Hot Blood Special Unit Participation! Bridge Offensive and Defensive Battle!

Having sprung Zoro and Usopp loose, Sanji and Luffy leave Shepherd behind, still mistaken for the wanted Condoriano. His protests that he is truly a headquarters inspector fall on deaf ears as the guards haul him off. The escaping group races through the corridors with Marines on their heels, hitting an apparent dead end where they stumble upon Jonathan watching from his office balcony. Luffy boasts that he has recovered his crew and intends to break out, drawing only laughter from the vice admiral before a massive cannon shot forces the pirates back indoors.

Rather than chase directly, Jonathan plans to spring a trap at Dock 88 where the Merry waits, assigning Drake to prepare it and dispatching Unit 55 to stall the Straw Hats at the only bridge to the ship. Inside the clinic, an alarm reveals a Code Red jailbreak to Nami and Chopper, who realize the others are heading for the Merry. Dr. Kobato panics on hearing a pirate posed as a doctor, faints, and Nami improvises by playing a tied-up victim. Once awake, Kobato pledges to guide them, offering to feign being a hostage if caught. The escapees reach the bridge, smash Unit 55, and tumble into the bay when Luffy wrecks the span. At the dock Luffy is bagged in a Seastone net just as Nami and Kobato wheel in a hospital bed hiding Chopper.

This installment is non-canon and part of the G-8 Arc. Jonathan deliberately trades pursuit for patience, using the bridge skirmish purely to buy setup time for the larger snare at Dock 88.