Chapter 107

After the Straw Hats all fall asleep during their welcoming party on Whisky Peak, their welcomers, who are revealed to be Baroque Works agents, prepare to capture them for Luffy's bounty. However, Zoro confronts them after having pretended to pass out, and 100 Baroque Works agents come to deal with him. He manages to overwhelm several of them, and Mr. 8, Miss Monday, Mr. 9, and Miss Wednesday prepare to deal with him personally.

Moonlight and Tombstones

As night falls on Whisky Peak, the welcoming party for the Straw Hats continues. Usopp regales the people with his stories, Zoro and Nami outlast them in drinking, Sanji woos several women, and Luffy eats enough food for 20 people. Meanwhile, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday report to their boss via letter that they succeeded in luring the Straw Hats to this island. Zoro collapses from drinking before Nami does, and all of the Straw Hats eventually pass out from exhaustion. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday confront Mr. 8 as he heads outside, and Mr. 8 reports that the Straw Hats have fallen into their doom.

The nun that Nami was drinking against then comes out, having actually drunk barley tea. As she removes her robes, Miss Monday wonders if this welcoming party was actually necessary, saying they should have just crushed the Straw Hats at the harbor. However, Mr. 8 shows them Luffy's bounty poster, to their shock. He orders them to tie up all the Straw Hats and take all the treasure from their ship, telling them to keep them alive to earn the entire reward. However, Zoro then calls out to them from a nearby rooftop, and the agents inside report to the ones outside that he had managed to escape. Zoro states that a true swordsman never allows alcohol to take control of himself, and looks forward to taking on the 100 Baroque Works agents confronting him.

The agents are shocked that he knows their organizations' name, and Zoro reveals that he was unsuccessfully recruited to join it back when he was a bounty hunter. Mr. 8 states that they must kill him for knowing their secrets, and place his tombstone among the many others at Cactus Rock. In their brief moment of distraction, they lose sight of Zoro, and he appears right among them. They rush to attack, but he overwhelms several of them before speeding away again. He appears behind Mr. 8 and plants his sword into the agent's hair. Mr. 8 desperately tells the agents to not shoot, and he brings out a saxophone that functions as a shotgun. Zoro quickly speeds away from the blast as many agents are taken out, and Mr. 8, Miss Monday, Mr. 9, and Miss Wednesday state that they will need to take on Zoro themselves.

Mission 88

Before heading to school, Damian prepares a bag of cakes to finally end things and repay his debt to Anya for helping him from getting a Tonitrus, and during the hijacking crisis. Damian has brought the finest, rare, and elite tea cakes, which are intended for royalty. Damian hopes that once he gives these to Anya, he will no longer have to bother with her and make her understand the gaps in their social standing. However, because of his pride as a Desmond (and embarrassment), Damian wants to find a way to give the cakes to Anya in private.

At Eden Academy, Damian tries to give them to Anya at the entrance but is interrupted by his friends and Becky's appearances. Unable to give Anya the cakes in front of so many people, Damian goes on guard as his friends ask him what he is holding. Anya hears Damian's thoughts and learns that he has cakes for her. Anya happily accepts, but Damian denies the possibility of giving her anything before running away to class, confusing Anya and Becky.

In class, Damian is unable to think of ways to give the cakes to Anya without anyone seeing him. Anya reads his mind and believes that the cakes must be very important for Operation Strix, though she is also hungry for them. Anya whispers to Becky that she needs help getting alone time with Damian, which excites her best friend. Becky suggests inviting Damian to the courtyard and tells her to write him a note to invite him there on their next break. Anya writes the note and passes it down to Damian with the help of her classmates, but it is completely ineligible. Becky makes Anya write it again, and when she hands over the new note to Damian, he reads an invitation written in a horrid fashion. Ewen and Emile believe this is a challenge to a duel, but seeing how this is his chance, Damian agrees to meet with her.

Damian orders Ewen and Emile to stay behind while he goes to meet Anya. However, the two decide to stand by and avenge Damian if he falls in the duel. Similarly, Anya tells Becky that she cannot come with her. Becky agrees, but her thoughts reveal that she will be watching them anyway. Damian and Anya meet up but are annoyed that the other brought their friends and begin bickering. They decide to go somewhere else to be alone and run off, but their friends insist on chasing after them. Damian is frustrated and decides to stop trying to give her the cakes, but Anya grabs his arm, saying that she does not want him to go (without giving her the cakes), which makes Damian's heart flutter.

Becky sees this as a romantic gesture while Ewen and Emile see them fighting, but they run away to hide after hearing someone approaching. Damian notices their absence and decides that this is the best time to give her the cakes. As he starts to explain himself to Anya, Henry Henderson stands in between them, asking what they are doing since the warning bell has already rung. Becky, Ewen, and Emile then run to class after he notices them. Henry takes the cakes and decides to confiscate them as they are against the school rules, but Damian says he needs them. Henry punishes them to join him at his office after class.

After Anya and Damian complete their written apologies at Henry's office, he then invites them to tea and brings out the cakes. While the three enjoy tea and cakes, Henry and Damian talk about the cakes, with Damian saying that he had his household staff bring them over. Damian then thinks back to his phone call with Jeeves, who reveals that Melinda went through a lot of trouble to get them, in the hopes that her son and Anya might get closer, shocking Damian. Damian questions how his mother knew, and while Jeeves does not know, he does say that Melinda seemed pleased about it.

After having her cakes, Anya says they can now be friends, which confuses Damian, and he asks why Anya called him out in the first place and why she wanted him to come alone if it was not for a fight. Damian reimagines the scene of Anya clinging to him while saying that she wants to be friends, which flusters him and creeps out Anya, who sees this mental image. Anya decides to not be friends anymore, but Damian says she cannot take it back, and as they argue, Henry gets annoyed and orders them to be quiet and go home.

Martichoras

The origin of the manticores is a mystery, even to the gods. Some say they are the children of Tiamat, with the first of their number born out of her cosmic waters and left to prowl the wild places where few dare tread. Others claim they were created to guard ancient treasures. But regardless of their origin, they are wild, powerful and daring man-eaters – voracious in their appetites and fierce in battle.

And fiercest among them is their self-proclaimed king, Martichoras. Martichoras, first of the man-eaters; strongest and oldest of his kind. He was the first manticore to stalk the world, after emerging from the waters of Tiamat. Eldest and wildest of her progeny, he carved the savage path that all other manticores follow.

His name was first recorded in the annals of the Greeks by the historian Ctesias, though it is believed he was known to the Persians as well. King Martichoras has roamed many lands, and laid waste to many peoples in his quest to make himself ruler of his kind; his depredations are legend, even among the gods themselves.

He has earned the respect of his fellow manticores through sheer strength and power – those being the only virtues manticores insist on. It is even claimed by some among them that Martichoras has battled the gods...and emerged victorious.

Whatever the truth to these claims, Martichoras’ power is undeniable. He dominates all who cross his path; and those he doesn’t dominate, he devours. He has prowled the jungles of the south for centuries, eating anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. Those who’ve managed to escape his jaws speak of his speed and cunning; and of the relentlessness of his pursuit.

But despite his power, Martichoras has been, of late, content to remain in his jungle – until now. Some say he has emerged seeking revenge against the gods for their slaughter of his followers. Others believe he has merely grown tired of hunting humans and desires new sport – namely the gods. Still others insist that Martichoras has decided that the time has come to once more extend the limits of his dominion.

Whatever the reason, Martichoras is now on the hunt – and whoever he has set his sights on had best beware...

The Secret Box

As the episode begins, SpongeBob runs towards Patrick's house, ready to go jellyfishing. Patrick says he will go with him, but must put away his "secret box" first. SpongeBob tries to peek inside, but Patrick refuses to let him see. SpongeBob entices Patrick by sharing his own secrets, but this only convinces Patrick to keep his secret box even more closely guarded. SpongeBob tries to distract him with many of his own secret possessions, but Patrick only pays attention to his own box.

As Patrick explains the lengths he must go to keep his box safe, he fails to notice SpongeBob sneaking off with it, giddily preparing to look. Patrick stops him just in time and struggles with SpongeBob over the box. The sight of SpongeBob's arms popping off while still desperately clinging to the box disgusts Patrick, making him question the validity of their membership in the Best Friends Forever Club. He threatens to end their friendship if SpongeBob continues trying to look at his secret. SpongeBob begs Patrick for his forgiveness and promises to respect Patrick's right to secrecy, and they remain friends.

That night, SpongeBob cannot sleep, still thinking about Patrick's secret box and wondering about its contents. He convinces himself that sneaking into Patrick's house while he is asleep would prevent Patrick from getting upset and he will be able to look at the secret without feeling guilty. Despite Gary's admonitions, SpongeBob puts his plan into action, pulling on a silk stocking for a mask and slipping under Patrick's rock.

Inside, the box lays in full view on Patrick's nightstand. Trying to tiptoe across a floor covered in potato chips, SpongeBob fears waking Patrick with every step. Finally making it to the bedside, SpongeBob reaches for the box but Patrick sleepily grabs hold of it. SpongeBob, conveniently cube-shaped, gently slips himself in place of the box just as Patrick attempts to take something from it, yanking SpongeBob's tongue in the process. Patrick then places SpongeBob next to him on the bed, allowing SpongeBob to get back onto the floor. As he prepares to leave, SpongeBob trips on his shoelace and begins crashing and bouncing around the rock in a cacophony of noise, culminating in slamming against the wall and breaking a framed photo of him and Patrick in half. Despite all of this, Patrick remains fast asleep.

SpongeBob quietly remarks how heavy a sleeper Patrick is, which causes Patrick to finally wake up and catch the masked SpongeBob with the box. Thinking him to be the "Clam Burglar," Patrick prepares to assault him with a pillow until SpongeBob confirms his identity with his Best Friends Forever ring. In shock and distraught, Patrick declares their friendship to be over. Immediately afterwards, Patrick changes his mind and finally allows SpongeBob look inside the box.

SpongeBob eagerly opens the box, only to find a piece of string. Thanking Patrick for letting him look, SpongeBob heads home, laughing at how he should not have been surprised. Alone once more, Patrick ponders alone the true secret nature of the box: when the string is pulled, a secret compartment opens and reveals an embarrassing picture of SpongeBob at a Christmas party, and Patrick laughs at it, joking a Merry Christmas to SpongeBob, not that it matters as the two houses are out of earshot, thus ending the episode.

Prologue

The world has changed.

Zeus, almighty father of the Pantheon of Olympus, is dead. No longer content with the devotion of her countless worshippers, Hel has set into motion a series of events that will either deliver her the world, or see it destroyed. In her lust for power, she has become the architect of a new war that will cause pantheon to battle pantheon, brother to turn against sister, and divine blood to spill as never before. Hel had balanced the mortal realm on a knife's edge. In his own lust for power, Hades would push it over. For the sins of the gods, all would be cast into ruin.

Untold destruction wracks mankind, and calamity reigns over all. The very earth itself rebels, shattered in seismic upheaval and burnt to ash by firestorms that span entire continents. Oceans swallow the land, dragging countless souls to their blackest depths, or boil away until nothing remains but desiccated, lifeless deserts. The denizens of the Underworld rise, a vast incursion of the damned as the lands of the living and the dead blur together into a single unholy perdition. Mortals cry out to the heavens, begging for deliverance from the fate their patrons have wrought for them. Bellona, the goddess of war, will hear their call to test her might and drive back the darkness. And she will answer.

The old games between the pantheons are over. Bitter rivalries and lifelong feuds are forgotten as the wellspring of the gods' power now faces extinction. New gods will rise, and empires will fall. Great armies will clash in wars beyond imagining. The gods will bleed, and the fate of all will be decided.

The age of Ragnarok has begun.

Oda Eiichiro

Lately I'm uh, you know. I'm having more fun than one guy should be allowed to. What with the anime starting and talks about a toy line progressing. Gosh, I'm just so happy I became a manga author (*crying*)!!

最近僕はあれだ。もう楽しすぎてごめんなさいね。アニメ始まるし玩具(オモチャ)化の話も進むし。もー漫画家になってよかった（泣）!!

Chapter 108