Chapter 1030

Chapter 1030 is titled "Echoing the Impermanence of All Things".

Cover Page
Cover Page Request: "Brook careful not to step on a line of army ants" by PN Ebi.

Short Summary
Drake and Apoo have ceased fighting as they talk in a chamber, with Apoo proposing an alliance between them to finish off the remainder of the winning side and take the spoils for themselves.

Meanwhile, Usopp and Nami's group comes across Kin'emon's severed legs which are running around and talking with farts; apparently, Law had not fully reattached the samurai's body on Punk Hazard. After they identify themselves to Kin'emon as allies, he guides them to the first-floor crawlspace so they can give Kikunojo urgent medical attention. However, in the crawlspace, Kin'emon's top half then hears a still-living Kanjuro speaking with a still-living Orochi over Smart Tanishi. On Orochi's orders, Kanjuro draws a flaming specter called Kazenbo to set the fortress ablaze and detonate the large amounts of explosives in Onigashima's armory.

Meanwhile, Law and Kid decide to use their awakened Devil Fruit abilities against Big Mom out of necessity. As Big Mom slams Kid toward the Live Floor, Law puts a field called K-ROOM around his sword and penetrates Big Mom's body with it, which allows him to release a shockwave that harms the Emperor to the point of making her bleed. Kid then uses his awakened ability to turn Big Mom into a magnet, causing a significant portion of the fortress' structure to be pulled toward her and crush her from every angle.

Long Summary
Away from the battle, Scratchmen Apoo speaks with X Drake in the Cave Chamber, where three of the Numbers, Inbi, Fuga, and Zanki are eating. Apoo tells Drake that he has surmised that he is actually a Marine spy, but he considers that fact irrelevant to the proposal he is about to make. Apoo offers Drake an opportunity to team up with him and pick off the winner of this large battle, since neither one of them really belongs to either side. Drake asks if Apoo seriously believes he would trust him, but Apoo says "trust" has nothing to do with his proposal, since he considers it such a rare opportunity.

On the stairs between the first and second floors, Nami, Usopp, Tama, Speed, Gazelleman, Daifugo, and Hamlet carrying the injured Komachiyo are trying to flee the spreading fire. Nami and Usopp hear a scream and look, to their surprise, Kin'emon's lower half running around calling for help. Usopp grabs his legs but due to not having any ears, Kin'emon's lower half cannot hear Usopp and therefore cannot recognize him as an ally. Nami is able to verify by drawing the symbol of the crescent moon on him, and now that he has found someone, he informs them that Kikunojo needs help. After Usopp hears his request, he takes Hamlet along with Kin'emon's legs to the attic of the left tower.

Up in the attic, Kin'emon's upper half begs for Kikunojo to hold onto life for a little while longer until help arrives. He also thinks about how amazing it is that he is still alive even after Kaidou cut him in half, surmising that when Law reattached him, he did not do it properly. He then hears Orochi trying to contact Kanjuro, which surprises Kin'emon as he was positive he had been killed like Kanjuro was. However, Kanjuro weakly responds to him and informs him that he does not have much time left. Still, Orochi praises Kanjuro for his performance, but the praise he should be hearing himself is clouded by the rage and resentment of their ancestors beyond the grave. Orochi orders Kanjuro to use his Devil Fruit powers to paint the burning wrath of the Kurozumi Family and kill everyone in the castle. Kanjuro agrees and paints a fire monster called Kazenbo, before collapsing again. Kazenbo proceeds to move around the castle setting anyone it passes by on fire, as several observers report its presence and how it can even move through walls like a ghost.

Outside the island, Momonosuke decides to make as many tiny flame clouds as he can to keep Onigashima in the air, while elsewhere, Orochi, who has taken sanctuary, reveals that he knows about Kaidou's armory stocked with weapons, and he plans for Kanjuro's fire drawing to go to it and blow the island, thereby taking out everyone at once. He also hopes that Fukurokuju will return to him shortly so they can escape together. Unbeknownst to him though, Yamato is still making his way to the armory as he hopes for Momonosuke to slow the island down as much as he can.

All of a sudden though, she sees Eustass Kid fly through the air, having been blasted by Big Mom's Ikoku while also having his large robot body destroyed too. As he falls through the air, he remembers his conversation with Law, where they both revealed to each other that they have awakened their Devil Fruit powers, but because they use up a lot of energy, they can only use it as a trump card. In the present, Law creates a K-ROOM, a miniaturized version of his ROOM with which he covers his sword. He drives the sword through Big Mom's throat, though his incision is harmless. However, according to him, K-ROOM has other properties, and in this case, he unleashes a Shock Wille that zaps her entire insides, and actually causes her to bleed.

Big Mom turns to face Law in anger, but then Kid uses his awakened powers to Assign magnetism to Big Mom. This causes Napoleon to become stuck to her body while many other metallic weapons and steel beams inside become attracted to her, slamming into her as Law and Kid warp away.

Chapter Notes

 * Apoo proposes an alliance between himself, Drake, and three of the Numbers: Inbi, Fuga, and Zanki.
 * Nami, Usopp, and Tama's group have recovered Komachiyo and have been joined by Hamlet.
 * While fleeing the fire, the group encounters Kin'emon's legs, who is looking for allies to come provide aid to Kiku.
 * Usopp leaves the group with Hamlet, while Kin'emon's legs guides them to Kiku's location.
 * In the crawlspace, Kin'emon's upper half, an unconscious Kiku, and Kanjuro are all still alive but are in a critical condition.
 * It is revealed that Kin'emon's body parts were never properly reattached by Law, allowing for his body to be split in half again.
 * Orochi contacts Kanjuro and orders him to do one final attack. Kanjuro complies and draws a ghostly creature, which begins moving throughout Onigashima, creating more fires.
 * Orochi is currently hiding in the castle and is planning to escape with Fukurokuju when he returns.
 * Yamato identifies his target, a two-floor weapons cache beneath the castle.
 * The fight between Kid and Law against Big Mom continues.
 * Law and Kid reveal that they have awakened their Devil Fruit powers sometime in the past. They both note their awakened abilities are a last resort due to how much stamina the abilities drain.
 * Law uses an attack that imbues his sword with his Devil Fruit power. He stabs Big Mom and then electrocutes her from the inside which wounds her and causes her to bleed.
 * Kid uses an attack that turns his target, Big Mom, into a magnet, causing her to attract surrounding metal, burying her under it.

Trivia

 * The title of the chapter is a quote from Heike Monogatari, more specifically from its first sentence, "The sound of the bell of Gion Shoja echoes the impermanence of all things" (祇園精舎の鐘の聲、諸行無常の響きあり).