Chapter 348

CP9 reveals that fire will climb from the ground floor and that they intend to pin the blaze on the Straw Hats. Incensed, the crew prepares to charge as Robin turns to depart and the pirates and Iceburg scramble to halt her. Luffy rushes her but runs into Blueno, who slips every attack with Kamie and Soru. Floating on Geppo, Blueno gives Kalifa and Kaku the opening to launch Rankyaku, blasting Luffy backward and slicing through the wall.

Zoro engages Kaku and presses him about his inspection of the Going Merry; Kaku replies that even undercover he was honest about the ship's poor state. Their duel rages as Luffy spots Robin reaching the window. Making a final dash, Luffy is intercepted and slammed into a wall by Lucci while Zoro falls to Kaku's Shigan, and Robin escapes outside. Lucci explains that CP9, drilled since childhood and sent on the harshest missions, simply outclasses the crew in raw fighting power.

The chapter briefly defines several Six Powers techniques: Tekkai steels the body, Shigan pierces with a finger, Geppo grants flight by kicking the air, Kamie lets the user weave away like drifting paper, Soru moves at blinding speed, and Rankyaku launches cutting air blades. As the fire nears ignition, Lucci announces something interesting and starts changing into an unknown beast, shocking everyone present.