Chapters · Dressrosa › Punk Hazard

Chapter 697: A Deal

Arc: Punk Hazard · Saga: Dressrosa · Released: 2013-02-04

Summary

Aboard the tanker, Trafalgar Law finishes laying out his plan to Luffy: the alliance exists to bring down Kaido, “King of the Beasts” — one of the Four Emperors and “often called the most powerful creature in the world” — at a candid ~30% chance of success, the pact lasting only until Kaido falls. To his crew’s shock, Luffy declares “I’m in!” Law warns Vice-Admiral Smoker (“White Chase”) that being left alive “means absolutely nothing,” tells the Straw Hats he is heading to Greenbit next, then slumps, drained. The G-5 marines load the rescued giant children onto their warship to take them home, promising to ask Vegapunk for a cure for the children’s candy addiction. Smoker draws a “boundary between good and evil,” yet the foul-mouthed G-5 sailors and Tashigi dissolve into tears at the farewell, unable to badmouth the pirates who saved children the world forgot — finally roaring that they love “these lawless vagabonds,” even though they’re pirates. The children vow to grow up to be pirates too. The scene cuts to Doflamingo, flying by his “sky path” toward the island but cut short; he descends on Baby 5 and Buffalo’s wrecked life-yacht, where a Den Den Mushi carries Caesar Clown’s captured voice begging “Joker, save me!” Law gets on the line and makes his deal: quit the Seven Warlords and abandon Dressrosa by tomorrow morning’s paper, or Kaido — Doflamingo’s “most precious trading partner,” buyer of Caesar’s SMILE — finds out the supply is cut and wipes him off the map. Law hangs up; Doflamingo SNAPS.

New reveals

• The alliance targets Kaido at ~30% odds. Law: “Our alliance only lasts until we bring down Kaido…” / “The chance of success is about… I’d say… 30 percent.” Luffy: “I’m in!” (pp2–3). The plan is framed as toppling “all FOUR EMPERORS,” but the pact’s immediate target is Kaido alone.
• Kaido named and described. “Kaido, King of the Beasts… is often called the most powerful creature in the world… one of the Four Emperors” (pp2, 17). Luffy reacts: “He’s not even human?!” The Four Emperors are defined as figures who “engaged in constant territorial clashes with the great Whitebeard” (p2).
• SMILE is named. Law (p17): “What happens if he finds out you can no longer produce SMILE?” Doflamingo’s “most precious trading partner” is Kaido; Caesar manufactures SMILE for the trade. Cutting the supply would provoke a “bloody fray.”
• Law’s terms to Doflamingo. “QUIT THE SEVEN WARLORDS!!! Abandon the status you’ve built over the last decade, and go back to being a simple pirate” — abandoning Dressrosa (pp18). Deadline: “tomorrow morning’s paper.” If the front page screams “Doflamingo leaves Seven Warlords,” the deal is on; no article means it’s off — and once he quits, “the admirals at Naval Headquarters won’t turn a blind eye” (pp18–19).
• The children go home. G-5 takes the rescued giant children aboard the warship; “they said they’ll ask Vegapunk about developing a cure for the candy” (p7). The candy addiction is now the load-bearing obstacle to the children’s recovery.
• Law’s next move. “Incidentally… I’m planning to head for Greenbit after this” (p3) — first mention of Greenbit.
• Doflamingo en route. He flies by a “sky path” toward the fleeing children but it is “cut short” (pp12–13); he comes down on Baby 5 and Buffalo’s wrecked life-yacht to take Law’s call (pp14–16).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Luffy, Trafalgar Law (“White Chase” addressee aside re Smoker), Doflamingo (“Joker”), Caesar Clown (captive voice via Den Den Mushi), Smoker, Tashigi, Baby 5, Buffalo, Kaido (named, not shown), Whitebeard (mentioned), Nami, Tony Tony Chopper, Sanji, Zoro, Nico Robin, Vegapunk (mentioned), Caribou (cover story)
• Groups / crews: Marines, G-5, Straw Hat Pirates
• World-building: Four Emperors (Yonko), Seven Warlords of the Sea, SMILE, Den Den Mushi
• Locations: Punk Hazard, Dressrosa (named), Greenbit (named)

Notable panels

• Page 1: Chapter title spread “A DEAL,” carrying the cover story “Caribou’s New World Kee Hee Hee, Vol. 19: ‘The Old Hag Drives Off the Mysterious Soldiers.’” (cover-tracker.)
• Page 2: Law explains the Four Emperors / Kaido while Luffy listens — the “30 percent” odds reveal.
• Page 5: Smoker draws the “boundary between good and evil”; the Navy ship carries the children off.
• Page 10: Full-tier “BO-OM!!” — the G-5 sailors and Tashigi roar that they love the pirates “even though they’re p…pirates!!!”
• Pages 12–13: Doflamingo’s eyes in extreme close-up; he flies a “sky path,” cut short.
• Page 18: Doflamingo full-figure as Law’s ultimatum “QUIT THE SEVEN WARLORDS!!!” lands.
• Page 19: Doflamingo “SNAP!!!” — composure breaks.
• Page 20: SBS Question Corner (Vol 70) — childhood looks of Whitebeard Pirates: Marco, Whitebeard, Jozu, Vista, Izo. (SBS specialist refresh.)

Open questions raised

• Will Doflamingo actually quit the Seven Warlords, or stage a fake resignation to bait Law?
• What exactly is SMILE, and how does Caesar produce it?
• Why is Law going to Greenbit, and what does it have to do with Dressrosa?
• What is Joker’s “past” that Vergo said would be Law’s “downfall” (ch Ch. 691) — and how does it bind Law, Doflamingo, and Caesar?