Electrifying chapter.
We see how Sanji vs Queen concludes, with Sanji sending Queen flying to the stratosphere. I remember in one of the earlier translations for chapter 936, Luffy wished to send Queen flying. I guess Sanji did it on his behalf. We later get a small, but fairly touching moment of Sanji reuniting the mouse with the Courtesan. Fittingly, Sanji calls back to the mouse he used to play with, his first friend. One thing of note about this exchange is that, despite all the lecherous antics or how his code is supposedly a burden on the crew, Sanji is at his core a chivalrous gentleman. His one and only concern were whether Chuji and Osome were alright. And you can see that gentleness through these sequences of panels.
To the next and main portion, Zoro vs King continues, revealing King’s face in the process. Learning why he hides his face; we get a sense that King has had to guard himself for years. Merely informing the Government of a Lunarian grants a hefty bounty. Another thing we can add to the running theme of loyalty in this arc. There’s deep dysfunction within the Beast Pirates, from the opportunism of the Flying 6 to usurp the Calamities, to lower cards quick to rat out a superior and/or King perceiving pretty much anyone as a potential enemy.
King, on the other hand, holds immense trust and fealty to Kaido. They formed the Beast Pirates together with a shared goal of changing the world. As to why they want to isn’t clear for now, but King’s potential resentment towards the world for what they’ve done to him, and the fact he is the last remaining Lunarian, may be what motivates him to follow Kaido’s vision, which is a world of violence.
King’s disposition this chapter has changed for me. Prior to this chapter, he seemed like a plainly ruthless antagonist that only followed Kaido because he was the strongest, and the strongest survive. And while that may be still true to an extent, he seems more melancholic. Tragic. King has likely grown up without knowing who his parents were, and being tortured for simply being born the way he is. He has had to suffer the worst of the outside world the people of Wano have feared. Kaido was his savior and salvation. It comes as no surprise, then, that he would be the most devoted follower.
Zoro, now having realized his nature of a king, fights with an ironclad resolve even greater than before. He is in his element. This whole chapter plays as kind of a mirror to 1033, with Zoro in control of the fight and King now on the back foot reflecting on his past. King thinks back to his first encounter with Kaido just as Zoro remembered first joining Luffy in 1033. Kaido was the person to give King a purpose, whilst Zoro was emboldened by Luffy to become the best that he can be.
King seems to take Zoro exuding his conqueror’s haki as an affront on Kaido, which is consistent with Kaido’s disdain for too many conquerors. Kaido’s shadow looms over this fight, as King creates a flame construct in the image of an Eastern Dragon, Kaido’s deified state, and a symbol of power and order within Wano. Zoro tears through that symbol of King’s admiration, vowing to make King remember him in defeat. A nod to Ryuma’s legacy of cementing Wano as the land of Samurai, and Zoro is among them. They will no longer be oppressed by the Dragon.
It could be part of why Kaido is insistent on making Yamato their successor. There can only be one ruler, one who reigns overall, and after his, Kaido’s, time has passed, then Yamato would/should take over. This would contrast with Luffy, who has a conqueror on his ship, and potentially more. A sign of Luffy being a king among kings and a proponent of freedom; a fundamental difference on how Kaido’s and Luffy’s crews operate.
Final note, King’s pretty hot (pun not intended), but Zoro is still better, imo.
We see how Sanji vs Queen concludes, with Sanji sending Queen flying to the stratosphere. I remember in one of the earlier translations for chapter 936, Luffy wished to send Queen flying. I guess Sanji did it on his behalf. We later get a small, but fairly touching moment of Sanji reuniting the mouse with the Courtesan. Fittingly, Sanji calls back to the mouse he used to play with, his first friend. One thing of note about this exchange is that, despite all the lecherous antics or how his code is supposedly a burden on the crew, Sanji is at his core a chivalrous gentleman. His one and only concern were whether Chuji and Osome were alright. And you can see that gentleness through these sequences of panels.
To the next and main portion, Zoro vs King continues, revealing King’s face in the process. Learning why he hides his face; we get a sense that King has had to guard himself for years. Merely informing the Government of a Lunarian grants a hefty bounty. Another thing we can add to the running theme of loyalty in this arc. There’s deep dysfunction within the Beast Pirates, from the opportunism of the Flying 6 to usurp the Calamities, to lower cards quick to rat out a superior and/or King perceiving pretty much anyone as a potential enemy.
King, on the other hand, holds immense trust and fealty to Kaido. They formed the Beast Pirates together with a shared goal of changing the world. As to why they want to isn’t clear for now, but King’s potential resentment towards the world for what they’ve done to him, and the fact he is the last remaining Lunarian, may be what motivates him to follow Kaido’s vision, which is a world of violence.
King’s disposition this chapter has changed for me. Prior to this chapter, he seemed like a plainly ruthless antagonist that only followed Kaido because he was the strongest, and the strongest survive. And while that may be still true to an extent, he seems more melancholic. Tragic. King has likely grown up without knowing who his parents were, and being tortured for simply being born the way he is. He has had to suffer the worst of the outside world the people of Wano have feared. Kaido was his savior and salvation. It comes as no surprise, then, that he would be the most devoted follower.
Zoro, now having realized his nature of a king, fights with an ironclad resolve even greater than before. He is in his element. This whole chapter plays as kind of a mirror to 1033, with Zoro in control of the fight and King now on the back foot reflecting on his past. King thinks back to his first encounter with Kaido just as Zoro remembered first joining Luffy in 1033. Kaido was the person to give King a purpose, whilst Zoro was emboldened by Luffy to become the best that he can be.
King seems to take Zoro exuding his conqueror’s haki as an affront on Kaido, which is consistent with Kaido’s disdain for too many conquerors. Kaido’s shadow looms over this fight, as King creates a flame construct in the image of an Eastern Dragon, Kaido’s deified state, and a symbol of power and order within Wano. Zoro tears through that symbol of King’s admiration, vowing to make King remember him in defeat. A nod to Ryuma’s legacy of cementing Wano as the land of Samurai, and Zoro is among them. They will no longer be oppressed by the Dragon.
It could be part of why Kaido is insistent on making Yamato their successor. There can only be one ruler, one who reigns overall, and after his, Kaido’s, time has passed, then Yamato would/should take over. This would contrast with Luffy, who has a conqueror on his ship, and potentially more. A sign of Luffy being a king among kings and a proponent of freedom; a fundamental difference on how Kaido’s and Luffy’s crews operate.
Final note, King’s pretty hot (pun not intended), but Zoro is still better, imo.
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