479: The Execution Platform's in Reach! The Path to Ace is Open!!
As everyone reacts in disbelif at Luffy possessing the Overlord's Ambition, Ivankov comes to the conclusion that it's still a sleeping power, and thinks to himself that Dragon's blood is making itself known. Vice-Admiral Doberman sends a groups of marines after the two, but Whitebeard blows them away, calling the Navy cowards for being this afraid of one kid. His commanders attempt to join the fight, but Whitebeard instead orders all of them to back Luffy up at all costs. As Whitebeard's men and allies defend Luffy from various enemies, Ivankov claims that Whitebeard is testing him by putting all his hopes on Luffy's shoulders. Luffy retorts that he doesn't care, since saving Ace is his only reason for being here.
Luffy and Ivankov run into Mihawk, who immediately attacks. However, Mr. 1 of all people leaps in front of them and blocks the slash, explaining that Crocodile's orders are to hinder the Navy now. Mihawk's second attack takes him down, but he's blocked from Luffy by Crocodile himself, who says that he's in a very foul mood right now.
Eyecatches: Usopp and Luffy
Outside the battlefield, Buggy expresses his frustration at everyone being focused on Luffy right now, and resolves to do something about that, and so has the prisoners thaw the telesnail so that they'll be able to use it again.
With the path to the scaffold now open, Ivankov starts speaking to someone hidden, saying that even though he's not fully healed yet, Luffy has need of his power. Inazuma pops out of Ivankov's afro and says not to worry, before jumping to the ground. Using his powers, Inazuma cuts up a long strip of the stone paving and hurls it upwards until it hits the scaffold, providing a ramp straight to the top. With the Whitebeard forces holding the marines off, Luffy manages to ascend the ramp untouched.
However, there's one last opponent. Something slams into the ramp and when the rubble clears, Luffy's path is blocked by his grandfather, Garp. Luffy shouts for him to get out of the way, and Garp retorts that he's a Vice-Admiral, and has been fighting pirates since before he was born. If he wants to get past, it'll be over his dead body, for that's the path Luffy has chosen.
The thing that stuck out the most with this episode was how bad the art was. The animator credits were filled with foreign names, which is always a tip-off that things won't be firing on all four cylinders.
Most of the episode was pretty repetitive. It does answer the question of what happened to Inazuma, since we had been AWOL throughout the entire battle up to this point and I highly doubt they just left him on board the battleship they came in. Ending sets up a confrontation with Luffy and Garp, but, well, we'll see.
