Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 957: Ultimate

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2019-09-23

Summary

At Navy HQ in the New World (“New Marineford”), the brass reels at intel that the Emperors Kaido and Big Mom are about to ally in Wano — framed by a cigar-smoking officer as “the return of Rocks.” Retired Fleet Admiral Sengoku, for the historical record, narrates the buried legend of the Rocks Pirates: a crew of murderous individuals who came together on the pirate island of Fullalead years ago, captained by Rocks D. Xebec, whose stated ambition was to be “King of the World.” Their ranks once held a young Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido, plus the Golden Lion, the Silver Axe, Captain John, and Wang Zhi. The crew was wiped out 38 years ago at God Valley — the God Valley Incident — when Vice Admiral Garp joined forces with Roger to protect the Celestial Dragons and their slaves; Garp became a “Naval Hero,” and the World Government erased God Valley from every map. Sengoku reveals Rocks’s full name was Rocks D. Xebec, a rare bearer of the “D.” and Roger’s first foe. Marine analyst Brannew then reads out the current bounties of the Four Emperors and the two highest in history (Whitebeard, Roger). Fleet Admiral Sakazuki refuses to commit forces to Wano. Sengoku closes by noting it is “no coincidence” that all these great figures — Whitebeard, Roger, Red-Hair — share close ties to the Land of Wano, recalling Kozuki Oden, the Wano pirate who served as a Whitebeard commander before joining Roger’s final voyage.

New reveals

• Rocks D. Xebec — the Rocks captain’s full name; one of the rare pirates “with the initial of D.” (p. 11). He is no longer alive.
• The Rocks Pirates formed on the pirate island of Fullalead to “make one big score”; a “collection of individuals” constantly killing one another within the group (p. 5).
• Rocks’s ambition was to be “King of the World” — distinct from “Pirate King” (pp. 6, 10).
• Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido were all part of the Rocks crew ~38 years ago; Kaido was “only an apprentice pirate” then (pp. 6, 15).
• Other named Rocks members: the Golden Lion, the Silver Axe, Captain John, Wang Zhi (p. 6).
• The God Valley Incident (38 years ago): the Rocks Pirates were wiped out at God Valley; Vice Admiral Garp joined forces with Roger to break them — to protect Celestial Dragons and their slaves on the island (pp. 7-9). Garp was thereafter called a Naval Hero.
• God Valley vanished from all maps — the World Government deliberately hid the island; it appears on no chart (p. 10).
• Garp refuses an Admiral’s seat because the rank would place him directly beneath the Celestial Dragons’ command; only his stature spares him “elimination” for the insubordination (p. 9).
• The Seven Warlords system is being dissolved (the “kings’ decision”), to be replaced by the Navy’s SSG (“special science team”) (pp. 3, 16).
• Bounties read out: Blackbeard (Marshall D. Teech) 2,247,600,000 · Shanks 4,048,900,000 · Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin) 4,388,000,000 · Kaido 4,611,100,000 · Whitebeard (Edward Newgate) 5,046,000,000 · Gol D. Roger 5,564,800,000 — Roger’s and Whitebeard’s are the two highest in pirating history (pp. 13-18).
• Big Mom “laid waste to a village of giants in Elbaf as a toddler”; rules Totto Land; has 85 children; mistrusts anyone not blood family (p. 14).
• Blackbeard is the current boss of Fullalead, expanding to fill the void left by Whitebeard; gained “mighty new followers” via his Impel Down assault two years ago; given the Emperor title just one year ago (p. 13).
• Kozuki Oden served as a commander under Whitebeard, then was recruited by Roger and accompanied him on his final voyage (p. 19).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Characters: Sengoku (narrator, retired) · Garp (flashback/narration) · Roger (flashback) · Whitebeard · Big Mom · Kaido · Shanks · Blackbeard · Rocks (Rocks D. Xebec — full name + silhouette) · Golden Lion (Shiki, named) · Silver Axe (named) · Captain John (named) · Wang Zhi (named) · Sakazuki (Fleet Admiral) · Fujitora (Issho) · Brannew · Kozuki Oden (mentioned) · Benn Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux (named as renowned Shanks crewmates)
• Groups: Rocks Pirates · Roger Pirates · Whitebeard Pirates · Big Mom Pirates · Animal Kingdom Pirates · Red Hair Pirates · Blackbeard Pirates · Marines · Seven Warlords of the Sea · Celestial Dragons · Four Emperors (Yonko) · SSG
• Locations: Marine Headquarters (New World HQ) · God Valley (first shown) · Wano Country · Fullalead · Elbaf · Totto Land · Impel Down
• First appearances: Rocks D. Xebec full name + silhouette · God Valley (island shown) · Silver Axe, Wang Zhi (named) · SSG (named)

Notable panels

• Pages 1-2 — Color spread (decorative): the full Straw Hat crew in a summer surf/water tableau — Luffy riding a duck float, Nami surfing, the crew on a striped board atop the waves; banner “PICK UP YOUR SPEED.” Celebratory, no apparent foreshadowing.
• Page 3 — Title page: “Navy HQ, New World” / New Marineford; “Chapter 957: Ultimate.” Sengoku (“…is about to make a major change!!”) and the Warlord-abolition debate; Fujitora (“Issho”) addressed.
• Page 7 — GOD VALLEY splash: the island under bombardment; Garp emerging as “Naval Hero.”
• Page 11 — Rocks D. Xebec silhouette + full-name reveal; “the initial of D.”
• Page 12 — Brannew presents the bounty briefing.
• Pages 13-18 — Wanted-poster splashes: Blackbeard, Shanks, Big Mom, Kaido, Whitebeard, Roger — bounty splash sequence.
• Page 18 — Big Mom + Kaido wanted posters side by side: their combined bounty would surpass even Roger’s and Whitebeard’s.
• Page 19 — Sengoku ties the great figures to Wano; Kozuki Oden invoked.

Open questions raised

• Why were the Celestial Dragons (and their slaves) on God Valley, and what really happened there beyond the official “Garp + Roger” account?
• What does “King of the World” mean — the throne Rocks sought, and how it differs from “Pirate King”?
• Why did the World Government erase an entire island from the map?
• What was Roger’s actual relationship to the Rocks Pirates / Rocks D. Xebec — peer, rival, or once a member?
• What ties bind Whitebeard, Roger, Red-Hair, and Oden all to Wano?
• What is the SSG, and can it actually replace the Warlords against the Emperors?