Chapters · Four Emperors (Yonko) › Wano Country

Chapter 977: The Party's Off!!!

Arc: Wano Country · Saga: Four Emperors (Yonko) · Released: 2020-04-13

Summary

On the eve of the Onigashima raid, Jinbei arrives at Wano surfing the Thousand Sunny in over the waves, and the Straw Hats — relieved and elated — move to toast their newest crewmate (p. 2-3). Aboard Law’s submarine the alliance leadership finalizes strategy: Hyogoro takes command of the samurai and Shishilian takes command of the minks so their leaders can fight freely (p. 4), while Kin’emon reveals that the “split-the-forces / sneak-the-rear-gate” plan he announced in front of the spy Kanjuro was a decoy — the real plan ferries the strike force by sea on Law’s sub, with Law landing them on the island (p. 5-7). A surprise explosion in the mist panics the allies, who fear the raid is blown — but it is only Luffy and the Straw Hats steamrolling the gun-fortress guards at the front-gate torii, clearing the checkpoint for the whole fleet (p. 8-13). The alliance sails on for Onigashima; the Kid Pirates race them for Kaido’s head, and Luffy promises “the biggest and best party yet” once the war is won (p. 14-15). Inside Onigashima’s feast, a drunk Kaido demands to know where his missing son is while Big Mom has wandered off to change into her kimono — and the chapter closes as all six Tobi Roppo arrive and Kaido roars to send them in (p. 16-17).

New reveals

• Jinbei has arrived at Wano on the Thousand Sunny, surfing it in over the waves as the crew’s master helmsman; the Straw Hats celebrate him as the newest member and try to toast “Jimbei joining the [crew]” (p. 2-3, 13-14). He was delayed tending the Sun Pirates’ wounded and giving them a big send-off.
• Kin’emon’s broadcast plan was a deliberate decoy. The announced plan — split forces, take both mountain paths, infiltrate the rear gate, ambush the drunk Kaido — was the version revealed in the traitor Kanjuro’s presence to deceive the enemy (p. 5). The REAL plan sends the core fighters around the back by sea on Law’s submarine, avoiding the whirlpools, with Law using his power to land them on the island (p. 6-7).
• Field-command handoffs: Hyogoro the Flower (former yakuza boss of Wano) will lead the samurai; Full-Power Shishilian (Captain of the Dogstorm Musketeers) will lead the minks — both so the alliance leaders can focus on their own fights (p. 4).
• The front-gate torii is a small fortress bristling with guns, the raid’s first big obstacle; the Straw Hats annihilate its guards in a surprise charge, clearing the checkpoint for the fleet (p. 8-13).
• Kaido has a son who is expected at the feast but is missing — Kaido, drunk, repeatedly demands “Where is my son?!” (p. 17). Big Mom has wandered off to change into her kimono (p. 17).
• All six Tobi Roppo have arrived at Onigashima for the feast; Kaido orders them sent in (p. 16-17). Shown only as silhouetted feet — no member identified yet.

Foreshadowing seeds planted

Payoffs (seeds from earlier chapters that resolve here)

Mentions / appearances

• Straw Hats: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Nico Robin, Franky, Brook, Tony Tony Chopper, Jinbei — Straw Hat Pirates
• Alliance: Kin’emon (Akazaya Nine), Trafalgar Law (Heart Pirates), Hyogoro, Shishilian (Captain of the Dogstorm Musketeers, Minks), Inuarashi, Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance
• Rival raiders: Eustass Kid (“Jaggy”), Killer — Kid Pirates
• Enemy / Onigashima: Kaido, the Tobi Roppo — Animal Kingdom Pirates
• Referenced (not shown): Orochi, Big Mom (off-panel — wandered off to change into her kimono, p17), Kanjuro (the spy deceived by the decoy plan), Kozuki Oden (invoked: the alliance fight as Oden’s vassals), Kaido’s unnamed son
• Groups / lore: Sun Pirates, Fire Festival, SMILE (Killer’s forced laughter)
• Cover story: Lola, Charlotte Chiffon, Capone Pez, Pound

Notable panels

• Page 1 (cover story): “Gang Bege’s Oh My Family, Vol. 24: ‘Lola?! Chiffon?! The sisters are reunited!’” — the Charlotte twins Lola and Chiffon embrace joyfully; Chiffon holds baby Pez; their father Pound looks on. (Cover-story B-plot — defer to cover-tracker.)
• Page 2: Splash — Jinbei surfs the Thousand Sunny in over the waves; the crew shouts his name in relief.
• Page 5: Map panel of Onigashima — the giant skull mountain, the front gate (only entrance), and the rear gate per the acquired mansion plans; this is the decoy plan revealed to Kanjuro.
• Page 9-10: Action montage — Zoro, then Robin and Sanji wiping out the torii-gate guards in the mist.
• Page 11-12: The gun-fortress torii gate revealed; Zoro found the guards drinking; the checkpoint is cleared.
• Page 14: Luffy grins ear-to-ear — ”…THE BIGGEST AND BEST PARTY YET!!!”
• Page 16-17: Silhouetted feet — “THE TOBI ROPPO… HAVE ARRIVED!!”; Kaido bellows “SEND THEM IN!!!”

Open questions raised

• Who is Kaido’s son, and why is he absent from the feast?
• Who are the six Tobi Roppo, and what are their powers?
• Will Law’s sea-route insertion of the strike force stay hidden from the enemy now that the decoy plan was the one Kanjuro carried?
• Does the alliance know Kanjuro is the traitor yet, or only Kin’emon’s inner circle?