At the last second, Ace is saved by the sudden arrival of Dadan, who pushes aside Bluejam’s gun arm causing his shot to miss. Telling him to let Ace go, she attacks Bluejam with her axe, forcing the pirate to draw his sword to defend himself and forget about Ace while the bandits catch up and grab Ace and Luffy. Bluejam recognizes Dadan as the head of the bandits on Mt. Corvo and she says that she’s ended up becoming these boys’ foster parent, and no parent will stand aside when someone trying to harm their kids.
After this challenge though, it turns out that Dadan’s big plan is to beat a hasty retreat. However, Ace refuses to let Magura carry him off, declaring that he won’t run. The others protest, until Dadan herself steps up and says that she’ll stay with Ace, and will make sure that he gets back. The bandits reluctantly leave, and Bluejam tells his challenges that they’re overestimating themselves, for it is only the strong and cowardly who survive battles, never the brave.
Meanwhile the residents of the Grey Terminal have just about given up hope of surviving the fire when a giant blast of air clears a path to the shore for them. At the shore is the ship of Dragon and his revolutionaries. He tells Emporio Ivankov that this kingdom is an example of what the world may one day become, so to prevent that, he will change it. Going up to the edge of the deck, he calls out to the gathered survivors and declares that anyone who is willing to fight for freedom is to come aboard.
The next day at the cabin a bandaged Luffy says that he’s going to go look for Ace and Dadan, who still haven’t returned, but the others drag him back inside, saying that he’s too injured and that there are too many soldiers in the Grey Terminal right now. Luffy cries that he wants to see Ace and that he’s sure Sabo must be worried too.
As the soldiers begin to go about the monumental task of cleaning up the burnt remnants of the Grey Terminal, Sabo awakens in the city, and is quickly picked up by soldiers looking for him.
Eyecatches: Luffy and Usopp
Back at his home, Sabo’s father tells him that from now on, he won’t be able to even leave the house, and conscripts the two soldiers who brought his son in that they are how his personal guards. He tells Sabo that now he must study to become a noble and make his parents proud. Sabo realizes that he is powerless and that if he tries to see Luffy and Ace again, he’d only put them in danger. What is freedom, he wonders?
Two days later, the entire town has come out to the port to welcome the ship carrying the World Government nobles to Dawn Island. Amidst their jubilation, however, someone spots a fishing ship leaving the port, and heading directly towards the government ship. Someone with binoculars says that there’s a child on board, and Sabo’s parents realize that Sabo’s managed to escape yet again and that that’s him on the boat. The crowd yells for him to turn back, but Sabo instead says that the thing he’s most afraid of is losing himself and becoming someone he’s not. He’ll never look back.
Upon seeing the massive government ship looming over him, Sabo turns to starboard to avoid a collision, much to the relief of the crowd back at the shore. While Sabo says that he’d love to one day be the captain of a ship that size, he is spotted by an attendant on board and his master, Saint Jalmac, one of the helmeted Celestial Dragons. Displaying umbrage at a commoner passing him, Jalmac takes hold of a heavy-duty miniature handheld cannon and opens fire.
Almost done with the flashback now, and Sabo's character arc is coming to a rapid and violent close...Or Is It?
Starting off, Dadan's Big Damn Heroes moment was more badass in the anime, I thought, pushing Bluejam's gun aside like that. I suppose the scene of Ace saying he won't run is supposed to explain what happened with Akainu, though again, I don't really have much sympathy for him since there was absolutely no reason to fight Bluejam at that point, and he ended up pulling Dadan into it as well. If he hadn't been so obstinate, both of them would have made it out of the Grey Terminal's fire safely. All that trait has done for Ace in the story is needless harm people. I suppose that's the whole point, but it is still a little difficult for me to fully reconcile the image Ace has had for most of the series as a level-headed, loyal and cool person with the more emotional and reckless Ace from the Marineford arc.
Anyway, the Celestial Dragon mentioned a few episodes ago has finally arrived, and surprise surprise, he's just as selfishly despicable as the others. They're rather boring as antagonists because they're all so interchangeable. Maybe once the plothook of Sharlia swearing vengence on the Straw Hats is picked up, their villainy will get a little more depth.
Heh, Ivankov looked utterly ridiculous in that cloak.
