Mark III

World Government officials are ambushed by a new Pacifista variant whose hands project a Bubble Shield, hailed as the strongest defense Vegapunk has built and named Mark III, well beyond the Marineford prototypes. The unit PX-III 041 orders the agents to surrender and relocate to Factory B. They obey, wondering who commands it. The answer is Sentomaru, now awake and being treated, who finds the Frontier Dome sealed and his line to Vegapunk cut while the Marines loop their communications. Having already turned rebel, he mobilizes all fifty Mark III units to ensure the Straw Hats escape Egghead with Vegapunk and to watch the coast, where the Marines are behaving oddly.

In the Labophase, Luffy rests after his exertions, his shoes broken, and asks where Vegapunk and Bonney are. Shaka confirms Bonney is still inside the monitored building. Zoro, Brook, and Stussy arrive in fresh outfits, and Shaka tells the group, including a repaired Atlas, that the Stella has vanished and the Frontier Dome is beyond their control, trapping everyone. Shaka resolves to fix the Dome while the others search. Franky doubts the search will help since Vegapunk shows on no monitor, and Shaka agrees, guessing the Seraphim damaged or shifted a surveillance snail, creating a blind spot. Pythagoras reports the third floor of Building C is empty and asks Shaka to check the next. Nami volunteers to hunt for Vegapunk, hoping to speed their departure and maybe gain treasure, and the others join in, though Zoro is kept behind with Luffy to mind the captive Lucci and Kaku.

In Room Nikyu, Bonney enters her father's memories and watches a crying young Kuma being forced back by people who say they will all die otherwise. He refuses, is beaten, and begs for rescue as she weeps, helpless, before being ejected from the bubble. She steadies her resolve to keep watching. While Pythagoras keeps searching, a figure closes in on him from behind just as a blast goes off. On his news balloon, Morgans, briefed on Egghead, plans an article casting Luffy as Vegapunk's kidnapper to flatter the government and earn a reward. Vivi, present and furious, insists Luffy would never abduct anyone and condemns his paper, while Wapol begs her to lower her voice for fear of listening agents. Morgans dismisses her, saying he cares only that his stories entertain, true or false, since he alone can shake the world.

Fifty Mark III Pacifista assault the World Government officials who remain. A partly recovered Sentomaru has activated them with standing orders to safeguard Vegapunk and the Straw Hats no matter the cost, and deduces the Marines now brand him a traitor. Stussy joins Brook and Zoro heading to the Control Tower, Atlas is shown repaired, and Shaka reports Egghead's unresponsive defenses prevent escape. Bonney appears on the security footage but Vegapunk does not.

While the others depart to search or make repairs, Luffy stays with Zoro to guard the captive Lucci and Kaku. In Kuma's stored memories, Bonney sees her father mistreated as a child. Pythagoras is then struck from behind by an unknown figure as an explosion erupts. Aboard his airship, Morgans is shown hiding Wapol along with Vivi from the government for reasons left unsaid, and he resolves to print a story branding Luffy as the man holding Vegapunk hostage.

The cover advances the Germa 66 serial, showing Judge, Queen, and Caesar brawling as rivals for second place in its thirtieth installment. The chapter is part of the Egghead Arc and runs alongside its running Germa 66 side serial.