LogBook Entry 189: Our Dr Stone

The 3rd chapter of the series that has the title ‘Dr Stone’ in it. The first one was chapter 41, where Senku gave Ruri the sulfa drugs. The second was chapter 83, where Senku put Tsukasa under cold sleep. And now this chapter, the 189th of the story. Compared to the previous two titles, this chapter is…. bleak. Hopeless almost. Let’s get right into it then, shall we?

Kohaku lays on the ground dying, offering us another perspective of the strongest trio that battled Stanley’s forces last chapter. As she is dying though, she realizes that she is not afraid. Much like on Treasure Island when she was petrified by the Medusa. She also expresses a hope that Senku will win. A hope she has always had in him, ever since he saved her sister’s life.

Makes you wonder what Hyoga was thinking about as he was dying.

Back at the Fort, Taiju is practicing his command on the Medusa. As we saw quite recently in the anime, his voice is freakishly loud. A loud sound bears the risk of them being discovered easier though, which means they need to hurry up with the device.

Maya states that the soldiers should fix the communicator first before proceeding, which is exactly what Hyoga’s plan entailed. However, Stanley states boldly they will march on. In this exchange with Charlotte, we can see that Stanley has learned from his previous encounters with the Kingdom of Science. On the way to South America, they got held up by the Mobile Lab decoy, which gave the Science crew time to complete their motorbikes. They also got sidelined by their plane getting sabotaged by Senku and Ryusui, which cost them valuable time in retrieving Xeno.

Stanley is not getting distracted anymore, so this spells further doom for Senku and his team.

Senku tells Luna that she is replacing Suika as the person on standby. He mentions that with her medical skills, she can stitch back a finger or two.

Which is funny enough, something he mused about on Treasure Island as well.

He might be expecting the battle with Stanley to get bloody, to the point where some of them end up with missing limbs. Though Senku is also someone who has a dark sense of humor, as shown with his reaction to them trekking through the Amazon.

Ryusui tells Chelsea to go with her as a guide, much like he did Francois before. This time, he is not as excited as he usually is. Which is telling. And not just him, both him and Senku look out of it. Max is angry at Carlos for letting Luna go, but Carlos also has the same grim expression on his face. Both Carlos and Max have always been super protective of Luna. Ever since as far back as the old world. They also supported her when she wanted to help the Kingdom of Science in America. Protecting her in the current scenario means sending her away to a place where she is safe. And with none of them nearby.

Chelsea starts crying while away from the group, which is a side of her we have never seen before. Like Ryusui, she is usually upbeat. Enthusiastic. She has been the most excited member of the crew so far ever since she joined, even considering them being hunted down by Stanley. So, her crying adds on to how grave the situation is. She laments that they cannot finish the Medusa in time, so they sent away Luna and her because they are non-fighters.

Ukyo manages to locate the four hostages, but soon realizes that Tsukasa, Hyoga and Kohaku are not among them. Meaning they are already dead. His initial condition for joining Senku’s side was that they should never ensure any deaths. How will he take to some of their allies dying instead?

In his negotiation with Senku back then, he was cut off right before he said what he would do if Senku’s group killed people. The next few chapters should be interesting to see what happens with Ukyo.

Luna tries rushing back, but its too late. The fortress is under siege. Taiju tries shielding the group but gets blown away by the bombs.

His character from the start of the series has been one of someone who protects and does not fight. In the most recent anime episode as well, he defended Senku from Tsukasa’s charge.

Stanley orders his troops to kill everyone except Xeno, which has been a constant in his commands so far. Back in Ecuador when they intercepted the group, he ordered his men to not let a single rat escape.

Gen cries over Taiju’s charred body, telling him to wake up. As a character who never lets their mask slip, this is another heavy moment in the chapter. And he is right. Taiju always gets back up after being knocked down. Him being down for an extended period is frightening. We get an aerial view of his body and he looks awful.

Nearby, Xeno and Ryusui are having a talk. Throughout their journey to South America, we have seen Xeno talk occasionally with Senku’s group, Ryusui being the latest in a long line of interactions. Xeno points out that surrendering would save some of their lives. A hint of compassion? He adds on that since Senku would never agree to their world views, the only options left for him are death or life imprisonment.

This was a realization he also made back in America, right before giving Stanley the order to snipe Senku.

Ryusui tells him the point of Science is carving a path to the future. Even when everything seems bleak.

A theme which has been pretty much a staple of the series so far, starting from Senku. It mirrors the end of Treasure Island, where all the Kingdom of Science allowed themselves to be petrified, so that Senku would have a fighting chance against Ibara.

Back then there was the guarantee that they would still be alive within the stone. This time, they are being gunned down with every passing minute. And their trump card (Medusa) is not finished this time. On Treasure Island, they had the drone ready by the time they fought Ibara. This time, their enemy has caught them by surprise.

Ryusui gets gunned down where he stands, and the fortress is engulfed in flames. While shot, he was holding the Kingdom of Science’s gun, so was he intending on defending himself with it? If he chose to shoot Xeno with the gun, that would have caused Stanley to change his approach to the siege. Though Xeno WAS still in the stronghold when it exploded, so there is the off chance that he got damaged.

Senku manages to escape with Kaseki. The diamonds get engulfed in flames, while Luna and Chelsea watch from a distance, hopelessly.

Much like the previous chapter, this chapter continues to add on to the casualties of the Kingdom of Science. Taiju and Ryusui are mortally wounded, and the building goes up in flames. So now their stronghold has been torn down, and there is no place to hide.

There are two interesting things to note in the chapter though. Xeno seems to shed a tear after Ryusui’s speech. Charlotte also seems to hesitate for a moment when Stanley orders them to gun down everyone. And we know she is grateful to Suika for sparing her life. Is there a chance she might show some mercy to one of the members of the Kingdom of Science? Or better yet, could Xeno have been moved by Ryusui’s speech? Which would drive him into an act of saving their lives?

The diamonds are burnt up at the end of the chapter, but according to Matsukaze’s flashback, the Medusa’s rain down from the sky. Before the islanders can use them. Is the key to activating the diamonds maybe in burning them up?

Fantastic chapter overall. Seems like next chapter is when Stanley and Senku will finally meet face to face.