Hatchan’s Sea-Floor Stroll, Vol. 29: “The Starving Catfish Village Meets Hachi”. Not long after Octopako has left, Hatchan’s party finds the catfish village, with Camie and Pappag bursting in tears at their plight.
Vivi gets ready for her speech. She has important news for her father and Igaram. Meanwhile, the Straw Hat Pirates continue to battle the Marines’ Black Cage Corps, led by Captain Black Cage Hina. Mr. 2 and his men act as decoys so that the Straw Hats can escape and get to Vivi’s ceremony. He and his men then board the Marine ship and unleash hell upon the Marines. Luffy and the others shed tears, saying that they would never forget their sacrifice.
Igaram awakens in a sweat from a nightmare of Vivi announcing her intentions of becoming a pirate. He frantically rushes to her room and barges inside, where he instead finds her being fitted for a dress by his wife, Terracotta, and another palace servant, quickly earning their ire for his intrusion. Dumbfounded and embarrassed, he is beaten up and kicked out when it’s determined that he doesn’t actually have anything to say. Upon exiting, he notices Cobra has been there as well. Cobra tells Igaram that his wife is a scary woman, revealing he’s been beat up as well.
This infuriates Igaram, who asks the king what exactly he tried to do. Vivi wonders if her dress is too tight, but Terracotta tells her that this is exactly what a princess should look like. She comments on how the town square is already filling up with people, despite telling them that the princess’ speech wasn’t until 10 a.m. She resolves that it only makes sense, however, as the speech has been delayed for 2 years: Vivi was originally supposed to give her coming-of-age speech when she was 14 years old. Vivi wonders if she can say anything of…
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This infuriates Igaram, who asks the king what exactly he tried to do. Vivi wonders if her dress is too tight, but Terracotta tells her that this is exactly what a princess should look like. She comments on how the town square is already filling up with people, despite telling them that the princess’ speech wasn’t until 10 a.m. She resolves that it only makes sense, however, as the speech has been delayed for 2 years: Vivi was originally supposed to give her coming-of-age speech when she was 14 years old. Vivi wonders if she can say anything of note, but Terracotta assures her that she only needs to show that she has matured into adulthood.
Cobra has arranged for every Arabasta citizen to hear her speech. In another area, Chaka mentions to Igaram that there is no longer anything they can do about the battle at their port. At port, the Straw Hats have begun battle with the Marines. Luffy yells at them to fire cannonballs, since he can actually bounce those back, as the Going Merry’s hull has been pierced by several iron spears. Nami instructs the crew to brace for more, and Chopper, who has been doing the patchwork for the damage, indicates that he cannot keep up.
They are outnumbered eight ships to one, and the Marine ship formation they are surrounded by makes chasing or escaping from them near impossible. Jango and Fullbody brag about their unit’s formation. Luffy is surprised because he remembers that Jango was a pirate, while Sanji doesn’t remember Fullbody at all. Fullbody boasts about his new abilities, and Jango attempts to hypnotize the crew, but they are blindsided by a devastating blow to their ship. Luffy mistakenly believes it was Usopp, and praises him accordingly.
As Usopp tries to brag about the exploit, Mr. 2’s subordinates inform him there is a problem, in the form of “Black Cage” Hina. Luffy is clueless as to who this is, and Bon Kurei attempts to explain. Hina’s fleet is seen approaching the crew. She comments that they’ve weakened the Straw Hats, but warns her subordinates not to get too cocky.
She implores them all to stand back once they reach them, as they will only get in the way. Bon Kurei is frantically explaining to the Straw Hats that they need to escape through the opening that they’ve created to the south. Luffy tells him he can go, but that the Straw Hats will be staying. Bon Kurei is appalled by this, as Nami explains that they made a promise to be at the Eastern Port. He wonders if they are doing this for the sake of some treasure, to which Luffy happily responds that they will be picking up a friend.
Bon Kurei is even further taken aback by this, surprised that the crew would go to such lengths for a friend. Back in town, the square has completely filled up to witness Princess Vivi deliver her speech. In the palace, Cobra enters his daughter’s chambers (with her permission this time). He begins talking, but before he can finish his thought, he is pleasantly surprised by how much Vivi resembles her mother. Vivi mentions that she has something important to discuss, and both Cobra and Igaram brace themselves for the worst.
Aboard the Going Merry, Bon Kurei’s subordinates are confused by his sudden change in behavior. He asks them and the Straw Hats alike if they can eat a meal the same after knowing that they abandoned a friend who was risking themselves to save another friend. On Hina’s ship, one of the Marines notices that the Going Merry and Bon Kurei’s ship are now going in opposite directions. He concludes that Bon Kurei’s ship must be a decoy for the Straw Hats to escape with the Merry. However, after spotting the Straw Hats aboard Bon Kurei’s ship, he tells Hina instead that the Going Merry must actually be the decoy.
Hina spots Luffy aboard Bon Kurei’s ship with her binoculars to confirm, and she immediately closes in on the vessel. Nami comments that they now have three minutes and need to move full speed ahead. Having closed the gap to Bon Kurei’s ship, Hina confronts the Straw Hats. Upon closer inspection, however, it is revealed that they are actually being impersonated by various members of Bon Kurei’s crew, while he himself used his powers to copy Luffy’s appearance. One of Hina’s men comments on how the Going Merry is now headed back to Alubarna’s eastern port, and Bon Kurei chides Hina for falling into his trap. He announces his crew’s reputation as masters of disguise and, more importantly, their status as friends of Luffy. With this, he challenges Hina to come at him if she dares, and the battle ensues. As the Straw Hats sail away, Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, and Sanji promise to never forget Bon Kurei’s sacrifice.
