One Piece Chapter 517: Bath Time

00AI-written

The chapter opens with the title text, "Chapter 517: \"BATH TIME\"." The cover story continues as "CP9 INDEPENDENT ACTION REPORT VOL. 24: \"CP9 LEAVES SAINT POPLA.\"" A sailing ship moves across open water under full canvas, with the CP9 members visible aboard as they depart the town that had become unsafe for them. The sea is calm but heavily shaded, birds circle overhead, and the vessel looks small against the wide horizon. The cover image has no direct connection to Luffy's current Amazon Lily crisis, but it continues the independent CP9 side story: after the previous town scenes, they have now left Saint Popla by ship. Scanner-hosting boilerplate below the artwork is unrelated and ignored.

CP9 members

The enormous gates of Amazon Lily open with a heavy "GAKON..." as someone commands, "OPEN THE GATES!!!" and the cry spreads: "LADY HEBIHIME HAS RETURNED!!!" The Kuja Pirates' ship passes through the mountain gate while the city erupts in welcome. Women wave from the road and buildings, shouting, "WELCOME HOME!!!" and "WELCOME HOME, KUJA PIRATES!!" The Yuda sea snakes pull the vessel into the inner harbor, their long necks rising above the crowd. One group cheers, "WE GOT A HUGE HAUL!! ZAHAHAHAHA!!" while others call out names in excitement, including "KYAAA, RAN!! DAISY!!" The page turns Hancock's return into a public celebration: the whole island crowds around the route, delighted by the pirates' safe return and their plunder, while the forbidden man crisis remains hidden offstage.

Boa HancockKuja PiratesKuja womenRanDaisyYuda sea snakes

The Gorgon Sisters disembark in triumph. Boa Hancock strides at the center, long hair and cloak flowing, while Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold flank her and the crowd showers them with admiration. Women cry, "LADY HEBIHIME!!!" "HER BEAUTY KNOWS NO BOUNDS!!" "LADY SANDER-SONIA!!" and "LADY MARIGOLD!!" Children gush, "THEY'RE SO COOL!!!" and "I'M GONNA JOIN THEM SOMEDAY!" while others shout, "KYAAAA!!! IT'S THE GORGON SISTERS!!" A Kuja attendant thanks Hancock for her work and says, "WE HAVE PREPARED YOUR CARRIAGE." Hancock, however, immediately turns to the state of the country and asks, "HAS ANYTHING CHANGED HERE?" The answer comes carefully: "NO, NOT A THING..." The lie is heavy, because Luffy's intrusion has already broken the island's deepest rule, but the people dare not disturb their beloved empress.

Boa HancockBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja womenKuja children

The Kuja unload plunder in the city, displaying goods from the voyage. One woman proudly says, "THIS IS AN AMAZING HAUL!! STEEL, GUNPOW-DER, SAKE, AND PRODUCE FROM THE NORTH!!" Another explains, "WE PLUNDERED TWO MERCHANT SHIPS AND A PIRATE SHIP. AND RIGHT BEFORE WE GOT BACK, WE TOOK THE CARGO OF A GOVERNMENT SHIP!" Elder Nyon appears among the crowd and asks, "RAN, DID YOU GET ANY BOOKS?" When addressed as "ELDER NYON!" she is handed a paper: "THE GOVERNMENT SHIP WE MET JUST NOW HAD THIS NEWSPAPER. HERE YOU GO." The scene then cuts to Amazon Lily, Kuja Castle, where the citizens call, "WELCOME BACK!" and "WELCOME BACK, LADY HEBIHIME." From within the castle approach, Hancock notices something and asks her attendant, "... ENISHIDA, WHAT IS THIS?" The question points toward a gift waiting inside the palace.

Boa HancockElder NyonRanEnishidaKuja PiratesKuja women

Enishida explains the object placed in Hancock's room: "A CLAY STATUE OF YOU, LADY HEBIHIME, THAT THE CHILDREN FROM THE VILLAGE WORKED VERY HARD ON." Another attendant says, "THEY EVEN PAINTED IT... I'M SURE THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM." Enishida adds, "THEY CARRIED IT TO THE CASTLE VERY CAREFULLY, SO AS NOT TO BREAK IT. IT WAS VERY CUTE..." Hancock studies the handmade statue, which awkwardly imitates her face and pose, and says only, "I SEE... THEY MADE ME OUT OF CLAY..." Then she suddenly smashes it apart with a violent crash. An attendant screams, "IT'S RUINING THE DECOR OF THIS ROOM..." while Hancock declares, "IT'S SO UGLY...!!" and orders, "DON'T BRING SUCH FILTHY THINGS INTO THE CASTLE!! JUST THROW IT AWAY AND CLEAN UP THE FLOOR!! MORE IMPORTANTLY, ENISHIDA..." The children's devotion means nothing to her when it offends her sense of beauty.

Boa HancockEnishidaBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja attendants

Hancock asks why the warriors are not at the port to defend the kingdom: "I DIDN'T SEE THE WARRIORS DEFENDING OUR KINGDOM AT THE PORT." Enishida nervously explains, "... AH, ABOUT THAT... IT SEEMS THAT A DANGEROUS 'MONKEY' WAS SPOTTED IN THE JUNGLE... AND SO, THEY ALL WENT TO SUBDUE IT!! BUT DO NOT WORRY, THEY WILL RETURN SOON. MY APOLOGIES THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE YOU." Hancock dismisses the matter: "A MONKEY...? WELL, WHATEVER..." One of her snake companions murmurs "NYORO NYORO" as she asks, "WOULD YOU LIKE SOMETHING TO DRINK?" Hancock settles in regally and replies, "BRING ME SOME WHITE SAKE." The snake, curled around her chair, adds, "MIGHT I HAVE A CUP AS WELL!!?" The page shows how successfully the Kuja have hidden Luffy's presence: to Hancock, the island's emergency has been reduced to a vague jungle animal problem.

Boa HancockEnishidaBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldHancock's snake

Elder Nyon suddenly appears in Hancock's room, startling everyone. Hancock demands, "ELDER NYON...!! THIS IS MY ROOM, WHY ARE YOU IN HERE?" The old woman snaps back, "I CAN ENTER FROM WHEREVER I WANT...!!" Sandersonia and Marigold react in shock, "E... ELDER NYON...!!" and "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!?" Hancock coldly says, "THROW HER OUT!" but Elder Nyon shouts, "WAIT, HEBIHIME!!!" Hancock reminds her of the proper address, "... HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN MY TITLE?" Elder Nyon corrects herself through gritted urgency: "... EXCUSE ME, LADY HEBIHIME...!!" and gets to the point: "THERE'S A GOVERNMENT SHIP ANCHORED IN THE WATERS NEAR HERE, ISN'T THERE...?" The interruption pierces Hancock's private comfort, forcing the issue of the Marine summons back into the castle despite Hancock's irritation.

Boa HancockElder NyonBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja attendants

Elder Nyon lays out the situation plainly: "THAT SHIP HAS COME TO RETRIEVE YOU. AM I WRONG? THE GOVERNMENT HAS ORDERED YOU TO ASSEMBLE, AND HAS SENT THEM TO ESCORT YOU, RIGHT?" Hancock lounges on her throne and answers, "YES, IT IS AN INVITATION TO WAR..." Elder Nyon erupts, "WHY DIDN'T YOU GO!! YOU MUST GO WITH THEM!!!" She warns that as long as Hancock cooperates, the treaty will be upheld and Hancock's life will never be in danger. Hancock covers her mouth and replies theatrically, "But... I'm so scared..." Elder Nyon immediately melts, heart-eyed, saying, "HAWAWA!! SHE'S JUST LIKE A PUPPY..." while an attendant scolds, "NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR THAT!!! ELDER NYON..." The page balances comedy and serious politics: Elder Nyon knows the danger to Amazon Lily, but Hancock's beauty and performance still overpower even the old former empress.

Boa HancockElder NyonBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja attendants

Elder Nyon explains why Hancock's position matters beyond pride. The castle and mountain defenses loom as she says, "RIGHT NOW... OUR COUNTRY... IS BEING PROTECTED BY YOUR STATUS AS A SHICHIBUKAI." Long ago, the Calm Belt was their greatest defense, protecting them from foreign invaders. But now, the Government has developed technology that allows its ships to cross that sea. In the throne room, Elder Nyon presses on: because Hancock is a Shichibukai, the Government does not interfere with Amazon Lily despite the Kuja Pirates' actions. If Hancock loses her title and the island returns to being just another pirate country, "IT WILL END IN TRAGEDY!!!" Elder Nyon shouts, "WE HAVE CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY HERE, TOO!!!" Hancock, sipping calmly, asks, "ARE YOU JUST WORRIED FOR YOUR OWN WELL-BEING?" Elder Nyon denies fear for herself: she has lived a good life and does not care when she dies, then offers a crystal ball to illuminate Hancock's future.

Boa HancockElder NyonBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldHancock's snake

Elder Nyon tries to use her crystal ball, crying "CRYSTAL BALL: GO," but Hancock cuts her off with blunt fury: "YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!!!" She orders, "THROW HER OUT!!!" and the attendants answer, "YES, IMMEDI-ATELY!!" Elder Nyon protests, "WAIT!! HEBIHIME!!" Hancock then addresses her by name and status: "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE...? YOUR TIME IS LONG OVER... FORMER-FORMER-FORMER EMPRESS OF AMAZON LILY, GLORIOSA!!" Gloriosa flinches, exposed. Hancock insists that even if the country is destroyed, all will forgive her, "BECAUSE OF MY WHIMS..." and repeats the reason: "AFTER ALL... THAT IS BECAUSE I'M BEAUTIFUL!!" She leans backward so far that she is somehow looking down on everyone from below, prompting a comment: "THERE YOU GO AGAIN!! LADY HEBIHIME, THAT POSE SHOWS YOU LOOK DOWN ON OTHERS TOO MUCH!! BUT RATHER THAN LOOKING DOWN, YOU'RE LOOKING UP!!"

Boa HancockGloriosaBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja attendants

Gloriosa refuses to be silenced and accuses Hancock directly: "YOU'RE A TRAITOR TO THE KUJA WHO, WHILE YOU WERE THE EMPRESS, ABANDONED THIS COUNTRY AND WENT OUT TO SEA!!! AND THEN YOU SHAMELESSLY CAME BACK." She says the only reason Hancock was accepted back was because the previous empress showed her mercy. Hancock grabs Gloriosa by the face, making the old woman cry, "OW OW OW...!!" and answers, "THEN YOU JUST GO ON LIVING THAT WAY... I AM THE EMPRESS NOW, AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO ME!!" Attendants gasp, "LADY HEBIHIME!!!" Gloriosa, squeezed and humiliated, still manages to say, "BUT, I CANNOT HELP BUT ADMIRE YOUR PASSION. IT'S MY LOSS..." Hancock releases or tosses her aside, and Gloriosa twists the exchange into hope: "SO YOU UNDERSTAND, HEBIHIME... I'M GLAD THAT I SPOKE WITH YOU!! THANK YOU!! SO YOU'LL GO FOR US!!?"

Boa HancockGloriosaBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja attendants

For a moment Hancock smiles and says, "JUST KIDDING. DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY." Then she shouts, "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!" and Gloriosa is blasted or thrown out of the castle window with a violent impact. The attendants scream, "OOOOHH-HHH!!!" and one cries, "DAMN YOU, HEBI-HIMEEE!!" Hancock coolly claims, "I slipped..." then sweetly adds, "OH YES, YES, THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME." Down below, Gloriosa does not die. She falls hard and rebounds into a landing with "HAIYAA!!!" while the women shout, "ELDER NYON!?" She crosses her arms, breathing hard, and declares, "I MAY HAVE GROWN OLD, BUT I'M STILL A KUJA WARRIOR!!" The page turns Hancock's cruelty into another exaggerated gag, but it also shows Gloriosa's resilience and the old authority she still carries despite being discarded.

Boa HancockGloriosaBoa SandersoniaBoa MarigoldKuja attendants

A bell rings through the castle with "KANKAN-KANKAN!!!" and the announcement spreads: "IT IS NOW TIME FOR... LADY HEBIHIME'S BATH!!!" The castle is cleared immediately. Guards order, "GET OUT OF THE CASTLE AT ONCE!!" and attendants herd everyone away while people protest, "... B... BUT I'M EATING." They are told, "LADY HEBIHIME IS TAKING A BATH! NO, NO, WE HAVE TO HURRY!! QUICKLY, GET OUTSIDE...!!" Outside, the crowd gathers in the streets and shops. A woman carrying food remarks, "OH, IT'S BATH TIME..." while another explains, "THE STORES ARE GONNA GET CROWDED WITH EVERYONE FROM THE CASTLE OUT HERE." Even the warriors outside seem to understand the ritual. The page establishes the bath as a strict, island-wide privacy rule: when Hancock bathes, the castle becomes empty and forbidden, creating a dangerous opening for anyone who does not know the custom.

Kuja attendantsKuja womenBoa Hancock

Outside the castle, banners marked with the Kuja skull emblem are raised, and a note identifies them as "BATH TIME" banners. The announcement is absolute: "FROM NOW ON, ENTERING THE CASTLE IS FORBID-DEN!!!" Children ask why every time Lady Hebihime bathes it becomes such a big deal, wondering whether she simply does not want to be seen naked that much. An older child says it is about "THE SECRET... OF THE THREE GORGON SISTERS" and begins the legend. She explains that the "GORGON" was a monster who lived long ago in the Central Sea, a fearsome being that would turn you to stone if you looked her in the eyes. In the illustration, the Gorgon is shown as a many-eyed, monstrous figure with serpentine hair and staring eyes. The children listen wide-eyed, linking Hancock's bath privacy to myth, curse, and forbidden sight.

Kuja childrenBoa HancockBoa SandersoniaBoa Marigold

The child continues the legend: Lady Hebihime and her sisters somehow managed to defeat the Gorgon monster, but with her last breath, the Gorgon placed a terrible curse on them. The monster's huge eyes were engraved on Lady Hebihime and her sisters' backs. The explanation becomes the reason for the bath ritual: when the sisters take off their clothes and reveal the eyes, all those close by are turned to stone by the curse. That is why the Gorgon Sisters never take off their clothes when anyone is around, and why they prevent anyone from coming close while they bathe by putting up the barriers. A younger child reacts, "...!! SO THAT'S WHY..." The older child says the curse is also the pride of the Kuja and their warrior nation, proof that the sisters fought bravely. The listeners accept it completely, saying they understand and that Lady Hebihime is amazing, while the castle stands silent behind its bath-time barricade.

Kuja childrenBoa HancockBoa SandersoniaBoa Marigold

In the Island of Women jungle, the Kuja warriors continue searching for Luffy. One asks, "WHERE DID HE GO?" and another reports, "HE CLIMBED UP THE MOUNTAIN!!" Marguerite worries, "HE COULDN'T HAVE GONE BACK INTO THE VILLAGE, COULD HE? HE WAS LOOKING FOR A BOAT!!" High on the wall, Luffy balances and thinks through his next move: "WHAT DO I DO NOW...? IF I JUST STAY HERE, THEY'LL FIND ME AGAIN." Remembering Marguerite's words, he says, "SHE SAID THEY HAD A PIRATE SHIP. IF I COULD BORROW IT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT..." But he immediately realizes the flaw: "... NO, NAMI'S NOT HERE. IF I SET SAIL ON MY OWN, I'D JUST BE ADRIFT." His new plan becomes social rather than nautical: "IT WOULD BE BEST IF I CAN HITCH A RIDE WITH THEM. I'LL JUST ASK THEM IF THEY'LL TAKE ME TO THE SHABONDY ARCHIPELAGO!!"

Monkey D. LuffyMargueriteKuja warriors

Luffy tries to reason out where to ask for help. He says, "THEN TO DO THAT, I'LL NEED TO MEET WITH SOMEONE IMPORTANT. IMPORTANT PEOPLE LIVE IN TALL BUILDINGS... SO... I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING A FEVER FROM THINKING TOO HARD." He spots the castle and decides, "ALL RIGHT, I'LL JUST ENTER A TALL BUILDING!! HERE WE GO!!" He launches himself from the wall toward the highest structure, stretching through the air and shouting "AAHHHH~!" In the jungle below, the warriors are still rushing back. Someone yells, "HURRY BACK TO THE VILLAGE!!!" and another says, "LADY HEBIHIME HAS PROBABLY ALREADY RETURNED!!" Their fear is precise: "IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE MESS IF THAT MAN IS DISCOVERED!!!" The page crosscuts Luffy's innocent logic with the Kuja's panic, making it clear he is headed directly toward the worst possible place at the worst possible time.

Monkey D. LuffyMargueriteKuja warriors

Luffy hits the castle roof hard and tries to brace himself, but the structure breaks beneath him. He shouts, "DOWAA!! IT BROKE!!" as he crashes through with a massive "GASHAAAN!!" From outside, the villagers look up in horror: "WHAT!!? THE ROOF OF THE CASTLE TOWER COLLAPSED!!" Another realizes, "ISN'T THAT WHERE LADY HEBIHIME IS TAKING HER BATH!?" Inside, Luffy plunges into hot bath water with a huge splash, yelling, "BUHOOO, IT'S WATER!!" Then he screams, "HOT HOT HOT!!!" and corrects himself, "NO, IT'S HOT WATER!!" As a Devil Fruit user, he panics as if drowning: "I'M DYING!! I'M DROWNING!! HELP..." The page fulfills the bath-time setup brutally: the forbidden castle has been emptied for Hancock's privacy, and Luffy has accidentally smashed straight into the most forbidden room on the island.

Monkey D. LuffyBoa HancockKuja women

Luffy flails in the bath until he realizes, "AH! NO, I CAN STAND!" Panting "ZEEH ZEEH," he looks around the steam-filled room and asks, "HUH!? THIS IS A BATH HOUSE?" Boa Hancock, wet and bare-backed in the bath, turns in shock and disbelief: "...? A MAN...!?" Luffy and Hancock lock eyes. As she starts to move, he glimpses the mark on her back and says, "HM? THAT THING ON YOUR BACK... I'VE SEEN IT SOMEWHERE..." The reaction is immediate and terrifying. Hancock's face tightens with rage and alarm; the huge close-up shows sweat, wide eyes, and a clenched expression as she says, "YOU SAW IT!!" The page shatters the public Gorgon myth into a private crisis. Luffy has not merely entered the forbidden bath; he has seen the hidden mark that Hancock and her sisters go to extreme lengths to conceal.

Monkey D. LuffyBoa Hancock

An SBS question corner appears with a small illustration of two characters holding swords. A reader asks Oda why One Piece volume releases have seemed closer to three-month intervals instead of the old pattern of two months, two months, three months, joking about burning adult books if Oda does not answer. Oda replies that three-month intervals have become common lately because of occasional Jump breaks and other work, so there usually is not enough material for a full book every two months. He says readers should think of the schedule as mostly three months, sometimes two months, and adds that because Jump Comics books have grown more expensive, the old eleven-chapter volume pattern is harder to maintain, so there will now be up to ten chapters of SBS. Another reader says they found Rakuyou/Rakyuuba in volume 52, page 39, rejoicing after being freed, and notes that unlike his earlier unconscious appearance, his tongue is not cut. Oda says it is great he did not die, but warns that biting through your tongue really can kill you.

OdaRakuyou

No description for this page.

End of chapter21 pages

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