Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 950: A Soldier's Dream

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2019-07-21

Summary

In the Udon prison camp, Luffy’s offer to ally is rebuffed by Eustass Kid, who frees his partner Killer (shown as one of Kaido’s defective-SMILE victims), declares he trusts no one and is sick of the alliance, and breaks out to “do things our own way.” Hyogoro rallies the wary prisoners around Luffy as the linchpin of Kaido’s overthrow, while Chopper races to cure Queen’s prison plague and Momonosuke — bowed to by the imprisoned Kozuki supporters who see the clan’s shadow in his eyes — begins to find his resolve. A long flashback-montage depicts the 20-year decline of the Kozuki loyalist resistance: supporters who could no longer wait threw themselves at Onigashima and died, Kaido’s army burned their fields, and faith in the time-leaped Akazaya wavered — until the reunited Ashura Doji (Shutenmaru) and Kin’emon, “twenty years stronger,” call the survivors to raid Onigashima on the night of the Fire Festival, eight days away, to avenge Yasuie. In the forest at the Enma Shrine, Zoro cuts down a band of ninja and resolves to recover his stolen sword Shusui at Ringo’s famed bandit’s bridge; the hidden noble woman sheltering him shares his vow to make Orochi pay for Yasuie’s death. The chapter closes near the Flower Capital with Trafalgar Law captured and interrogated about his plans and his connection to the Straw Hat Crew.

New reveals

• Kid frees Killer and abandons the alliance. Kid breaks Killer out of Udon, calls sparing Luffy a “gift,” and leaves to retake his crew his own way (pp. 2–3).
• Killer is one of Kaido’s SMILE victims. Kid shows Luffy “what happened to my partner” — Killer locked in the SMILE-feeding apparatus (p. 2), the defective-fruit fate behind his condition.
• The 20-year resistance nearly died out. Loyalists who couldn’t keep waiting charged Onigashima and were killed; Kaido’s army burned their fields and wells; many lost faith that the time-leaped Akazaya would ever return (pp. 8–11).
• The time-leap froze the Akazaya’s ages. Raizo is teased for “aging 20 years,” and Ashura tells Kin’emon “you’re still the way you were back then” — confirming the leapers did not age while Wano did (pp. 4, 13).
• The raid is set for the Fire Festival, in eight days. The plan: storm Onigashima in the Kozuki name to take the heads of Kaido and Orochi (pp. 12–13).
• Ashura Doji = the bandit Shutenmaru, an Akazaya scabbard. He leads the Atamayama bandits and quarrels with Kin’emon as a fellow Akazaya, “twenty years stronger” (pp. 13).
• Zoro’s quest for Shusui. He must recover his stolen blade by the time of the battle at Ringo’s “famous bandit’s bridge”; the woman sheltering him will guide him there (pp. 15–16).
• Law is captured. Near the Flower Capital, a bound Law is interrogated about his entire Wano plot and his link to the Straw Hats — the interrogator drawn as Basil Hawkins (p. 17).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Luffy, Eustass Kid, Killer, Hyogoro, Otama, Raizo, Tony Tony Chopper, Momonosuke, Zoro, Trafalgar Law, Basil Hawkins, Kin’emon, Ashura Doji (as Shutenmaru), Tonoyasu, Orochi, Kaido, Kozuki Oden (named p12, not shown), Toko (named p15, not shown)
• Cover story: Capone Bege, Charlotte Chiffon, Capone Pez (Lola referenced, not shown)
• Locations: Udon, Wano Country, Onigashima, Ringo, Flower Capital; the Enma Shrine (forest outside the Flower Capital, unmapped)
• Groups: Akazaya Nine, Atamayama Thieves Brigade, Kid Pirates, Kozuki
• Concepts: Fire Festival, The Kozuki Time-Leap, SMILE, Wano Phantoms
• Unnamed (identity guarded): the shamisen-playing woman sheltering Zoro; an unnamed sick prisoner; dog- and cat-faced loyalist retainers in the flashback

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title splash. Cover serial: “Limited Cover Series No. 24 — Gang Bege’s Oh My Family, Vol. 2: ‘I want to see my twin sister Lola!!!’” (cover-story beat; defer to cover tracker).
• Page 2 — Killer revealed inside Kaido’s SMILE-feeding apparatus as Kid shows Luffy “what happened to my partner.”
• Pages 6–7 — The imprisoned Kozuki supporters bow en masse; Momonosuke sees the weight of the Kozuki shadow reflected in their eyes and steels himself.
• Page 9 — Full-width graveyard panel: “…and they all died!!!” — the loyalists who fell waiting.
• Page 11 — “SUNACCHI!!!” — a charge of loyalist boats/ships; striking battle-cry composition.
• Page 14 — Zoro fighting ninja in shadow at the Enma Shrine (“BE-BENG!!”).
• Page 17 — Cliffhanger: bound Law interrogated near the Flower Capital; interrogator drawn as Basil Hawkins.

Open questions raised

• Who is the shamisen-playing woman sheltering Zoro, and what is her grudge against Orochi and tie to Yasuie? (She protects “Otoko”/Toko and “her people.”)
• Who has captured Law, and how much of his plot will they extract? (Interrogator resembles Basil Hawkins.)
• Will the dwindling, divided loyalists actually unite for the Fire Festival raid in eight days?
• What is the significance of the “Enma” name attached to the forest shrine?