Summary:
As the Inuarashi Musketeers clear Luffy’s way to the roof and Marco throws Zoro there, Yamato remembers meeting Ace. Ace revealed Luffy’s dream to Yamato, who read those exact words in Kozuki Oden’s diary quoting Pirate King Roger. Before Ace left, Yamato made him a Vivre Card so they could find each other again one day, but Yamato part of the card disappeared once Ace died. In Yamato’s presence, he reveals to Momonosuke that Oden wrote in his diary that if he doesn’t survive, powerful pirates leading a new generation will come to the New World and take down Kaidou in 20 years.
As Yamato narrates, Luffy, Zoro, Law, Kid, and Killer confront Kaida and Big Mom on the roof of the Skull Dome. Luffy goes to talk to Kin’emon, who was defeated along with the other Nine Red Scabbards, and the samurai asks Luffy to put Wan on his back in light of his own group’s failure. As Kaidou moves to attack them, Luffy has Law transfer the sheaths to the Skull Dome while he jumps over Kaido. He then proceeds to hit the Emperor in the face with Gomu Gomu no Red Roc, a powerful Gear 3 punch that brings him to the ground. Luffy then tells Kaido and Big Mom that he is the one who will surpass them and become the Pirate King.
Luffy finally reaches the fifth floor and encounters a squad of Inuarashi Musketeers who have cleared a path to the roof and ask him to continue. Luffy thanks the Shishilian and heads to the roof while telling them all that he remembers defending Raizo with their lives, causing the Shishilian to tear up. On the Live Floor, Marco uses his flames to hold back the queen (who has a mechanically extended neck) and the king while throwing Zoro onto the roof, much to his chagrin.
At the warehouse, Yamato returns Oden’s diary to Momonosuke, revealing that he believed he had died twenty years ago and never expected to meet him. Yamato also reveals that he found the journal a long time ago near the river at the foot of Oden’s castle, and says that it must have been protected by someone because it was written about his life and time traveling the world. Yamato asks if Momonosuke was born on Whitebeard’s ship and he even sailed on Roger’s ship, explaining that Oden and the Roger Pirates predicted that a new generation of pirates would advance to the New World a little over twenty years in the future, and he believes they spoke right about this moment. Yamato also revealed that he thought Ace would lead the attack, but he remembered something after his death.
In the past, Ace accidentally told Yamato about Luffy and his dream before demanding that he never laugh at him. He states that he will not allow anyone to mock his dreams because he and Sabo believed in him. Before he can finish, Yamato starts to tear up and declares that he would never laugh at him because those were the same words that stunned Oden. Ace is intrigued by who said it and offers to drink with the person and Luffy one day, only for Yamato to reveal that the person was dead, angering him. Yamato then gives Ace his Vivre Card, who explains how it works and asks him to meet him again sometime, to which he agrees.
Back in the present, Yamato reveals that Ace’s Vivre card disappeared without a trace one day, making him realize he was dead, and the newspaper the next day revealed everything, such as Ace being Roger’s son and Luffy already making a name for himself. . Yamato explains that Momonosuke brought the same person to Wan as Oden documented the future and how a group of powerful pirates took on the burden of the next era and went to the New World, and if he happened to die, they would be defeated. Kaidou instead of him.
Speaking of which, Luffy and Zoro, along with Eustace Kid, Killer, and Law, make it to the roof of the Skull Dome where they encounter Kaida and Big Mom waiting for them. Luffy notices something and starts walking towards the two while Kaidou tells Big Mom what Luffy told him before. Big Mom also adds how he got back at her and destroyed her castle so she wants an apology. However, to their surprise, Luffy ignores them and walks past them to the Nine Red Scabbards and Izou, who were defeated and beaten on the floor. Kaidou turns to look at Luffy and demands that he tell them to their face what he told them before. However, Luffy continues to ignore them and apologizes to Kin’emon for arriving late. He looks at the injured samurai as Kin’emon says upset that he can’t leave things as they are or he will never be able to face Oden in the afterlife. He asks Luffy to take their burden and save Wano, who agrees that it is the land of his friends.
Angered, Kaido proceeds to raise his club to strike Luffy, who asks Law to take everyone away with his Devil Fruit powers, which he does. He then jumps high into the air to avoid Kaidou’s punch as he goes into Gear 3. As he does this, he remembers when the Mink tribe revealed that Raizo was safe and that they would never sell their allies, Momonosuke’s tears as he screamed to take down Kaidou, Kin’emon revealing that he traveled through time, Yasuie’s execution, Hyogoro’s tears of joy, and Kin’emon revealing the details of Oden’s death. He then attacks Kaidou with a new attack called Gomu Gomu no Red Roc, slamming him into the ground and actually causing him to bleed. Big Mom is left in disbelief at the sight of Kaidou being knocked to the ground as Luffy introduces himself as the one to surpass them and become the Pirate King.