Chapter 97

Zoro goes to the Arms Shop to buy swords, and with the help of the woman he met earlier he finds the high-grade Sandai Kitetsu. After testing his luck against the cursed blade by playing roulette with it and emerging intact, the owner Ipponmatsu agrees to give him the sword as well as his prized heirloom Yubashiri. Unbeknownst to Zoro, the woman is actually a Marine named Tashigi, who wishes to retrieve all the high-grade swords from criminals like himself, although she does not know who he is.

Sandai Kitetsu

Nami tries on several outfits which the owner swoons over, only to not buy any of them. Meanwhile, Luffy stands in front of Roger's execution platform and reflects on the event that happened there that started the Great Age of Pirates. Elsewhere, Zoro is still flustered after encountering a woman who looks just like Kuina and is also a swordsman to boot. Assured that he will not see her again, Zoro heads to the Arms Shop, where he is greeted by the owner Ipponmatsu. Zoro asks to buy two swords with 100,000 Beli, and Ipponmatsu says that he can only sell blunt, low-quality swords for that little money. He then recognizes Wado Ichimonji on Zoro's hip in shock, and asks to see it. After confirming that it is Wado Ichimonji, he tries to lowball it and buy it from Zoro for 200,000 Beli. Zoro refuses to sell it, even when Ipponmatsu triples his bid.

Right then, the woman Zoro met comes in and immediately recognizes Wado. She reveals that it is one of the 21 O Wazamono grade swords and is worth no less than 1,000,000 Beli, to Ipponmatsu's horror. He shouts at the woman, threatening to sue her for obstruction of business, and tosses her her sword Shigure that she came to pick up. She ends up crashing into a display rack, and he yells at her to clean it up before admitting to Zoro that his sword is indeed as valuable as the woman claimed. Not caring to understand what the earlier exchange was about, Zoro goes back to pick out some of the low-quality swords when the woman recognizes him. Not knowing who he is, she states that his three swords remind her of Zoro, and condemns how Zoro uses his blades to make money. She laments how the famous swordsmen who possess all the highest quality swords now are all criminals, saying the blades are crying. Ipponmatsu states that he has no problem with criminals, as they were his customers before Smoker gained authority over the town; he considers Smoker a "monster" due to being a Devil Fruit user. The woman vows to retrieve all the high-grade swords that are being used for evil.

She then spots Sandai Kitetsu, another high-grade sword worth over 1,000,000 Beli, being sold for 50,000 Beli. After hearing of its real value, Ipponmatsu refuses to sell it, and Zoro notes that it is cursed. Ipponmatsu confirms this, stating that like its predecessors, its wielders have suffered tragic deaths. Zoro still wants to buy it, but Ipponmatsu still refuses to sell it despite the urging of his wife. Zoro then offers to test its curse against his luck as he tosses it into the air and holds out his arm. Despite its unparalleled sharpness, Sandai Kitetsu does not leave a scratch on Zoro as it spins around his arm, causing Ipponmatsu to fall down in shock. Zoro then tells the woman to pick out another sword for him, but Ipponmatsu presents him with Yubashiri, a Ryo Wazomono grade sword that is the best one he owns. He lets Zoro take it and Sandai Kitetsu for free, apologizing for trying to trick him and being impressed over the latter sword's selection of him. Zoro then leaves, and Ipponmatsu's wife is surprised that he gave away their family heirloom. Ipponmatsu replies that he has entrusted his dream to Zoro, and as his wife sends him to clean the bathtub, the woman is left kneeling in awe at what she just witnessed.

At the Marine Station, Smoker asks where Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi is. A subordinate states that she went to pick up her sword at the Arms Shop, and Smoker tells him to go bring her back as he had gotten an eyewitness report about pirates. He curses Tashigi to himself, calling her the shame of the Marines. Meanwhile, Sanji stares lovestruck at a beautiful woman standing nearby on the street.

Mission 78

As morning rises in the messy home of Sylvia Sherwood, she quickly goes back to sleep after shutting off her alarm, only to have her dog wake her back up. Heading to the Westalis Embassy in Ostania, Secretary Sherwood talks with her co-workers, who comment on her untidy appearance. Sylvia then takes the elevator down to a WISE office, where she greets her subordinates. As Handler, Sylvia receives several status reports and commands her agents. At her desk, she is confronted by the WISE Agent, who chastises her for slovenliness around the office. An annoyed Sylvia returns to the embassy and declines a lunch invitation to walk her dog.

Returning home, Sylvia calls for her dog, Aaron, for their walk (which, in truth, is her meeting with Twilight). Aaron excitedly runs over to her but slips on a piece of paper and hits his head on a cabinet. Sylvia apologizes for the mess and begins cleaning up but stops after reminiscing about her past with her late daughter and unknown partner.

Meeting with Loid at the dog park, a disguised Sylvia sees Anya playing with Bond, and Loid explains to her that Anya wanted to play after her half day at school. As Loid greets Aaron, he obtains a note from the dog's collar and receives an extra mission for the following week. Sylvia then asks for progress with Melinda Desmond, to which Loid answers no.

As the spies talk in code, Anya recognizes Sylvia and approaches her. Loid recognizes Aaron as one of the bomb dogs used in Minister Brantz's assassination attempt, which Sylvia confirms, adding that she took him into her care. Bond and Aaron get close, and, with her telepathy, Anya can hear the two talk. Bond does not remember Aaron, which upsets him, and having finished their meeting, Sylvia decides to leave. However, Anya knows Bond wants to play with Aaron, so the two run after Sylvia, asking for his name. Anya declares that the two dogs should have a showdown to see who is better, and to Loid's surprise, Sylvia accepts, wanting to see who trained their dog better. She tells Loid she will remove his extra mission if he wins, and Loid quickly accepts.

The first event is the obstacle course, and whoever finishes it faster wins. Aaron and Sylvia finish with a flawless 39 seconds, but Bond stumbles across the course and finishes at over 2 minutes. However, Loid refuses to back down. The next event is "tracking and retrieving," in which the dogs must find their opposing owner's handkerchiefs, which have been hidden around the park. The dogs begin by familiarizing themselves with Loid and Sylvia's scents, who have wiped away their scent as much as possible. The dogs start tracking, but Bond quickly gives up and starts getting hungry. He catches the smell of pasta, which he begins tracking. He locates the scent on Sylvia's jacket pocket, which has some dried pasta stuck to it, and it is where she hid her handkerchief coincidentally. Thus, Bond wins the event.

The third and final event is frisbee tracking and the dog who can catch a frisbee thrown the farthest wins. Bond suddenly has a vision of Loid and Sylvia throwing their frisbees, but a sudden gust of wind brings them back, so they restart the challenge. Anya sees the vision in Bond's thoughts, and the two believe the match is theirs. The events of the vision play out as Loid and Sylvia throw their frisbees, and Bond chooses to stay in place, much to Loid's confusion. As the sudden gust of wind comes, Bond runs over to catch his frisbee but gets hit in the face with it. With neither dog catching their frisbee, Sylvia decides to call it a tie.

Afterward, Anya tells Aaron that she had fun playing with him, and together with Bond, the three play some more. On the side, Sylvia informs Loid that there are rumors that some of the Project Apple research teams may still be operating, and WISE intends to find out if they are connected to Donovan Desmond. Sylvia prepares to leave with Aaron, and Anya accidentally strikes a nerve when she says that someone her age had fun. Despite that, Sylvia confirms that she did have fun and tells Anya they should play again sometime. On their way home, Sylvia promises Aaron that she will tidy up their home when she returns from work.

Artemis

Armed with a magical bow, Artemis is the unrivaled Goddess of the Hunt!

Daughter of Zeus and Leta, Artemis and her twin brother Apollo are products of Zeus' infidelity to his wife Hera. Insulted, Hera cursed Leta while she was pregnant, forbidding her to give birth on land or sea. Fortunately, she found an island that did not touch the ocean floor, so it was neither land nor sea, and thus bore her children. Artemis was born first, then miraculously aided as midwife in the birthing of her brother.

Artemis spent her childhood in the hills and forests, training with her bow and hunting beasts. As she grew older and more beautiful, she also grew proud and ruthless when slighted or dishonored, especially against those that claimed to be better hunters than she. Adonis boasted this very thing and Artemis sent a wild boar to skewer him. The twin demigods Otos and Ephialtes, who could not be killed except by each other, threatened to kidnap Artemis and force her to marry one of them, but were tricked when Artemis, appearing as a doe, dashed between them. As they thrust with their spears they impaled each other. Finally, Actaeon, after peeping at Artemis while she bathed, was transformed into a stag and devoured by his own hunting dogs. Such is the wrath of Artemis.

Her name is invoked by hunters seeking prey and by midwives during childbirth. Sacrifices are made in her name before a new military campaign. Adolescent girls are sent to her shrine to serve for one year. Beautiful, deadly, and chaste, Artemis is a focused woman and a fearsome warrior.

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III

In the beginning of the episode, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are going on vacation, so they invite SpongeBob and Patrick to look after the Mermalair. The two hero hopefuls long to play with the various gadgets, but are left with the express command to not touch anything.

While wandering around the Mermalair, SpongeBob and Patrick find Man Ray, one of Mermaid Man's most fearsome nemeses, encapsulated in a prison of frozen tartar sauce. SpongeBob longs to pepper the villain with questions, prompting Patrick to activate the unfreezing process. As the two argue over the ramifications, Man Ray awakens, only to find the majority of his body still frozen. SpongeBob informs him they cannot let him go due to his evil nature. Man Ray convinces them that he is actually good, and so they release him. He quickly attempts to attack them, but is stopped by the tickle belt he still wears: a device that, with the push of a button, tickles whoever is locked into it.

Man Ray sobs crocodile tears over his situation, expressing a desire for someone to teach him how to be a good person. SpongeBob and Patrick offer their services, and Man Ray accepts with the intention of jumping ship once the belt is off. Their first lesson starts with what to do if someone has dropped their wallet. Patrick drops his wallet and Man Ray tries to give it to him, but Patrick constantly denies it being his wallet. Man Ray's attempts to convince Patrick to take it result only in anger and he nearly attacks Patrick for his idiocy, causing another use of the tickle belt.

The second lesson, involving helping someone carry a heavy object, does not go any better. Man Ray tries to help Patrick with his heavy box, but Patrick continually drops it onto Man Ray's feet. Fed up, Man Ray angrily asks Patrick what is inside, which turns out to be more wallets. Man Ray takes his rage out on Patrick, so SpongeBob tickles him yet again, but this only drives Man Ray to slam Patrick harder for his stupidity.

SpongeBob's third lesson is hijacked by an injured Patrick, who gives Man Ray a random question as an excuse to tickle him further and get revenge. SpongeBob tries to take back the button, and as they fight over it, they accidentally break it. The belt's tickling increases exponentially, giving Man Ray no choice but to genuinely plead to be released. SpongeBob and Patrick happily do so, thinking Man Ray has now been rehabilitated. After catching his breath, however, Man Ray steals a power glove, zaps the two, and runs away.

After realizing Man Ray is still evil, SpongeBob and Patrick don their Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy costumes and use the invisible boatmobile to catch up with Man Ray. They try to use the Orb of Confusion against him, but wind up becoming confused themselves. With nothing left in his way, Man Ray attempts to rob a bank. To his bewilderment, he finds the feeling of being tickled has not left him despite the belt being removed and, having legitimately lost the motivation to antagonize others, decides instead to merely open a checking account.

Man Ray then turns off the Orb of Confusion and tells SpongeBob that the lessons have indeed changed him for the better. He presents his helmet to them and takes his leave. SpongeBob is overjoyed that they saved the day like their heroes, but Patrick remains in a dazed stupor, even with the Orb turned off and SpongeBob tries to get him to snap out of it while the episode ends.

Chapter 7

Alone, Anubis traveled from the sun scorched sands of his homeland, across the Ocean Atlantis, to arrive at last upon the jungled Mayan shores. Here, would he find a God of the Underworld. The last of four from whom the dark curse could originate. It was not he, and Susano sought Hades and Hel. This left only the Bat-God. Camazotz.

Anubis closed his eyes and twisted his jackal ears. Alive with sound, creatures of the jungle each sang a different song. Chirps and whistles, growls and taunts. Hot wind played between the heavy canopy leaves like fingers through a lover's hair. Of the Bat-God, there was only silence.

Opening his eyes, Anubis found night creeping over the horizon. At the edge of the trees a spotted jaguar, emerald eyes glittering, watched him. It turned, but looked back once. Follow me, it seemed to say.

Into the wet heat he dove, pursuing the lithe cat. Over bubbling streams, through barbed branches, until at last they stopped before a V-shaped tree. Astride the split, silhouetted against a full white moon, stood Awilix.

"The night is not yours, Jackal-God," she called. "You should not hunt here."

Anubis bowed as formally has he dare. "A curse has spread across the land, begat by Camazotz. Help me hunt him, then will I leave as I came."

"You are in luck," a sly grin spread upon the moon-Goddess' face. "With night upon us, you do not hunt him. He will hunt you."

Hellish wind tore through the upper canopy. Leaves crackled in fear and tree boughs bent to make way. No creature with will to live lingered, but darted for dirty holes and hidden nooks. All along his spine, the hairs on Anubis' back rose. The wind screeched like fingernails on stone.

Anubis turned to Awilix. "What is this?" he growled, but she was gone. The V-shaped tree empty as though she was never there.

Then they were upon him. It was no wind, but a thousand howling bats, swirling and snarling. Razer fangs nipped his neck. Leathery wings beat his face. Talons like sickles drew his blood. Their numbers strangled the moonlight. Anubis was certain this was the black swarm. The source of the curse.

Drawing great power to him, he let loose a burst of dark energy that rippled through the jungle for miles. The bats cried in anguish as their tiny souls were rent from their bodies, dropping to the ground like wet rags. The jungle was suddenly still.

"I will be no victim to your dark swarm, Camazotz," Anubis called into the empty silence. "Come forth from concealment and face judgement!"

A dry, raspy laughter echoed through the wood. It seemed to come from everywhere. And nowhere. "You are no victim," Camazotz whispered. "You are prey."

Anubis twisted his jackal ears. Camazotz would throw his voice, bounce it between the trees. Yet, Anubis was keen of hearing. Camazotz could not fool him.

There!

Anubis leapt high, wrapping his claws around the Bat-God's hide and dropping back to the earth, pinning him.

"You underestimate me, fiend!" Anubis snarled.

Camazotz raspily laughed in his face. "You overestimate me, hound. The curse you seek, the swarm… they are not bats. They are ravens."

"Crows?" Anubis leaned back. Camazotz twisted and sliced for the neck.

"Crows?" said Susano as his doppleganger ripped apart into black feathered birds. He was again in snowy Asgard, Tyr and Thor at his side.

"You want to know who I am?" came the voice of the Goddess that controlled the swarm. Who's black powers could draw the deepest doubts and darkest secrets from the mightiest of warriors.

The crows hurtled together and she took shape. Hair black as those feathered wings, eyes glittering with hard malice. "We are Morrigan."

Susano leveled his blade at her. "For what you've done, none will forgive you. There will be war!"

"We invite it," The Morrigan replied. "Too long you've battled. Too proud of yourselves. Now," she grinned wickedly, "witness what your pride has wrought!"

Her hand extended and the crows flew forth.

War began anew.

Diary of Koby-Meppo

Vol.13 : "Prepare to Fire"

コビメッポ奮闘日記vol.13「砲撃準備」

Oda Eiichiro

So the entire staff is trying to tell me that the sound a shishi-odoshi makes is *Kahko~n*. But I'm positive the sound it really makes is *Kahpo~n*!!

〝ししおどし〟の音はスタッフ全員がカコーンだと言う。だけど僕はカポーンだと思うのだ!!

Chapter 98