Apparently it's indeed pure coincidence that Kaido is so obviously an Oni and in Wano there's an island called Onigashima.
Yet, as it turns out, none of that matters as the sole reason Kaido got to Wano is cause some random woman just invited him.
It wasn't called Onigashima before Kaido and the Beast Pirates settled there.
Kaido went down on his knee and showed pretty visible exhaustion a few times during the fight. There wasn't a specific attack that did some sort of damage like a stab wound or something, but he was clearly getting worn down.
The flashback is there for added context in order to add pathos and make the conclusion feel more cathartic, right? If anything, however, it just blatantly shows how weak and heavily flawed all the story elements actually are. That is, among others, the characters and their motivations and especially the main theme(s) of the Wano arc.
Serious question, what is the main theme even supposed to be? What's its underlying message? I just cannot see anything else than "All hail the almighty prophecy! All hail the DAWN!"
So Oden's actual motivation, why he wants to open the borders, is completely relying on that DAWN stuff? Why were the borders even closed before? And what were the problems and disadvantages the Wanonese had prior to Kaido and Orochi? Wano seemed a pretty decent place before. Besides, what happens if you actually cross the borders, anyway? Did Oden receive any sort of negative consequences solely due to leaving the country? I just cannot remember. If Kaido actually appeared as consequence of Oden's journey, then the isolationist fraction might have a point. But no, the only reason the borders are closed is because otherwise there isn't a plot at all.
Also, what again prevented the Wanonese from leaving the country? The closed borders are non-existent whenever the plot demands so. I get that the weak average people just cannot pull it off, but any decently capable guy just could leave and do whatever, either call for help or just chill anywhere else. What's stopping them? If it's the border issue, however, why aren't there any actual characters properly representing that isolationist ideology? Of course, because the plot demands it and otherwise that whole messy construct of a story would crumble instantly.
Basically all the characters involved are nothing more then slaves of the plot, empty hollow shells without any proper character motivation. Really, absolutely no one has any decent character motivation not rooted in the DAWN. (That is, aside from Higurashi who is a complete whole another can of worms on her own, which I won't open right now.)
Like Yamato and Momo, so what's the main motivation, the main thing that actually drives all their actions and decision? Of course, the DAWN. Yamato wants to be Oden, why? DAWN. Their motivation to change the fate of Wano? DAWN. All their character conflict is rooted in that prophecy, about which we, however, cannot know anything meaningful because mystery. I don't care for any potential upcoming recontextualization right now. As right now we are in the climax of a decade long saga, however, absolutely nothing works on a thematical and emotional level. There just aren't any proper well-crafted plants in order for us to get an actual meaningful payoff at the end of the day, or should I say… at the goddawn DAWN.
We always knew that Oden discovered something out there that led to him believing that Wano should open its borders. The Kozuki clan shut the country out to protect from some external danger but clearly Oden thought it was time to open it. For what reason exactly we don't know yet. As for problems and disadvantages, Kaido and Orochi were the biggest ones but the isolationism resulted in an ignorant, closed off nation that made everyone feel shut in and cut off from the rest of the world.
Also, what again prevented the Wanonese from leaving the country? The closed borders are non-existent whenever the plot demands so. I get that the weak average people just cannot pull it off, but any decently capable guy just could leave and do whatever, either call for help or just chill anywhere else. What's stopping them? If it's the border issue, however, why aren't there any actual characters properly representing that isolationist ideology? Of course, because the plot demands it and otherwise that whole messy construct of a story would crumble instantly.
It's more like the policy is keeping everyone else out. Sure, capable individuals could leave, but without a support system like Oden had it would be extremely difficult to do.
Like Yamato and Momo, so what's the main motivation, the main thing that actually drives all their actions and decision? Of course, the DAWN. Yamato wants to be Oden, why? DAWN. Their motivation to change the fate of Wano? DAWN. All their character conflict is rooted in that prophecy, about which we, however, cannot know anything meaningful because mystery. I don't care for any potential upcoming recontextualization right now. As right now we are in the climax of a decade long saga, however, absolutely nothing works on a thematical and emotional level. There just aren't any proper well-crafted plants in order for us to get an actual meaningful payoff at the end of the day, or should I say… at the goddawn DAWN.
Yamato wants to be free to travel the world after a lifetime of being caged up. Becoming Oden is seen as accomplishing that dream because that's exactly what Oden did. Momo wants to save Wano because y'know, his family was slaughtered and he was sent to the future as the last hope and unless he went out to find help the country would continue to be in the state it's in? The Dawn stuff just tells them that there are bigger motivations going on but Yamato and Momo had clear reasons before that.
Come on, bro. They are both basically stuck in a Looney Tunes world where no attack has a meaning or effect a second later.
The beam burned him it instantly goes away, the other guy punches through his head and nothing happens.
Then he gets slammed with a bat and he bounces back off the ground.
I also enjoyed something like this years ago with Tom and Jerry and Road Runner etc. but this is One Piece ffs.
I understand it might be entertaining if you forget the story itself and everything that happened in the 1000+ chapters beforehand.
But this fight lost all sense of urgency.
Well, until this crazy-eyed Luffy guy (supposedly a "good guy") just created a mass murder situation by threatening tens of thousands of fighters in the castle with his next attack.
This is absolutely batshit crazy. In this very moment, Luffy is the villain!!!
Why doesn´t he simply pull Kaido away from the castle and punch him there?
I am seriously concerned about Oda, if he´s still sane and not doing cocaine or something (like other "larger than life" celebrities, recently the Depp/Bettany/Manson clique).
Didn´t one mangaka die to rupture of an aorta recently? I read that can be caused by doing hard drugs…EDIT: If Oda is just having a blast going all out trolling, then well played. He got me good.
If Momo doesn’t move Onigashima, everyone in the castle and the capital are dead. If Luffy could yank Kaido up he would but clearly he couldn’t after being knocked for a loop and Kaido still attacking him.
@Joy:
Why are people acting like Luffy only took blast breath ?
Luffy in a single chapter took a couple of blows from Kaidos club, Demolition Gust and Kaidos strongest bagua to date and he fought back right away without an repercussions. He just straight up forced himself through these attacks to pull his biggest attack to date.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
I mean it’s atrocious that Luffy now is just shrugging off every attack the strongest creature is throwing at him. And he is supposed to be nearly dead. Imagine if he was fresh. I love how the fight looks but Oda has dropped the ball on what Luffy can possibly take if the strongest guy in the series can’t even push his shit in now
Demolition gust is basically sharp wind gusts so besides cutting him it’s not a big deal. Should also note that Luffy got his guard up against the Thunder Bagua so really the only clean hits Kaido got were when he knocked him away to the lightning bolt and when he intercepted the kick, which are unnamed swings. Which are all clearly hurting him, just not enough to get him to let go.
When Luffy got TB´d, he is upside down and his LEFT arm is shown to be prolonged, but it´s actually the RIGHT hand that grabs Kaido.
In the cloud, we see Luffy still having his LEFT arm stretched when Kaido attacks him with cuts and a beam. Luffy is not letting go.
Last page, Luffy prepared a larger than life RIGHT fist to finish this, while still holding onto Kaido.Does One Piece even have editors?
Fight turned to complete shit since Luffy´s awakening.
Just let it end, please.Robin and Jimbei fights were amazing, 5 Supernova vs BM/Kaido on the rooftop was epic, this 31st Luffy vs Kaido comeback is so bad, I feel like Oda is purposely trolling.
It looks to me like he's always holding on with his left, his knuckles are just facing outward
Considering he doubled down on the freakshow, it´s either a cry for help cause he´s only surrounded by yes-saying underlings or a big FU to everyone just cause he knows he can do whatever he wants with his work.
If it´s the latter, I guess that´s pure freedom of art and I respect that.
But art is subjective and I felt no excitement while reading this chapter.
At least compared to last week I wasn´t completely caught off guard and angry.
Looking forward to chapters without G5 Luffy.
Good luck and have fun.
Or this is probably what the ultimate form of a fighting rubber guy looks like.
Congratulations to Luffy for finally matching Mr Fantastic and Plastic Man
At the start of Thriller Bark Franky unveiled the little bonus Merry boat, and once of the characters (Usopp?) said something like "Merry came back as a lifeboat!"
It wasn't explicit in that moment and it hasn't come up in-story, (But I think confirmed in an interview?) that Merry's spirit had moved into the new thing.
It's not talking or moving on its own currently so I personally don't feel like it counts… but even without that implication it was most certainly put in there to be a case of "this beloved character died... but they have a sibling that is very similar that can also be loved to ease the blow."
Did Mini Merry even have more than one appearance? That felt like a final tribute, not a replacement.
I've always felt that this would've been more palatable if the story had been 5 years instead of 25 years. This feeling all kinds of wrong for me stem mostly from having experienced decades in real time of OP being one thing, and then at the tail end it (could) be going a different direction. It would've felt entirely different if this played out within 3,5 years of starting out.
Story’s still about the same thing, just the way to get there is different than what we assumed.
If this was just awakening, why would the Gorosei care? An awakened rubber power should theoretically be outclassed by all the Admirals as well as Blackbeard.
It my first time hearing the theory. I don't remember him having any special reaction to Hiyori or Momo. Is it because of owning the kitetsu?
He and Sukiyaki have the same anime VO, the manga says they both like kokeshi dolls, and when Tenguyama's vivre card was released it originally said 58 years old but a correction was made that said he was 81 years old, which would be an appropriate age for Sukiyaki if he was alive.
It seems pretty cut and dry.
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