish-Man Island › Fish-Man Island

Chapter 637: The Ancient Ark

Arc: Fish-Man Island · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released: 2011-07-11

Summary

At Conchcorde Plaza, Luffy presses his fight with the energy-steroid-bloated Hody Jones, now fighting with Haki: he hardens his head with Armament (“Head Armament! Gum-Gum Bell”), smashing through the New Fish-Man Pirates’ Iron Shell Squad, and dodges Hody’s Fish-Man-Karate Shark Arrows by sensing them with Observation Haki, before landing a massive blow that the watching fish-men call proof of why “this pirate’s known around the world.” Then the sky over the plaza darkens: the colossal ancient ark Noah descends out of the Fish-Man District, bearing down on the town — if it pops the island’s bubble the water pressure will destroy everything before the ark even lands. Decken’s giant Wadatsumi tumbles out of the ark. The reason becomes clear: Vander Decken IX has marked and hurled Noah itself with his Mato Mato (Mark-Mark) power — “once I’ve thrown something with these powers, it won’t stop until it’s hit something or obliterated its target” — aimed at Princess Shirahoshi, and through her, the whole island, as a single “sacrificial victim.” Hody, who never agreed to this, declares Decken has “betrayed our pact.” Shirahoshi, gone from the plaza, deliberately swims up into the open — “I am right here!!” — offering her solitary life to steer the homing ark away from her people; Decken gloats over her beauty-in-death as the ark turns to follow her off-course. Hody reappears clinging to the bottom of Noah, intending to ride the crash to ruin Ryugu after all — “this is a good plan, however!!” Jinbei explains the ark is bubble-emitting coral that will flood inside, entrusts Shirahoshi to Luffy, and with Sanji’s help launches Luffy skyward to chase the falling ark.

New reveals

• Noah, “The Ancient Ark,” is weaponized. Vander Decken IX threw the entire colossal ark at Shirahoshi the same way he throws his letters and axes (p. 13): his Mato Mato (Mark-Mark) power makes anything he has touched and hurled home in on its marked target and never stop “until it’s hit something or obliterated its target” (p. 12). The biblical-ark-scale object is now an island-killing homing projectile.
• Luffy fights Hody with Haki. He hardens his head with Armament Haki — “Head Armament! Gum-Gum… Bell!!!” — to destroy steel with a headbutt (pp. 3-4), and dodges Hody’s Shark Arrows by sensing them with Observation Haki (“It’s like he can sense them coming!!”, p. 6). First on-page demonstration of his post-timeskip Haki in this fight.
• Hody survives on energy steroids, then exploits the ark. The crowd notes Luffy’s hit “couldn’t have knocked him out” because of the steroid monster-transformation (p. 2); Hody breaks away from the fight and is found clinging to the bottom of Noah (p. 18), deciding the falling ark is “a good plan” to finish Ryugu even though Decken betrayed the alliance (pp. 16, 18).
• Shirahoshi’s self-sacrifice. She leaves the plaza and swims into the open on her own, offering “my solitary life” to draw the homing ark off the island — “I am right here!!” / “do not destroy the entire Ryugu Kingdom” (pp. 13-15). The ark turns off-course to follow her (p. 17).
• Noah’s construction. Jinbei: the ark is “a piece of coral that emits bubbles,” and its interior will fill with water — so a diver must leave himself air (p. 19).
• Wadatsumi fell out of Noah during the throw and panics in the rubble, calling for “Cap’n Vander Decken” (p. 11).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Luffy — fights Hody with Armament Haki (Head Armament: Gum-Gum Bell) and Observation Haki; dives after Noah to protect Shirahoshi.
• Hody Jones — survives on energy steroids; uses Shark Arrows (Fish-Man Karate); ends clinging to the bottom of Noah.
• Vander Decken IX — revealed to have thrown Noah at Shirahoshi via the Mark-Mark power; gloats over her self-sacrifice; “It’s the love of my life!!”
• Shirahoshi — sacrifices herself, swimming into the open to lure the ark off the island.
• Jinbei — explains Noah is bubble-coral that floods inside; entrusts Shirahoshi to Luffy and launches him.
• Sanji — helps launch Luffy toward the falling ark.
• Nami — reacts to Noah (“What is THAT?!”).
• Noah — the ancient ark, weaponized and falling.
• Mato Mato no Mi — the homing curse, now applied to Noah.
• Wadatsumi — Decken’s giant; falls out of the ark.
• New Fish-Man Pirates, Flying Pirates — the alliance fractures (Decken betrays the pact).
• SBS (p. 20): Hyouzou named the second-best swordsman of Fish-Man Island (he beat Hatchan at the same swordsmen’s dojo, “ahead of the 6-sword style”); Camie’s bag contents (soy sauce, salt, butter — for eating clams).

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page “The Ancient Ark” with cover-story installment “From the Decks of the World, Vol. 21: Drum Island — The Medical Center, Hundred Doctors” (B&W cover-story art, not a color spread; defer to cover-tracker).
• Pages 3-4 — Luffy’s Armament-Haki headbutt (“Head Armament! Gum-Gum Bell”) destroys the Iron Shell Squad’s steel shells.
• Page 6 — Luffy dodges Shark Arrows by Observation Haki — “It’s like he can sense them coming!!”
• Pages 8-9 — Splash of Noah descending out of the Fish-Man District over Conchcorde Plaza (visually significant — flag mirror).
• Page 12 — Decken’s curse-mechanic line: a thrown object “won’t stop until it’s hit something or obliterated its target.”
• Pages 13-17 — Shirahoshi’s self-sacrifice; the ark turns off-course to follow her.
• Page 18 — Hody clinging to the bottom of Noah — “this is a good plan, however!!”
• Page 20 — SBS Question Corner (Vol. 64 SBS): Hyouzou the second-best Fish-Man-Island swordsman; Camie’s bag; “Start the SBS” / panties gag.

Open questions raised

• Can Luffy reach and stop the falling Noah before it crushes the island or pops the bubble — and what is Hody planning at the ark’s underside?
• Is Shirahoshi’s life truly the curse’s only off-ramp, or is there a way to break Decken’s lock without her death?
• What is Noah — why does an ancient ark of this scale sit in the Fish-Man District, and what is its true purpose? (Title: “The Ancient Ark.”)