Still not convinced Blackbeard’s tenth captain, Kuzan, is completely on ole Teach’s side.
I just feel like it’d take more than Blackbeard’s conversation to bring a former admiral over to the dark side. Either Kuzan’s leaving out a very important detail that caused him to waver during or after his match with Akainu or he’s simply doing things his own way AKA being a Sword agent. Seriously. Wouldn’t there be more panic from the Navy if Kuzan really joined the Blackbeard Pirates? Some scene with Fleet Admiral Akainu cursing him or the Elder Stars wanting him dead? Nope, Oda’s never shown the big dogs talking about it. Yeah, there’s more going on here we don’t know. And something tells me Kuzan isn’t making it out of this series alive.
Remember when I basically said last chapter only Kuzan and Blackbeard had enough power and narrative prowess to kill Garp? I’m not saying is a done deal but the death flag is a flappin’ in the wind. Would Kuzan kill Garp? Maybe not, but he could unintendedly distract Garp long enough for the other Blackbeard captains to come in a do the deed. Captain Kid, defeated. Captain Law, defeated. If not outright killed, then defeated could be on Vice Admiral Garp’s menu. Not to mention, the Blackbeard Pirates inevitable release of a Garp diss track with their new album releasing soon. How they got Timberland to produce it I’ll never know.
I love seeing the BB Crew just hanging out. I get the same vibe as scenes with the Straw Hats just being together. It’s a great way to continue showing Blackbeard’s Crew as evil versions of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Who’s the Man Marked By Flames? I still don’t know. Learning he’s ridin’ in a pimped out all-black ship and can create whirlpools doesn’t help much. A fishman, perhaps? A former Roger Pirate? Davy Jones? If the last Road Poneglyph is on that ship then either the Straw Hats will stumble across it or someone they know will have Mr. Burn Scar’s vivre card.
The Heart Pirates got stumped by Team Blackbeard. Trafalgar Law is out of the running for Pirate King, leaving only the Emperors (minus Buggy) still able to eventually reach Laugh Tale. Watch your back, Shanks! Good on Cocaine Bepo for snorting that rumbleball just in time to save Law. I wonder if he and Bepo will end up on Elbaph along with Kid? That’s gonna be an awkward reunion if it happens.
This was a great chapter! More important world events are shown to the audience but I do miss seeing the Straw Hats on Egghead Island. Makes me wonder if we’re getting a small time skip? The Navy are attacking the island “tomorrow”, so we could come back to Egghead “the next day”. Hopefully not with Luffy defeated too. I really don’t want to listen to Akainu’s Straw Hat Pirates diss track, even if I’d probably feature is friend Lil Wayne. How they became friends I’ll never know.
Mammoth Base Opera Castle 