- If it seems like Hawkins is one big Jojo reference -- that's because he is. His country is Egypt, uses tarot cards, sends strawman to fight you in his place like stands, redirects death and misfortune similar to Love Train, etc. In an arc full of physical Zoan users and samurai specializing in armament, I have to applaud Oda for giving us some breathing room with a more tricky and brainy battle like Killer Vs Hawkins.
- The irony of Hawkins calling Killer a misfortunate soul for eating a SMILE. Today Fortune smiles on Kid and Killer this chapter maybe to balance out their suffering: he overcomes a 92% chance of defeat, Captain Kid's missing arm becoming a useful exploit, Kid's doll just luckily tucked inside Hawkins's left arm.
- His name is Killer and as compassionate and self-sacrificing he looked this chapter, Killer still killed a bunch of lives to get at Hawkins, was Orochi's assasin and almost executed Toko and Hiyori. He is a ruthless mass murderer to anyone outside his crew and that matches well with Kid.
- The "Tower", destroying the old and a new way forward, also applies to the direction Sanji is going in. Am I the only one who wants to see Evil Sanji pull a Hollow Ichigo and trash Queen in the most ruthless way imaginable but before he crosses a permanent line, Sanji's flaming spirit melts his Vinsmoke heart of ice and a new Sanji is born? Just me? Okay.
A lot going on in this page. Orochi's fire not forgotten and continues to grow in strength. I can only think Yamato better empty that basement fast.
Killer eating Orochi's suspicious fruit for a chance to save his captain, now just outright offering his head. What a guy. It speaks to the gap in loyalty between the Kid and the Hawkins pirates, whose captain can't even stick to an alliance. Hawkins is not even loyal to his own pirate dream.
Killer is surrounded by his victorious crewmates who have surpassed a battlefield of Yonko fodder. Kid and Killer went around Wano freeing these guys so I'm sure they're all ready to sacrifice their own lives. Hawkins, in contrast, falls all by himself with only generic grunts who would probably bail than save his body. Did he sacrifice his crew to make it this far? Were they too weak and defeated by samurai? I wonder if Faust (the mink black cat missing since forever) pulled a suspicious move by avoiding the Kagura all together and will save Hawkins at the end of the arc.
Oda slowly but surely drip feeding us the Kid Pirates. This chapter gave us three more weirdos with Killer. Add those to the pairs from 1024 and 1025 and we might just see every punk, goth and rivethead before Wano ends.
A minor nitpick here, but the strawman from 913 cut by Zoro transferred damage to one of Hawkins's subdordinates. How odd that Hawkins with no lives can still use strawmen and Killer savagely beheading it leads to no consequences. This one was holding a scythe so maybe one day SBS Oda will draw all the summons and their differences.
Very interesting quote by Kid here. He fought Kaido when he dropped from the sky, faced Kaido and Big Mom in the roof, it's possible he didn't meet the one-armed redhead Shanks and lost his arm to hype up a YC
. So why is Kid acting like this is the first time he's met a Yonko?
I can only assume it's directly tied to what Hawkins is saying here.
Law's dream has shifted from Pirate King to discovering the destiny of the D. There will only be one Pirate King at the end of the series so this conversation had to happen at some point to not leave behind a bunch of bitter unfulfilled Supernova. The most impacted is the most ambitious in Eustass Kid.
Now for the first time we're hearing of Kid's DREAM to take down an emperor, to the point that he believes his pirating career was worthless if he can't take one down. Extremely powerful language. Either he takes down a Yonko or he dies a failure, there is no in-between here. After seeing what Luffy did to Kaido in the roof, Kid finally believes the Yonko are the end of the rope - to such an extent that he gave up his Wano vendetta against Kaido, handed it to Luffy and settled for distracting Big Mom. Or so we thought. The tide is turning on Kaido and Big Mom and Kid is frustrated that his body is failing when he's so close to achieving value in life. It's unlikely Kid and Killer will ever get this much focus in another arc, so WHICH Yonko will be hunted down and WHEN? Will there ever be a better opportunity than Big Mom and here?