Chapter 652

Chapter 652 is called "Grim Premonitions".

Cover Page
From the Decks of the World Vol. 34 - "Shift Station - Popular Sunday Stationmaster Chimney".

Short Summary
Jinbe and Neptune have a discussion at Ryugu Palace about cutting off their connections to Big Mom and Neptune has found the flag he would wish to use to defend his island in case he loses Big Mom's, the flag of the Straw Hat Pirates. The Minister of the Right comes and alerts Neptune that there is a bomb inside the Tamatebako that will explode when the box is opened. Luffy returns to the palace and tells everyone that he gave all the treasure he collected from Caribou to Big Mom and that he would fight her. In consequence, everyone is shocked and Luffy, Zoro and Sanji get beaten up by Nami. Caribou wakes up and tries to find the treasure he stole. He sees that Pekoms has it and tries fighting him only to be defeated with one punch. In the New World, the pirates that just escaped from Hody Jones's slave army are attacked by the Marines. On a Marine battleship, Smoker is interrogating some captured pirates who tell him that the one who saved them was Luffy.

Long Summary
Jinbe and Neptune are talking in Ryugu Palace. Neptune asks how the Sun Pirates are doing under Big Mom's jurisdiction. Jinbe says that she is not the most reasonable boss but they have been free to do what they want. Neptune comments how it must be hard for Jinbe to take orders from someone who wasn't Fisher Tiger. Jinbe replies that he is not picky about who his boss is and that it is a good strategy to serve a Yonko to ensure his crew's safety. Neptune is surprised since he thought Jinbe did it for the sake of Fishman Island because thanks to Jinbe, the island was kept safe under Big Mom's name. Jinbe remarks that it is just a coincidence and that he and his crew should be protecting the island, but cannot since they are wanted pirates. Jinbe then announces that he will cut off ties with Big Mom. Neptune concludes that this is because Jinbe wants to join the Straw Hats. Jinbe adds that verbal contracts are a lot harder to get out of than written agreements and that there is a chance Big Mom will direct her anger at the island. Neptune tells him he is taking too much responsibility, adding that the army just gained another seventy thousand soldiers from the Fishman District and he has found another flag he wants to borrow: the Straw Hats', an idea which Jinbe likes.

The Minister of the Right comes in out of breath, saying he remembered something important about the treasure given to the Straw Hats. They must return the tamatebako. There is a bomb in it and it is rigged to explode upon opening. The minister did this after it was stolen ten years ago as a safety precaution. Neptune agrees that they will ask them to return it. A guard enters and announces the Straw Hats have returned. Nami, Neptune, and the Minister of the Right are then shocked to hear that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji gave the treasure to Big Mom. Luffy tells them she was going to destroy the island, that she is crazy, and that he would fight her, stunning everyone except Shirahoshi. Jinbe realizes that now he must leave Big Mom before things get even worse. He suggests that the Straw Hats must not irritate her more than they have. The Minister of the Right whispers to Neptune that Big Mom might take the bomb as an act of war. Nami then sympathizes with Luffy, saying he stood his ground the way any man would. She then hits Luffy, Zoro and Sanji for giving away all of the treasure. Luffy then declares they should go to the New World.

Outside the Candy Factory, Caribou has woken up and realizes that all the treasure he stole is gone. He says that if he brings back the princess and the treasure, then he could get on a certain person's good side. He then sees a crowd of people by Tamago and Pekoms, who are carrying three large bags. Caribou realizes they must have the treasure. He charges at them, demanding the treasure back. Pekoms recognizes him and looks him up in a book. A gatling gun extends from Caribou's stomach and he shoots at Pekoms. Pekoms is knocked over but when the dust clears, he is seen hidden inside a tortoise shell. Caribou realizes he must be a Zoan. He flies at Pekoms with a scythe. Pekoms blocks the attack with a single Haki-imbued punch, shattering the scythe and sending Caribou flying. Pekoms afterwards, mentions that the downfall of a Logia is it's own pride of invincibility. Pekoms and Tamago then leave.

The scene changes to New World, near the Red Line. Marines are fighting multiple pirate ships coming from the sea. Someone shouts that Captain Tashigi is in trouble. Two lovestruck Marines try to embrace her to protect her. She jumps out of the way and toward an incoming cannon ball. Using her sword, she manages to redirect the cannon ball, which blows up away from the ship. The two soldiers cheer, but she tells them to stop messing around. She berates them, not knowing she is yelling at the ship's mast. She asks how they could be joking around right now. She then accuses them of teasing her for being a woman. Smoker tells her to be quiet, since he is in the middle of an interrogation. Smoker turns toward his prisoners, reiterating that pirates were being enslaved by Hody Jones, citing that as the explanation why no rookies came through Fishman Island in the last month. But now, they are coming out of the sea practically non-stop. The captured pirates then go on to say that there was a pirate who stopped Hody's war, ultimately freeing them. However, he won't tell Smoker the name. One guy shuts him up, saying that they are dealing with G-5, listing rumors of their torture methods. Other Marines ask Smoker if they could have the prisoners now. Panicking, the pirate blurts out that it was Luffy who saved them. Smoker tells them that he already knew that.

Chapter Notes

 * Chimney, Gonbe, Tashigi and Smoker are shown for the first time since the timeskip.
 * Chimney has become the Sunday stationmaster of Shift Station.
 * Jinbe and the other members of the Sun Pirates are currently serving Big Mom, and have been since Big Mom started protecting Fishman Island. This is also part of the reason Jinbe rebuffed Luffy's offer to join the Straw Hats as he is unsure of how to cut ties with Big Mom.
 * It is revealed that, after being opened for the first time, the Tamatebako was loaded with a bomb that will explode when it is opened.
 * All the treasure Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji acquired from Caribou, including the Tamatebako, has been given to Tamago and Pekoms for Big Mom and the situation is explained to the rest of the Straw Hats and King Neptune.
 * Pekoms is a Zoan Devil Fruit user with the ability to transform into a tortoise. He has a bounty of 330,000,000 and he is also able to use Busoshoku Haki as he is able to defeat Caribou with a single punch.
 * Smoker has been promoted to vice admiral and Tashigi is now a captain. They are now officers in charge of G-5.
 * Smoker now has a scar over his right eye (most of the scar is covered by his sunglasses).
 * Pandaman can be seen on page 10 in the second image, next to Pekoms.

Arc Navigation
Zentotanan no Yokan