Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Zou

Chapter 803: Elephant Climbing

Arc: Zou · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2015-10-26

Summary

The Thousand Sunny arrives at the foot of Zou, ferried by Bartolomeo’s worshipful Barto Club; the cabin is empty because both Straw Hat groups have already disembarked. Luffy’s group (Luffy, Zoro, Robin, Franky, Usopp, Law, Kin’emon, Kanjuro) thanks the Barto Club and begins the long climb up a giant elephant’s back-left leg, riding a serpentine “Rising Dragon” creature. The scene cuts to Baltigo, Revolutionary Army HQ, where Commander-in-Chief Monkey D. Dragon receives reports that the fall of the Donquixote Family has rocked the world’s weapons-smuggling network; a special “Drunken Iron Ore” found in the Dressrosa weapons may identify the maker, and Dragon calls an assembly of all Revolutionary leaders worldwide. Elsewhere, the Blackbeard Pirates (Shiryu, Lafitte) learn that Jesus Burgess stowed away on a Revolutionary ship and has located their secret HQ — he tells them to attack Baltigo for a haul of weapons, leaving his vivre card as a guide. At Buggy’s Delivery, the now-Warlord Buggy runs a booming pirate-mercenary temp agency, but his ace giant Hajrudin has quit (to follow Luffy). Back at Zou, the elephant is finally shown in full; Kin’emon reveals Zou was the samurai’s destination all along and that their lost companion, the ninja Raizo, should be here — then something falls from above.

New reveals

• Zou is a living island: an island that has flourished amid the clouds atop the back of a giant walking elephant that wades through the sea (pp. 12). First on-page appearance of Zou.
• The two Straw Hat groups reached Zou by separate means; Sanji’s group (Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Brook, Momonosuke, plus Caesar the “gas guy” hostage) climbed up earlier, and Luffy’s group is now climbing the back-left leg.
• Buggy’s Delivery — a Warlord-legalized “Pirate Temp Agency” dispatching pirate mercenaries; Buggy styled “Buggy the Genius Jester, Warlord of the Sea.” Business is booming now that Doflamingo no longer supplies the underworld’s weapons (pp. 10-11).
• The Blackbeard Pirates are now an Emperor’s crew with a multi-ship structure: Shiryu of the Rain is the Second Ship Captain, Lafitte the Fifth Ship Captain (pp. 8-9). They refer to Blackbeard as “Commodore/Captain Teech.”
• Jesus Burgess stowed away in a Revolutionary ship’s bilge and woke at “a white island all in white” — the secret Revolutionary HQ — and is feeding its location to Blackbeard, leaving a vivre card to follow (p. 9).
• The fall of the Donquixote Family destabilized world weapons-smuggling; a special metal, “Drunken Iron Ore,” in the Dressrosa weapons can be produced by only a few countries — a lead to the hidden weapons-maker (pp. 6-7).
• Cipher Pol has been augmented in recent years (Dragon’s intel, p. 6).
• The Wano samurai’s true destination from the start was Zou; their lost-at-sea companion is the ninja Raizo; they want confirmation that Momonosuke is safe (pp. 13).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters (shown): Luffy, Zoro, Nico Robin, Franky, Usopp, Trafalgar Law, Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Bartolomeo, Dragon, Koala, Hack, Shiryu, Lafitte, Buggy
• Characters (heard via transponder snail / named only): Jesus Burgess, Blackbeard (“Teech”), Doc Q, Hajrudin, Sanji, Nami, Tony Tony Chopper, Brook, Momonosuke, Caesar Clown, Sabo, Raizo
• Locations: Zou (first appearance), Baltigo, New World, Emptee Bluffs Island / Buggy Town (Buggy’s base), Dressrosa (ref.), Wano (ref.), Sabaody (ref.)
• Crews / groups: Straw Hat Pirates, Barto Club Pirates, Blackbeard Pirates, Revolutionary Army, Buggy Pirates, Straw Hat Grand Fleet, Donquixote Pirates (fallen, ref.), Cipher Pol (ref.)
• Concepts / world-building: Buggy’s Delivery, Drunken Iron Ore, Vivre Card, Den Den Mushi, Seven Warlords of the Sea, Four Emperors (Yonko)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page request art (not a cover-story serial / not a color spread): “FRANKY RACING A SHARK IN A SHIP DESIGNED BY USOPP,” requested by Gezio from Fukushima. Franky rides a horned “VIKING HERCULES” longship racing a hammerhead shark.
• Page 2 — The Thousand Sunny worshipped as “the Grand Ship… the holy vessel” by the Barto Club; “HALLELUJAH, MISTER THOUSAND SUNNY! WE’RE NOT WORTHY!!”
• Page 6 — Establishing shot of Baltigo; caption “Revolutionary Army Commander-in-Chief MONKEY D. DRAGON.”
• Page 8 — Blackbeard Pirates’ fleet; caption “Emperor of the Sea, Blackbeard Pirates Second Ship Captain SHIRYU OF THE RAIN.”
• Page 9 — Caption “Emperor of the Sea, Blackbeard Pirates Fifth Ship Captain DEMON SHERIFF LAFITTE”; Burgess’s vivre-card line.
• Page 12 — Full-page reveal: Zou, the island atop a giant elephant wading the sea.
• Page 14 — SBS Question Corner (Vol 80): Oda on why Goa nobles / Celestial Dragons are drawn ugly; on Rebecca tearing her cape to staunch Kyros’s wounds after the Diamante fight. (SBS specialist to cross-link.)

Open questions raised

• What is the giant elephant carrying Zou — how old is it, where is it going, and is it sapient? (The name “Zunisha” is not yet given on-page.)
• Who is now manufacturing the world’s weapons, and which country produces “Drunken Iron Ore”?
• Will Blackbeard act on Burgess’s vivre card and raid the Revolutionary HQ at Baltigo?
• Is the ninja Raizo really at Zou, and what is “falling from above” at the chapter’s end (p. 13)?
• How did Sanji’s advance group climb to the top before Luffy’s group arrived?