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One Piece Chapter 1110 Review/Recap

Ever since we saw Sabo’s flashback earlier in this same arc, One Piece fans have speculated on the true nature of the Five Elders. It hasn’t helped that their beast forms, powers, and how they’re summoned seem to contradict most of what we know about Devil Fruits. At this point, though, I don’t think what the Five Elders are matters anymore. They are monsters in mind, body, and action, and now that all of them are on Egghead Island, even Luffy might be in trouble!

Recap

All across Egghead Island, everyone takes notice as more black lightning appears, heralding the arrival of the other Five Elders. Luffy is shocked to see their true, monstrous forms facing him as they emerge from their summoning circles.

In the blink of an eye, the monsters take to the battlefield. Nusjuro (the skeletal horse) begins cutting down the Pacifistas, freezing him with his sword. Within moments, half of the Pacifistas have been taken down. As Sanji looks in the skies above and sees another Elder trying to break into the lab, he calls the others and tells them their only option: run. Unfortunately, their escape is delayed by the fact that not everyone is at the Sunny yet. The worst part is that Zoro is only now finishing off Lucci, putting everyone in harms way. Jinbei chooses to head back for Zoro, though, while Sanji gets Vegapunk to the ship.

At the main battlefield, Luffy’s caught off-guard by the monsters appearing before him. Before he can react, Peter (the wyrm) jumps out of the ground and swallows him whole! Thankfully, Dorry and Brogy arrive in time to bisect the monster in half, freeing Luffy. With a hearty laugh, the two Giants say they couldn’t wait around for Luffy any longer, hence why they came to him.

Review

Once again, Oda has cooked, and the whole world rejoices. Ever since we got a glimpse of their shadowy forms in Mariejois, fans have been dying to know what some of monsters the Five Elders can turn into. Saturn was terrifying enough to look at, being a spider yokai, but the others? I can’t even decide which one is the scariest. Most of them are based on monsters from Japanese mythology, but there are two outliers in Warcury and Peter. The former is a boar from Chinese myths, while the latter is based on mythical serpents and giant worms like the ones found in Dune. If you’ve seen any version of Dune, you know scary they are!

With the Five Elders arrival in force, it feels like the balance has shifted back in the World Government’s favor, at least to an extent. Truthfully, this entire arc has been nothing but a series of escalations, with the Straw Hats/Egghead Island and the World Government bringing stronger and stronger forces to bear on each other. At this point, I want to say that they can’t bring things any higher, but that would be a lie. Oda excels with this type of chaos; if he can think of a way to raise the stakes, he will.

As for whether the protagonists can take the Five Elders and their army now, it’s up in the air. I think Luffy could beat any one of them on his own, but not all at once. Dorry and Brogy might be enough to help, but they’ll need more. Thankfully, Zoro might end up going back to help now that he’s taken down Lucci. The fact that Lucci’s a mere afterthought now shows how far things have escalated. 

Looking at things as a whole, I think the Straw Hats, Giants, and more can still drive away the World Government. With so many powerful enemies around, though, Luffy needs to win soon. The longer the fight drags on, the more danger Vegapunk and Bonney will be. That being said, now might be the best chance for Luffy to defeat the Five Elders. Not only would that destroy the World Government’s credibility, possibly more than whatever Vegapunk wants to tell the world, but it could raise his bounty to new heights. Maybe as high as Roger himself. One thing’s sure, though. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. Those monsters need to go down!

I Give “Starfall” a 4.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1086 Review/Recap

Well, everyone, we wanted to know what happened at the Reverie while Luffy was in Wano. Oda gave us what we wanted, blowing the fandom’s mind. The Revolutionary Army laid waste to the Celestial Dragon’s home. Charloss got his face beaten in again. Biggest of all, though, King Cobra was assassinated by Imu and the Five Elders! Sabo got blamed, and Vivi and Wapol ran for their lives. The last surprises of the Reverie aren’t revealed until now, though, and they have blown our minds once more.

Oda, we do not deserve you. 

Recap

As the Reverie wound down, the people from Alabasta panicked over Cobra and Vivi’s disappearance. No one knows that Vivi and Wapol stowed away on a King’s ship so Morgans could pick them up. In addition, Bonney and Sabo flee on separate boats; the latter heads for Lulusia. 

As Sabo finishes his story in the present day, he explains that he didn’t tell the truth about Cobra at Lulusia because how so many people saw him as a hero for “killing” him. He also reveals that he wasn’t on the island when the World Government destroyed it. He was already on a ship leaving and disguised his transmission to appear like it was coming from Lulusia. As a result, he and the recruits they took saw firsthand how the World Government destroyed the country using a WMD called “Mother Flame.” While they’re unsure if it’s one of the Ancient Weapons, Ivankov thinks Vegapunk himself might have designed it (he’s right. It was.)

Meanwhile, the World Government’s dealing with the aftermath of the Reverie. With the Warlords disbanded and Kingdoms in revolt, they’re sending the Marines and the Seraphim all over the place to maintain order. In Mariejois, though, Mjosgard’s been executed for protecting the Fishmen. The judge, jury, and executioner is none other than the leader of the Holy Knights, Saint Figarland Garling, the former King of God Valley.

…WHAT!?!?!

Review

Holy crap, this chapter did not need to go as hard as it did! We finally learned what happened during the Reverie that left the whole world shaken, and it’s no wonder. The Five Elders were revealed to be monsters in not just deeds but in appearance. This chapter even gives us their full names and titles in the World Government. Given how they’ve been seen throughout the series for years, the fact that we’re getting their names now means only one thing: they’re about to take a bigger role in what’s to come. 

Then we have the addition of the Holy Knights, another group of people who work for the Celestial Dragons. To be more precise, they seem to work for the Five Elders and Imu directly. What’s most surprising is that their leader is the former King of God Valley, AKA where the Rocks Pirates fell at the hands of Gol D. Roger and Garp decades ago. That country no longer exists, but it seems that the King’s still around and working for the Celestial Dragons. Between the Holy Knights and CP0, it’s a miracle that Sabo, Bonney, Vivi, and Wapol escaped Mariejois with their lives.

Sadly, this chapter also confirms that the weapon that Imu used to destroy Lulusia wasn’t an Ancient Weapon. It might have been something that Vegapunk created to mimic the Ancient Weapons, intentionally or otherwise. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I think this chapter foreshadows that the Five Elders might use this weapon on Egghead Island. If that happens, then the Straw Hats need to get off the island soon!

As a side note, RIP to Mjosgard, one of only two Celestial Dragons that were good people. He started out as a scumbag, but he died a real one so that Shirahoshi and her family could get out of Mariejois. Respect.

Oda Deserves a Vacation

Sadly, this chapter will be the last for the next month. Oda’s going on break for the next few weeks to recover from upcoming eye surgery. While some might complain about being left hanging, we don’t have the right to do so. Oda’s running himself ragged so that One Piece is as good as it is. He can’t keep doing that forever, or he will work himself into an early grave. None of his fans want to see him do that! As far as this fan’s concerned, he can take off the rest of the summer if it means he can relax. He deserves it, and I can wait!

I Give “The Five Elder Planets” a 4.5/5

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