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Chapter 648: The Road Toward the Sun

Arc: Fish-Man Island · Saga: Fish-Man Island · Released: 2011-10-17

Summary

In the aftermath of the battle, Princess Shirahoshi silently halts the colossal ark Noah before it can crush the island — by speaking to the Sea Kings (the “Neptunians”), who reveal that Noah was built for them to pull, for her to be born: every few hundred years their sovereign queen is born as a mermaid, and Shirahoshi is that queen. The onlookers realize Shirahoshi commands the Sea Kings; one declares the “power great enough to destroy the world has finally awakened.” The Sea Kings notice that “the human with the hat” (Luffy) seemed to hear their voices — something that “did happen once before” — and the scene cuts to Rayleigh, who also heard a voice in the deep silence. The Sea Kings vow to repair the crumbling Noah “before the promised time arrives.” At Conchcorde Plaza, the recovered mermaids and ransacked Tamatebox clear the Straw Hats of the kidnapping, turning the crowd in their favor; King Neptune declares treasure trivial after nearly losing the kingdom. Hody Jones — now an aged, decrepit monster — and Vander Decken IX are brought in chained. The bleeding Luffy is dying of blood loss; others in the plaza turn out to be type F, but a Fish-Man Island law forbids giving humans blood. Jinbei arrives, declares “pirates don’t follow the law” and “the old laws are a curse all their own,” and gives Luffy his own type-F blood — the narrow transfusion tube framed as “the road toward the sun.” Luffy revives and immediately tells Jimbei: “You gotta join my crew!!”

New reveals

• Noah’s purpose (partial): the giant ark was built to be pulled by the Sea Kings, for the mermaid sovereign to be born; its enormous size is tied to a duty “spoken of for years and years” among the Sea Kings (p. 2).
• The Sea Kings serve a mermaid queen born once every few hundred years; Shirahoshi has “been our queen from the moment of [her] birth” (p. 2). Her world-destroying power “has finally awakened” (p. 3).
• The Sea Kings must repair Noah “before the promised time arrives” — they will need help, “but it is a different age now” (pp. 6-7).
• The Sea Kings noticed Luffy hearing them — “that human with the hat… seemed to notice our voices” — and note “it did happen once before”; Rayleigh also heard a voice (p. 5).
• The kidnapped mermaids are found safe inside Ryugu Palace; the treasure chamber is ransacked and the Tamatebox holds no coins (p. 8). The mermaids “remember the kidnapper’s face well.”
• Hody Jones is now aged into a monstrous, decrepit creature (pp. 12-13).
• Fish-Man Island blood types use a distinct system (F, etc.); a law forbids giving humans blood (pp. 14-15). Luffy is type F; several fish-men in the plaza are also type F, but the law stops them giving humans blood — Jimbei is the one who chooses to break it and donate.
• Jimbei breaks the blood-mixing taboo, transfusing his fish-man blood into the human Luffy (pp. 16-19).
• Luffy, on waking, renews his crew-recruitment offer to Jimbei (p. 19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Shirahoshi · Luffy · Jinbei · King Neptune · Fukaboshi (and the princes Ryuboshi/Manboshi) · Hody Jones · Vander Decken IX · Tony Tony Chopper · Nico Robin · Silvers Rayleigh
• Sea Kings (the “Neptunians”) · Noah · Tamatebox
• Fish-Man Island · Conchcorde Plaza · Ryugu Castle · Fish-Man District
• New Fish-Man Pirates (Hody’s captured human pawns) · Straw Hat Pirates

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title splash “The Road Toward the Sun.” Cover story: Decks of the World, Vol. 31: “Skypiea — Kami’s Guardians” (B/W chapter-opening splash; cover-tracker fodder).
• Page 2 — Shirahoshi hears the Sea Kings: “This ship was built for us to pull… for you to be born.”
• Page 3 — “…has finally awakened!!! So, the power great enough to destroy the world…”
• Page 5 — The Sea Kings notice Luffy heard them; cut to Rayleigh, who also heard a voice.
• Pages 6-7 — Noah falling to pieces; the Sea Kings vow to fix it “before the promised time arrives.”
• Pages 12-13 — Hody and Vander Decken hauled in chained; Hody an aged monster.
• Page 16 — Jimbei: “It’s F!! Use my blood!! … Pirates don’t follow the law.”
• Pages 17-19 — The transfusion tube as “the true road toward the sun”; Luffy wakes and asks Jimbei to join.
• Page 20 — Volume 66 tankōbon closing page (Shirahoshi sketch; gag fish-man in a “FROG? NO. HIPPO” shirt).

Open questions raised

• What is the “promised time” the Sea Kings must repair Noah for, and who set it?
• Who ransacked the treasury and emptied the Tamatebox, and why leave the kidnapped mermaids unharmed?
• Why can certain humans (Luffy; “once before”) hear the Sea Kings’ voices?
• Will Jimbei accept Luffy’s invitation?