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One Piece Chapter 1178 Review/Recap

Ever since we learned about the existence of Imu, I have considered them one of the two contenders for the final antagonist of One Piece (the other is Blackbeard.) Considering how they are the shadow leader of the World Government, and thus all of its atrocities can be attributed to them, I’m justified to think that. That’s why seeing Luffy and Loki meet Imu while they’re possessing Gunko such a big deal: its a preview of the enemy that they will have to fight in the future. However, I wasn’t expecting things to go so quickly. And while I’ve seen some people think that the Elbaph Arc is winding down, I don’t buy it. Especially after what happens at the end of the chapter.

Recap

After seeingthe shape Brook and Usopp are in, the first thing Luffy does is get them to the others. He doesn’t want them to get caught in Loki’s reckless crossfire, and if Luffy thinks someone is reckless, that’s saying something!

Sure enough, Loki is blasting away at Imu-Gunko, who’s monologuing about rumors they heard. A few years ago, a ship of Giants started appearing out of the mists and attacking World Government ships. At the same time, there were rumors about a giant flying monster roaming the seas. Luffy comes back and says he’s going to make them pay for hurting his friends, but then Imu’s shadow jumps out of Gunko and attempts to use Domi Reversi on them! It doesn’t work.

Luffy then pummels the shadow of Imu into Swiss cheese, before Loki turns back to normal, grabs Ragnir, and hits them with the Nibelheim, freezing them and Gunko in a block of ice.

All over Elbaph, the chaos is beginning to wind down. The last of the nightmares is eliminated. Chopper restore the remaining DO’d Giants. The fires are being put out, and Robin and Saul head inside the Owl Library and find it empty with Biblo gone. Luffy, meanwhile, has turned into his old man form and is left begging for food. It looks like everything is under control…or is it? Luffy and Loki don’t notice it, but Imu’s shadow disappears from the ice block.

Back in Mariejois, Imu calls the Gorosei to tell them something: they’re leaving Mariejois for a bit.

…Uh-oh.

Review

Guys, my spider-sense is going off like crazy right now! The fighting in Elbaph isn’t over; not by a long shot! If anything, there’s a good chance it’s only getting started if Imu is about to do what I think they are! But first things first, we need to break down and review the chapter.

The first big thing of note is that we learned what Loki did after leaving Elbaph. He and what was left of the Royal Guard did what Harald did and started attacking ships at sea. The only difference is that Loki targeted World Government ships exclusively. My takeaway from this, and what a few YouTubers pointed out, is how smart Loki was doing this. He only went after the people who directly served the World Government while sparing everyone else. More importantly, he did it as discreetly as possible because he knew if he did it in the open, it would make all of his father’s efforts for naught. He may not have approved of what Harald did, but he did love his dad enough to not let the dream he died for be in vain.  

It does beg the question, though: why did Shanks have to capture Loki and drag him back to Elbaph? A few of those YouTubers that I follow actually came up with a good theory. According to them, Loki was gearing up for an all-out assault on Mariejois. Shanks knew that as strong as Loki was, he was likely going to get himself captured or killed while also revealing the powerful Nidhogg had returned. Shanks couldn’t let that happen until the time was right, so he dragged Loki back to Elbaph by force.

Hearing this theory, I think it makes a lot of sense. If Loki is supposed to be the successor to the God of War from ancient times, then he will have a major role to play in the final war for the fate of the world, just like Luffy. More importantly, this arc has left me thinking that the only way to save Elbaph is for Luffy and Loki to work together on this. We don’t know enough about Imu to say whether or not Luffy can handle them at this point. And if I’m right about their next move, Elbaph isn’t out of danger.

How Elbaph is Dealing With Everything that’s Happened

For the moment, though, everyone on Elbaph seems to be in the cooldown phase of things. All of the threats they know about have been pacified for the time being. The God’s Knights are incapacitated for the moment. And they’re all coming to terms with the fact that Loki didn’t kill his dad. Granted, he did, but we know Elbaph isn’t ready for the whole truth yet, so this is good enough.

I found it very funny that despite knowing that Loki is innocent of his biggest crime, that doesn’t change how his countrymen see him. They’re still mad about Loki still did a number on them while trying to save them. Best-case scenario, they will only tolerate him once this is all over because they need his power to protect them from the World Government.

The big surprise for me, though, was the fact that the Owl Library is completely empty. And Biblo, it’s guardian is nowhere to be found. The best guess is that when the attack began, Biblo realized the library contents would be a target, so he got them all out. I guess, in all the chaos taking place, we forgot about that. The only question is where Biblo could have taken all the books? One YouTuber thinks that the owl took them to the tallest point of the Adam Tree where the Knights couldn’t get to them. Thats not a bad idea, in my opinion, as that would give the story a reason to take us to the upper levels of Elbaph. Then again, he thinks that the Straw Hats are going to use it to travel to the moon and that Laugh Tale is there. It’s cool and I have no doubt that the Straw Hats could travel there if they wanted…but I don’t think it’s going to happen just yet.

Also, I don’t agree with the idea that the Straw Hats might have to abandon Elbaph to Imu, even if they don’t have a choice.

Imu is Coming to Elbaph. There’s no Other Place They’d Go.

And now, we come to the big thing about the chapter: Imu is on the move.

This is absolutely massive news for the story. To the best of our knowledge, Imu hasn’t left Mariejois in centuries. It’s likely they’ve never left their secluded location in Mariejois since the Void Century. They’ve kept their existence a secret that only the Gorosei and the God’s Knights know about. So why leave now, and where are they going?

We already know the answer: it’s because of Luffy and Loki, and they’re headed to Elbaph.

Even before we learned how Imu tried to use Harald as their pawn to control Elbaph, I pegged them sending the God’s Knights to conquer it as an act of desperation. They rightfully saw the power of the Giants as what could decide who wins the final war, and with it now inevitable, they wanted it on their side. And once again, Luffy and the Straw Hats managed to get in their way. So, Imu has decided that enough is enough and pulled a Thanos by saying “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”

I don’t think I need to tell you guys just how bad this is. We have yet to learn just how powerful Imu is, but we know they’re even stronger than the Five Elders. When Luffy and the others fought them, they couldn’t put them down for good! Their Haki was just not strong enough to cause permanent damage. And with how tired and scattered everyone is, they’re in no shape to fight. But…they also don’t have a choice. Imu cannot be allowed to take control of Elbaph and enslave it’s people. It will be the end of everything if they do!

The Elbaph Arc Isn’t Over. Not by a Long Shot

I know that some people might see this is as the beginning of the end of the Elbaph arc, but I just dont see that happening yet. Oda has waited decades to give us Elbaph, and I don’t think he wants to end it so soon. Nor do I want it to end so soon, as it’s likely that after we leave Elbaph, we’re headed into the final war. I’m not ready for that. At the same time though, if Imu is coming, I want to see Luffy beat the shit out of them for all their evil!

I Give “Waking from a Nightmare” a 3.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1177 Review/Recap

You know, if there’s one thing that I think fans have had a problem with when it comes to the Elbaph Arc, it’s probably Usopp. All the way back to Little Garden, Usopp had made it his dream to visit Elbaph and become a brave warrior like the Giants. Yet ever since the Straw Hats arrived in Elbaph, Usopp has never gotten a chance to shine. Most of the focus has been on the other characters! It’s left some people wondering if Oda actually forgot that we wanted this to be Usopp’s arc to shine! I don’t know if that’s accurate or not, as Oda might have just been waiting for the right moment to give Usopp the spotlight, but I think he might have done just that. As the fight for Elbaph continues, we not only see Usopp tell off the series equivalent of the Devil, but it leads to the first meeting between said Devil and the two who might bring them down: Luffy and Loki! And they are pissed! Time to see the fury of a god!

Recap

Now that Zoro and Hajrudin know that beating up the DO’d Giants will turn them back to normal, their group decides to not hold back. To be more accurate, they’re actually pretty happy about not having to pull their punches, as they proceed to go to town on their brainwashed comrades as we get several pages of them delivering lethal hits on them!

Jarul even notes how eager they are.

Elsewhere, Chopper finds his group being attacked by one of the demon Giants. With their old friend Kashii unable to run, Chopper uses his Rumble Ball to go Monster Form and sucker-punches his attacker. Surprisingly, that one hit is enough to turn them back to normal!

Elsewhere, Sanji and the others are taunting the dismembered but still living Qillingham when Luffy and Loki show up. And Nami just tears into them both for making the fires worse, leading to the two arguing with each other. This funny exchange gets interrupted, though, when Luffy senses something.

At Branch 8, Brook and Usopp are at the mercy of the Imu-possessed Gunko, the former begging the latter to flee. But Usopp doesnt run; he’s too angry to run. He keeps getting back up and telling Imu off for their gutless attack on Elbaph and how much of a coward they are for using others to do their dirty work for them! And Imu just says that a ruler shouldn’t dirty their hands as they close in point-blank and force Usopp to him with his own attack, getting caught in the blast in the process! That’s when Luffy and Loki show up, realizing that Imu is the source of the Haki they felt. And after seeing what they did to Brook and Usopp and the country, they’re beyond pissed as Imu tells them to submit or die.

Review

Okay, I know that we are at the point in the arc where the Straw Hats start to humiliate the enemy, but this seems too easy, even for them. Oda has to be planning something! But first, we gotta gush about everything!

Is Chopper a Forest God? And How Strong are the Straw Hats Really?

I think we all knew that Zoro and Hajrudin’s group was going to act exactly like they are. They are the kind of people who like a good fight where they don’t have to fight, this was the perfect excuse for them to do so! I’m a little concerned that Dorry got stabbed through the arm, though. But what we really draws my attention is what Chopper managed to do. He’s one of the weaker members of the Straw Hats, and he was still able to KO a Giant with a single punch! Either he’s stronger than we thought, or is it possible that there is more to his Devil Fruit than meets the eye. I’ve even heard some fans theorizing that maybe Chopper’s Devil Fruit was misidentified like Luffy’s, and that it might be an even rarer Fruit. Like, what if he was some kind of forest god or his fruit can counter Imu’s powers. Or we could just be overthinking it and the Straw Hats really have gotten that strong.

I can actually believe that the Straw Hats have gotten this insanely powerful, to be honest. Franky even says that it’s possible that they’ve gotten this good to match their captain’s growing power. After all, they did just take down Qillingham. Yet, I still can’t help but feel like Qillingham isn’t down for the count. He might have gotten surprised by them, but if manages to put himself back together, then he could start taking them seriously. Then again, I’m not too worried. I vote they throw him scattered pieces into the Underworld or the ocean where he can’t be found.

Also, if i wasn’t convinced before, I am now: Loki is gonna join the Straw Hats after this is done. I don’t know how he could fit on the Sunny, but they can make it work. The fact that Nami was able to scold him and Luffy makes him a Straw Hat in my book! And that image of the squirrel consoling Luffy is destined to be a meme one day!

But now, it’s time for the meat of the chapter: Usopp steps up.

Usopp Just Called the Ruler of the World a Coward! So Metal!

I know that Usopp hasn’t gotten that much to do in this arc, and I know that some people aren’t happy about that. After all, seeing Elbaph is supposed to be the culmination of everything that Usopp has been working towards! He wants to prove himself a brave warrior like the Giants, but he’s barely gotten to do anything. I’m hoping that he does get to do more, but I will say this: standing up to Imu is already one of his finest moments.

Not only is Usopp able to overcome his fear, but he’s able to look at the ruler of the world, one of the two people in the running for the final antagonist of the series, and call them a coward. Not only does this show just how brave Usopp really is, but the fact that the biggest coward in the Straw Hats is calling Imu a dirty coward has the biggest impact. And he’s right. Imu is a coward. They put themselves above everyone else in the world and rule it from the shadows because they think they’re a god, but deep down, they’re a scared bully. Rocks making it to him all those years ago was enough to unnerve them, but feeling Joy Boy’s Haki had them absolutely terrified. And even when they’re desperate enough to try to conquer the nation that could help stop them, they’re not willing to do the dirty work themselves. They say it’s beneath being a king, but any leader not willing to do the work is no leader. And now, they’ve pissed off the last two people they should have: Luffy and Loki.

Luffy and Loki are about to whip somebody’s ass

I know that this won’t count as their first face-to-face meeting, as Imu is back in Mariejois. However, that doesn’t make what’s about to happen any less significant. Luffy and Loki don’t know the whole story, but even if they knew that their opponent is the shadow ruler of the world, I doubt they would care. All that matters is that they hurt their friends and their home, respectively, and for that, they are gonna get their ass-kicked. And if Imu isn’t bluffing, their fight is going to shake heaven and earth. Good!

We’ve spent the last thirty years getting to see just what the world of One Piece is like, both the good and the bad. And a lot of the bad stems from Imu and the darkness that they helped to create. Needless to say, if this is the beginning of the end for Imu, then it’s time for them to get humbled and put in their place! Luffy, Loki, kick their asses!!!

I Give “Furious” a 4.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 9 Review

Don’t you just love parties? I may not be the most social of people in real life, but I’ve grown to appreciate the value of parties. People coming together to eat, drink, and celebrate while forgetting about their problems and stress! And it looks like Captain Celebrity is planning to end his time in Japan with a great big party, courtesy of Makoto and the Narufest folks! But there might be trouble in paradise.

Captain Celebrity is Going Home Soon

It’s already Christmas in Japan, and Koichi, Pop, Makoto, CC and the other Narufest folks all get together for a nice party. I just love seeing people enjoying themselves like this! But it’s also a sign of the beginning of the end for Captain Celebrity. In Japan, that is.

If you recall, the whole reason Captain Celebrity left America is because he was dealing with a ton of lawsuits. The good news is that Makoto and his legal team discovered that most of them were just people taking advantage of him and his good-nature. What a bunch of scumbags. More importantly, though, Makoto was able to smooth things over with his wife. Even better, the Captain had found out that he’s about to become a father! Life is good!

But then a monster controlled by the Scarred Man shows up and tries to abduct the three little girls that are part of the Narufest group. He saves them, but he takes the brunt of the attack to save the girls. As a result, his popularity skyrockets! He starts trending online like crazy, all his merch sells out, everything! That inspires Makoto to turn his farewell party into a big event at the Tokyo Sky Egg, a venue capable of holding 50,000 people at once! There will be a massive stage for Pop and the others to perform, and as we see in a montage, a bunch of Pro Heroes that we know get invites!

But there’s a problem that no one realizes: the Scarred Man figured out Captain Celebrity’s weakness.

CC Has a Weakness, After All!

As CC revealed in private, the main thing about his Quirk is that it creates a barrier around him to protect himself while he’s flying. That’s why he’s not affected by bad weather. In addition, he can extend this barrier to other people to protect them, but he has a limit. Keeping those girls safe meant he had to get himself injured in the process. And the Scarred Man figured all of that out.

The one upside to all of this is that Tsukauchi and Eraser Head’s investigation into the Villain Factory gets a major break. Thanks to Knuckleduster’s intel and records that Koichi and Pop provide anonymously, they learn more about the organization. It’s also nice to know that Midnight and Eraser are willing to cover for the two using legal loopholes like citizens’ arrest. They know they mean well and do good. Hopefully, that will stick for the time being!

I Give “Farewell Party!” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 8 Review

Remember how Beyond the Spider-Verse coined the term “canon event?” A moment in a story where something happens that defines a character from that point forward. Most often, it’s a very traumatic event that can scar a character for the remainder of their story. And we’ve come to the moment where Aizawa experiences his own canon event: the day he lost his best friend, Shirakumo.

NO OP Is Serious Business

A great way to tell when things are about to get real in an anime is when it chooses to skip the OP or ED. That means that it needs the extra run time for whatever’s about to happen. And this episode seems to get this, as it opens up on as the Heroes of Present Mic’s work study are flying to fight a giant frog villain. And it manages to swallow all of their attacks and throw them right back at them like he’s Kirby!

The Canon Event

Things get worse from there as the sky darkens from storm clouds. Rain is often used to symbolize something very bad is about to happen, and the fact that it starts right after Aizawa and Shirakumo have what will be their final conversation is a great way of showing just how bad things are about to get. Sure enough, His Purple Highness and Midnight warm Eraser and Loud Cloud about the frog villains Garvey. And then things go to hell.

What follows next I can only describe as the equivalent of Batman taking on a Kaiju on his own. We know he’s going to win despite not having any powers, but it’s still scary to watch. And Eraser Head is having to fight this villain on his own, without any backup. But despite not having a flashy power or moves, he proves to be the right person for the job. Seeing him take down the frog villain is like something straight out of a video game, and I loved it.  

But once th dust settles, and the adrenaline wears off, the true cost of victory becomes clear. Canon event completed.

Aizawa Has Untreated Trauma

We knew that Shirakumo ended up getting crushed to death saving those preschoolers and their teacher. We knew that Aizawa had lost his best friend. But I think what makes this hard to watch is the fact that Aizawa tries to deny that Shirakumo is dead. He was imagining his voice cheering him on the entire time, telling him what he needed to hear. But that was all that it was; his imagination. And it hurts like crazy.

This actually makes what happens in the main series feel even worse. Knowing that Dr Garaki and All for One steal Shirakumo’s body and turn him into Kurogiri was a truly unholy action. I know it will be years before Eraser Head and Present Mic get closure, but even knowing that they will doesn’t exactly make me feel any better about Aizawa’s canon event.

Everything changed for Aizawa after his canon event. He had spent his entire life guarding himself from others, thinking that he was better off alone. But then Shirakumo started to pull him out of his shell, and he started to think that maybe he could open up to others. But the pain of losing Shirakumo made him backtrack, thinking once again that, “no, I’m better off a loner.” So despite his teacher’s objections and despite Present trying to reach out to him, as soon as he graduates, he leaves.

We get a montage of his life as the Pro Hero Eraser Head, and while he’s undeniably incredible as a hero, the show bares no bones when it comes to showing how lonely it is, and how it’s not doing him any good. Until the day he meets Knuckle, Koichi, and Pop.

The Naruhata Crew Helped him Heal

The episode ends back in the present day, as Koichi meet the Hotta brothers along with the reformed Kirihiton and that Octoid guy. They all decide to take the cat in as part of a cat cafe they’re planning on opening! And as they’re doing so, Eraser remembers back to his school days and how he started to open up to others. I like how the show uses this moment to tell viewers that this is when it hits for Aizawa. Without even realizing it, Koichi and the other goofballs got him to open up again. He’s starting to heal.

I haven’t read the whole ending to Vigilantes, as I want to enjoy the anime. However, I’m hoping that by the time it does end, Aizawa will be on track to becoming the teacher we will know him as in the main series. He deserves this happiness.  

I Give “A Sky With No Rain Left” a 4.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 7 Review

Our look at the school days of Aizawa continues in part two of what, in all honesty, should have been an OVA or special. Those who watch My Hero Academia know that Aizawa will become a teacher at his Alma mater of UA High, but at the time that Vigilantes take place, he’s in the middle of his lone Batman era. That is to say, he’s keeping everyone at a distance. This school days arc is meant to show why he ends up like this, and so far, it’s been very interesting.

His Purple Highness is Nice

Thanks to the help of their senpai Kayama, aka Midnight, Aizawa and Shirakumo were able to find a work study with her boss, His Purple Highness. Now, I know next to nothing about him as I’m more of a Michael Jackson fan, but even I know this Pro Hero is a tribute to the late Prince. Again, don’t know how spot-on it is, but if the real Prince was as flamboyant as this guy is, then the writer for Vigilantes nailed the character. Unfortunately for Aizawa, HPH keeps taking issue with his attitude. He says his solemn nature doesn’t inspire hope or confidence in the people they’re supposed to save.

To be fair, HPH is not wrong, but he’s not right, either. Aizawa has always been an introverted and socially awkward person. He can work with others, but it takes more effort on his part. And he can genuinely smile, as Shirakumo sees when Kayama sends him a bunch of cat pics. But that’s why this arc works so well. It’s showing us how much of a positive influence Shirakumo was on him. Case in point, he was the one who gave Aizawa those iconic goggles he wears. Thanks to that, he’s able to use his Quirk far more effectively!

Aizawa Does Care, No Matter What He Says

Aizawa can deny it all he wants, but deep down, he really did enjoy the life that he had in high school with Mic and Loud Cloud. They’re such an odd pair, but they bring out the best in each other. So much so that Shirakumo proposed that once they graduated, they start their own hero agency together. I think that would have been incredible to see. Also, we learn what Midnight’s plan was once she went indie: use her agency to surround herself with hot boys. Why am I not surprised?

The hard part about this being a flashback, though, is the fact that we know how this will not end well. The episode pretends to end on a positive note as Aizawa starts to think that the possibilities in his life are starting to open up. However, after the ED, we get another scene. One of destruction as a villain goes on a rampage, and His Purple Highness is out cold, and it makes my heart sink. We know what’s about to happen.

I Give “Glass Sky” a 3.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 6 Review

Whenever I know that a show is going to end in sadness, I tend to wait until it’s done to binge it. It’s how I handle upsetting things. And considering how the next three episodes of Vigilantes cover the backstory of Eraser Head, one of the best characters in My Hero Academia, you know it was going to be sad. Especially considering how he and Present Mic lost their friend, Shirakumo, who we know All for One turns into the Nomu Kurogiri. And given how this is a prequel to My Hero Academia, it’s safe to say that Eraser is not yet at the point where he’s fully recovered from his friend’s death.

Honestly, I can understand why after seeing the start of this flashback.

FLASHBACK TIME!

It all starts when Eraser’s on patrol and saves Crawler, a little girl, and this stray cat from a wolf villain. Right before that, he got a call from Midnight who was trying to convince him to start working as a teacher at UA High with her and Present Mic. She goes on about how rewarding it is to work with young people and the joys of teaching, but all it does is irritate Eraser. He’s the kind of guy who looks back on school and couldn’t be happier to be rid of it. I dont blame him. As fun as school can be, I still have flashbacks to all those math tests!

Shirakumo was a Real One

For real, though, I can understand why Aizawa wouldn’t have fond memories of school. I was never a social butterfly myself, and while I had friends, I regret not getting closer. Or dating. The thing is that if you’re a social person, then school can be miserable for someone like Aizawa, as we see as he starts remembering his high school years. He never had a high opinion of himself, always thinking rationally and beating himself up over not being able to do enough. His Quirk is great, but it also limits what he can do in a fight. Now, we know that he shouldn’t be putting himself down like this, because in the future, he plays a major role in taking down Shigaraki, but teen Aizawa couldn’t have known that.

Luckily for him, he was that introvert who had extroverted friends to break him out of his shell. Present Mic was one, but the bigger influence was Shirakumo.

We all know that Shirakumo is destined to become the Nomu Kurogiri, but the main anime never got to explain how he died. Since Vigilantes does, it goes right for our heartstrings by showing us greet a guy the world was robbed of. He’s loud, goofy, and his cloud Quirk and costume that’s a deliberate tribute to Son Wukong the Monkey King. AKA the inspiration for Goku. He’s the kind of guy anyone can be friends with, and despite looking annoyed at him and Mic, Aizawa seems fond of him.

That, and we also see what Midnight was like in high school. And holy moly, was she something.

Yes, Midnight Actually Wore that as a Teenager

Fun fact about Midnight: she is single-handedly responsible for stricter rules when it comes to superhero costumes and how revealing they are. And it’s completely justified, because her first hero costume was so skimpy, she was basically walking around naked. And this was back when she was in high school; a minor. And she was running around looking like a character out of a h**tai. If there was supposed to be some kind of message that the series was trying to give us, then I fail to see it!

At least Midnight came through for the trio, though, by getting them an internship with her boss, His Purple Highness. It seems that the mangaka of Vigilantes was a Prince fan!  

Since I’m now several episodes behind schedule, you should expect the reviews for the next few episodes to drop over the next few days as I binge-watch them. I’m really sorry about that, and I hope to fix that problem in the future! Let’s go beyond, plus ultra!

I Give “Rain and Clouds” a 3/5

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One Piece Chapter 1176 Review/Recap

Domi Reversi has got to be one of the most terrifying techniques that we’ve seen in One Piece, and for good reason. Imu can use it to turn anyone who opposes them into immortal, demonic versions of themselves physically under their control. We all knew that it would end up being undone, but many of us assumed that it would be thanks to Luffy’s Gear Five and Haki. As it turns out, though, the Giants and Straw Hats dont need Luffy’s help. All they need is their own will and pride! And a lot of punching!

Recap

Thanks to Sanji freeing his comrades, Nami, Jinbei, Usopp, and Robin are able to rush to Saul and then to the burning library. Nami tries to use Zeus to put out the fires, but suddenly, Qillingham shows up and has one of his nightmares devour Zeus!

Just when it looks like all hope is lost for the library, Franky and Lillith come in clutch! Using these inventions called Omni-Drain Converters, they’re able to suck all the heat out of the fire, freezing it solid! And it gets better. Lilith gives Franky a souped-up version of his cola that she says will make his power skyrocket. And she’s right! Franky jumps high into the air!

After that, everyone begins to counterattack. Jinbei makes to free Zeus, and when Qillingham makes a racist remark towards the Fishman, Sanji is outraged. That leads to this incredible double-page spread as Franky and Jinbei destroy the monster while Sanji kicks Qillingham so hard, his mask breaks!!

Meanwhile, in the West Village, the Giants and Zoro can barely hold back the demons. Suddenly, Dorry and Brogy regain control of themselves, but barely. Rather than shame themselves by killing Jarul, the two captains choose to die with pride, each of them using their weapons to decapitate each other. But…they dont die.

Dorry and Brogy found a fatal flaw in the curse of Domi Reversi. Killing someone under its effects will return them back to normal, with all their injuries healed to boot. In other words, they dont need to hold back or consider their comrades’ well-being, and they start grinning like madmen.

Review

Wow, what an amazing chapter! I thought that seeing Loki’s dragon form was crazy, but this is just as awesome!

First of all, I am so glad that Lillith is finally playing an active role in the story again. She was my favorite of the Satelites for a reason, and this is part of it. Thanks to her, Franky just got a massive upgrade!

It never occurred to me before, but Franky has likely been holding himself back for a very long time. He’s already on par with a Pacifista with just regular cola, but look at what he’s able to do with something stronger. This power-up might temporary, but if it’s permanent, then he could become as strong as the Seraphim’s!

Speaking of permanent, though, I hope that the marks that Sanji left on Qillingham are permanent. I already hated him before, but that racist remark towards Jinbei put him on my s*it list alongside Sommers and Imu. His punishment has just begun, though. I’m willing to bet that this entire contingent of the Straw Hats is about to jump him and give him an oh-so-glorious beatdown. It would be a nice change of pace having more than one crew member teaming up to take down one of the big bads of the arc! At the very least, though, the library, and Ohara’s legacy, is safe for now.

Now, though, we need to talk about the big reveal of the chapter: how to undo Domi Reversi.

Reversing of Domi Reversi

After seeing how someone as powerful as Rocks D. Xebec was unable to fight off Imu’s demonic powers, I, like many other fans, assumed that there was only one way to do so: Luffy. Given how Luffy is the new Joy Boy and has Nika’s powers, it only makes sense he could reverse what his apparent polar opposite, Imu, can do. However, the whole “dying and respawn” thing has thrown me for a loop. This basically means that the heroes just have to hit their friends as hard as they can, and they’ll snap out of it.

It does make some sense. Remember, after Roger and Garp beat Rocks, he reverted back to his human form. However, as YouTuber AnimeUproar pointed out, there’s a discrepancy. By this chapter’s logic, shouldn’t Rocks have returned to full strength instead of being left weak enough to the Knight’s to kill him? Or maybe he just decided that he was tired and wanted to die already. The fact is that I still think that Rocks is dead. No one should be denied a death so epic, in my opinion.

Zoro is Looking Forward to This

As for the implications, though, you can tell how that despite saying they’re upset, Zoro and the others are thrilled at the prospect of what’s about to happen. I would be too, to be honest. They have the chance to cut loose and show us what they can really do, and with the enemies that they are going to have to face beyond Elbaph, they need to break whatever limits they still have. The fate of the entire world hinges on their success.

The bad news is that the next chapter won’t come out until next week. However, that’s not really a problem, considering how this week marks the release of the second season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece. Given how great the first season did, expectations remain high for the second one. So DON’T SCREW THIS UP NETFLIX!!

I Give “With Pride” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1175 Review/Recap

Have you ever played the God of War series? I’ve only played God of War: Ragnarok, but I love the series as a whole. The idea of a mortal being able to punish gods for their bs is such an exciting concept. Especially when the gods being punished are complete buttholes, like Imu and the so-called Celestial Dragons. And considering how in God of War, Loki is the son of the titular god of war, it seems poetic that the Loki of One Piece has that title. From now on, I’m calling Loki the God of War, and he and Luffy are about to run the hands!

Imu and their minions are so fucked!

Recap

Everything that Imu and the God’s Knights have done is starting to fall apart on them. While Sanji frees the rest of the Straw Hats, Jarul tells everyone that the hostages are free. But the kid’s parents are too badly hurt to keep fighting. Sommers goes ballistic over not getting to see them all die, so he decides “screw it,” and tries to kill the parents while the kids stand in his way.

He shouldn’t have done that in front of Luffy and Zoro, though. Zoro cuts through Sommers thorns like paper, and then Luffy proceeds to grab a lightning bolt, aim it as Sommers, and proceed to hit him so hard, he falls to pieces!!!

Excuse me while I celebrate.

As everyone is in awe of Luffy in Gear Five, they’re equally shocked by Loki’s dragon form, Nidhogg. Gaban remembers how Jarul told him how the mythical Devil Fruit Nidhogg turns the user into the largest dragon in the world; the larger the user, the bigger the dragon. Legend has it that an ancient god of war used that power and the hammer Ragnir to fight the sun god, Nika. Afterwards, Ratatoskr chose to possess Ragnir and guard the fruit until someone it deemed worthy would appear as the new god of war: Loki. And Loki lives up to the title as he send Qillingham’s nightmares running for the hills before obliterating them in an insane explosion! But through the eyes of Gunko, Imu observes everything from Mariejois, thinking how Nidhogg had been in Elbaph the whole time.

Review

It’s official: I’m calling Loki the God of War now! And it’s a title he more than deserves!!

I knew even before the reveal that Loki’s Devil Fruit had to let him turn into Nidhogg, but it’s nice to see it confirmed. And it was more than worth the wait to see it, because Loki is massive in his dragon form. He makes Kaido look like a pipsqueak in comparison! He might be one of the biggest people in the entire series as a dragon, and it’s amazing! And the sight of those nightmares running from him in terror makes all the pain they inflicted feel worthwhile. Loki truly deserves to be called the god of war.

As cool as his Devil Fruit form is, though, what interests me most is what Jarul says about the last user of the fruit, the OG god of war. He says that he and Nika fought each other once, and that has me asking a lot of questions. Was this fight during Joyboy’s time, or did it predate even them? All the way back to the first age of the world? Remember, the mural we saw alludes to the fact that the world was destroyed and remade twice before, with the last time being in the Void Century. In addition, there’s also the fact that it was a fight between Nika and this god of war. Is Oda trying to hint that Luffy and Loki will end up clashing one day?

I certainly hope not, because the two of them need to work together if they want to drive Imu out of Elbaph. But why stop there? Knowing Loki, he’s going to want to storm Mariejois and run Imu’s fade, and I want to see that happen. The dragon of Ragnarok bringing judgement down on the so-called gods of the world feels so right! Plus, I think that Imu is afraid of Nidhogg, which makes it even better. Either way, the god of war is going to wreck their s**t.

Speaking of which, I really hope that this is the last we see of Sommers for awhile! He deserves everything coming to him!

I Give “Nidhogg” a 4.5/5

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