Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 939: The Old Leopard Never Forgets the Way

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2019-04-14

Summary

At her hideaway in the Flower Capital, the woman who has been nursing the recovering Zoro (“Sir Zorojuro”) finally reveals her secret: she is Kozuki Hiyori, Momonosuke’s little sister and the daughter of Oden and Toki. She pieces the puzzle together with Zoro — Momo is biologically eight yet leapt twenty years into the future, while she stayed behind (now 26) so that “the Kozuki blood might still live on” if one of them died. She recounts losing her whole family the night Oden Castle burned, and being raised in hiding by her father’s vassal Kawamatsu the Kappa, from whom she was separated around age thirteen. She names the Akazaya Nine for Zoro: the six known so far — Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, Okiku, Inuarashi (Dogstorm), Nekomamushi (Cat Viper) — plus the three she hasn’t met, Kawamatsu, Denjiro, and Ashura Doji; with the capital in an uproar over the Kozuki crest, she is certain they will appear. In Rasetsu Town, citizens bearing the crescent-moon Kozuki mark are dragged to the public cells; Fukurokuju declares their “stunt” exposed and that more will come. At the Udon labor camp, the new Gifter Madilloman (Armadillo SMILE) opens fire on Luffy with Sea-Prism-Stone bullets “only made in Wano.” Luffy, reading the future with Observation Haki, calls out dodge directions to Hyogoro, then notes his own punches only land “normal Armament Haki.” Recognizing what Luffy is reaching for, Hyogoro explains Wano’s “invisible power” that flows from the body into a blade — and demonstrates it by toppling a Gifter (Alpacaman) with internal destruction. Awed, Luffy begs the “Mighty Blade” to teach him.

New reveals

• Komurasaki’s nurse is Kozuki Hiyori. The hooded woman caring for Zoro reveals she is Kozuki Hiyori — Momonosuke’s younger sister, daughter of Oden and Toki (pp. 2–4). See Kozuki Hiyori Survives In Hiding.
• The time-leap, clarified. Momonosuke is still biologically eight, having jumped 20 years ahead; Hiyori was as young as Toko twenty years ago and is now 26 (pp. 3–4). It was “either him or me” — only one could leap, so the Kozuki bloodline would survive if the other died.
• The Akazaya Nine, fully named. Hiyori lists all nine Red Scabbards: Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, Okiku, Inuarashi (Dogstorm), Nekomamushi (Cat Viper) (the six known), plus Kawamatsu, Denjiro, Ashura Doji (pp. 6) — the first on-page enumeration of the complete band. See Akazaya Nine.
• Kawamatsu the Kappa raised Hiyori. One of Oden’s vassals, a “very powerful samurai” and self-proclaimed river-imp (kappa), Kawamatsu sheltered and raised the orphaned Hiyori from childhood; they were separated when she was about thirteen (pp. 4–5).
• The crescent-moon purge. At Rasetsu Town (Flower Capital’s public cells), citizens bearing the Kozuki crescent mark are arrested as traitors “plotting the city’s demise”; Fukurokuju says their secret is exposed and “there are still more to come” (pp. 8–9). See Wano Phantoms.
• Luffy’s future-sight in combat. Luffy uses advanced Observation Haki to foresee Madilloman’s shots and call out dodge directions to Hyogoro (“you saw the future!”) (pp. 11–13).
• Hyogoro’s “invisible power.” Hyogoro frames Wano’s swordsmanship as an invisible power that “stems from the body and can be infused with the blade” — a good katana cuts steel “according to the desire of the swordsman” — and recognizes Luffy’s goal as the same color of Armament Haki he himself can use (p. 15). He demonstrates by toppling Alpacaman without a hard punch — internal destruction, not normal Armament — and agrees to teach Luffy (pp. 16–17). He was once known as the “Mighty Blade.”
• Sea-Prism-Stone bullets, made in Wano. Madilloman’s pistols fire Sea-Prism-Stone rounds said to be “only made in Wano” (p. 10). See Sea-Prism Stone.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Zoro (Wano alias “Zorojuro”), Kozuki Hiyori (identity revealed), Toko, Momonosuke (mentioned), Kozuki Oden (mentioned), Kozuki Toki (mentioned, Hiyori’s mother), Kawamatsu (named/described, not shown), Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, Okiku, Inuarashi (as Dogstorm), Nekomamushi (as Cat Viper), Denjiro (named only — not shown), Ashura Doji (named), Fukurokuju, Orochi (mentioned), Kaido (mentioned), Luffy, Hyogoro (as Old Man Hyo; epithet “Mighty Blade”), Madilloman (first appearance), Alpacaman
• Locations: Flower Capital, Rasetsu Town (first appearance — Flower Capital’s public prison cells), Udon (Excavation Labor Camp), Oden Castle (flashback), Wano Country
• Groups / fruits: Akazaya Nine (Nine Red Scabbards, fully named), Animal Kingdom Pirates (Gifters), Orochi Oniwabanshu (Fukurokuju), Kozuki; Armadillo SMILE (Madilloman), Alpaca SMILE (Alpacaman)

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page, reader-request series: “Jimbei getting a haircut on the sea floor from a spider crab” (request by Hiyu M.). One-off request art, not a cover-story serial.
• Page 6 — “THE AKAZAYA NINE” group panel: the six known Scabbards shown with name captions (Kin’emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, Okiku, Dogstorm, Cat Viper).
• Pages 8–9 — Rasetsu Town public cells; Fukurokuju presides over the mass arrest of crescent-marked citizens.
• Page 10 — Madilloman introduced (Gifter, Armadillo SMILE); Sea-Prism-Stone bullets “only made in Wano.”
• Pages 11–13 — Luffy narrates the future, steering Hyogoro through Madilloman’s gunfire.
• Page 15 — The named technique “Sumo Strike!!” appears on-page (Hyogoro, in Queen’s execution-sumo); he explains Wano’s “invisible power” — the same color of Armament Haki — that “stems from the body and can be infused with the blade.”
• Pages 16–17 — Hyogoro topples a Gifter with internal destruction; Luffy begs, “Teach me how to do that!!!”

Open questions raised

• Where are the missing Scabbards (Kawamatsu, Denjiro, Ashura Doji), and will the capital’s uproar over the crest draw them out?
• Can Hyogoro actually teach Luffy the touchless internal-destruction Haki in time — and is it the key to Kaido’s scales?
• How widely has Orochi’s regime mapped the crescent-mark rebels, and who betrayed the symbol’s meaning?