Super packed chapter full of that post-battle euphoria. The return of Caesar with the Germa looks promising. Only good things can happen when evil geniuses come together, especially MADS gang like Caesar and Judge.
The Dawn has been delayed due to technical difficulties. With Zunesha dipping out as the Gorosei praise Momo's decision to keep Wano isolated and protected for now, the final panel of Wano that Oda is looking forward to draw is a mystery. Wano is in a very weak state with need for rebuilding, schools restarting from years of Kaido minions controlling children too young to have experienced Oden's death, maybe Momo's wisdom is best. Joy Boy's name is spreading like wild fire, maybe Yamato's work, but it shouldn't be a secret since Momo plans a grand celebration with the pirates. It seems to suggest that perhaps another reason for the ending of Luffy vs Kaido is that the world isn't ready to meet their savior yet, which ties into the delay of the Dawn.
No bathing and eating for a week so she could do it with Luffy. Stinkymato found her new Oden. Lots of amusing wind down moments full of precious Strawhat interaction. Not one but two bath scenes with the largest mixed cast, Wano won't settle for second best in fan service. Momo getting the beating that was coming from both Nami and Hiyori is satisfying though I guess it doesn't hurt anymore. While Luffy and Zoro's conditions are serious issues to be addressed later, it was funny that Sanji being okay became a ZvS gag.
When you faced Kaido and Kizaru, but it's the guy named Killer who gives you a 99% chance of death.
R.I.P Hawkins, likely the first casualty of the legendary Worst Gen. The true 1% man. The irony of having the power to see all possibilities only to make one bad choice after another and lock yourself into a death trap. The odds don't affect the Killer fight since Hawkins could have won then died to someone else. He emphasizes even if he predicted the alliance victory (we don't know if he did), it wouldn't save his skin so he clung to Kaido like Bellamy did to Doflamingo out of pride. Pride is a deadly sin, consuming Hawkins and perhaps the cards saw that. On the flip side, Apoo reminds us that cowardice and turncoating is a successful survival tactic with many characters like Buggy, Caribou and Caesar as living proof.
:Why can't Oda kill characters?
Oda filling out his bingo sheet:
And suddenly Wano became the land of death. Refreshing to know Oda's not afraid to knock some heads going into the final arc. Ashura and Izo get respectable deaths, one saving the Scabbards and letting Inu use Sulong, Izo rescuing Kinemon/little Kiku/Usopp. Unfortunate the impact was muddled by Kanjuro/Orochi/Kinemon's fake outs, nevertheless, the two were the most distant from the Kozuki cause and therefore the most disposable. Now Ashura joins all his bretheren who fell prematurely to Kaido, Izo joins all the WB Pirates lost over two recent wars. Gotta feel for Marco. Usopp saw gunman Izo's final resolve before he fell as an honorable warrior, this could have big ramifications for his own development.
Flower man arrives in the Flower Capital. A fairly simple prediction that the Admiral who hasn't eaten in 3 years would arrive in the country of starvation full of barren wastelands in much need of greenery. It mirrors how the blind Fujitora arrived in the country where Doflamingo vanished his victims from plain sight as toys in the underground, and later used his power to help Dressrosa dispose of its trash. It's doubtful Ryokugyu wants any smoke, but it is curious that the real Japan remained isolated until it was opened up by a foreign Navy. He seemingly also intercepted the WG's conversation over Nico Robin, the human flower girl, curiously absent from this chapter. Aokiji, Kizaru, Akainu, Sengoku, Fujitora...the Strawhats now meet their final Admiral.
The newspaper is here--it's Emperor Buggy time.
Nothing quite like bounty posters and reaction panels to give you an adrenaline rush. The pay off of a massive 140-chapter arc is especially fun when we know all the Beast pirate bounties and they're not frozen like a Shichibukai's crew. We can see exactly how CP0/Apoo broke down the credit for the raid, what it means to defeat a Yonko, how dangerous the WG views Nika, etc. Luffy's bounty normally triples when Oda wants to make a statement, but 4.5 bill is still under Kaido. If Luffy vs Blackbeard is to be the showdown between the strongest pirates in history, it's gotta be 5+ bill. Considering the break and final saga announcement, 1053 will be nothing less than legendary.
