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Chapter 771: Just Being Me

Arc: Dressrosa · Saga: Dressrosa · Released: —

Summary

On the King’s-Plateau battlefront, Zoro claims Pica’s rampaging stone giant as his own kill, declining the aid of King Elizabello II of Prodence — an old friend of King Riku — who keeps his once-an-hour King Punch in reserve. Elsewhere Sai of the Happosui Army battles the elderly Donquixote officer Lao G. When Sai’s foot accidentally shatters his own grandfather Chin Jao’s steel drill-head, Chin Jao declares Sai’s Hasshoken “true power” has awakened, christens his leg “Drill Dragon Nail,” and annuls Sai’s arranged betrothal — leaving the Happosui truly his. Sai repeatedly halts the self-sacrificing officer Baby 5 (whose tragic abandoned-child past surfaces) from throwing her life away as a living weapon for Nico Robin. Lao G banks his stored youth with “Battle Insurance Fist,” fells Chin Jao with “Seal of G,” and boasts none can defeat him — but Sai, defending Baby 5, finishes him with Drill Dragon Nail. Two of Doflamingo’s officers fall; Baby 5 falls in love; Sai tells the crowd to call him “Don.”

New reveals

• Sai’s Hasshoken “true power” awakens. His named “Wujiaogen Heel” kick — now strong enough to “split the continent of ice” — breaks even Chin Jao’s restored steel drill-head with a “CRUNNX” (pp. 12–14; Chin Jao renames the move “Drill Dragon Nail” on p. 14). (Martial-arts awakening — Sai has no Devil Fruit.)
• Chin Jao christens Sai’s leg “Drill Dragon Nail” and passes him the full secret of the Hasshoken style: “the Happosui is truly yours” (pp. 14–15).
• Sai’s arranged betrothal is annulled. Chin Jao declares Sai’s betrothal to Ooklicia, daughter of the chieftain of the Nihoshi Army, null — freeing Sai to do as he wishes (pp. 7, 15).
• Lao G’s “Battle Insurance Fist” — a Geo-Fist qigong that builds up and banks young muscle to counteract illness, injury or old age, restoring him to his “youthful peak” (p. 16). His pain “only sharpens” his Geo-Fist as he ages.
• Baby 5’s tragic backstory: born unwanted (“you’re unwanted, unneeded… leave her in the mountains, already too many mouths to feed”), abandoned as a child by her own family — the root of her compulsion to be needed; she offers to “gladly die” as a weapon for anyone who needs her (pp. 9–11).
• Sai needs Baby 5; Baby 5 falls in love. Sai keeps stopping her from sacrificing herself; closing narration: “Two officers fall. Lao G into a crevice, Baby 5 in love” (p. 19).
• The Birdcage is an active death-trap: “You will never escape from this birdcage alive!!” (p. 17).
• SBS canon (p. 20): a Devil Fruit’s power belongs only to whoever bites it first (leftovers are inert fruit); revolutionaries — Sabo 6’7”/22, Koala 5’3”/23, Hack 9’2”/38, a soldierfish fish-man (b. Aug 9); Sai’s betrothed Ooklicia “has beautiful hair and a cool gaze.”

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Appear: Sai, Lao G, Chin Jao, Baby 5, Nico Robin, Zoro, Pica (stone giant), Elizabello II.
• Title-spread (pp. 1–2): Luffy, Sabo, Sanji, Trafalgar Law, Tony Tony Chopper, Nico Robin, Nami, Sai (riding horses through clouds).
• Referenced / mentioned: King Riku (Elizabello’s old friend, p. 4), Doflamingo (“the young master”; “Dressrosa belongs to the young master,” p. 17), Ooklicia + the Nihoshi Army (Sai’s annulled betrothal, p. 7).
• Groups / fruits: Happosui Army, Donquixote Pirates, Ishi Ishi no Mi (Pica), Buki Buki no Mi (Baby 5), Hasshoken, Birdcage.

Notable panels

• pp. 1–2 — Opening color/title spread: “SAI, DON OF THE HAPPOSUI ARMY” — Luffy leading the crew on horseback through clouds; the caption previews this chapter’s outcome (Sai becoming “Don”). Decorative/celebratory — not a foreshadowing color spread.
• p. 3 — Pica’s stone destruction rains over the city; “Shall I aid you, pirate hunter?!” to Zoro.
• p. 4 — Elizabello II introduces himself as King Riku’s old companion; Zoro claims Pica (“too bad — he’s mine”).
• p. 11 — Baby 5’s abandonment flashback (“you’re unwanted, unneeded… leave her in the mountains”).
• p. 12 — Sai’s named “Wujiaogen Heel” kick shatters Chin Jao’s restored steel drill-head (“CRUNNX”) — the awakened technique Chin Jao will christen “Drill Dragon Nail.”
• p. 14 — Chin Jao christens Sai’s leg “Drill Dragon Nail.”
• p. 16 — Lao G’s “Battle Insurance Fist” restores his youthful peak.
• p. 18 — Sai’s ”…Nail!!! / Drill Dragon…” fells Lao G; “Forgive me, young master…”
• p. 19 — “Call me ‘Don.’” Narration: “Two officers fall. Lao G into a crevice, Baby 5 in love.”
• p. 20 — SBS Question Corner page (Devil-Fruit single-bite rule; Sabo/Koala/Hack stats; Ooklicia). technique/sbs-leak — flag for SBS cross-link refresh.
• p. 21 — Next-chapter (0772 “Cabbage & Lomeo”) title page bearing the cover-story caption “The Solitary Journey of Jimbei, First Son of the Sea, Vol. 18” — belongs to 0772, not this chapter.

Open questions raised

• Will the colosseum gladiators’ alliance with Luffy formalize into a grand fleet?
• Will Sai and Baby 5 actually marry now that his betrothal is void?
• How will Zoro defeat Pica’s regenerating stone giant when only the embedded human body is the real target?