One Piece Chapter 1149 Review/Recap
We haven’t been in Elbaph for that long, and already, the events transpiring are approaching what happened at Egghead at that arc’s peak. The God’s Knights are holding half the Straw Hats and the Giant Children hostage. The library and school are about to be burned. And just when it looks like Scopper Gaban came in clutch, one second was all it took to make things worse. And now, the ruler of the world might be about to join the fray.
Recap
As the Straw Hats watch in amazement, Scopper Gaban arrives on the scene and proceeds to tear into Sommers. Despite the knight trying to fight back, the former member of the Roger Pirates cuts him into pieces, none of which he is able to regenerate from. Before the Straw Hats can process this, Gaban rushes off to save Colon, with Chopper following behind.
Elsewhere, Ange stands before the Walrus School and Owl Library alongside Qillingham and is forced to set fire to the buildings. She can do nothing but cry as she watches the institutions of knowledge begin to burn, all while Qillingham laughs. Meanwhile, Ronja is horrified that the adults are being forced to do this, while Gaban is outraged by the sight as he comes to rescue the kids. Unfortunately, Colon lets it slip that Gaban is is father, leading to Gunko holding him at knifepoint. Despite only needing one second to deal with Gunko, Gaban’s Haki shows him the horrible truth: one second isn’t enough. Thus, Gaban surrenders and allows Gunko to wound him and throw him off the branch.
After that, though, something changes.
Suddenly, Gunko starts getting memories she doesn’t recognize of her with a man who looks an awful lot like Brook. Suddenly acting different, Gunko calls out Brook’s name…and then, something happens to her. Qillingham and Sommers hear the voice of their master in their heads, berating them for taking so long. The chapter then ends with Gunko seemingly possessed by Imu, who declares that they will show everyone the dominion of God.
Review
It’s like I’ve said for years: whenever Oda goes on break, you can bet the chapter he comes back with will be downright insane. And insane, this chapter was!
As happy as it was to see Gaban tear Sommers to pieces, what happens to him in this chapter is horrifying. If he had gotten more than one second to strike, he could’ve taken down Gunko, saved the kids, and stopped the destruction of the school and library. That one second, though, wasn’t enough, and now the strongest fighter in Elbaph is out of commission. While there’s no doubt that Gaban will survive and the Straw Hats can save the school and library, they’re fighting an uphill battle. Especially now that Imu has decided to intervene.
At this point, we still don’t know who, or even what, Imu is. They have powers that go beyond that of any Devil Fruit, including the ability to grant immortality to people like the Five Elders and God’s Knights. Now, they can seemingly possess people and use them as puppets? I’m not
sure if Imu is even human or some demonic entity anymore. What I am sure of, though, is that him intervening could kill the Straw Hats.
There is still hope, though, and it goes beyond Luffy and Loki’s inevitable appearance.
Gunko and Brook Know Each Other?
There have been several fan theories that Gunko has some sort of past connection to Brook, and that they knew each other before he became a pirate. After seeing the bits of her memories in this chapter, it seems the fans were right. Gunko was not born a Celestial Dragon but was someone from the surface world. And much like how they tried to recruit Loki, the God’s Knights must have forcibly taken Gunko from her homeland to become one of them, granting her their powers and immortality while wiping her memories. As bad as things are now with Gunko possessed by Imu, her sudden flashback might mean that she could soon turn on her “comrades” if the Straw Hats play their cards right.
This was a really good chapter that has only served to heighten the tension for this arc. One second may not have been enough for Gaban, but hopefully, all is not lost yet!
