Chapters · Dressrosa › Punk Hazard

Chapter 661: Lakeside Bandits

Arc: Punk Hazard · Saga: Dressrosa · Released: 2012-02-06

Summary

Two fronts run in parallel. On the central lake of Punk Hazard, “Team Luffy” (Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Robin) is bombarded by bazooka fire from a band of centaur “lakeside bandits” who want their warm coats; the boss — a crocodile-bodied centaur captioned a former pirate with an ฿80,060,000 bounty (identifiable as Brownbeard) — has his men aim at the water to capsize the boat and dump the Devil-Fruit users into the freezing sea. The “lake” turns out to be pure seawater infested with sharks: the crater was “ground zero” for the Akainu–Aokiji duel, whose cracks let the ocean flood the island’s crust. As the crew is bitten and freezing, Brook (“Soul King”) arrives from an “errand,” freezes the centaurs’ gun barrels with the chill of “the land of the dead” so they backfire, and slices the sharks apart. The bandits belatedly recognize Luffy as the ฿400-million “Worst Generation” rookie and “Fire Fist’s brother.” Meanwhile at the laboratory’s front entrance, Trafalgar Law — now revealed to be one of the Seven Warlords — fights Vice Admiral Smoker and the G-5 Marines (and Tashigi), having already cut their warship in half and fused it to the island. Law uses “Scan” to confiscate every Marine Den Den Mushi so nothing witnessed on the island reaches HQ, uses “Chambres” to relocate/scramble the escaping group (Sanji, Franky, the giant children, and the samurai) to safety, and demonstrates his Devil Fruit — named on-page as the Op-Op Fruit — inside which he reigns as the Surgeon of Death: anyone in his “Room” is a “helpless patient on his operating table.” Tashigi charges him with her sword as the chapter ends.

New reveals

• Law’s Devil Fruit is finally named: the Op-Op Fruit (p. 17). A Marine: “You’re a modification man… thanks to the Op-Op Fruit!!” — closing the only open thread left from Law’s Room combat-debut (the fruit’s name).
• Law is one of the Seven Warlords (p. 15). The Marines: “The Seven Warlords answer to the government!! You’re breaking your contract by attacking us, Trafalgar!! …They’ll strip your title!!”
• Law’s “Room” = his operating room (pp. 18-19): “Inside this space, he reigns supreme and operates at will! …Anyone inside Law’s sphere is a helpless patient on his operating table!! …The Surgeon of Death!!!”
• The central lake is seawater, not freshwater (pp. 5-6): “That’s pure seawater… This hole was ground zero for Akainu and Aokiji’s duel… and the giant cracks left in the island’s crust let the seawater flow in!!” — explaining the sharks “in a lake.”
• Brook can freeze steel with his soul’s chill (p. 8): “Now that I’ve frozen your gun barrels… they will backfire if you attempt to use them!! The winds blowing from the land of the dead freeze colder than any winter storm!!”
• The “Boss” Crocodile Centaur is a former pirate, bounty ฿80,060,000 (p. 3) — matches Brownbeard’s “over 80 million.”
• Law cut the Marine warship in half and fused half of it to the island (p. 15): “It’s like some kinda weird sculpture!!”

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Lake party (appear): Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Nico Robin, Brook
• Lab / escape group (appear): Sanji, Franky, the giant children, an unnamed samurai
• Antagonists (appear): Trafalgar Law (Warlord, Heart Pirates), the “Boss” Crocodile Centaur = Brownbeard + his centaur bandits
• Marines (appear): Smoker (Vice Admiral, G-5), Tashigi, Marines
• Referenced (not shown): Aokiji + Akainu (their duel scarred the island), Ace (“Fire Fist’s brother”)
• Fruits: Ope Ope no Mi (named on-page), Moku Moku no Mi (Smoker, implied)
• Lore: Seven Warlords of the Sea (Law’s seat), Den Den Mushi (confiscated)
• Location: Punk Hazard
• Cover: Hannyabal, Domino (Impel Down)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page / cover-story: “From the Decks of the World, Vol. 42: Impel Down — Prison Warden Hannyabal & Chief Jailer Domino.”
• Page 3 — Bio caption: “‘BOSS’ Crocodile Centaur (Former Pirate) Bounty: 80,060,000 berries.” The crocodile-bodied centaur boss mocks his men for not aiming at the water.
• Page 6 — Exposition panel: the crater is “ground zero for Akainu and Aokiji’s duel”; cracks in the crust flood it with seawater (and sea creatures).
• Page 8 — Brook freezes the centaurs’ gun barrels with the chill of “the land of the dead”; declares “They call me Soul King!! …it’s Brook!!”
• Page 14 — “CHAMBRES!” — Law relocates/scrambles the escaping group; momentary disorientation (“that was weird… what happened?”).
• Page 16 — “Scan.” Law confiscates every Marine transponder snail to bury what was seen on the island.
• Pages 17-19 — The Op-Op Fruit named; the “Room = operating room / helpless patient” mechanic spelled out; “The Surgeon of Death!!!”
• Pages 19-20 — Tashigi charges Law, sword drawn (“Captaaain!!!”), warned her Haki “can’t handle this.”
• Page 20 — Volume 66 SBS “Question Corner” back-matter (Oda/sandpaper; razor blades in Zolo’s Ch. 655 lunch; Wanze-itis). SBS material — not chapter story; defer to SBS specialist.

Open questions raised

• Exactly what did Law’s “Chambres” do to the escaping group — a positional swap, or the start of a deeper body/personality scramble? (The group acts disoriented; nothing is confirmed on-page.)
• Why has Law become a Warlord, and why is he attacking the Marines on this island — what is being concealed on Punk Hazard that justifies confiscating every snail?
• Who won the Akainu–Aokiji duel fought here, and is the island’s half-frozen / half-burning state a consequence of it?
• Whose laboratory is this, and who is the “master” the gas-masked captors served (from Ch. 656)?