Hm. I’m starting to think shonen manga author, Eiichiro Oda, isn’t good at writing political drama.
Did Harald have to be portrayed so oblivious to the Five Elders and Celestial Dragons, in general? They own slaves! They consider anyone not a Celestial Dragon as inferior! They attack weak countries not affiliated with the World Government! This makes ZERO sense that Harald didn’t pick up on all of that and, instead, put HIS ENTIRE TRUST into the World Government and the mysterious guy you swore totally loyalty too!
I fear for the Void Century flashback if it contains political drama because it’s just not Oda’s strength. That’s fine, not many authors are good at writing every single genre of storytelling. But… I suspect none of Oda’s Editors told him this or he just doesn’t care.
I love Harald and Ida’s final conversation. It was sweet. I still don’t understand why Harald didn’t just ignore Elbaph’s Elders and marry Ida. We already know he’s turned his back on his country’s warrior culture. Why not that dumb marriage rule too? *SIGH!* Once again, Oda has to dumb down Harald to make the plot work.
Place you bets now for how a souped-up immoral Harald is killed. My guess Shanks or Harald gives Loki the idea of cutting off a possessed Harald’s arm. That will undo the immortality. Or…a Loki/Shanks haki bomb combo. Alright, I’m spent. Let’s put this chapter out of it’s misery.
This was a dumb chapter! I’m an armature writer at best, so it feels strange coming down on Oda in this way, but I like what I like and don’t what I don’t. Oda’s lack of character interactions (Loki and Ida, for example) and Harald’s brain lobotomy in order to make the plot works is just bad writing, in my opinion. Get some editors with backbone, Oda! Or, even better, stop using AI to write your chapters!
There. I gave you some excuses, Oda. I got an extra ticket to a writing retreat next month. All you can eat corn chips. Wanna go?
Mammoth Base Opera Castle 