Here, it is, the (extremely probable) end of volume 100. And what a note to end on. Due to the surprise element of the raid, their enemies underestimating them and just because they're far stronger than some fans gave them credit for, the alliance has had a strong showing in the early stages of the battle, but the Beasts Pirates are outlasting them, remaining standing as the heroes are run ragged. We're definitely coming up on the darkest hour of this battle, where it briefly seems all is lost. The only question is how many more will fall before Luffy finds his way back.
But Luffy's return is going to take some big justification. I didn't expect him to be shown hitting the water and going beneath the waves so explicitly. That definitely rules out a lot of possibilities. I feel like Luffy riding on dragon Momo's back still has to happen before we're done, but he can't just swoop down and pick him up now. Hm…
Kaido even knowing Joyboy's name is a big deal. Did he learn it from Rocks, perhaps, or is it just his own research into Poneglyphs in pursuit of the One Piece, or from ancient stuff he's found in Wano? I'm very much looking forward to the follow-up from this line.
Some people have taken this to indicate Joyboy is a title rather than a name, but I still think it could just mean Luffy picking up his will and acting in the same role as the original. Much in the same way Oden isn't a title, but that hasn't stopped Yamato.
The official release going with he/him pronouns for Yamato is pretty nice. I wonder if this is one of those things where Stephen pulled out his big red phone to Shueisha, or if it was just a judgement call.
I wouldn't be surprised if Momo's learning the same stuff Kaido was talking about from Oden's journal right now. Given that the end of the chapter brings them together, it could make for a very interesting discussion, if Momo can get over his fear and anger enough to actually talk about it. I won't blame him if he can't though.
Zunesha feels like a good bet for the voice he's hearing. The old elephant has to have a role to play in all of this, and that's who it was the last time Momo had trouble with voices. It could be in a good position to save Luffy and catch or deflect Onigashima if commanded right, which would give Oda the power to wrap up a lot of plot threads in one move. But wouldn't Momo recognise Vunesha's voice from last time?
My first thought was actually that it might be a Koby-style CoO awakening with the screams of battle pouring in, but the way he asks who the voice is like it's addressing him directly seemingly rules this out.
I absolutely love Chopper developing a longer-lasting Monster Point and being able to go head to head with Queen. Back in Punk Hazard, Chopper was upset Luffy went as hard against his body as he did against the giant kracken, but Luffy's got a pretty good read of threat levels. Let's also not forget that Chopper used this form to defend against Big Mom breifly during the Tottoland escape. His mascot status sees him underestimated a lot, but no Straw Hat is any kind of a slouch in battle, and we'll do well to remember that.
This also goes to prove that with the focus on casts of local characters in the New World arcs, the Strawhats are likely developing their skills offscreen and in the background. Info on limits and restrictions learned back at Fishman Island might not be reliable anymore. This could be important to remember as we get deeper into the crewmate fights in the later stage of the battle.
I've seen a theory that the risks of going beyond the limit of the new Monster Point will result in an even more monstrous form that runs out of control like the last one. It think that'd be super cool. Just some extra post-use downtime feels more likely, but I'd love a new monster to be what happens.
Obviously no one even thinks of surrender during the announcement spread, which is exactly as expected but still a great page to see.
And then we head into the last stretch of the chapter. Oda's almost got me believing that Scabbards will die in the raid. It's been flagged often enough, but it's usually not his style. The possibility that one of the casualties will be Kiku really does sting. Kanjuro's end is well and truly cathartic though. He feels well and truly down, even if the others pull through in typical Oda fashion.
I'll admit, on my first reading I thought Kiku had found herself unable to bring the sword down on Kanjuro again. Given how transparent the Oden disguise is now, I thought he was just speaking as himself to her. But Kanjuro was recruited after Kiku and Izo. It's absolutely Oden asking if Kiku could really cut him down, and that's why she hesitates. Maybe Kanjuro isn't such a ham after all. The goal of the actor's performance is to inspire real emotions even though the audience knows it's all fake, and Kiku was tragically encapsulated by the show.
I'm in two minds about Kin'emon's fate. He's definitely not outright dead - he'd get a chance to go through some last words either way - but it looks pretty bad for him. I'll be shocked if he does any more fighting, anyway. Hell, I could even be convinced that the much-theorised tragedy and act break are coming up if things continue like this, even though we know it doesn't have to happen.
This was a fantastic chapter. So eventful, and every major scene felt like it was a big step forward for the plot. We're in for a great few weeks if Oda can keep this kind of momentum up.
It's a real disappointment that Jump walked back plans of an Onigashima battle map. So here's my version:
As before, character's marked "last seen" are likely to have moved on from that location by the next time we see them. For example, the Scabbards and a few others are on the move, the yakuza bosses and Mink medics were last in the building that Chopper slams Queen through at the start of his scene, and Drake and Apoo used to be where Chopper and Queen are now, so they'll probably all be reshuffled, maybe just by one floor of the castle or to the other side of the Performance Floor, or maybe a little further depending on how long before their next appearance.