I spotted a smidgen of gloom in Oda's usually jovial tale-spinning, akin to the grim narrative landscape of Berserk. The Kuma subplot bore a tinge of melancholy, slightly askew from One Piece's buoyant ethos. It's like finding a streak of noir amidst a kaleidoscopic narrative—a whimsical diversion by Oda, perhaps, before gamboling back to the merry narrative we cherish.