@Marcotty:

My only complaint is just a continued worry that, seeing Big Mom like this, Oda's gonna go ahead with the ally theory and we're never gonna get the beat down that LinLin so thoroughly deserves to get. Not getting that would be a big souring point for me.

If it were that easy, Oda wouldn't have bothered with the minor Chekhov's Gun of having Luffy and Hyogoro be the ones who finished off all the O-shiruko in the first place. Just leave things as they are with Queen being the primary offender for consuming it all. Makes it easier for Luffy and BM having a common enemy at this point.

Thanks Sandman…amazing stuff on rereading it all together in one spot.

@sandman:

New Year is approaching. It might be a good idea to make a brief compilation of important Oda's interviews in 2017.

There are some events which weren't planned well in advance. For example;

• Vivi being Princess
• Shanks appearing in Marineford War
• Ace being Roger's son
• Lucci being villain
• Drum Rock mountain looking like a cherry blossom tree
• Doflamingo and Corazon having blood relationship
• Shichibukai appearing in manga. OP was originally supposed to be a story to fight Yonko, not Shichibukai.
• Supernovas still surviving in New World. Oda thought about half of them would have dropped out already
• Law being an important character. Oda thought Kidd would become an important character, though.

- Oda asks his editor what kind of predictions audience have. He wants to go beyond their expectations.

I wonder what fan expectations he's going to upend next lawl…go for it Oda!

• Editor was against the idea of killing Ace in Marineford War arc.

• Oda already had a plan that Kuma would break up Straw Hats later when he was introduced.

• Oda watched 3 films per day in his youth.

• Oda wants to be just a "friendly guy in neighborhood" for kids.

• Oda says he is not a kind of mangaka who brags, "Even if I draw only one line, it can make much money!"

• Oda doesn't eat food near deadline since it makes him sleepy.
  (In 2015, he said he usually goes to bed at 2 a.m. and wakes up at 5 a.m.)

• Many editors were against the serialization of OP except Hisashi Sasaki (Viz) .

• Oda goes mad when editor doesn't answer his phone. Editor holds his cell phone in his arms when sleeping so that he can answer anytime.

• Oda showed his best smile his editor had never seen before when he received a cake in OP 20th celebration party from his family and friends.

• Oda tends to skip drawing trivial stuffs like Pandaman these days since his eyesight is getting weaker.

• Shueisha allows Oda to take more breaks. He visits foreign countries at least once a year.

• Oda offered to his editor that he would take care of his family if the editor gave up working due to illness or injury from overwork.

**- OP will enter Wano in 2018.

• There are tons of new characters Oda wants to draw in Wano.

• Oda has been eager to draw Wano arc for 20 years since he started OP.**
  (Tokyo Tower Talk Festival *I don't have time to check those long streamings now, but If I remember correctly, it was mentioned by
  one of the guests with a script, not by editors, so it might be better to take it with a grain of salt.)

- The greatest enemy ever will stand in the way of Straw Hats in 2018. Oda says it may be related to Whitebeard.
He also says Marineford War will look cute compared to what is coming.

Ahh the Wano hype…Never gets old for me.

Lol at 'greatest enemy' - everyone knows it's gonna be Big Mom again after Wano at Elbaf…silly Oda :whistling:

---

By the way, editors announced this summer that a special ONE PIECE book will be released around the end of the year, but according to the latest editors' live streaming in December, it will be delayed for some reason.

source:

@Yobiyopi:

What exactly are we rooting for here? For the heroes to escape from BM and continue on their adventures? Because compared to previous arcs there is very little to care about here, despite the incredible lenght its reaching. Even Dressrosa had a whole nation in danger, coupled with Law's backstory tied with Doflamingo and a revenge for Corazon, and also aimed at disrupting Kaido's growing power.

You and others might be. I'm rooting for the pay-off for this 65 chapter (and counting) arc for her defeat and maybe downfall.

For them to just escape again for the nth time but actually succeeding? kinda anti-climactic since this whole arc could have ended 20 chapters earlier during the first aborted escape attempt instead of being dragged on till next year. Anyway options are still open, have my preference and look forward to the future chapters.

welp, she's definitely not completely mindless. Interesting that she taunts the SH's with "why don't you teach me how to stop then?". Blatant foreshadow that, for me.

It's been awhile since we saw the SH's, well some of them, fight as a group. And all pulling their own weight. Even Chopper got some shine. Nami at the end with Zeus…lol

Big Mom panting…so much for the old power-up routine. Never bought it thankfully.

Perospero and the other children being confused about whether or not to let the Cake pass into Big MOm's mouth. Lovely. Oda setting up all sorts of messy shenanigans for later.

Su Long form is pretty powerful in itself but is basically a stamina and life-span burner it looks like. Pretty strong limiter. It wouldn't do if Neko and Inu can just simply ROFLSTOMP Jack later on in Wano under the full moon.
But Carrot and Brook teaming up to immobilise Daifuku's fleet…and Brook carrying her off like a gentleman. Aww... And Chopper referring to her as his little sister...double awww

@uniaka:

Now that I think about it, oda pretty much spoiled what he plans to do with BM ever since revealing her dream. For her family to turn into giants so she can look them in the eyes at the table, and it can't be done to her present family, because giantification doesn't work. Note bm is same size as normal giants, was pointed out in her flashback.

Her original family is going down as we speak so she will get elbaf family as her new family, then her dream would be completed. Most easy way to complete her dream, and only way.

If he wanted that particular dream to come true, I'd be more inclined if Oda decided to just shrink BM to a regular sized human. Instead of having her ditch her family and get a whole new one in Elbaf just to satisfy the "BM falls at Elbaf" crowd.

@SpaceCowboy:

"Praying circle for IchiKia Fans We really need it. Have faith, Kubo will not throw away 600+ chapters of IchiKia development in just one chapter.

random link Look at that for some hope please.

But also respek IchiHime fans. Just like us they have their moments and we will respek it while still shipping this Ship!"

Now say "still shipping this ship" three times very quickly.

There are already some suggestions by some people that since IchiRuki is the more popular ship in Japan, Kubo pulled the IchiHime ending to dick his publishers as a final F-You since less of the final volumes would be bought by pissed off Japanese fans. Although it sorta fits Kubo for him to be this petty, think this is all grasping at straws to be honest by those wanting to excuse Kubo for this mess. From around Deicide onwards was all Kubo being a terribel writer.

@zeltrax225:

Props. I'm chugging down alcohol as we speak.

I like to think Kubo pander to the standard japanese salaryman mindset.
You know, the woman behind the successful man who just waits at home obediently and passively?
Except in his case, he got everything wrong.

I thought Ichigo x Rukia was the only saving grace of the manga left. Gave up on everything else. Shame on me Kubo had to rain on that last vestige…Anyway other than doing it for the lulz he must have had a change of heart concerning the ending and decided for Orihime rather than Rukia. It kinda makes sense that there was virtually no on-screen development between Ichigo and Orihime compared to the years of hints on Ichigo and Rukia that the former became canon. Oddly, it's almost like Kubo thought Rukia was better than Ichigo deserved. Man he sure hated Ichigo lol .

nah i take back what i said earlier. It was a genius move by Kubo.

For 684 chapters Ichigo and Orihime had a relationship built on him being clueless and ignoring her and her yelping 'kurosaki-kun' and being useless. All the while building up Ichigo and Rukia with their initial connection, emotional bond, the poems and symbolism, the epic SS arc which was about rescuing Rukia yadda yadda yadda to not completely reward the Ichiruki shipper at the end. Imagine, both sets of ships will be still arguing and writing fanfics - the IchiRukis will rewrite the canon ending while the Ichihimes will rewrite the entire canon relationship plus the 10 tear timeskip to give themselves the Ichihime Kubo never did in the manga. Nevending trolldom.

Kubo Tite, I want to have your babies

dear lord….I used to be ship Ichigo x Rukia because it had the most organic development and feel. Left Bleach behind during the mess that was Deicide with some regret. But I couldn't take being made a fool of by a hack writer who mocks the intelligence of his readers and seems to view them with contempt. Still, despite everything, I always thought the one thing Kubo won't fuck up was the Ichigo x Rukia dynamic and perhaps at worst would have left it open-ended...y'know being a poet and being all poetic and deep and stuff.

LOL i underestimated Kubo's trolling. What a dickish move.