Category: One Piece

A 19% chance of success? Place your bets now, ladies & gentlemen.

Yeah, yeah, the 19% is just the usual fight build-up, but the month part has me intrigued. I take that as the Straw Hats leaving Wano in about a month in-world time. Now, Luffy’s fight with Cracker took three days, I think. And, his fight against Katakuri took several hours. What am I trying to say? Well, I think Luffy’s getting two big fights.

Luffy ain’t doing nothing with that sword except slicing the air and trying to imitate Zoro.

Zoro smiled, everyone! Take a shot!
That’s right, the Straw Hat captain and first mate are back together and ready to ruin Kin’emon’s plan. You know the rules: Where Luffy goes, trouble follows. And where Luffy and Zoro goes, explosions follow. I’m guessing Kaido will discover the Straw Hats are on Wano within the next five chapters, whether or not Hawkings betrays him.

Seeing Luffy stretchy backhand that baddie was such a casual, yet awesome use of his powers.

With the entire (sans Jinbe) Straw Hat Crew there and various allies coming, Oda did the smart thing and started us off with only Luffy. I love Luffy’s treatment of animals, you don’t mess with him and he won’t mess with you. We meet the mini-Vivi Clone, Otama and learn she’s waiting for Ace. Ruh-oh! Isn’t that just like a pirate to go out for cigarettes and never come back! Well, whatever Ace had going on with Otama you can bet Luffy’s picking up where he left off.

I get the feeling the Wano arc will be so Japanese I’ll be speaking in Nagoya dialect by the tenth chapter.

Goodbye Reverie! You were fun, but Oda ain’t slowin’ down for no one, whether you Wano or not. We catch up with Luffy’s team wearing their Wano arc clothes, touching on the Reverie. We also get a title introduction for Straw Hat Luffy (not Monkey D. Luffy) because… I don’t know. Is Oda reminding us Luffy is a tough mofo before all heck breaks loose or is there an even deeper meaning?

Where’s the Revolutionaries’ declaration? What’s will happen to Bonney? Is Vivi Im’s takedown confirmation? What about Fujitora’s anti Warlord panel in Hall H? Oh, so we’re doing that, Oda? You set up the plots and now you’re letting it simmer. Everything I mentioned can be shown at a later date, or specifically, it’s effects and consequences. Why have Im tell us when we’ll instead see soldiers gunning for Vivi? Why see what Bonney’s going to do when we can see her allying with the Revolutionaries later (Yep, I think that’s where Bonney’s character is going.).

This chapter had more meat than a male strip club. Rox? What’s that? Oda dropped some new lore on us that probably won’t be addressed for another five years at least. It sounded like Rox was an old pirate crew or alliance that had something to do with Big Mom and Kaido. Why now Oda? Why bring up the pre-Gol D. Roger era now? My guess, it has something to do with Shanks, or at least who Shanks wants to discuss with the Five Elders.

Before we get to that, can we sit in awe that Shanks, one of the four most powerful pirates on the planet, is sitting at World Government ground zero with the five people who rule over almost everything in the world? Soak it in. This is happening, folks.

Everyone still with me? Okay. How does Shank know the Five Elders? Well, the only reason that comes to mind is One Piece, the treasure, not the manga. That’d be weird. Shanks knows the truth about the world and so do the Five Elders. That must be their connection. Of course, it doesn’t explain how they first met and why they trust Shanks enough to meet with him, but I can assume is somehow/someway, the Five Elders probably met with most, if not all, of Roger’s crew to discuss One Piece and the truth about everything. Yeah, we’re getting a flashback about that one day. Maybe right before Shanks dies. Come on! You know it’s happening!

Monkey D. Luffy picked a fight with one of the four pirate emperors and won. He beat Katakuri, Big Mom’s strongest crewmember, and amateur sugar cookie contest judge. His bounty is now over a billion. Where does Luffy go from here? Beating a Yonko, right? Wrong! …Nah, just kidding! Beating a Yonko is Luffy’s next feat. Maybe.

Is it possible Luffy will defeat an admiral first instead? Admiral Green Bull could tussle with Luffy, but I don’t think we’ll see a clear winner if it happens. And, don’t forget, Luffy has to reach Kaido. His subordinates, the tough ones like Jack, won’t make it easy. Safe to say Luffy and his allies will have to earn Kaido’s defeat. Heck, I bet Luffy will need to tag-team to defeat the Beasts Pirates Captain. Yep, based on the number of allies coming to Wano and it being Luffy’s first Yonku takedown, he’ll need help. LOTS of help. Luffy’s big one-vs-one Yonku fight won’t happen until he faces the final boss, Blackbeard. Speaking of Blackbeard…

The other biggest Pirate King contender will kill Shanks. Shocked, right? Probably not. Blackbeard killing Shanks theories are common. So, why am I bringing it up? Because Blackbeard now HAS to kill Shanks. And, it’s all Luffy’s fault.

One Piece’s Whole Cake Island Arc is over. And once again, Luffy gained another kingdom ally with Germa. And, don’t kid yourself, they’re allies. I know. I know. They’re assholes who deserve to die except Sanji’s sister but its One Piece. You can be a horrible piece of shit, but as long as you see the error of your ways or you only did that crap in the past it doesn’t count.

Anyway, the Firetank Pirates—Luffy has them as allies too. Nice. But, wait! Luffy is also allied with Law and his Heart Pirates. Could there be a pattern? Yes. Not even gotta be cryptic about it. Longtime One Piece fans know the Strawhats have been cozy with kingdoms in the past. Kingdoms and gathering new Strawhat members. But, as a big contender for Pirate King, Luffy needs more than a crew. He needs powerful pirates on his side. And let’s face it, no one is joining the Strawhats after Jinbe. NO ONE. Yes, that includes Carrot. She not unique, guys. Being a female bunny character isn’t enough. Being a lookout isn’t enough. You have to be the best and nothing Carrot has done isn’t considered the best.