One Piece Chapter 555: Oars and the Conical Hat

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Chapter title page: Chapter 555, "Oars and the Conical Hat." The cover begins Nami's short-term focused serial, "Nami's Weather Report," with Vol. 1 titled "Business on the Legendary Sky Island, Weatheria." Nami stands on the cloudlike sky island among elderly weather scholars, a floating weather instrument and a small cart of tools. This cover is separate from the Marineford battle, but it starts Nami's separated story by placing her in Weatheria, surrounded by people and devices connected to weather research.

NamiWeatheria scholars

At Marineford, the Giant Unit moves to stop Little Oars Jr. Marines shout that they are going after him and say his size is unbelievable, over twice the size of any giant. One Marine says this is the first time he has found himself looking up at someone, and another says it is their job to stop that beast. Oars pushes forward through cannon fire, carrying the Whitebeard Pirates' hopes with him. Ace cries that Oars must not, because at his size he will simply become a target, but Oars roars, "Ace!!! I'll be right there!!!"

Little Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceMarinesGiant UnitWhitebeard

Little Oars Jr. forces his way deeper into the bay. The Marines scream as he smashes a warship aside and opens a path through the frozen battlefield, and one shouts, "Oars has opened a path into the bay!!!" The pirate side yells "Charge!!!" and surges after him, using the route his massive body creates. Oars is wounded and under heavy fire, but his strength lets the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies advance toward the plaza. The page turns him into a living battering ram aimed at Ace's execution platform.

Little Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceWhitebeard PiratesMarinesWhitebeard allied captains

The Marines reinforce the inner bay while Oars keeps advancing. Vice Admiral Lacroix appears among the Marine forces, and Whitebeard tells his men there is a difference between being heroic and being plain suicidal. Oars shouts that he wants to save Ace as soon as possible and believes he can take down at least one Shichibukai, while Whitebeard orders others to go back Oars up. Marines shout that the plaza defense must be strengthened and that the pirates must not be allowed into the plaza no matter what.

Little Oars Jr.WhitebeardVice Admiral LacroixPortgas D. AceMarinesWhitebeard PiratesRoyal Shichibukai

Boa Hancock enters the fighting near Oars. Marines ask how they are supposed to fight an enemy this big, while others say that if they get distracted by Oars, the pirates will take them down themselves. Hancock casually petrifies fighters with "Slave Arrow!!!" and a Marine asks if she is the Pirate Empress. She attacks both pirates and Marines, cracking bodies into stone, and explains that she agreed to join the fight against Whitebeard but does not recall agreeing to ally herself with the Marines. To Hancock, enemy or ally, all men are alike, aside from one man.

Boa HancockLittle Oars Jr.MarinesWhitebeard PiratesRoyal Shichibukai

Hancock continues attacking indiscriminately. When a Marine protests, "Why, you... you're attacking Marine soldiers...!!!" Hancock says she kept her word by joining the fight against Whitebeard, but enemy or ally are all the same aside from that man. She says, "By virtue of my beauty," and uses "Perfume Femur!!!" to kick and shatter another opponent. Even hardened fighters are left staring or swooning at her, while one mutters about that woman. Her beauty and cruelty make her a chaotic weapon on the battlefield rather than a dependable Marine ally.

Boa HancockMarinesWhitebeard PiratesWhitebeardLuffy

Bartholomew Kuma uses a devastating paw-shaped blast, "Ursus Shock," against Little Oars Jr. The compressed attack explodes across the frozen bay, blowing apart ice and throwing fighters backward. Ace and the pirates cry out, "Oars!!!" as the giant staggers under the impact. Marines and pirates are both caught in the shockwave, and the scale of the blast shows why the Shichibukai are so dangerous even in a battle filled with giants, commanders and admirals. Oars is hurt badly, but the path to Ace still pulls him onward.

Bartholomew KumaLittle Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceMarinesWhitebeard PiratesRoyal Shichibukai

Even wounded, Oars keeps advancing. Ace shouts, "Just stop...!! You can't make it over here...!!" Oars asks what is happening and remembers Ace smiling as he says he learned how to make a conical hat in the land of Wano and urges Oars to try it on. Ace says he thought Oars was close to the sun and that the hat would cool him down, which is what people use straw for when they are made of fire. In the present, Marines order, "All fire at Oars!!!" while Ace smiles through anguish and tells him it is really good to hear that memory.

Little Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceMarinesWano

Oars presses on under relentless fire. In the memory, the conical hat stops him from getting wet in rain and snow, and Oars happily says the snow does not fall on him and that it is not cold at all. Back at Marineford, Marines scream that Oars is too big a target, while he takes cannon hits and smashes into the defenses. He roars and continues through pain, saying he can take down one Shichibukai at least. Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates watch helplessly as Oars gambles his body to open a route toward the plaza.

Little Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceMarinesWhitebeard PiratesRoyal Shichibukai

Donquixote Doflamingo intervenes with vicious delight. While Oars tries to keep moving, Doflamingo laughs, "Fuffu-fuffu... This is a riot!!!" and uses his power to slice or tear through Oars's leg, sending a massive limb and blood into the air. Oars crashes forward in agony, still thinking of Ace and the hat. The attack reveals how mercilessly the Shichibukai can exploit Oars's size and determination. Ace, the pirates and even nearby fighters are horrified as the giant's advance becomes more and more desperate.

Donquixote DoflamingoLittle Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceMarinesWhitebeard PiratesRoyal Shichibukai

Gecko Moria joins the assault on Oars. He complains, "Damn that Doflamingo!! Cutting his leg off when I want his corpse for myself!!" then sends his shadow attack "Tsuno-Tokage!!!" into Oars. A note explains the pun can mean both horn-lizard and horn-shadowblade. Ace screams, "Oars!!!" as Oars reaches the plaza, battered and half-collapsed, and mutters, "Just a little... further...!!!" Moria commands, "Go!!!" while the Marine forces realize Oars has forced his way to the edge of their execution ground despite everything done to stop him.

Gecko MoriaDonquixote DoflamingoLittle Oars Jr.Portgas D. AceMarinesWhitebeard PiratesRoyal Shichibukai

SBS question corner page. A reader says it is mysterious that Luffy eats so much but never gets fat and is jealous; Oda answers that someone who exercises as much as Luffy would have a hard time gaining weight. Another reader asks why Luffy and the Straw Hats usually say "defeat" instead of words like "kill" or "crush." Oda explains that an old lady from his hometown once told him not to use words like kill too much, so even when enemies are implied to die, he tends to avoid those words in normal speech. Another reader asks if Urouge uses a pencil or a chocolate bat as a weapon, and Oda jokes that it is a pencil, possibly 2B lead, because Urouge could not find a sharpener. A final reader requests that Whitebeard's birthday be April 6, and Oda agrees, noting the Japanese wordplay for white.

Eiichiro OdaLuffyStraw Hat PiratesUrougeWhitebeard

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End of chapter16 pages

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