Chapters · Dressrosa › Punk Hazard

Chapter 694: The Most Dangerous Man

Arc: Punk Hazard · Saga: Dressrosa · Released: 2013-01-15

Summary

As Punk Hazard quakes and a volcano erupts offshore, Franky finishes his fight with Doflamingo’s dispatched subordinates Baby 5 and Buffalo: he grabs Baby 5 in her “Revolver Girl” weapon-transformation form, declares himself an “in-vin-ci-ble Iron Pirate,” and turns her own firepower back on the pair with “Arms-morphosis,” shrugging off their barrage (“I didn’t feel a thing!!!”). Deep inside the lab, the dying Vergo — sliced apart by Law in the S.A.D. Manufacturing Room (Structure D) — bids the SAD machine a personal farewell (“I know you’ve been with me the longest… sorry, partner… thanks for everything you’ve done”), with a flashback in which he pledges that the “young master” (Doflamingo) is “the man who shall be… King of the Pirates!!!” He detonates Structure D and dies. The blast registers on the lab maps, but Law and Luffy note it is “much too small” to be the true island self-destruct (the Poison Gas Weapon Self-Destruct Panel at Structure C) — the island survives. Comedy threads through the collapse: Kin’emon, fleeing what he thinks is a “giant eel,” is reunited with his son Momonosuke (now a dragon, carried by Luffy), and Zoro slices through the caving tunnel to free the trapped party. Meanwhile Caesar Clown, gloating that he holds “Smoker’s heart,” crushes it shouting “Die, Smoker!!!” — but Law had quietly returned Caesar his own secretary’s heart, so Caesar strikes down the loyal Monet instead (“good karma comes back around,” Law smirks). As the Straw Hat party hunts the gas-clouded exit, the scene cuts to Dressrosa: Doflamingo has slipped out of his palace again; told the island did not catastrophically explode, the grinning Warlord declares “I’m on my way” — the most dangerous man is coming to Punk Hazard.

New reveals

• Franky beats Baby 5 and Buffalo with Baby 5’s own power. Baby 5 transforms into a string of weapons (“Missile Girl,” “Revolver Girl”); her tell is that she lives to be used (“Whoever owns this weapon leads a charmed life!! …Oh… he needs me!”, p3). Franky — “an in-vin-ci-ble Iron Pirate ♪♪” — grabs her in revolver form, fires her at Buffalo (“Arms-morphosis!!”, p4), and tanks their assault: “I didn’t feel a thing!!!” (p5).
• Vergo’s death and pledge. In the wrecked S.A.D. Manufacturing Room (Structure D), the sliced-apart Vergo addresses the SAD machine: “I know you’ve been with me the longest… sorry, partner… to this day. Thanks for everything you’ve done…” (p6). His flashback pledges the “young master” Doflamingo: “You are indeed… King of the Pirates!!! …the man who shall be… Goodbye, young master.” (p11). He detonates Structure D — “That was from D!!” / “The S.A.D. Room!!” (p8) — and dies (his end shown via the p11 flashback).
• The D-blast is not the island-killer. The maps flag a “Poison Gas Weapon Self-Destruct Panel” at Structure C that would “eradicate this entire island”; Law/Luffy judge the actual Structure-D explosion “much too small” for that — “going off somewhere else” (p10). The island is not destroyed.
• Law’s heart deception. Smoker asks “Why did Caesar think he had my heart?” Law: he “considerately returned” Caesar’s “secretary’s heart to him… He made that assumption on his own” (pp14–15). Caesar, certain he holds Smoker’s heart (“Ahh, what a thoughtful present… Smoker’s heart, eh?”), crushes it to kill Smoker — “Die, Smoker!!!” — and fatally strikes down Monet, the heart’s true owner, instead (pp12–13). “See? When you’re nice to others… that good karma comes back around.” (p15)
• Zoro frees the trapped party by slicing through the collapsing tunnel (“SLIICE!!”): “For an enemy, he’s a guy you really don’t want for an enemy!!!” (p9).
• Kin’emon & Momonosuke reunion (comedy). Kin’emon flees a “giant eel,” then recognizes his dragon-form son: “Father, what has happened to you?! It is I!!” / “It is your son Momono…” Luffy: “Hey, Momo!!” (pp6–7).
• Doflamingo is en route. At Dressrosa, his servants find his fourth-floor room empty — “He went off without taking anyone again.” Told the island “hasn’t gone up in a catastrophic explosion” but the rest is handled (“get rid of that guy for now!!!”), the grinning Doflamingo says “I’m on my way.” (pp16–17).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Franky (defeats Baby 5 & Buffalo; “Iron Pirate,” “Arms-morphosis,” “I didn’t feel a thing”), Baby 5 (transforms into “Missile Girl”/“Revolver Girl”; “he needs me!”; defeated), Buffalo (spinning; “you can turn into all the weapons ya need”; defeated), Vergo (dies in the S.A.D. room; pledges the “young master” as future Pirate King), Monet (struck down — her own returned heart is crushed by Caesar), Caesar Clown (crushes the heart, “Die, Smoker!!!”; kills his own secretary by mistake), Trafalgar Law (reveals the heart deception; in the escape party), Smoker (asks why Caesar thought he had his heart), Luffy (carries the dragon Momonosuke; “Hey, Momo!!”; reads the blast as too small), Nami (escape party; the group needs someone to “create wind” past the gas), Zoro (slices through the collapsing tunnel), Kin’emon (“giant eel” comedy; reunites with his son), Momonosuke (dragon form; “Father!!!”), Doflamingo (leaves Dressrosa; “I’m on my way”), Caribou (cover-story only)
• SBS-referenced: Tashigi (Vol-70 SBS confirms the “stocky sailor” carrying Nami in Ch 692 was Tashigi, carried by her own G-5 men)
• Minor: Doflamingo’s Dressrosa palace servants (un-named); the captive children + G-5 Marines in the escape party (un-named here)
• Groups: Marines (G-5); the Donquixote camp (un-named on-page — Doflamingo’s “young master” followers, his Dressrosa subordinates)
• Locations: Punk Hazard — interior cited: S.A.D. Manufacturing Room (Structure D), S.A.D. Transport Hallway / “escape route,” Structures B/C/D/R on the lab maps, the Poison Gas Weapon Self-Destruct Panel (Structure C); Dressrosa — Doflamingo’s seaside palace (his room, 4th floor)
• Devil Fruits: Ope Ope no Mi (Law — heart extraction/return used as a lethal deception), Gasu Gasu no Mi (Caesar). (Baby 5’s weapon-transformation and Buffalo’s spin power are shown but not named on-page.)
• World-Building: S.A.D. (destroyed/detonated; still unexplained)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — B&W title page “The Most Dangerous Man.” Cover serial: “Caribou’s New World Kee Hee Hee, Vol. 16: Helpin’ Himself to the Old Hag’s Meat Pie and Cheap Jewelry” — Caribou dozing in a stolen house clutching jewelry and a meat pie.
• Pages 4–5 — Franky’s “Iron Pirate” / “Arms-morphosis” finish on Baby 5 & Buffalo; “I didn’t feel a thing!!!”
• Page 6 — The dying Vergo bids the SAD machine farewell in the wrecked S.A.D. Manufacturing Room (Structure D).
• Pages 6–7 — Kin’emon ↔ Momonosuke dragon reunion; Luffy holds the dragon (“Hey, Momo!!”).
• Page 9 — Zoro slices the collapsing tunnel (“SLIICE!!”), saving the party.
• Page 11 — Vergo’s flashback: ”…King of the Pirates!!! …the man who shall be… Goodbye, young master.” (Doflamingo).
• Pages 12–13 — Caesar crushes the heart (“Die, Smoker!!!”) and fatally strikes down Monet (her own returned heart).
• Pages 14–15 — The heart-deception reveal: Law returned Caesar his secretary’s heart; “good karma comes back around.”
• Pages 16–17 — Cut to Dressrosa; the grinning Doflamingo — “I’m on my way.”
• Page 18 — Vol-70 SBS Question Corner (not story): Oda confirms Zolo & Franky feel just as bound by the Ch 653 forest-walk promise to Shirahoshi; and that the “stocky sailor” carrying Nami in Ch 692 was Tashigi, hauled off by her own G-5 men (not on Zoro’s orders).

Open questions raised

• Who exactly is the “young master,” and what is the Donquixote past that makes Doflamingo’s followers crown him a future Pirate King (p11)?
• What is the S.A.D., why was destroying it Law’s secret objective, and what does it manufacture (pp6, 8)?
• Is Monet dead — and does her death scrub the island self-destruct she was poised to trigger (pp12–13)?
• What will happen when Doflamingo — “the most dangerous man” — reaches Punk Hazard in person (pp16–17)?
• Who can “create wind” to clear the gas at the exit (p15)? (See Punk Hazard’s Captive Children — the children’s rescue/escape is still in progress.)