It has been a REALLY long time since I've had the pleasure of talking about ONE PIECE.
That's not to say that I don't talk about ONE PIECE at all. On the contrary, I'd argue that it is a series that I frequently find myself talking about simply because I know so many people enamored with Eiichiro Oda's magnum opus. A little premature, perhaps, to be calling it a magnum opus, but when you consider that he's been writing/drawing for more than twenty years there aren't to many other catch-alls that come to mind. Masterpiece just doesn't seem to have the same ring to it you know? When last BLOGGED about the topic, however, Reverie was just getting underway. The illusive Im-sama had come to the forefront at long last, and people had already begun to speculate that Shanks was a turncoat. Can you imagine? The notorious "Red Haired" Shanks, illustrious pirate, father figure, Yonko, and now a spy/privateer for the government? Who could have thought? ONE PIECE has developed significantly since our time on Mary Geoise. In the span of a handful of chapters we got Luffy's arrival in Wano country at long last. Of the Strawhat Pirates, it turned out that Zoro would be able to goof his way into finding Luffy first despite the fact that he hadn't initially arrived with his captain. A brief glimpse of Ace's history in Wano was revealed, binding together Luffy with the adorable Tama. In an unsurprising twist the story of Momotaro gained significant relevance as many of the stories beloved characters come together within the ONE PIECE storyline to bring down a monstrous demon on Onigashima. This was then followed by a SURPRISING twist when Oda revealed that Kaido of the Beasts was more than just a formidable Yonko; he was also a FREAKING DRAGON!! To top it all off there was little to no time wasted in driving Luffy into conflict with Kaido resulting it what has been called "a formidable defaz", "the wrath of god himself", and even "the girk of the century". We all know of what panel I am currently referring and for those in need of a reminder the panel is at the end of this blog post so feel free to jump down there before continuing onward. As I stated before the story of Momotaro appears to be taking a heightened precedence within the Wano story arc. For those that are unaware, Momotaro's story is a folk tale from Japan wherein a young man sets out on an adventure to defeat a powerful demon. Along the way this young boy makes friends with a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant who subsequently help him in capturing the demon. This isn't a new piece of information for those in the know as Oda has long been building up the importance of this story from the moment he introduced the idea of Wano and the character Kozuki Momonosuke. In the original story, Momotaro is able to win over his allies by giving them dango/millet dumplings which is also carried over in the form of Tama's Devil Fruit ability. This ability has already brought several of the stories characters together including Momonosuke, a dog, and a monkey. At this stage, the initiated are already wondering why even bother bringing all this up? It is important to understand that author's draw on their personal experiences when they create their stories. For a Japanese writer, what is more traditional and well known than a common folk story? The direction of the story already acknowledges that Kaido, despite his formidable strength, will be defeated by the combined efforts of the Strawhats and Wano's citizenry. Certainly the finer details of this conquest are debatable, but the end result remains the same. My personal belief, however, requires me to hold to the premise that the story of Momotaro holds the key to how the Strawhats seize their victory. Namely, the missing pheasant and the use of Tama's dango ability appear to be focal points for subduing Kaido. So ... lets speculate. The pheasant has a pretty good chance of being another animal much like the dog and monkey have proven to be. Ironically, these same animals originally safeguarded the Marines in the form of Sakazuki a.k.a the Red Dog, Borsalin a.k.a the Yellow Monkey, and most importantly Kuzan a.k.a the Blue PHEASANT. There is no reason to assume with one hundred percent certainty that Kuzan will appear within Wano country proper, but the possibility certainly exists. Given his formidable ice powers, it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination for him to momentarily subdue Kaido in time for a Tama create dango to be fired into his mouth. There are, in spite of however accurate this might appear, several other directions by which to lay Kaido low during this arc. Already, Eustass Kid and Luffy find themselves sharing a common cell with one another. Add to this the lurking legend who may or may not be also confined next to these two formidable Supernovas. Several members of the Strawhat crew, Kid Pirates, and Heart Pirates are conspicuously unaccounted while Kin'emon and allies continue to gather in preparation for the trials ahead. It is impossible to say with an real certainty how events will pan out, but it is clear that we are going to be getting a wealth of information regarding the world of ONE PIECE. I believe it to be a safe bet that Eiichiro Oda knows what he is doing, even if he doesn't know all of the minute details of his own story. ONE PIECE has yet to really let fans down as each arc appears to add new layers, and interesting details with each passing chapter. In recent weeks we've had nothing but outstanding, awe-inspiring, jaw dropping developments. With the start of the Second Act, I'm ecstatic to see what Oda will surprise us with in his next chapter! For North American readers that means we'll be waiting two more days with baited breath while Japanese readers laud Oda for his exceptional writing prowess week in and week out. Personally? I hope we get to see the mysterious cellmate. What about you though? Where do you think this is all going? Am I just talking nonsense or is this on the right track? Let me know in the comments below provided you've managed to read this far into this blog. As always, thank you for your eternal patience, and I'll look forward to sharing my thoughts following these next chapters of our favourite ONE PIECE! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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ONE PIECE has a long tradition of cute hilarity that then takes a sharp turn towards the tragically real. Pathos is one of the most profound tools in Eiichiro Oda's arsenal, and it is one that he uses to powerful effect. That might not necessarily speak to every reader, but ti does serve a secondary purpose. THe tragedy that so often marks his characters drives them to not only become better people, but to help make the world a better place. Add to that the cuteness of his character design and suddenly any member of the dramatis personae can transform into an agent of change. In some cases that transformation is far more literal, but we'll cross that particular bridge when we get to it. Suffice to say that this chapter focuses on those characters who have long been considered the major antagonists of the series.
When it comes to the Celestial Dragons, their ugliness is almost as legendary as their penchant for cruelty. The rampant racism, narcissism, and vengeful nature of these characters have long served to create a quagmire of issues that our heroes must rescue either themselves or their friends. The central plot of this chapter focuses closely on the interactions between Celestial Dragons while also proliferating some new ideas about the shadowy rulers of the Blues. Oda draws heavily on familiar, but unpleasant, faces from amongst the known Celestial Dragons throughout this chapter. In the aftermath of Saint Charlos' attempt to abduct Shirahoshi, Don Quixote Mjosgard declares the Mermaid Princess to be under his protection is a level of humility that is rarely seen amongst the World Nobles. The desire to own Fishman slaves in particular is a persistent issue that has lead to a range of issues throughout the Blues; many of these issues were eventually dealt with by the Straw Hat Pirates, but continues to afflict contemporary politics. His history with the Fishman Island Royal Family certainly plays a part in Mjosgard's desire to protect Shirahoshi, but for him to blatantly go against another World Noble in pursuit of this ideal is heartwarming to behold. Having fled the scene of his attempted crime, Saint Charlos is confronted by his father Saint Rosward who appears riding Bartholomew Kuma! As punishment for his crime against the World Government, we learn that Kuma has been forced into slavery. Surprisingly enough, the revelation that an immortal cyborg slave made to suffer eternal anguish at the hands of the World Nobles is only the third largest surprise this chapter. Queen Dowager Conny of Sorbet Kingdom - ironically the kingdom formerly ruled over by Bartholomew himself - is revealed to be none other than the Worst Generations Jewelry Bonny in disguise thanks to the powers of her devil fruit. Whether due to the translation or Oda's own linguistic, it appears that Bonny had planned to sneak into the Celestial Dragon's territories beyond Pangaea Castle in order to find Kuma specifically. From her phrasing, and emotional response to seeing the state of Kuma's well being, it seems as if Bonny has been working for the Revolutionary Army in order to track down the former Shichibukai. Tying into Oda's revelation about Kuma's circumstances, Sabo, Morely, Karasu, and Lindbergh are revealed to be hiding underground as they wait for an opportune moment to rescue their enslaved comrade. Sabo's declaration to save Kuma at all costs emphasizes the importance of Kuma's character amidst the cruelties of the Celestial Dragons. Though the hypocrisy of the World Nobles has often been discussed in passing, it has been an element of ONE PIECE that goes largely unnoticed due to the intangibility of being hypocritical. In response to this Oda manifests this paradigm by leveraging our new found understanding about the Empty Throne. That is to say that the leader of the Celestial Dragons appears, and sits upon this throne while the Reverie begins. The clandestine nature of this meeting between the Gorosei and Im denotes several interesting secrets: 1. The Celestial Dragons - and by association, the Marines - do not have the capability to placate or defeat all of the combined armies of the Blues. Were the nations present for Reverie to learn of someone sitting upon the Empty Throne, they may well lead a revolt against the World Nobles. In order to avoid a scenario where they fall from their position of power, Im and the Gorosei meet in secret in order to preserve their political identity. 2. Though the Gorosei are considered to be the leaders of the Celestial Dragons, Im is above them in terms of status. From the single page where these characters interact it becomes clear that Im makes all of the overarching decisions and the Gorosei simply carry out his mandates. 3. Obtaining actionable intelligence is one of the most difficult tasks for any organization working from the shadows. In the past, the Gorosei were able to accurately predict when Dragon would become a serious threat to their administration. Given the level of science, and technological advances available to the World Nobles, it was easy to theorize that they leveraged these capabilities to simulate potential scenarios. The introduction of Im, however, may indicate that the Celestial Dragons don't use technology, or science to make their predictions. Instead, it may simply be that Im possesses a skill, ability, or devil fruit that allows him to see glimpses into the future. By killing select individual(s) he is then able to change the course of the future presuming that the afore mentioned individual(s) can be killed in accordance with his machinations. In the wake of this last chapter, Eiichiro Oda was able to take a well deserved break from writing his popular series. ONE PIECE has been nothing but phenomenal following the conclusion of the Whole Cake Island arc with each chapter working to heighten the interest for Reverie. With Reverie now officially underway, and with the World Nobles working their schemes in the background, one can only speculate upon the direction that Oda intends to take his story. Will we see still more new concepts introduced in these coming chapters? Will the events of Reverie come to have as profound an effect upon the Blues as we've been lead to believe? Does Im have an ability and if so does that mean the Will of D is unaffected by it? These are questions that will hopefully be answered in the chapters to come! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH Historically, ONE PIECE has placed a strong focus on characters and the situations that allow for their development. Luffy's drive to become the King of Pirates is the catalyst by which he sets out on his adventure. His companions subsequently join him on his journey as it allows for them to accomplish their own personal agendas. The development of their relationships with one another through trial and tribulations have allowed them to become a group that operates beyond their own scores. The entirety of the Whole Cake Island arc was a testament to this old paradigm, but with the most recent chapter has lead to a significant amount of reevaluation. In retrospect, Whole Cake feels more and more like a send off for a relic of plot development. Ever since CH.900 we have seen a significant increase in world building, and although new mysteries have come to light, we now know more about the world inhabited by Luffy and his companions than ever before. Of course, that's not to say that Oda has abandoned his use of character development as he does still use well known characters to bring us up to speed on a variety of topics. There is no denying, however, that Oda's begun to expand his range in order to bring together a wealth of new plot pieces, information, and secrets through new avenues of storytelling.
We didn't even know that there was a relationship between Kaido of the Beasts, and Charlotte Lin Lin beyond their mutual position as Yonko. Given the military might of the World Government, it often seemed a little strange that they would simply let powerful pirate crews own and divide islands between themselves. Admittedly, the Marines appear to be an organization that is vastly understaffed with capable individuals frequently on assignment to locals without the influence of these prominent pirates. It made sense then that the Shichibukai were developed as a means to bolster Marine forces. Why bother having a specific classification for these four pirates then? Hina's conversation with Garp, and the interaction between Kaido and Lin Lin shed some light on this relationship between the most powerful pirates and the World Government. The Rocks/Locks, depending on translation, is a pirate crew with which Lin Lin, Kaido, and even Shakky seem to have a relationship. Though it remains unspecified as to who their captain was, their dissolution inevitably lead to the current state of affairs within the world of piracy. By virtue of their position as long time pirates, and even compatriots, we see that their relationships assist in cementing their position as some of the most formidable pirates across the Blues. Whether their dissolution was enabled by Gol D. Roger's location of the One Piece, or another event, this tidbit of information questions what we know about characters who have been briefly introduced. The earlier perceptions of Shakky, Lin Lin, and Kaido have been disrupted by these revelations, and appear to have a connection with both Garp and Roger. Keeping in line with the history of the Yonko, Shanks' appearance at the end of this chapter was exceedingly surprising to observe. Given that the majority of Yonko have overwhelming Devil Fruit powers, it has always appeared strange that Shanks has managed to maintain his position despite a lack of these same powers. Many speculate that his physical capabilities and use of haki have enabled him to fight on a level that rivals his contemporaries in the New World. We now see that in addition to whatever capabilities he may currently be hiding, his relationship with the Gorosei is bereft of the violence that might accompany the arrival of pirates unaffiliated with the Marines or Shichibukai. Without the presence of Blackbeard D. Teach in this chapter, many continue to speculate that Shanks has information on the fearsome pirate that he intends to share with the leaders of the Celestial Dragons. Given Eustass Kid's current predicament, others believe that Shanks is either the young man's father or that Kid is himself a privateer working for the government which in turn have lead Shanks to talk about saving the young pirate from Kaido. Still other feel that he intends to talk about Luffy, but as of yet his intentions remain obscure at best and confusing at worst. Whatever the case, our perception of Shanks has been pulled into question by Oda's final panel, and depending on how it is handled, readers may come to feel very differently about the red haired pirate in chapters to come. The emphasis on history continues to retain its position as a driving force for the story as the Empty Throne takes the spotlight from the early ages of piracy. Pangea is the name for a supercontinent that once existed on ancient Earth, and in naming the castle after this landmass Oda appears to be linking the Red Line to our real world equivalent. The concept of the Empty Throne itself is one that stems from our earliest ideas of democracy wherein people collectively come together to make agreements and accords. Given the power displayed by Celestial Dragons throughout ONE PIECE, and the treatment of other non-human species this idea comes off decidedly hypocritical. The physicality of the Throne, however, marks yet another important piece of information building upon the history of Oda's world. Twenty founding members came together to create the World Government with each placing their sword at the foot of the Throne in order to protect it is what we are told by the attendants leading the Reverie ceremony. The Empty Throne itself appears to be a sword of its own making, and the upward positioning of the blade appear to indicate that the original twenty members may have been subjugated by another more formidable power. There continue to be more questions than answers with each new chapter of ONE PIECE. Eiichiro Oda has built up a glorious world for his characters, and at long last has begun to share his vision with his readers. As Reverie progresses we continue to learn more about the World Government, the Marines, the Revolutionary Army, the Yonko, the Shichibukai, and leaders from across the Blues. Yet, despite these parcels of information, Oda continues to obfuscate his more tantalizing secrets. With Dragon waiting in the wings to disrupt events, and the question of THE HAT still very much unanswered, this arc is rapidly turning from an open and shut courtcase to a full blown murder scene as of yet untouched by human hands. How will Oda surprise us next? What is Shanks doing on the Red Line? These are questions that will hopefully be answered next chapter! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH |
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