Chapter 703

Chapter 703 is titled "Waiting Room".

Cover Page
Color Spread: Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook are on a broken boat surrounded by sharks and a giant squid

Short Summary
After finding out that his brother's Devil Fruit is being offered as the prize in the Colosseum, Luffy makes it his mission to win the tournament and claim the fruit to prevent anyone from taking it.

Meanwhile, Zoro is still chasing the thief that took his sword and Sanji catches up to him only to get distracted by a dancer named Violet who asks him to hide her from the police because she stabbed her lover who cheated on her. Sanji, being lovestruck says it is all right since he never says no to a crying woman.

Relieved, Violet asks Sanji to protect her until she gets to the next town because there is a man there she wants him to kill. Luffy and Franky reach the colosseum where upon Franky's advice Luffy enters with a fake name "Lucy" so that no one will recognize him.

In the waiting room, some of the large contestants looks at Luffy with amusement while one of them takes his appearance as an insult and proceeds to attack him, but Luffy answers back by giving him a brutal shoulder flip, breaking the floor. The other contestants are rendered speechless as Luffy greeted them.

Long Summary
As a member of the Donquixote Pirates explains to Luffy and Franky about the Devil Fruit cycle, and how valuable the Mera Mera no Mi is, and Luffy declares he wishes to possess it, and asks Franky to carry on his brother legacy before someone else take it. Franky comments that this may be a ploy by Donquixote Doflamingo, but it's not a situation they can pass. They decide to run off to enter the colosseum.

Meanwhile, Zoro is running around looking for who stole his sword. Sanji chase after him, before getting distracted by a beautiful dancer. After Sanji notices Zoro ran off, and consider the benefits of being in the land of passion, the dancer approaches him. She hugs him tightly, hiding both of them from soldiers that run past, looking for her. The dancer thanks Sanji and let him go, but notice his heavy nose bleed, and apologies for hurting him. Sanji is love struck by her caring nature, but is rejected when the dancer said she gave up on love. Sanji asks why those men follow her and she says that they are policemen, chasing her for stabbing her former loved one. Sanji comfort her, believing that she was a victim of the island culture. The dancer is embraced by his compassion, and introduced herself as Violet, and asks him to be his bodyguard until they travel to the next city, where there is a man she needs Sanji's help to kill.

Arriving at the Corrida Colosseum, Luffy and Franky, and are amazed by its size, prompting Franky's will to fight as well. They then see police officers chasing a wanted One-legged toy Soldier, before he jumps up to one of the windows, and inserts one leg into the Colosseum. he explain that by law, the police and Marines cannot interfere as long as he's in there, even if they witness a criminal inside. He also say that the only ones who can execute their rules in the colosseum are the Donquixote Pirates, and all that oppose them is the criminal themselves. The police officers leave and the soldier jumps down and witness Luffy's beard. Believing he is an old man, he offers Luffy and Franky to help with their luggage. Franky wonder about the criminal polite manners but then the toy start to laugh and pose randomly, entertaining Luffy. Franky then asks him to move from their way, and the toy is shocked to learn that he is interrupting, Franky questions his behavior changes, and the toy explain that he did it to entertain people, as it is the toys purpose.

An announcer calls for the the closing of registration for the event and Luffy rushing to sigh up, Franky advise him to use an alias, and Luffy enter the competition as "Lucy". The announcer escorts him to the contesters waiting room, where he sees many gladiators warming up. The gladiators, believing him to be an old man, belittle him and one in particular take offence that someone weak would enter the colosseum that people come to to see strong fighters battles. He tries to attack Luffy, who quickly evade and flip Spartan, knocking him out to the shock of the surrounding gladiators.

Chapter Notes

 * The phrase on the color spread, "We'll send an SOS to the world", is a reference to the song "Message in a Bottle" by the rock band The Police.
 * Just as Doflamingo predicted, Luffy decides to get the Mera Mera no Mi, not wanting just anyone to eat it. He offers the fruit to Franky, but he declined, wanting to keep his ability to swim.
 * Zoro separates from Sanji who meets a dancer named Violet.
 * Violet is fleeing from the police after stabbing her lover and she wants Sanji's help to kill a certain man.
 * According to the One-legged Soldier, only the Donquixote Family's law exists in the Corrida Colosseum. The police and the Marines are not allowed in the colosseum and they can't use their authority.
 * Luffy enters the tournament under the alias "Lucy" to win the Mera Mera no Mi.
 * Luffy easily defeats a contestant named Spartan.

Characters

 * first introduction


 * first appearance

Arc Navigation
Capítol 703 Capitolo 703