Pirate Maelstrom Spider Squard

Over twenty Pacifista bear down on the Whitebeard Pirates, and the crew works out that the Marines had intended to trap them inside the bay with the cyborgs, the very reason their captain spread them across the water. Sengoku directs the machines to pick off isolated fighters as Sentomaru oversees the assault. Pushing his men forward, Whitebeard lets his commanders engage the heavy hitters so Luffy can keep advancing on Ace: one squares off with Moria, another trades blades with Mihawk, and Izou steps in against Kizaru. At Sabaody the broadcast survives only through a camera held by an Impel Down escapee, whose group inflates Buggy's legend by tying him to Roger's old crew.

The chapter unveils the 10th Division commander, Curiel, who pledges that neither Whitebeard nor Ace will fall. The Pacifista onslaught confirms that Vegapunk's human-weapon prototypes are being deployed in the field. The closing page lands a stunning betrayal: aboard the Moby Dick, Squard suddenly runs his blade through Whitebeard's chest, and the sight freezes Jozu, Marco, Jinbe, Ace, and Luffy in disbelief.

Kizaru's detached comment that the situation is terrifying sits oddly against the ease with which he repels Luffy. The convicts blast through Marine attempts to silence their lens because the public keeps demanding footage of the cyborgs and the execution. The cover follows Robin home from shopping, trailed by a duck family whose stray duckling clutches twigs like a swordsman's blades and wanders off course.