Chapter 684: "Stop it, Vegapunk"

MiyamotoMusashi

and special in what way?
it's just busoushoku,but draw in a way that it's impossible to miss without the need to shout "haki" every damn time a character uses it

Again, CoA was used post TS without the skin turning black, how hardening works in detail is still a mystery at this point but it seems that while normal CoA is like an invisible armor on top of the skin, the Bosoushoku:Koka (Luffy actually calls it that the first time he uses it against the Kraken) actually hardens your own skin and thus turns it black. Luffy uses hardening in his basic form and with Gear3 while he uses normal CoA when he is in Gear2. The only exception is Red Hawk which is a combination of Gear2 and Hardening CoA.

TheCrystalShip

You gotta wonder if Akainu knows about this… He did win the fight on Punk Hazard...

Jabra

Amazing chapter.

Smoker vs Vergo, the beginning. I really hope that the fight comes to a conslusion, the few panels already entertained me greatly. Tho I worry that they will be forced to meet in the great middle room as Caesar plans…which is a pity.
Limbs turning black is now officially haki, no matter who does it. So much for all the rubber vulcanization crap of the past.
Sanji and the G-5. What can I say, I think the arc wasn't kind to him considering fights, but I really like that he slowly drifts away from his jerk attitude. It makes sense that he doesn't want to be cheered on by men, but he still cares for their lives. I'm confident now that the "balanced" Sanji can return one day.
Caesar. I must admit that I liked him and his design from the very beginning, but this chapter seals it. I LOVE HIM. Someone said his panels were dragged, but I couldn't get enough of them. Especially this one was hilarious:

! Yeah Caesar, World peace with your science. I feel for you.
And now this also confirms that Vegapunk isn't a bad guy, but at the very least "neutral".
Some might remember that I thought that Oda tries to establish Zoro as the "official first mate" because he used him as a symbol for the Straw Hat pirates when Luffy is absent ("Zoro side", doodle of Zoro's head ). Well, forget about it.

!
Aohige's reference makes a lot of sense, but the first thing I thought about after seeing the dragon was this:

! Probably a combination of both.

All in all a nice chapter, now waiting for CCC's proper stuff. Especially Smokers's commander talk wasn't clear.

beck26

very good chapter for me.

smoker and vergo fight is awesome.
tashigi and sanji scenes are very nice.

umm…mangareader is missing pages? i never saw the blizzard thing monet did people talking here...and vegapunk getting banished instantly after clown mentioning gigantification in the previous page...

overall i really liked the chapter, will come back before the next spoilers come out and make a prediction (or can i make a thread for self made drawn chapter/spoilers? would the mods here allow those?). have a nice week dudes!

Kishido

I find it funny that indeed of becomes the most wanted and troublesome SH for the marines Sanji actually becomes the most popular making fans xD

BingBang

Where are the Dragon Balls in One Piece??

beck26

@TheCrystalShip:

You gotta wonder if Akainu knows about this… He did win the fight on Punk Hazard...

as im guessing before…clown was most likely released by doflamingo + doflamingo inserted vergo in the marines and even made him a VA + punk hazard is WG establishment, you would wonder how did doflamingo knew that place + dolfamingo got inside connections in marines + akainu is the new fleet admiral.

this just seems too fishy for me.

blue-san

Well I guess loads is to be said about this chapter. I will start with the cover.

Really didn't expect Caribou to be smacking a NW Commodore…and is he the strongest one protecting the G5 base in a NW? Pretty weak stuff... Using a shovel also makes you wonder about...

Well to the chapter itself.
The first thing I liked about it, was right at the start, the fact that Vergo doesn't go all cliche and tells Smoker all about SAD. Always found it stupid, that villains go off and explain stuff they have no reason to. So really liked the fact that Vergo told him nothing about the SAD room.
The fight is a quick exchange of moves, so don't know why everyone here is getting all dramatic about it and go even as far as saying that Smoker now somewhat redeemed himself for his past actions at PH. (no idea why they find them weak as well...)
The point of the fight is basically to reinforce the fact, that Smoker cares about his subordinates and to show a bit of Vergos' fighting style and that's basically it. It hasn't even kick off really in the terms of seriousness...
Than we get to see the G5 and Sanji (boy those guys are running for ages now...)
And after that it's the Caesar's dramalama story... I as well didn't see the need to go to such an extent and pages to show us how it happened. I guess it's nice but not that important really, since we all knew how it went.
His plan is so plain and simple and STRAIGHT FORWARD that it just screams failure. The element of surprise is missing and that is usually needed for something to work in manga world. It's basically the same, when a villain claims that he will smack the shit out of someone he usually fails and when he is laughed at and underestimated he pulls it off. Well this time around Caesar told us his entire plan and I don't think it is going to work.
So the last things to mention are I guess the fact that Zoro and company have some blizzard time with Monet. I am expecting Nami the weather girl to somewhat handle it and if not her the rest of the guys. Seriously there is just way too much of fire power there for Monet to deal with by herself. I do wonder though if Monet will just escape through some ventilation shaft as soon as they are herded in front C/D entrances, or will she find herself in trouble as well. (well probably not, but it would be interesting and perhaps make her change her allegiance)
As for Luffy and the dragon boy...Well I expect the kid to posses the Dragon DF. Probably something he is despised for in his native country as well. Samurais and dragons don't really get along, so for him to get/have that DF must be shitty...

Good chapter in next one I expect all the story lines to join and thus enable easier plot development (people being in the same room more or less)
Also props to Aohige for that dragon story data and him being right about Luffy meeting the samurai kid in the storage room

beck26

most probably, darkening the limbs is from COA hardening…and a way to tell CoA even without labeling it over and over again.

who said the idea is stupid again?

Maju

@MiyamotoMusashi:

Again, CoA was used post TS without the skin turning black, how hardening works in detail is still a mystery at this point but it seems that while normal CoA is like an invisible armor on top of the skin, the Bosoushoku:Koka (Luffy actually calls it that the first time he uses it against the Kraken) actually hardens your own skin and thus turns it black. Luffy uses hardening in his basic form and with Gear3 while he uses normal CoA when he is in Gear2. The only exception is Red Hawk which is a combination of Gear2 and Hardening CoA.

i've never said that this change of haki appearance was decided with the timeskip,but a bit later,probably by editorial suggestion to avoid confusion about when the haki is used or not.
In both cases(the punch at the pacifista and this punch of smoker to vergo) is the same thing ..a more powerful punch,there's nothing "special" in the tecnique so no reason to create a new graphic effect to show it..it's just busoushoku

MiyamotoMusashi

@Maju:

i've never said that this change of haki appearance was decided with the timeskip,but a bit later,probably by editorial suggestion to avoid confusion about when the haki is used or not.
In both cases(the punch at the pacifista and this punch of smoker to vergo) is the same thing ..a more powerful punch,there's nothing "special" in the tecnique so no reason to create a new graphic effect to show it..it's just busoushoku

Read my post here please, you pretty much ignore the the panels in the manga or you suggest that Oda is that inconsistent (which is highly doubtful)
http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=19200&page=217

Maju

@MiyamotoMusashi:

Read my post here please, you pretty much ignore the the panels in the manga or you suggest that Oda is that inconsistent (which is highly doubtful)
http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=19200&page=217

all these samples are or after the first appearance of "black haki hardening" (the battle with the kraken),or attacks where we don't even see luffy arms or legs,or parts where we have rufy that already has black gloves and black stripes at the end of his arms,put more black over the black it' kinda difficult in a manga .

redon

ToC and next issue preview, could someone translate Oda message and the information of One Piece in next issue?

Katzztar

@BingBang:

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100703030315/dragonball/images/6/65/-large–AnimePaper-scans_Dragon-Ball-Z_gtsayaman(1)_THISRES_215457.jpg

Where are the Dragon Balls in One Piece??

Luffy doesn't want dragon balls, he happy with the golden balls :ninja:

Don Quichotte De Flamingo

Somehow i think that gas chamber concept i heard somewhere before…

MiyamotoMusashi

@Maju:

all these samples are or after the first appearance of "black haki hardening" (the battle with the kraken),or attacks where we don't even see luffy arms or legs,or parts where we have rufy that already has black gloves and black stripes at the end of his arms,put more black over the black it' kinda difficult in a manga .

Even if you believe that (which is grasping at straws for me right now, no insult though) this here proves that Luffy can not be using Hardening in the panels where he is hitting and kicking CC since he is in Gear2 mode and G2 + Hardening results in this: http://www.mangareader.net/one-piece/644/18

Maju

@MiyamotoMusashi:

Even if you believe that (which is grasping at straws for me right now, no insult though) this here proves that Luffy can not be using Hardening in the panels where he is hitting and kicking CC since he is in Gear2 mode and G2 + Hardening results in this: http://www.mangareader.net/one-piece/644/18

where is stated that every time luffy punches someone with hardening and gears second,it catches fire ò_ò?
did i miss something?red hawn is a tencique on it's own,that will be pretty inconvinient if luffy catches fire every time

Luffyfan

@Katzztar:

Luffy doesn't want dragon balls, he happy with the golden balls :ninja:

Screw that, he already has woman falling at his feet, he doesn't need it :P

MiyamotoMusashi

@Maju:

where is stated that every time luffy punches someone with hardening and gears second,it catches fire ò_ò?
did i miss something?red hawn is a tencique on it's own,that will be pretty inconvinient if luffy catches fire every time

That is why he only catches fire when he combines Gear2 with the Hardening CoA, when he uses G2 with normal CoA Red Hawk does not happen

Maju

@MiyamotoMusashi:

That is why he only catches fire when he combines Gear2 with the Hardening CoA, when he uses G2 with normal CoA Red Hawk does not happen

so,what is exactly the difference between "normal coa" and "hardening coa"?they do exactly the same thing,no real difference.
both makes the punch harder,both makes possible to attack logias,both can be transferred to objects..so what's the point of this differentiation?

MiyamotoMusashi

@Maju:

so,what is exactly the difference between "normal coa" and "hardenign coa"?they do exactly the same thing,no real difference.
both makes the punch harder,both makes possible to attack logias,both can be transferred to objects..so what's the point of this differentiation?

For now, it seems like an evolved version of CoA (i think the fight against the dragon at the beginning of PH is supporting that). Like i said above, while normal CoA is like an invisible armor, hardening actually changes the hardness of the skin itself. I could imagine that it is easier to penetrate a hard armor than actually hurt an already hardened skin.

BlackLegEd

@Aohige_AP:

The more I think about it, the more this makes sense.

Opening to Nippon Mukashi Banashi, a long running children show in Japan about old folklores.

http://imageshack.us/a/img525/6850/img357378623173312.jpg

The story this refers to is Tatsunoko Taro. (Taro, Son of a Dragon)
About tale of Taro, in search of his mother who was turned into a dragon.
What with Luffy wearing red jacket and nothing underneath, resembling Taro from the opening animation…
Him being the "Son of Dragon", Momonosuke is someone who turned into a Dragon..
There's so much reference parallels here lol.

Wow thanks for the info. You and this chapter are both amazing.

Maju

@MiyamotoMusashi:

For now, it seems like an evolved version of CoA (i think the fight against the dragon at the beginning of PH is supporting that). Like i said above, while normal CoA is like an invisible armor, hardening actually changes the hardness of the skin itself. I could imagine that it is easier to penetrate a hard armor than actually hurt an already hardened skin.

kuja's arrows were able to break through rocks.
i think these were already more hard then common arrows,so make things harder, is something that busoushoku already does

Monkey.D.Joeru

@Maju:

all these samples are or after the first appearance of "black haki hardening" (the battle with the kraken),or attacks where we don't even see luffy arms or legs,or parts where we have rufy that already has black gloves and black stripes at the end of his arms,put more black over the black it' kinda difficult in a manga .

I find it VERY unlikely that elephant gun wasn't planned out before the first chapter of the Post time skip was drawn.

@Maju:

so,what is exactly the difference between "normal coa" and "hardenign coa"?they do exactly the same thing,no real difference.
both makes the punch harder,both makes possible to attack logias,both can be transferred to objects..so what's the point of this differentiation?

The hardening attribute of CoA isn't what allows the devil fruit to be bypassed, hitting a logia with hard steel won't bypass intangibility. Normal CoA seems to provide a shockwave that allows the bypassing of fruit defence, extra damage and a repelling type of defence ( sentomaru's blocks, marigold's blocks. Hardening CoA makes the object actually harder providing a better defence and increasing the hardness of the attacks (i.e. using a metal knife to cut through wood rather than a plastic sword to cut through wood).

MiyamotoMusashi

@Maju:

kuja's arrows were able to break through rocks.
i think these were already more hard then common arrows,so make things harder, is something that busoushoku already does

What part of evolved did you not understand?

Lookie here: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124007/one-piece_v66_ch656_by_mangarule/5
http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124007/one-piece_v66_ch656_by_mangarule/6
http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124007/one-piece_v66_ch656_by_mangarule/9

Luffy uses the same attack as the one which destroyed the Pacifista (which was confirmed to be embedded with CoA by Sentomaru). Since you claim that the blackening can not be seen with G2 since Luffy´s limbs move too fast you can pretty much assume that Luffy uses CoA in the first example. His attack does not have any effect on the dragon since his skin is too hard. Then Luffy attacks with his Hardening CoA and the dragon screams out in pain, this means that the hardening is an evolved technique of CoA.

RageKaiser

Guys? Where is Franky? It's been so long since we've seen him in a chapter, and he wasn't even in the picture showing where everyone was o_O

Maju

@Monkey.D.Joeru:

I find it VERY unlikely that elephant gun wasn't planned out before the first chapter of the Post time skip was drawn.

i've never said that,what made this change happening was probably an editorial choice to avoid confusion in the readers,oda just had to obey..like with whitebeard's symbol,kuma's color scheme and so on.
@Monkey.D.Joeru:

The hardening attribute of CoA isn't what allows the devil fruit to be bypassed, hitting a logia with hard steel won't bypass intangibility. Normal CoA seems to provide a shockwave that allows the bypassing of fruit defence, extra damage and a repelling type of defence ( sentomaru's blocks, marigold's blocks. Hardening CoA makes the object actually harder providing a better defence and increasing the hardness of the attacks (i.e. using a metal knife to cut through wood rather than a plastic sword to cut through wood).

where i've said that?:blink:

TLC

Caesar is quickly becoming one of my favorite villains. Every expression he makes is just GOLD! Oda's really experimenting with the facial features with this character.

Deviant_Mugen

Smoker being a brawler-type fighter (as opposed to just using his jutte) was awesome. I was afraid that Smoker using his usual trick would just get kicked away by Vergo, then he blocked the kick with his own kick and followed up with a nice, clean, haki-infused punch on Vergo. That was definitely the highlight of the chapter for me. It's a shame Caesar's plan will probably interrupt their fight, but what was shown definitely has me hyped up for when Smoker and Luffy face off once again.

Also, Caesar is a petty, evil ass and his fodder subordinates are all idiots. He's lucky they're so stupid (like the ID inmates who followed Buggy), because, as Daz said, Caesar's a terrible actor. He's doing a great job at taking back the spotlight after it was set on Joker, though…

Zoph

Nice chapter! The Smoker & Vergo fight was pretty good and all those Cesar faces were brilliant.

Where on earth was Sanji running off to? Cmon Mr Prince!!

Maju

@MiyamotoMusashi:

What part of evolved did you not understand?

Lookie here: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124007/one-piece_v66_ch656_by_mangarule/5
http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124007/one-piece_v66_ch656_by_mangarule/6
http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124007/one-piece_v66_ch656_by_mangarule/9

Luffy uses the same attack as the one which destroyed the Pacifista (which was confirmed to be embedded with CoA by Sentomaru). Since you claim that the blackening can not be seen with G2 since Luffy´s limbs move too fast you can pretty much assume that Luffy uses CoA in the first example. His attack does not have any effect on the dragon since his skin is too hard. Then Luffy attacks with his Hardening CoA and the dragon screams out in pain, this means that the hardening is an evolved technique of CoA.

no,i don't assume he used haki in the first attack
using or not haki in his punch is something he decides himself
and anyway,the "evolved tecnique" still does the same busoushoku already does,but only harder?so again,what's the point of make this difference in appearance?

anyway,we are going in loop here..seems like we will have to wait for a more precise explaination by oda.

Zoph

@Thousand:

Caesar is quickly becoming one of my favorite villains. Every expression he makes is just GOLD! Oda's really experimenting with the facial features with this character.

I think it's more than just Cesar, there have been so many great facial expressions from a lot of characters this arc, I love it.
Still think that Tashigi pout is my favorite. Or perhaps Cesar's D: just before Monet stopped Luffy's Jet Gatling a chapter or two ago.

Strelok

@Maju:

no,i don't assume he used haki in the first attack
using or not haki in his punch is something he decides himself
and anyway,the "evolved tecnique" still does the same busoushoku already does,but only harder?so again,what's the point of make this difference in appearance?

anyway,we are going in loop here..seems like we will have to wait for a more precise explaination by oda.

No, you are wrong again. Hardening is a special way of using CoA, which only a few characters know. This is all, no bullshit "showing" haki or something.

King Cannon

Caesar's flashback in a nutshell…

blackness662

It was a great chapter!
I loved it.
Smoker vs Vergo is fun, the dragon is cute.
A question about Monosuke: he turned into a dragon or it is a DF?

Jabra

@blackness662:

A question about Monosuke: he turned into a dragon or it is a DF?

He would be a mythical zoan if it is DF related, which would be a horrible coincidence given that there is another, much more dramatic option available.

Mortein

I don't like momosuke :(

Tangaroa

Things are certainly moving.

Quite surprised to see Coribou apparently more than holding his own in the G5 base fight. Wet hair has really grown on me but maybe his brother has hidden depths of his own.

So Vergo is a special weapons user. Definitely backed up by haki but wondering if maybe there is a DF in play. Maybe somekind of suck-and-blow warp? Could be why things keep sticking to his face.

Monosuke is cute.

Kishido

@Mortein:

I don't like momosuke :(

Who is this Momosuke?

Sagippio

@KiShiDo:

Who is this Momosuke?

Son of Kimon. :ninja:

omy785

@Sagippio:

Son of Kimon. :ninja:

Ehm…Kinemon...

Lorenzo D. Teach

@KiShiDo:

Who is this Momosuke?

the son of Kinemon, the Samurai, it's supposed to be the tiny dragon just met by Luffy

Game And Guy

@omy785:

Ehm…Kinemon...

Didn't get the joke, did ya?

~

I honestly feel stupid for not imagining Momonosuke as an oriental dragon. I've always imagined him as an eastern dragon, much like the other two dragons that appeared.

EDIT: erm, western dragon.

Kishido

@Lorenzo:

the son of Kinemon, the Samurai, it's supposed to be the tiny dragon just met by Luffy

Ahhh you mean MomoNOsuke!!! got it =)

BTW he is a eastern/Oriental dragon. The other 2 were western types

alexwolf

Can anyone show me a link to the pages with Monet's blizzard and Momonosuke? Because i can't find them in MangaPanda.

Miss White day

Oh sweet Momonosuke is going to grant Luffy 1 wish!

CC is really a cad. I mean geez how did he summon those tears so fast? He's really playing it up and those guys are just buying it. Somehow I'm glad that the Smoker vs Vergo fight was more about "you messing with my guys" rather than the "You betrayed the marines" kind of fight since they didn't show any Vergo/Smoker interactions before so I wouldn't believe they were close even if they showed flashback. We do know Smoker values subordinates so in a way I can accept him being pissed because of that.

I totally called building B being flooded with gas. But good job on Brownbeard's warning about the fire causing an explosion. It really did happen in the end.

superneku

I feel dumb now for assuming that the dragon that Brook & Kinemon took down was Momonosuke. Oda isn't that cruel :P

MiyamotoMusashi

@superneku:

I feel dumb now for assuming that the dragon that Brook & Kinemon took down was Momonosuke. Oda isn't that cruel :P

I thought that was obvious since the little girl said that she saw him transforming in the secret room while the dragon that Kinemon & co took down was outside at that moment but like 400milli said, i imagined Momo to be a western dragon like the other ones.

Miss White day

You know that face of crying CC reminds me of one of those face meme. The first one where he started crying. I wonder if I can find the image…

Baldulf

Caesar would fit perfectly in Buggy's crew after this :P

They really have a lot of personality traits in common.