Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Whole Cake Island

Chapter 857: Rook

Arc: Whole Cake Island · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2017-03-06

Summary

On the rain-soaked outskirts of Sweet City, Luffy, Sanji and Jinbei re-establish contact with the infiltration team — Chopper, Brook, Carrot (Mink) and Nami — through a shard of Mirro-World mirror lodged atop the “Kingbaum” monster tree. Everyone is safe, and Brook even secured rubbings of a poneglyph. Nami tells Sanji she will “never forgive” him, then instantly forgives, and Luffy declares the crew will smash up Big Mom’s tea party and wedding, rescue Sanji’s family, and bring Sanji home. Jinbei then lays out the conspiracies surrounding the event: Capone “Gang” Bege — one of the Five Families of the West, a brutal West-Blue mob boss who built his name decapitating criminal organizations and pirate captains — has been granted Big Mom’s title of “Rook” and made head of security for the tea party, yet secretly plots to take Big Mom’s own head at the ceremony, where Big Mom intends to slaughter the Vinsmokes and seize Germa’s assets. Bege’s men tried to recruit Pekoms, and when the loyal lion-mink refused they shot him off a cliff into sharks; Jinbei’s companions rescued him. With ~five hours until the 10 a.m. tea party, Jinbei proposes the Straw Hats ally with Bege; Luffy agrees and a meeting is arranged. The chapter closes at the Firetank Pirates’ base in the north-west of Whole Cake Island, where Bege prepares to receive Luffy — ready to “snuff him out” if he tries anything.

New reveals

• Bege secretly plots to assassinate Big Mom. Behind her back, while serving as her security chief, Bege “plans to take Big Mom’s head” at the wedding (p. 13).
• Bege’s title “Rook.” For the tea party Big Mom granted Bege the title of Rook and placed him in charge of security for the entire event, “in recognition of his finely honed caution” and incredible defensive ability (p. 12). This is the chapter’s title.
• Bege’s West-Blue origin — the Five Families of the West. Bege is one of five mafia bosses who hold a stranglehold on the West Blue criminal market; he earned the “Gang” epithet young and built his reputation hunting down the leaders of criminal organizations (and later pirate captains) one by one, taking their valuables and leaving the headless remnants to tear each other apart (pp. 10-12).
• Pekoms was nearly murdered to silence him. Bege’s people took Pekoms away and offered him a deal to join the plot; out of loyalty/honor to Big Mom he refused, so they shot him off a cliff into a swarm of sharks. One of Jinbei’s companions saved him in the nick of time; he is recuperating (p. 14).
• Jinbei is running the intelligence. He rescued Pekoms, learned the whole conspiracy from him, anticipated how Luffy would act, and brokered a meeting with Bege (pp. 12-16). His deepening operational integration with the crew advances Straw Hat Recruitment Pattern.
• The poneglyph rubbings are secured. Brook “managed to get the Poneglyph tracings” during the infiltration (p. 5).
• The tea party is at 10 a.m. (~five hours away) and will host fearsome invited guests — “the tyrants of the underworld” (pp. 9, 15).
• Big Mom’s wedding-trap reiterated: the wedding is the main event; Big Mom plans to slaughter the Vinsmoke Family during the ceremony and seize all of Germa’s assets for herself (pp. 9, 13).
• Luffy’s plan: crash the tea party/wedding, save Sanji’s family, then bring Sanji back; he agrees to ally with Bege (pp. 6, 16).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

On-page (Sweet City outskirts): Luffy · Sanji · Jinbei On-page (via Mirro-World shard): Tony Tony Chopper · Brook · Carrot (Mink) · Nami (Pedro is part of the rescued group) On-page (Firetank base, NW Whole Cake Island): Capone Bege · a Firetank subordinate (unnamed on-page; “Nyo-lo-lo” laugh and “Germa’s my heroes” mark him as Vito) Shown in flashback: Pekoms (shot off the cliff) Referenced / mentioned: Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin) · Bobbin (Bege’s crew “got rid of” him as he chased Sanji) · Vinsmoke Reiju (“Sanji’s sister saved my life”) · Vinsmoke / Germa 66 · Charlotte · Firetank Pirates · Big Mom Pirates · Five Families of the West · the “tyrants of the underworld” (Underworld guests, unnamed silhouettes)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page: “Chapter 857: ROOK.” Reader-request art (B&W, not a cover-story serial): “Hancock taking a dip in the pool,” requested by Ultra Seven (Juwa!) from Saitama — Boa Hancock reclines in a pool float beside her snake Salome (skull-headed). Decorative; no foreshadowing flagged. The title word “Rook” pays off mid-chapter as Bege’s granted title.
• Page 8 — Nami: “I will never forgive you.” (DO-ON!!) → instantly: “Whaaat?! Is that a marriage proposal, Nami?!♡” — Sanji bounces back, Nami confirms she’s satisfied he’s okay.
• Page 6 — Luffy full-face: “We’re gonna go smash up Big Mom’s tea party and the wedding!! And we’ll save Sanji’s family!! And after that… Sanji’s coming back!!!”
• Page 13 — Reveal panel: “…who plans to take Big Mom’s head!!! It is Bege…” (DOOM!!).
• Page 12 — “…he was granted the title of Rook… and placed in charge of security for the entire event.”
• Page 17 — Firetank Pirates’ base, NW Whole Cake Island: Bege enthroned among his crew — “if he tries any funny stuff… we’ll just snuff him out here!!!”

Open questions raised

• Will Luffy actually ally with Bege, and can two parties with “slightly different goals” cooperate at the wedding?
• Will Bege’s assassination plot against Big Mom succeed — and what is his actual method behind the iron fortress?
• Who are the “tyrants of the underworld” invited to the tea party, and how many threats will the alliance face?
• Which of Big Mom’s poneglyphs did Brook trace, and what does it point to?
• Can the alliance both rescue the Vinsmokes/Sanji and survive an Emperor’s wrath in only five hours?