СпойлерOne Piece Chapter 522: "A Fatal Disease" CP9's Independent Report, Vol. 28: "We Won't Let You Disturb Our Home" 2 Hancock: Your name is Luffy, yes...? We will depart in the morn. / The Kuja Pirate will see you as far as the Shabondy Archipelago. // Tonight, I suggest you rest in preparation for the long journey. Luffy: Like I said, you guys... // It's "Ku"!!! "Ku"!! Kuja: Oh, that's funny, Luffy~~~~!! Sweetpea: "Ku"?! Luffy: Yeah, "Ku"!! Daisy: I see! "Ku"!! Kikyou: Such an undignified dance... ThatOneKuja: So "men" stick chopsticks in their nose and mouth... and dance with strainers......... 3 Luffy: Hmm? "Gorgon-what"?! CookKuja: It's a "Penne Gorgonzola with Sea King" - it's a specialty of the Isle of Women! Kuja: Wow~~! He really does stretch!♡ Luffy: ! Kuja: Yes, yes, that's enough. // Awww... one more go! // No, no... you'll never want to stop. Luffy: ......!! / Man, this Sea King stuff is tasty...... // Ahh, stop that already!! How am I meant to eat with people poking me and stretching me! ThatOneKuja: Well, it can't really be helped... you're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?! // Everybody wants to take this opportunity to experience a real live "man"... // See - you're so popular! [sign: 1 Touch / 20 Gol] Kuja: Luffy-sama~~!♡ Luffy: Stop making a business out of me!!! 4 Kuja: Aww, c'mon, Luffy-cha~~~n!♡ // Let us have a touch~~~!♡ // Let us have a poke~~~~!♡ Luffy: Quit it!! I can't eat with all this... / Hey!!! Kuja: Aaahhhhh, Luffy-sama~~~~!♡ Luffy: Guaaaaahhhhhh~~~~~! Kuja: Huh? // Noooo! He got away!! // I didn't get to touch him yet~~! Luffy: *pant*... *pant*... Margaret: (We'd better hide...!!) Kuja: He must still be somewhere nearby!! We have to find him and touch him~~~~!! Luffy: Awww... I could only carry this much food... Margaret: .........Still, you must be glad. You're going back to your friends, just like you wanted. Luffy: Hm? Yeah... I'm sorry for all the trouble I've been making for you. // I mean, I was real scared when you got turned to stone... Margaret: But then you protected us, didn't you? I've heard all about it. // Thank you, Luffy! 5 Nyon: What is it nyow, Margaret? Margaret: Well, Luffy's got a little too popular with the women of the village......... Luffy: Ahh!! Old bean lady!! Nyon: Well, meeting a man is a rare experience for them... you should probably stay out of sight for the moment. // And who are you calling a "bean"?!!! // It looks like you already have food... Margaret, make the boy some tea. Margaret: Right! Luffy: You sure do like newspapers, huh~? Nyon: They're nyot too easy to get hold of out here, you knyow... The Nyews Coo don't deliver to the Calm Belt... // But our Empress is a Shichibukai, after all... / It would hardly do for her nyot to knyow the state of world affairs. Luffy: A Shichibukai?? Who?? Nyon: Hmm? / Hebihime, of course... 6 Luffy: Whaaaaaaaaaaa~~~~~~??!! // .................. / She's......?!! A Shichibukai?! Then... is she actually really, really strong?! Nyon: ...You're a pirate, and you didn't even knyow that? Luffy: N... No, I didn't... Nyon: Do you nyot read nyewspapers, then? Luffy: No... I don't... // Man... this is a surprise... Nyon: It was eleven years ago nyow that Hebihime became the Empress of this land and Captain of the Kuja Pirates... // She was still young back then, but after a single campaign... / ...she earned herself a bounty of 80,000,000. // Together with the already-infamous name of the Kuja, this earned her the immediate attention of Central... // They approached her right away, cautious of her potential, and offered her the position of Shichibukai... // But now, she is in danger of losing that title... 7 Luffy: WHAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~?!! // Wh - Wh - Wh - Whoa, whoa, slow down! I can't take in all this at once! // You're saying the Shichibukai and Marine HQ...... / ...are going to battle against the Whitebeard Pirates?!! // That's crazy! What's going to happen now?!! Nyon: You really do shock me... there are limits to ignorance, you knyow!! Nyothing is certain just yet, of course... // ...but in all probability, yes, battle is imminent!!! // It was the World Government who brought about this situation... Whitebeard is nyot a man who would ever allow the death of a nakama. // Yet in full awareness of this... // The World Government have announced the public execution... // ...of Whitebeard's elite subordinate, Portgas D Ace...!!! 8 Luffy: ......!! ...Who? Nyon: Ace......... "Fire-Fist Ace". Margaret: .........What's wrong? Luffy: Ace is going to be executed?! Nyon: Yes, it seems that a pirate named "Blackbeard"... / ...captured "Fire-Fist Ace" for the Government... Luffy: Blackbeard......... Nyon: And insodoing earned himself a place in the Shichibukai... // Having suddenly come into possession of such a major prize, it seems that Central have decided... // ...to make use of this "Ace" pirate... Luffy: Old lady......!! Old lady... // That's my brother.........!!! // Ace is my big brother!!! Nyon: ?!! 9 Nyon: .........What......?!!! Margaret: ...............?! Nyon: Is this true?! He is your elder brother?! Luffy: I didn't even know he'd been captured... and now he's being executed?!! / There's no running from a thing like that...!! Nyon: ...Hmmmm! If Whitebeard prevails in this battle... // ...it is possible that he may still be saved... Luffy: What do I do...?!! Where are they holding this execution?! Nyon: Mmm... it says here that the location is to be the plaza of Mariejoa, home of Marine Headquarters... / ...in "one week's time" - so from today, that would be six days. Luffy: What~?!! But that's so soon!!! // How long does it take to get from here to the Shabondy Archipelago?!! Nyon: ......Well, it would doubtless take longer than a week... Luffy: ...But then before I even meet up with my crew... / ...it's all going to be over for Ace!! Margaret: ......... 10 Luffy: ......How long would it take to get to Ace from here, then? Nyon: To Impel Down, where he is currently imprisoned...... it would take a week by pirate ship... or four days by Marine vessel...!! Luffy: Why? Are the Marine ships that much faster?! Nyon: There are certain currents set aside exclusively for Marine usage...... [Top label: Marine HQ / (Marinford)] [Top X label: Shabondy Archipelago] [Right label: Great Gaol / Impel Down] [bottom-left label: Enies Lobby] [bottom X box label: Current location] [bottom X label: Amazon Lily] Nyon: Enies Lobby... / Impel Down... / And Marine Headquarters. // A mighty spiral current has been harnessed to connect these three organisations. / By opening the "Gates of Justice", gigantic gates present at all three locations... // ...the currents can be caused to rush in, allowing access to these three locations. // In other words, if the gates are not open, a ship caught in the current would simply sweep straight on by. 11 Nyon: As such, a pirate ship would be forced to avoid the whirlpool currents... // ...taking the longer route around...!!! Luffy: What am I meant to do.........?!! Nyon: What do you wish to do? Luffy: ........................!!! Nyon: Is that... your brother's Vivre Card?! Margaret: ...Is that the moving paper that was so important to you? Luffy: No, this is a different one. It's Ace's. Nyon: Also known as the "Paper of Life"... a Vivre Card indicates the direction and life-force of its owner. Margaret: .........!! ...Then... the reason it's so small... Luffy: It was about ten times this size when I first got it. Margaret: !! Luffy: Ace has his own adventure to follow!! / And my brother's a strong guy... if I said I wanted to save him... he'd only get mad at me. Flashback!Ace: Y'know, when a guy has a messed-up little brother......... // ...it's only natural to worry about him. Luffy: ...But... 12 Luffy: I'm sorry, guys...!!! .........!! // I'm going to have to take a bit of a detour!!! // I want to go and save Ace!!! Nyon: ......!! // You are aware, I hope... / ...of just how reckless an endeavour that would be... just what kind of scale of war this is? // You would be as an ant leaping into a raging storm...!! / You may well simply be flung around, unable to do a thing, until you meet your own end... Luffy: I don't care about any of that! I want to go!!! / ...I can't just sit around somewhere doing nothing while a thing like this is going on!!! Nyon: Very well.........!! So you wish to save a prisoner with the eyes of the entire world upon him... 13 Nyon: .........And to have even the most miniscule chance of achieving this goal... / ...you must head, without delay, to the Great Gaol where he is currently held prisoner... // If you wait until he is transferred to the execution ground in Marinford, then the Marine Admirals, as well as the Shichibukai... / ...will be present to guard him... // ...Although naturally, since your brother is currently the single most important prisoner in the world... / ...even at the Gaol itself, he will doubtless be guarded by an extremely powerful force... // Why, even entering the place should be impossible. Luffy: Forget what I do once I arrive - the important thing is how I get there!! / I have to get to the gaol while Ace is still there...!!! // If you've got a gigantic oar or something... I could row with all my strength...... Nyon: Wait, wait... this is nyot a problem that can be solved with brute force... / It is still something of a long shot, but... / The call for the Shichibukai to assemble, which Hebihime has thus far been obstinately rejecting... / If she were instead to respond to it... // ...she may be able to take advantage of the situation to get you onto a Marine battleship. Luffy: A battleship?! You've got a Marine ship I could use?! // Then I'll go and ask her, right away!!! 14 [Text: Amazon Lily, Kuja Castle] Enishida: Elder Nyon!! Nyon: What is it, Enishida...? Enishida: Thank goodness! I was just about to go and call for you... Nyon: Hmm? What has happened, exactly......? Enishida: Well......!! / *pant* / Hebihime-sama seems to have collapsed... Nyon/Luffy: ?!! Enishida: ...from an unidentified disease............!!! Nyon/Luffy: Whaaaaaaat?!! At a time like this?!! 15 Sandersonia: Hang in there, Sister......!! Hancock: ...............!! / *pant* // *pant* Marigold: Sister......!! // Ahh... Elder Nyon......!! Nyon: Boy - you wait outside for a moment......!! Luffy: Sure... but I'm really in a hurry here - Nyon: I am aware of that!!! Hancock: *pant*... / *pant*... // The pain......!!! Belladonna: She has been clutching her chest all this time, so I think it may be a problem with her heart...!! // But honestly, I simply don't know... I've never seen symptoms like these before...... / I have no idea what medicine to prescribe...!! Enishida: Hebihime-sama looks like she's in so much pain............!! // She won't even eat any of the food we give her... 16 Nyon: ......... // Tomorrow morning... // !! Hancock: Aaahhh!! Belladonna: Hebihime-sama?!! Nyon: ......!! Of course... // ......Ahh, to think that this could......!! // ...This virus... it always strikes at the least appropriate of times...!!! Enishida: What?! A virus?! Belladonna: Do you have some kind of idea what this is?! Hancock: ......E... Elder Nyon... it hurts...... / *pant* // Am I......... / *pant* // ...going to die..................? Nyon: ......... // Yes... you will... Marigold: Wha... // What are you saying?!!! Elder Nyon, this is no time for bad jokes!! 17 Nyon: It was of this disease... that the previous Empress died.........!! / And as far as I am aware, it was the same for her predecessor......... People: ?!! Nyon: In truth, even I fled this island thanks to this very same disease... though I managed to survive it... People: ...............?! Nyon: We have a request to make of you. Will you at least hear me out? Hancock: .........!! Sandersonia: Now, wait one moment, Elder Nyon!! She is in no condition to be...!! Nyon: It matters nyot......!! May I ask you all... to leave the room? People: What?! But - ! Nyon: (...What incredible fortune!! Monkey D Luffy... have you actually managed to shift this mountain that no other could budge?!!) Hancock: So what is it you wish of me...... Luffy? Luffy: Well... / I kind of need a favour. But are you sure you're okay, with your sickness and all? Hancock: As though I would allow a mere disease to overcome me......!! 18 Sisters: .........!! Luffy: Well, the pirate from Whitebeard's crew who's going to be executed... / ...he's called Ace... / ...is actually my brother!! I really want to save him!!! // But a pirate ship won't make it in time... // Please!! Would you board the Marine ship that's here to pick you up... / ...and take me to the Gaol where Ace is being held captive?!!! Sisters: ?!! / What ridiculous nonsense is this?!!! Straw Hat Luffy...!!! / Even after hearing about the hardships our Sister has been through... / ...you ask her to return to that accursed "holy" land?! / You are truly terrible!!! // Show a man a little sympathy, and he will try to squeeze anything and everything he can out of it...!!! // There is a limit to how much our Sister will put up with, you know!! She'll turn you to stone and drop you from the edge of this castle!!! // Do it, Sister!!! Hancock: You want me......... / ...to respond to the call for the Shichibukai...? // If that is your request... 19 Hancock: Then I... // ...shall go wherever you may wish. Luffy: All right!!! Thank you!!! // Now I can make it there before the execution!!! Sisters: !!! / H...!! // Hebihime... actually agreed to go to Central!!! // What on Earth is going on, Elder Nyon?!!! Nyon: Hebihime's disease...... is lovesickness!!! / Yes...... it was love that killed her predecessors!!! // It is just as they say in the East... // "Love... is always a hurricane!!!"