Summary:
Hiyori tells Zoro how she escaped the destruction of Oden Castle 20 years ago with the help of Kawamatsu’s servant. In the flower capital, all the people with the Kozuki family crest on their ankle are imprisoned in the Rasetsu District Prison for all to see.
In the Prison Mine, Luffy and Hyogoro fight Alpacaman and Madilloman. Luffy unsuccessfully attempts to unleash a Busoshoku Haki attack from a distance, but after Hyo realizes what Haki is, she performs the exact attack required and offers to help Luffy learn it.
Zoro is shocked to learn that Hiyori is Momonosuke’s younger sister, and his scream confirms to her that she is still alive. Hiyori is happy to know and says that Zoro’s arrival during the rumored return of the Kozuki family must mean that he is Momonosuke’s ally. She considers that Zoro might be an enemy trying to capture her brother, but Zoro assures her that he is an ally. Hiyori then explains how Momonosuke was sent 20 years ahead in time and Zoro is suspicious about Toko’s presence, but Hiyori assures him that she is a rare friend who knows the truth about her and helped her go forward. Hiyori recalls the death of her parents and the disappearance of her brother 20 years ago, where she did not believe Momonosuke’s promise to return in 20 years and lost her will to live. Zoro questions why she didn’t go with him, and Hiyori reveals that it was to ensure that the Kozuki family’s bloodline would survive if the plan didn’t work out.
She was taken care of by Kawamatsu’s servant, who managed to secretly get her out of the burning castle by digging into a water channel and swimming through it. Kawamatsu did everything he could to cheer her up and finally snap her out of her silence. They were separated when she was 13, but Hiyori is convinced that he is somewhere waiting for the final battle. Zoro then tells her that Inuarashi and Nekomamushi are here, which makes her extremely happy as she thought they had died. Zoro notices the Nine Red Sheaths he met and wonders who the remaining three are. Hiyori reveals that they are Kawamatsu, Denjiro, and Ashura Doji, and she doesn’t know where any of them are, but she is confident that she will understand the secret message until the final battle. Zoro reveals that the Shogunate has found out about their meeting place and is arresting their allies, which worries him, but he decides to just rest for now. Hiyori is excited to see her brother and the servants, but considers not doing so until after the final battle.
In the Rasetsu District of the Flower Capital, Orochi’s forces are imprisoned by allies of the Kozuki family. Fukurokuju scoffs at how they were discovered, and the prisoners try to argue that the crescent moon symbol on their bodies means nothing, but Fukurokuju replies that the accompanying messages they have leave no doubt. The citizens can look into the prison and marvel at how many people were secretly loyal to the opposition, and Orochi’s forces use the prisoners as an example of what happens when you stand up to Orochi and Kaidou.
In the Prison Mines, Kawamatsu comments from his cell that he wants to do sumo wrestling, while Alpacaman and Madilloman enter the Sumo Inferno ring. Madilloman declares that he will quickly finish off Luffy and Hyogoro with his Seastone bullets, disregarding the audience’s pleas against such a quick end. However, Luffy tells Hyogo to run to the right, bend his knees and jump. Hyogoro does so while dodging Madilloman’s bullets, dodging Alpacaman’s saliva and headbutting Alpacaman’s chin. Hyogoro is amazed to see that Luffy can predict the future, and Luffy dodges Madilloman’s shots with ease, frustrating Gifter. Luffy then moves to attack Madilloman and Madilloman uses his SMILE armadillo to shield his head, but to his surprise Luffy doesn’t hit him as he continues to unsuccessfully attempt to fire Busoshoku Haki from his palm. Luffy then saves Hyo from Alpacaman and Hyo wonders what Luffy is trying to do. Luffy explains the move he’s trying to get, hoping to use it to break through Kaidou’s scales. As they dodge their opponents’ attacks, Hyogoro realizes that Busoshoku Haki is a foreign term for an ability used by samurai to strengthen their swords, revealing that he learned the technique a long time ago. He then rushes towards the Alpacaman and hits him with a powerful shockwave, defeating him. Luffy confirms that this is exactly the technique he wants to learn and asks Hyogoro to teach him.