RJ Writing Ink

One Piece Chapter 1102 Review/Recap

Today, the entire One Piece fandom weeps for the loss of a great man. After watching the memories of Kuma for weeks, the manga arrives at the point everyone knew was coming: when he ceases to be a free man and becomes the World Government’s mindless puppet. But even though Saturn thinks that he ensured Kuma would remain under their thumb, his final memories confirm that the former slave got the last laugh. As we look at the events of Thriller Bark and Sabaody through his perspective, we see how Kuma gave his life to save the man who could save the world: Luffy.

Get your tissues ready. You are going to need them.

Recap

Now free of the World Government and with a loyal crew by her side, Bonney sailed the seas as a pirate in search of her father. She defeated countless Marines who got in her way, and though stories spread of her leaving behind injured children and elders, it’s a lie; they were just Marines she used her powers on. 

Sadly, Kuma can’t meet his daughter again, as he keeps leaving whenever she gets too close. However, Bonney doesn’t give up, deciding to also go looking for Nika. She also vows to only steal from villains and help out anyone who truly needs it. 

Meanwhile, Luffy begins his rise in the East Blue, catching the eye of everyone from Ace to Jinbei to Dragon and Sabo, and eventually, Kuma and Vegapunk. The latter of whom’s surprised to learn that Dragon had a son this whole time.

The events of Thriller Bark occur, with Kuma testing the Straw Hat’s willingness to protect Luffy; they pass. At Sabaody, Kuma gets one final look at Bonney from afar, only to be drawn away by the news of Luffy punching out a Celestial Dragon. As a result, Kuma intervened in the Straw Hat’s flight from his clone and Kizaru, separating them and thus saving them from being killed by making it to the New World too early. 

The End Has Come for Kuma

At last, though, the day comes for Vegapunk to erase Kuma’s memories, despite his attempts to stop that from happening. Kuma uses his powers to make a copy of his memories for Vegapunk to study, and asks to let him protect the Sunny for the Straw Hats. Kuma is certain that if anyone can become Nika and save the world, it will be Luffy. Saying his goodbyes and asking Vegapunk to wish Bonney a happy 10th birthday for him, Vegapunk flips the switch with tears in his eyes as all of Egghead Island prays for Kuma. 

Thus, Bartholomew Kuma, slave, priest, revolutionary, father, king, pirate, hero, passes from this world. 

In the present day, Bonney sits alone in the room that held her father’s memories, unable to hold back her tears.

Review

This is how everyone in the One Piece fandom, myself included, feels right now. 

Kuma is now officially one of the best Dad’s in One Piece history. Maybe even one of the best Dad’s in all of fiction! I kept myself together reading this in public, but on the inside, I was crying my eyes out. That man, once one of the most mysterious characters in the entire series, wound up having one of the most heartwarming and tragic backstories of any character in the franchise. And that includes characters like Robin and Nami! Can we just get an F in the comments for him? I would start the process if there was a way to get him canonized as an actual saint. No wonder so many people were praying for him the moment he died; he made the world a better place by being in it, and despite not thinking so, he was a hero.

Praise of Kuma aside, this chapter did confirm what many fans (myself included) had come to suspect about Kuma regarding his actions at Thriller Bark and Sabaody. He was testing the Straw Hat’s to see if they had the resolve and loyalty to stand by Luffy’s side no matter what; given who he was, Kuma knew that Luffy would need truly loyal comrades to survive what was to come. In addition, hearing how Luffy defied the Celestial Dragons to their face confirmed what Kuma had already suspected: that Luffy was meant to become the next Nika and save the world from the darkness that ruled it. So he helped the Straw Hat’s escape and get the time-skip training they’d need to survive the New World.

In other words, I was right on every count. 

Kuma Made Sure the Celestial Dragons Will Lose

In addition to testing the Straw Hat’s and saving their lives, this chapter also showed that Kuma did get to see his beloved daughter one last time from afar. What confuses me, though, is why he chose not to see her again. With Bonney no longer a hostage, there was no reason for him to keep honoring the deal he made with Saturn. Then again, he knew that if it came down to it and they got serious, the World Government could capture Bonney with little effort. That threat would be enough to keep him in line until the very end. 

What makes the end of Kuma even more heartbreaking, though, is that it all but dashes hopes of restoring his memories in the present day. Kuma said that the bubble containing his memories would vanish when touched. Vegapunk had machinery that would let him view it without doing so, but because Bonney didn’t use it, the bubble popped. I still hold out hope, but if it doesn’t happen, I’ve accepted that.

Next Year, Kuma Shall be Avenged

This chapter, just like most of Kuma’s backstory, was one big tearjerker. Seeing a man as kind as Kuma allow himself to essentially die like he did moved me to tears. However, his sacrifices aren’t in vain. Thanks to him not only did Bonney get a second chance at life, but Luffy and the Straw Hats got the time they needed to prepare for the New World. What’s more, by the end of the Egghead Island Arc, Luffy, Vegapunk, Bonney, and the others can pay Saturn back for all the pain he’s caused. Luffy may not call himself a hero, but the fans would disagree. If anyone can end the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons, it’s Luffy. One way or another, Kuma will get the last laugh. 

This is also the last chapter of the year, so before we go, I wish you all happy holidays. Here’s hoping that we see Saturn pay starting next chapter!

I Give “Life of Kuma” a 5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1062 Review/Recap

I have seen a lot of things in One Piece. I’ve seen islands that reside in the clouds, an undersea kingdom of merfolk, and even islands built entirely around different types of food. However, I don’t think that I’ve ever seen anything like Vegapunk’s home of Egghead island. It’s so advanced that it crosses directly into the realm of sci-fi. Egghead Island really is the island of tomorrow! 

Oda, I love you so much. You earn these two-week breaks!

Recap

Aboard the Thousand Sunny, most of the crew start gushing over the sight of Vegapunk. Franky gushes over meeting his idol, Usopp loves the cyborg sea monsters, and Sanji just loves how hot Vegapunk is. However, that quickly fades when the woman tries to run their proverbial pockets for money. It’s not until a voice over transponder snail points out that they’re a.) the crew of a Yonko, and B.) Zoro and Robin are ready to end her cyborgs in a second. The man on the radio tells Vegapunk (or, Lillith, as she’s called), to bring them in, though.

On Egghead Island itself, Bonney explains what she’s doing there: she wants answers from Vegapunk on what he did to her father, Bartholomew Kuma. Luffy’s group, though, soon gets distracted once they set foot in Egghead Island itself, and see just how advanced it truly is. As the group proceeds to mess with everything they see, they’re met by a giant girl, Atlas, who rants about how they have all these great ideas but not enough resources to capitalize on them. In addition, the girl introduces herself as Dr. Vegapunk, shocking everyone present.

Elsewhere, a ship carrying Rob Lucci, Kaku, and Stussy of CP-0 is en route to Egghead Island with a Kuma Seraphim. Their mission: find every last Vegapunk on the island…and kill them.

Review

*Takes a deep breath.* There’s a lot of stuff to unpack in this chapter, but I will do my best. Firstly, though, we need to talk about Dr. Vegapunk themself and the realization that there’s more than one of them. Sort of.

According to this chart provided to CP-0, Vegapunk was so busy coming up with all his ideas that he never had enough time to create his inventions. Thus, somehow, he split himself into six separate people so he could do everything he wanted to do. However, each of these “Punks” carries a different facet of his personality. The woman with the sea beasts is his “evil” part. The giant girl, Atlas, who gets mad about not having enough money, is his wrath. And the one that spoke to Lilith is Shaka, his logic. 

There’s one major trait that all the Punks have in common so far: they want more resources. They have ideas that could change the world and make it better for everyone, but it seems the World Government refuses to give them the funding. Thus, Lillith resorts to robbing pirates that get too close to Egghead Island.

Vegapunk Needs to Join the Straw Hats

Lack of funding may be the least of Vegapunk’s problems, though. It seems that the World Government’s now bent on killing him to keep his genius out of everyone else’s hands. However, by fate or dumb luck, the Straw Hats are present on Egghead Island. Luffy and Rob Lucci might end up having a rematch soon! 

What I’m more interested in, though, is the opportunity the Straw Hats have on hand. If they could get Vegapunk to join their crew in exchange for letting him create as many inventions as he wants, the Straw Hats would be unstoppable! At the very least, Vegapunk might be eager to work with Franky, the one person who could rival him in terms of cybernetics. 

As for Bonney, I was surprised to learn that Kuma was her father. On the other hand, that explains more of why Bonney was at the Levely in disguise. She wanted to save her father, but the Revolutionary Army beat her to it. I’m interested in learning more about her and Kuma’s history now.

With that out of the way…holy cow, Egghead Island looks so awesome! Holographic imagery, sleek, metallic appearance, and a machine that can make food for people?!? As a fan of sci-fi, Egghead Island feels like a dream come true! I am seriously looking forward to seeing more of the island of tomorrow, regardless of how long or how short our stay may be!

I Give “Adventure in the Land of Science” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1061 Review/Recap

Dr. Vegapunk, the Leonardo Da Vinci of One Piece. The one responsible for creating the best weapons that the World Government has, and an unparalleled genius. For years, fans of One Piece have waited for the day when we could meet this mad genius for ourselves. Now, the wait is over. WE GOT DR. VEGAPUNK!!!!! Except Vegapunk’s not what we thought they’d be. 

Recap

At the Marine G-14 Base, Tashigi’s watching over the kids from Punk Hazard, giving them medicine to return them to normal. However, the base is being harassed by Helemeppo and someone named Hibari, who are begging for help to save Koby from Blackbeard. Sadly, the Marine in charge of the base refuses to attack Blackbeard’s fortress island. 

Meanwhile, after rescuing Bonney, the Straw Hats come under attack…from this.

Then this happens!

Thankfully, Jinbei saves Luffy, Chopper, and Bonney from drowning and gets them to dry land. As the four dries off, Bonney explains that her crew got captured by that giant metal shark. That’s not the worst part, though. The worst part is that the island they’re on, Egghead, is home to Dr. Vegapunk’s lab.

Elsewhere, the Sunny and other Straw Hats are rescued by the giant robot. As Franky and Usopp freak out over it, the pilot comes out, lamenting her failure to keep the shark under control. She then explains that she didn’t save them; she captured them because she works for the World Government. Who is this woman? According to her, she’s Dr. Vegapunk!

Review

How?!? WHY? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS! 

Firstly, I have questions regarding Vegapunk. Was Vegapunk always a woman, or did they (I will be using non-binary pronouns for now) somehow change bodies? Maybe Vegapunk created a clone of themself and transferred their mind into it. Either that or they got some secret to looking young. Also, I won’t lie: Vegapunk looks hot.

Secondly, this could be the moment when Oda reveals the answers to some of the biggest questions in One Piece. Vegapunk is the smartest person in the world, said to have done extensive research in genetics, cloning, and most importantly, the Devil Fruits. If the Straw Hats meet Vegapunk, they could learn the secret’s behind the Devil Fruits. Vegapunk has to know where they come from and how they work! Or, if Franky can talk them into not being their enemy, they could show them how to upgrade the Sunny. Maybe even make the Sunny a Transformer! So many cool things could happen; I’m giddy with excitement!!

Vegapunk aside, I am curious about why Bonney has business with the Doctor. More importantly, there’s what happened to Koby. If he’s been taken to Blackbeard’s base, and Luffy were to find out, we know what would happen next. Luffy will almost certainly go to war against Blackbeard. The clash between the two is inevitable, but the Straw Hats won’t be able to win alone. They would need to call on every friend and ally they’ve made to take down Blackbeard.

Regardless of my feelings (and I am very emotionally confused about Vegapunk), we have to wait two weeks for it. I can wait, though, as I need to come to terms with Vegapunk’s apparent hotness.

I Give “Egghead, Island of the Future” a 4/5

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