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One Piece Chapter 1143 Review/Recap

On the last piece of One Piece, the evil God’s Knights started putting their plans to conquer Elbaph into motion. Somehow, they managed to bring the monsters the children of the Walrus School drew to life, wreaking havoc. Then, while the adults were distracted, they pulled a Pied Piper and started having the kids sleepwalk to a place they chose. Meanwhile, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are faced with a now-freed Loki demanding they unlock his last seastone cuff. He sets fire to part of the Adam tree for extra incentive, threatening to burn Elbaph to the ground! However, is Loki only playing into everyone’s perception of him because he knows the threat the God’s Knights pose? It would make sense; the God’s Knights are absolute sadists! Just wait until you see what they do while watching everything happen!

Recap

Things continue to get worse at the Walrus school. Robin and Chopper join Saul as he follows the sleepwalking children, trying to figure out what’s happening. However, when Saul tries to touch the kids, he’s stabbed by invisible thorns!

Back at the party, the warriors of Elbaph hear that things are falling apart: the kids are sleepwalking away, a fire has broken out, and giant monsters are loose. One of them even swats down the svar sent to extinguish the fire!

Meanwhile, the God’s Knights are eating lunch at their vantage point, and Sommers is laughing like a sick sadist! He thinks the idea that the kid’s parents will kill themselves trying to get through his Thorn-Thorn Fruit’s powers is hilarious! With the thorns surrounding the kids and the adults dealing with the monsters that Killingham’s Kirin Devil Fruit created, nothing can stop them. They’ll bring the kids to the harbor, steal a ship, and take them back to Mariejois as hostages. However, Gunko brings up a potential wild card: Straw Hat Luffy is in Elbaph.

Back in the Underworld, the Straw Hat’s Monster Trio and Hadrujin’s crew are facing down Loki. The giant demands they surrender and let him leave, or he’ll kill them. However, Zoro claims that Loki’s bluffing—and he’s right. When Luffy hits him, the rogue prince falls over from blood loss. Zoro doubts he could’ve even escaped.

Regardless, Luffy asks Gerd to save Loki because he has unfinished business with him. However, Hadrujin remembers all the times Loki bullied him as a kid, and he snaps before trying to kill him. His crew stops him, but Loki calls him out for letting his personal feelings cloud his judgment. He then drops a bombshell question, asking him if he believes Loki killed their dad in cold blood.

Review

Just when you think the Celestial Dragons couldn’t disgust you any further, they lower the bar yet again. Kidnapping the giant kids to use as hostages is already evil. However, the fact that Sommers is using his Devil Fruit to make it so any parents could kill themselves trying to save their kids? All while laughing like it’s the funniest thing in the world? It takes a sick sadist to think that’s funny. Then again, most of the Celestial Dragons are hedonistic monsters. Their being sadists is to be expected.

Speaking of sadists, this chapter confirms that Killingham’s Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Kirin is the cause of the kid’s plight. Not only can he put people to sleep, he can then extract anything they dream about and bring it into the real world. Considering how powerful dreams can get, that is a genuinely terrifying power, especially in the hands of a Celestial Dragon. Imagine if he used that power on one of the stronger Straw Hats like Luffy?!

Oda is killing it with Loki!

As for what’s happening on Luffy’s end, I think readers were just as surprised that Loki keeled over so quickly. Oda did a masterful job of tricking us into thinking Loki was more durable than we thought. In addition, the mythical Loki would have him try and bluff his way out of a fight. Well-played, Oda!

The real highlight of the chapter, though, has to be that final page. The manga has dropped several hints that the story behind what Loki did isn’t wholly accurate. This has led many fans to speculate that Loki killed Harald to protect the whole of Elbaph, but nobody would believe him. He could still be lying, but given how quickly Zoro called his bluff, I don’t think he is. Hopefully, the next few chapters shed some more light on the matter.

This was a great chapter to return to, and helps to build upon the rising action as the Elbaph Arc gets underway. For everyone’s sake, I hope Luffy can stop those sadists! Because now that the God’s Knights know he’s in Elbaph, the Straw Hats will need to pull out all the stops to save the giants.

I Give “God’s Knights” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1142 Review/Recap

Well, it was fun while it lasted, but the calm before the storm has ended. Now begins the chaos that seems to follow the Straw Hats everywhere they go. As the crew is scattered around Elbaph, they’re facing the worst possible scenario. Loki is freed and facing down the strongest of the crew. Several of the others are likely drunk from partying. And Robin and Chopper arrive just in time to learn the Giant children are being carried off! Its something straight out of a nightmare, except there are actual nightmares involved!

Recap

Down in the Underworld, Loki mocks Luffy and Zoro for thinking leaving the seastone cuff on him would weaken him. Clai Claiming that he’s not weakenethe slightest, he demands that they unlock the last one, or Elbaph will not be safe. Then, just to provide incentive, he uses his giant hammer to strike Yddragsil, setting it on fire!

Back at the Walrus School, things are getting out of hand. A giant snake monster appears out nowhere and starts attacking the students! The faculty, including a returning Saul, Robin, and Chopper, manage to put it down. However, things only get worse when they discover the gym teacher badly wounded. He explains how the students suddenly fell asleep and then started walking towards the beach. As if to highlight this, the remaining kids fall asleep in front of everyone.

It gets worse, though. More monsters show up on the horizon. That’s when a teacher, Ms. Ange, recognizes. These monsters are all nightmares she had the students draw as part of a class assignment. What was supposed to be a simple exercise in creativity has become real! These monsters are the Giant children’s worst nightmares come to life!

As for the God’s Knights, they look over whats happening with satisfaction.

Review

This is a nightmare scenario happening right now. Loki has set fire to part of the great tree. Giant monsters have appeared out of nowhere to lay waste to Elbaph. And to top it off, the children are being hypnotized into letting themselves get kidnapped by the World Government and sent to Mariejois. Its every adult and child’s worst nightmare come to life!

The manga doesn’t reveal exactly how they’re doing it, but the readers already know the God’s Knights are responsible for whats happening. Most likely its that dragon-looking one called Killingham. Besides turning into a type of dragon, his Devil Fruit might have the ability to hypnotize people into a deep slumber. And while they’re asleep, he can bring any dream or nightmare they have to life. Either that, or another one of the Knights has similar powers. It doesn’t change the fact that the kid’s are in danger, and the adults are either shrugging off their partying or kept at bay by the monsters. If the Knights plan succeeds, those Giant children will be on a one-way trip to Mariejois. The idea of kids spending the rest of their lives in slavery is enough to give any parents nightmares.

However, all is not lost, and this nightmare can be ended.

Luffy is about to be the Wild Card for the Umpteenth Time

Firstly, we have the newly-freed Loki. On the surface, his demands for Luffy to free him seem like he’s threatening to destroy Elbaph if he’s refused. However, fememebr the context. Loki is the only one who knows the God’s Knights are in Elbaph and seek to do it harm. If the fan theory about Loki his dad to protect Elbaph is true, then he does care about his people to some extent. Bouncing off of that, he’s probably thinking the only way to save Elbaph is for him to be at his full strength. Hopefully, the fans are right about Loki, as the Straw Hats will need help to deal with the God’s Knights.

Secondly, and this is especially important, is that the Knights have no clue that the Straw Hats are in Elbaph. They are likely one of the only crews of pirates who could fight God’s Knights and win. Gunko herself admits that her worst nightmare is Nika. If the Knights knew the latest incarnation of Nika was in Elbaph, they would freak out! And they’re right to afraid. The Straw Hats’ bond with the Giants is strong, and they won’t take this attempt to abduct the kids lying down. They’re going to make the God’s Knights own worst nightmare come true!

This chapter was the story teasing us up about the rising action of the arc. When it returns in two weeks, fans should expect to see all hell start to break loose. I only hope that everyone makes it out safely, as the world will need Elbaph now more than ever!

I Give “The Thing I Fear Most” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1141 Review/Recap

Anyone who’s read Norse Mythology, seen the Marvel Movies, or played the last two God of War games knows how dangerous someone named Loki can be. Loki is a name synonymous with deception, trickery, and fooling people. The fact that Oda named the disgraced Prince of Elbaph Loki speaks volumes about how dangerous he could be. Yet Luffy was seriously considering setting him free! And in this chapter, the Giants worst nightmare seems to come true: Loki is let out of (most) his chains! But is he really as bad as people say he is?

Recap

The chapter opens with Nami and Road leaving the ruins of Castle Strauss, the former disappointed at the lack of treasure while the latter is freaking out over what Luffy might do. The two go their separate ways, with Nami returning to the party and enjoying how happy Usopp is. As for Road, he takes the injured guards to Gerd for her to treat. He tries his best to keep quiet about what happened, but Gerd quickly realizes something’s up. Thus, she pounds him until he caves and tells the truth.

Back in the Underworld, Luffy and Zoro arrive at Loki’s tree and see how badly injured he is. Luffy’s first instinct is to try and set him free, but Zoro suspects it might be a trick. After confirming that his injuries are real (by kicking them), the two compromise: Zoro will free Loki, but keep seastone cuffs around one of his legs as a precaution. Luffy will go and find someone to treat the Giant’s injuries.

Before Luffy can get far, though, he’s interrupted when the New Giant Pirates come falling out of the sky. They rushed there when they heard what Luffy might do, and their boat’s clouds stopped working in the Underworld. Thankfully, Luffy manages to save them by using his powers to cushion the fall.

They wind up bouncing a little, but at least they’re alive.

After they recover, Hadrujin begs Luffy not to let Loki out, saying he’s an iredeemable trickster who can’t be trusted. That ever since they were kids, Loki would pretend to be nice, only to betray others without a second thought. However, those pleas come too little, too late. Zoro has already unlocked most of the chains. Even worse, Loki, who had faked being out cold, immediately rises to his full height, grinning madly as he reaches for his nearby weapon.

Review

Oda must know a lot about Norse mythology, because this chapter proves it. Loki managed to fool everyone, including most of the readers, into thinking Shamrock’s attack knocked him out cold. Thanks to that, he was able to convince Luffy and Zoro to set him free, if only to treat his injuries. That’s the level of deception and trickery that the mythological Loki would pull. I am not even mad about the two’s potential screw-up. Color me impressed!

As much as the other Giants fear Loki being set free, though, things might not be as bad as they look. Firstly, Luffy isn’t alone. He has Zoro with him, and since Sanji hitched a ride with Gerd, the whole Monster Trio is there. Each of them usually handles the strongest enemies in an arc alone. Fighting together, they might stand a chance against Loki. Secondly, the Giant might have tanked the hit from Shamrock, but he himself admitted it would leave a mark. Lastly, as long as that seastone cuff’s on his leg, he can’t use his Devil Fruit, so he won’t be at full strength.

Given how the arc is progressing, though, the Straw Hats may not have to fight Loki at all. They may end up fighting alongside him instead.

I Do think the Theory about Loki is Right

Throughout the One Piece fandom, there have been theories going around that Loki isn’t as bad as he’s made out to be. They all have to do with Loki’s apparent killing of his own father. The other Giants believe he did it to obtain a powerful Devil Fruit. However, some fans think there was another reason behind it, and it relates to King Harald’s efforts to get the Giants to abandon their warrior culture. Peace is usually a good thing, but with the world on the brink of armageddon, the timing couldn’t be worse. Thus, some people have theorized that Harald was secretly a puppet of the World Government ordered to weaken Elbaph from within. And as the arc goes on, this theory is becoming more and more plausible. The God’s Knights themselves mentioned possibly visiting Harald’s grave!

If this theory is right, then Loki likely killed his father for betraying Elbaph, but since no one believed him, he got locked up. Going off of that, now that he’s out, he’ll want to go after the God’s Knights before they conquer the nation. One can only help that this is what happens, as the Straw Hats will need all the help they can get in the fight to come.

This was a great chapter, mostly due to it managing to pull the wool over most of our heads with Loki. Hopefully, Luffy and the others will not fight him, as they have bigger problems to deal with. If it comes down to it, though, beating Loki will prove Luffy is now on Shanks’ level!

I Give “Older Women” a 4/5

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