The Last Fight

Hanging off a ledge, Zoro drifts back to his training under Mihawk, who taught him that nicks along a blade insult a swordsman's honor and can be avoided by coating the steel in Armament Haki, and who barred him from any drink until he had the technique down. Up where the King's Plateau stands, Fujitora asks after the wounded and learns his Devil Fruit kept everyone there safe, while fighters and citizens across the island take in the news that Pica has been defeated. Then the SMILE factory goes up in flames. Inside, the dwarves haul out the SAD tanks and shatter them, swearing never to be used again, though Trebol, watching, claims the place and Pica can both still be repaired because Mansherry remains. Out in the sunflower fields, the reunited Leo and Mansherry catch up with Kyros, Robin, and Rebecca. The princess offers to mend Kyros's heavy wounds, but he turns her down, certain her power has limits and that there are others across the country with a greater need for it.

Below the palace, Koala reaches Sabo, who confesses he is running behind after taking time to set free every prisoner in the colosseum. Up at the plateau, Usopp pulls Zoro to safety and Kin'emon praises him for beating Pica, but Zoro warns the danger is not over while the Birdcage still hangs overhead, meaning Doflamingo lives. When the citizens cite Viola's earlier tally of three remaining officers, she revises it down to two, since another fight has just ended. On the palace's first floor, a flashback fills in Luffy's clash with Bellamy: after Bellamy concedes that Doflamingo only ever wanted him thrown away against Luffy, he charges anyway, and Luffy steels himself before driving a Gear 2 strike hardened with Armament Haki into him, downing him exactly as in their very first duel. Back in the now, Luffy roars out Doflamingo's name, and the Warlord muses that he hopes the boy comes up to the roof to find Law's body waiting.

The cover is a color spread of the Straw Hats enjoying pizza together. This installment confirms that Mihawk himself can wield Armament Haki, that the SMILE factory is gone, that Koala and Sabo have both arrived at the palace, and that Luffy defeated Bellamy in the same way he did back in Chapter 232. Doflamingo's taunt about Law's corpse is followed up on in the next chapter, and Trebol still has no idea that Mansherry has slipped away.