Hi, everyone! This is the start of a new arc and I'm willing to go back to doing weekly reviews of new chapters. I hope Oda also takes this new beginning as a chance to go back to writing something cohesive that respects continuity to a reasonable extent and has, at least, some common sense in it. A compelling story with charismatic characters, interesting plot development and the ocasional fun or epic moments would be great but, at this point, I'll settle for anything intelligible that makes some sense.
Let's start already!
In the cover story, Yamato eats soba in what looks like Okobore town and going by the caption, the waitress is telling Yamato about girls going missing in the area.
This ties with the previous cover where Yamato saves a girl from being kidnapped and now it looks like that's a recurrent thing.
I wonder if Yamato's tour around Wano is going to show some parallels with Oden, following the fact Yamato wanted to experience what Oden had experienced before. So far, these are the connections I see:
Both will have gone through all regions of Wano, although in a different order.
Yamato's tour has the purpose of returning Yasuie's katana to a shrine in Hakumai, Oden started his tour after a conversation with Yasuie in Hakumai.
In her first region, Yamato encountered 4 kids that were hostile towards her, but later befriended her (and became 6 kids in the process somehow). Oden met 5 people on his tour that later befriended him, 3 of which were hostile towards him in the beginning. The numbers don't match, but the general concept is the same.
The missing/kidnapped girls Yamato is learning about might be a parallel to the girls assumed to be kidnapped by Oden when he was 15yo that were actually living with him by their own accord.
Maybe, in every region Yamato will experience something reminiscent of different moments in Oden's life.
On a different note, I wonder why anyone would still be living in Okobore, let alone run a business there, when all the houses that were being occupied by the Beast pirates in Bakura town should be now free.
Now, the chapter, properly speaking, begins with more meaningless party with the giants and... a blatant lie meant to cover for a retcon from the previous arc: Dorry and Boggy being in Elbaf.
Kashii's sentence is ridiculously false, but the translators are to blame for that one. Here Kashii says they (Kashii and Oimo) departed Water7 leaving the Mugiwara pirates behind and that's not the case at all. The original japanese version, though, has Kashii say: 「お前らとウォーターセブンで別れた後よ」which translates more or less to "After separating from you (the Mugiwara pirates) in Water 7". That is true.
But the terrible lie is what Oimo says: They went to Little Garden to find Dorry and Broggy and that they couldn't wait to do it.
The truth is...
Back in ch. 490 when the Mugiwara were going to Sabaody for the first time, Oimo and Kashii left Water 7. Where to? Well, the caption says it very clear: "Oimo and Kashii, to Elbaf." Needless to say, Little Garden is not midway between Water 7 and Elbaf.
Also, in ch. 633 when the Mugiwara were in Punk Hazard, two years after Oimo and Kashii going to Elbaf and between a month and a month and a half from the events of this chapter, Dorry and Broggy were still on Little Garden fighting bare-handed. And that's not just any other random island they stopped by to punch each other one day after reuniting with the other giants. No weapons, they say they went for new ones when they reunited, and the caption states it's Little Garden.
Other than that, this first double page introduces the concept of "strong booze". We'll see later.
Oh! I almost forget, we get to see some more giants. They look great. It probably has to do with Wickie the viking being a primary inspiration of Oda for One Piece, but it's nice to see some good designs once again.
More giants, more partying. Actually, this page is 20% something (not much, but something) and 80% of nothing. The lucky 20% is that Bonney and Kuma get a moment. They're happy because they're together and sailing the sea. Not really, they're actually happy they're both alive.
I'm 100% not a fan of the new Bonney, but that's what we have and at the very least, after being retcon'd, she's been the best written character (Nika-fication aside), so that's something.
Kuma in the other hand, we can see him here, he's still figuring out who is he as a character. Is he just a shell? A broken pacifista acting on some "ghost feelings"? Is he the new Kuma? Is he the old Kuma? Did or did not Akainu take half his face? Hopefully he'll be out this arc.
The last big panel is meant to be some wholesome cathartic moment for both Kuma and Bonney because Bonney told Kuma she wanted to sail to the horizon with him in ch. 1099, but I don't really feel anything with this scene, maybe because these two have not been that relevant actually, despite all the screen time.
Nevertheless, the panel is very interesting because we can really see a flat horizon. There's really nothing, no landmass in sight. And that says a lot about the width of the Grand Line. It's supposed to be packed with islands and, in the absence of obstacles inbetween, really far away places should still be visible in the horizon. Especially considering most islands have very tall mountains or other elevated points. But there's nothing to see and that tells us it is really really wide (long too, but that goes without saying). We'll see why this is relevant in a bit.
The action changes to "Gartel island" from a month ago. I don't know who'se fault is this, but for what little I know about One Piece, I'm pretty sure about one thing: Flashbacks have the panel interspace shaded in black (or gray if it's a flashback inside a flashback or a very short one of a handful of panels) and as you can see, this one is white as any other page.
We are reminded of who Bartolomeo is and what he did and then, the Red-haired pirates came and it looks like they gave him a little spank on his ass.
The first thing that catches my attention here is that Shanks is way taller than he's supposed to be. He should be around the same height as Gambia, but he's even above Gambia's hair. This might be a very nitpicky thing to notice but... there isn't anything else to look at in this page.
Though I wonder... why would Bartolomeo and his crew wait in that town doing nothing until Shanks shows up, rather than continue their tour aroud the Grand Line spreading the word of the Luffy-sempaiism?
So, about the white border for this flashback. Its purpose is to confuse your brain and remember this events as though they were current events of the story. Because it doesn't matter that the narrator says "just over a month ago". That absolute reference is useless to 99.99% of readers. The timeline of the story being told "in the present" has never been well established. In order to understand when is this happening the narrator should say something like "just before that thing happened" or "as that event was taking place", that way anyone would contextualize this flashback more or less. Therefore, once your brain discards the information about a month ago because its useless, the only thing its going to remember is that it hadn't the flashback style so it must be a present event.
And you may be wondering why would Oda want you not to know when did this happened exactly. The reason is that the way the narration has been managed in last arc and in this chapter too is incredibly shameful.
Long ago, when Oda still dedicated some time to plan what he was going to write past next week, the plotlines directly involving the protagonists were told from beginning to end and then, between one arc and the next, Oda would show events unrelated to the protagonists slowly telling plotlines taking place elsewhere.
For example, Blackbeard's plot line and the events leading up to the Summit war.
Between Jaya and Skypiea: Ace meets Buggy, both not knowing they'll soon be together in Impel Down. The World Government chooses new Shichibukai and Lafitte proposes Blackbeard. Shanks starts his trip to meet Whitebeard.
After Enies Lobby: Shanks and Whitebeard meet and Ace and Blackbeard fight.
Telling the story like this allows the main story to be told without interruptions and then when a natural pause arrives, other relevant events are told. What are the chances that Shanks and Whitebeard meeting happened the same day Ace fought Blackbeard? But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether that happened on monday or thursday, what matters is whether that happened before or after some other certain events. If you tell them when they matter, it's because you have them planned.
"Just over one month ago" means this thing between Shanks and Bartolomeo happened during Wano's act 1 or earlier. Ir could've been told on the pause between acts 1 and 2, or the one between acts 2 and 3 or at the end of Wano, but it wasn't. Why? Either because Oda forgor or because he hadn't even thought about it. Rrobably a combination of the two: He forgot to plan when would he want this to happen. And now, if he wrote "this happened just as the Mugiwara were arriving to Wano", it'll be crystal clear how much he's improvising. So he says "over a month ago", oh! and don't mark it as a flashback.
It's so ridiculous I'm not even going to comment how the Red-haired pirates have been in at least 5 different and distant islands of the Grand Line in the span of a month. We all know by now everyone except the protagonists have a teleportation device. 5 different places and none of them were Blackbeard's place though. Let's note it.
Bartolomeo begs for his life despite the red-haired pirates haven't really done much to him, let alone his crew. Well... another one bites the dust. Bartolomeo's character was just killed.
Bartolomeo used to be an overconfident, cocky and hyper-aggresive character. He was like Kid on a caffeine overdose. And you're telling him just after lump on the forehead he's begging for his life??
I don't doubt Shanks can beat Bartolomeo any day of the week, but that doesn't mean Bartolomeo would behave like this. Considering an old and frail man with no fighting skills could effortlessly stop Oden's attack just by the grace of the same devil fruit powers Bartolomeo have, I would have very much prefered to see Shanks face when he couldn't reach Bartolomeo's crew.
In any case, a red-haired pirate gives Bartolomeo a small vial and tells him it's a deadly poison and to have Luffy drink it in a month's time. What happens next page, I saw it coming already, but if you didn't then it must have been a pretty good moment.
Bartolomeo takes the "poison" and drinks it himself to take responsibility for his actions. It might look as though he being willing to sacrifice his life for Luffy, but given his words and the chapter's title, I think it has nothing to do with Luffy and it's Bartolomeo showing his moral standards. It's his mess and he faces the consequences not others.
Be it as it may, we'll see in a couple of pages it doesn't matter much.
Buuut... the "poison" wasn't actual poison, Bartolomeo didn't die and the red-haired pirates let the Barto Club go.
Bartolomeo notices how Shanks was softer than someone would expect of him. Well, I also expected Bartolomeo to be tougher than begging for his life at the first sight of danger, so he shouldn't be talking much in this regard.
Shanks is happy with the outcome because Bartolomeo is so loyal to Luffy and idolizes him, but Yasopp comes forth and destroys the Going Luffy-senpai in the middle of the ocean.
What is this turn of events?? Let's reflect a bit about the whole scene:
The "poison" was fake, therefor giving it to Bartolomeo was just a trial. What options did he have?
Agree. Bartolomeo says "Seems fair. I'll have Luffy drink it." That's likely the clearest way to fail the trial. But how do the red-haired pirates react to that? "Wait. You see... that's no poison, we were bluffing... We'll go back on our word and kill you now." Way to go from hero to zero in an instant in front of your crowd. And they said they had to do something precisely for their reputation.
Refuse. Bartolomeo says "I'm not doing it. Luffy's not responsible for this." Would he pass?
If he does, then what? Do they let him go? Way to also look weak as fuck in front of their people again.
He doesn't. They kill him. Then what was the point of the trial??
They ask him to take responsability himself and drink the poison himself. If he does, go to the next point 3. If he doesn't, go to previous point.
Refuse and drink the "poison" himself (what he actually did). This must surely be a way to pass the trial, mustn't it?? Initially they let him go, with both crews acting like tough, but honourable and reasonable men. However, they kill them as they leave nonetheless. And you'll agree with me that explosion was seen from the town. Certifying to their people that the red-haired pirates are liars, cowards and backstabbers. Way to protect your reputation. And what was the point of the trial??
No matter how you look at it, it makes no sense. Once more, everything is sacrificed in order to draw a single superficially badass-looking moment: Bartolomeo drinking what he though was a lethal posion.
Special mention to Yasopp. Some say he did it because he listend to Bartolomeo saying Shanks was softer than he expected. Well, that's irrelevant:
Shanks indeed shows he's that soft seconds before Yasopp shoots.
Shanks likely listend too if Yasopp did, and even if he didn't, Shanks let them go and Yasopp is openly disrespecting a captain's order and acting like a rogue.
Is a foolish private remark between friends with no other listeners really reason enough to go back on their word and sink them?? Is their self-esteem this low?? It's pathetic.
Blackbeard is back in Hachinosu, he's moderately mad at Pizarro because Coby is gone and he's spouting a lot of nonsense.
"Poneglyphs ain't an obscure secret anymore". When were they? It is banned by law to decipher them under capital punishment. How would they be "an obscure secret" if the law publicly speaks about them?
"Emperors are gonna hafta tear ech other to pieces over them". Just like before. Although not one was doing it and not one has done it yet either. This ridiculous reasoning is totally unnecessary to justify the semifinals for the One Piece that will come. There are enough new yonkō in the club that the new ones being inherently more active is enough to push this development.
"You think the government and marine are just gonna stand by?" They've been on stand by for centuries, why would they change now? For plot convenience "reasons", I know. I'm looking forward to hear why office-man Sakazuki is going to take action against the yonkō now that they replaced the Shichibukai with the SSG but there's no SSG any more because they destroyed it right afterwards.
But even if marines do, what?
"Coby was our ace in the whole." WTH?? What good was Coby for?? The marines are led by a man that chased down his own officers to kill them for slacking off in the middle of the summit war. A man who was knowingly leaving his wounded soldiers unattended to prioritize his viciousness against the pirates even after reaching their goals. A man who was about to kill precisely Coby for saying that to his face. And Blackbeard thinks that for some reason having one marine hostage is his life insurance.
San Juan Wolf trying to repair the town but further destroying it instead just by existing. It's meant to be a gag but then you realize San Juan Wolf has existed before and either the town should have been in ruins ever since already or everyone should be aware of the danger and Wold banned from entering the town.
Sterile exaltation of random fodder pirates with the sole purpose of filling a page. The only remarkable thing is that on the bottom-left corner you can see the non-giant clone of the giant in the bottom-left corner of pages 2_3.
Not much goes on in this double page either. Kuzan gives already-known information: they captured Garp. Teach gives already-known information too: they captured Pudding. Some quick notes though:
I've read people debating whether Aokiji touches his sunglasses because he's lying or hiding his true feelings, as Kizaru did. Or maybe he isn't. But the point is... Who cares? This is just teasing and Oda can still play it out either way when he finally chooses one. Not only that. He's demonstrated he could actually play it both ways and act like nothing.
People also wondering where was Pudding three panels ago as she clearly isn't in the big panel. Well, Teach is one of the very few characters who legitimately can pull this. Pudding could be stored inside his "darkness" and he just took her out for that panel.
A very positive thing is that the illustration not just in this page but in general has improved a lot in this (but also in some recent) chapter. White margin around characters and other things are still shameful, but at least there are detailed backgrounds, skin and clothes can be told apart and fingers look like fingers and not jellyfish in decomposition. It's something :)
Laffite reports from a certain island about the Revolutionary army effectively cutting off food supplies to Mariejoise. That is also information we already knew but, at least this time it's illustrated in a bit more detail.
Narrator box says Laffitte is where Umit has his headquarters. Remember that Umit was the "underworld boss" of shipping. He attended Big Mom's tea party. I wonder why is Laffitte there and why are the ships and buildings being destroyed right now.
Also, three things to consider about the revolutionaries' siege:
It's working wonders apparently and without the active involvement of higher-ranking officers. Why haven't they done this before? Also, why can't marines take care of them?
Another very big lie in the siege's sketch. The Red Line is the only continent of this planet. It's at its narrowest a quarter of the Grand Line's width, which is a lot, at least in terms of walking distance. During the Reverie we saw Mariejoise is very close to the Paradise side of the Red Line. It cannot also be touching the New World side. It's ridiculous. It's like saying it touches both the west and east coast of Florida.
Okay, Revolutionaries are preventing the nobles from gettign supplies by sea. So what? I would have never even considered the Grand Line would be the main supply route under normal circumstances. I think it makes much more sense for supplies to come through a safe road along the Red Line. If not under normal circumstances, at least under this siege.
Van Augur and Catarina Devon arrive at Hachinosu bringing Caribou with them and Pizarro picks their ship up with an island-hand rather than letting them dock normally even though "it's such a pain".
Why? Why risk Pizarro's fingers to slip or simply not do exactly the required amount of pressure and have the ship crushed or fall down? Why? Can't Van Augur just teleport the ship to wherever they please?
Wait, hasn't he being doing that to travel faster? Then that means Hachinosu is closer to Egghead than Elbaf?
I know I already said we're used to every ship other than the Sunny knowing how to teleport and this might even be a legitimate case but... C'mon! This scene isn't even having a contribution to the story.
So... Apparently, everyone on the ship was put to sleep for two days more or less thanks to the absinthe and when they wake up, the Sunny and half the Mugiwara pirates are missing.
Previously in Whiskey Peak, both Zoro and Nami demonstrated they are capable of drinking very large quantities of alcohol without getting drunk, let alone being put to sleep. Now, however, this absinthe is introduced as some "mother of all booze" working as an insta-sleep spell. Okay. Fine but...
It wasn't just the small humans that fell asleep, the giants too. It's their own booze. Don't they know its effects?? Why are they surprised?
How the hell do they risk falling asleep, everyone in the middle of the Grand Line??
So, the ship has been sailing on its own for a couple of days or at least one. And there's been no mishap? It's the Grand Line. Back then, you blinked and the ship was in the middle of a hurricane, now you can just sleep through the journey and the ship doesn't even change its course.
Waiting to see whether there is some other Mugiwara left in the Great Eirik, if this is how the crew is going to be split this arc, it's older vs newer members (including Bonney and / or Lilith in case any or both of them end up joining).
Someone wakes up Nami. She's disoriented too in an unknown place that looks like a palace made out of lego pieces. She also has a different outfit that someone has had to put on her.
It's obviously very soon to know exactly what's going on, but I liked this final panel for the detailed illustration and because I imagined this might develop towards an RPG-themed arc with Nami as the protagonist for a while.
This chapter wasn't as good as I hoped for, but still better or at least more promising than I expected. The next one shall confirm whether there's a change of trend for the better or not.
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