Chapter 939

Zoro asks why she did not go with him, and Hiyori reveals that it was to ensure the Kouzuki Family’s bloodline would survive if the plan did not go right. She was taken care of by the retainer Kawamatsu, who managed to secretly take her out of the burning castle by digging down into the water channel and swimming through it. Kawamatsu had done everything he could to cheer her up, eventually breaking her out of her silence. They were separated when she was 13, but Hiyori is confident that he is waiting somewhere for the final battle. Zoro then tells her that Inuarashi and Nekomamushi are here, which overjoys her as she thought they had died.

Zoro notes the Nine Red Scabbards he has met and wonders who the remaining three are. Hiyori reveals that they are Kawamatsu, Denjiro, and Ashura Doji, and she does not know where any of them are, but is confident they will understand the secret message to the final battle. Zoro reveals that the shogunate found out about their rendezvous location and are arresting their allies, which worries him, but he decides to just rest for the time being. Hiyori gets excited about seeing her brother and retainers, but considers not doing so until after the final battle. In the Flower Capital’s Rasetsu District, Orochi’s forces throw the Kouzuki Family’s allies into a prison.

Fukurokuju mocks how they were exposed, and the prisoners try claiming that the crescent moon symbol on their bodies means nothing, but Fukurokuju replies that the accompanying messages in their possession leave no doubt. The citizens are able to see inside the prison and marvel at how many people were secretly loyal to the opposition, and Orochi’s forces use the prisoners as an example of what happens when you oppose Orochi and Kaidou. In the Prisoner Mines, Kawamatsu remarks from his cell that he wants to sumo wrestle as Alpacaman and Madilloman enter the Sumo Inferno ring. Madilloman proclaims that he will quickly put an end to Luffy and Hyougoro with his Seastone bullets, not caring about the audience’s pleas against such a quick ending. However, Luffy tells Hyougoro to run to the right, bend his knees, and jump.

Hyougoro does this, and in the process dodges Madilloman’s bullets, dodges Alpacaman’s spit, and headbutts Alpacaman on the chin. Hyougoro is stunned to see that Luffy can predict the future, and Luffy dodges Madilloman’s shots with ease, frustrating the Gifter. Luffy then moves to attack Madilloman, and Madilloman uses his armadillo SMILE to shield his head, but to his surprise Luffy does not hit him as he continues unsuccessfully attempting to project Armament Haki from his palm. Luffy then saves Hyo from Alpacaman, and Hyo wonders what Luffy is trying to do. Luffy explains the move he is trying to acquire, with the hope of using it to break through Kaidou’s scales. As they dodge their opponents’ attacks, Hyougoro realizes that Armament Haki is the outsiders’ term for an ability used by samurai to strengthen their swords, revealing that he learned this technique long ago. He then races toward Alpacaman and hits him with a powerful shockwave, defeating him. Luffy affirms that this is the exact technique he wants to learn, and asks Hyougoro to teach it to him.