A splendid Robin chapter. I did not imagine she would ever get a fight this good. Franky and Senor Pink sharing a drink is one of the best covers of them all, I only wish it was part of the main story.
Gigante Fleur: giant wacky inflatable arms girl. Robin and Black Maria treat us to a very creative fight given the versatility of their powers. Robin summons snake arms and a giant corpse (only good for getting beat up it seems) from the floor. Even if Maria sets it on fire, Robin could have just sprouted limbs on the roof, walls or directly on Maria's back. Too broken. Oda doesn't protect his girl like Nami and shows us Robin getting sliced, beaten, spitting blood and collapsing to add to the tension and struggle. Nice bit of smarts and technique at play too as Robin palms the roof like Sabo would a colosseum to bring down rubble, leading to a mid-battle flashback on what Robin picked up from the Revs.
Robin using palm heel thrusts like a martial artist the entire time. Her training with Sabo and Koala was right under our noses.
Black Maria is all woman, maybe an itsy bit spider given all those puns. She felt a quasi-Mythical Zoan the entire time with a half human/half Zoan form like Marco but with two heads, emitting hallucination mist, fingertip webs powerful enough to restrain Sanji, poison tip legs and a head that spits fire because why not. This spider couldn't match the raw physicality of the dinos having to put on a brass knuckle to pound Robin, but her endless trickery gave her a creative arsenal to challenge Robin at every turn. She met all my expectations of a minor female antagonist, I can see why Oda figured another Zoan transformation was unnecessary.
Can't say Robin didn't warn her.
Robin unleashes her inner Devil Child all grown up. In a battle where she was labeled a burden to her own crew, a mere tool to be sacrificed by other Strawhats like Sanji, reminded of her cursed existence through Ohara illusions, it's very fitting that Robin becomes the demon Black Maria was mocking. The menacing Hakuba-like shading, horns and bat wings look like the Hana Hana made a dark "Bat Flower" bloom this time. Robin spitting Maria's words back in her face using a submission hold with a leg choke to end it all was devastating. Robin may have picked up new martial arts recently, but she's first and foremost an expert grappler.
Brook as classy as ever, using a G-Cleft to finish the peanut gallery for his part. Given that every shot of Kunyun makes this Number look smaller than a typical giant, it's not too impressive and I hope Brook plays a key role in protecting Robin in her vulnerable state.
Gonna be real awkward pairing adult Momo with little Tama. Oda cuts to the chase as Caribou was brought in to feed Luffy and does exactly that. The cliffhanger is Momo putting in an odd request that Shinobu make him into a man. Pause. Turns out the Juku Juku only affecting the inanimate was apparently a mistranslation. Momo may desire a mature body to join the fight or simply have the strength to fly to Onigashima. Perhaps he's thinking something greater like countering Kaido's massive dragon clouds. Wouldn't mind seeing the badass pink dragon from Chapter 310 or adult Momo picking up Ame no Habakiri. If Momo really needs to return to a childish body post-Wano, the Scabbards can go on a cover story serial to find Jewelry Bonney.
Quite impressed with how each fight has been better than the last. I cannot wait to see what's in store for Kaido's commanders.