Summary:
While most of the Straw Hat Pirates left to explore the wonders of the Sabaody Archipelago, Franky and Usopp stayed to repair the ship and Sanji stayed to protect the ship at Nami’s request. Zoro then goes off to explore on his own, but Usopp and Sanji protest against this, saying that he will get lost due to a poor sense of direction. Zoro says that since all the trees are numbered, he will have to remember the number of the grove and ask the way back. Sanji and Usopp agree with his logic, but as Zoro exits the ship, he misreads the grove number as Grove 1 instead of Grove 41 due to a passing bubble.
Elsewhere on the archipelago, Hatchan, accompanied by Camie and Pappag, explains to the rest of the Straw Hats what he knows about the Sky Dragons. He says that they wear masks to avoid breathing the same air as “ordinary people”, that they are incredibly proud, that they should never be defied, and makes Luffy promise not to go against them. He also warns Luffy that since there are many pirates heading to the New World as well as bounty hunters and kidnappers, they shouldn’t do anything that attracts attention. Luffy asks Hatchan where he got the blow to the head, but Hatchan tells him to ignore it, further warning him that due to their close proximity to Marine HQ, the Marines and Bounty Hunters are all very powerful. He goes on to say that he and Camie shouldn’t be thought of as mermaids or fishmen, and Robin backs him up. Luffy then puts his head through the bubble and manages to pull the rest of his body inside. The seller then offers Luffy a device that will allow him to drive the bubble, explaining that it will cost Beli 500 to rent and Beli 10,000 to buy.
Luffy wants to buy it, but Hatchan talks him out of it, saying he’ll explain later. As the Straw Hats ride around on their new toys, Hatchan tells Luffy that the bubbles will be bursting outside of the Sabaody Archipelago, making it pointless to buy one of the devices. Luffy is disappointed, but Camie tells him that they can use these devices on Fish-Man Island as well, as they have similar bubbles.
While Luffy and Chopper find some food to eat, Pappag tells Brook that the person he sees on the island is a mermaid princess and promises to bring them together since he is her best friend. Robin notices that there are a lot of hotels in Grove 35, and Hatchan explains that they are there for sailors waiting for permission to cross the red line from Mary Geoise. Meanwhile, Nami spots a mall while Brook, Chopper, and Luffy pick up some souvenirs. As Nami and Robin go shopping, Nami says that Camie has become more reserved since their arrival, and Robin says that she may have a bad history with the island.
Luffy and Hatchan race across the archipelago, but as they approach Grove 31, Luffy notices something strange. The pirate stands in the middle of the road and asks for an ax or a saw to take off his neckerchief, saying that he won’t hurt anyone and that his son is waiting for him at home. Hatchan notes that the man is most likely a slave who ran away from his masters, but argues that this is pointless. When the man tries to remove the ring from his neck, it explodes, which Hatchan says is the same for all slaves; if they try to run, the ring will explode, likely killing them. The Straw Hats watch in horror, unable to do anything as Hatchan instructs Luffy to get out of his bon chari. At the top of the building, a shadowy figure with a broad ax says that the man is Devil Dias, a Beli60,000,000 bounty pirate who he thinks would never make it to the New World.
A small dog walks up to the collapsed man and urinates on his body and Hatchan tells Luffy to kneel down as the Sky Dragons are right behind their dog. Two sky dragons appear, one with a gigantic man strapped to his back and the other declaring that he will simply have to buy another slave. The woman declares that she is disgusted with the “useless” man and shoots him. Luffy is outraged to see him being treated like dirt, especially since he can’t even move, and tries to stop them, but Hatchan grabs him before he can do anything. As she leaves, she says that she would like a giant as a slave, but her father told her that she should have a small child to perfect her disciplinary skills. As the Straw Hats leave, they discuss the cruelty of the two Sky Dragons and wonder why Devil Dias couldn’t stand up to them, especially since he seemed more powerful than them. Pappag states that if anyone defies the sky dragon, they will be targeted by the sea admiral. Chopper asks Pappag what makes them so special. Pappag explains that the Sky Dragons are descendants of the twenty kings who established the World Government eight hundred years ago. Over the years, they have grossly abused their power and influence because of their origins.