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One Piece Chapter 1088 Review/Recap

Last week, I said that Garp might be “that guy” for the Marines, but I was mistaken. He was “that guy” for them, but that title might have gone to someone else now: Koby. One of the first people that Luffy met while on his journey, we’ve seen Koby go from a scrawny, scared kid into a hero of the Marines. And this week, he shows everyone how he has the potential to become his generation’s Garp. However, the rise of a new generation means the old one might soon fade away, and it does so in a manner that will leave the Marines heartbroken…

Recap

In a flashback, Garp’s asking the class a question: if you had a boat that could only it two people and had to choose between saving an old man and a baby, who do you go with? Koby answers that he would sacrifice himself for both, but Garp says to save the baby. According to him, the young have more to offer than an old man. Then, at Amazon Lily, Koby traded himself for the Marines captured by Blackbeard, saving their lives. 

In the present day, the rescue force is about to be crushed by Pizarro’s massive hands. As everyone begins to panic, Garp gives them marching orders: Koby will destroy the hand! The Marines don’t have time to second-guess anything, and they spring into action! Koby and Grus head straight for the hand while Helmeppo holds off any attacking pirates. Meanwhile, Garp keeps Kuzan and the rest busy before using his strength to deal a massive blow to Pizarro’s head!

With the way now clear, Koby manages to close in on the massive hand. Remembering how he trained hundreds of times harder than anyone to get as strong as he is, Koby unleashes his full power. The resulting Honesty Impact shatters Pizarro’s deadly hand, saving everyone! However, as they wait for Garp to return, they get a final message from him, telling them to retreat. They’re the future of the Marines, and they can’t afford to die to help one old man like him.

The next day, Garp would be reported MIA at Hachinsou Island.

Review

I thought that Garp was strong, but Koby might end up becoming stronger than him! He’s only Luffy’s age, and he’s already able to pull off the same kind of feat that Garp could! The fact that he had to train hundreds of times harder than anyone to get to that level because he had no combat skill makes that even more impressive! Koby truly earned his strength. He’s going to be the next generation of Marines’ Garp. 

Alas, the rise of a new hero of the Marines may mean the sunset on the old one. My worries about Garp’s safety proved to be well-founded, but I don’t believe he’s dead. The hero of the Marines that fought Gold Roger is too valuable a hostage to kill. Blackbeard will use him as a bargaining chip in the future. Ironically, it’s a reversal of what happened to Ace two years ago.

With the Reverie flashback over, and the business on Hachinsou done, there’s nothing to stop us from focusing on Egghead Island again. Sadly, we have to wait another two weeks, which is fine. So long as Oda gets it out, I’m fine with waiting. Also, we have this to look forward to around the same time.

It’s a good time to be a fan of One Piece!

I Give “The Final Lesson” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1087 Review/Recap

Eichiro Oda’s returned after a month-long vacation recovering from eye surgery, so One Piece is back! Whenever Oda goes on these extra long breaks for his well-being, he makes up for it by giving us a fantastic chapter to set fans hearts ablaze! While the returning chapter might not be as epic as others, it does one thing for fans. We glimpse how Luffy’s grandpa Garp is ‘that guy’ for the Marines, and it’s incredible! The man used battleships as punching bags!

Recap

At the scrapyard at Navy Branch G1, Jango and Fullbody gawk at a pair of battleships with massive dents. Brannew explains that they’re the work of Garp and Kuzan: the former punches at one every day since his youth, while the latter was the result of the former Admiral when he became Garp’s student. They punched at them without using Devil Fruits or Haki to gain their monstrous strength, and it shows!

Meanwhile, on Hachinosu, Garp, Koby, Helmeppo, and Prince Grus are still going at it with the Blackbeard Pirates. Everyone else has evacuated and ready to leave, prompting Garp to declare its time to do the same. Unfortunately for them, Kuzan’s blocking the way. Worse, when Koby rushes to help a woman he thinks was a captive, it’s revealed to be a trap! Shiryu almost runs Koby through with his blade, only for Garp to take the hit!

The pirates start to swarm on the Marines, only for Kuzan to order them back while he deals with Garp. The clash between the former student and teacher is so powerful, it leaves both lying on the ground. However, that’s not the worst part. Using his Island-Island Fruit, Avalo Pizarro makes the island sprout hands, ready to crush the Marines ship, much to Koby’s utter horror. Garp, on the other hand, remains calm, saying that justice will prevail.

Review

Just when I thought that Luffy had finally reached the level of strength that his Grandpa Garp has, or even surpassed, the bar’s raised yet again. Garp might be one of the most vital members the Marines have, even in his old age! 

To recap, Garp has spent every day punching away at a derelict battleship. No haki or devil fruit allowed, just raw strength. And he managed to make a massive dent in it. No wonder he was Roger’s rival; he earned his power through a training regimen that would make Goku proud.

Be that as it may, it was still concerning to see Garp take that stab wound from Shiryu. We know from Luffy that it wouldn’t kill him, but this mirrored what happened to Whitebeard at Marineford. Then he just kept taking more and more damage until he died. As a result, fans might fear that Garp will face a similar fate. While that would be badass, it wouldn’t change the fact that it would be heartbreaking, especially if Luffy found out. 

Beyond that, the main draw was how this chapter demonstrated how close Garp and Kuzan were during the latter’s time as a Marine. While Garp didn’t want him at first, he warmed up to him enough to vent about how his son and grandson turned out. That shows genuine camaraderie there. At the same time, it also makes Kuzan’s decision to join Blackbeard even more surprising. I’m expecting a big twist to come out of this, but until then, I hope Garp makes it out alive. I want him to see Luffy become King of the Pirates. 

This wasn’t quite the welcome back I thought we’d get, but I still enjoyed it. Here’s hoping we return to Egghead Island soon, though.

I Give “Battleship Bags” a 3.5/5

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