Summary:
The Beasts Pirates in the Prisoner Mine use special bullets to keep the prisoners under control and Luffy’s fellow prisoners attack him as they have given up hope of facing Kaidou and Orochi. However, Raizo gives Kawamatsu his sword and the key to his bonds, allowing Kawamatsu to break free and join Luffy and his allies. Hyogoro tells Raizo and Kiku that they need to reveal their true identities to win the prisoners over to their side, and Kiku reveals that she is a trans woman named Kikunojo as she intends to prevent the Beast Pirates from informing Kaido.
In the Prison Mines, Luffy excitedly battles the Pirate Beasts who rush to attack him while he works on advancing his Busoshoku Haki at will. Kiku asks Chopper about saving Big Mom, but he has no intention of going after her, saying that getting Luffy is more important. Some of the pirates ask Babanuki if they should lock the prisoners back in their cells, but Babanuki says that won’t be necessary, instead ordering the prisoners to help them subdue Luffy. The prisoners obey his command and Luffy wonders why they do this when he is trying to help them free. They replied that they enjoyed seeing him rebel against the prison authorities, but they had no hope of overcoming Kaida and Orochi since they had tried to rebel 20 years ago and failed, losing everything in the process. Their despair was renewed after watching Yasuie’s execution, and none of them believed they would find freedom outside of prison.
Daifugo shoots the prisoner at some distance, causing his body to burn all over. The deputy warden reveals that these are “Excite Bullets”, made by Queen, which cause burning sensations that can spread through contact with the skin of someone being shot. Daifugo then prepares to shoot at Luffy’s group, saying that he can subdue Luffy by shooting any of the prisoners who grab him. As Luffy wonders how he can get the prisoners on his side, Kawamatsu shouts from his cell, encouraging Luffy to tell the prisoners of their hope. The Beasts Pirates wonder who is speaking, and Babanuki reveals that he is one of the Nine Red Sheaths that Orochi ordered to be painfully executed by feeding them poisoned fish every day. The Beasts Pirates rush to kill Kawamatsu when Raizo suddenly leaps from the Executive Tower and slides into a clearing. As he flies past Kawamatsu’s cell, he throws in the key to Kawamatsu’s bonds as well as the Scabbard’s sword, Soto Muso. After breaking free from his bonds, Kawamatsu asks the pirates around him if they like a sumo match.
Kawamatsu then knocks the pirates out of his cell with a single attack before pouncing on them and attacking them again, overpowering them with his Kappa-ryu style sword. Ready to reenter the service of the Kozuki family, Kawamatsu is reunited with Raize and Kiku, and the former is shocked to see the latter here. Kawamatsu vomits up all the poisoned fish he ate, and Babanuki orders his subordinates to get into battle formation while Kiku pushes the prisoner off of Luffy. Hyogoro then approaches Raizo and Kiku and tells them to show who they really are, saying that they must show their full identity to gain their support. Kiku puts on her mask and the inmates recognize her as Kikunojo to Luffy and Chopper’s shock. Babanuki notes that it’s very similar to what Orochi was paranoid about and says he’ll have to contact Kaidou, but Kikunojo says to silence him and his powers first.