Chapters · Fish-Man Island › Fish-Man Island

Chapter 641: What Are You?

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

Summary

With Vander Decken knocked out, his Mark-Mark homing hold on the giant ark Noah lapses and the vessel now drops straight down toward Fish-Man Island. King Neptune reveals that Noah is a sacred ark from centuries past, built with “a great man” and waiting on the sea floor for “the fulfillment of a promise” — it must not be harmed before its promised day, so it cannot simply be destroyed. Luffy vows to smash it before it hits the island anyway; he tries to bite through the hull with Armament-Haki teeth and fails (his Haki isn’t strong enough yet), and Hody slices Luffy’s air bubble to leave him drowning. Shirahoshi tearfully offers herself as Decken’s target so Noah will chase her clear of the island. The Fish-Man Island defenders relay a plan through a baby Den Den Mushi: fire the island’s air-regulating cannon to wrap Noah in a giant air bubble so Luffy can breathe and fight on the deck — though the bubble can’t lift the ark. As the air is fired, Fukaboshi tears into Hody, demanding to know what humans ever did to make him hate them this much; over the snail he tells Luffy he has “finally” understood Hody Jones’ TRUE nature — and the chapter cuts off mid-reveal. (Cover: Decks of the World, Vol. 25 — “Kingdom of Alabasta: Cobra on His Sickbed.”)

New reveals

• Decken is down (“he’s finally kicked the bucket!!”); with him unconscious his Mark-Mark pull on Noah ends and the ark now falls straight down onto Fish-Man Island (p. 2).
• Noah’s true nature (major lore): Neptune tells that the ark “is no mere historical ruin” — it has sat on the sea floor “waiting for the fulfillment of a promise… made with a great man, centuries in the past,” its construction methods “long lost,” and “cannot be harmed until its promised day.” The Ryugu royal house has “protected [it] dutifully for centuries” (pp. 3, 5).
• Shirahoshi’s courage: she begs “Lord Decken, if you are alive, please set your target on me again!! Just spare Fish-Man Island!!” — willing to make herself the homing target to draw Noah away (p. 5).
• Luffy’s Haki ceiling: he Haki-hardens his teeth and bites the hull (“CHOMP!!”) but can’t break it — “Armament Haki is tough against blows… but my Haki isn’t good enough to stop stuff like this yet” — and his mouth bleeds (pp. 7–8).
• The air-cannon plan: the defenders can shoot the whole air-tank reserve into a single bubble that “can completely envelop Noah,” giving Luffy breathable air on the deck; but the bubble “has no buoyancy of its own,” so “the air can’t actually lift Noah” — it “won’t stop the ship from sinking” (pp. 15–16).
• Hody’s lifespan cost restated: “No matter how much of my life I must shorten!! …I will have my revenge on humankind!!!” (p. 19) — the Energy Steroids price spoken aloud at climax.
• Fukaboshi’s interrogation: “Who do you think you ARE?!!”, “What in the world happened to you in the past?!! What did the humans DO to you?!!”, “What ARE you…?” — and the cliffhanger to Luffy: ”…Hody Jones’ TRUE nature!! …I finally know…” (pp. 10–13, 19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy · Hody Jones · Fukaboshi · Shirahoshi · King Neptune · Manboshi · Ryuboshi · Vander Decken IX (KO’d / referenced, not shown) · Noah · New Fish-Man Pirates · Neptune Army · Straw Hat Pirates · Fish-Men · Energy Steroids · Haki · Mato Mato no Mi · Fish-Man Island · Fish-Man District Cover (Decks of the World Vol. 25): Nefertari Cobra (on his sickbed) · Igaram · Terracotta · Alabasta

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page + cover-story art: Decks of the World, Vol. 25 — “Kingdom of Alabasta: Cobra on His Sickbed.” King Cobra lies ill in the Alubarna palace, attended by two figures (apparently Igaram and Terracotta, one bringing flowers).
• Page 2 — Decken down; Noah plunges straight toward Fish-Man Island; Hody: “Die, Straw Hats!!”
• Page 3 — Neptune’s recollection to his sons that Noah is an ark of a centuries-old promise (lore splash with the princes shown).
• Pages 7–8 — Luffy bites Noah’s hull (“CHOMP!!”) with Haki-hardened teeth and fails; mouth bleeds.
• Page 9 — Hody slices Luffy’s air bubble (“SLICE!!”); “the less the bubble can handle it, the larger a cut.”
• Page 11 — Fukaboshi lands Merman-Combat “Ultramarine” on Hody (technique text “ULTRA… MARINE!!!”).
• Pages 15–16 — The air-regulating cannon / air-tank plan explained (envelop Noah in a bubble; no buoyancy).
• Page 19 — Cliffhanger: Fukaboshi tells Luffy over the Den Den Mushi he has “finally” grasped Hody’s TRUE nature; “BOOM!!”

Open questions raised