Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Whole Cake Island
Chapter 898: I Will Return
This chapter's foreshadowing ledger — what it plants, what it pays off, and what debuts here. Locked seeds pay off beyond your ⚓ progress; tap one to reveal it anyway.
- Firsts
- Germa 66's fleet arrives at Cacao Île and bombards the Big Mom Pirates to cover the Straw Hats' escape
- Germa's soldiers survived Nusstorte's 10,000-man army because they were augmented with 'steel skin'
- Brûlée publicly reveals that Katakuri LOST to Luffy — his legendary winning streak is broken
- Sanji escapes in his own suit, using Sky-Walk to carry the unconscious Luffy off the island while the Vinsmokes lay down covering fire
Arc: Whole Cake Island · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2018-04-08
Summary
On Cacao Île, the Germa 66 fleet — which the Big Mom Pirates believed Nusstorte’s 10,000-man army had wiped out — appears and bombards the harbor, the Vinsmokes choosing to fight a “temporary partner” they have no obligation to in order to cover Sanji’s escape with the unconscious Luffy. As the Big Mom Pirates rage that Germa’s steel-skin soldiers survived, Brûlée drops a bombshell: the “perfect, powerful” Katakuri lost his fight against Straw Hat Luffy, ending his legendary winning streak — devastating the crew’s morale. Oven leads the pursuit of Sanji over the rooftops, but the Vinsmoke siblings — Niji (Henry Blazer, p. 14), Ichiji, Yonji (Winch Guillotine, p. 12), and Reiju (Pink Hornet, p. 16) — cut down every gunner in the way (also Valkyrie, p. 10), telling Sanji to “run, and never come back — Germa!!” Sanji leaps off the island carrying Luffy via his own Sky-Walk and reaches the waiting Thousand Sunny, where Nami, Chopper, Brook, Carrot, and Jinbei cheer their return.
New reveals
- The Germa 66 fleet sails into Cacao Île and shells the Big Mom Pirates’ ships — the Vinsmokes intervene though “our partnership was only temporary,” covering Sanji and Luffy’s getaway (pp. 4–6).
- Germa’s army survived Nusstorte’s 10,000-man assault that supposedly conquered Germa Kingdom — the Big Mom Pirates attribute it to the soldiers being “augmented with steel skin” (p. 3).
- Katakuri lost to Luffy. Brûlée reveals to the assembled Big Mom Pirates that Katakuri “lost his fight against Straw Hat Luffy,” his “legendary winning streak ended by that boy,” shattering their faith in his invincibility (pp. 7–9).
- Sanji escapes in his own suit — flying over the rooftops via Sky-Walk to carry Luffy on his back (p. 13); the Vinsmokes fire Pink Hornet as covering fire to mow down the pursuing Big Mom Pirates (p. 16).
- The Straw Hats clear Cacao Island and reunite with the Thousand Sunny crew (p. 17).
Foreshadowing seeds planted
Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)
Mentions / appearances
- Shown: Sanji, Luffy (unconscious, carried), Vinsmoke Niji, Vinsmoke Ichiji, Vinsmoke Yonji (Winch Guillotine, p. 12), Vinsmoke Reiju (Pink Hornet, p. 16), Charlotte Oven, Charlotte Brulee, Nusstorte (caption “12th Son of Charlotte”), Charlotte Daifuku, Nami, Tony Tony Chopper, Brook, Carrot (Mink), Jinbei, Germa 66 fleet, Big Mom Pirates, Thousand Sunny, Cacao Island, Totto Land.
- Named / referenced only: Charlotte Katakuri (his defeat reported, not present), Mont d’Or (blamed for letting Germa slip past, p. 5), Charlotte Snack · Charlotte Brownie · Charlotte Joconde (Oven calls for them as reinforcements, p. 15), Bassquarte & Dosmarche (Big Mom Pirate commanders radioed alongside Nusstorte, p. 4).
- Cover-story: Hajrudin (see Notable panels).
Notable panels
- Page 1 (title splash / cover story): “THE SAGA OF THE SELF-PROCLAIMED STRAW HAT FLEET, VOL. 30 — HAJRUDIN: ‘Buggy’s Delivery Escapee List: Navigator Rodo of the New Giant Pirates.’” Hajrudin is depicted dressed in Buggy-styled clown/delivery garb.
- Page 4: caption “12TH SON OF CHARLOTTE — NUSSTORTE” labels Nusstorte’s ship arriving at Cacao Île; a fellow Big Mom Pirate radios for the brothers — “Brother Nusstorte!! Bassquarte!! Dosmarche!! Come in, brothers!!” — reporting the Germa fleet’s reappearance despite Germa being “already eliminated.”
- Page 5: ”…I WILL RETURN!!!” sounded amid the harbor chaos (the chapter’s title drop, voicing the Germa/Vinsmoke departure vow); Sanji on the transponder snail — “Jimbei, can you hear me?”
- Pages 8–9: Brûlée’s reveal — ”…AGAINST STRAW HAT LUFFY!!!! …LOST HIS FIGHT…” — and the Big Mom Pirates’ collapse (“He would NEVER lose!!”).
- Pages 10–14: Vinsmoke combat covering Sanji — “VALKYRIE!!!” (p. 10), Yonji’s “WINCH… GUILLOTINE!!!” (p. 12), Niji’s “Lightspeed Blade… HENRY BLAZER!!!” (p. 14).
- Page 16: “Now run!!! Don’t ever come back here!!! Germa!!!” → Reiju’s “PINK HORNET!!!” (”…I’m not going to stand by while you shoot… at my little brother!!!”) — the Vinsmokes’ parting cover for Sanji.
- Page 17 (closing spread): the crew on the Sunny cheer — “They did it!! They’re baaaack!!! Sanji!!! Luffy!!!” — Sanji leaping toward the ship with Luffy on his back.
Open questions raised
- Will the Big Mom Pirates’ sea fleet run down the Thousand Sunny now that the island defense has failed?
- “I will return” — does Germa intend to reclaim Germa Kingdom from Big Mom’s grip, and will the Vinsmokes truly cut ties with Sanji?
- How does the news of Katakuri’s first-ever defeat reach Big Mom herself, and what does it cost the crew’s standing in the New World?