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One Piece Chapter 1111 Review/Recap

Good grief, Oda! This battle has spun back and forth so many times I’m getting dizzy trying to keep track! On the last piece of One Piece, the remaining Five Elders arrived on Egghead Island in their true, monstrous forms. Caught off-guard, Luffy came close to biting it until Dorry and Brogy saved him. However, any chance Luffy has of beating the Elders now has gone out the window. All the Straw Hats, Vegapunks, Giants, and Bonney can do is run for it! But all might not be lost, as a giant, familiar robot finally appears on the battlefield. The Iron Giant comes!

Recap

Even though Zoro beat Rob Lucci, the CP0 agent refuses to fall, so the swordsman refuses to leave with Jinbei. Fed up, Jinbei blasts Lucci away with his Fishman Karate. The two of them go right as Mars breaches the barrier to the Lab. Initially shocked to see the monster, Lucci can still tell him everything he knows about who’s in the Lab, how much time remains, and to try and save Kaku. Mars, though, makes no promises as he goes to find York.

Meanwhile, Luffy is overjoyed to be reunited with Dorry and Brogy, though he doesn’t know what they mean when they ask about his appearance. Nonetheless, having done what they came there for, the captains sound the horn to retreat. In response, Warcury tries blowing everyone away with a Conquerer’s Haki-powered roar!

Warcury and Saturn go on the offensive, but Luffy…well, see for yourself.

Even after that, it’s not enough to put them down. Thus, the Captains decide to run for it. Everyone begins to make for the ships at this point. However, Bonney’s group is blocked by a group of Navy Vice-Admirals in sight of the Giant’s ship. 

Everyone’s attention, though, is shifted when the Marines notice something. Amidst the fires, something larger than a giant appears. The Iron Giant that once attacked Mariejois lives again, growling something: “Joyboy, forgive me.”

Review

I knew that the Iron Giant would play some role in this arc! I’ve been saying it for months now! And right now, it seems all but confirmed that the robot’s power source is connected to Joyboy, AKA Nika. However, the connection between the Iron Giant and the original Joyboy has yet to be determined. Perhaps, like Zunesha, it was one of Joyboy’s comrades. If that’s true, it would explain why it’s awoken now. With Luffy having awakened his Devil Fruit, it makes sense.

Speaking of which, I nearly exploded with laughter as I saw what Luffy did this week. From how he was blown back by Warcury’s roar to making that giant baseball bat, it was something straight out of a Looney Tunes short! At this point, the man is the personification of toon force!

As strong as he and the Giants are, they can’t beat the Five Elders as they are now. They shrug off any attempts to injure them. At this point, they may be immortal. That, or their Haki is so strong they can shrug off everything. The Iron Giant may have better luck, though. 

At this point, the Iron Gaint might be the best chance everyone has at getting off the island alive. And, just as important, for Vegapunk’s broadcast to go out. If the doctor means to expose the truth about the World Government to the world, then we may never get another chance at this. It’s risky, but they need to finish the broadcast. 

Oda Needs to Process Toriyama’s Passing

One last thing to note is that Oda will be on a three-week break. That in itself isn’t out of the ordinary. In recent years, Oda has frequently gone on breaks ranging from two weeks to a month. What stands out this time is that it has to do with the passing of his mentor, inspiration, and friend, Akira Toriyama.

It’s been said to death by now, but without Akira Toriyama, the Shonen genre wouldn’t be what it is today. Mangaka, like Oda and Kishimoto, grew up reading Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball, and it inspired them to follow in his footsteps. As adults, they were lucky enough to work alongside Toriyama; like countless others, his death has hit them hard. 

Being a mangaka can be incredibly stressful and even lead to an early death. Oda is well aware of this, so he’s taken frequent breaks to look after himself in recent years. However, Toriyama’s passing has made him even more mindful of the importance of looking after himself. And, as I’ve made clear many times, I wholeheartedly support that. I love reading One Piece, but if Oda were to work himself to an early grave because of it, I’d never be able to look at it the same way again. If he wants to take a vacation to process Toriyama’s passing and spend time with his family, he has the right to do so. And judging by what I’ve seen online, fans agree. Oda, take all the time you need! We miss Toriyama, too, and we’ll wait for you. 

Besides, when he does come back, he cooks a feast for us every time. 

I Give “The Sun’s Shield” a 4/5

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