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Chapter 968: Oden's Return

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2020-01-13 Oden-era flashback (historical framing — arc/saga held; not an arc flip).

Summary

The Oden flashback continues. After the Roger Pirates return from Laugh Tale, word of Gol D. Roger’s achievement stirs the world; the World Government recasts him as “Gold Roger” to bury the “D.,” and the world names everything he gained the One Piece. Dying of his illness, Roger declares he is “hereby disbanding the Roger Pirates,” thanks his stoic crew, and intends to meet Whitebeard one last time before he dies. Intercut beats show the wider “promised day” world — whales anticipating two sovereigns meeting again, the Sea Kings counting down to the birth of the next Mermaid Princess, young Shyarly overhearing the prophecy, and Roger musing “I wonder who will find it… we were just too early.” Roger drops Oden home, sending him off with medicine from ship-doctor Crocus; Oden returns through Wano’s brutal seas, declaring the country must open its ports “before the day that Joyboy appears.” He reunites joyfully with Toki, Momonosuke, and Hiyori, now beloved figures in Kuri. Then Kin’emon tells the grim story: Oden’s father Sukiyaki died and named Kurozumi Orochi his successor; Orochi — backed by the pirate Kaido — has industrialized Wano into a weapons-factory hellscape, executing dissenters, while his men infiltrated Oden Castle and wounded Toki (who shielded Momonosuke from their arrows). Enraged, Oden charges to the Flower Capital and storms the castle, vowing to cut Orochi in two.

New reveals

• The world at large named everything Roger gained “the One Piece.” The term’s in-world origin is shown here (p. 3).
• The World Government renamed “Gol D. Roger” to “Gold Roger” to hide the “D.” in his name (p. 2).
• Roger disbands the Roger Pirates after Laugh Tale, knowing he is dying, and thanks the crew (pp. 3–4).
• Roger intends to meet Whitebeard before he dies and arranges to drop Oden (and the question of Izo) home to Wano (p. 6).
• Oden’s stated mission: Wano must open its borders “before the day that Joyboy appears” — the closed-country status has a purpose tied to Joy Boy (p. 7).
• The Sea Kings (and the whales) await a “promised day”: they count down to the birth of the next Mermaid Princess who “will surpass us” — overheard by young Shyarly (pp. 4–5).
• Crocus sends Oden off with a bundle of medicine; Rayleigh (“the Dark King”) is Roger’s oldest confidant (p. 6).
• Oden’s father Shogun Sukiyaki died and recommended Orochi as his successor (p. 11).
• Orochi is a descendant of the Kurozumi clan “that caused that terrible incident in the past”; Oden had lent him money (out of consideration to “Yasu” / Tonoyasu), never repaid (p. 11).
• Orochi, backed by Kaido, built weapons factories across Wano on starvation wages and executes resisters (pp. 12–13).
• Toki was wounded (arrow to the leg) shielding Momonosuke when Kaido’s men infiltrated Oden Castle; Kawamatsu and Dogstorm drove them off (pp. 13–14).

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Shown: Roger (flashback), Kozuki Oden (flashback — fully on-page), Kozuki Toki (flashback), Momonosuke (flashback, child), Hiyori (flashback, infant), Kin’emon (flashback), Kiku (flashback), Raizo (flashback), Orochi (flashback, p. 17), young Shyarly (flashback, p. 5), Sea Kings (pp. 4–5), the Roger Pirates crew.
• Mentioned / referenced: Silvers Rayleigh (“the Dark King”), Crocus (ship doctor), Whitebeard, Izo, Dogstorm, Cat Viper (“Dog and Cat”), Kawamatsu, Denjiro (“wandering all over Wano”), Ashura Doji (“leading the yakuza and bandits in Kuri”), Kozuki Sukiyaki (Oden’s late father), Kaido, Yasu, Joy Boy.
• Locations: Laugh Tale, Fish-Man Island, Wano Country, Kuri, Flower Capital, Oden Castle.
• Groups / families: Roger Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, Kozuki, Kurozumi.

Notable panels

• Page 1 — Title page “Chapter 968: Oden’s Return.” B&W cover-story header: Gang Bege’s Oh My Family Vol. 17: “Save the Boss’s Wife, Gotti!!” — the Bege / Gotti cover serial .
• Page 2 — Narration over a crying figure; the WG renames “Gol D. Roger” → “Gold Roger.” (A figure is named in the VIZ caption as someone who “came to him and asked something, only to shed tears afterward” — the name is not legible/identifiable in this scan; recorded as [unknown], not minted as a character.)
• Page 4 — Roger: “I am hereby disbanding… the Roger Pirates!!!” Cuts underwater to the whales and Sea Kings awaiting a birth.
• Page 5 — Young Shyarly hears the Sea Kings’ countdown; Roger: “we were just too early.”
• Page 6 — Oden steps off Roger’s ship with Crocus’s medicine; Rayleigh “the Dark King” given Roger’s farewell; “not a tear was shed.”
• Page 7 — The brutal seas around Wano; Oden: open the ports “before the day that Joyboy appears!!!”
• Page 8 — Oden’s reunion with Toki, Momonosuke, Hiyori.
• Page 11 — Kin’emon: Sukiyaki recommended Orochi (Kurozumi descendant) as Shogun.
• Pages 15–17 — Oden charges the Flower Capital on his mount and storms the castle; cliffhanger: “Only after I’ve cut you in two,” over a panicking Orochi.

Open questions raised

• What is the “terrible incident in the past” the Kurozumi clan caused?
• Who is the crying figure on p. 2, and what did they ask Roger?
• What exactly is the “promise”/“promised day” the whales and Sea Kings await, and how does it tie to the Mermaid Princess’s birth?
• Why must Wano open specifically “before the day Joy Boy appears” — what does Oden know?