This is take 3, as you can imagine. I could go on and on with a whole bunch of “excuses” as to why post making has gotten more and more difficult in the past few years, but I just spent the last hour or so listening to music on Youtube and watching The Amazing Digital Circus up to the most recent episode(Episode 3). I’ll say that I was sick all last week, and have had a bad migraine for the past 3 days(thought it was finally gone, but it’s showing itself again). And I’m the type who all at once tries to “push through the pain” and “can’t focus when I’m not 100%,” on top of going into work today(Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024, 11:08 AM) and not getting an assignment, thus no money and less food. So I’m hungry at the moment. But that’s not what this post it about. Maybe that’s why I’m not getting many views at the moment; because I keep giving the same rhetoric just to pad out the opening parts of the post. I’m gonna try to stop that going forward. Though this post marks something else that we’ll be doing going forward. Or, well; trying to. The way that we would typically do this is that we’d talk about the chapters themselves, and then talk about what we can gather from them. Not this time, though.

This time: I’m just gonna get to the “meat and potatoes” of the post- the speculation/analysis bits. 1)Saves on time. I tried doing the regular thing, but…………. it became apparent quickly(though later than I would have cared to admit) that doing the regular schtick would take too long. One Piece Will Be On A 2 Week Break for Oda to do some research and help with the production of the Live Action. Considering what happened with the “Blue Box” anime on Netflix; I also hope that he’s popping in to see how the Remake is going. There are rumors about the Sakamoto Days anime also not being up to snuff, but if there is one Netflix anime that I REALLY want to be Stellar– after the slideshow that was Record of Ragnarok and the Tragedy that was the Seven Deadly Sins– it has to be the “One Piece” remake. Please. There’s a video I really like about what the remake has to do- I recommend checking it out. Because he’s pretty much saying everything that one would WANT in a remake of a series like this. Also adapting the cover stories because that’s an ABSOLUTE MUST. And NOT cancel it after 2 “seasons.” And that’s the OTHER thing: MAKE THEM ACTUAL SEASONS- not “a 24 episode order cut up into 3 8 episode seasons” like they did to Sonic Prime. I can make peace with cours, but I want my full season worth of content. I won’t say “You Can Totally Knock Out All Of East Blue In A 25-26 episode season;” I’ll say that you could likely get through a lot of the content in a season, doing what the live action did and saving Logue Town for the start of season 2. Oh, and this is just something the I personally want out of Netflix more: 

GIVE US THE PHYSICAL MEDIA, YOU B@STARDS!!!

I think I’ve said a few times that I prefer to have physical media over a whole bunch of streaming services; it’s not even about the money they want out of me just to watch this one show- I just personally prefer to have physical media; something I can just have. But it’s hard to find the shows that I actually want on DVD- such as the aforementioned Sonic Prime. I found something on EBay, but the fact that I can’t find it on Amazon is telling. There’s also the Edens Zero anime- even if it’s just season 1. Season 2 has yet to be dubbed, and- according to Weisz’ English VA, Ray Chase– it might not have a season 2 dub. Sucks because that’s where the “Good Sh!t” happens. So whoever is in charge of the distribution rights of the anime(I believe it’s a French company at the moment) needs to get on that already, and Netflix needs to put season 1 on DVD already. I know they do that; Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts and She-Ra both did- so did Seven Deadly Sins. Why not Edens Zero? 

……………………………………………………….. We’ve gotten off topic. POINT IS: I hope Oda’s also somewhat involved with the development of the Remake. Then again, this man needs to take any spare time he has to rest from creating this Goliath of literature. He’s also had some involvement in the Toei anime, just to let you know. He doesn’t want anyone f*cking up his “magnum opus-“ or so it seems. Ah…………. told you we were just gonna “dive on in” instead of wheel spinning- not being a b!tch about my situation- blah blah blah…………… huh. Guess I’ve said everything I wanted to- and then some. So………… Let’s get this party started. 

Ogre Child Yamato’s Golden Harvest Surrogate Pilgrimage Volumes 16 And 17

These pages see Yamato arriving in Amigasa Village in the Kuri Region, watching Tama train under Shinobu(who’s regained the nutrients she lost during her fight with Ryokugyu). After Tama’s training, she and Yamato end up napping together- only for a mysterious hand to nab Yasuie’s sword. I don’t know what Oda’s going for with this story- from it starting with Onigashima f*cking SINKING into the Old Wano to Yamato facing a little bit of prejudice from civilians in Wano to an Abduction plot; it feels like the “main story” of this cover series is going to get started. Not sure WHAT that is; there are theories that the remains of the Beast pirates are trying to escape Wano, thus why they would kidnap Minatomo the carpenter. I don’t know why they’d be kidnapping women and stealing this sword from Yamato, but then I don’t think that that’s what’s going on. I think the Beast Pirates are working on a plan, but in this particular story they feel more like a “Red Heiring.” But then……………. Who? 

I don’t really have any “theories” or thoughts on this cover story at the moment; I wouldn’t know where to even begin with this idea. If I had to “throw my hat into the ring,” though, then I’d say it’s something more connected to Orochi than to the Beast Pirates. There’s a few ideas at play in my head right now: 

1. We know that the Beast Pirates are currently locked up in the Udon Prison- likely still licking their wounds from both the Raid and Greenbull’s assault. We see King later on with all his nutrients back, so it’s been a minute since then. They’re likely biding their time until they can escape– if they were even locked up there in the first place. Even with Sea Stone Cuffs on and still injured, I doubt the Samurai of Wano would be able to keep them all in line- especially those with extraneous abilities like King and Queen. For all we know, they could be retreating from Wano by now- adrift at sea planning their next move. And if they ARE just letting themselves be locked up like this, awaiting something. And that brings to mind the Big Mom Pirates and the last transmission the Cipher Pol agents sent to Wano put out there. I honestly don’t think the Beast Pirates are in Wano at this point.
2. Orochi IS dead– his last head was cut off by Denjiro after Kanjuro’s Kazenbo lit him on f*cking fire. Much like Monet: He BETTER Be F*ckin’ Dead. But that still leaves his Devil Fruit, now doesn’t it? Moreover: Remember Fukurokuju– Leader of Orochi’s Oniwaban(Ninja Security Guards)? Never was confirmed that he died to the burns. He COULD be alive- presumed burnt to ashes when in truth found Orochi’s devil fruit- started healing at rapid speeds thanks to Mythical Zoan’s natural healing abilities- and IS trying to make his way out of Wano on his own. THAT- or he could be planning to face off with Raizo one last time, and took Minatomo to make a ring so they could duke it out without any tricks. And a katana to do battle with. As for the kidnapping of the women– I can’t say. Maybe holding them hostage to force Raizo’s hand? Something like that. 
3. The Oniwaban as a whole are the one’s behind this, trying to build a ship to leave Wano. Though AGAIN I can’t really say what they’re kidnapping random women for. This one’s the weakest idea. And really the only one that WAS an “Idea” was number 2; that first one was just debunking the Beast Pirate’s involvement. 

Rodo’s Fantasy Land

It’s funny that I come to something that’s ACTUALLY in the chapter after like 5 scripts and I don’t even have all my notes ready yet. Something I wanted to clarify is that- while I put off watching Tekking101’s video prior to chapter 1,130 about Rodo potentially being the “Sun God” who made the Human enclosure. Color me surprised when that theory turned out to be right. That’s certainly no swipe at Tekking– he’s one of my inspirations for doing what I do now; it’s just kind of crazy that Oda decided to do that. My idea was that 1)Loki took this up as a “hobby” after Lola rejected him, throwing himself into something to take his mind off it, or 2) She rejected him because of this hobby. We’ll get to Loki in a little bit, but let’s focus on Rodo for now. Why is he doing this? From the sound of his dialogue, he’s something of a “writer-” someone who wants to “create stories” and insert himself into it as the most important character. In short: I guess you would call him a “LARPer.” And- all things considered– probably not a “Popular” guy. 

If I had to explain Rodo: He’s that kid who always wanted friends growing up, but was viewed as “weird and creepy.” Which stuck with him into Adulthood, as we see– him keeping people trapped in a tank just so that he has people to play with. That’s the type of behavior that made him unliked as a kid: His desire to “Play God.” It brings to mind “Was He Like This BEFORE And he Found a ‘Focus,’ or did he become like this because he didn’t have friends?” Either way you splice it, though, it’s f*ckin’ weird- even by “One Piece” standards. But then; people are saying his diarama is essentially a “miniature version” of what series is: “Pirates Running From False Gods to the ends of the world.” It’s spawned some theories that the One Piece world is Imu’s Giant Diarama, and breaking down the redline is how you get out of it(since they could only get out of here by breaking down the back wall). Not a bad idea- keeps in line with the idea that 1)The Red Line is an artificial construct(The existence of the Lunarians throws a wrench in that, and yet it’s still possible if they used slaves to build it- if they DID rule over the Old World as “Gods” as the Celestial Dragons do now) and 2)That it needs to come down to a)Free the world from Imu’s world and b)Create the “All Blue.” Well, that second one is debatable depending on how Oda chooses to handle the All Blue, but I’ve always believed that Luffy would come to the conclusion of destroying the Red Line- for a simple reason. 

There’s Madam Sharley’s prophecy about Luffy “Destroying Fishman Island-” him choosing to destroy the Red Line would leave the island……………….. there wouldn’t BE an island once he brings the whole thing down. And how that ties into the “prophecy” of Joyboy and destroying the World Government, with the Fishman and Merfolk using the Noah to escape destruction. Tying it all the way back to the themes that arc presented- namely that Luffy is not a Hero. Or- maybe it ties into his lack of interest in the overall history of the world- the way he wasn’t interested in hearing Nami’s backstory. And that lack of interest in the story is what’s going to be the death of so many Fishman……………….. so many people in general when you think about it. Because he doesn’t know the “promise” that was made during the Void Century- he saw fit to sacrifice it to protect Fishman Island- an island that’ll be destroyed in the end anyway. That ship was likely made to save the Fishmen and Merfolk of the island. And he just started smashing it. Not to mention that it might have been able to hold more people they came across along the way. 

You know; because of the Rising Sea Level Stellapunk mentioned? Considering it’s been rising these last 800 years through repeated uses of Imu’s weapon(likely the Ancient Weapon, Uranos)- plus the the destruction of the red line causing the ocean to be displaced- means the world will sink quicker than he thought it would. How the world would come back from that massive flooding is anyone’s guess; maybe the One Piece is actually something to deal with that(a drain plug or something, but where would all that water is GO?), but it’s now clear that the Noah’s purpose was to save as many people as possible from the flooding. Meaning that the Red Line was supposed to come down, right? All of this is just the “general idea” we have from everything we’ve seen in the story; just a “rough idea” of what’s happening right now. Nothing really “new” to be added from all of this. And yet I’m realizing I haven’t even brought up the “MAIN” point: Why Luffy Will Destroy The Red Line. That’s something that goes back to the Baratie: “If I Sink The Ship, Then They’ve Got No Prize.” So long as there is a “Top OF The World-“ someone will always try to sit there. So- Get Rid Of The “Top Of The World.” 

It’s this kind of stuff I like in “One Piece-“ all of this stuff is HUNDREDS of chapters apart, and yet it all flows together really well; it feels like Oda had more of this story planned out than maybe even he thought. At least important aspects like the Noah and its purpose……………………………. Rodo’s diarama. Right. Got a little “caught up” in the series’ lore. Also there actually isn’t that much for me to say about it since we just broke out of it; people just think that it’s representative of the entire series in a 3 chapter burst. 

Loki And The Legendary Devil Fruit

This is one of this things, ya know what I mean? That “Big Take-Away” Oda gives us every chapter. Loki is that thing. And, might I just say: This is STRIKINGLY different from the silhouette we got from Chiffon’s little flashback. Now, it’s the same with Kaido and Big Mom from that initial Silhouette in Post-Enies Lobby, but I think this one might be a bit different from that one. In that instance- Oda just didn’t have the design in his head yet for what they’d look like. THIS on the other hand- I think is a product of Lola’s rejection. He was much like how I described Rodo not long ago: That “nerdy kid with no friends.” For Rodo, it was his “God Complex-” his general controlling behavior. For Loki- he seemed to be………………… “THAT guy;” that one guy in ever girl’s life who gives off this vibe of being “harmless” and yet you’re unsure if he’s “completely stable up there-” the one who can’t seem to take “No” for an answer until he has to, and you’re unsure of how far down the line that is so you have a friend with you at all times when out in public. You know- that guy. Or, well…………….. he pretty much backed off of Lola the minute she rejected him, and didn’t even consider the idea of using Chiffon as a “stand in” for her- like “That Guy” would. Rather- he seems to be the type to “not think about-” or maybe more like “The problem is EXTERNAL;” he thinks that Lola rejected him because he was “Ugly.” So…………….. he made a change. And what we see is the “change” he made. 

But that leaves the issue of “Why Did She Reject Him,” only to go out to sea and propose to every man she came across? Well………….. on top of Big Mom breathing down her neck about it “bolstering their fighting force;” it could have just been a case of “She’s just not that into you, bro.” There doesn’t have to be a hundred million reasons a girl doesn’t like you; she just…………… doesn’t. Alternatively, it could have also been the fact that he talks about “Being The One To Bring The End To This World-” the world in which SHE AND THOSE SHE CARES ABOUT LIVES. That whole thing? I imagine any girl would look at a guy like that and say “……………. Yeah, I’m good.” Though it brings to mind once again whether he was like this before the rejection and that’s WHY she wasn’t into him- or if he’s trying to bring an end to “The World That Refused Him Love-” trying to kill Lola for rejecting him and masking it under the guise of “The World.” “If I can’t find love- No one else can.” I mean, from what we’re told in chapter 1,130; he hasn’t exactly had the “easy life” most princes would have- like he’s been a trouble maker all this time. And yet………………. I don’t think that all of it is his fault. He was born at the start of the Winter Solstice- coinciding with the Solstice festival and- subsequently- Linlin’s first Hunger Pang. Not a GREAT start to his tale………………..

We don’t know his entire life story yet, but so far it sounds like he’s always been the type to “act out” for one reason or another. Fitting since his name comes from “The God of Mischief” himself. Him being Hajrudin’s younger brother, I imagine a lot of his early “mischief” was just him trying to get attention from their father- from anyone who would give it to him. Although…………… that’s just one path Oda could take Loki’s character- doubling down on the “Mischief” title and having him as the Elbaph’s “Big Bad” and doing this real simple like. OR- he could play to the other aspects “Loki’s” myth and have it be a case of Persecution and Misunderstanding. That’s something my brother told me offhandedly while I was watching a “God Of War: Ragnarok” video; he told me about Loki’s mythological roots and how he was a God who wasn’t even responsible for most of his “mischief-” that he was blamed for more than what he did. But I never try to say anything unless I can source it myself, so I did some digging- and could only find the contrary. The only thing I can seem to find is a Reddit thread talking about the myth of Loki backing his children– Jormangandr, Fenrir, and Hel- during Ragnarok. And it has no source(though as you can see, I found one of my own). I’m picking this up again Tuesday, October 29th, 2024, around 10:13 AM, and seeing what I saw from the day prior- I can’t say whether or not that “persecution” thing is going to happen. 

But I don’t think it’s impossible that this version of Loki is someone who’s just “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and was told so often that he was “cursed” that he just started to believe it himself, and thus doubled down on his behavior to the point of…………………. this. I just can’t use anything as a reference point. Though I guess it doesn’t have to be a reference to Norse mythology; Oda can just do that if that’s what he thinks is best for the story of Loki. We’ll- we’ll see. It might play to some kind of parallel with Rodo: “Those Treated Like Outcast And How They Respond To It-” Rodo chose to simply seclude himself and throw himself into his hobby; Loki’s trying to burn down the whole f*ckin’ WORLD. 

Though- speaking of “burned;” I DID find out more about Loki beyond the term “Mischief” and the shapeshifting ability. Between this, Marvel, and “God Of War-” “Loki” has gotta be the most popular of the Norse Gods- if not one of the most well known deities from in Polytheistic mythologies. But I bring this up to say that we know a lot about this particular deity. To the point where I actually found something that MIGHT tell us a little about the Devil fruit he has(I have an idea that I think would be cool, and yet also familiar). According to this site: “Loki is a complex and multifaceted figure in Norse Mythology, often characterized as the trickster god who embodies chaos and mischief. He is associated with Fire, deception, cunning intelligence, and frequently acting against that Gods while also aiding them at times.” Fire. Loki’s devil fruit likely has something to do with Fire. Which is why he labelled himself as the “Sun God-” he’s touting himself as the same type of Sun God Mother Carmel made Pandora out to be: A Ball of Flames. Loki Thinks That Fire Is What Makes The “Sun God,” so he took a Devil fruit power that would give him the power of fire!! So there are only 2 questions raised by this conclusion: 

1. What Is The Devil Fruit?
2. How would an Elbaph Giant not know that “proper” depiction of Nika? 

That second part is just something that I felt the need to address: The idea that Loki– The Prince of The War-land Elbaph; a Elbaph born Giant- doesn’t seem to know about Nika. Or, at the very least- he might not have the right “interpretation” of him. Like……………… I don’t know if “Nika” would say something like “I Will Bring The World To An End!!” Or; maybe he would, seeing as the “World” is under Imu’s control. But Loki doesn’t know that– No One should. So unless Loki knows that there’s a secret King of the World out there- he just means the he’s about to “End The World.” Which, even without the knowledge that Imu exists- would not all together be a bad thing. I’m sitting here writing this, and I’m realizing that he might actually still be on the right track; Luffy doesn’t know about Imu, either, and I imagine that he’ll also “bring this world to an end.” Though he’s not actively trying to. Whereas that seems to be Loki’s goal. So I guess the actual question I should have asked was “What He Meant” by it. 

Going in line with the “persecution” idea, he could mean “The World That Spurned My Birth” or “World That Rejected Me,” but he could also be saying “End To The Current World-” the world under the Celestial Dragons control. Because he’s the “Sun God-” the “Warrior Of Liberation.” And it doesn’t take a genius to realize how f*cked up the world is with the Celestial Dragons ruling from on high. So he wants to burn Marie Geiose to the ground just as Fisher Tiger did so many years ago. So I imagine that he’s not actually a Bad guy. And since the militia of Warland is strong enough by itself that Big Mom feels that she could have claimed the One Piece by now, then I imagine the Marines attacking Elbaph wouldn’t end all that well. If nothing else, it’ll severely cripple their forces- on both ends. So……………… I guess it all depends on how Loki plans to handle his connection to Elbaph in regards to attacking Marie Geiose, if that is indeed his goal. Would he announce himself as “The Prince of The Warland Elbaph” or “The Sun God.” Between Luffy and Bonney, I imagine Imu and the NEW Gorosei have had ENOUGH of the term “Sun God” to get them through the NEXT 800 years. 

But beyond his “intent-” what ability does he have that would make his goals a reality? Well……………..in digging around to see whether my brother’s explanation of “Loki” had an sources, I actually found something that might help us understand what this guy can do: “A number of sources claim Loki to have originally been a Fire Deity before he became more closely associated with the trickster archetype, and this better explains the odd story of conception. Farbauti, meaning ‘fierce strike,’ was a representation of lightning. Nal meant ‘pine needles,’ and her other name, Laufey, meant ‘leaves.’ In this way, Loki – fire – was created by Farbauti – lightning – striking Nal or Laufey – pine needles or leaves.” I saw that, and I could only think of ONE OTHER Norse character Oda could use- one who is also prophesized to “bring an end to the world:” The Fire Giant Surtr. It is said that during Ragnarok– the “Doom Of The Gods-” that Surtr and his legion(The “Sons Of Muspel”) will descend from the sky upon Asgard– home of the Aesir Gods, and brandish his fiery sword to bring an end to the “old world” so that new one my be born. That pretty much falls in line with what I’ve been saying, does it not? 

Loki might have the “Human Human Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Surtr” or simply just “Fire Giant,” able to channel his flames through a sword he brandishes and…………… well; the end of chapter 1,130 revealed that the most of Elbaph is taken up by the World Tree Yggdrasil(though Oda’s already USED Yggdrasil in Rodo’s Diarama, so he might make this the long speculated “Treasure Tree Adam,” or maybe the trees are one-and-the-same under 2 different names- one known to the Giants of Warland, and one to the underworld where the wood is sold), with a Giant Sword running through it. “World Tree” + GIANT F*CKING SWORD= If Loki does in fact have the “Surtr” fruit, then perhaps he can become large enough to wield that sword, and channeling those h#llflames through it into the World Tree will cause destruction on a Global scale. That’s one way of looking at it. Which is why the Giant Warrior Pirates warned them about Loki; if he gets out and tries to wield that sword- that’ll be the end of everything. Though…………….. it makes me wonder who exactly that Giant @$$ sword is made for. 

Like……………. There is not a SINGLE GIANT- Ancient or Current– That Could Wield That Sword. Many have tried, I’m sure, but not of them were ever large enough or strong enough to even make it budge, let alone wield it effectively. Even the Giant that Luffy became against Kaido couldn’t do it- nor would he be able to to if he made both hands as big as the Bajrang Gun. This sword is MASSIVE(Pause).  It’s even bigger than the katana running through Onigashima!! Makes you wonder more about the history of the world even prior to the Void Century; how exactly that world came to be. The existence of the Nika fruit would imply that there ARE in fact Gods in this world(it’s a complicated topic that I’m hoping Oda gets into, and yet I don’t think he will- the idea that the Nika fruit is where the myth of the “Sun God” was perpetuated, but not founded. Basically: Nika was a God figure that the world believed in, thus giving birth to the fruit. Nika may or may not be real, but so long as he is “desired-” the fruit will always exist), and Oars epithet as “The Continent Puller;” it paints the picture that there was some…………….. there was some Greco-Roman/Nordic level Primordial sh!t going on that formed the world itself. Oars might have had a hand in making the continents that One Piece World is built upon; Nika giving rise to………….. thought– individual ideas, since he represents “Freedom;” the Gods the Shandians mentioned came along at some point and built upon what Oars created– something to that effect. Of course all that happened even prior to the Void Century, and I imagine- with just the little tidbits that Ancient world was able to get out there in the world via the poneglyphs and likely in codes in the written text out there- all of that world’s history WAS completely destroyed. 

This series really IS fascinating: Oda really did make an entire history for this world prior to the main story that he’s writing; this world feels so “lived in” that it makes you want to explore it and see what you can piece together about! I REALLY want to see how it all came together; from the formation of the world- to how Imu created this “current world-” to how Roger and Kaido came to know so much about the legend of Joyboy- how the Ancients found out about the history of their world- how the powers of the Ancient Weapon “Poseidon” works- I wanna know. I’ve never really minded if the series continued in the form of prequels and spin offs, rather than having a continuation like Boruto(even though I actually like “Boruto,” but getting to that point was………………. an uphill battle(even MORE SO to convince people it’s not the worst thing that could have happened)); the series feels too……………. it feels like- with the way that this is going to end- like any “continuation” will just be a series of………………… shorts- just a character exploring the world that spawned from Luffy’s victory, rather than having some an “overarching story.” This story has a “Set Ending Point” in the form of the One Piece; we find it, and it‘s over- this adventure is DONE. At least as far as Oda is concerned. They’ll bring someone else in to write and draw, and Oda will likely be involved in the planning and overseeing it- but it won’t be him, and it’ll show. No one can write “Luffy” like Oda. And yeah; I would bet more on seeing a Straw hat centered continuation instead of a “Next Generations.” Sorry to tell you, Hancock, but Luffy can’t be tied down- nor do I think he’s the type to have a kid; your best bet is to hope for a clone from one of the Vegapunks- like Weevil and Miss Buckin. 

…………………………….. Having a brain fart right now; everything I said just left my mind. Just as well; this portion has gone on for a little while and I honestly don’t have much else to say about it. I thought of one other idea, postulating that the Surtr fruit is less a “mythical” Zoan and more an Ancient Zoan, thinking about Oars’ role in shaping the world. Basically that Oars is one of the “Sons of Muspel” that came through with Surtr during Ragnarok, and- while building a “new world” on the ashes of the old like in the old myths- he was responsible for forming the continents. Something like that. 

Other Characters Coming To Elbaph

This is likely going to be the Last thing I discuss. Mainly because I can’t think of anything else to discuss. And that would be: What other character’s are going to be present in Elbaph. I’ve been doing a lot of colorings, recently; simple ones, but still. One of those colorings is that panel of G5 Luffy on Egghead- with the x on his arm. When I read that, I had thought that that meant he hadn’t erased the mark from all the way back then. Then I realized that was stupid with how many times this kid has showered and fallen in water since then and realized that that was something Vivi edited into the picture as a signal to Luffy and everyone that she was with the WEJ. Which makes you think about the real reason Oda split up the Straw hat’s this time– making sure to take everyone who would know what that mark means and put them on Elbaph before everyone else. I can’t help but feel that this is an indicator that she’ll be arriving to their destination sooner rather than later, and yet I thought that she and the WEP Balloon would fore sure show up at Egghead. So………….. maybe it’s just to let them know that she’s there. But I can see Luffy and everyone else definitely wanting to go get her. And I don’t see any reason for them not to- other than “backtracking” like that plausibly f*cking up their logpose coordinates. I honestly don’t know where the h#ll that balloon is in the world; it could have been ahead of them for all I know…….

I genuinely think that she going to join up with the Strawhat’s prior to Throne war and everything that is to come after, so I think if Oda were to “pull the trigger” on that- now’s the time. Because I think this arc will be the last before we go “All in” on the Finale. In my mind- since the New World has 3 routes– the Balloon may have been around one of the islands close to Wano; it could have been around Wiener Island(where Law fought Blackbeard), Egghead, or Elbaph, and thus Vivi and the Straw Hat’s are in closer proximity than any of us think. Egghead has thusly been eliminated, and- looking at that small map in that panel during Wano- we know that Egghead was southeast of Wano, and Elbaph to the East. Basically, the Straw hat’s went back a little bit before coming to Elbaph, and now their going straight ahead again. But that likely only applies for those who are travelling by sea– not a hot air balloon being pulled by seagulls. They likely have to land ever now and then to feed the birds and stock up on supplies and everything, but I imagine it doesn’t……………… often matter. You have islands like Wano that are isolated- World Government Facilities like Egghead and the like- Yonko Territory they need to be careful in- and just generally unknown territory to be careful of. Okay, that actually doesn’t leave a LOT of places for them to dock, but I get the feeling that Elbaph might just be a “resting stop” for them- somewhere to just feed the birds pulling the blimp along. 

Now that would be “awful convenient” for Vivi to “just so happen” to be on the island, and Luffy and co “just so happens” to find her somehow without even really looking. Although……………. Observation Haki’s a thing, now- Luffy and definitely  Sanji in this specific case would be able to hear a “familiar voice” and go off to find it. Maybe. And then she just leaves with them. Then Final War happens and whatever happens after that- happens. But other than her– there’s the topic of Bonney, Kuma, and Lilith. I was a full believer in “Carrot For Straw Hat,” I’ll admit. And when she didn’t end up sailing with them…………………. I wasn’t as mad or sad as I THOUGHT I’d be. Maybe because I was mostly playing “catch up” by the time of Wano, but……………. I wasn’t NEARLY as invested in her becoming a Straw hat- as I am for Lilith and especially Bonney. With Carrot; she proved herself to be a strong combatant with a nice personality that mixed well with the group that went to get Sanji from Tottoland. But then…………….. that was really all. I figured she’d have more development while travelling with them, but clearly Oda had other idea’s in mind. There’s honestly nothing for me to say “No” or “Yes” to about her as a Straw Hat- it just looked like it worked for me. And then you come to Lilith and Bonney, and I see MORE than what I saw with Carrot. 

With Lilith; she just has that “Pirate” vibe to her- right at her introduction. Her pension for robbing criminals and high intelligence makes her a perfect “Partner-In-Crime” for Nami, and yet- they’d also clash on what to do with all the money they manage to pilfer; Lilith would be fine splitting it 50/50- Nami would try to scam her, and……….. I think Lilith might have more GENERAL intelligence, btu Nami might manage to trick her out of it and get more than her. Thus tension. Which would be fun to watch, I’ll be honest. And she might be able to help Franky and Usopp with whatever inventions they come up with, making them that much better. AND YET: That feels like the Carrot situations all over again- a lot of reasons why it works, but nothing for me to say “This Is Definitely Happening(Especially AFTER The Fact).” And then you come to Bonney who has an actual list of motivations to fly under Luffy’s flag:

1. Luffy is the man that her father used his last moments of free will to save– used his last moments of life to bet on. She got a first person perspective on that. So she would likely want to make sure that he accomplishes everything her father hoped that he would. 
2. She found out the he was the “Sun God” that she had been looking for since she started out as a Pirate- the one who would “free her” and her father from this awful world(that makes it sound like he’s gonna kill them, but that’s not at all what it is(“Context is King”)). He’s given her “Freedom-“ why not help him free the rest of the world, too? 
3. She now knows what the Celestial Dragons put her parents through. From the perspective of one and the revelation of the other. Much like the rest of the world- she’ll want revenge on them. Why not support the guy that has the best chance of success?

I said there was a whole list, but really only the first 2 matter. But it’s still more than Carrot and Lilith have. Although……………. they have the original Kuma with them at this point- he’s…………….. oh man, I can’t even say he’s “seen better days,” can I? I guess he technically has, all those years living in the church with Ginny and later Bonney, but those days were all too quickly undercut with massive tragedies- be it the creation of the Lawless District of Sorbet and all that was to come after; Bonney’s sickness and a “deadline” being set to save her; or……………. This. In all honesty- I felt- since he got to Egghead– that- if any time– that it was finally time to put the man “Bartholemew Kuma” to rest. He’s been through enough, and- with WHATEVER Free will his Buccaneer blood allowed him- saved his daughter from the man who’s most responsible for everything that’s gone wrong in their lives. It’s kind of just “time.” And YET he’s still here, able to smile as Bonney and Luffy were able to send Saturn off full of holes; still able to sit and look at the sky with Bonney; still………………… doesn’t seem ready to “tap out.” And it’s coming to that realization that I ALSO realize: Bonney might choose to stay with her ailed father. Likely on Elbaph- the safest place in the world right now.

I doubt that’s what Kuma wants for her- no parent wants that for themselves or their kids. But it happens- whether they like it or not. And really this was the whole point of her adventure: “Finding her Dad and hopefully Nika somewhere along the way.” Both have been accomplished. She could just…………….. stop right here as far as her character is concerned. And heck: They have a Vegapunk in the form of Lilith. True, she seems to have been cut off from Punk Records(I imagine the other surviving Satellites have been working on a way to cut York off from it as well), but…………. still has the memories of modifying Kuma- all that came from before the Satellites were made; it’s been in her head long enough to be committed to her own long term memory(if that’s how it works. I imagine dissecting and modifying a person” isn’t something you’d easily forget), regardless of Stellapunk’s Brain fruit. She might be able to…………… reverse the process. Or………… maybe just give him back his free will. Or maybe just simply repair him since Oda isn’t the type to walk back an actual “death.” And he CERTAINLY treated the removal of his humanity as “death.” And yet he also implies- through both the Buccaneers themselves and the start of Egghead– that doing that isn’t truly possible. This is getting difficult; it’s like for every I can think of to just let Kuma finally rest- I can think or 2 more ways for him to get some SEMBLANCE of a “happy life” back, even on an island dubbed “Warland.” 

The ONLY thing that I can say to refute this would be that Lilith doesn’t have access to the technology required to undo what’s been done to this man. Oda made it clear to us that “Science” is still pricey- Stellapunk had to pay out of his own pockets the entire bill for Bonney’s surgery, and Lilith’s whole purpose in making the sea beast weapons was to sink and pillage Pirates for funding! The tech that she would need to bring “Kuma” back- isn’t just gonna come from “No Where.”  So while I think it is well within her power to DO- I don’t think she can…………… right now, anyway. 

One scenario that I just thought up is the idea that- rather than repairing Kuma immediately- Bonney and Lilith work on keeping him stable until the day that they can change him back. Which, if she manages to stay in contact with her fellow Satellites and tell them about her situation- assuming she decides to stay on Elbaph where they’d likely be able to work in peace. She is also a Straw Hat Candidate- has been……………….. pretty much since we MET the Vegapunks. And especially after Stellapunk asked the Straw hats to take them all off of Egghead. I knew that- if the Straw Hats were to fail in protecting the Vegapunks- Lilith would be the one to survive. And if they SUCCEEDED, then I forsaw Lilith deciding to travel with them “out of curiousity.” Like I said: She has the same pension for theft as Nami, with the only difference being that Nami avoids conflict- Lilith starts it. They could BOTH stand to learn a thing or 2 from each other, and helping Nami rob Pirates crews they come up against would let her get funding for the others now that they lack the World Government’s deep pockets. She just kind of gives off that “Pirate” vibe, and who better to join with than an Emperor Of The Sea? Especially when he’s RIGHT F*CKING THERE? But…………….. she’s much like Carrot in that regard: Everything for me to say that she “fits,” and yet I can’t figure out what she’d get out of being a Pirate other than “Seeing The World(For Carrot)” or “Collecting Money(Lilith).” Really, the only person I’m “gung-ho” for as a Straw Hat right now is Bonney. Her and Vivi, right now, but Vivi is just obvious. Not sure if it’ll be this arc SPECIFICALLY, but I’m willing to bet she’ll be with them when they finally make it to Laugh Tale- whenever that may be. 

There are 4 more character’s that I have in mind, but this post has been going on for…………….. a very long time. Like, you’re reading this all at once(I’m in too deep to delete everything, even if I wanted to), but this has taken me like 2 SOLID weeks of No Assignments at work to get through, and I STILL have a hundred different things that I want to say. That “No Assignments” comment is a story all its own. I want to say that I’ll keep it “brief,” but…………… this post has shown that I can’t do that without a plan. And yeah; this one’s unscripted. Instead of trying to do these last one’s the way I have been; I’m just gonna list em out, and try to make it quick while trying to get out everything I want to say: 

• Kidd and the Kidd Pirates- Fairly obvious considering the last time we saw them. After what happened to Bartolomeo(we’ll get to that in a minute), I’m starting to question Shanks’ moral code a little bit. On the ONE hand: Bartolomeo was being a f*ckin’ moron when he burned Shanks’ flag. And I actually think Luffy would agree with Shanks in that regard, all things considered. Shanks is an Emperor- his name means something, especially when it’s what’s protecting entire Islands from invasion by Pirates. If he looked the other way on that, then it makes him look weak. And he can’t have that. So he made an example out of them. THAT VS WHAT KIDD DID: The more that I think about it- the less that I think this is Shanks territory. This island does not need protection. And thinking about it, Loki’s hypothetical marriage to Lola would have presented a problem in my head- having Elbaph’s army at the beck-and-call of one Yonko while using the Flag of another for protection, or however the politics of “claiming territory as a Pirate” works? “I think there would have been problems” is all I’m saying– depending on when it BECAME Shanks’ territory, if it even ever WAS. No, no; I’m starting to think that this post I saw on twitter is more accurate: He helped the Giants subdue Loki, and so he’s an honored ally of Warland. Shanks wasn’t “defending his territory- he was helping an ally that really didn’t even need his help in the end. Still a stupid idea Kidd had that day, but not the same as Bartolomeo. With Kidd– he picked a fight with an Emperor, and lost. I don’t think he’d have killed him for that- not intentionally, anyway. Though, he foresaw Kidd attacking crews allied with Shanks, so he was also protecting them. And- as chapter 1 told us(something else to get to when we get to Barto)- “Good Reason Or Not- Nobody Hurts A Friend Of Mine.” And Kidd would have. So it becomes a question of whether or not Kidd’s still alive. I could clown on the series further and say that he’s definitively alive, but then- Izo and Doji after Pell. Not to mention that he- as a Devil fruit user- was sunk into the sea with his ship and entire crew. I can’t say at this point, but going with the idea that he’s alive for the sake of discussion- he might be in lock up somewhere on Elbaph……………. maybe. It depends on if anyone felt like saving them or not. He pointed a loaded gun at them- they had no obligation to save him. And if they were saved, it’s not like they could sail away to lick their wounds; the only option was to drift on to the shores of Elbaph and see how long you could rest before………. the Giants find him and dole out punishment for POINTING A LOADED GUN AT THEIR ISLAND. I say “lock up” because I don’t think this “Island Of Warriors” condones attacking a wounded foe while they’re down. So- lock him up until they can figure out how to proceed with the issue. Then Again: He IS one of the 2 who defeated their long standing enemy in Big Mom. Probably won’t get him out of Punishment, but I imagine they’ll want to take that into account come time for Judgement………………..

• Bartolomeo- I think subconsciously I put all that stuff about Barto in the beginning of Kidd’s section so that I could cut down on time. ‘Cause now I can say this without all the “build up:” Not entirely sure what’s going to become of him. I can say that he was able to save himself with a barrier he put up just before Yasopp destroyed the ship, but…………… I doubt it. Doesn’t seem to be a Haki user, so I doubt he saw that coming. And from their perspective they got out of that with their lives; they weren’t expecting THAT to happen. So unless he managed to stay airborn just long enough to create a barrier with enough air for it to float in the water- he didn’t come out of that without help from someone else in the Barto club(his crew). I certainly don’t think he’s dead, but he was definitely saved by someone and………………. they probably slinked back to Gartel’s shores, stole a small dingy and some provisions, and their……….. adrift at the moment, following Luffy’s vivre card looking for him- 1)Because Barto’s effectively male Boa Hancock and 2)The situation has now changed with Luffy’s crowning as an Emperor. Shanks attacked an ally of his- even if he did something dumb. Luffy cannot let that stand if he wants to be taken seriously as an Emperor of the Sea- he now has to retaliate. And besides: Shanks taught him in chapter 1 “Never Let Anyone Hurt Your Friends- Even For A Good Reason.” That was a pretty good reason he had, but still- Luffy has to stand up for his friends when they can’t. He always does. I want harp on it too much more, I’m just sayin’: Yonko War Is Coming. Their long-awaited meeting might not be the “Happy Moment” even they thought it would be……………….
• Shanks- Sooner than we thought? That remains to be seen. He more than likely managed to get Kidd’s Poneglyph rubbings. Kidd got one from Wano with everyone else; he had one from Big Mom’s territory; I don’t know if he got the one from Zou, but I imagine that Shanks could have gotten to it already- all things considered. Maybe he held on to the one the Roger Pirates got way back when. Either way- that puts him at 3– the same 3 as Luffy, actually. Now all he has to do is find the “Man Marked By Flames,” which I imagine- even with the information network that comes with his status- will still be a challenge. Finding the ship, of course, but also getting close to it with those whirlpools that accompany the ship. So that’s gonna stall him. In the MEANTIME- should Luffy decide to free Loki- he might have to backtrack some and go help with that. Which could lead to the conflict from the Bartolomeo situation, but that’s a topic for another time. No, no- He’s Coming To Help Deal With Loki- territory or not. They can talk about it later. And that’s assuming that someone even calls Shanks back to the island; I don’t know how they plan to get in contact with him should Loki escape. He probably left them a way to, but who knows if it’ll get out in time. He could arrive after the fact, seeing that Luffy both caused and solved the problem and factoring that into that thing I can’t seem to stop mentioning. POINT IS: I don’t know when, but Shanks WILL be on Elbaph. Which, weirdly enough- I kind of figured when I really got “in” to the series. Whenever I thought about his reunion with Luffy- for whatever reason- I imagined it taking place on Elbaph, with Luffy deciding to runaway before Shanks arrived- because he didn’t consider himself a “Great Pirate” until he became King Of The Pirates- at least in my mind. But then- I didn’t know(fully) about the Yonko, nor did I think that Luffy would become one. Now that it’s happened, though, and now that we’re HERE– I feel kind of happy. Wish it wasn’t muddied by all these “Pirate Politics……………….”

• “Mad Monk” Urouge- This one is COMPLETELY random and done just for the sake of completion. All members of the worst generation have had roles in the New World– Law most prominently; Kidd, Killer, Drake, Apoo, and Hawkins took Wano; we just had Bonney in Egghead; Bege was an important part of Whole Cake; even Teech had a presence in Dressrosa through Burgess. And that just leaves Urouge who had that one revelation during Whole Cake. And that one scene pre time skip. Other than that, he hasn’t actually done anything since his debut at Sabaody. There’s a long standing theory that he’s a Birkan that managed to escape the destruction of Birka, but that’s unconfirmed. There’s also theories out there that suggest that he’s a follower of the Sun God just like Kuma was, based on that smile of his that never goes away. But then- that is also “just a theory.” And I will let your minds finish the rest of that statement. But if any connection his had to the Sun God is just a “theory,” then why do I think he’s going to be at Elbaph? Like I said: Just for completions sake. Could Oda use him to tie together Nika, Birka, and Elbaph? Certainly. If- in theory– there was a Church Of The Sun God in Birka that worshipped the same deity as the Buccaneers– combined with what we know about Birka thanks to Eneru’s cover story(“Birka” was the name of the Civilization that inhabited the moon), then I think there’s a story to be had as to why Giants and Birkan’s have the same sort of mythology. Mayhaps Nika was a Birka Deity, and when they came down to the Blue planet we know as……………….. the world that “One Piece” takes place on– they didn’t just stop at the White White Sea, but went down further and met with the Giants of that world- the original Giants. I’m picking this up the next day(Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, around 11:22 AM), and I’m realizing that we also have to throw the Shandians into that mix. Though- considering that the “Sun God” they believe in demands a sacrifice vs the little details Oda has given us about Nika– someone somewhere down the line got a………………… “different” interpretation. Though- considering that Loki has dubbed himself “Sun God-” it might mean that someone else– probably a Giant of the Royal family of Warland- probably revealed themselves to the Shandians. You know what– that’s what happened: A Past member of Elbaph’s ruling family introduced themselves to the Shandians as the “Sun God” and demanded a “sacrifice” of some kind, and- as the years went along- the story of THAT “Sun God” got diluted into……………. what we saw the Shandians practicing. More than likely one of their warriors or someone pissed him off and he was willing to give them XYZ in exchange for that person’s life. Does Urouge pray to either interpretation? No idea. But this is like one of the last islands to we’ll be visiting before Throne War kicks off; if not here then definitely on Lodestar Island– the Penultimate Island of the Grandline and Last place where all Log Poses point. That island- will be where it ALL “starts;” the war for the Throne of Pirate King- and the “Empty” Throne at the top of the world. How we’ll connect what happens there to what’s gonna happen in Marie Geiose is………………. no idea. Just- No idea. I just know that this war is going to converge on that Throne before we get to the Throne of Pirate King. Or who knows? They could even be one and the same. Let me stop before I go on a whole tangent and add 3 more days to this post. JUST KNOW: There’s a theory in the community that Luffy will sit atop the Empty Throne as the Pirate King- the “Most Free Man On The Sea,” thus making the world free. “King Of A Free World,” or something to that effect. Represented not by a crown like Imu’s- something flashy that no one else could ever get their hands on- but by a raggedy old hand-me-down Straw Hat- something anyone can wear. But more on that another time. 

Closing Thoughts

ALRIGHT, THAT’S DONE!!! Oh MAN that took so much longer than I EVER thought it would.  Like I said: This was pretty much “unscripted-” I didn’t have a “plan” going into this post. I figured it wouldn’t take as long between going through the 2 chapters worth of content we’ve discussed and making a plan, then making the post. I did NOT think that I’d have a lot to say this time around. But then- that’s Oda, isn’t it? Who would have thought that Luffy had the powers of the deity the Shandians worshipped all the way back then? Whoever tells you they did is a f*ckin’ liar. And don’t use the term “foreshadowing;” not for me- for my brothers. They’re not “Big Fans” of Gear 5th; they feel that it “raises more questions about how Devil Fruits works. Which- with what the recent SBS(Volume 110) about Yamato- I feel inclined to agree more than I was back then. Ah…………………. There’s a lot of things that I want to say right now; not even just about “One Piece-” I just feel like venting, and yet the issues are a bit too………………. “Personal” if you know what I mean. I seriously can’t keep my thoughts straight right now. 

I didn’t mean for Urouge’s section to go on for that long- it just kind of happened. And even THEN I was restraining myself from diving into everything I could have said. I don’t even remember what I was gonna say, but I think I was gonna say something. Ah………………… I used some of my colorings in the post, at least. At least the Patrick picture at the top of the post, and the featured image for the preview on my old site that I’ll place somewhere here at the bottom. I have a different image in mind for the featured- another coloring. Why am I saying this like you didn’t look at all the images I put in the post? It’s one of the colorings I did for Luffy’s new bounty poster- the one that depicts Gear 5th Luffy in color, rather than the plain white Oda chose to go with. There’s no “special” reason I did this coloring; I just thought “Hm…… maybe I should do one depicting Luffy in color like when Gear 5th was first revealed.” I have a plain white version I’ll probably end up using one day. But, um……………………. Oh geez, I’m tired; let’s wrap this up before I run out of the time I give myself…………….

Conclusion

That’s all for today(and maybe the next few weeks, considering I have to do this for “Dead Rock” and “Black Clover” now, too). I just…………….. Need A “Break” after this. In part to sit myself down and watch “Daima” and the Fishman Island remaster, but also because a post like THIS was Creatively Taxing. Though- I’m kind of glad that I got to make a post like this- let alone finish it the way that I have. I’m proud of myself for completing this. Let me know what you guys think of the post; do you agree with anything I had to say? What did I miss that you wished I talked about? I’d like to know so I can…………… actually prepare for a post like this in the future. At least where “One Piece” is concerned, I think this’ll be the “Mass Review” format going forward. I’ll try it with Dead Rock and see where it goes, but……………… I’m gonna do Black Clover the same way we had in the past 2 posts. And I just had a brain fart so I don’t have a segue into the outro. Maybe because it’s trash night where I am(Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, around 4:03 pm), so my mind is on that ’cause I’m about to get up and handle that. It’s crazy that doing that actually kind of relaxes me. Crazy- and a little “telling.” Until next time, everyone- Stay Safe- Stay Healthy- Stay Magic. Laters!!