One Piece Chapter 1131 Review/Recap
After three weeks of waiting, we are finally back with more One Piece. And, as always whenever Oda takes these breaks, he came back cooking! In the last chapter, the Straw Hats learned that they had, indeed, arrived in Elbaph, the homeland of the Giants! But while they were trying to get away from their abductor, Road, Luffy sensed an ominous presence in the nearby forest. Being the impulsive guy that he is, he immediately went to investigate, and what he found did not disappoint: Loki, the renegade Prince of Elbaph, now chained up against a massive tree. And if you know Norse Mythology, then you know that Loki usually spells trouble.
Recap
After learning that he was in Elbaph, Luffy starts gushing over this fact until Loki demands he stop talking. As the Giant explains, he was imprisoned with sea stone chains six years ago by the other giants, and wants nothing more than to escape. So he makes Luffy an offer: he lets him out, and he’ll wipe out one pirate crew of his choosing. He also points out how they’re in tje part of Elbaph known as the Underworld, a place filled with dangerous animals. They throw prisoners and the condemned down there to die.
Luffy befriends the animals in five seconds as the others watch. But when they mention Shanks recent visit to Elbaph, Loki calls the man a coward. Luffy, naturally pissed, proceeds to pummel Loki, who promises to kill him if he gets free while also taunting him about where Shanks is.
Back with the others, they find out that they’re being chased by Road, who, in turn, is being chased by his own crewmates. The Straw Hats understandably decide to book it!
Back aboard the Giant Pirates ship, everyone is gushing over Robin. Wanting for Saul to recognize her, she had Brook give her a haircut to return her to her pre-timeskip look. As their ship nears Elbaph, everyone is excited to see Saul and the others.
Little do they know, Saul has just collapsed and can’t get back up.
Review
Well, it looks like Oda took the three-week break to good use, as he often does, because this new chapter was absolute fire. In just a few panels, Oda managed to drop some pretty major pieces of lore about Elbaph while further cementing the Norse influence that will be prevalent through this arc. We even got the actual name for the nation of the Giants, Warland. Fitting, given how the Giants are said to be the strongest warriors in the world.
While the previous chapter gave us a look at the layout of Elbaph, this chapter is the one that explains it in greater detail. Firstly, the massive tree that dominates the island is the Treasure Tree Adam, aka the source of the wood used for ships like the Sunny and Oro Jackson. That’s pretty important! In addition, the tree is so massive that most of the island’s inhabitants can live on the branches that make up its lower regions. That alone is mind-boggling.
As exciting as Elbaph is, though, this chapter makes it clear how big a threat Loki is. Even chained up as he is, he’s able to control the beasts that call the Underworld home as well as anyone unfortunate enough to wind up there. If Luffy manages to accidentally free him, the Giant Prince could be a serious threat. Knowing Oda, though, it’s not a matter of if, but when Loki gets free.
Saul Better Not be Dead!
As far as what the main highlight of the chapter was, though, most fans seem to be in agreement: Robin getting her old hairstyle back. Not only is it a welcome blast from the past, but it shows just how excited she is to get to reunite with the first friend she ever made. That only makes the news about Saul’s collapse harder to bear, though. There’s a very real possibility that Saul could die before Robin can see him again, and that prospect is heartbreaking to consider. The man is not afraid to make us cry, but this might be too much to bear.
Regardless of Saul’s status, this chapter gives us a lot to look forward to going forward. We have a potential antagonist in the form of Loki, and we’ve learned more about how the people of Elbaph live. This truly is going to be an adventure the likes of which the Straw Hats have probably never faced before. All I hope for is that Saul pulls through whatever he’s facing.
