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One Piece Chapter 975 Review/Recap

In the last chapter of One Piece, the story finally returned to the present. We learned that Kanjuro was a spy for Orochi the entire time. Worse, the Scabbards got surrounded by the Beast Pirates and Momonosuke was captured. It looked like the end for the Alliance. However, we know better than that. Sure enough, the Straw Hat, Heart, and Kid Pirates showed up in their ships, ready for battle. The opening salvos of the war to liberate Wano are about to be fired!

Grab some popcorn. This is going to be good.

Recap

Despite being caught off guard by the pirates arrival, the Beast Pirates refuse to back down. They boast about how their allies will all die, and about the alliance between Kaido and Big Mom. Luffy, Law, and Kid couldn’t care less, though, and kick the Beast Pirates butts. Just then, Boss “Kyoshiro” appears, and the Beast Pirates think they’re saved. However, “Kyoshiro” attacks them instead, and finally reveals his true identity as Denjiro of the Nine Red Scabbards.

Denjiro then pledges the support of his family to the Alliance before revealing that he freed the thousand prisoners in the Flower Capital. Better still, Denjiro tells everyone that Orochi’s destruction of the bridges changed nothing. the Alliance forces had already linked up at the true rendevous point: the Maple Tree that Lord Yasuie cherished. More than 5,400 warriors now stand ready to fight.

Review

I cannot stop grinning after reading this chapter; I’m esctactic! I’ve seen the Straw Hats rally against impossible odds like this before. Even so, I can’t help but laugh my butt off at what they did! The Alliance now has an army of 5,400 pirates, samurai, ninja, and minks ready to free Wano.

This is a sizable army by pirate standards. However, the Alliance is outnumbered four to one. The Beast Pirates have 20,000 members, with most of its upper members on par with the Alliance Members. There’s also Orochi’s men and anyone Big Mom has brought with her. In other words, this will still be an uphill battle.

In addition, there’s still no sign of Jinbei anywhere, so the Straw Hats have yet to be fully reunited. However, I think he’ll show up before or during the battle like a badass.

Am I worried? Not in the slightest. They may be outnumbered, but from what I’ve seen from the Alliance, they have the Yonko outclassed. This will be a day long remembered. It will see the end to Orochi, and hopefully, the fall of Big Mom and Kaido. BRING IT ON, BITCH!

I Give “Kin’emon’s Plan” A 4.5/5

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One Piece, Chapter 963 Review/Recap

Since One Piece started the flashback to the life of Oden Kozuki, I’ve had mixed feelings about it. I like them, but they don’t tell us the important things. I want to know how Oden got out of Wano and his connection to Roger and Whitebeard. Thankfully, this chapter sees the story starting to get to the good stuff. In the short-term, though, we see the Nine Red Scabbards become true Samurai.

Recap

Thirty-three years ago, a young Kawamatsu found Inuarashi and Nekomamushi washed ashore in Kuri. The superstitious locals tried to burn them thinking them to be monsters, only for Oden to tell them off about it. Grateful, the trio follow Oden home and pledge themselves to him. Sometime later, the group of nine tries stealing money from Yasuie, only for him to give it to them. Thanks to his kindness, they get the proper lessons they need in order to become true Samurai. When Oden returns to the Flower Capital three years later, they’re able to create a formal procession. Needless to say, everyone’s jaws dropped.

Oden rushed to the Capital because he heard his father was ill, but he turned out to be fine. However, this would be their last meeting ever. Later that year, Whitebeard’s ship washes ashore on Kuri beach. Seizing his chance, Oden goes to meet the Whitebeard Pirates. Clashing blades with Whitebeard, he asks the future Yonko one thing: let me sail with you!

Review

Well, there you have it, folks: the formation of the Nine Red Scabbards. The greatest Samurai in all of Wano; and something I didn’t care about. The one thing I appreciated from their story is confirming what Kawamatsu is: he’s a fish-man. I didn’t want to assume what he was, though, because of all the crazy stuff we’ve seen in One Piece.

As interesting as seeing the Scabbards becoming samurai was, the ending’s what I’m most interested in. I don’t know how Whitebeard got his massive ship into Wano, but I know that this is the moment Oden’s waiting for. He’s going to join the Whitebeard Pirates and escape to the outside world at last, thus cementing his place in history. We know he’ll be fine, but seeing him hold his own against Whitebeard drives home how strong he is. The samurai of Wano are dangerous, indeed.

However, the most important thing about this chapter is something that others may overlook. Oden’s father had fallen ill, and we know that he dies before Oden returns to Wano. Then we see that Orochi’s now a servant for Lord Sukiyaki. All I’m doing right now is speculating, but I know a hint when I see it: Orochi poisoned Oden’s father. We may have to wait a while to learn the truth, but that’s what my gut tells me.

The point is, I’m glad the manga’s going to start answering the lingering questions about the Wano Arc. It’s the perfect way to tie up loose ends before we see Luffy kick Kaido’s ass. We’ll most likely have to wait unto 2020 to see the Samurai strike, but I think it’s worth it.

I Give “Becoming Samurai” a 3.5/5. Also, that Mountain God Oden sliced up is still alive!

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One Piece, Chapter 961 Review/Recap

Last chapter of One Piece gave us our first look at the life and times of Oden Kozuki, and his life was crazy. His father couldn’t take it anymore, so he had to disown him. At that moment, though, the capital came under attack. By a boar so big, that it’s called the “Mountain God.”

Recap

Thanks to Kin’emon stealing its child, the Mountain God Boar devastates the Flower Capital in search of its kid. Entire sections of the city and its people get eaten, including Tsuru. Furious, Kin’emon tries, and fails, to slay the Mountain God. However, Oden then lures it in using its child, and with his two swords, he slays the Boar and saves everyone inside.

Even though he saved the city, everyone still blames him for the Mountain God’s attack. His disownment holds up, and thus Oden leaves the Flower Capital. He’s not alone, though: Kin’emon and Denjiro are so impressed by what he did that they choose to become his followers. Thus, the trio heads to stay with Lord Yasuie, where they meet his new servant: Orochi.

….what?

Review

If it were in any other story, seeing Oden slice the Mountain God Boar in half would be all kinds of badass. Considering how we’ve seen Zoro do similar feats before, and most of the heroes and villains have done crazier stuff. In other words, its not as impressive. It makes for one heck of an origin story, though, and this is Oden started to rise to world renown.

Now, for the elephant in the room; or rather, the snake. I’ve had theories about Orochi’s backstory, and now it looks like we have our answer. He was a servant of Yasuie. What puzzles me more, though, is what led him to betray his country and even kill his former Lord? Then again, he looks like the kind of person who would brown-nose anyone to advance in life.

While seeing the backstory for the Wano characters is fine, I felt it was a little unecessary to see Oden kill the Mountain God. We’ve seen crazier feats before, so we didn’t need the affirmation of how strong Oden was. I hope that this flashback doesn’t run for too long, as I want to see the war for Wano play out. Regretfully, we’ll have to wait two weeks for that to happen.

I Give “The Mountain God Incident” a 3/5. Cool, but not Amazing.

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One Piece, Chapter 960 Review/Recap

One Piece has spent the entire Wano Arc building Oden Kozuki into this lather-than-life legend. How he was the only person to injure Kaido. How he was a member of the Roger and Whitebeard Pirates. Yet the Wano Arc’s entering its climax, and we know so little about the man. Thus, before the final battle for Wano, One Piece gives us its traditional, expository flashback. This is the story of Oden Kozuki.

Recap

Thirty-nine years ago, Oden Kozuki already garnered a reputation at age 18 for all kinds of trouble. With Oden having failed to leave for the 38th time, his father decides to disown him for his troublemaking. As for Oden himself, he’d already return to the Flower Capital to pay respects at a man’s funeral and cremation. By cooking a bowl of oden and drinking sake over the deceased crematory pyre.

While all of this is going down, a young Kine’mon steals a white boar from a group of Yakuza. His plan is to sell it, but before he can, the Flower Capital’s attacked by a giant Mountain Boar God. While everyone’s terrified, Oden confidently tells Kine’mon to give him the boar.

Review

I will not lie: when I all of Oden Kozuki’s exploits in his youth, I couldn’t stop laughing at how crazy they were. The stuff he got away with before he turned 18 sounds like something out of an American Tall Tale. Here’s a list of everything he did up to this point, and I’m taking this directly from the chapter:

• Threw his wet nurse across the room before he was a year old
• Was already defeating wild animals by age 4
• Started visiting the Red Light District at 6. Proceeded to get himself banned by the Yakuza and declared war on them by age 10.
• Became the boss of the quarry he was sent to.
• When the Capital suffered from drought, he tried diverting a river, causing the place to flood
• At age 15, he started taking women from the Capital for his own harem, and started a war with their loved ones when they came after him.

Like I said, tall tales, and they’re awesome! With his larger than life personality and inhuman feats, it’s no wonder why Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, and even the Navy leaders respected him. He’s as rowdy and crazy as many of them.

However, that being said, I think underneath his irresponsible demeanor, Oden Kozuki wanted what’s best for Wano. While eating his namesake food over a man’s pyre was disrespectful, it should be noted that he drank his sake like he was sharing a drink with an old friend. He cares about Wano, in his own crazy way. If he didn’t, then why would he try to save it when there’s a drought?

Oden’s Red Scabbards

In addition, this chapter gave us a look at what the Nine Red Scabbards were like in their youth. We knew that they were ne’er-do-wells, but that’s about it. The most important thing about the Red Scabbards, though, is that we saw their ninth member, Denjiro. As several people point out, he looks a lot like Zoro’s sword master: whether this is a coincidence remains unknown, but I hope to see where this goes.

This Will Be Fun

I was somewhat frustrated that the manga switched to a flashback right before the final battle. After reading this chapter, though, I’m on board for what comes next. I want to see how Oden left Wano, what he did with Whitebeard and Roger, everything. In addition, Eichiro Oda’s proven himself a master at world building. I know that he knows what he’s doing with his story. We may have to wait to find out how the Straw Hats got themselves out fo their mess in the present, but it will be worth it.

I Give “Enter Kozuki Oden” a 5/5. Great setup for a flashback.

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One Piece Chapter 959 Review/Recap

The last chapter of One Piece saw hope give way to utter despair. On the appointed day of the Fire Festival, the Nine Red Scabbards are horrified to find none of their allies have made it. We’ve been in the dark on Orochi’s actions for two weeks now. However, our latest chapter shed some light on how Orochi was a step ahead of the Samurai.

Recap

Two days before the rendezvous at Tokage Harbor, the Alliance splits up for the Fire Festival. Their plan is to arrive in separate groups to not attract suspicion, but Luffy can’t help but feel uneasy. He realizes that Jinbei has yet to show up in Wano, even though Big Mom’s already there. Everyone assures him that he will make it, though.

However, the day before the rendezvous, Orochi launches a pre-emptive strike. Using the Beast Pirates aerial units, he severs the bridges connecting Wano, attacks the Thousand Sunny, and destroys the Alliance fleet. Nonetheless, the Nine Red Scabbards choose to go out and fight, even though it will mean their deaths.

Review

You should never underestimate the power of the fool in a time of war. Yasuie made that clear, and now Orochi has driven the point home. If he weren’t a slimeball, I’d have to respect him for his sound strategy of separating the Alliance. The fact that he knows of the Nine Red Scabbards and their travel through time is of greater concern, though. He’s now a full step ahead of the Alliance, and they’ve lost any advantage.

I know that the Alliance isn’t out of the fight yet, and I think I know another way they can get to the rendezvous point. Oda wouldn’t have brought Jinbei up now unless he’s foreshadowing a future plot point. My guess is that Jinbei will show up with a new way to get to Onigashima. It’s all we have to go on at this point.

We’ll have to wait a while to find out what happens, though. After many months of dodging it, we’re finally getting a flashback to Kozuki Oden and his life. I wish Oda had done this at an earlier point, but this flashback will answer any lingering questions about the Wano characters, Oden, and how Orochi came to power. It should be interesting, but let’s hope it doesn’t drag on. Orochi may be a step ahead now, but the war’s not over!

I Give “Samurai” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 958 Review/Recap

Today’s the big day day for One Piece. The third act of the Wano Arc’s set to begin. Unfortunately, it chooses to start with a whimper. I’m not saying that as an insult, though. I’m saying it because Orochi did something to sabotage the Alliance. Let me explain.

Recap

In a flashback, we see Kozuki Oden conversing with the Roger Pirates as he prepares to leave. He’s been summoned to Wano to become Shogun, but vows to open its borders to the world in twenty years time. Thus, Act Three begins.

In the present, Orochi’s men head to Onigashima for the Fire Festival as the Flower Capital celebrates. The festivals the only day when alcohol is legal, so everyone’s partying. Elsewhere, in Tokage Harbor, The Red Scabbards and Momonuske arrive to find nothing.

A fearsome storm has wracked Tokage harbor, and none of their allies are present, not even the Straw Hats. The port shows signs of being attacked, and the group begins to give into despair 😩. As the chapter ends, it’s revealed that Orochi did something to Tokage Harbor the night before the rendezvous.

Review

My worst fears have seemingly been confirmed: Orochi knew about the whole plan. It was made clear that he knew about the new rendezvous point, so I expected he would do something. Yet I never expected anything like this to happen.

Even if Orochi hadn’t done anything, this storm would have made departure almost impossible. I’ve read about something like this. When the Mongols tried to invade Japan a second time, their fleet was destroyed in a massive storm. The Japanese called it a “Kamikaze” or divine wind. Now it looks like the same thing is preventing Wano’s champions from freeing her.

This is just my theory, but I think the Alliance was forced to move to a new location or remain anchored outside the harbor. They’d have Nami with them, so I doubt a mere storm could sink the fleet. I also don’t think the Alliance would be destroyed at Tokage. Not with the Straw Hats there.

As a side note, I liked seeing the flashback of Oden and the Roger Pirates. It’s clear that Oden was held in high regard by all who knew him, making it all the more heartbreaking to know of his unjust fate. He may be dead, but his will lives on his children and followers. The Alliance will win, and Orochi will die.

Sadly, we must wait two weeks to learn what happened the night before. It’s unfortunate, but no use crying about it. Just means there’s more time to get hyped up for the final battle!

I Give “The Promised Harbor” a 4/5. Good setup for the climax.

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One Piece, Wano Arc, Act Two Recap

One Piece is now well into what’s likely its biggest story yet: the Wano Arc. The second act came to a close last week, and there’s a lot to unpack! With the Straw Hats about to enter their greatest battle yet, I think now’s a good time to recap some of the major events of Act Two as we make last minute preparations.

Luffy Seizes Udon Prison and Gains an Army

Luffy didn’t get as much attention in Act Two, with most of the action following the other members of the Alliance. He was imprisoned inside Udon because Kaido wanted to break him into his subordinate. That’s not going to stop him from playing a major role in what happens, though.

As I predicted, he was in charge of Udon within a few days, though not how I pictured it. An old enemy showed up and starting attacking the prison, and Luffy used the opportunity to take control of it. Now the thousands of prisoners within, all of whom have an axe to grind with Kaido, have joined the Alliance. Out of those new allies are some very powerful people. Aside from Cairbou, Luffy managed to win over an old man named Hyogoro. Back in Oden’s day, he was the head of the Yakuza, and with him, the Yakuza’s old guard has joined the Alliance.

Orochi Hears of the Alliance’s Plans

I hoped that the Alliance could keep things secret until the day of reckoning came, but that rarely happens. Orochi was able to hear rumors of the Alliance’s plans, and made efforts to counter them. His people started arresting rebels and potential allies across Wano, and even though they believe he’s crazy, he’s actually right. Many of those allies remain imprisoned on the day of the final battle.

Fortunately, though, two critical pieces of info seem to remain unknown to Orochi. First, he doesn’t know that the Nine Red Sheaths are alive, and most have reunited. The fact that he doesn’t know could be th decisive factor in the war. Even so, the Alliance has largely lost the element of surprise. I’m not going to count those men imprisoned off the board yet, though.

Big Mom’s in Wano

Big Mom really holds a grudge against people. After being humiliated by Luffy on her home turf, she follows him to Wano with her children to kill him. It goes awry when she’s thrown overboard by Kaido’s men, and she ends up suffering amnesia. She ends up reverting to the kind personality she had as a kid and becomes an ally of Chopper’s group as they go to rescue Luffy. In the fight that follows, she gets hit on the head and ends up remembering everything.

After being captured by Kaido and brought to him, the two clash for some time. Then, in a complete reversal, the two decide form their own alliance to conquer the world. Then they’ll fight each again.

This is the worst possible scenario. I don’t know if Luffy can handle two Yonko at once. Hopefully, she won’t have time to bring her armies to Wano. If she does, there’s no way the Alliance can win. I still think Luffy can win, though.

RIP, Lord Yasuie.

While traveling around Wano, Zoro ended up befriending this weird old man named Tonoyasu. I didn’t think much of him at the time, but I have learned all too often to never underestimate a fool. Tonoyasu turned out to be far more important than we could have imagined.

In reality, Tonoyasu was really Lord Yasuie, the last of the feudal lords from before Orochi came to power. He acted as a mentor and father figure to Oden Kozuki and the Nine Red Sheaths, and waited for the day they would return. When he realizes that their plans were in danger of being discovered, he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Letting himself be captured, Yasuie was then personally and publicly executed by Orochi. However, he used his last moments to convince everyone that the rumors about the Nine Red Sheaths were a prank he made up. He then proceeded to mock Orochi for the coward he is before his life ended.

Yasuie’s death hit those who knew him very hard. The Nine Red Sheaths were driven into deep mourning, while the village he lived in couldn’t even express their sorrow. They were cursed to smile forever by Doflamingo’s SMILE fruits. Zoro was enraged to try and kill Orochi then and there, and still intends to do so. The hardest hit, though, has to be his daughter Toko.

His sacrifice wasn’t in vain, though. His dying act left Orochi’s men doubting about the rebellion, and the changes he made to their symbol gave them a new location to group at. I hope he watches from the afterlife as Orochi falls. RIP, Lord Yasuie; forever respect.

Momonosuke’s Sister, Hiyori

One interesting thing we learned in Act Two is that Momonusuke has a little sister named Hiyori. When he and some of the Nine Red Sheaths were sent to the future, she was left behind. This was done to ensure that the Kozuki Clan would survive in some form. So now she’s an adult, which is weird.

Hiyori did pretty well for herself in that time. Under the alias Komurasaki, she rose to become the top Geisha in Wano, and considered the most beautiful woman in the world. She also had Toko, Yasuie’s daughter, as her attendant and best friend.

After an incident at Orochi’s palace, Hiyori had to fake her death to protect Toko and fled the capital. She ran into Zoro, and the three stayed together for a while until the time came for Zoro to rejoin with the others. She also seems quite fond of him.

Despite my concerns at first that she was the kind of person who was pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside, Hiyori’s proven her selflessness. She slapped Orochi for trying to kill Toko, and refused to apologize for it, opting to fake her death instead. She’s also quite cunning, using her looks to swindle corrupt men out of their fortunes. And, admittedly, she’s cuter without all those jewels and headpieces adorning her hair. I have a feeling she shall play a major role in the final battle, though I don’t know how.

The Monster Trio Gets Stronger

The Straw Hats and their Alliance are facing an enemy like nothing they’ve ever fought before. It’s going to take all their skill and luck to win this fight, but I’m confident they can do it. Most importantly, though, this Act has seen the Monster Trio skyrocket in terms of strength.

For those who don’t know, Monster Trio refers to the three strongest fighters in the Straw Hat Pirates: Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.

Despite getting his family to leave him alone after Whole Cake Island, Sanji still got an unwelcomed gift in the form of a Raid Suit. While he at first refused to use it, events in Act Two forced to do so. It took his already superhuman strength and managed to make it skyrocket. Plus, it lets him turn invisible like he always wanted.

After losing Ryuuma’s sword, Shusui, Zoro was hellbent on getting it back. Hiyori, however, persuaded him to let it remain as Wano’s national treasure once more. In exchange, she gave him one of her father’s swords, Enma. The blades powerful enough to slice through an island. Yet because it drains its user of their Haki, only Oden Kozuki was ever able to master it.

As for Luffy, he used his time in Udon to train his body to get even stronger, even while wearing Seastone handcuffs. His main problem, though, is getting his Armament Haki to the point where it can override Kaido’s and let him hit the Yonko. With help from Hyogoro, Luffy’s mastered another advanced form of Haki. Now he stands closer to an even playing field with Kaido.

Prepare for War

It doesn’t matter how you look at this. One Piece is about to enter one of its biggest chapters yet; one that’s going to shake the heavens. When the dust settles, I think this could end up leaving a big impact on the manga industry, if done right. This can easily end up being the biggest story One Piece has told since Marineford. I can’t wait!

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