Is it just me or do lots of series make someone's injury seem a hell of a lot worse when it happens, and then in the next chapter/episode, it either isn't nearly as bad or is forgotten about entirely in some cases?
Wasn't expecting Katakuri to even the fight by injuring himself rather than healing Luffy, but I had a strong feeling he was going to be pissed off about them interfering in his fight. I could tell he wouldn't be okay with them helping him, it's insulting to his pride that they could think so low of him that they believed he wanted or needed anyone else's help. What I didn't expect was this total personality shift, where he's showing off his face and not doing a thing to them as they're mocking him and making his secret known far and wide, when just a minute ago he was killing people for finding out about it. Is he part Fishman, BTW? It wouldn't be the first we've learned of Big Mom having half-breed kids with the fish/merfolk (I just figured she'd try to have one of as many different races as possible…although Katakuri would be a Fishman, and I forget her name, Aladdin's wife, is a Mermaid, so I guess technically that is a distinct one of each.)
Luffy's really got a strange impact on some people. I guess because Katakuri also didn't sense the intrusion, he saw a weakness in himself and felt he had to be punished for it, at least in part, otherwise the intrusion alone might not have been enough to get him to impale himself like that. I still don't see how Luffy's still even standing, and let's be honest, Katakuri's one blow to himself isn't nearly a match for how badly his follow-up attacks on Luffy (and the dart) further damaged his suddenly now-worthy opponent, so he really should be hurting himself more if he wants a true even fight from here on. Luffy's still no match regardless, so unless he comes up with an awakening (at least in part) or Katakuri does something really stupid, the fight's probably going to have to be won in what seems like will end up being a cheap way, via nakama power or plot armor or something that Oda usually doesn't resort to, at least per capita compared to other artists.
Really surprised there was literally not a single other scene outside of their immediate situation, nothing about the cake or destroying the potential escape mirrors or anything. Hopefully that means Oda's planning on getting serious and ending this quickly. Having more than half of their fight so far be nothing but a one-sided spanking wasn't gratifying at all. But with the number-one Sweet Commander K.O.'d, Big Mom in a food coma from the wedding cake, and very likely something that will cripple the remaining fleet (Vinsmoke retaliation combined with the Fishmen attacking from below the water, anyone?), even if the remaining BM forces aren't so demoralized that they would willingly give up the chase and allow them to escape, they probably won't be able to even if they wanted to.