Alright, didn’t expect to be making this post this week. But it’s better to be early than late, I guess! I’m beginning this post Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 2:41 pm- some time after posting Chainsaw Man 128 but the day before The Owl House Retrospective– the week of Golden Week in Japan when Jump and Shonen Magazine are on break for the holiday. This chapter leaked H#lla early is my point. Hopefully that means I have the time needed to make this post as good as I know it can be. I even have the time to do a little planning before hand! Because something I want to talk about with this chapter is Buggy’s apparent growth, and how that ties into some of the ideas going into these later waters in the New World. One concept being the “Will” to get through it. The other idea being “The Position of Yonko.” Because I think  certain Clown is about to Earn. That. Title. One Piece Chapter 1,082: “Let’s Go And Take It!!” Let’s begin…….

REVIEW

The chapter starts at Navy HQ, with Sengoku and Tsuru eating Lunch and reacting to the News: Vice Admiral T Bone is dead. They’ve covered up the cause of death, but they know it was done by someone trying to cash in on his bounty with the Cross Guild. They’ve been unable to locate the culprit, but they’ve found his family in the impoverished Pepe Kingdom thriving from the bounty money. Tsuru comments that- now that Pirates aren’t the only ones with bounties on their heads; the desperate are going to start to get bolder– those they were once sworn to protect can stab them in their backs at a moments notice. They believe it enough to shake up the moral of the Marines– just as “The Genius Jester(unknown to them; it was Crocodile’s idea)” had planned for it to do. They need to get on that. But then they notice that Garp is missing. Hina informs them that he’s gone to Fullalead to rescue Koby……..

Emptee Bluffs Island- New World: The man who cashed in on T Bone’s bounty thanks Buggy for sending the money to his family. Buggy commends his “Evil Charisma,” but warns him that the Marines will be after his head for this. He admits that it was still worth it if it meant that his family wouldn’t starve anymore. Buggy then tells him that- now that he’s gone far enough to kill a Navy Vice Admiral- he’s gonna be a Pirate sailing under his Flag. Just then, one of Buggy’s men comes out to tell him The Cross Guild’s Flagship Is Finally Ready!! But it has Buggy’s ridiculous face as the bow. Which p!sses off Crocodile and Mihawk. So it’s off to the “Conference Room,” which is the “Gentle” way of saying They beat the cr@p out of Buggy again. And then they ACTUALLY discuss Cross Guild’s progress. Crocodile notes how the publics opinion and the Navy’s perception of them as a threat have gone up. But they still need “Overwhelming Power” to get their Militant “Utopia” up and running. 

As Buggy’s head sits tied to a hook, he overhears them talking about needing “Funding And Power.” Which gives Buggy and idea. But knowing they’ll never go for it, he simply calls them “Half-Hearted Pirates.” He continues on to way that Shanks has started going after it directly. He admits that- growing up on the Pirate King’s ship- he always looked up to Shanks; so much so that it made him abandon his own ambition. Flashback- Logue Town, 24 Years Ago: Roger has been executed. Buggy asks if Shanks is really going to Laugh Tale someday. But Shanks admits that he won’t be going for it right away. But he still intends to become a Pirate, and he wants Buggy to join his crew. But hearing this- hearing that……… effectively his older Brother(if only by a few months; they’re the same age, but Shanks was born March 9th, and Buggy August 8th) isn’t going after the Pirate King’s treasure- he becomes……… disappointed in him; so much so that he refuses to join Shanks’ crew. 

And now that he hears that Shanks is going after the treasure; he admits: “I Wanna Be Pirate King TOO, You Know!!!” So if it’s “Wealth, Fame, And Power” they need for “Utopia-” THAT is what they need to go after. As usual, though; they dismiss him as “arrogant” because of his position. They also remind him that they’re without a plan to go up against Shanks, Teech, and Luffy. But Buggy’s willing to settle for outsmarting them if it means he can do it. And with their Transponder Snail of the hook, he’s accidentally able to declare a Message to the Cross Guild: 

TELL ME, FOLKS: What Was The Dream That Took You Out To Sea?! Are Your Souls Crying Out For Meaning?! Begging For Your Lives Could Be Cut Short At Any Moment?! Don’t Be Cowards, Soft And Satisfied With The Status Quo!! REACH OUT FOR WHAT YOU WANT MOST OF ALL!!! Remember, I’ve Got Your Backs!!! 

LET’S GO AND TAKE IT!!! THE ONE PIECE!!!!!!

– Emperor Of The Sea, Buggy The Genius Jester 

His voice rings out to the Cross Guild, as the men overwhelmed with tears cheer his name!!- so much so that even Crocodile and Mihawk are a little shook. But then it’s over to Kamabaka Queendom for the Final Part of the Chapter: We meet some new members of the Revolutionary Army: 

• Revolutionary Army- Northern Forces Deputy Commander(Karasu’s Assistant)- Jiron.
• Revolutionary Army-Southern Forces Deputy Commander(Linbergh’s Assistant)- Gambo.
• Revolutionary Army- Eastern Forces Deputy Commander(Belo Betty’s Assistant)- Ahiru. 
• Revolutionary Army- Western Forces Deputy Commander(Morley’s Assistant)- Ushiano. 

They see a ship approaching Kamabaka, and are about to blow it up. But Moocciano and Ahiru make a bet on whether or not it’s Sabo; Ahiru bets an enemy ship, and Moociano(who already looked through a telescope that he’s now eating) bets it’s Sabo. Moociano wins. Sabo arrives on a ship that came from Lulusia some forgotten island and its people(Moda included) that want to join the army. But also need rest right now. Meanwhile; Sabo gets chewed out by a worried Koala. But right now he had an urgent matter to discuss with Dragon and Ivankov alone. They’ve been keeping up to date with everything, and know about Kuma’s current situation. Sabo speculates that he was programmed to return to Mary Geiose at some point. But those are matters for another time; Sabo has information that would mark them for Death just for hearing about it. And it goes back to the day of the Reverie. One Piece Chapter 1,082 END!! So much to talk about; sort of a lot of time this time. My schedule for work just went up. Which I would be Fine with so long as they weren’t Night Shifts. 

REVIEW

So, I had to scrap the original version of this section because it just……….. came out all WRONG to me. I didn’t say exactly what I wanted to say. So let’s try this again. Starting with the section in regards to Dragon and the Revolutionary Army. Teech and Shanks are starting to get involved in the story; it’s about time for Dragon to show us what he can do! No, but seriously; this is the part of the story where characters as important as Dragon and Shanks start playing more active roles in the story- showing us what they can do and start making their own ambitions known. Shanks is going for One Piece; Dragon’s probably going to begin his plan to attack the Celestial Dragons. Especially with the information that Sabo has to give him. 

Dragon having the information that Imu exists is certain to ruffle the Celestial Dragon’s tailfeathers; all he would have to do when they lay siege to Mary Geiose is say “Imu” and that would probably get the whole of the Holy Land shook. It’s why Doflamingo was able to push around the Gorosei, or so it’s implied. I actually lost the thread, but I saw this thread from someone on twitter that Doffy’s goal with the Op Op Fruit was not the Ageless Surgery, but rather the Personality Switching Surgery. Like, that in specific he mentions in chapter 761. He says that he could use it to “use Mary Geiose’s ‘Treasure’ to seize control of the world.” As a former Celestial Dragon, he knows. And that information is dangerous. And now Sabo has it. Doflamingo used that information to make the World Government his b!tch; Dragon can use that information to get somewhere. 

Though they have the added knowledge of what happened to that one Kingdom I’m blanking on; what Sabo witnessed that day. They know that if they go into this hoping that just that information alone is enough to win- they’ve already lost. Although Doffy implies that Imu’s power is waning, he still has…………. whatever that was(plausibly almost certainly Uranos) to blow the place up- destroying the Revolutionary Army and erasing any trace of them in seconds. Now you would think that- if they even make it that far– that Imu would be hesitant to blast them when they’re in such close proximity to themself, but……… This part kind of relies on the idea that Imu has SUPREMELY Advanced haki, to the point where his Conqueror’s has the ability to strip someone of their free will. Or at least make them do what he says without question, whether they want to or not. But…….. Planetary Observation?

Much like Eneru, Imu could have superb levels of Observation that let them hear conversations for up to miles away. Eneru accomplished this through his Devil Fruit(Electrical Pulses + Observation= Godly Hearing- Pun Intended). Imu may well have a powerful devil fruit that let’s them do a similar thing, but we’re already stretching for an idea- I won’t stretch any further. Because what I’m thinking……… is that Imu…….. has honed in on their conversation. And- rather than Nuke them like that island and be done with this Generations Revolt(be it because 2 islands being erased completely so close together would look suspicious or because that weapon needs time to recharge between blasts)- they plan to wait; to lure them into a trap and dispose of them in a way that doesn’t arouse suspicion that they exist. Be it through an All Out war between the Marines and the Revolutionary Army, or by coming out themself and erasing the Revolutionaries personally- having evacuated the Holy land potential weeks in advance. No one will be there to see Imu in action. And those who ARE- Gone From History Altogether. Yeah, this is coming out much better. 

Buggy The Clown: The Weight Of Success

This is one of the Main Things I wanted to talk about with this chapter. Because I feel like it’s going to be important going forward. And that’s due to the nature of the story. This story is run by its characters; this entire story is the result of how characters actions- Roger’s final challenge to the world; everything the Luffy does, forcing the characters in this word to react to him; the fire that Luffy lights under people to chase their dreams; Doflamingo’s manipulation of the Government; Teech capturing Ace and becoming a Warlord to get into Impel Down and the added effect of inciting the Paramount War- THE Biggest event in the story up until Wano, which was only incited by Orochi and Kaido’s actions in ruling Wano. Are you picking up what I’m laying down? So Buggy deciding to take an Active approach towards his goals- that now being to Surpass Shanks and become King Of The Pirates- is going to make things that much more EXCITING.

And yeah; I think him deciding to go for the One Piece is his way of surpassing Shanks. Because in his mind; Shanks has always been the one closest to taking Roger’s throne. That’s apparently how he’s always felt; this chapter reveals that- had Shanks decided to take Roger’s challenge- he would have taken Shanks up on his offer. I think what this chapter was trying to say is that Buggy sees Shanks in a similar light to Roger, and was willing to put his life on the line to help Shanks be more like Roger. But when he decided not to……….. he went off to do his own thing, never going after the treasure because he knew that if Shanks put his mind to it- he’d get there first. So he just went around collecting as much treasure as he could- the treasure other Pirates don’t go for in the pursuit of the One Piece-just so he has something to show for it. 

I think………. what Buggy is thinking now………. is that he feels betrayed by Shanks; that him not going after One Piece is somehow disrespectful to their Captain. And he knew that he could never get there on his own. So he bet it all on Shanks. Who didn’t go for until 24 years after the fact. So now that he is; Buggy- now in the same position as Shanks- thinks he’ll be able to do it. And perhaps that’s because of what Luffy’s been able to accomplish. He’s seen firsthand what Luffy could do with people backing him; going from a boy in a war he had no place in to being the one to free Ace from his cuffs- but not without the help of Ivankov and Jinbe and Mr 3 and even Crocodile. He’s seen how far people who bet on you can take you. And he has a lot of people betting on him right now. He may be thinking that he’s ready to actually try……..

I also think that he’s just over getting beat up by Crocodile and Mihawk. Because he’s incompetent. So rather than fight against them when he knows he’d lose; he’s instead going to show them that he’s worth something- and claim the One Piece for them. It’s the Pirate King’s treasure- every last bit of wealth Roger had was left with the One Piece. That’s the Capital they’re going to need for “Utopia.” Going back to the thing about “betting,” I think Buggy wants them to bet on him, which will help him get the One Piece before anyone else, and allow them to start “Utopia.” Though that seems to be in contradiction to Crocodile’s plan, which we’ll discuss in a minute. 

Crocodile’s Grand Ambition

Whitebeard Shook Crocodile Right Down To His Soul. Crocodile seems to be the Worst Case Scenario for Luffy; what he’ll one day become if he let’s himself give in to any defeat he’s faced. Much like Luffy; Crocodile chased after the One Piece- wracking up a bounty of 81 Million before he became a Warlord. Then he did what Luffy did and picked a fight with a Yonko- Luffy with Big Mom and Kaido; Crocodile went up against Whitebeard. I used both of them for Luffy because either of them works; Luffy could have despaired against Katakuri, but it’s equally possible for him to give against Kaido- someone who similarly doesn’t give his opponents mercy. With Kaido, it’s done with malicious intent; with Whitebeard, it’s a harsh lesson that needs to be learned from someone who can deliver the message. Crocodile picked a fight with someone Above him, just as Luffy did. THE DIFFERENCE: Luffy had the will to get back up and fight; Crocodile……….. well, we don’t know what happened exactly. But he has a hook now, and an intense hatred for Whitebeard. 

What I’m getting at is that Crocodile hasn’t given up on that dream……. per say. More like he’s trying to go after the One Piece- once he can steam role anyone in his path. He doesn’t want to fight anyone anymore; he wants to crush them and keep going no matter what. His original plan was to grab Pluton and and use it to mow everything down. But Robin gatekept that information from him, and that plan was a bust. So rather than bank on a single battle ship; he’s going to build the ultimately Military force that’ll let him seek the One Piece. And when he claims it, he’ll be able to rule the seas as Pirate King. That’s how it goes in his mind. But then Buggy went and grew and SPINE, having Cross Guild go after One Piece as they are now. And he knows that he and Mihawk- mostly Mihawk- are High Key Carrying. And unlike last time when he first set sail; he knows for sure there’s someone out there who can kick his @$$- and that person has only grown stronger from then. 

That being said; it’s not as if this plan is failing just because Buggy decided to nut up. He has succeeded in pitting the world against the Marines- the only other threats to his plan. With Pirates and Public alike now seeking to collect on Marine Bounties, their numbers are sure to be dwindling- be it from people collecting on a lot of those bounties, or because less and less Marines want to defend a public that could stab them in their backs at a moments notice. Especially with so many unaffiliated islands. I’m certain those who couldn’t pay that d@mn Heavenly Tribute are about to rise up to the Government that denied them protection. Crocodile’s plan is working. He just had to rearrange the steps part of the way through. 

Conclusion 

THERE. THAT’S what I wanted to say. Some stuff got left on the cutting room floor, but clearly none it was important if I was able to say everything this coherently. And this post won’t even be out for around a WEEK. I love have extra time between posts!! Now if only I was good enough with time management to catch up on anime I’ve been wanting to watch without upping the speed. I gotta get to Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock and Record Of Ragnarok and…….. so many others. Some just for the fun of it. And I need to get to reading some of you guy’s posts. With one more post to do, I should be able to do all that I was also reading Gachiakuta. I’m sure you’ll guys will have noticed if I have by the time this post comes out. So until next we meet, guys- Have A Great Rest Of Your Day. Laters!!