Cover Page: Color Spread Cover Request: "The Straw Hats as chess pieces with Robin as the player" by PN Man Who Loves Yamato.

As the world prepares to listen to Dr. Vegapunk's upcoming speech, Sanji protects Franky and Bonney from Nusjuro with Oimo, Kashii, and Bonney backing him up. Mars learns the Den Den Mushi he found was a decoy. Saturn attacks Nami's group at the Thousand Sunny to murder Robin, but the other nearby Straw Hat Pirates members hold him back. As both Mars and York struggle to find the right Den Den Mushi without destroying the Power Plant, Vegapunk claims in his message that the world will sink into the Blue Sea.

Thirty seconds remain until the broadcast officially begins, and Mars sees that the source of the gurgling sound he heard earlier was Dr. Vegapunk's disconnected brain, which Mars wonders if it is the scientist's true form. Regardless, Mars walks over to the Broadcast Den Den Mushi and steps on it to break it, but to his shock and rage, though, he sees it was just an ordinary Den Den Mushi in disguise, meaning he was completely fooled into following a decoy, and the broadcast continues. Outraged, Mars transforms back into his Itsumade form and flies out of Punk Records cursing Dr. Vegapunk as the scientist finally begins his broadcast, with several people all over the world, including Kaya and her friends at Syrup Village, the citizens of Karakuri Island, the people of Torino Kingdom, and even the pirates of Hachinosu tuning in.

The other Elders ask Mars what he is doing and he tells them about the decoy, and now there is no way for them to currently stop the broadcast. He does say that they have no idea how much Dr. Vegapunk actually knows, or what he plans on saying, but York told him he wants to carry the torch of the Oharan scholars. In other words, he plans on finishing what Ohara started twenty-two years ago.

Back with Sanji, he hears Bonney crying for help, and he arrives at the coastline where he sees Nusjuro confront her and Franky, telling the former they will not let her have the Pacifista. Franky prepares to defend Bonney from Nusjuro's sword, but Sanji makes the heroic save himself, uppercutting Nusjuro with his foot. In response, the Elder turns into his full Bakotsu form and bites down on Sanji, causing him to let go of Dr. Vegapunk's body. Oimo and Kashii arrive on the scene and restrain Nusjuro, forcing him to let go of Sanji. Atlas grabs the Stella while Bonney uses Distorted Future to turn herself into a giant, intending to crush Nusjuro with her foot.

All the while, Dr. Vegapunk says in his message that he has committed two grave sins, and he will soon be executed for them, so he programmed the message to start playing when his heartbeat stops. His words shock the world as everyone starts fearing that Dr. Vegapunk is dead now, but he continues saying he does not want the people to assume the one who killed him is evil regardless of who they may be, and that he is in no position to judge right from wrong in this instance.

As for the Straw Hat crew on the Labophase, Saturn finally climbs all the way up and demands the pirates to stand aside so he can handle Dr. Vegapunk's message. He does spot Robin, and calls her the one Akainu let slip through his fingers. In turn, Robin recognizes his voice as one of the Five Elders from that day. Saturn immediately starts attacking as Nami grabs Robin and pushes her out of the way, while Zeus, Chopper, Usopp, and Brook do their best to resist him.

Growing frustrated, Mars decides it will be easier to completely destroy the lab because he cannot single out the origin of the broadcast, and York is struggling to figure out where the Stella would have put it herself. Saturn and Warcury, however, tell Mars that if he does, not only will they lose their military might, they will lose their ability to recreate the Mother Flame.

As for Dr. Vegapunk's message, he says that what he is about to say will be hard to believe and many may consider him crazy, but he feels he owes it to the people to let them know, and with that, he tells everyone that the world will soon sink into the Blue Sea.

Chapter Notes: