Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 944: Partner

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2019-05-27

Summary

In the Flower Capital’s Rasetsu Town, the aftermath of Tonoyasu (Yasuie)‘s public execution boils over into a riot. Zoro (Zolojuro) and Sanji (Sangoro) crash the execution grounds, snatch Toko to safety, and the Ebisu Town townsfolk fight to reclaim Lord Yasuie’s body “for dignity.” Zoro’s flying slash at the magistrate is parried by Boss Kyoshiro, who shields Orochi, declares “I am the shogun’s dog,” and mobilizes every force to crush the uprising while Orochi screams for everyone defiant to be killed; X Drake rampages in his Allosaurus form and Franky (Franosuke) covers the retreat. At the Udon prison mines, Eustass Kid is dragged back in chains beside the shogun’s assassin “Hitokiri Kamazo” — whom Kid recognizes as his partner Killer, now reduced by a defective SMILE fruit to helpless laughter (“the pitiable souls”). Queen restarts the Sumo Inferno with deadlier rules, suspending Kid and Killer over the water; when Luffy challenges him, Queen swats him down — until an explosion at the gates and a craving voice (“Oshiruko…”) herald the arrival of the amnesiac Big Mom.

New reveals

• The shogun’s assassin “Hitokiri Kamazo” is Killer, Eustass Kid’s partner — recaptured and chained at Udon (pp. 11–13).
• Killer is a victim of a defective SMILE fruit that forces him to laugh (“Fwa fwa fwa”) uncontrollably; he masked his face to hide it and would beat anyone who mocked his laugh (pp. 12–13).
• Toko is the daughter of Tonoyasu/Yasuie — a guard calls her “that bratty little daughter of Yasuie’s” (p. 3); a child cries “Daddyyy!!” at the grounds (p. 2).
• Kyoshiro openly serves Orochi — “I am the shogun’s dog” — and rallies all forces against the Rasetsu Town uprising (p. 9).
• Tonoyasu (Yasuie) is confirmed dead; the Ebisu townsfolk riot to recover his body — “his body deserves dignity” (pp. 3, 8).
• Wano calls a smiling face an “Ebisu smile,” the source of Ebisu Town’s name (p. 4).
• Queen revises the Sumo Inferno: prisoners stay submerged while alive, and the collar-spikes kill anyone who leaves the arena (p. 15).
• The amnesiac Big Mom (“Olin”) reaches the Udon gates, muttering “Oshiruko,” knocking out the guards’ signal (p. 17).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

Luffy · Zoro (Zolojuro) · Sanji (Sangoro) · Franky (Franosuke) · Toko (Otoko) · Tonoyasu (Yasuie — body) · Kyoshiro · Orochi · X Drake · Eustass Kid · Killer (as “Hitokiri Kamazo”) · Queen · Babanuki · Hyogoro · Big Mom (“Olin”) · Rasetsu Town · Flower Capital · Ebisu Town · Udon · Wano Country · SMILE

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page. Reader-request illustration (NOT a cover serial): “Hancock blushing after putting a straw hat on a young monkey (wearing a Luffy T-shirt)” by Onanture. Hancock + a monkey.
• Page 2 — Sanji (Sangoro) and Zoro (Zolojuro) make their entrance to the execution grounds; bystanders shout “It’s Sangoro the rebel!! / Zolojuro the criminal!!”; a child cries “Daddyyy!!”
• Page 4 — Zoro’s “720-Pound Phoenix” two-sword flying slash; the “Ebisu smile” naming.
• Page 6–7 — X Drake rampaging in Allosaurus form (“Now is Drake rampaging!!!”).
• Page 9 — Kyoshiro: ”…I am the shogun’s dog.” All forces mobilized against Rasetsu Town.
• Pages 11–13 — Kid recaptured; the unmasking of Kamazo = Killer, the SMILE-victim partner. Chapter-title beat (“Who did this to my partner?!”).
• Page 17 — Cliffhanger: explosion at the Udon gates; “Oshiruko…” — Big Mom has arrived.

Open questions raised

• What will the amnesiac Big Mom do at Udon — clash with Queen, recover her memory, or both?
• Can Killer be cured of the defective SMILE, or is the forced laughter permanent?
• Will Luffy’s Udon breakout and the Rasetsu Town uprising converge against Orochi/Kaido?
• How much does Kyoshiro’s loyalty to Orochi go beyond a yakuza boss “shogun’s dog”? (Identity withheld.)