One Piece

So I guess I was right to stop reading when I did?
Maybe when the manga's over I'll read a decent synopsis and then the last arc(s).

Was an official height ever given for Human/Heavy Point Chopper? Assuming it's between 5'11" (Sanji's height) and 6'2" (Robin's height), then it will still be the case that starting with Nami, every successive crew member has been taller than the last.

And speaking of, still no reappearance of Jinbe, from what I can tell from the wiki. Wack.

@firewriter yes, although I'd say they've reached global fame since the timeskip, which helps giving the two parts a different vibe. And I like how he manages to somehow make that these arcs advances the plot, even if just by a tiny bit, it helps the story give the feeling that it's not dragged, but goes as long as it was intended to be (despite being planned for being shorter). I also think it's gonna last a bit more than Oda's stated "110 volumes" (where did someone get the "10 volumes left"?) because, well, he loves so much his story he keeps adding stuff

Also, another thing I'm discovering about One Piece is the insane amount of references to other works, artists, historical or even real life places there are in this world. It's a shame the average reader (like me) cannot get them all. I wish I had a larger knowledge to get them

Well, if you want another opinion, I'm enjoying the arc so far, although it might be reaching Marineford level of confusing action by the time the final chaos ensues (I hope not). Of course, if you prefer reading it in one go, I reccomend it too. I also find more enjoyable reading the arcs in one go (as with most mangas, after all, they're sold in volumes for a reason)

Sorry for the double post, but I've noticed that Shutenmaru (the fat samurai-bandit) has the same tatto on his shoulder as the ex-yakuza boss. Could it mean he became a Yakuza during his Heel–Face Turn?

@fishysaur

So true. Especially if you are a Japanese read, and probably know a lot about the history of the country and culture back in the Feudal period.

It's occured to me that Komurasaki is just Violet again, except with Zoro taking Sanji's place.

Like Dressrosa I feel like the royal family buisness might end up being one of the worse parts about the arc.

Momo is already a shit character, so we're off to a good start.

@Black Yakuzu 94

Except Komurasaki reasons for finally turning face wasn't because of falling in love.

@slimcoder

I kind of disagree. Because I feel Komurasaki has been more interesting than Rebecca. Not to mention she has more agency than she ever will have. Koramusaki is like Violet, where she is the focus character instead of her wishy washy niece.

Edited by firewriter on Apr 5th 2019 at 12:18:49 PM

We actually don't know her motives yet for the record.

However, I feel more empathy for their side, because we have the focus stay on them through the multiple characters affected by the Kozuki clan. On the other hand, the many supporting characters had no connection with the Rikus, except the dwarves, so we ended up not feeling for them in contrast with more interesting characters with a grudge against Doflamingo.

I haven't actually seen or heard anything that actually makes me interested in any of the Kodzuki family.

firewriter, I fail to see why you're bringing up Viola being "better" than Rebecca (debatable) when Slimcoder said no such thing.

If the point is both the Riku family and the Kodzuki's are uninteresting I agree.

Edited by LSBK on Apr 5th 2019 at 2:33:37 PM

Her rather sudden personality shift is doing her no favors to me.

If she is actually a good person then she can rot in Hell for wasting my time.

Well I did say the Oden family might end up being as bad as the Riku family so that started the comparisons though that was more a general statement to be honest.

Edited by slimcoder on Apr 5th 2019 at 12:37:15 PM

...That's not normally a thing a person should rot in hell for.

Fiction huh? Where being a good guy makes you far more hate-able than being a villain.

Note that I kinda get what you're saying and why, but it still sounds really weird.

Edited by HandsomeRob on Apr 5th 2019 at 1:53:18 PM

I'm thinking that good guy Royals is kind of an awkward fit for One Piece in general- the series tends to be the Straw Hats running into a Bad People in a position of power in each new island they visit, and then they tear the Bad People out of that position of power. Which you might notice is an M.O. that's inherently opposed to the idea of Monarchy.

And it's especially weird here because we haven't been given a lot of indication that the Odens are necessarily great people? Like, we've heard about good things Momo's dad did, but it's not like that carries over and guarantees that his children will be as good. Like, they'll be better than Orochi maybe, but ousting a corrupt ruler and replacing him with one that might not be as bad isn't exactly a goal I can get emotionally invested in.

@slimcoder

I am going to honest. I understand the Riku hate, but I don't really don't think the Kozuki clan warrant it. Also I think that with Hiyori/Komurasaki it was a better transition.

Well his son is a dumbass pervert after & his daughter apparently swindles people out of their money & ruins their lives so I don’t think either of them are very good people.

I do not see how she or how the transition is better.

Edited by slimcoder on Apr 5th 2019 at 11:01:06 AM

I personally didn't find the Riku family bad but neither interesting (or at least, what I liked was the idea of a king who puts all his faith, and tells his people to do so, into a pirate, despite having been ruled by a pirate for ten years). I did howver loved the relationship between Rebecca and Kyros (feel free to stone me XD)

However, there's something weird about Hyori, while it's obvious why she became "komurasaki", I don't get why would she trick men (as much as assholes they could've been) into giving her all of their money... I hope it will be explained next chapter, maybe with a flashback, we haven't seen one so far in this arc, have we?

This has not been made clear in the story thus far, only speculation, so I guess I'll bust out the tinfoil hat emotes, but...

Consider that the men she exploited, tricked, and drained dry were immensely wealthy and powerful, clearly well-established within the exclusionary, elite Flower Capital under Orochi's regime. Orochi, being the cowardly, paranoid, obsessive, cruel, callous little tinpot dictator that he is, there is no way he would allow anyone to prosper under his rule if they did not swear fealty to him, and specifically rejected all loyalty to the Kozuki.

These men either rose up the ranks under Orochi's corrupt regime, or — I feel is more likely to be the case in most circumstances — were already wealthy and powerful serving under Oden, and stabbed him and the Kozuki's in the back once Orochi and Kaido rolled around. Though, in either case, obtaining so much power and influence as these men seemed to have had under the system that Orochi imposes is inherently, unavoidably exploitative to the poor underclasses of Wano, and to its decaying environment.

Hiyori's goal with Komurasaki's catfishing was to rip every dirty cent from as many feudal-capitalist pig traitors to her father and family that she could.

And that money probably was not spent frivolously — either it went to relief for the poor, or into a warchest for when her brother and retainers returned, or both.

oh and her trying to court her way to Orochi was 100% in an effort to get into position to stick a knife through his throat, I'm not even gonna WMG that guess.

@Registered User

That does seem plausible.

Do we know who the third of the trio of really strong Samurai is yet? One is the fat bandit, the second is the shadowed prisoner, could the third be the Robin Hood-like guy we've heard about?

I think so, but I still have a little problem with that, because, even if these people were assholes who deserved it (one even sold his family), there's the fact even their families were involved and, unless they're all bad people a-la celestial dragon, it means Hyori involved innocent people with this. I hope it clarifies that, it's also the only thing so far in this arc that bugs me (the other is the offscreen stuff)

I'd say the one with the giant hat who drank with Crocus in a cover, and we even saw in the flashback when Momo and co traveled in time

I also have to say the recent revelations about black swords have kinda flipped the table for me in regards to the creation process of Haki. I'd previously assumed, along with seemingly most of the fandom, the Armament was the last type developed, as it takes nearly half the series for it to show up (in the person of Sentomaru) and seems to cause some contradiction with previously established information about Logias, but now we know that giving swords a permanent Haki coat and turn ing them black is a super-high-end Armament technique. Mihawk's had his black sword from his first appearance, and IIRC its color was called attention to as something unusual well before Sentomaru showed up.

It could be a case of incorporating one into the other. Oda had plans for black blades and folded haki into them as things developed.

Pictured: everyone. In-progress, obviously.