Summary:
As Wanda, Carrot, and the Straw Hat Pirates head for Nekomamushi, Brook tells them the reason for Sanji and Caesar Clown’s disappearance and reveals that Pekoms and Capone Bege of the Big Mom Pirates found their way to Zou, which was Pekoms’ homeland. While the Curly Hat Pirates continued to help the minks, Pekoms was happily reunited with his kin. Sanji and Brook confronted the two Big Mom pirates and Pekoms revealed that they were on a mission to tear the Straw Hats apart. However, he was grateful enough to them that he would willingly fail the mission. This enraged Bege, who hit his mate in the back with rapid-fire shots.
Long summary
As Wanda, Carrot, and the Straw Hat Pirates pretend to be Nekomamushi, Wanda remarks about the full moon in the sky and says she’s glad it’s covered by clouds. Luffy then says that Sanji and Caesar Clown were still present on Zoa in her story and asks her what happened to them afterwards. Wanda hesitates and Brook decides to explain himself. He tells the Straw Hats that most of the minks haven’t been told about this, and that might be hard for them to hear. He then reveals that Sanji probably won’t be back, which angers Luffy, who points to the note Sanji left saying that he will be back. However, Nami and Brook respond that the situation is much more complicated than the note suggests, and that perhaps it was better to tell the story than show the note.
Brook then tells the story, explaining how when they were being chased by the Big Mom Pirates, the enemy pirates overheard Luffy’s call to the crew of the Sunny, who revealed that Zou was their target. Although Zou was a Phantom Island that couldn’t be found with Log Pose, one of their pirates, Big Mom, was from the island, so two days ago, their ship docked at Zou. On the Pekoms ship, he contacted Big Mom and told her to leave the expedition to him since he was a Zou native. Later, Pekoms and Capone Bege made their way to Zou and the Duchy of Mokomo, where they discovered the ruined city of Kurau. Pekoms became enraged at seeing his hometown destroyed and looked around for survivors, but found none, causing him to scream in anguish.
Inside the fortress on the right wing, Sanji prepared food for the minks who loved them and then went outside to socialize with the minks. While Chopper, Miyagi, and Tristan treated the patients, Sanji pressed up against the minks in their traditional greeting known as “minks”, but he wanted nothing to do with minks, leaving them disappointed. Meanwhile, Wanda equipped Nami with a dress, revealing that bartering was a big part of mink culture and that the dress was a natural treasure, causing Nami to be excited at the prospect of selling it for a lot of money. Sanji then saw Nami in the dress, causing him to lunge at her in excitement, but she punched him out of the fortress. Meanwhile, Chopper asked Brook where Momonosuke was, and Brook revealed that he was still in his room, though it was best that the Norse didn’t see him in his human form. Caesar Clown said that they should leave him and leave the island as soon as possible, but Chopper became angry at this suggestion and told him to continue working on curing the minks. The mink came to collect treatment from Caesar, but the scientist, humiliated by having his name associated with humanitarian treatment, disguised himself. Mink told Brook that his fans were outside, which were dogs that wanted to chew on a skeleton, and Brook didn’t want to go out and meet them.
At the gate of the Keep, the two guards readied themselves when two strangers approached them, only to realize that one of them was Pekoms. Pekoms roared with happiness to see his minks alive and hugged the two guards. He asked if the Straw Men had caused damage to the Mokomo Duchy, but eventually concluded that they had before the guards could correct him, causing him to go into a fit of rage. Pekoms then entered the Fort on the right wing, where he was reunited with his family and other relatives. The Minks revealed to him that Jack and the Beast Pirates destroyed the land while the Straw Hats saved them, causing the Pekoms to curse Jack. The Straw Hats saw Pekoms and Beg from the balcony and Caesar was afraid and asked for the Straw Hats’ permanent protection, but Sanji replied that once Luffy defeated Doflamingo, Caesar was no longer of any value to them as a trump card. Out of curiosity, Sanji asked why Big Mom’s Pirates wanted Caesar, and the scientist replied that he took the money to fund the commission Big Mom gave him, but spent it on other things; Sanji replied that he deserved what was coming. Caesar offered to help Sanji take down the Big Mom Pirates, and the Curly Hats realized they might be in trouble as well, as Luffy declared war on Big Mom on Fish-Man Island. However, Sanji refused Caesar’s advances and told Brook to go with him and the others to stay while he made eye contact with Bege.
Back in the present, the Straw Hats note that two crews of the Four Emperors were on Zo in such a short amount of time, and Luffy wonders if Sanji fought Pekoms because he doesn’t really care since he declared war on Big Mom. Brook continues his story and reveals that Sanji and Brook went with Pekoms and Bege. Sanji was willing to face the two pirates head-on, but stated that if a fight was to be had, they would have to do it outside of Zou. However, a tearful Pekoms hugged Sanji, shocking the Straw Hats and Bege. Pekoms thanked Sanji for saving his people and revealed that in addition to capturing Caesar, their crew had one more mission that would likely tear the Straw Hats apart. However, out of gratitude, he was willing to purposefully fail this mission as long as they got Caesar. Bege scolded Pekoms, but the mink silenced the newer crew member, saying that he would take whatever punishment Big Mom gave him. This caused Bege to become angry and call Pekoms a coward as he raised his hand to the kneeling mink’s back. Suddenly, a rapid stream of bullets emerged from Bege’s hand and struck Pekoms in the back.