RJ Writing Ink

One Piece Chapter 1184 Review/Recap

You know, I didn’t expect that we would be getting another flashback in the Elbaph Arc, but now that we are, I’m glad it’s about Brook. It’s only just occurred to me that out of the Straw Hat Pirates, his childhood and youth are one of the only ones that remain unaccounted for. And with how much Oda has been teasing the relationship between him and Gunko (or Shuri), I think that it’s best that we see it for ourselves. It gets even better in this chapter, though, as we get to see Brook’s childhood and how he became friends with Shuri’s parents! Another flashback in a flashback!

Man, Oda loves flashbacks, huh? At least he’s making a well-written story, though.

Recap

Seven years would pass, and once Shuri turned 14, tales of her beauty attracted princes seeking her hand in marriage. She soundly beat them all, saying she had no interest in weak men, let alone any who couldn’t play music. In other words, Brook.

Even after all those years, Shuri still had a crush on Brook, much to his dismay. Much to her dismay, he kept asking women to see their panties. Still, the two were very close, with Shuri loving his music, just like her father. That makes Brook remember how he first met the King.

When Brook was 11, he was a street urchin with no family left, but he still loved to play music, no matter how bad it was. One day, as he was playing in the junkyard, a stranger heard them and took a liking to the boy, sharing a meal with him. Before long, the two became friends.

One day, though, Brook was captured by corrupt Marines. They seemed to think that he was a courier with some sort of illegal powder they were after, so they beat and tortured him, but he just kept singing. Right as they were about to kill him, the stranger, Prince Leuven, and the royal guard found him. They had busted the entire drug ring, and Leuven and Candel promptly dealt with the scum, saving Brook’s life.

When Brook woke up, he was in the royal palace. Leuven liked him so much that he decided then and there to take him in and have him attend school to learn music! Brook’s dreams were coming true!

Review

Oh my gosh, you guys, that was just so touching! I had no idea that Brook had had such a rough go at it when he was a kid. Then again, it seems like all of the Straw Hats didn’t have the happiest of childhoods, so I guess that tracks. But still, it’s so sweet actually getting to see it.

I think that Brook’s childhood is going to hit home for people who had similar circumstances. There are plenty of people out there who have genuine talent at something, but due to their background in life, it never gets recognized. Ergo, seeing that Brook formed a genuine friendship with Leuven back when he was a Prince and impress him with his musical talent is pretty heartwarming. The feeling was entirely mutual, too, because as we saw with Leuven’s life back at the palace, he hated how cold and unfeeling it was. He hated the fancy food and shallow women, but in contrast, he was brought to tears by Brook’s homemade meal, no matter how bad it tasted. I really like seeing people feel happy over things that we take for granted, and I’m glad that Brook made such a good friend.

It should also be noted how accurate the title of the chapter really is. Having known hardship from a young age, Brook understands that things such as status and power in life mean little in the grand scheme of things. After all, everyone ends up as bones when they die. The difference is that Brook has gotten to keep enjoying life as a talking skeleton, hence why he’s always so full of life and energy. It’s pretty thought-provoking, if you ask me.

Sadly, we all know that eventually, this is going to end in tragedy for everyone involved. Brook will likely lose his home, his big bro, and spend decades resenting Shuri for what he thinks happened. Knowing who Imu is, though, it’s probably his fault. Whether that means that Shuri can be saved, though, is up in the air. One thing’s for sure: I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.

I Give “Only Bones Left Behind” a 4/5

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