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Manga Plus: https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/viewer/1009378
VIZ Manga: https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/one-piece-chapter-1015/chapter/22623?action=read
No break: Chapter 1,016 planned for June 13.
Author Comments 6/06/2021: https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/mangaka-musings-06-06-2021
**Eiichiro Oda
By the time this issue is out, I should have a ton of shiny Gibles thanks to the Community Day!**
Like the Avatar? / Like the Miis?
Dragalia Lost ID: 97617932505
Another amazing chapter! Sanji will actually fight Queen 
I wonder why both Sasaki and Black Maria have not been shown.
Thanks Shift.
This chapter really made me doubt if there was going to be a full raid failure and reset, but it would definitely be more interesting if there was one.
Wow, this was jam packed with greatness:
Most importantly, it´s alive!!! Cloudface is now Stickface hehehe. 
Decent chapter though I dont see why Oda had to resolve this whole " Luffy is dead" thing in a single chapter. It killed the tension that was built up in the previous chapter right away. Can't wait to see Kaido vs Yamato.
The Rotisserie Strike spread feels so much better to look at in the official release. Doesn't feel as busy/messy.
I'm really curious to learn what queen has to lay on us regarding the raid suit and Judges DNA work. Hopefully he'll use some internal knowledge about Judges work to even out the battle with raid suit Sunkist. Or even better maybe he helped develop it?
Very nice chapter .
The sub saving luffy always made the most sense but some people went crazy with things lol .
TLG , FFVIIR and Shenmue 3 2015 the E3 of dreams .
Great to see this confrontation after a year of build up.
Queen's mustache appears to be magical. It keeps appearing and reappearing in-between panels.
Wait a second, so Luffy lead the Heart Pirates with Voice of All things to him or what?
Now I understand what the people in the spoiler section meant with telepathy (I thought it was just Sixth-Sense Momo picking up Luffy's voice and the regular Eye-frog transmission did the rest).
Pretty weird. So Luffy can invade people's minds now? Like he woudn't need a Den Den mushi anymore, just his psycho power?
Pretty weird. So Luffy can invade people's minds now? Like he woudn't need a Den Den mushi anymore, just his psycho power?
I guess. Otherwise, everybody in Law's crew can use Voice of All Things.
Should also noted that Luffy flying back with momo was set up this chapter .
Wait a second, so Luffy lead the Heart Pirates with Voice of All things to him or what?
Now I understand what the people in the spoiler section meant with telepathy (I thought it was just Sixth-Sense Momo picking up Luffy's voice and the regular Eye-frog transmission did the rest).
Pretty weird. So Luffy can invade people's minds now? Like he woudn't need a Den Den mushi anymore, just his psycho power?
That seem to be the case .
Thought only VOAT users or those power animals could speak to each other only but it seem luffy said fuck that lol.
Momo gave the message on the island but law sub crew also seem to pick up some of luffy voice underwater .
Pretty weird. So Luffy can invade people's minds now? Like he woudn't need a Den Den mushi anymore, just his psycho power?
That would be cool but we all know it's only happening now because he has no other way to communicate.
And if you don't love me now, you will never love me again I can still hear you saying, you would never break the chain
Fun stuff. Looks like my prediction of Sanji vs. Queen will turn out to be correct, boy did it take a roundabout way to get there. Seems like it sets up Marco vs. King as well.
I admit I wasn't really feeling the characters losing hope after Luffy's defeat, but overall don't mind how quickly this was resolved. Luffy never had a chance of being dead and this is probably the most useful that Momonosuke has ever been. I dunno if Shinobu knew Onigashima was over the Wano mainland, but either way she and Momo don't have much to worry about.
The Kaido-Yamato confrontation is a massive opportunity to dive into both of their characters, I'm really looking forward to it.
**Eiichiro Oda
By the time this issue is out, I should have a ton of shiny Gibles thanks to the Community Day!**
I never knew Oda plays Pokemon.
I accept Jesus Burgess as my Lord and Savior 
@Medical:
I never knew Oda plays Pokemon.
One Piece and Pokemon have had a nice connection going for a couple of years (and maybe longer) There was a time where Pokemon Go had straw hat pikachus a few years back and last year (or the year before) Oda put Meltans in Eustass Kid's junk metal.
So I wonder what new thing Luffy will bring in his next fight with Kaido. He's already been beaten 2-3 times but every time he's come with something new. So what would be next; awakening, gear 5, or just another gear 4 form? I'm glad he's pretty much done with haki considering how poorly it's been handled in general.
Okay so whats up with Queens teeth - it looked like they grew spikes out of them?
Also after looking closely on Kaido seems like Zoros wound disappeared? :ninja:
@statu:
Okay so whats up with Queens teeth - it looked like they grew spikes out of them?
Also after looking closely on Kaido seems like Zoros wound disappeared? :ninja:
Oda is inconsistent with wounds and scars. THe amount of times Luffy and Zoro were drawn without theirs is countless.
Kinda looks like syringes coming out of his actual teeth
Chopper was this close to finally earning his epithet: Emergency Food Supply 
@statu:
Okay so whats up with Queens teeth - it looked like they grew spikes out of them?
Also after looking closely on Kaido seems like Zoros wound disappeared? :ninja:
Zoros wound was never as serious as Oden. Its a tiny scar we can still see blood.
Yamato leaving Momo for no good reason and running around stupidly for two chapters, just so that Kin could be slaughtered by Kaido wasn't really first class writing. Still, this "death scene" or whatever it is was amazing, Kinemon is an amazing character. The father child face-off was also badass. Then there's Sanji kicking a Brachiosaurus in the face as the cherry on top of this beautiful chapter.
Can't believe Shinobu was good enough to do anything to escape the situation…the DF striked again.
@statu:
Okay so whats up with Queens teeth - it looked like they grew spikes out of them?
He has a cyborg body so it isn't weird.
Cyborg body or not, the time for games are over and they should be whipping out those Hybrid modes next. Jinbe already forced Who's Who into human mode, Franky is out of the Shogun(?) so Sasaki will likely get into hand-to-hand combat as well & Queen openly stated that he wasn't serious up until now.
The only Hybrid mode that will probably be treasured till the bitter end is King's, since a mix of his Devil Fruit + race will likely turn him into a fancy looking Karura.
Wait a second, so Luffy lead the Heart Pirates with Voice of All things to him or what?
Now I understand what the people in the spoiler section meant with telepathy (I thought it was just Sixth-Sense Momo picking up Luffy's voice and the regular Eye-frog transmission did the rest).
Pretty weird. So Luffy can invade people's minds now? Like he woudn't need a Den Den mushi anymore, just his psycho power?
Maybe he's learned how to coat the CoO haki with CoC haki :ninja:
Chopper didnt even have time to remove all the arrows on his back.
Pretty sure Oda just arbitrarily removed them.
I was being cheeky with that comment on scars since Kaido said there would be one and Zoro should be happy with that much, I know its the kind of detail Oda is inconsistent on.
I know Queen is a cyborg so weird things with his body aren't surprising. I was more trying to point out, to me, an interesting detail and fish for what other ppl thought that was and I like wolfwoods syringe suggestion ^^
Queen has easily the best design out of Kaidos mooks. He looks fun at a glance, like a surly obelix color swap, and then he keeps adding little pieces of flair with every transformation. Like how he keeps his cigar in dino form and his extendo neck being literally chunks of meat shish kebabed on a long iron pole, it is all gold
I mean it sounds like you both agree with the general idea that Oda is in fact bored and is moving things in other directions to keep himself from feeling bored but somehow object to the term itself because it sounds bad
I didn't get to respond to your post before the spoiler thread was closed, so I'll do it here:
I guess what I'm saying is that being able to create and focus on other characters too helps Oda keep his passion for the series as a whole. That means that if, for example, after more than 20 years of serialization, you'd force him to only focus on the Strawhats and to not create any new characters anymore, than yeah, he might get bored with them and lose interest - and I couldn't blame him for that really, because 20 years is a really, really long time to only focus on a handful of characters. But the fact that he is allowed to flex his creative muscles in whatever way he wants, that he can always create crazy and colorful characters whenever he feels like it, that he can just go and say "Hey I want to incorporate a dramatic samurai story into my pirate manga" and just do it, I'd say that ultimately helps him to not only maintain his passion for the series as a whole, but actually for his main characters, too.
Let's say you have a favorite band that you listen to everyday, where you love every single song so much that you could listen to each one over and over again. But if you were forced to exclusively listen to only that band for 10-20 years, no matter how much you love and enjoy them, they will get stale at some point. You'd want to switch it up a bit from time to time. Says nothing about your passion and love for that band, it's just natural. So, you switch things up a bit from time to time, you listen to songs from other artists, try out some new stuff etc. And when you go back to listen to your favorite band, it's still as great as ever.
What I'm trying to say with that long, rambling analogy: focusing on something different from time to time doesn't automatically mean you lost your passion - it can actually be good for your passion and help you maintain it. I feel like the Strawhats are still Oda's favorite "band" - whenever he focuses on them, it works just as well as it always did, and I just don't think that would be the case if he was truly as bored of them as you said. I think it would be immediately noticable if Oda didn't enjoy writing the Strawhats anymore. But allowing himself to also focus on new characters is what helps him maintain his interest in the old ones as well.
In short: he might be bored with Strawhats if he were forced to only ever focus on them, but since that's not the case, he isn't.
Queen has easily the best design out of Kaidos mooks. He looks fun at a glance, like a surly obelix color swap, and then he keeps adding little pieces of flair with every transformation. Like how he keeps his cigar in dino form and his extendo neck being literally chunks of meat shish kebabed on a long iron pole, it is all gold
I would agree with you if we hadn't seen Black Maria start fighting. Everything about her design thus far is so striking.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
I didn't get to respond to your post before the spoiler thread was closed, so I'll do it here:
I guess what I'm saying is that being able to create and focus on other characters too helps Oda keep his passion for the series as a whole. That means that if, for example, after more than 20 years of serialization, you'd force him to only focus on the Strawhats and to not create any new characters anymore, than yeah, he might get bored with them and lose interest - and I couldn't blame him for that really, because 20 years is a really, really long time to only focus on a handful of characters. But the fact that he is allowed to flex his creative muscles in whatever way he wants, that he can always create crazy and colorful characters whenever he feels like it, that he can just go and say "Hey I want to incorporate a dramatic samurai story into my pirate manga" and just do it, I'd say that ultimately helps him to not only maintain his passion for the series as a whole, but actually for his main characters, too.
Let's say you have a favorite band that you listen to everyday, where you love every single song so much that you could listen to each one over and over again. But if you were forced to exclusively listen to only that band for 10-20 years, no matter how much you love and enjoy them, they will get stale at some point. You'd want to switch it up a bit from time to time. Says nothing about your passion and love for that band, it's just natural. So, you switch things up a bit from time to time, you listen to songs from other artists, try out some new stuff etc. And when you go back to listen to your favorite band, it's still as great as ever.
What I'm trying to say with that long, rambling analogy: focusing on something different from time to time doesn't automatically mean you lost your passion - it can actually be good for your passion and help you maintain it. I feel like the Strawhats are still Oda's favorite "band" - whenever he focuses on them, it works just as well as it always did, and I just don't think that would be the case if he was truly as bored of them as you said. I think it would be immediately noticable if Oda didn't enjoy writing the Strawhats anymore. But allowing himself to also focus on new characters is what helps him maintain his interest in the old ones as well.
In short: he might be bored with Strawhats if he were forced to only ever focus on them, but since that's not the case, he isn't.
I don't think he's bored at all. I feel like he has a big toybox and he's been waiting to get to the story with his Wano toys since the very beginning. Wano is one of the few arcs I think we can say that about.
Finally Kaido and Yamato can get their shit together (or not I guess) and we are in the front row.
Yet another excellent chapter with tons of interesting things to talk about! Oda continues to surprise each week, taking the story in really unexpected directions.
Sanji’s Moment to Shine
I love the panel of Sanji smacking around Kaido’s subordinates using Zoro as a weapon. And it’s even better Zoro remains unconscious through all of it.
Queen’s teeth sprout what appear to be needles or syringes, demonstrating again just how extensive his cybernetic modifications are. It really seems he’s full-blown cyborg much like Franky and Kuma, so I imagine his ties to the SSG are deeper than we yet realize. But just before Queen can reach Chopper, the return of the Hunter, Mr. Prince, Sanji, who finally gets his big moment to shine. I never doubted this moment was coming. There was just too much setup for it throughout the raid, but I know there were naysayers. All I can say is, the Sanji stans are finally vindicated.
The scene is both an impressive show f force from Sanji and a great character moment. I love just how ridiculous it is to spin Queen’s neck around like a propeller to defelect Perospero’s attack, but it’s also worth mentioning Sanji isn’t even using the Raid Suit when he sends Queen and Perospero flying. The Raid Suit seems to primarily augment his defensive capabilities, so this is all Sanji.
Even more significant than Sanji’s attack, I love him stepping into the leadership position while Luffy and Zoro are out of commission. I really appreciate him both scolding Chopper for losing his composure on the battlefield, while also encouraging him to remember all of the miracles they have already witnessed and to not lose faith in Luffy.
Sanji hasn’t had enough cool moments like this post-time skip, so it’s always nice to see. I also really like the callback to Zou when Sanji entrusts Zoro to Chopper. He says when Zoro recovers, he’ll be worth 10 men, to which a barely conscious Zoro replies, ‘more like 2000’. On Zou, Luffy stressed the importance of rescuing Sanji by saying Sanji was worth 1000 men. Zoro of course said if Sanji is worth 1000, he is worth 2000. I will never stop enjoying Zoro and Sanji’s rivalry and the fact that Oda remembers and calls back to petty insults and challenges from hundreds of chapters earlier makes it even better.
Buildng on the scene from several chapters earlier, it seems we’re gearing up for Sanji to fight Queen, who again comments on Sanji being the child of Vinsmoke Judge. I’m really curious to find out more about Queen’s affiliation with Judge and perhaps even the SSG. This makes me wonder if Queen helped set up the SAD and Smile production pipeline from Punk Hazard to Dressrosa to Wano along with Caesar.
Zoro & Sanji vs. King & Queen?
I’m not sure what role Zoro will play when and if he recovers. The fact that he has been handed off to Chopper to help him recover with Marco also present likely means he will be back up and fighting before the arc draws to a close. I suppose it’s till possible he’ll take over for Marco in fighting King, but I’m really not sure at this point. While there is now setup for Sanji to fight Queen, I’m still not certain it will remain strictly 1 on 1 with Izo and Kawamatsu on route to the performance hall and a number of other characters present already. The battlefield is likely to become fairly chaotic, so it’s possible there will be other participants. That doesn’t mean there’s no chance of 1 on 1 matchups, but I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion at this point.
Both King and Queen should still have even more powerful hybrid forms to tap into, so regardless of how this all plays out, I imagine the battles haven’t really even started yet and thus wll only get more intense. Both King and Queen appear to have real depth to their characters, so as these battles unfold, I hope we learn more about their backstories.
Kinemon’s Final Stand
We next cut back to the aftermath from Kiku and Kanjuro’s battle and Kaido’s surprise attack which concluded the previous chapter. Both Kiku and Kanjuro lie motionless, indicating they are either dead or near death. Kinemon, with his blades shattered, is still barely clinging to life and despite struggling to even move, makes a valiant but feeble attempt to hold back Kaido as Momo watches in despair. I said last week that I believe Kaido’s attack will result ultimately in Kinemon’s death and that point is further driven home when Kaido picks up a katana and uses it to impale Kinemon, delivering what appears to be a second fatal injury.
Just as I said last week, I do believe Kinemon will tenaciously hold out just a little bit longer. Notably, Kinemon didn’t smile before what appears to be his death in this chapter, which is a hallmark of those who carry the name D. as well as those close to the ones with the name D. such as Oden and Kiku. I think Oda will give Kinemn more memorable final words and a farewell to Luffy before his ultimate passing. On that topic, Luffy will be devastated when he learns about Kinemon. I have talked about the idea in past chapter reviews that the scabbards will give Luffy the push he needs to defeat Kaido, perhaps by lending him the last of their lives / shadows, thus fulfilling Toki’s prophecy.
It was sad to see Momo’s memories of bonding with Kinemon as the two rehearse their roles as father and son, played back as he and Shinobu flee. Wano truly is a Kabuki play, so Momo and Kinemon practicing their roles fits well with that particular motif. I already talked about the deaths of the scabbards last week at length, but I’m really saddened by Kinemon’s apparent death and I imagine this will have a lasting impact on the Straw Hats. When all is said and done on Wano, I expect they will reflect on the lives of their friends and allies, Pedro, Yasuie, Kinemon, lost along the way in this quest to liberate Wano and take down Kaido.
Momo – Future Shogun
I was really impressed by Momo this week as he continues to evolve into the leader he must someday become. Despite the sorrow from having just witnessed Kinemon’s sacrifice, he takes one of the Marys and uses it to broadcast a message throughout the castle, while barely choking back tears.
Last week, as he was reading is father’s journal, Momo was suddenly incapacitated by the Voice of All Things. I discussed a number of possibilities for the identity of this mysterious speaker, but we learn this week Momo was in fact hearing Luffy calling out to him through the Force, er the Voice of All Things. Now, I talked about the idea it could have been Joy Boy or Imu speaking to Momo based on his distress and the fact that he asked, ‘who are you?’
Of course, the simplest and most likely answer is that Mmo was simply unfa iliar with communicating to Luffy in this way, but I still think there’s a chance Momo was hearing a different voice when reading the journal. As I said however, the most likely scenario is that it was just Luffy. It’s just worth keeping in mind these other possibilities as well.
Momo here sets aside his own grief and transmit’s Luffy’s message to everyone still fighting on Onigashima. I love that we’re seeing both Momo and Luffy continue to grow as leaders throughout this story arc. Momo is becoming increasingly well suited to rule as Wano’s Shoguun and Luffy is becoming a captain truly worthy of taking up the Pirate King’s mantle. What I think is notable here is Luffy’s taking charge and responsibility for everyone involved in the raid, not just his own crew. We know that the conflict which follows the discovery of the treasure One Piece will engulf the entire globe and as Pirate King, Luffy will shoulder the burden of history. It’s fitting that as the crew have voyaged through the New World, Luffy has matured as a leader, developing the qualities needed to someday live up to the responsibilities he will carry as successor to Roger and Joy Boy.
Eustass Kid
We see Momo and Luffy’s message has successfully boosted morale with several reactin panels showing characters throughout the castle. The Straw Hats are of course relieved, but it was pretty interesting to see Eustass Kid also smiling at the news Luffy is alive. This only reinforces what I said a few chapters prior – that Kid and Law are not destined to be true antagonists. Like Law, Kid is likely to in some way maintain a friendly rivalry with the Straw Hat Pirates, but may never be a true obstacle on the route to Laugh Tale.
Kaido and Momo: Good Fortune
Kaido then corners Mmo and Shinobu and moves in for the kill, but before he can strike, a chunk of Onigashima on which Momo and Shinobu are standing breaks away, both saving them from Kaido and sending them plummeting toward the land below. I have discussed this idea at length in the past, but I believe Kaido, as an eastern style dragon, has been imbued by his Devil Fruit with incredibly good fortune and that by virtue of the fact Momo’s fruit was created from Kaido’s, he too is protected by whatever this good fortune factor might be. I think there was already a strong foundation for this theory and evidence has only continued to mount. So we have here yet another piece of evidence in support of this theory, with good fortune putting Mmo out of Kaido’s reach at the last moment. By chance, the piece of Onigashima on which Momo is standing just so happens to break away right when Kaido is about to strike and there’s nowhere left to run or hide.
It does seem this was Shinobu's jutsu after re-reading; I was initially thrown off by the 'Eh!?' reaction. I thought Shinobu was surprised when Onigashima started to crumble, but I see now that was Momo, likely reacting to Shinobu's jutsu.
Momo and Shinobu Save the Flower Capitol?
So now Momo and Shinobu are also falling away from Onigashima. We saw last week, Onigashima was very near the mainland, so I assume hey are not over open ocean at this point. We have seen Shinobu use a sail cloth to glide and Momo himself can fly in dragon form when pressed, so I’m sure they’ll be okay. Momo and Shinobu being at ground level beneath Onigashima could potentially be setup for a number of different scenarios. Perhaps this will be setup for Momo to stop Onigashima from falling on the Flower capitol from the ground using his own flame clouds. It could also mean Momo warning the people of Wano celebrating the Fire Festival to get out of the way before Onigashima arrives. Momo’s ability to fly could also be Luffy’s ticket back up to the castle on Onigashima and if there is validity to the good fortune theory, he may be the key to helping end Kaido’s winning streak.
I do really like the potential imagery of Mmo, a ghost or a dream in the minds of the people of Wano, showing up amid their Fire Festival celbrations and using the flames of his dragon form to save them and set down Onigashima safely elsewhere.
Luffy’s Rescue
We see Luffy still sinking as Law’s crew aboard the Polar Tang arrive. Law’s crew were certainly the most obvious choice to save Luffy. Oda purposely had the people with a submarine left behind to chase after Onigashima. I was surprised Oda resolved the question f who is going to save Luffy so quickly. I feel like he could have left that ball in the air a little bit longer. Resolving Luffy’s rescue so quickly does reduce some of the dramatic tension created by his defeat, but perhaps Oda thought the answer was so simple it wasn’t worth leaving as a cliffhanger. I do imagine Luffy’s recovery should at least take a little time, so he won’t get back into the fight so quickly. And perhaps learning more about how Luffy lost and what makes Kaido so unkillable will notch up the tension.
Zeus Lives!
We next see Usopp, Nami, and Tama listening and reacting to Momo’s message when suddenly, Nami’s climatact speaks. It turns out Nami was actually successful in rescuing Zeus from Big Mom and that his soul has been absorbed into Climatact. I really like the idea that Nami, the Cat Burglar, has received such a major powerup by essentially stealing a piece of Big Mom’s soul. We have seen exactly what Zeus is capable of , so this si a big win for Nami. I do wonder if he’s permanently part of Climatact itself or if he can still assume cloud form. Either way, the possibility of Ulti standing back up to settle things with Nami have just risen pretty dramatically.
Law and Kid Team Up
We next see Law show up beside Kid and the two now prepare to face Big Mom together. I’m not sure they can defeat Big Mom, but at the very least, they can keep her occupied for the time being.
Yamato and Kaido
On that note, we come to the final scene of the chapter as Yamato finally confronts Kaido, calling down his name from the roof of Onigashima, to which he responds, “Don’t you mean father, Yamato?” Yamato then declares her intent to break free from that bond. We have up to this point, only heard about their relationship from Yamato’s perspective, but have not yet seen the two interact. So this confrontation has the potential to be really interesting and to give us insight into oth characters.
I said quite some time ago that a Yamato and Kaido centered flashback seems inevitable and perhaps this clash will be the catalyst. Whether or not this flashback is accompanied by an act break in Wano remains to be seen.
I expect Yamato’s Devil Fruit will at last be revealed when the two begin to fight. As mentioned earlier, this clash and potential flashback could at last reveal the secret of Kaido’s power and we’ll see if there is any validity to the good fortune theory. Learning the reason for Luffy’s defeat may also help dial up the tension before his third and final fight with Kaido.
I also really like the contrast of Momo and Kinemon, unrelated by blood, taking on the role of parent and child while Yamato seeks to unchain herself from that same bond to her biological father Kaido. I think the way this scene and potential flashback play out could significantly move the needle one way or the other on Yamato joining or not joining the Straw Hat Pirates.
Oda's going to be super disappointed when those Gibles grow up into the worst shiny coloration.
Jean Bart = JB
Joy Boy = JB
It's all coming together…
On a more serious note, this was a good chapter and it feels like almost all the pieces are in place now. Momo is definitley conquering his fear of heights by carrying Luffy back up to Onigashima. Maybe Shinobu will rush to the flower capital to warn everyone?
Also something I realised, I guess Catviper is going to where Carrot and Wanda are rather than straight to Perospero, otherwise wouldn't he have arrived before Sanji, Kawamatsu and Izo? I guess that's when we will get our update on Carrot's status and what Oda plans to do with her for the rest of the raid.
I didn't get to respond to your post before the spoiler thread was closed, so I'll do it here:
I guess what I'm saying is that being able to create and focus on other characters too helps Oda keep his passion for the series as a whole. That means that if, for example, after more than 20 years of serialization, you'd force him to only focus on the Strawhats and to not create any new characters anymore, than yeah, he might get bored with them and lose interest - and I couldn't blame him for that really, because 20 years is a really, really long time to only focus on a handful of characters. But the fact that he is allowed to flex his creative muscles in whatever way he wants, that he can always create crazy and colorful characters whenever he feels like it, that he can just go and say "Hey I want to incorporate a dramatic samurai story into my pirate manga" and just do it, I'd say that ultimately helps him to not only maintain his passion for the series as a whole, but actually for his main characters, too.
Let's say you have a favorite band that you listen to everyday, where you love every single song so much that you could listen to each one over and over again. But if you were forced to exclusively listen to only that band for 10-20 years, no matter how much you love and enjoy them, they will get stale at some point. You'd want to switch it up a bit from time to time. Says nothing about your passion and love for that band, it's just natural. So, you switch things up a bit from time to time, you listen to songs from other artists, try out some new stuff etc. And when you go back to listen to your favorite band, it's still as great as ever.
What I'm trying to say with that long, rambling analogy: focusing on something different from time to time doesn't automatically mean you lost your passion - it can actually be good for your passion and help you maintain it. I feel like the Strawhats are still Oda's favorite "band" - whenever he focuses on them, it works just as well as it always did, and I just don't think that would be the case if he was truly as bored of them as you said. I think it would be immediately noticable if Oda didn't enjoy writing the Strawhats anymore. But allowing himself to also focus on new characters is what helps him maintain his interest in the old ones as well.
In short: he might be bored with Strawhats if he were forced to only ever focus on them, but since that's not the case, he isn't.
I more or less agree with what you said so i think the misunderstanding here could be that when i say he is bored with using the mains it came across like he had lost his desire to continue OP or something, when what i had wanted to convey was that by now it felt clear that Oda would take any and all chances he got to write different things as a creative outlet
Really nice chapter. The feeling of imminent failure is retreating though, so maybe we won't get a dramatic end-of-act after all ?
I absolutely loved the Sanji-Zoro dynamic once again (toldya he was going to hit people with the cross ^^). This and cool-headed Sanji showing up to save the day is something I had really been missing in previous arcs.
Kinda disappointed that Chopper's performance turned out to be stalling Queen at best. I didn't want him to win, but maybe he could have accounted for a little more. Earn him some street cred beyond the joke bounty.
And speaking of Queen, He definitely is the coolest of Kaido's gang at the moment. In contrast King may surprise us later on since we saw very little of him so far, but at the moment he gives off the same impression as early-WCI Katakuri. Cool edgy leather outfit, but nothing that really makes his character or design interesting.
On Luffy broadcasting his will while unconscious…Yeah, not a fan of this development. I would have prefered for suspense to last a little longer, or at least find another way to guide the submarine to him.
I didn't realize the first time, but Kaido is missing his goatee after Shinobu and Momonosuke escape. Strange to see him like that, plus it's back the next page anyway. Speak of inconsistencies, it's not only the scars that come and go.
Kinemon's "death" scene is a powerful moment, although yeah it's kind of silly that Yamato left Momo and spent 2 chapters running around only to circle back to where he started
@Medical:
I never knew Oda plays Pokemon.
Yeah, he has commented on playing quite a number of video games too, like Animal Crossing back in 2006.
Definitely liked this chapter much better than the last couple.
Woof, Kin'emon is getting a super rough go of it. That flashback scene of him and Momo was cute, though. It's been quite a while since the fact that that they pretended to be father and son has been brought up or had any relevance.
I personally like the Heart Pirates being the ones rescuing Luffy. It was set up neatly earlier, and I had also thought it was kind a bummer that only 4 members of a 21-person crew were actually participating in the gigantic battle going on right now, so here's a chance for some of the other 17 to be relevant. And the fact that Luffy played a role in Law saving Jean Bart from slavery at Sabaody ("Save half your thanks for Straw Hat!") can come back, too, whether it's directly acknowledged or not.
Miscellaneous thoughts: Sanji vs Queen, let's go! Zeus as Nami's Clima-Tact is pretty funny; looking forward to seeing how that enhances its powers. And it's nice to see people like Sanji and Law not being too worried about Luffy and confident he'll pull through.
Gotta admit this line got a chuckle out of me: "If he fell into the sea, he's dead for sure!" says Big Mom, who fell into the sea earlier this same arc and is not, in fact, dead.
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Anyway, it was nice seeing Ikkaku again in Chapter 1015. Cuties like that don’t get enough panel time.
Chopper didnt even have time to remove all the arrows on his back.
Pretty sure Oda just arbitrarily removed them.
I always maintain that in between panels like inbetween scenes a world of things happen. Not everything needs to be seen. If that were the case there'd be millions of panels displaying every movement.
Man, Oda's really been knocking it out of the park the past few chapters. They've all felt like they have so much going on at once. There have certainly been parts of Onigashima where it felt like the plot was moving forward in inches every week, but lately we've been making substantial steps in every chapter.
Still no WT100 colour spread though? I'm starting to think it's being saved for this year's anniversary (is it 24 we're up to?), which I guess makes since since polls are usually an anniversary thing anyway.
Briscola still fighting the samurai after getting his dumpling shows something that makes sense but hadn't been properly illustrated before: the Gifters are very definitely still enemies until Tama tells them not to be, hence the importance of getting her to the balcony to give the order. People in these discussions have been acting like the Gifter fights were over the moment she showed up, but they're not over yet.
Although, the chapter does raise the question of why she isn't doing what Momo does and grabbing a Mary. How does her power work over radio waves or magic devil fruit comms?
We're moving back into familiar territory with Sanji's arrival on the Performance Floor. He's fighting Queen. Chopper is flagged to fix Zoro up enough to likely face King, who's been conspicuously offscreen for a few weeks now. Maybe he tag teams it with Marco. I'm sure some will be disappointed that Oda's going back to the old formula after teasing Chopper stepping up to an enemy executive and Zoro being taken out surprisingly early by the end boss. It doesn't seem like there's going to be a lot of big surprises left in how characters match up and who takes out who. But to my mind, the most important thing is that the clashes are interesting, no matter how predictable the matchups.
While Sanji's entrance was great, I don't think his move and its effects were super well communicated. Queen's neck spinning around to block the arrows makes sense. But I don't how he managed to go from that to swinging low enough to take out Perspero (without cleaning up any of the samurai surrounding him) and end up with his whole body flipping over the air. It feels like there's a panel missing that should show Sanji redirecting the dinosaur into the candyman. This could have been a bigger moment if it read more clearly.
Oda really wants me thinking there are dead Scabbards in this arc. Christ, the flashback and the silhouette are a brutal combo.
The voice Momo heard being Luffy's is not something I think anyone was expecting. Is this a sign that people with the Voice of All Things are almost telepathic to each other, even unconscious? But then, Law's crew talk about hearing Luffy's voice through the water, and Kaido sensed Luffy's animosity toward him even when Luffy was passed out, and I don't think either of them have the VOAT. This one definitely begs some more explanation.
The rallying spread is great. This likely being the opening of volume 101, it may be setting the tone for the next ten chapters as the battle pushes toward its conclusion.
And Momo falls from Onigashima. It had to happen one way or the other, but using Shinobu's powers to make it happen was smart. He's flying Luffy back to the island on his back. It is foreseen and inevitable.
I really like the visual of Luffy upside down in the depths, silhouetted by the submarine's light. It's a simple, small panel, but it's definitely memorable. I think it'll come out really well in the colour volume sometime in the future.
Zues surviving in the Clima Tact is something a lot of people guessed. As with the Sanji and Zoro matchups, I think this flags something a few people have been hoping Oda would avoid: Ulti's revival and final attack on Nami and Usopp. Nami's got the "stronger lightning" she said she'd need to take the dinosaur out now, there's no way in hell Oda isn't giving her the chance to use it.
I hope Kid and Law's tag team Big Mom fight gets enough screentime. Oda could definitely have fun playing them off each other.
Another small thing: I love seeing the hole Big Mom made in the side of the dome and I especially love that you can see the inside of the castle, including the gap between floors when you look closely at it. The attention to detail makes this series.
Yamato and Kaido have me excited for next week. Kaido's still pretty lacklustre in the personality department, so a spat with a family member could go a long way to fleshing him out in a way that his emtionally disconnected clobberings of everyone else didn't. Similarly, Yamato absolutely needs more screentime to justify the marketing push to have him as a crew candidate. Interactions with current Strawhats and a place in the crew dynamics are the most important thing, but some more backstory told through one on one time with a major villain should also help.
The path to the end of Onigashima is looking pretty clear at this point. Final matchups are all but locked in, only pending Zoro's setup with King, and key moments like Momo's flight and Luffy's return have been prepared. We could even start seeing the longer-running fights move toward conclusions in the next few chapters. The only variable that really feels like left to me is exactly how to stop Onigashima from falling on the capital. Surely it's something to do with Momo and the flame clouds, but just having him be suddenly be able to lift the island like Kaido feels like too much of a leap in strength.
Oh, and I loved Oda's comment, totally forgot he was playing Pokemon Go. Hope he got his Gibles. I didn't have great shiny luck myself, but I got a lot of 3-star ones. I doubt I'll find many battle-related problems that can stand up to seven high-IV Garchomp being chucked at them.
Pumped for next week, as always.
Jinbe is to high of a bar .
Like for sure not all of WB commanders were near his level .
Kaido and BM crew get done different in terms of how they do ranks .
Still some of the flying six and BM people should be under him for certain aside from a few people.
I don't think Jimbe's too high of a bar. I think yonkou commanders (and any other title given different rankings) aren't that far away from Jimbe compared to the huge gap between Jimbe and some of the strawhats.
Finally, Sanji will have his moments… now don't take it away from us, Oda. Pretty please. He's in a dire need of badass scenes.
Momo is so brave man, even though he's crying he still strive to inform the fighters about Luffy. And yeah, that Luffy cliffhanger is concluded so quickly we don't even have time to argue lmao.
Seeing Kid and Law tag-teaming Big Mom, I'm sure she will be defeated here. Law's DF is broken as always and maybe Kid can also learn to coat his attacks in Conqueror's Haki.
And finally, the real meat juice of this chapter... Yamato vs Kaido!! It will be good!
Ah, what a glorious chapter. Within the inevitability of darkness, where prospects of hope and the tangibility of courage cease to exist, a glimmer piercing the veil of shadows endures. A miracle. A message. A mind unyielding to the inabilities of the past. Luffy has not lost. Luffy will not lose. Luffy refuses to lose. He will make it back to Kaido and beat him. The battle has not reached its end, it is but at a point where all hopes have gathered behind Luffy and Momonosuke. The Samurai may not know Luffy but they believe in Momonosuke and Momonosuke believes in Luffy. Every second endured is a second closer to Luffy's return and Kaido's defeat. Don't give up! And Fight!
Wait a second, so Luffy lead the Heart Pirates with Voice of All things to him or what?
Now I understand what the people in the spoiler section meant with telepathy (I thought it was just Sixth-Sense Momo picking up Luffy's voice and the regular Eye-frog transmission did the rest).
Pretty weird. So Luffy can invade people's minds now? Like he woudn't need a Den Den mushi anymore, just his psycho power?
Greg has foretold Luffy having this ability. This is how Luffy will talk to the whole world for the final war.
IF YOU DIE, I'LL KILL YOU….
Woot! Great chapter! :happy:
I liked the short flashback scenes with Momo and Kinemon, was really touching to be honest!
I'm also glad that Luffy got saved pretty earlier on. He brought on great moral for everyone on the island. With him healing, this will give time for the other fights to be focused on in the meantime.
And Yamato finally met with Kaido! I'm very sure we gonna have a flashback next chapter expanding on Yamato's and Kaido's relationship with each other. It's what I feel is being hinted at honestly, so I can't wait to learn more about Yamato's past!
This is how Luffy will talk to the whole world for the final war.
I never thought of that! That means once Luffy learns the lost history, the whole world will finally know it. That be interesting to see, to be honest.
