Chapter 1018

Chapter 1018 is titled "Jinbe vs. Who's-Who".

Cover Page
Cover Page Request: "Page One as a child trying to read a book of dinosaurs and being interrupted by Ulti, who wants him to play with her and her stuffed dinosaurs (Grown-Up version)" by PN Honeylicker.

Short Summary
With many among the Beasts Pirates' ranks having defected to the side of the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance, CP-0 notes that the numbers now stand at 16000 vs. 9000 and thus the alliance is much less outnumbered than they were at the start.

Meanwhile, Who's-Who continues to challenge Jinbe with powerful attacks combining his saber-toothed tiger transformation and Rokushiki. As they fight, Who's-Who brings up a legend he heard while imprisoned about the Sun God Nika, who was said to come and liberate slaves from captivity, and inquires if Jinbe has knowledge of this due to the fish-man's past leadership of the Sun Pirates and their slave origins. However, Jinbe becomes displeased at Who's-Who associating his race with slavery and strikes the Tobiroppo directly in the face with a powerful Fish-Man Karate strike, knocking him to the ground.

Long Summary
Within the castle interior, it is reported that a total of 300 Shinuchi with SMILEs have switched sides, and that the cause was a little girl above the stage on the Live Floor. The remaining loyal members of the Beasts Pirates spot her and think that if they kill her, then her powers will wear off. As a result, Usopp and Nami start running again. Thankfully, Daifugo comes to their rescue and Speed arrives as well to offer a ride (though Usopp is forced to run on foot). Gazelleman appears and tells Tama that he found Komachiyo and she can entrust his safety to them, much to her relief. Nami and Usopp (who finally got on Speed’s back) admit her powers are incredible to be able to convert enemies into friends. Zeus pops up in cloud form and asks Nami if he can be her servant again. She tells him no, but clarifies that she wants him to be her sidekick. Zeus, who becomes filled with delight, starts taking the charge and zapping more enemies, with Usopp saying she picked up something amazing herself.

It is also reported that several subordinates of the Shinuchi are following them as well, making the total of turncoats 2,000 and leaving the Beasts Pirates with 2,000 more casualties. CP-0 calculate the standing and see that now the Beasts Pirates have 16,000 troops against the alliance’s 9,000, and that the Gifter’s help could result in the alliance winning. Of course, CP-0 are unconcerned with who wins in the end, but what they care about is the death of Who’s-Who. One of the members asks if they have confirmed his true identity and adds that even if he gets captured, the information he has is too old to be detrimental to the government. Another member says that just leaving him alive would look bad for them, but they ultimately decide to see if he will survive his fight with Jinbe.

Back on the fourth floor, Who’s-Who’s subordinates start fleeing when they see him getting serious. He uses Geppou to get above Jinbe, who asks if his grudge against Luffy is because he ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi. Who’s-Who, however, clarifies that he hates Shanks since he was the one who stole it from him. He uses another Hagan attack which Jinbe tries to block. He unleashes a wave of them and says that Luffy wears Shanks’ straw hat and has the fruit’s power, so that is why he hates him too.

Jinbe manages to dodge Who’s-Who’s attacks, which he commends him for, but then he says that he didn’t expect a slimy Fish-Man to be so fast on land, a comment that Jinbe expresses annoyance at because according him discriminating against Fish-Men this day and age is out of style, which Who’s-Who mockingly apologizes for. Who’s-Who uses a new attack called Tekkai: Kibasen and tells Jinbe he wants to ask him something. Jinbe, however, grabs Who’s-Who’s mouth and flips him over with Hiki Shio Ipponzeoi and follows it with Uchimizu. Who’s-Who tries to dodge with Soru but still gets hurt a bit.

Who’s-Who finally tells Jinbe what he wanted to ask him. Back when he was imprisoned he was told to mockingly pray to someone for salvation. According to a story he heard, slaves in ancient times believed in a legendary warrior that would eventually free them, and he was called the “Sun God” Nika, who was said to bring laughter and freedom, but he doesn’t know if he really existed. He resumes attacking Jinbe while saying that while he was carrying out his long and cruel sentence, he clung onto the legend out of desperation to be saved.

Jinbe asks what this has to do with him and Who’s-Who says that it is because he was the captain of the Sun Pirates, whose crew consisted of former slaves. He also says that Fish-Man history is also a history of slavery, angering Jinbe. Who’s-Who starts using Shigan: Madara while Jinbe tries to block as the Beasts Pirates cheer him on. While assaulting him, Who’s-Who tells Jinbe that one day, the guard who told him about Nika vanished without a trace, causing him to assume the story wasn’t meant to be shared. He also knew he was in danger too, so he risked his life to escape. He tells Jinbe that he wants to know what he knows about the story.

Unfortunately for Who’s-Who, his fingers end up breaking against Jinbe’s Busoshoku Haki and Jinbe grabs Who’s-Who’s wrists with Soshark, telling him he has nothing to say to him. Who’s-Who tries to use Rankyaku to break free but Jinbe withstands it, so Who’s-Who tries using Hagan, which Jinbe is able to withstand as well, but he does let go of Who’s-Who. Jinbe readies his ultimate technique as Who’s-Who asks why he got so mad all of a sudden, but when he tries to back up, he trips, and realizes Jinbe is stepping on his tail. Jinbe tells Who’s-Who that if he plans on making broad statements about history, he better be prepared for what he is stepping into. Jinbe then strikes Who’s-Who with Gyojin Karate Ogi: Onigawara Seiken, knocking him down and causing the area to crumble around.

Chapter Notes

 * Several Gifters continue to fight the other Beasts Pirates.
 * The Beasts Pirates members who are still loyal to Kaido chase after Tama's group.
 * Daifugo can use Busoshoku Haki.
 * Speed appears and assists Tama's group by giving them a ride.
 * Gazelleman confirms to Tama that they will keep Komachiyo safe.
 * Nami forgives Zeus for abandoning her earlier and announces that he will be her partner from now on. This makes Zeus elated and he attacks some Beasts Pirates up front.
 * CP-0 discuss a new update to the battle's numbers:
 * The Beasts Pirates have lost a total of 4,000 fighters since the last update, with around half changing sides, giving the alliance 2,000 extra fighters.
 * The current numbers are 16,000 Beasts Pirates against 9,000 members of the alliance.
 * CP-0 confirm that their priority is Who's-Who's death.
 * Jinbe continues to fight Who's-Who while talking with him.
 * It is confirmed by Who's-Who that the Red Hair Pirates were the ones who stole the Gomu Gomu no Mi from him and that he has a grudge against Luffy due to his hatred towards Shanks, as he had inherited both the Devil Fruit and the straw hat from the latter.
 * Who's-Who can use Geppo and Busoshoku Haki.
 * This somewhat confirms that Busoshoku Haki and Tekkai are the same technique.
 * Who's-Who tells Jinbe about the Nika legend he learned from a guard during imprisonment.
 * Who's-Who states the guard who told him about the legend was "erased" from duty by the World Government, implying that knowledge about Nika was not meant to be shared.
 * Jinbe can coat his entire body with Busoshoku Haki.
 * Jinbe manages to land a devastating blow to Who's Who.