Chapter 498

Mini-Story

 * CP9's Independent Report: As part of fund-raising for Lucci's operation, Jyabura jumps through a hoop while Blueno is his shower.

Summary
Luffy pummels through his third bounty-hunter on the Sabaody Archipelago to the applause of Hatchan, Keimi & Pappug as Chopper and Brook continue to journey with them. Hatchan explains that where they are currently is the "Lawless Zone" of the archipelago, a collection of 29 mangroves where pirates and bounty hunters head instead of the usual tourists. Chopper remarks that Sanji or Zoro could have come with, but the octopus fishman assures them that they are nearing Grove 13, where bubble coater friends await. The two bounty hunters left remark that Luffy's 300,000,000 Beli bounty is impressive but there are "other pickings" on the island they could try instead.

At Grove 13, the group arrives at what appears to be a "rip-off" bar run by Hatchan's friends, whom Keimi trusts even though she too hasn't been here before. Upon arriving in the bar, they immediately see bar owner Shakuyaku, a tough-looking woman with a cigarette in her mouth and a bloody customer who almost wasn't paying his bill. Yet "Shakkie" drops her tough act and appears more hospitable towards Hatchan when she sees him. While chewing the fat with him and Keimi, she offers food and drinks to the Straw Hats, giving beans to Brook and cotton candy to Chopper (despite his claims of her being a possible rip-off). Luffy figured she knew something about them, which Shakuyaku admits immediately on being a "pirate watcher" while asking about Enies Lobby and his relation to his grandfather Monkey D. Garp (whom she was chased by herself 40 years ago).

Hatchan soon asks about the location of their friend, "Rayleigh the Bubble Coater" to get Thousand Sunny coated, but she admits that he has been gone for a half year already but can look after himself being a former pirate as well. She gives various hints regarding Rayleigh's whereabouts including the "Lawless Zone" and Sabaody Park, but tells everyone to be on their guard while searching due to the appearance of other powerful pirates. In particular, she notes that at this point, there are now 11 pirates (including Luffy and Zoro) with bounties over 100,000,000 Beli on Sabaody Archipelago, many of the others taking the paths not followed by the Straw Hats in the first half of the Grand Line and one of them even higher than Luffy!

At this moment, the story cuts away from the Straw Hats to introduce the nine other pirates and crews on the Sabaody Archipelago:
 * On Grove 29, a big-spending man in a mafia suit named Capone Bege is noting the horrific gluttony of the cowgirl-like pirate Jewelry Bonney, who is gobbling everything in site and asking for more pizza.
 * Nearby, a man apologizes to a medieval-themed pirate named Basil Hawkins, who states that his day was unlucky, further emphasized by the spaghetti spilled on his clothes.
 * In the midst of the lawless zone, DJ-pirate Scratchmen Apoo is taunting rocker-pirate Eustass Kid (the one Shakkie mentioned was higher than Luffy) in the midst of battle.
 * In Grove 21, monk-like White Sea citizen Urouge and masked warrior Killer are stopped in battle by the civil former Marine X. Drake, who tells them to save hostilities until they are back out at sea. Urouge notes this was a narrow escape from death.
 * As Drake leaves them, winter-dressed pirate Trafalgar Law asks him enigmatically how many he had killed.

Back at Shakkie's bar, the owner admits that while many other crews have set out, only the strongest like the Straw Hats and these other rookies have made it this far. She notes all will make their mark but others are more violent than the Straw Hats, such as Kid's infamy for damaging civilians, yet she remains rooting for Luffy's crew to succeed. Yet as Luffy worries about Rayleigh's fate outside, she states that he would do fine being "100 times stronger" than all of them.

Attacks
Luffy
 * Gomu Gomu no Bazooka

Trivia

 * The introduction shot of the nine new "Supernova" characters (not Luffy or Zoro) is an homage to the opening sequence of the anime series Baccano!, based on novels by Ryohgo Narita. The titles introducing all of the Supernovas are akin to the introductions of the characters in the opening sequence of the anime.