RJ Writing Ink

One Piece Chapter 1126 Review/Recap

When I first read the leaks for this week’s chapter of One Piece, I had to double-check on Reddit to make sure they were accurate. As trustworthy as people like PewPiece and Redon are, I still had difficulty believing what happened. Specifically, I couldn’t believe what the leaks said that Shanks did. Then again, I should’ve remembered that in the previous arc, we saw Shanks almost single-handedly destroy the Kid Pirates. He may be a nice guy and Luffy’s mentor/father figure, but Shanks can be ruthless when he wants!

And that’s only covering a third of what happened here!

Recap

A month ago, Bartolomeo and his pirates raided the island of Gratel in Shanks’ territory and burned his flag. However, that proved to be a massive mistake, as in the present day, the Red-Haired Pirates have the Barto Club beaten and at their mercy. Barto’s on his knees apologizing and begging for forgiveness, and the Red-Haired decide to let things slide, on one condition!

They have a month to make sure that Luffy drinks this deadly poison…so Barto drinks it himself.

It’s a good thing it was a bluff, though, and Shanks was just testing them. But they still burned his flag, so Yassop sinks their ship; it’s unknown if there are any survivors.

At Pirate Island, Blackbeard’s finally returns and is furious to learn that Koby (and Moriah) got away. However, he lightens up when Kuzan reveals he got Garp.

In addition, they also have Pudding as their prisoner, Augur and Devon are returning with Caribou, and Lafitte is keeping an eye on the Red Port. With the Revolutionaries stopping any food from getting inside, Blackbeard thinks it’s the perfect time to pull off their plan.

Meanwhile, the Straw Hat and Giant Pirates continue celebrating their escape from Egghead. However, when they wake up two days later, they have yet to arrive at Elbaf, and the Sunny is gone. And Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and Chopper along with her!

When Nami wakes up, she’s in this place that looks like it’s made out of LEGOs and wearing this Viking outfit.

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

Review

Of all the ways we could segue into the Elbaf Arc, seeing Shanks go full gangster wasn’t on my list. Then again, neither was seeing Saturn bite the big one, but I’m not complaining about that!

It took me a few seconds to remember that the Barto club had burned Shanks’ flag, and for good reason. That happened in a cover story seven years ago, so it’s nice to see it pay off after all this time. More importantly, Shanks’ secret test of character for Barto was terrifying but also necessary. If Barto had been willing to give Luffy the poison or lie about it, Shanks likely would’ve killed him then and there. And while their survival is in doubt, the Barto Club’s stocks just increased significantly!

Speaking of survival, this chapter confirmed that Garp is alive but now a prisoner of the Blackbeard Pirates. Imagine the uproar if Blackbeard decided to execute him in a dark reversal of Roger’s own fate! Worse, him having Pudding means he could gain the means to read the Poneglyphs. Most importantly, though, the theory that Blackbeard plans to infiltrate Mariejois has some merit. And disguising Devon as Saturn to get the crew inside is a good plan, even if we know it’s doomed to fail. That said, I’m still hoping to see if Teach can pull off raiding the “Holy Land” of the Celestial Dragons.

As for what’s happening to the Straw Hats, I’m lost. There’s a fan theory that it has something to do with Vivi since the missing crew knew her from their time together, but I’m not sure. For all we know, this could be another detour, but I’m hoping it’s not; Oda has made us wait long enough as it is for Elbaf! And with Nami waking up in a house made of LEGOs, my curiosity will make it hard to wait for next week. I must have answers!

Also, is it just me, or doesn’t it feel weird that only a month has passed since in-universe since the events of the Straw Hats’ Grand Fleet story? If the events with Barto happen in the present, that means the Whole Cake, Wano Country, and Egghead Arcs took place over a very short timeframe!

I Give “Taking Responsibility” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1125 Review/Recap

Even as I write this and maintain my outward composure, on the inside, my mind is freaking out! The events of the Egghead Arc implied that not only is Im, the shadowy ruler of the World Government, immortal, but that the same goes for the Five Elders. Even when Luffy and Bonney hit Saturn so hard he was left in pieces, he kept coming back. But while the (presumably) opening chapter of the Elbaf Arc confirms that the Elders can’t die from old age, they’re not immortal. Case in point, for his monumental failures at Egghead, Saturn pays the ultimate price. At the same time, though, another group of characters manages to cheat death and render one of my biggest fears a moot point.

Recap

With the events at Egghead now over, all the World Government and Navy do is lick their wounds. They killed Vegapunk and secured the Mother Flame, but as Saturn states, they didn’t win. Thanks to Emeth, the Straw Hats, Bonney, Kuma, and the Giants got away and Vegapunk told the world about the apocalypse they’re facing.

Then, to add insult to injury, the Vegapunk’s last card gets played: their cloud factory activates, lifting Punk Records into the sky and away from Egghead. In addition, somehow the Satellites that apparently died are alive and form a new body to share for themselves.

They decide to keep Punk Records safe until the day everyone can access it.

In Mariejois, the Celestial Dragons are panicking over Vegapunk’s news, but all they care about is running out of food. The other Elders, though, are shocked when Figarland Garling strolls into their meeting room and says he’s replacing Saturn. And he’s not joking.

At Egghead, Saturn doubles over in pain as black flames ravage his body, courtesy of Im, who’s furious about Luffy’s escape. Saturn pleads for mercy, but it’s no use. His body withers and then, in an explosion of flame, is reduced to nothing but a skeleton!

Oh, and in the Kamabakka kingdom, the Revolutionaries realize they’re in a race against time. They have to end this war before the world destroys itself, trying to survive the coming armageddon as an age of chaos dawns.

Review

I’m sorry, WHAT? SATURN IS DEAD NOW? Akainu gets his top spot back on my list of most-hated characters in One Piece!

I don’t think any readers will cry over the death of Saturn. In a more just world, his crimes against the world and what he did to Bonney’s family and Vegapunk warrant death a hundred times over. However, I felt no satisfaction from seeing his violent and unbearably painful demise. Because as awful as Saturn was, his death reminded the readers that he was still a mere puppet, with Im being the one pulling the strings.

To its credit, this chapter confirmed a few things about the Five Elders. Firstly, learning that Saturn was alive when Emeth first attacked Mariejois 200 years ago means that the Five Elders have some form of immortality. At the very least, they don’t succumb to death by old age. However, Im grants this agelessness, and they can take it away whenever they want. Judging by the other Elder’s shocked looks at Garling’s appointment, that rarely happens, showing how badly Saturn messed up. However, that makes their, and by extension, Im’s, status as human beings sketchier than ever.

As for how the other Satellites survived, I’m not going to question it. Vegapunk had planned for them to have backups if something happened. I’m just glad they got Punk Records out of the World Government’s hands. That makes one of my big worries about the WG using it for evil moot. Small comfort, though, given what’s coming.

The end of the chapter says it all: order is dead and the world is engulfed by chaos. Finding the One Piece could save or destroy it, making the race for it more important than ever. And something tells me that the last clue to Laugh Tale is waiting in Elbaf.

I cannot lie: this chapter blew my mind. I knew we were going to be in for it when it came to the aftermath of Egghead, but I didn’t expect Oda to kill a major antagonist of the series like that! What a way to take us into Elbaf!

I Give “What Defines Death” a 5/5

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One Piece: Egghead Arc Review

It’s felt like an eternity thanks to all the breaks, but the Egghead Arc is finally over. And what an arc it turned out to be!

When it first started, the Egghead Arc was coming fresh off the heels of One Piece’s longest and most insane arc to date. Considering everything that happened in Wano, I thought that we would be in a little breather. Getting to meet Dr. Vegapunk was a big deal given his impact on world events, but it paled in comparison to the realization of where the Straw Hats would go next. After years of build-up and flashbacks, readers were finally going to get to see Elbaf! Next to Laugh Tale itself, no other location was as anticipated by fans, and it felt like we were finally closing in on it. All we had to was wait for the Straw Hats to make their inevitable escape!

I’m not sure if I can speak for anyone else, but I’m not ashamed to admit that Oda pulled the wool over my eyes.

With One Piece reportedly entering the beginning of its final saga, the series had to get a lot of things ready. And with so many characters and events taking place at once, it makes sense why Oda would want to get started ASAP. Things that he had been foreshadowing for years, even decades, had to be revealed. And most importantly, the series had to let us know just how high the stakes were. So much happened that I had to go back and review the entire arc and everything that happened in greater detail.

I’m RJ Writing Ink, and this is my look back at the triumphs and shortcomings of the Egghead Arc! Most of them will be triumphs, though!

Oda Worked Overtime to Get Everyone in Position, and it Shows

Even though the arc was officially focused on the events at Egghead Island, a significant chunk of it was spent looking at events taking place in the larger world. Koby’s capture and rescue from Beehive Island led to Garp taking his place. Two of the pirate crews that took part in events at Wano were beaten by Blackbeard and Shanks. And we saw first-hand the truth behind King Cobra’s assassination at the hands of Im and the Five Elders. And that’s just a handful of the things that happened abroad.

Its not out of the ordinary for Oda to spend chapters catching readers up on the world of One Piece at large. That’s part of what makes him so good at world-building. But with the series entering its final saga, Oda had to start getting everyone into position for what’s to come. That meant he had to cram as much as possible when he could while he could, making the arc feel a bit bloated as a whole.

There’s also another issue that affected pacing: the breaks. In recent years, Oda has gone on more and more breaks between chapters for his own health. Which is good. The last thing I want is for him to work himself into an early grave. However, it also means that an arc that could’ve been finished a long time ago got dragged out several extra months. I dont mind it, but I know other fans do. Between these two factors, it feels like the arc played out longer than anyone thought.

The Legacy of Ohara Lives On!

In hindsight, I think learning about what happened to Robin’s homeland of Ohara was a real turning point in the series. Thanks to that, we learned just how far the World Government would go to keep people from discovering the truth about the Void Century. But while everyone besides Robin seemingly died with Ohara, this arc revealed that the WG failed to destroy the real threat: the knowledge the country collected.

Thanks to the sacrifice of the scholars of Ohara, they managed to save most of their research and books for future generations. The Giants then retrieved everything and brought it back to Elbaf where the Five Elders couldn’t get to it, and later gave Vegapunk the chance to read everything for himself so he could pick up where they left off. In addition, we learned two important things: this event inspired Dragon to create the Revolutionary Army, and that Jaguar D. Saul was alive.

Hearing that everything that Ohara did had not been in vain brought tears of joy to my eyes. Not only did the knowledge of Robin’s homeland still exist, but her first and oldest friend was alive. And now both of them are waiting for her in Elbaf. As if we didn’t need any more reasons to look forward to Elbaf, now we can expect a happy reunion between Robin and Saul!

One Piece Chapter 1124 Review/Recap

The Egghead Arc is over, and Dr. Vegapunk is dead, slain at the hands of Borsalino. AKA Admiral Kizaru of the Navy, AKA the Doctor’s best friend. Now everyone left has to pick up the pieces. Luffy gets depressed at first since he thinks he couldn’t keep his promise, only to learn otherwise. But it’s what happens on the Navy’s side that proves to be more interesting. After everything he’s gone through, we see the laid-back attitude we know Borsalino for give way. What happens is so heartbreaking to watch, I lose what little hate I have left for him.

Recap

In his flying headquarters, Morgans is ecstatic over the sheer amount of breaking news he can choose to put in his newspaper. Between the Heart and Kid Pirates’ respective losses to Blackbeard and Shanks and what happened on Egghead, he’s got material for days. However, Vivi calls him out for planning to pin Vegapunk’s death on Luffy and for stoking fears of the apparent apocalypse coming. Not even losing her place of hiding can stop her!

At Egghead Island, Sentomaru slips away while mourning Vegapunk’s death. As for the Navy fleet, the only one who isn’t out cold is Admiral Kizaru, leaving him to answer a call from a livid Akainu. The Fleet Admiral starts demanding answers about what happened and for his colleague to stop slacking off. In response, Borsalino asks Akainu one question:

“Have you ever had to kill your best friend?”

As the memories of the friendship he formed with Vegapunk, Borsalino is driven to tears over having to kill the doctor. Furious at Akainu’s rudeness, the Admiral calls him an ingrate and asks him to come see for himself if he’s got time to waste doubting him. He is stunned into apologizing.

Aboard the Giant Pirates ship, Luffy’s depressed because he thinks he failed to keep his promise to Vegapunk. However, that changes when Lilith wakes up and, after “hearing” the news, tells them that they didn’t fail. They got her, a Vegapunk, out, which means they got all of them out. They will live on through her!

No longer glum, Luffy and the others restart their revelry! Everyone begins to party while Luffy explains that what Vegapunk said changes nothing. He’s still going to find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates! Thus, the heroes set sail for the fabled Elbaf at long last!

Review

Borsalino Finally Cracks Under Everything he Went Through

It finally happened, you guys. Borsalino, that implacable man who always had that laid-back attitude about him, finally cracked. Given everything we learned about him and Vegapunk in this arc, fans already knew he didn’t want to kill the Doctor. But seeing him cry and angrily snap at Akainu still hit hard for me! The man never got upset about anything, and the entire experience reduced him to tears! It’s pretty telling that Akainu, of all people, realized he crossed the line and apologized.

I don’t accept that war criminal’s apology, but you know what? I forgive Borsalino for killing Vegapunk. Vegapunk willingly sacrificed himself to warn the world about the coming apocalypse, the Great War, everything! He may not have remembered why he was doing it, but he knew it would have meaning. Also, to be fair, Borsalino wasn’t the one who killed Vegapunk; he might have hurt him, but Saturn struck the killing blow.

Or did he?

Lilith is Still Vegapunk, so She Can Carry on Their Work

Firstly, I want to say that if all the other Vegapunks (besides York) are dead, I’m glad Lilith is the one that got away. Once I got over my confusion about her not being the OG Vegapunk, she became my favorite. I like her personality a lot. Secondly, I have some ideas about what she meant when she said that “heard about” what happened to the other Satellites.

We know that OG Vegapunk created the Satellites to be clones embodying a different aspect of his personality. We also know that they shared memories across a kind of hive-mind. Considering that, Lilith and York likely gained all their memories and experiences once the others died. Or, in Lilith’s case, when Atlas severed her connection to fake her death. Either way, Lilith is telling the truth. She was already Vegapunk, but gaining the memories of the original and her fellow Satellites pretty much makes her the true Vegapunk.

Bottom line, the Straw Hats didn’t fail. They got Vegapunk to safety, and once they get to Elbaf, she can continue their research in peace.

And with that, we finally close the curtain on the Egghead Arc. And what an arc it was! It was so epic that Im going to have to go back and do some sort of mega-review and recap of the whole thing before the next chapter comes out. But more importantly now, the Straw Hats are heading to Elbaf. Next to Laugh Tale itself, Elbaf is the location that fans have wanted to see the most! Considering how Oda likes to one-up himself, we should expect the Elbaf arc to be the biggest to date. And I’m looking forward to seeing it!

I Give “Best Friend” a 4/5

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