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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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One Piece Chapter 1174 Review/Recap

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m pretty keyed into the latest news about One Piece. Specifically, I’m keyed into the early spoilers and leaks for the next chapters. I know it takes out some of the enjoyment knowing what might happened, but it also means that when something good happens, it can brighten my mood for days. And after I read the spoilers for the next piece of One Piece on Reddit earlier this week after getting off work, let’s just say I had a massive grin on my face on my way home. If Imu, Sommers and the God’s Knights weren’t already screwed before, then they’re about to get a generational ass-kicking at the hands of N&N, AKA Luffy and Loki, AKA Nika and Nidhogg! The Drums of Liberation begin to play at last!

Recap

Thanks to Sommers epic fail in the last chapter, the Knights getaway wasn’t just destroyed. It had also destroyed the sea clouds underneath, leading to the abyss of the Underworld below. Moreover, since Gunko isn’t in control of her own body, she can’t undo the arrows, meaning the kids are headed off a cliff like lemmings. And their families can’t get rid of the thorns or save them in time. And Sommers is into it! He’s ready to watch the kids die like it’s entertainment for him since he thinks he won’t be held responsible!

All of the kids are now terrified for their lives and begging for someone to save them, with two whole pages showing them crying in fear and apologizing for everything bad they did! And then their parents, siblings (Road) and Miss Ange grab hold of them and refuse to let go even as they fall into the abyss!!!!

But they don’t die. They come to fall atop something soft and rubbery atop something…massive that was coming their way. And it’s pretty obvious who it is.

The next thing anyone in Elbaph knows, a storm of thunder and snow erupts across the island. The ground begins to sway and bounce, and a familiar beat begins to play as Jarul quotes something: “On a curious day, when thunder and snow both flurry, a giant beast shall appear to blot out the skies, the drums of liberation will boom out, and the Sun God will rise!”

Then, in the final page, we see them. Luffy in Gear Five, and Loki in his Nidhogg dragon form, fly through the sky and start wasting all of the nightmares!

Review

HOLY CRAP, YOU GUYS! You guys understand now why those spoilers had me laughing and grinning? Not only do Luffy and Loki save the kids and families by luck (or fate), but we finally got to see what Loki’s zoan form looks like. And just like how many of us were thinking, it turns him into a dragon. Not just any dragon, though; he becomes Nidhogg, AKA the dragon destined to destroy the world tree in Norse mythology and bring about Ragnarok. And he is massive! For comparison’s sake, look at the Giants and then at the Nightmares that Qillingham created. Most of the Nightmares are bigger than the adult Giants, and yet Loki in his Nidhogg form makes them look like pipsqueaks. He’s big enough to swallow them whole! Luffy is using the Giant form he gets in Gear Five that let him dwarf Kaido, and he’s still small enough to ride on Loki’s head!

It gets crazier. According to some people on Reddit, Loki in his Nidhogg form is bigger than the island of Marineford. That includes the island and the buildings on it. By default, that makes Nidhogg one of the biggest things in the entire series. And now Nidhogg and Nika have teamed up to save Elbaph from the devil that is Imu.

Thank Heavens I Read the Spoilers

I already knew how this chapter was going to end, but getting to see it take place is still mind-blowing. It’s a good thing I did know, though, because otherwise, I don’t think I could’ve handled seeing those kids almost die. They were genuinely going to die, and like most kids, they were terrified for their lives and begging for someone to save them! And the part where their loved ones were willing to die with is heartbreaking. My guess is that they were all going to use their bodies as shields to save the kids from death at the cost of their own lives, which is just as heartbreaking to think about. And Sommers was laughing at the whole thing like he’s the dang Joker! I’m not gonna lie, I think I wouldn’t mind it if Sommers dies before this arc is over. If Nika and Nidhogg or the other Giants don’t kill him, though, odds are that Imu will, since it’s his fault that their plan gets screwed up.

We have a break next week for the manga, but considering how Oda just gave us one of the best things ever, I think he’s earned a break. Nika and Nidhogg are about to royally screw over Imu!  

I Give “The Strongest Thing in the World” a 4.5/5

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One Piece Chapters 1168, 1169, and 1170 Review/Recap

Happy new year, everyone! I apologize for slacking on my reviews of One Piece, but stuff kept getting in the way, and before I knew it, I was three chapters behind. Then I realized that all of these chapters have to do with Harald’s tragic death. And while the overall outcome was exactly what fans knew it would be, it was no less tragic to see the real reason why Loki had to kill his own father. It was either that, or let Harald become an unthinking, immortal puppet of Imu, a fate worse than death. Not only that, but we finally learn what that Devil Fruit that Loki supposedly stole was, and I’m honestly beating myself up over not realizing it sooner. With all that in mind, I’m going to cover all three chapters at once. The curtain rises on the tragic end of King Harald, and it’s all Imu’s fault!

Snows of Elbaph

Fifteen years ago, Elbaph’s reputation across the world is better than ever thanks to Harald. Everyone sees Elbaph as kind and friendly instead of being fearsome warriors. Saul even managed to build the Walrus School to help the next generation of Giants grow up in peace. But all of this came with a cost. After learning his wife was dying, Harald rushed to be at Ida’s side. The two remembered how they first met and how they had changed since then, with both wanting to go traveling one last time. But it was never meant to be…Ida passed away on a snowy day, with her husband by her side.

A year later, Shanks had deserted the God’s Knights, leaving Harald free to take up the position as a full-fledged member of the God’s Knights. Despite being shocked to meet Imu, he’s overjoyed to join the Knights, thinking it means that Elbaph can join the World Government. But once he gets back to Elbaph, he is horrified when Imu commands him to turn Elbaph into an army to serve them and them alone. Even worse, he finds that the mark Imu gave him grants him immortality and strength, but makes it impossible to disobey him.

Realizing the terrible mistake he’s made, Harald orders his guards to bind him with chains and summon his sons and Jarul. Thus, we return to the start, as Loki and Jarul arrive on the day that Harald dies.

My Death Cannot Come Soon Enough

At the castle, Harald suddenly cuts down one of his guards, making him realize the mark of Imu can alter even his thoughts. Understanding how great a threat he is to his own people, Harald orders his guards to kill him. And that’s when Loki and Jarul show up: seeing the guards trying to kill Harald, only for his immortality to keep him alive, and he strikes back against his will.

Elsewhere, Shanks is explaining the mechanics of the contracts with Imu to Gaban and Ripley. Basically, it confirms what we already knew: the ultimate contract makes them immortal and strong, but they can’t defy Imu. Thus, Shanks hoped to warn Harald in Elbaph, but he’s too late.

Back at the castle, Harald clashes with Loki and Jarul, who have no idea what’s going on, with the King telling him that he was deceived by the World Government. All they wanted was to make the Giants their slaves, and they manipulated Harald to make that happen. Thus, he begs Loki to eat their great Devil Fruit, kill him, and become the hero that Elbaph needs. Tragically, this is the last free thing Harald can say, as Imu takes full control.

Loki makes a mad dash for the treasure room where the Devil Fruit is stored, with Jarul holding the king off and getting the sword in his head. When he falls, Shanks and Gaban arrive to continue the fight as Loki makes it to the treasure room, only to get attacked by Ragnir.

Contradictions

Loki is flabbergasted at Ragnir attacking him and keeping from getting the Devil Fruit. In fact, the hammer has guarded the fruit for centuries, deeming everyone unworthy. Thankfully, Shanks and Gaban can keep Harald at bay, with the latter knowing the Knight’s weaknesses thanks to beating them up whenever they tried to take back Shanks. But even knowing that weakness isn’t enough as the two are driven into a corner! Jarul orders the remaining guards to stop Harald at all costs, only for the castle to become the site of a massacre.

Loki, meanwhile, actually manages to injure Ragnir, which then reveals its true form of a squirrel. Having deemed Loki worthy, he is allowed to eat the fruit. With his new power, Loki and Ragnir return to the fight, and the battle that follows is too awesome for Oda to show in full. In the end, though, Loki wins. Very briefly, Harald regains control of his mind, and uses it to ask Loki to kill him, to his sadness. Harald has enough time to say his goodbyes to his son, asking him to get along with Hadrujin, and…thanking him for avenging Ida’s murder. And with a final blow from Ragnir, Harald, the King of Elbaph, is no more.

Review

Wow. And I thought Rocks’ end was sad. He died alone at the hands of the Knights of Imu, unable to control his own body. But Harald? He had to ask his own son to kill him to save Elbaph from being enslaved. Harald’s life was truly a tragedy. All he wanted was to show the world that the Giants could be a great force for good, and Imu used that to manipulate him into selling his soul. And to think that this is what would’ve happened to Shanks had he not run away when he did.

We all knew that Shanks was just using his Celestial Dragon heritage to gather intel about Imu. He had no intention of serving them, and he got out of there when he had no more reason to be there. That being said, everything we learn about the contracts with Imu, or Covenants, as the wiki calls them, confirms why someone as powerful as Shanks was willing to sacrifice his arm to a sea monster. The arm he gave up was the same one his Shallows Convenant mark was on, and it’s likely there was something keeping him from removing it himself. So, when he saved Luffy, it was a way to kill two birds with one stone. Another fan theory turns out to be right!

Shanks made the right decision to sacrifice his arm. The Abyssal Contract didn’t just turn Harald into a puppet not in control of his body. It even affected his mind, robbing him of his free will. Not being in control of your body like Rocks was was bad enough, but to have your own mind, the place that should be your refuge, turn on you? Imu is truly horrifying…and they need to be stopped!

Harald is Not Terrible!

That being said, I don’t think that Harald should have thought so poorly of himself at the end. Everything he did was because he wanted the best for his people. And to his credit, Elbaph has a lot to offer the world besides its warrior culture. I still think getting rid of it altogether is a mistake, as there’s no reason why they can’t have both, but use their power for good. Imu used that to manipulate Harald into becoming his slave, and while it was too late for the King himself, he was at least able to ensure that Elbaph wouldn’t be dragged down along with him. Ida, his real wife, would have been proud of him.

Yes, I know that they never married, but I’m pretty sure that me and the rest of the fandom consider Ida to be Harald’s true wife and not that ***** Estrid. And I stand by what I said about what Loki did to her family; if I were in that flashback, I would’ve joined him!

Loki is Not a Villain!

Speaking of Loki, this pretty much confirms that everything Elbaph thought they knew about him is a load of crap. He’s not evil or a monster; just a misunderstood guy who got a bad deal at life. And despite him saying otherwise, he’s still a decent person who loved his father, loves his real mother, and most of all, loves Elbaph. More importantly, it’s confirmed that Loki never stole Elbaph’s powerful Devil Fruit; he proved himself worthy of it to Ragnir, which I’m just now realizing is a combination of Ragnarok and Mjolnir, Thor’s legendary hammer.

Speaking of Ragnir, how about that reveal that it’s really a squirrel. Either it’s squirrel that ate a Devil Fruit to turn into a hammer, or it was a hammer that ate a Devil Fruit letting it into a squirrel. The squirrel thing might seem random, but if you’ve read Norse mythology, it makes more sense. In Norse myths,  Ratatoskr is a mischevious squirrel who lived in the world tree of Yddragsil and relayed insults between the eagle at the top and the dragon chewing at its roots. More importantly, though, this explains what Loki’s Devil Fruit is: Nidhogg. In Norse mythology, Nidhogg was the dragon-serpent I just mentioned, eating away at the world tree until the end of the world.

That…honestly makes a lot of sense, considering how Loki talks about wanting to destroy the world. Or at least the World Government, as some fans interpret it. None of the fans can blame him for wanting that, either. Between killing his idol, Rocks, and tricking his father into selling his soul to the devil, Loki has plenty of reasons to bring them down, and I’m all for it. I’ve been wanting to see them fall for years, and I’m convinced that we will before the series comes to a close.

How Did Shanks Capture Loki?!?!

Now that we know the full backstory of Loki and Harald, there’s only one real question left: how and why Loki was ultimately captured. We know that he only killed his dad at Harald’s request, and Jarul, Shanks, and Gaban were there to witness the truth. So why did none of them choose to explain the truth? And why did Shanks ultimately choose to fight and capture Loki years later? Given his bad reputation since birth, it’s likely the Giants assumed the worst, but couldn’t Jarul have explained everything? Or did Loki end up crashing out? Either way, it didn’t end well for him.

According to the spoilers, the next chapter will end the flashbacks and bring us back to the present day. I have to say, this has been a very entertaining part of the arc. I always enjoy these flashbacks Oda does to explain everything, but this ranks amongst his all-time greatest. The anime is likely going to have to devote an entire season to covering everything once it returns, and I can’t wait!

I Give “Snows of Elbaph”, “My Death Can’t Come Soon Enough” a 4/5, and “Contradictions” a 5/5

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