Chapter 902: End Roll

[Bigivel]

@Melker:

To be fair, we saw people trying to take down Crocodile himself. Nothing new to in OP to have retarded, nameless characters doing retarded things in order to display named characters’ names and/or traits.

But of course, can’t argue with the fact how it is technically retarded :)

The guys from Crocodile were outside pirates making names of themselves, basically what Luffy and the Strawhats did. Opposite to that this ones are people that lived in the place. Also Crocodile was a Shichibukai with a bounty previously of 80 Millions, the weakest of them. Big Mom had for what would seem at least half of her life, at that time, a bounty of at least Half a Billion. Not the same thing at all.

[Angelos17]

A very emotional chapter. Just loved it.

[Bigivel]

@RamistaR:

Hahaha he did not lose his will.
For ten hours he gradually lost stamina, blood, haki, and eventually conciousness and the fight.

Funny enough, those are the things that Luffy, in the beating end, didn't lose.

The amazing magic of Auto-Phoenix Down. :3

[Hedron]

lol, to say Katakuri didn't lose is just misreading words and pictures, and to say Katakuri let Luffy win because he lost his will is just pure speculation.

@.access:

Now that I think about it, how did they found the Swirlyhats in the first place?

They said their objective was Ceasar so maybe they had his vivre card, or maybe they just found them by chance since they were coming back from FI and then noticed they had Ceasar with them.
But yeah, those are just suppositions, it would have been better if it the issue was addressed in the manga (but maybe I don't remember it).

[Melker]

@Bigivel:

The guys from Crocodile were outside pirates making names of themselves, basically what Luffy and the Strawhats did. Opposite to that this ones are people that lived in the place. Also Crocodile was a Shichibukai with a bounty previously of 80 Millions, the weakest of them. Big Mom had for what would seem at least half of her life, at that time, a bounty of at least Half a Billion. Not the same thing at all.

Crocodile was merely an example. Do you actually want to argue that this is something new?

[Bigivel]

@Melker:

Crocodile was merely an example. Do you actually want to argue that this is something new?

A bad example, is just what it is, a bad example. It doesn't matter if it is just one example or not. You were wrong. Instead of wanting to save face, please enlight me and tell me a "minimally acceptable" example.

[Miss Saturday]

Who knew the Brulee-Katakuri relationship would be so emotional. Bet nobody expected the ugly witch to have such a sad and heartwarming background. All of them as kids was pretty cute.

I'm a little confused as to WHAT exactly Pudding erased from Sanji's memory, though. At first I thought it was their entire relationship/baking a cake together, etc.. But he immediately calls after her and wonders what she meant, meaning she erased something very recent. Was it just the kiss she erased? Why??

[DarkHamster]

where is zeus??? did that ever get addressed?

[MajinArekkusu]

Big mom and crew will come back in the Elbaf arc, and the memory of the kiss will find its way back to Jiji in the future somehow and Pudding and Sanji will be together. They are made for each other. ;)

[Melker]

@Bigivel:

A bad example, is just what it is, a bad example. It doesn't matter if it is just one example or not. You were wrong. Instead of wanting to save face, please enlight me and tell me a "minimally acceptable" example.

Your point in a nut shell: those characters were retarded for attacking those kids. Correct?

[Bigivel]

@Melker:

Your point in a nut shell: those characters were retarded for attacking those kids. Correct?

This is not about my point, but your point "_To be fair, we saw people trying to take down Crocodile himself. Nothing new to in OP to have retarded, nameless characters doing retarded things in order to display named characters’ names and/or traits."

Right now, that point is wrong, because the example that was used to prove it, is not correct. If you still want to keep what you said, you have to change the proof, or by using another example or by other manner._

[Melker]

@Bigivel:

This is not about my point, but your point "_To be fair, we saw people trying to take down Crocodile himself. Nothing new to in OP to have retarded, nameless characters doing retarded things in order to display named characters’ names and/or traits."

Right now, that point is wrong, because the example that was used to prove it, is not correct. If you still want to keep what you said, you have to change the proof, or by using another example or by other manner._

Trying to make sure I didn’t misinterpret your point of the original post. If I had, then maybe it would make quite sense to criticize what I wrote in response to it.

But you appear to be quite a rude person, so we can just drop this.

[Kaido King of the Beasts]

The complaint about other kids bullying the Charlotte kids would hold more water if Big Mom had ever actually been shown acting as a protective and involved parent. The closest we got to that was her reaction to Snack's and Cracker's defeats (which she sent other people to deal with anyways), smothering Pudding (for her eye power and acting skills), and her admission that she didn't want to kill Perospero herself (lol)

[Boicote]

It doesnt matter that the cake was delicious, nor did not had poison in it. It could have been made of plastic because since the final moment that Big mom could smell it, she was chasing something that she never saw. At least for now, she did not pardon the strawhats for making the cake and not even Perospero is grateful to the Strawhats for saving his life and everybody elses lives.

So Sanji part was useless then? Actually not even useless, if he refused to make the cake, he would have being responsible, for the defeat of a younkou, because all her family would be dead….

[Blissed]

@Boicote:

It doesnt matter that the cake was delicious, nor did not had poison in it. It could have been made of plastic because since the final moment that Big mom could smell it, she was chasing something that she never saw. At least for now, she did not pardon the strawhats for making the cake and not even Perospero is grateful to the Strawhats for saving his life and everybody elses lives.

So Sanji part was useless then? Actually not even useless, if he refused to make the cake, he would have being responsible, for the defeat of a younkou, because all her family would be dead….

And the Straw Hats. And the Totland citizens.

[Bigivel]

@Kaido:

The complaint about other kids bullying the Charlotte kids would hold more water if Big Mom had ever actually been shown acting as a protective and involved parent. The closest we got to that was her reaction to Snack's and Cracker's defeats (which she sent other people to deal with anyways), smothering Pudding (for her eye power and acting skills), and her admission that she didn't want to kill Perospero herself (lol)

You don't know much about logic, rationality and proof right? Because it actually the complete opposite.
It would be more bearable if there was shown her not caring about them in front of the people. The assumption is the norm, not the anormal. Parents, Crew Leaders caring minimally about their underlings is the norm. Even if the Parent/Crew Leader only attacks back because of his own reputation and not by caring.

The kids from nothing, and we from nothing, assuming that she doesn't care and that was known by the kids is counter-rational, and so retarded.

It doesn't matter the manner that she would resolve the situation, doesn't matter if she would sent someone else, what matter is that she would resolve it and that the little gang would be obliterated, like it was.

And the problem is even twofold, because it doesn't even have to go as far as Big Mom, like it wasn't, but just them insulting Katakuri. They made mental gymnastic 4 times. Not caring about insulting a Big Mom son. Not Caring about insulting a person way stronger than them. Not caring about hurting a daughter of Big Mom. Not Caring about hurting a sister of someone way stronger than them.
If they just wanted to die it would be easier to just shoot themselves, I don't know why the need of such an elaborated layered stupidity.

[Ukimix]

@Miss:

Who knew the Brulee-Katakuri relationship would be so emotional. Bet nobody expected the ugly witch to have such a sad and heartwarming background. All of them as kids was pretty cute.

I'm a little confused as to WHAT exactly Pudding erased from Sanji's memory, though. At first I thought it was their entire relationship/baking a cake together, etc.. But he immediately calls after her and wonders what she meant, meaning she erased something very recent. Was it just the kiss she erased? Why??

He's not worried about her, meaning things are coming as expected. So I guess maybe she erased only the parts about her third eye. She's losing the only person who thinks she's not a monster, then she cries. I guess

[Bigivel]

@Melker:

Trying to make sure I didn’t misinterpret your point of the original post. If I had, then maybe it would make quite sense to criticize what I wrote in response to it.

But you appear to be quite a rude person, so we can just drop this.

Trying to avoid your error? You just throw to the wind something, and now aren't owning it. Maybe in that way trying to keep your original point unquestioned. You said something and didn't back it up. That something right now is simply "Wrong".

Is the statement still in the table? Or you take it back? Because you can't make the cake and eat it too.

[MrPecans]

Yall negative nancies are killlllin me.

1.) Sanji cooks for hungry people, period. Big Mom was going on a mindless rampage and could have killed her entire kingdom. Cooking and saving people (even if it didn't wind up saving his allies) is perfectly in character for him.
2.) The Germa were given a fighting chance by the alliance. Once the wedding was over, it's completely on them to leave or stay.
3.) Will Jinbe ever sail with the crew or not? We don't know, and there's nothing wrong with that. Oda is playing with our expectations and there's nothing wrong with that.
4.) There are no pressing loose ends. This is such a silly thing. Is Pound alive? Is King Baum? Who cares! Either they are dead, like it looks, or they'll be revealed to be alive at a later time. It doesn't matter.
5.) Pudding is still stuck with Big Mom, but there's every reason to believe that maybe one day she won't be - and if not, that's okay - bad things are allowed to happen in a story. It doesn't make the story bad.

I'm not some mindless defender of all Oda decisions. I hate that Smoothie did nothing. I hate that Oda won't let women get even a quarter of the fight scenes and that they are never allowed to brawl with males. The Germa was one of the blandest sets of characters to ever enter One Piece.

But this chapter was beautiful and bittersweet and Oda knows what he's doing. Nothing was for nothing.

[blue-san]

Really not much happened in this chapter and the song heh… no comment.

[.access timeco.]

@BingBang:

"but he fell on it anyways to show to everyone else he was defeated" i found this a contradiction. If your intention is to fall even if it's "draw" or a "defeat" is not a real defeat in terms of "fighting" because your opponent is forcing himself to do that, it's not Luffy who did "directly" that to him. Katakuri was not K.O after the final blow. There is an intention of acting like that. Imagine in a boxing match your opponent falls because he doesn't want to fight anymore. Has that person won the fight? In the eyes of the judges and public yeah, and in the terms of the combat itself also, but in the eyes of yourself and your opponent not. You let the other one to have that chance. Katakuri gave the chance to Luffy to escape and defeat Big Mom in the future, he wants to see that. That's why he choosed to fall backwards. But it's not his defeat. He just wanted to prove that he is not perfect.

If Katakuri didn't wanted to see that "future" and if Luffy was another kind of pirate (a cruel pirate and a dangerous one with killing instincts) he would have defeated him the moment he woke up.

Look at the page when Katakuri falls. He first is about to fall on his front, then he stomps to make sure he will keep standing (you can see the movement lines around his leg showing the quick stomping movement). He then say his last words to Luffy and then fall on his back. He was already falling and using his last strength to stay on his feet one last second, he only decided to throw his body back instead of just fall as he was.

@Miss:

Who knew the Brulee-Katakuri relationship would be so emotional. Bet nobody expected the ugly witch to have such a sad and heartwarming background. All of them as kids was pretty cute.

I'm a little confused as to WHAT exactly Pudding erased from Sanji's memory, though. At first I thought it was their entire relationship/baking a cake together, etc.. But he immediately calls after her and wonders what she meant, meaning she erased something very recent. Was it just the kiss she erased? Why??

Maybe the kiss reads as them fulfilling their marriage. She wanted to go through it and really become his wife, but didn't him to get stuck with her so erased his memory of that.

[BingBang]

@KageKageKing:

Nope. He didn't wanted to lose. But had no strenght to continue it. In the end he could only choose to fall foward or backward and in the end it was backward.

Why? It doesn't matter.

So your explanation is "it doesn't matter" because "i have no arguments left" lol And yes it matters because "falling and falling that way" was intentional.

[KageKageKing]

@BingBang:

So your explanation is "it doesn't matter" because "i have no arguments left" lol And yes it matters because "falling and falling that way" was intentional.

Uh, no. We are all going about that Katakuri never fell on his back and ending the fight with him falling everywhere, but on his back was to put a fitting end to the fight.

Like, everyone knew it would end that way and that's why Oda decided to end it. So he was defeated NOT by purpose and fell on his back because it was a FITTING END.

If Oda never pulled that falling back bs you wouldn't be here trying to prove an absurd point.

[NateRich]

Memes aside, it seems like Judge survived against Snack for a decent amount of time.

[.access timeco.]

I like how this flashback actually made Katakuri hiding his face fit his character.

At first him being ashamed of having his face exposed seemed an interesting quirk to expand his character, but at the same time it didn't really connect to his personality as a whole so ultimately it felt like a quirk being added just for the sake of the character having a quirk. Plus, the way he revealed it to Flambé made weird that he was so quickly surpassing a deep insecurity he held close since his childhood just because he was madly in love with Luffy. As if that wasn't enough, the whole face thing never really played any part in anything to the end.

With this flashback, it changes. We see Katakuri never really was ashamed of his appearance, he only started to hide it because he learned his flaws would utimatelly bring harm to his family - his face was just the visual aspect of it. It really connects with everything in his personality and also gives an extra significance to his need to keep the farse of perfection the whole time (plus, the importance of his time alone daily when he can break free for a while). Even him attacking the patissieres when they saw his true "face" gains a new meaning when you know he is not doing it out of pride, but because he equals keeping the image of perfection to directly protecting his family.

[Long John Silvers Rayleigh]

@.access:

I like how this flashback actually made Katakuri hiding his face fit his character.

At first him being ashamed of having his face exposed seemed an interesting quirk to expand his character, but at the same time it didn't really connect to his personality as a whole so ultimately it felt like a quirk being added just for the sake of the character having a quirk. Plus, the way he revealed it to Flambé made weird that he was so quickly surpassing a deep insecurity he held close since his childhood just because he was madly in love with Luffy. As if that wasn't enough, the whole face thing never really played any part in anything to the end.

With this flashback, it changes. We see Katakuri never really was ashamed of his appearance, he only started to hide it because he learned his flaws would utimatelly bring harm to his family - his face was just the visual aspect of it. It really connects with everything in his personality and also gives an extra significance to his need to keep the farse of perfection the whole time (plus, the importance of his time alone daily when he can break free for a while). Even him attacking the patissieres when they saw his true "face" gains a new meaning when you know he is not doing it out of pride, but because he equals keeping the image of perfection to directly protecting his family.

Yeah this chapter really tied in pudding and katakuri's actions to their personality in a way which even if it was a "retcon" or whatever feels totally natural and logically sound.

[Bigivel]

@.access:

I like how this flashback actually made Katakuri hiding his face fit his character.

At first him being ashamed of having his face exposed seemed an interesting quirk to expand his character, but at the same time it didn't really connect to his personality as a whole so ultimately it felt like a quirk being added just for the sake of the character having a quirk. Plus, the way he revealed it to Flambé made weird that he was so quickly surpassing a deep insecurity he held close since his childhood just because he was madly in love with Luffy. As if that wasn't enough, the whole face thing never really played any part in anything to the end.

With this flashback, it changes. We see Katakuri never really was ashamed of his appearance, he only started to hide it because he learned his flaws would utimatelly bring harm to his family - his face was just the visual aspect of it. It really connects with everything in his personality and also gives an extra significance to his need to keep the farse of perfection the whole time (plus, the importance of his time alone daily when he can break free for a while). Even him attacking the patissieres when they saw his true "face" gains a new meaning when you know he is not doing it out of pride, but because he equals keeping the image of perfection to directly protecting his family.

And that goes against he loosing his composure and not being able to control his observation haki for a while and start using a bigger version of Armament Haki.

And the fact that he supposedly cares so much for his family(that was already shown before) goes against him betraying it and putting them in more harm way.

[Icefae]

I've been very critical of this arc for about a year, but I think this was a pretty good chapter at tying up ends and reflecting on some of the better moments. I'm not sure how I feel about another song in this chapter, but I did like that some of the lyrics seem to deliberately target common criticisms of the arc. I think WCI, perhaps more than any other arc in the New World, is better suited to be read chapter by chapter and not week by week. I'm a little concerned about the implications of that, but whatever. Scattered thoughts below:

• I really like the page where Pudding kisses Sanji. I have it saved on my computer. I remember Oda saying that he was hesitant to add real romance into the story but I think this was a great development for both Pudding and Sanji and it acquits itself admirably so as to not really drag IMO.
• The page with Big Mom showing up is just fucking awesome. The reason that spoilers never do the chapter justice is that One Piece is fundamentally just a well drawn manga and is viscerally fun to read. I would have liked to see more raw power from Big Mom this arc instead of her taking hits from some of the weakest Straw Hats but I think she still comes out looking really powerful and I can't wait to see her again in Elbaf.
• I loved the scene with Brulee and Katakuri as well. It's nice to have some more confirmation that Katakuri conceded to Luffy and wanted him to get away… since their relationship seemed completely lost on most readers. The BMP got a lot of flack for being fairly weak for what we'd expect a Yonkou crew to be, but I like seeing characters like Katakuri and Pudding be developed as these complicated "underdogs" who grew to respect and love the Straw Hats. I especially love the characterization of Brulee because you really get the sense that these people are still a family, and not everyone is terrible to each other. I wanted to see more definitive changes in their structure, but hopefully this chapter signifies that things will have changed the next time we see them.
• I really do maintain that Jinbei didn't need to be in this arc. I feel that him not joining this time undervalues his presence. A lot of you guys might disagree but if I were personally pruning this, that would be one of the quickest things I'd cut.
• Pedro being dead... uh, I think I'm with most people that it could go either way. Usually in One Piece we get a "confirmed" corpse or something, but Big Mom does have a chunk of his life span so I don't want to rule anything out. His death added some gravitas to this arc, though.
• The finale with Sanji and Zeff cooking is cute. I'm bummed that Sanji hasn't gotten justice for his childhood abuse and I was looking forward to seeing him develop a lot in this arc, like exploring his toxic relationship with women, but in the end it just seems to reaffirm that Sanji is the same nice guy cook that they met back at the Baratie. Maybe my hopes were a little too high to expect that kind of dimension but Oda has done it before with Usopp in Water 7 and the first half of WCI really was that damn good.
• The body count seems to be pretty high in this arc. But then again, we saw the guy that BM killed early on in the arc just last chapter so... wouldn't be surprised if anyone that got left behind just kinda shows up later.
• I hope that Oda doesn't split the crew up anymore, or at least does it more tactfully. I'm looking forward to seeing Zoro again. WCI really made a Zoro fanboy out of me. So much of this shit would have been easier if Zoro were here.

Although I still think that OP has taken a dive since the timeskip, I like a lot of the individual story beats and how it all seems to be coming together. I'm glad that WCI is ending with a promise of a lot more to come.

[.access timeco.]

@Bigivel:

And that goes against he loosing his composure and not being able to control his observation haki for a while and start using a bigger version of Armament Haki.

On the contrary, it gives his despair a much deeper meaning. He was not despairing because he was afraid people would know he is ugly, he was despairing because harm could befall his family with his image of perfection in peril.

@Bigivel:

And the fact that he supposedly cares so much for his family(that was already shown before) goes against him betraying it and putting them in more harm way.

That could be true, but that ambivalence is not something new to what was added in this chapter, it was pointed out since he started acting more in a selfish way. But where some see him going OOC, some see this contradiction as expanding his personality in the sense that for once he was finally deciding to let go of the farse he made and deciding to act for himself after so long (and that is reinforced now when we find out he didn't had to fall on his back, but chose to do so).

[Icefae]

Oh yeah, even though this has probably been said before elsewhere, doesn't Pudding kissing Sanji technically constitute their marriage?

[Bigivel]

@.access:

On the contrary, it gives his despair a much deeper meaning. He was not despairing because he was afraid people would know he is ugly, he was despairing because harm could befall his family with his image of perfection in peril.

That could be true, but that ambivalence is not something new to what was added in this chapter, it was pointed out since he started acting more in a selfish way. But where some see him going OOC, some see this contradiction as expanding his personality in the sense that for once he was finally deciding to let go of the farse he made and deciding to act for himself after so long (and that is reinforced now when we find out he didn't had to fall on his back, but chose to do so).

So, was it a big problem that he couldn't surpass easily or was something easily surpassed? Because his despair shows that was something important, and right after that he just disreguarded it easily. The problem isn't why he was despairing, the problem is that he was despairing from it, and then right after that it easily moved past it, and even was him that showed the weakness.
Again, you can't make a cake and eat it too. When it was convenient to make a gap for Luffy to finally hit Katakuri, his something important. When is convenient to show his "honor"(that in fact is the most dishonorable thing that somebody can make) it wasn't.

Acting for himself? So being a traitor and harming his family is who he really his?
You can say beatifull words about what is bad writing, trying to show something as honorable that has everything except honor, and show that in a character that is made to be caring and honorable. So basically the intention was right, but it showed the total opposite(unfortunately people are "trained" to see the pattern and understand the intention and take it in instantly. Not mattering if well executed or badly).
Also expanding a character personality is not a good trait for itself. The expanding is not only bad, but badly made and presented. Showing more stuff is only good if is good stuff and shown well.

[Long John Silvers Rayleigh]

One of the Best Chapters of this arc, and arguably after the timeskip. So much heart was put into this chapter.
When I heard it was ending this week i had no idea how oda would be able to wrap everything.
So right now the vinsmokes and the fishmen are in trouble but jinbe promised he'd be in wano.
Beautiful carrot sanji moment, which is the first time they've interacted
The katakuri and brulee stuff was gold too, glad my faith in brulee being a good sister wasn't for naught
The pudding stuff was genuinely sad as well, sanji better come back for her after this arc

[desa]

@All:

You're one stubborn moron, aren't you? I'm gonna repost my previous pot:

@BingBang:

So your explanation is "it doesn't matter" because "i have no arguments left" lol And yes it matters because "falling and falling that way" was intentional.

@KageKageKing:

If Oda never pulled that falling back bs you wouldn't be here trying to prove an absurd point.

You should just all agree to disagree. You interprated the resolution diferently and gave your arguments. Neither side is going to budge anymore, just let it go.

[Megaman]

There is one good thing in Sanji letting the vinsmokes die. Cosette will no longer have to live a life of abuse by the vinsmokes. I'm sure she would be glad to offer 1 month of her soul each year instead which is the better outcome. Same applies to the rest of the Germa country.

[Johnny B. Decent]

@Megaman:

There is one good thing in Sanji letting the vinsmokes die. Cosette will no longer have to live a life of abuse by the vinsmokes. I'm sure she would be glad to offer 1 month of her soul each year instead which is the better outcome. Same applies to the rest of the Germa country.

Ah, if only, huh?

[Kaido King of the Beasts]

@Bigivel:

You don't know much about logic, rationality and proof right? Because it actually the complete opposite.
It would be more bearable if there was shown her not caring about them in front of the people. The assumption is the norm, not the anormal. Parents, Crew Leaders caring minimally about their underlings is the norm. Even if the Parent/Crew Leader only attacks back because of his own reputation and not by caring.

The kids from nothing, and we from nothing, assuming that she doesn't care and that was known by the kids is counter-rational, and so retarded.

It doesn't matter the manner that she would resolve the situation, doesn't matter if she would sent someone else, what matter is that she would resolve it and that the little gang would be obliterated, like it was.

And the problem is even twofold, because it doesn't even have to go as far as Big Mom, like it wasn't, but just them insulting Katakuri. They made mental gymnastic 4 times. Not caring about insulting a Big Mom son. Not Caring about insulting a person way stronger than them. Not caring about hurting a daughter of Big Mom. Not Caring about hurting a sister of someone way stronger than them.
If they just wanted to die it would be easier to just shoot themselves, I don't know why the need of such an elaborated layered stupidity.

The problem is that logic and rationality often doesn't work on kids. They tend to not think about the long term consequences of their actions and they don't always learn after being punished for something. This is multiplied a hundredfold when you have a group of them. Doing dumb things doesn't require advanced mental gymnastics, it just requires not thinking at all.

And no, Big Mom would not have resolved it. The fact that we had to see Pudding and Katakuri being forced to take matters into their own hands does enough to demonstrate how neglectful Big Mom is. And kids may be dumb, but they can tell easily enough when another kid is alone and vulnerable. It was evident that Big Mom was not very present in her kids' lives and the other kids took advantage of that.

[Wintermute]

Just thought about Carrot patting little Brullee and died on utter cuteness.

[kouch_lee]

Loved this chapter. Bittersweet ending for what seemed to be Oda's homage to Disney, but that makes it all the more special. The SHs didn't get to save everyone, but they did save Sanji, they did distract one of the 4 mightiest beings in the opverse long enough to escape via the simple act of cooking a cake, they stole a Road Poneglyph, and earned the uber fanboyism of their second in command.

In exchange, the entire Germa military + the fishman pirates + Jinbe + Pekoms are now put in jeopardy. This is the minimum payment one should be forced to pay when defying one of the strongest beings in the known world, me thinks.

It's surprisingly low key, it cuts things in half, it leaves a sour aftertaste. . .and it's something that was we didn't get from One Piece since Sabaody.

Honestly, I'm very positive about this arc in general, but before this chapter I would've never dreamt of putting it in my top 10 favorite arcs ever. This chapter made me think very hard about it. It might've very well singlehandedly put it up there.

The last page is one of the very best we've ever got. The Katakuri/Brulee interaction is awesome. The visual representation and bittersweet aftertaste of the Pudding scene, the Sanji/Carrot interaction. . .this is seriously one of the best chapters in the entire series. Just like the 900 chapter was. And plenty of others throughout this beautiful arc.

Really convinced, years down the line, people will look back at Tottoland and feel waaaay more positive towards it compared to what we're seeing now (which, to my understanding, is a not very good general consensus, seeing how people have been wishing for its end for like. . .30 chapters now? 35? 40?). Or not. We'll see.

To me, hands down the number 1 post time skip arc by far. And something tells me, Wano will have a massive HARD time measuring up to it.

[Bigivel]

@Kaido:

The problem is that logic and rationality often doesn't work on kids. They tend to not think about the long term consequences of their actions and they don't always learn after being punished for something. This is multiplied a hundredfold when you have a group of them. Doing dumb things doesn't require advanced mental gymnastics, it just requires not thinking at all.

And no, Big Mom would not have resolved it. The fact that we had to see Pudding and Katakuri being forced to take matters into their own hands does enough to demonstrate how neglectful Big Mom is. And kids may be dumb, but they can tell easily enough when another kid is alone and vulnerable. It was evident that Big Mom was not very present in her kids' lives and the other kids took advantage of that.

You say that, but is normal for kids to not attack, special in gangs, kids with the backing of "strong" parents. Is also true for them to not attack people that are strong. Normally they flock to the kid and he becomes the "alpha". Kids in fact act pretty dam rational. Is easier to see an adult acting irrational in basic things then kids(given the fact that kids only act on basic things they are pretty much rational all the time, for the good and for the evil).
This kids knew Katakuri was overwelming stronger than them all. That is why they were running and the insults about him being a monster due to his strength. Just seeing kids insulting a kid for being strong, doesn't happen.

Big Mom was shown to send an army and change the weather when her children and crewmembers are attacked. It doesn't matter if is for caring about them or because of the tarnished reputation. But that is what she is known for. You're saying that in fact what you can assume about her is the oppositte, why? Because is convenient?

also you're seeing a flashback that is just showing tidbits and that is jumping from time to time, and that is your prove that Big Mom is not present? Are you saying that she has to be present everytime something happens to her children, do you think that is what parents do to their kids. You certainly got over protective parents.
Also is pretty obvious that given that Katakuri beat the kids(or scared them), that he wouldn't ran to his momma to tell what happened. He dealed with it.
I also don't understand what "advantage" you're talking the other kids took. The advantage of getting their asses and lives handed to them? Either by the kid himself or later by their parent?

[DarkHamster]

also what about Pekoms!?

[Nubtro]

@Icefae:

Oh yeah, even though this has probably been said before elsewhere, doesn't Pudding kissing Sanji technically constitute their marriage?

I thought something similar.
And she gave him a free pass.
Only happens in fiction, I guess.
:ninja:

Then again, it wasn´t a ceremony kiss and engaged couples can fool around without it automatically making them married.
At which point was the wedding crashed by Luffy and the gang, did they complete exchanging vows? I can´t remember.

[Robby]

When Oda wants you to feel emotion, he makes you feel it. Pudding got me, Katakuri and Brulee got me, and that last second with Sanji and Zeff declaring "fathers and sons" got me. Dammit Oda.

Pedro being dead is having zero effect however because I still don't believe it for a second. This feels a little different because they've actually repeatedly said it so many times and actually focused on him being gone and sacrificed, so Oda is actually somehow making me doubt which is good on him but… we didn't see a body and it would have been super easy for Oda to make it 100% clear he was dead. And explosion followed by no sight of him at all, and no final speech as he dies just screams "he's okay somehow." Also, his sacrifice being to stop a 1 chapter problem only to be followed by another 30 chapters of problems feels like a waste. Also considering they didn't mention Pekoms at all, and we also left so many others behind (Pound, Germa, fishmen) I find it hard to put any real belief in him staying dead longer than needed, as per Oda's usual. (Sabo and Bon Kurei were "dead" for a couple years, and Monet is still is limbo.) The story needs it right now for the downer ending to the arc, but in two years at the end of wano or several years after that at the end of Elbaf when we get all the BM conclusions? (And Jinbe said he'd see them at Wano, so...) Doesn't need to stay dead then and everyone can get happy endings at that point.

Still, Oda going Empire Strikes Back is pretty unusual for him, its a nice change of pace.

Overall the arc was good, but that 30 chapter chase sequences could definitely have been trimmed somewhere.

[maxterdexter]

@kouch_lee:

Loved this chapter. Bittersweet ending for what seemed to be Oda's homage to Disney, but that makes it all the more special. The SHs didn't get to save everyone, but they did save Sanji, they did distract one of the 4 mightiest beings in the opverse long enough to escape via the simple act of cooking a cake, they stole a Road Poneglyph, and earned the uber fanboyism of their second in command.

In exchange, the entire Germa military + the fishman pirates + Jinbe + Pekoms are now put in jeopardy. This is the minimum payment one should be forced to pay when defying one of the strongest beings in the known world, me thinks.

It's surprisingly low key, it cuts things in half, it leaves a sour aftertaste. . .and it's something that was we didn't get from One Piece since Sabaody.

Honestly, I'm very positive about this arc in general, but before this chapter I would've never dreamt of putting it in my top 10 favorite arcs ever. This chapter made me think very hard about it. It might've very well singlehandedly put it up there.

The last page is one of the very best we've ever got. The Katakuri/Brulee interaction is awesome. The visual representation and bittersweet aftertaste of the Pudding scene, the Sanji/Carrot interaction. . .this is seriously one of the best chapters in the entire series. Just like the 900 chapter was. And plenty of others throughout this beautiful arc.

Really convinced, years down the line, people will look back at Tottoland and feel waaaay more positive towards it compared to what we're seeing now (which, to my understanding, is a not very good general consensus, seeing how people have been wishing for its end for like. . .30 chapters now? 35? 40?). Or not. We'll see.

To me, hands down the number 1 post time skip arc by far. And something tells me, Wano will have a massive HARD time measuring up to it.

I blame the dislike in two things:

"Wano before the year ends!!" and

"Let's save the vinsmokes, oh, nevermind they protect our escape"

I only care about the second one.

This chapter was great but I can't issolate it from the rest of the arc.

[Seafarer33]

@kouch_lee:

And something tells me, Wano will have a massive HARD time measuring up to it.

This got me thinking. For all its flaws, the WCI arc has had a quite interesting cast of antagonists whose relationship as a (perfectible) family articulates rather well. The Brulee / Katakuri flashback this chapter and a number of tiny interactions between siblings have made them compelling characters as a group, similar to what Oda pulled with the Donquixote family in Law's flashback. In comparison, what (admittedly little) we've seen of Kaido and is crew seems …incredibly bland. Me big bad, angry me club you to death lololol and that's it. Now of course Big Mom's first impression was almost comically evil, there's still time to develop them and show other facets of these characters, but with the tone given so far my first impression is that the brutish full-zoan Beast pirates may indeed have a hard time living up to the colorful Charlotte family and their disney-esque wonderland.

Oh, well, I'm banking on the Wano people/Shogun/Samurai side of things to compensate for it. Crossed fingers!

[Mumbo]

I agree it was a good arc, and I especially love the bittersweet, dark ending here. It just ran way too long. 77 chapters for an arc where Big Mom is still standing at the end and really just setting up what is to come? Surely that could have been tightened up. Probably didn't help that Oda said it would wrap up last year.

So are we finally getting the Reverie now? Let's go (in two weeks)!

[theackwardstation]

@All:

You're one stubborn moron, aren't you? I'm gonna repost my previous pot:

Katakuri was KO'd after the final blow. _**But instead of falling forward, he chose the fashion of falling backwards instead. It was SHOWN IN CHAPTER 896 THAT HE STOPPED FALLING FORWARD BECAUSE HE STEPPED ON THE GROUND. WHETHER OR NOT HE CHOSE TO FALL FORWARD OR BACKWARD, HE WAS STILL KNOCKED OUT AND LUFFY WALKED AWAY THE WINNER.

"You fell backwards on purpose didn't you?" IS. NOT. THE. SAME. AS "You lost on purpose, didn't you?"

WHY THE FUCK WOULD BRULEE CRY TO HIS FAMILY THAT "STRAW HAT LUFFY JUST BEAT OUR PERFECT BIG BROTHER KATAKURI!!!" A COUPLE CHAPTERS AGO IF SHE KNEW THAT HE LOST ON PURPOSE?

STOP. BEING. A. STUBBORN. FANBOY.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.**_

Katakuri didn't "stop from falling" after the final blow. He immediately fell forward… and then he got up to fall backwards. Not that this will change your conclusion anyway.

SO.MUCH.AGGRESSIVENESS.FOR.A.MISREAD.OF.CHAPTER.896.

[kouch_lee]

@Robby:

Overall the arc was good, but that 30 chapter chase sequences could definitely have been trimmed somewhere.

@Mumbo:

I agree it was a good arc, and I especially love the bittersweet, dark ending here. It just ran way too long. 77 chapters for an arc where Big Mom is still standing at the end and really just setting up what is to come? Surely that could have been tightened up. Probably didn't help that Oda said it would wrap up last year.

Could kind of agree. . .but I just love what this chase sequence has brought to the table. Nami standing up for herself and the crew not once, but TWICE. Same with Brook. The Sulong chapter. The Jinbe-making-the-Sunny-surf-a-giant-tsunami-with-a-single-arm chapter. The random bits of Big Mom destroying ANYTHING in her path. It's just so. . .awesome. All of it.

Plus, obviously, Luffy vs. Katakuri (happened during the chase), Perospero being deliciously evil (happened right at the start of the chase), Bege running over Oven with his ship, Pound's sacrifice. . .it was all really cool, honestly.

@maxterdexter:

I blame the dislike in two things:

"Wano before the year ends!!" and

"Let's save the vinsmokes, oh, nevermind they protect our escape"

I only care about the second one.

This chapter was great but I can't issolate it from the rest of the arc.

Can understand your complain, and I also think Oda made the Vinsmokes look too good on their last appearances (their Sentai sequence during the wedding escape and their uber wanking chapter during 898. It makes them look heroic when they're certified jerks.

And that's why their ending being left ambiguous, but on the very grim side of things, is kind of a good thing. . .but then the truly heroic Fishman Pirates sharing the same fate is kind of a downer.

But, yeah, can see what your point is. Maybe there's a future arc for them where they'll gain a true consciousness and stop being jerks? At least Judge has been roasted by almost nearly everybody (Perospero, Big Mom, Sanji and Luffy), so the Edge Lord Twins can't be that far off their comeuppeance.

@Seafarer33:

This got me thinking. For all its flaws, the WCI arc has had a quite interesting cast of antagonists whose relationship as a (perfectible) family articulates rather well. The Brulee / Katakuri flashback this chapter and a number of tiny interactions between siblings have made them compelling characters as a group, similar to what Oda pulled with the Donquixote family in Law's flashback. In comparison, what (admittedly little) we've seen of Kaido and is crew seems …incredibly bland. Me big bad, angry me club you to death lololol and that's it. Now of course Big Mom's first impression was almost comically evil, there's still time to develop them and show other facets of these characters, but with the tone given so far my first impression is that the brutish full-zoan Beast pirates may indeed have a hard time living up to the colorful Charlotte family and their disney-esque wonderland.

Oh, well, I'm banking on the Wano people/Shogun/Samurai side of things to compensate for it. Crossed fingers!

I've been thinking and feeling this ever since Big Mom's awesome re-introduction chapter. For all of Kaidou's very apparent prowess, and yeah, his introduction chapter was really original and engaging. . .everything we've seen of 1 - his crew and 2 - the island setting seems. . .bland. Winter island with "very strong and bruttish" baddies. Like. . .compare Jack to ANYONE ELSE in the entire WCI arc. He's just. . .bland.

That's why I hope I'm wrong. Oda has let himself loose during WCI. He has been experimenting with the storytelling, the visual narration, the setting, the ending, the interactions. . .and it all just felt alive. Like Oda was having a shit ton of fun, the likes of which he didn't have during Dressrosa. Wano seems like the "seriouzzz biznezzzzz" kind of arc ala Ennies Lobby that right now I hope it's not like that and it's actually as One Piece-y as WCI was. Please.

[Robby]

@kouch_lee:

Could kind of agree. . .but I just love what this chase sequence has brought to the table.

Yeah, it was full of good bits, but much like say, Enies Lobby… getting nearly a solid year of just constant action stuff gets old after a while. Yeah its a shonen manga and the fights are the payoff to the setup but...

[Johnny B. Decent]

@kouch_lee:

I've been thinking and feeling this ever since Big Mom's awesome re-introduction chapter. For all of Kaidou's very apparent prowess, and yeah, his introduction chapter was really original and engaging. . .everything we've seen of 1 - his crew and 2 - the island setting seems. . .bland. Winter island with "very strong and bruttish" baddies. Like. . .compare Jack to ANYONE ELSE in the entire WCI arc. He's just. . .bland.

That's why I hope I'm wrong. Oda has let himself loose during WCI. He has been experimenting with the storytelling, the visual narration, the setting, the ending, the interactions. . .and it all just felt alive. Like Oda was having a shit ton of fun, the likes of which he didn't have during Dressrosa. Wano seems like the "seriouzzz biznezzzzz" kind of arc ala Ennies Lobby that right now I hope it's not like that and it's actually as One Piece-y as WCI was. Please.

I have to agree. It doesn't help the whole crew seems to go for that Mongol/Viking hybrid attire, and Kaido, Jack and Sheepshead are super-violent meatheads.

[Jaime]

Man Charlotte Family such a good villain group, can't wait to see them again.