465: Victory is Justice - Sengoku's Plan Goes into Action!
Despite using the last of his strength to reach out towards Ace, Oars Jr. collapses to the ground, as Moria proclaims that this is how one really kills a person. As Whitebeard watches the tragic scene one of the Giants tries to attack him, but Whitebeard shatters his weapon with a seismic wave, and then sends another one into the man's head and tosses his limp body away like a rag doll. While the battlefield marvels over him manhandling a Giant like that, Whitebeard orders his men to charge across Oars Jr's. body in order to reach the inner plaza.
Meanwhile, division commander Atomos approaches Doflamingo, eager to avenge the fallen Oars Jr. Doflamingo laughs at his challenge, and declares that being at the center of a turning point in history is greatly exciting. Atomos has none of this and attacks, but Doflamingo paralyzes him with only a gesture.
After taking in the growing carnage, Coby and Helmeppo make a break from the battlefield and to the Marineford city, but they're not the only ones with that idea, since they overhear voices and hide behind a building from a marine soldier and Admiral Akainu. The marine pleads to be left alone and escape the battlefield, since thinking about dying on his family terrifies him. Akainu orders him to return to the fighting, and says that the marines carry the world's justice on their backs and anyone who shames themselves has no right to call themselves a marine. If he really cared for his family, he wouldn't go around disgracing them like he has. The marine still objects, so Akainu activates his lava and apparently melts the guy as punishment. Witnessing this, Coby wonders how on earth anyone can do that to an ally, but then he overhears another marine reporting that preparations for a new operation are complete.
Meanwhile the fighting's growing more intense as the pirates have managed to make a second breach in the bay walls. Atomos is still helpless against Doflamingo's power, and despite yelling for them to get away, he is forced to cut down his own men. Doflamingo laughs away at the spectacle, and makes a little speech about how the sets of values change depending on who is on top. Whoever wins here will be "justice".
Eyecatches: Brook and Luffy
Sengoku receives a new battle report but dismisses it. He contacts Tsuru by telesnail who, after using her powers of the Wash Wash Fruit to literally hang some pirates out to dry, proceeds to spread the word to the Navy that their new plan is going into action. After he receives the news, Garp ascends the execution scaffold steps, much to Ace's surprise. Sengoku asks if he's come to protest his plan, but Garp denies that, as they can't afford to show mercy to pirates. He says all he's going to do is sit down, which he does.
This invites a flashback, to a time where Garp had gotten into an argument with young Ace and Luffy, as he of course wanted them to become marines while they insisted otherwise, though they do end up agreeing on the dangers of Luffy devouring the entire food stores of a Navy ship in a single day. Present Garp proclaims that he has no sympathy for criminals, but that doesn't go for his family. Tearing up, he curses that Ace didn't lead the life that he should've led. Sengoku says that he won't show any mercy if Garp tries to interfere in things, and Garp retorts that if he were going to do anything, he would have done it already.
Meanwhile Coby learns via his telesnail that the plan is to execute Ace ahead of schedule, but before he can really discuss it with Helmeppo, the two are distracted by a voice...
...which turns out to be from none other than Luffy and his team screaming in terror as fall out of the sky. Ivankov wails that he does not want to die like this, and Crocodile blames this predicament on his wink attacks, while Buggy moans that he never should have listened to Luffy's plan. Luffy's just as worried that he's going to die from the fall until he remembers that his rubbery body will survive, angering the others even more. Most everyone on the battlefield has to marvel; leave it to Luffy to make an entrance like this!
This episode, for the most part, wasn't really all that. Save for Whitebeard defeating the Giant and some of the flashback bits, the art and animation weren't anything special. The beginning with Oars Jr. just made me angry because of how drawn out it was. I mean, if he were actually dead that would justify the amount of time spent on that scene, and to be honest that's how it should be, but Oda always cops out on this kind of stuff, which completely ruins the intended emotion, so as a result the audience doesn't bother to emotionally invest themselves to begin with.
I did like the flashbacks, however. I really like how Garp's inner conflict is being portrayed here. He's a true blue marine, but he still loves his (adopted) family, and is thus torn between his family and his profession. Quite a tough situation to be in.
Coby's situation, eh, I don't quite care for. While I do appreciate the added filler with Yukimura being taken down to add depth to his situation, it kinda betrays your expectations for him after his meeting with Luffy in Water 7. I know Zoro mentioned that he's still a bit of a crybaby, but you'd think that he'd have grown out of it a bit more than he has.
Well, Luffy's now finally here, and the action should start getting more intense from here on out.
