One of One Piece’s greatest advantage is the character depth provided in the backstories. Each arc focuses not only on the fights but also on the lore and the backstories. The previous Egghead Incident Arc unveils Kuma’s backstory, one of the most heartbreaking flashback in the series so far. As soon as the fight in the Elbaf Arc begins, the story shifts its focus to King Harald’s past, detailing the early years of the beloved King of Elbaf. His tragic death 14 years ago is shrouded in mystery, and the blame is put on his son, Loki, the Cursed Prince. He was already hated among his people, so when the king died and he was considered the killer, the Giants did everything they could to capture him.

Loki fled the island and was captured by Shank six years ago. He’s been chained down in the Underworld ever since, and no one on the island is capable of stopping him if he breaks free, not even Gaban. Despite portraying Loki as an antagonist, One Piece kept dropping hints about his innocence until it was finally confirmed in Chapter 1152. Loki and Jarul, the only survivors of the incident from 14 years ago, witnessed the soldiers impaling Harald. The truth behind the incident still remains unknown, but the story instead focuses on another flashback, centering around Harald’s younger days and the birth of his sons. As such, we learn more about Loki and his unfortunate fate.

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Loki’s Covered Eyes Have a Heartbreaking Reason Behind Them

During his travels, Harald fell in love with Ida, a commoner Giant, and had a son with her. He wasn’t able to marry her because of the difference in their status. He was persuaded to marry Estrid, someone from a noble bloodline, who gave birth to Loki. However, her world was shattered after looking at the snake-like eyes of her newborn son. Estrid refused to hold him and ordered the servants to throw him into the underworld. Loki was cruelly discarded from the moment he was born.

Estrid studied Geomancy, the art of divination, and believed in things like fate and prophecies. After looking at Loki, she refused to believe a cursed monster came out of her womb and eventually became severely ill. In her weakened state, she continued to fear her son since it had been foretold even before his birth that he would be the one to strike down his father, King Harald. Word of the Queen’s poor health spread in the kingdom, and all the misfortunes were blamed on the Cursed Prince. All this time, Harald was busy with the diplomatic issues and had no time for his family when his son was abandoned.

Although Chapter 1153 didn’t explicitly confirm the reason behind Loki covering his eyes, it’s evident that he faced a lot of discrimination because of them. It could be his way of avoiding unnecessary bias or making people uncomfortable. The reason why Loki’s eyes look like this could be associated with the Ancient Giants, considering how their appearances are somehow demonic, especially with their massive size and horns.

One Piece Proved Loki Innocent, But Who Is the Real Killer?

Harald had already sustained fatal injuries by the time Loki and Jarul went inside the Throne Room. They were both summoned by the King and entered the castle together, unaware of the tragedy that would befall Elbaf. The perpetrators behind the incident 14 years ago still remain unknown, but they could be connected to the World Government. A mysterious man found the legendary Devil Fruit, which Loki consumed after the incident. It’s unclear if he took the fall himself or if he was framed by someone else, but the entire kingdom believes Loki killed his father for the devil fruit and even murdered 113 soldiers in the Aurust Castle.

It’s the biggest tragedy Elbaf has seen in centuries, and no one doubts that the real perpetrator can be someone other than the Cursed Prince. Not only that, but even Elbaf’s hero, Jarul, sustained severe injuries and knows the truth about the incident. He is the only one in the kingdom who knows Loki is innocent, but something is keeping him from clearing the Prince’s name. Even Loki doesn’t want to relieve the horrible day, and we will soon find out why.

The post One Piece Reveals a Heartbreaking Reason Behind Loki’s Covered Eyes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Just when fans thought things were beginning to look up for Kuma and Bonney, One Piece‘s latest episode has delivered yet another heart-wrenching twist, revealing that Kuma gave up his memories and turned into a mindless cyborg for Bonney’s sake. That said, besides stomping on fans’ hearts even further, One Piece’s newest episode also includes a fair bit of interesting exposition, particularly the introduction of a whole new secret member of the Seven Warlords that fans have never seen or heard of before.

Episode 1134 of One Piece finally reveals how Kuma went from being part of the Revolutionary Army to one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, with the episode explaining that this was yet another condition from St. Saturn to justify the cloning and weaponization of Kuma, who was, at that point, essentially still a pirate. The latest episode also reveals that Kuma took the place of a Warlord who’d been defeated by Ace, according to St. Saturn.

One Piece’s Anime Introduces A New Warlord Defeated by Ace

In one particular scene during the episode, Ace, Jimbei, Marco, Whitebeard, and Teech are all seen reacting to the news of Kuma being made into a Warlord when Jinbe reveals the name of this Warlord is Hanafuda. Interestingly enough, Hanafuda was never originally named during this scene in the manga. Oda only gradually revealed Hanafuda’s identity in the SBS sections that followed, making this scene in the anime completely original yet a genius addition.

While fans have been indirectly told about Ace’s accomplishments before in the series, the latest episode marks the first time fans learn about Ace taking down one of the Warlords. Given that Luffy was defeating Warlords one after the other during the first few months of his journey alone, it isn’t all too surprising for Ace to also have one such takedown under his name.

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While the events of Episode 1134 take place approximately four years before the present and Ace already seems to be a part of Whitebeard’s crew, it is difficult to pin down when exactly Ace would have defeated Hanafuda. This fight would have most likely taken place around the time of Ace’s visit to Wano, given that St. Saturn states Hanafuda was defeated quite recently and still refers to Ace as a rookie. All that said, seeing as One Piece’s anime isn’t afraid to incorporate aspects of the SBS into the series, hopefully, Hanafuda may just get a chance to make a canon debut through another flashback of sorts as fans are sure to love everything about his character design and it’s a crime to confine him to a singular sketch in the SBS section.

Who is Hanafuda in One Piece?

First formally named in the SBS of Volume 109, all that Oda initially revealed about Hanafuda was his name, his epithet as the “King of Lizards,” and the fact that he collected Ancient Zoan devil fruits as a hobby. This led fans to immediately suspect a connection to Kaido, which was subsequently proven correct in the SBS of Volume 111, wherein Oda confirmed that Kaido and Hanafuda used to be rivals until the latter was impressed by Kaido’s strength and formed an alliance with him. Hanafuda would then supply Kaido with the Ancient Zoan devil fruits he collected, much like Doflamingo, who provided Kaido with artificial ones.

That said, easily the most interesting part about Hanafuda is that he is actually Ulti and Page One’s father, and had left them in Kaido’s care, thus explaining how the brother-sister duo ended up in the crew together. As for Hanafuda’s fate, after being defeated by Ace, the World Government stripped him of his title, and while on his way to reunite with his children, Hanafuda was eventually killed by other pirates.

Overall, it was quite a smart move to mention Hanafuda through a simple added dialogue, as anime-only fans might have never learned about this mysterious Warlord Ace had defeated otherwise. While One Piece’s filler episodes have left much to be desired as of late, credit where it’s due, the series has gotten much more strategic with adding original scenes, not to mention ambitious when it comes to taking artistic liberties, and the anime’s certainly better for it.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Reveals A Secret Warlord in the Most Genius Way appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The ongoing fight against the Holy Knights takes a side step in One Piece’s Elbaf Arc as the story commences Harald’s flashback. The arc begins with Loki’s introduction, a cursed prince whose hands are stained with the blood of his father, the beloved King of Elbaf. Harald’s assassination happened 14 years ago in the Aurust Castle, and only Loki and Jarul know the truth. Loki fled Elbaf after the incident and was caught by Shanks six years ago. He has been serving his sentence in the Underworld ever since, while Jarul is staying silent on the matter. However, there are many things about the tragic incident that don’t make sense. The series has hinted several times that Loki isn’t the embodiment of evil as the Giants paint him to be.

Not to mention that he and Luffy clicked almost instantly despite the initial argument. After the Holy Knights attacked Elbaf, Loki was too desperate to break free from his chains to save those in the Sun World. He ignored his injuries and collapsed almost immediately after Luffy unlocked his chains. Chapter 1152 confirmed that Harald was impaled by his soldiers when Loki and Jarul stepped inside the throne room. While the series proved the prince is not guilty of the horrible crime, many questions are still left unanswered. Hence, before the truth behind Harald’s death is revealed, One Piece focuses on his flashback from his younger days, including the birth of his sons.

One Piece’s Loki Was Abandoned Right After His Birth

Loki had an unfortunate past, and it doesn’t seem like things got any better for him even now, since he has been chained to the Underworld for six years now. His mother, Estrid, was from a noble bloodline and the Queen of Elbaf. Even though Hajurdin is Harald’s firstborn, only Loki is recognized as the prince of Elbaf. However, just after giving birth, Loki’s mother was horrified after witnessing his snake-like eyes. She ordered her servants to throw him in the Underworld and send word that her child was stillborn. All this happened when Harald was busy with diplomatic issues, so no one could defy the Queen.

Loki’s mother called her newborn son a cursed monster before cold-heartedly throwing him away. She completely broke down after that and insisted on returning to her home. Estrid was hysterical and eventually fell ill. Even in her weakened state, when she learned that Loki was trying to climb his way to the Sun World, she wanted to dispose of him. She declared that it was foretold long before Loki’s birth that he would be the one to slay his father, King Harald. From then on, Elbaf blamed every misfortune on the “Cursed Prince.” As the chapter ends, we see a silhouette of Kid Loki, who stands alone with a weapon in his hand.

One Piece Will Continue to Answer Every Question About Loki

The latest chapter suggests that the Giants didn’t simply hate Loki because of his actions, but it was deeply rooted in them since the time of his birth. Whether it was the prophecy or his appearance, nothing about him was acceptable to the others. Despite having the blood of the Ancient Giants, he was discarded by everyone around him. The Elbaf Arc previously revealed that Loki caused all kinds of mischief in his younger days, including committing arson and letting his Underworld beast loose on the villages.

Perhaps it was his way of demanding attention after living alone for as long as he could remember. It could also be a mean prank against those who didn’t care for his existence. Now that the tragic truth behind his birth is revealed, we will learn more about his past in Elbaf and his relationship with Harald. 14 years ago, Loki was disappointed with Harald’s actions simply because he was building diplomatic relationships with the World Government. However, he was visibly upset after witnessing his death.

Not only that, but at the time, Loki hadn’t consumed the legendary devil fruit either. Since Elbaf had a habit of blaming all their misfortunes on him, it seems they immediately assumed Loki was the murderer. However, Jarul’s silence on the matter suggests there’s a bigger conspiracy at play, and he must be hiding the truth to protect something or someone.

The post One Piece Reveals a New Prophecy & It’s About Elbaf’s Best Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Over the years, One Piece has introduced many a tragic character. In fact, the series has become almost infamous for sneaking in the most heartbreaking origin stories when fans expect it the least. The most recent example of this was Kuma, whose tragic past is currently being brought to life in One Piece’s anime. All that said, the Elbaf Arc now has its own tragic star, and it’s unexpectedly the so-called “Accursed Prince” Loki, who could finally be on the path to redemption.

Chapter 1153 of One Piece finally dives into Loki’s origins, revealing that Harald was forced to marry Loki’s mother, Estrid, after pressure from the Giants to marry someone of pure Ancient Giant blood. The chapter then goes on to reveal that Loki was born with serpentine eyes, horrifying Estrid, who proceeded to throw Loki into the Underworld, calling him cursed and a monster. As Estrid prepares to return to her village in Elbaf, Loki can be seen crying while trying to crawl up Jewel Tree Adam, painting a strikingly tragic picture of the antagonizing character Loki has been set up as so far.

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One Piece Is Setting Loki up for a Classic Redemption

While One Piece has had its fair share of horrible parents, such as Vinsmoke Judge, Loki’s mother, Estrid, might just take the cake as the most despicable. The latest chapter sees Estrid immediately reject Loki, initially demanding that those who witnessed the birth tell Harald it was a stillbirth before settling on completely keeping his birth a secret from everyone. As if the sight of little Loki reaching out for his mother but having no one take his hands wasn’t heartbreaking enough already, the chapter ends with the striking image of Loki trying to claw his way out of the Underworld, simultaneously clawing his way into fans’ hearts.

Of course, considering fans have previously seen King Harald address Loki and Hajrudin together in a brief flashback, Loki’s birth wasn’t a secret for much longer, especially since Estrid passed away not too soon after. That said, easily the most interesting part of the chapter is the revelation of a prophecy that Harald would be slain by his own son, with the chapter implying that this prophecy is why any future misfortune that came Elbaf’s way would be attributed to Loki being cursed.

Despite the prophecy, however, as fans already saw in Chapter 1152, King Harald had been impaled by his guards when Loki and Jarul arrived at Aurust Castle, implying Loki was innocent of his biggest crime and had simply taken the blame. If so, it is possible that every other rumor fans have heard about Loki and his misdeeds so far has been false as well, wrongfully painting him as the “Accursed Prince” of Elbaf.

While his origins would completely justify him becoming a villain, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Loki isn’t as evil as he initially seemed. Luffy also instinctively seems to know this, trusting Loki enough to ask him to join the Straw Hats. Nonetheless, it seems like One Piece is pulling off yet another classic redemption, and by the end of the Elbaf Arc, Loki might just end up being another fan-favorite character.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Reveals Loki’s Dark Origins (And How He Will Be Redeemed) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s creator is famous for his well-placed foreshadowing that usually only reveals its genius years down the line. Over the years, Eiichiro Oda has carefully hidden many such little details and easter eggs across the series, be it in a stray panel or a color spread, including several references to Nika years before Wano and even foreshadowing of Ace’s death. Having said that, one such detail that fans may have missed has to do with the Straw Hats’ chef and Luffy’s left-hand man, Sanji, and it’s simply genius.

A One Piece fan on Instagram by the name of @porrtgas recently pointed out how every time Oda has depicted Sanji wearing rings in color spreads and illustrations over the years, he has left Sanji’s ring finger noticeably empty. While Oda has never explicitly provided a reason for this, with Sanji being the ultimate ladies’ man that he is since the start of the series, it is easy to guess he always leaves a spot on his ring finger for any pretty lady willing to marry him. Though Sanji’s perverted tendencies often cross the line, it’s hard to deny that this little secret detail is very characteristically fitting, not to mention beyond adorable.

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While there are undoubtedly many fans who aren’t as thrilled about Sanji’s pervertedness and constant fawning over women, especially when taken too far, like on Fishman Island, there are rare instances when the usual gag can be quite wholesome, with this little detail about Sanji’s rings being an excellent, subtle example. Another great example of this is the Whole Cake Island Arc, where Sanji eventually meets his match in Charlotte Pudding.

This might just be the closest Sanji ever comes to actually filling that empty spot on his ring finger, though, as most already know, the wedding fell through in the end, as did Sanji and Pudding’s relationship. It is unclear whether fans will ever see Sanji get married again in One Piece, even when the Straw Hats’ adventure is done and dusted, though if fans had to choose, Pudding would still likely be the top pick seeing as she is one of the few characters in One Piece to clearly reciprocate Sanji’s feelings and advances. That said, until then, he’ll always be fans’ favorite lover boy with a reserved spot on his left hand for a wedding band.

Source: @porrtgas on Instagram.

The post One Piece Fans Completely Missed This Sanji Secret for Years appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Shanks isn’t even a part of the Elbaf Arc, but the focus on him is more than any other One Piece arc. His role in the story has always been crucial, more than that of the majority of characters, and yet he remains mysterious to this day. Now that the story is in the second arc of its Final Saga, Oda is finally planning to delve deeper into one of the series’ most popular characters. Elbaf is Shanks’ territory, but that doesn’t mean the island will always be safe. The World Government wouldn’t stop its evil tactics just because an island bears a Yonko’s flag. Not to mention that the Holy Knights are extremely powerful with unusual abilities, and they are confident enough to bring Elbaf down as long as Luffy doesn’t interfere.

Of course, they aren’t honorable knights by any means since they take the kids hostage first before launching an attack. This would make it easier for the Holy Knights to make the Giants surrender. The one who came up with such a cowardly plan is Shamrock Figarland, Shanks’ twin brother and the Commander of the Holy Knights. The arc also reveals that Shanks is aware of his real family, but refuses to live as a Celestial Dragon. While the manga is exploring Shanks’ real identity and his past, the debate is about whether the person was in Mariejois during the Reverie Incident.

The “Rat Memes” About Shanks May Not Be Wrong

One Piece Chapter 907 shocked the fandom with “Shanks” meeting the Five Elders and talking about a certain pirate. There are many theories about the said pirate, but the manga never specified anything. Many believed it could be either Luffy or Blackbeard, or even someone else. On the other hand, when the chapter dropped, the community was in shambles, some believing Shanks is a double agent and works against the World Government, while others theorized he may have a twin brother.

Back then, the manga never hinted at Shanks having the blood of a Celestial Dragon or introduced the Figarland family, so these theories were groundless. As always, a lot of fans didn’t leave this opportunity to joke about Shanks being a “rat,” which lasted for over six years. The idea behind “rat memes” was that he’s actually working for the Government and pretending to be a pirate. His connection with the Figarland family also didn’t help dispel the rumors about him being a villain.

Shamrock’s introduction in Chapter 1134 puts a lid on the debate about Shanks being the one during the meeting. The fact that we didn’t see the man’s scar in Chapter 907 was enough evidence to suggest that Shanks wasn’t the one meeting the villains. However, the latest chapter brings back the same debate and the confusion along with it.

The Man In the Cloak Can Be Either Brother, and It Would Make Sense

The theory about Shanks being a “rat” resurfaced after Chapter 1152 when Shanks confirmed he stayed in Mariejois for a while. After his introduction, Shamrock did mention that Shanks once went to Mariejois but chose the life of a pirate instead. It doesn’t appear that the Figarland family wants anything to do with him either. Not only that, but Chapter 1152 includes a flashback where Shanks confirms he met Harald in Mariejois, meaning he spent a considerable time there.

This would also explain why the Elders are familiar with him, as if they have personally known him for a long time. Although the series has never portrayed Shanks as evil, you can never perfectly predict anything about fiction. That’s especially the case when we don’t really know what Oda is planning to do with this character. While some hints point toward Shamrock being the man in the cloak, other hints lean more towards Shanks.

At this point, Oda can have either of the brothers be the man in the cloak, and he would have an explanation. Even the identity of the “certain pirate,” the man in the cloak, talked about is something the author can explore in any way he sees fit. As a Yonko, Shanks is also after the One Piece, but his motives weren’t clear before Luffy awakened his Devil Fruit. Elbaf is turning out to be a crucial arc, not only for the Straw Hats but also for the Red-Haired Pirate, whose secrets will be out one by one.

The post One Piece’s Latest Chapter Revives the Seven-Year-Old Debate About Shanks appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s been nearly three years since the conclusion of One Piece’s Wano Arc, and since then, the series has gone into high gear, revealing many of its best-kept secrets as the story heads into the Final Saga. The Egghead Arc dropped many lore bombs and now the Elbaf Arc is following in its footsteps with massive revelations about the history of One Piece’s world, Luffy’s Nika powers and much more. That said, the Elbaf Arc has now also settled a huge Wano mystery that has gone unresolved for years, this being the debate about Zoro’s Conqueror’s Haki.

Chapter 1152 of One Piece finally settles a huge Zoro debate by confirming that he does indeed possess Conqueror’s Haki. The confirmation comes from the left-hand of the former Pirate King, Scopper Gaban himself, who makes Zoro aware of it while pointing out how it’s been leaking off him the entire time. As such, the latest chapter finally settles the age-old debate about the Conqueror’s Haki at Wano stemming from Enma instead of Zoro, and given how the series has avoided clarifying this outright for years on end, fans could not appreciate this confirmation more, overdue as it may be.

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Great as the Wano Arc and its climactic fights were, the ending of the arc left much to be desired, with many loose threads and unresolved mysteries. Easily one of the biggest of these was the fact that fans were left hanging about whether Zoro truly had Conqueror’s Haki or not, with the core of the debate being that the haki may have been the remnants of Oden’s haki that was leaking from within Enma, which fans were already told seemed to have a will of its own.

One Piece further added fuel to the fire when the Vivre Cards also remained very vague and non-committal when it came to the matter of Zoro’s Conqueror’s Haki, even delaying the release of the latest batch of Vivre Cards, and maybe fans now know why. Admittedly, it would very much be possible for Enma to contain Oden’ Haki especially since the Egghead Arc has proved that it is possible to seal away Conqueror’ss Haki within an object even for centuries as Joyboy did with Emet.

Having said that, it makes much more sense for Zoro as one of the wings of the future Pirate King to possess Conqueror’s Haki himself, and the same applies to Sanji, regardless of what the latest chapter may imply. This is especially crucial as One Piece’s Final Saga cements the seemingly immortal Imu, Five Elders, and the Holy Knights as the ultimate antagonists of the series.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Finally Settles a Huge Wano Mystery That’s Been Bugging Fans for Years appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Elbaf Arc in One Piece is turning out to be more exciting than ever, thanks to the new villains being introduced and the several plot twists that keep happening. It’s almost impressive how much focus Shanks is getting during this arc despite not being on the island. Since the moment Luffy met Loki, the young Yonko has been looking for clues to locate the Red-Haired Pirate. Luffy made a promise to Shanks to meet him again and return his Straw Hat when the former becomes a great pirate. Several years later, Luffy still awaits the day he can meet his role model again. Although their reunion will eventually happen, we will have to wait quite a while before they cross paths again.

In the meantime, the second arc of the Final Saga is dropping one bomb after another. Things only continue to escalate after the arrival of the Holy Knights, and now the real fight will begin when Luffy and the others plan to join the battle. Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were in the underworld with Loki when the Holy Knights commenced their attack by taking the children hostage. Now that everyone knows about what’s going on in the Sun World, they all plan to take the villains down. However, before the fight begins, One Piece begins another backstory and reveals a major secret about Shanks.

Shanks Has the Same Tattoo as the Holy Knights

One Piece Chapter 1152 reveals that Shanks has the same mysterious tattoo we saw on the Holy Knights. In a flashback to 14 years ago, Shanks and Gaban are enjoying a hot bath in the latter’s house, where his tattoo is clearly visible. It’s also the same arm that Shanks sacrificed for Luffy’s sake. Until now, we believed it was his way of teaching Luffy, an impulsive yet ambitious kid, the dangers of the sea. Luffy changed a lot since the incident and abided by Shanks’ teachings.

However, there may be more to it than we realized. The tattoo somehow resembles the logo of the World Government, but there is a distinct difference between them. It represents a lot more than just status; it allows the bearers to travel through the Abyss, a demonic magic circle that can teleport them to anywhere in the world in an instant. There’s a high possibility that it was imprinted on Shanks and any Celestial Dragon at the time of their birth. That specific tattoo could mean that the person is of noble blood, or maybe it could’ve been a way for the World Government to mark their “properties,” who are supposed to serve them using their skills. It could also be the reason Roger knew about Shanks’ identity.

Why Is This Theory Plausible?

The Wano Country Saga featured Oden’s flashback, where we learned a lot about the Roger Pirates’ journey to Laughtale. After Roger completed his journey, he made up his mind to surrender himself to the Marines since he already didn’t have much time left. In Chapter 968, Shanks asked Roger something and burst into tears. No one knows the details of the conversation, but it could have something to do with Shanks’ real identity. If Shanks always had that tattoo on his arm, it would make sense for Roger to know that Shanks belongs to one of the World Noble families.

Chapter 1149 suggests that the Roger Pirates and the Holy Knights had fought each other before, since Sommers was quite familiar with Gaban. Anyone could make a connection between them if they share the same tattoo. It was the last time Shanks ever saw Roger, and he went to Mariejois not long after. The details about his visit have yet to be revealed, but it’s clear now that he spent quite some time there before returning to his life as a pirate.

Judging by the conversation between Gaban and Shanks in Chapter 1152, it’s obvious that Gaban also knows quite a bit about the Red-Haired Pirate since he called him the “Child of Fate.” Roger adopted Shanks 38 years ago during the God Valley Incident and raised him to be a pirate. The island had the natives of God Valley, slaves, and Celestial Dragons at the time, but it was strange to keep a child inside a treasure chest. The sea is all Shanks has ever known, and it would be incomprehensible for him to work with such vile people as the World Nobles.

The post One Piece Theory: Shanks’ Tattoo May Be the Reason Roger Knew His Real Identity appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s been two years since Netflix surprised fans both new and old with its stunning live-action retelling of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga series, One Piece. As Luffy and the crew head into the Grand Line, the series has set sail for Season 2, expecting to make landfall in 2026. From the introduction of new antagonists like Smoker and Crocodile, to new allies like Tony Tony Chopper, Robin, and Vivi, there’s plenty to be excited about in Season 2 of the One Piece live-action. However, at the same time, fans may need to prepare for a major disappointment.

Netflix’s live-action One Piece has cast Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, alias Princess Vivi, with this casting having caused quite a stir among fans. That said, the real disappointment that new fans in particular may need to prepare for is seeing Vivi not join the Straw Hats at the end of the Alabasta Arc. Controversy about Vivi’s casting aside, there’s no doubt that Charithra Chandran is going to completely win fans over in Season 2 just as Vivi did in the anime twenty years ago, and fans new and old are going to have to prepare for the inevitable heartbreak when the Straw Hats leave her behind.

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Over the years, One Piece has baited fans with many potential Straw Hat candidates, though the very first of these was Vivi, who, across the span of only a few arcs, completely won fans over. Vivi still remains one of the top picks for a Straw Hat crew member, even in light of more powerful alternatives like Yamato. As such, fans who were introduced to One Piece via the live-action in particular may be en route to experiencing a classic, age-old disappointment when Vivi does not end up joining after bonding with the crew over what could be the entirety of Season 2.

Though her time with the crew is short-lived, the impact that Vivi leaves on Luffy and the Straw Hats persists throughout the series, particularly her lessons on diplomacy and humility. More importantly, despite what a small minority of One Piece fans may have to say, Charithra Chandran is absolutely perfect for the role, having already proved to many just how lovable she can be in Season 3 of Bridgerton when she played the poised Edwina Sharma. It’s safe to say that fans are in for heartbreak if Season 2 faithfully recreates the iconic scene of the Straw Hats bidding farewell to Vivi, though luckily, newer fans will have a shoulder to lean on in the fans who’ve seen it all before.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post Netflix’s One Piece Is Setting Fans Up for One Major Disappointment appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Elbaf Arc of One Piece is finally revealing the truth behind Harald’s death 14 years ago. He was the beloved king of Elbaf, who made efforts to introduce the education system in his kingdom and favored diplomacy and trading with other countries. The kingdom basically worshipped him, unlike his second son, Loki, who was infamous for causing mischief. Loki was called the Cursed Prince, since he always wreaked havoc anywhere he went. The Giants were already fed up with him, but couldn’t do anything against him. However, they tried their best to capture Loki after Harald’s death, believing the man had not only assassinated their king but also killed the 113 soldiers in the Aurust Castle 14 years ago.

Even the blame for Jarul’s head injury fell on Loki, and the Prince had no choice but to escape the island. For some reason, six years ago, Shanks captured Loki and handed him to the Giants. Loki has been imprisoned in the Underworld ever since Luffy came to the island and freed the Giant Prince in hopes of learning more about Shanks’ whereabouts. While there were several hints before, One Piece Chapter 1152 finally confirms that Loki didn’t kill Harald, but something unexpected took place in the castle all those years ago.

One Piece Chapter 1152 Unveils the Events of 14 Years Ago

After Gaban revealed that he sensed an unusual Haki on that day 14 years ago, Hajrudin forces Loki to reveal everything that happened. So far, only Loki and Jarul know the truth behind the incident, but they have kept their silence on the matter. However, Loki shows his reluctance to relive the nightmare of that horrible day. The chapter commences a flashback where Loki and Jarul make their way to meet the king. Loki expresses his disappointment towards his father, who sold his soul to the World Government.

However, when the two hastily entered the throne room after hearing a commotion, they were baffled by the scene of several Giant soldiers impaling Harald. The scene then shifts to Gaban’s house as the former pirate is enjoying a hot spring with Shanks. Gaban asks Shanks about his opinion on Harald. The Yonko reveals that he met the King in Mariejois, and they got along well, but there was something he couldn’t talk about there. He sounded like he had to discuss something urgent with Harald without knowing the king had just died in his castle.

Someone enters a hidden room where the treasure, the forbidden devil fruit, is stored away. Without properly explaining the circumstances that led to Harald’s death and the real perpetrators behind it, the manga begins another flashback from 109 years ago, during the time the Giant Pirates were thriving. The story plans to explain why Harald was so loved among his people. At the time, Harald was already the King of Elbaf, but he had a terrible personality, committing vandalism and calling himself a god. The upcoming chapters will likely continue his backstory and what made him change into such a person.

One Piece Still Has to Answer Many Questions About Harald’s Death

While the story is focusing on Harald’s past, the reason behind Loki being blamed for his father’s murder has yet to be explained. Not only that, but it’s clear that Gaban doesn’t know the entire situation, but he has a hunch that Loki is innocent. Shanks, who was with Gaban at the time, should know more about the incident than the rest of the Giants. However, he still captured and imprisoned Loki eight years after the tragic incident. If there’s one thing we know about Shanks, it’s that he never does anything on a whim. He must have an elaborate plot to let things turn out the way they did.

There also has to be a reason why Jarul and Loki kept their mouths shut, especially the accused, who clearly wanted to escape, but never tried to prove his innocence. Harald’s relationship with the World Government also seems shady, but so far, the series hasn’t portrayed him as a cunning king. He was likely trying to build a good relationship with them in order to open trade with the rest of the world. Even the Holy Knights personally knew Harald, but considering Loki’s hatred for them, there’s a good chance Harald’s murder was a grand scheme by the World Government.

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One Piece’s Elbaf Arc is not only focusing on the brutal fight against the Holy Knights but also on the lore of the world, which is the core of the story. The fabled Land of the Giants is connected to the Void Century, or perhaps to an era long before that. The Giants are the only remaining race in the world that keeps the legend of Nika alive by passing down the folklore to younger generations. The ancient text of Harley contains a lot of useful information about the past, but because it’s written in a forgotten language, there have been many interpretations of Nika.

Some believe Nika is the god of laughter, while others believe he brings down destruction. However, one thing is clear it’s that Nika only shows up whenever the world is about to undergo a major change. There have been two Nikas before, one in the Void Century and one a few centuries before that. In this era, Luffy awakened as the Sun God and the Warrior of Liberation. He is the child of fate, the one who is about to change the world as we know it. He is also in the Prophecy of Two Kings, revealed by Madam Shyarly, a mermaid gifted with the power to prophesize major events that will happen in the future. However, there was one child of fate in this era even before Luffy, and it’s someone our beloved protagonist admires the most.

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Reveals Shanks Was the Child of Fate Before Luffy

Shanks was raised by the Roger Pirates and traveled the seas with them for several years. During the God Valley Incident, Roger and Rayleigh found him alone in a treasure chest and brought him with them. Ever since then, the only family he has known is the Roger Pirates, which, of course, includes Gaban, the left hand of the Pirate King. The two continue to meet up even though Gaban has long retired as a pirate. Elbaf is one of Shanks’ territories, and as a Yonko, he often goes to the island.

Chapter 1152 features a flashback from 14 years ago when Harald’s assassination took place in the Aurust Castle. Shanks was already on the island, enjoying the hot spring with Gaban. The two talk about how it’s been ten years since Roger’s execution. Shanks wanted to form a crew with Buggy, but things didn’t turn out the way he wanted to. Not only that, but he is particularly interested in Elbaf and the secrets it holds. Gaban mentions that Shanks’ thirst for knowledge makes sense, considering he was the child of fate. However, the retired pirate simply wants to relax without delving deeper into tricky topics.

It’s also worth considering that Gaban is the one who traveled all across the world and knows the entire truth about the world, including the prophecies. Meanwhile, Shanks didn’t reach Laughtable, but he clearly knows more than he lets on. Additionally, Gaban specified that Shanks is the child of fate, meaning he had the title till 14 years ago. It could be because Luffy didn’t eat the Devil Fruit during that time, so there’s no guarantee that Shanks still has the title now. The reason Gaban said that may be because they both know how the future will play out thanks to the prophecy, but that’s only an assumption.

Elbaf Arc Further Solidifies Shanks As One of the Most Important Characters

There’s no denying that Shanks has a crucial role in the story, even if he doesn’t show up often. He appears in the very first chapter and could be considered the catalyst of the story, someone whose actions push the main character to set out on this epic journey. Furthermore, he is also the reason why Luffy has the powers of the legendary Devil Fruit. Whether it was a twist of fate or a meticulous plan, Shanks ended up being the one who brought Nika back to this world.

He also bet the future of the world on Luffy’s hands and sacrificed his arm to teach the kid an important lesson. The Elbaf Arc has only just begun, and we are learning more about the mysterious Red-Haired Yonko, including the fact that he has been to Mariejois before and has a twin brother named Shamrock. Since the series is now in its Final Saga, it will continue to focus on one of its most important characters and finally solve the mystery behind his past actions and his true goal.

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One Piece took a surprise break this past week, but now the anime has dropped the first promo teasing the anime’s return for a new episode. One Piece: Egghead Arc Part 2 kicked off its run earlier this Spring after a six month hiatus while the team behind the scenes got ready for what’s next, but anime fans have been surprised as there also have been a few weeks where the anime has taken time off to buy more time. This means that recap specials are aired in between, and this has resulted in some major backlash from fans when it’s happened so far.

This was the case for this month as well as One Piece Episode 1134 was delayed an extra week as the anime instead released another recap episode. But now that things are back on track, the anime is finally getting ready to air is next new episode working through the climax of its newest flashback for Kuma and Bonney. As for what’s coming in the next episode exactly, you can check out the new preview video for One Piece Episode 1134 below ahead of the episode’s premiere later this weekend.

How to Watch One Piece Episode 1134

One Piece Episode 1134 is titled “Cruel Fate – Kuma’s Decision as a Father” and will be making its debut on Sunday, June 29th in Japan. The episode will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it hits (and will be releasing with Netflix about a week after), and the episode preview teases it as such, “To save Bonney’s life, Kuma agrees to participate in the development of the clone soldiers. However, taking advantage of Kuma’s concern for his daughter the World Government imposes three conditions on him in exchange for her treatment. They are ruthless requirements that shatter the father and daughter’s future.”

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One Piece‘s anime has been working through Kuma’s major flashback arc in the past few weeks, and the latest new episode saw Kuma making his first big move towards the events of the present day. After finding out that the mysterious Dr. Vegapunk indeed had a way to cure Bonney’s deadly disease, Kuma has agreed to whatever terms the scientist has come up with in order to pay for the procedure. But as far as Kuma is concerned, he is willing to sacrifice whatever’s necessary in order to save his daughter.

What’s Next for Kuma’s Flashback?

Unfortunately for Kuma, he might have agreed to much more than he ever considered. Because when Dr. Vegapunk initially asked Kuma to agree to his new terms, he mentioned that he would be using Kuma’s body as the model for his new army of clones. But in the scientist’s mind, Kuma only heard that the scientist was hoping to use these clones to help people everywhere. But because Dr. Vegapunk works for the Marines, things are about to get a lot more intense for Kuma as he signs a deal with a literal devil for the future.

As fans know about One Piece’s present day events, Kuma does become a weapon of the Marines and they abuse him to the point where he’s become a lifeless machine that has been steadily fighting to keep his free will through the anime’s tenure thus far. But as this flashback arc gets closer to the anime’s current day events, it’s still got a few more heartbreaks to work through as it’s been clear that both Kuma and Bonney have been suffering for quite a long time. And unfortunately, that suffering still has longer to go before they can find even some hope of peace.

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Ever since his introduction at the beginning of the Elbaf Arc, fans of One Piece have been endlessly going back and forth about whether Loki could be an ally or a foe. On one hand, everything about Loki’s initial introduction, from his epithet as the “Accursed Prince” of Elbaf to the countless accounts of his terrorizing misdeeds, set him up to be a troublemaker through and through. The accusations of Loki having murdered his own father further worsened fans’ first impression of him.

That said, with Loki revealed to possess many of the same traits as Luffy, it’s become harder to believe that he could be as bad as the rumors make him out to be. Especially, as at the same time, One Piece has seemingly been dropping subtle hints that there is much more to King Harald’s death than meets the eye, with the latest chapter even finally proving Loki innocent of the crime. Chapter 1152 of One Piece finally dives into a flashback of what happened on the day King Harald was murdered 14 years ago, revealing that Gaban and Shanks were also present on that fateful day. That said, easily the biggest bombshell of the chapter is that Loki and Jarul arrive at Aurust Castle only to find King Harald being impaled by multiple guards, which all but confirms that Loki did not kill his father.

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One Piece Reveals Loki Did Not Kill Harald After All

Besides the many visual cues and similar tendencies to Luffy, One Piece first planted the seeds of Loki’s innocence in Chapter 1143, which saw Hajrudin directly confront Loki about Harald’s murder. However, Loki in response questions whether Hajrudin truly believes he killed their father in cold blood like the rest of Elbaf does. Until now, a popular speculation was that King Harald may have been turned into a demon by Imu, much like Dorry and Brogy, and though Chapter 1152 only gives us a silhouette of Harald being impaled, he is quite visibly missing any of the telltale signs of being possessed, such as horns or wings.

It is still unclear what exactly could have prompted Harald’s own men to turn on him in such a manner, or why Loki would end up taking the blame for the entire incident for that matter, though the upcoming chapters of One Piece will surely shed light on the truth of what happened 14 years ago. This revelation has also come not a moment too late as Luffy just tried to recruit Loki, making it every necessary for the series to redeem him in readers’ eyes, even if he already has Luffy’s trust and approval. Nonetheless, One Piece appears to be gearing up towards its next big flashback, and if so, the showdown against Imu and the Holy Knights might happen much sooner than fans think as well, possibly serving as the climactic battle and conclusion to the Elbaf Arc.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Finally Proves Loki Innocent of His Crime (But the Big Mystery Remains Unsolved) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s highly anticipated Elbaf Arc has been a roller coaster of emotions with the reunion between Robin and Saul, the plot twist of Shanks’ twin brother, the introduction of Loki and the Holy Knights, and many more surprising events. The second arc of the Final Saga was foreshadowed in the Little Garden Arc, and fans have been awaiting to learn more about the fabled land of the Giants. Luffy and his crew only managed to reach Elbaf after the chaotic fight against the Five Elders and Admiral Kizaru in Egghead. The crew had only just arrived on the island before things took a turn for the worse after the appearance of the Holy Knights.

The Holy Knights plan to force the Giants into submission, even if they have to stoop as low as threatening the children. The story has not introduced several new characters, but also dropped hints about Nika’s origin, which will likely be explored more in this arc. The Elbaf Arc is still in its initial phase, so the real fight has yet to begin. Within the plot twists and thrilling events, the One Piece manga confirms the Japanese release date of Volume 112. As always, Oda doesn’t miss with the gorgeous cover art, and it’s a lot more special because of the series’ best girl.

One Piece Volume 112 Confirms Release Date and Robin Reunion After 22 Years

The upcoming volume is set to be released on July 4th, 2025, which will include Chapters 1134 to 1144. As always, there will also be a special SBS section, where Oda will answer a few questions from his fans. The release date is only for the Japanese version, and it will take a few months before the English copies are available in the U.S. Oda maintains his usual colorful cover with several characters being the focus. This time, Luffy is at the center of the fan-favorite Elbaf fit, smiling widely while being surrounded by the Giants.

The cover features Hajrudin, Gerd, Oimo, Stansen, along with Saul and Robin. Saul and Robin reunite after over 22 years in this arc as depicted in One Piece Chapter 1133, which was the most emotional highlight of the arc. Robin spent over two decades believing her dear friend passed away during the Ohara Incident but learned about him from Shaka in Egghead.

One day before the reveal of the Volume 112 cover, the official account of One Piece on X shares a time-lapse video of the sketching process. Oda initially decided to give the Holy Knights the limelight in this volume, but nixed the idea.

We may have gotten the official color scheme of the Holy Knights if he had gone with the initial concept, but the mangaka then thought of one with Gaban in the center and came up with many variations before deciding to put the Giants in focus. After several trials and errors, he decided to have our beloved protagonist in the center once again. The time lapse shows the process of his digital concept sketches, occasionally adding colors in between.

H/T: @Eiichiro_Staff on X

The post One Piece Shares First Look at Biggest Reunion With Next Manga Volume appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As One Piece‘s story progresses, one particular character who only grows more and more intriguing is Shanks. Other than the Pirate King himself, it can be argued that Shanks is largely responsible for setting Luffy on his current path by inspiring him and serving as his role model. Luffy’s journey effectively begins when Shanks saves him and entrusts him with his signature straw hat. Having said that, as the series has revealed more about Shanks and his abilities, fans have looked back on this moment with plenty of questions, particularly about why Shanks lost his arm, and One Piece’s latest arc may finally have some answers.

Chapter 1152 of One Piece dives into a flashback 14 years ago, at the time of Harold’s death. During the flashback, fans learn that Shanks was also present on Elbaf on the fateful day. The chapter sees Gaban and Shanks soaking in a makeshift onsen of sorts at Gaban’s house, with fans getting a glimpse of Shanks’ left arm, which sports a curious tattoo that has never been seen before. The design of the tattoo quite closely resembles the symbol on the armband worn by the Holy Knights and could possibly be the mark of the abyss mentioned by St. Killingham in Chapter 1140, which allows those who possess it to travel through the abyss pentagrams. If so, it is possible that Shanks willingly sacrificed his arm to the Sea King when saving Luffy to free himself of the abyss mark.

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For years, fans have questioned why Shanks let the Sea King bite off his arm, more so since the introduction of Haki. Though he was not an Emperor at the time, Shanks would have still been quite strong and certainly strong enough to deal with one measly Sea King if he was able to take on Cipher Pol and eventually capture Loki only a few years later. In retrospect, fans have also deduced that Shanks likely intimidated the Sea King with Conqueror’s Haki, though this only adds to the mystery of how Shanks ended up losing an arm regardless.

When asked about his arm by Whitebeard, Shanks simply claimed that he bet it on the new era that Luffy and his generation would usher in, implying that Shanks saw potential in Luffy worth sacrificing a limb for. That said, Chapter 1152 adds a new level of complexity to this decision by Shanks, which may have had another far darker motivation.

Shanks Gave Up His Arm to Cut Ties With the Figarland Family: A Theory

Shamrock has previously revealed that Shanks once visited the Holy Land, a visit that Shanks also mentions to Gaban in Chapter 1152, and it is possible that this is when Shanks received the mark as opposed to being born with it, as it is notably absent in previous flashbacks of Shanks as a child. It is yet to be confirmed whether this mark is also tied to the Holy Knights’ regenerative abilities and immortality, though it would make more sense for this not to be the case, for this theory about Shanks’ arm to still hold up.

As for Shanks’ motivations for giving up the mark of the abyss, Shamrock’s words have made it quite clear that Shanks wanted nothing to do with his biological family. More likely than not, losing his arm was Shanks’ way of severing ties with the Figarland family and making sure he could not be summoned based on their whims. This secret motive of cutting ties with his World Noble heritage would make sense even if the tattoo isn’t the mark of the abyss, but just a symbol of the Holy Knights that Shanks either unknowingly or unwillingly received. Either way, Shanks is quickly proving to be one of the most important characters in One Piece, and the Elbaf Arc may just change the way fans see him and his sacrifice for Luffy forever. More importantly. if Eiichiro Oda manages to successfully pull off this abyss mark twist, it might just be the biggest retcon in the history of One Piece.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Teases the Real Reason Shanks Lost His Arm appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is now in the works on Season 2 of the live-action series coming to Netflix next year, and Joe Manganiello has dropped another big tease about his debut in the series as Mr. 0…otherwise known as the deadly Sir Crocodile. One Piece Season 2 has been one of the most anticipated new releases with Netflix considering how big of a hit the first season of the live-action series was with the streaming service, but even more big names are joining the cast for the coming season as Eiichiro Oda’s world expands in some big ways in the next few arcs.

Manganiello has been fairly open about the new role he’s going to be taking on for One Piece Season 2, and has been steadily teasing fans about what to expect. Speaking with Eva Carducci on Instagram, Manganiello has teased that he’s already seen some of what he’s shot as Crocodile, and teases that “it’s about the coolest thing I think [he has] ever done, it’s awesome.” Along with some teases about how the set and all of the pieces come together in the final product.

Joe Manganiello Teases Crocodile Debut in Netflix’s One Piece Season 2

“I’ve seen what we shot for Season 2. I went into the office and watched it,” Manganiello began. “I don’t know that I am ever gonna look that cool again, it’s about the coolest thing I think I have ever done, it’s awesome. The coolest thing I’ve even done. It’s so cool. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. Because when you look at all those pieces, there’s a lot going on and it seems crazy. But all put together, and the set they built for me, it’s amazing.” Elaborating on it further, Manganiello explained how dream like of an experience it was, “There’s something about One Piece that feels like a dream. It feels like you went to bed after eating too much, and have this wild dream about pirates. And then woke up, and that’s what you saw. It’s kind of what it feels like.”

Even with all of this being said, Manganiello also made sure to emphasize that he’s still keeping a close eye on his job in the series, “But for me, my job is to make it real and feel like you understand what the characters are. Because when it’s at its best, the One Piece live-action can make people cry. It can make people feel something emotionally. I take that part very seriously because I want people to feel something, and I want to understand the mythology of my character and what is the story that we’re telling about life, or about growing up, or about changing, or about handling defeat. It’s important.”

When Does One Piece Season 2 Come Out on Netflix?

One Piece Season 2 is currently scheduled to stream on Netflix some time in 2026, but has yet to confirm a release date as of the time of this publication. Joe Manganiello has previously teased that filming for Season 3 will be starting later this year, but a third season has yet to be announced as of this time either. But that would make sense considering how long each of these new seasons has taken to get going, and whether or not the cast will continue to have that same level of availability in the coming years.

A third season of the series also seems more likely as Manganiello and many of the other characters won’t have a crucial role until One Piece’s live-action series begins to adapt the Alabasta arc, and Season 2 still needs to work its way there with the next big arcs it plans to adapt with its episodes. There’s still quite a lot for Manganiello to do, but thankfully it seems like he’s enthusiastic to make it all happen.

HT – Eva Carducci

The post Netflix’s One Piece: Joe Manganiello Teases Crocodile’s Debut “It’s Awesome” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Elbaf Arc of One Piece is finally setting up the major fight as Luffy and the others head towards the Sun World to join the battle. Because the Holy Knights caught the Giants completely off guard and targeted the children first, they are utterly helpless against them. It also doesn’t help that the Holy Knights have inhuman regenerative abilities just like the Five Elders. The only one who could fight them off was Gaban, but he got taken out of the battle thanks to Gunko’s cunning trick. After defeating Sommers almost effortlessly, Gaban targets Gunko, but he witnesses his son’s murder through Future Sight and surrenders the fight.

She deals a few fatal blows to the man, but Gaban gets medical help almost immediately. Chopper takes him to the Underworld, where Luffy and the others are, which makes things easy for him to treat the retired pirate and let his Captain know about the current situation. The Holy Knights didn’t anticipate that a Yonko would want to be involved in this conflict, but Luffy would never stand by and let this injustice happen. That’s especially the case when the Giants are considered allies of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, before joining the fight against the Holy Knights, Luffy tries to recruit Loki, only to end up getting rejected right away.

Luffy Already Trusts Loki Enough to Offer a Place in His Crew

Ever since Loki found out the Holy Knights are attacking the Sun World, he’s been extremely desperate to break free from his shackles and help his people. However, Hajrudin’s prejudice runs deep, and he’s not willing to listen to a word his half-brother says. On the other hand, Luffy and Loki click almost instantly because of their similar personality. Luffy can sense that Loki isn’t what the Giants make him out to be; otherwise, he would never offer the Cursed Prince a place in his crew.

In the latest Chapter 152, seeing that Hajrudin wasn’t willing to let Loki fight for Elbaf’s sake, Luffy offered Loki to join his crew so the former wouldn’t have anything to complain about. He realizes that Elbaf doesn’t want Loki, so it would be better for the Prince to join his crew. Additionally, Luffy is naturally intrigued by powerful people, and he can tell Loki is a force to be reckoned with. Considering all these options, it’d be weirder if Luffy didn’t ask Loki to join the crew.

The reaction was quite expected, not just from Loki, but also Luffy’s wings, who all vehemently refused him. Loki doesn’t like the idea of serving under someone, while Zoro knows the Giant can’t fit in the Thousand Sunny. Besides, Loki eats way more than Luffy, so there’s no way Sanji can keep making all that food every single day. Not to mention, Loki is the Prince of Elbaf, a country that doesn’t have a royal heir even 14 years after the King’s murder. Considering all these options, it may be impossible for Loki to join the crew after all.

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It May Be Too Late to Get Another Straw Hat Member

The story is currently in the second arc of its Final Saga, and there’s not much time left before Luffy makes his way towards Laughtale. Throughout his journey, he has met several incredible people and asked many whom he trusted to join him. However, while everyone craves adventure, not all of them are free enough to abandon their responsibilities and travel the world.

That’s been the case with Gaimon, Vivi, Ace, Kin’emon, Yamato, and many more. Even though Loki is an intriguing and powerful character, having him on the crew is a far-fetched dream. Besides, Luffy is meant to have a small but talented crew that will help him attain the title of the Pirate King. In the East Blue Saga, he stated that his crew should have around ten members.

However, with the story being in the final phase, having another crew member would seem kind of random, especially when they join almost at the end of the journey. Each crew member has a significant role to play, so the crew is basically complete. The story has to focus more on the mysteries and the World Government instead of having another major character join Luffy’s journey when there’s simply no room to properly develop a new Straw Hat with the depth Oda usually gives.

The post One Piece: Luffy Wants Another Crew Member But It Won’t Be Easy to Recruit Him appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The highly anticipated Elbaf Arc in One Piece takes a turn for the worse with the unexpected arrival of the Holy Knights. Luffy and his crew were welcomed warmly in the fabled Land of the Giants, but the celebration didn’t last long after the villains showed up and targeted the children. Unfortunately, some of the strongest fights in Elbaf, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Loki are still in the Underworld as the Cursed Prince is regaining his strength after years of imprisonment. His situation gets worse after Gunko tortures him to force him to join the Holy Knights. However, now that Luffy and the others know about the situation in the Sun World, it won’t be long before the real battle begins in Elbaf.

Loki is by far the most mysterious character in the series, who is believed to possess unparalleled strength. Even the left-hand of the Pirate King, Scopper Gaban, couldn’t defeat the Giant Prince and relied on Shanks. Gaban already fought the Holy Knights and had the upper hand against Sommers. He could’ve easily defeated Gunko as well, but he saw his son’s murder through Future Sight and immediately surrendered. However, Gaban knows the only way to injure the Holy Knights and render their regenerative powers useless, and he’s aware of Zoro’s capabilities, alongside how they can help.

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One Piece Finally Acknowledges Zoro’s Hidden Ability

Zoro has been able to use Conqueror’s Haki since the Wano Country Saga, but the series never abruptly mentioned the fact, which led to meaningless fan discourse for years. However, he sensed that apart from Luffy, there was one more Straw Hat who had the Color of the Supreme King. Initially, Sanji thinks Gaban is talking about him, but he actually means Zoro. Unsurprisingly, Zoro isn’t even aware of his true potential, even though Luffy sensed it from him long ago.

It’s a possibility that Zoro subconsciously used Advanced Conqueror’s Haki by coating it on his sword during his fight with King in the Wano Arc. It’s not clearly mentioned in the latest Chapter 1152, but there’s a strong possibility that the attack Gaban used to ensure Sommers doesn’t regenerate is fueled with Conqueror’s Haki. Loki has the ability and is clearly stronger than the Holy Knights, so he will be a useful ally in the fight.

Unfortunately, things don’t look good for Sanji, who has yet to awaken this skill. As one of the Wings of the future Pirate King, Sanji fights by Luffy’s side along with Zoro as his most prominent allies. He is skilled enough to take down powerful foes, but if there’s a special requirement that renders him helpless against them, then it’s only a matter of time before Zoro leaves him in the dust. If Sanji had awakened this skill, Gaban and Luffy would’ve sensed it. Despite that, Sanji definitely has the potential.

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Has Made It Quite Clear That Sanji Needs to Awaken Conqueror’s Haki ASAP

Unlike the common misconception that you need some grand kingly ambition to awaken this ability, the most crucial requirement is having a strong willpower. Sanji already qualifies in that aspect, but as always, he is one step behind Zoro in the power system ranking. Ideally, the Wings of the Pirate King should be on almost equal footing, and that has been the case so far. The difference between their strength has never been significantly great, but Zoro having Conqueror’s Haki changes a lot of things.

Before the Wano Country Saga, we only knew how Conqueror’s Haki is used to intimidate weak-willed opponents and force them to either faint or surrender. The power may seem cool, but it’s basically useless against stronger foes – or so we thought. Now that we know about the Advanced Conqueror’s Haki and that Zoro can master it with a bit of training, he will be even more unstoppable than before. If the Holy Knights are truly beings that can’t be harmed without Conqueror’s Haki, then Sanji, who is always on the front lines of the battle, will in a clear disadvantage.

He has gained considerable strength after the Wano Country Saga after awakening his latent Germa 66 genes. Even so, the story is almost in his end game, and he will need the most powerful ability to keep up with Luffy and Zoro. Luckily, it’s not a lost cause since Oda may be planning to give our beloved chef another power upgrade. After Gaban’s introduction, the parallels between him and Sanji are as clear as the parallels between Luffy and Roger, as well as Zoro and Rayleigh. If that is the case, we are likely in for another surprise.

The post One Piece Finally Settles a Huge Zoro Debate But It’s Not Good For Sanji appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As one of the longest-running anime and manga series, One Piece has its fair share of ups and downs. But if there’s one thing that’s consistent about the show, it’s how Eiichiro Oda finds new ways to make us like the main character more than ever. Thanks to his cheerful personality, on the surface, it seems Luffy is the same as he has been since Chapter 1. However, while his growth is subtle, it’s persistently there, as he evolves with each battle that teaches him about the world and his role in it. Even though One Piece is an action shonen, it doesn’t always focus on the fights, but the lore centers around the main character.

Luffy grows throughout the story, but doesn’t lose himself in the process, even after witnessing his brother’s horrifying death. He stumbled and fell, but got back up sooner than ever. Luffy has always been a charismatic character, and the fact that he hasn’t had a single inner monologue (showing his thoughts to the readers/viewers) in all these years makes him even more intriguing. In fact, Oda carefully crafted Luffy’s character and made it such that he wouldn’t need a monologue in the first place. And the reason behind it is as simple as it can get.

One Piece’s Luffy Is Honest to a Fault

Luffy wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s the only reason why he doesn’t need an inner monologue. It reflects who he is; he’s not someone who thinks twice before taking an action, and even as a pirate, he hates dishonesty and deception. The guy can’t even lie properly, even if his life depends on it. Instead of overthinking something, he always expresses himself through his actions. He reacts, shouts, and sometimes even blurts out the wrong thing at the wrong time, which, interestingly enough, is one of the strongest foundations of his entire personality. In the absence of an inner monologue in One Piece, Luffy often thinks out loud or merely sings (badly) to fill the silences.

Unlike most characters who conceal their feelings, hide their fears and vulnerabilities, Luffy doesn’t shy away from expressing his emotional transparency. He doesn’t need to narrate his internal journey because he lives it and makes the best of it. Luffy seems like a rather simple character, but he’s complex in a subtle way, as he often showcases his emotional intelligence and unwavering moral compass. He isn’t deterred by the insular behaviour of his crewmates, such as when discovering Nami’s past or Robin’s trauma; he’s simply decided to do what he sees fit and get rid of the ones causing them pain.

He has an incredible instinct for reading people, and one of his most defining traits is his ability to trust even morally gray or seemingly evil characters when others wouldn’t. Luffy instinctively knows who to trust; that has been the case since before he met Zoro. That’s also the case with Robin, Bon Clay, Franky, Hancock, and many others he met along the way.

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Luffy Is the Embodiment of Freedom and Having an Inner Monologue Would Take That Away

The core themes of One Piece, such as freedom, turning imagination into reality, defiance against injustice, and staying true to yourself, are all carried by Luffy in such a flamboyant way that he simply shines in front of other characters. If he had to think about his actions, analyze the situation before making a move, and be restricted by his own thought process, he wouldn’t be able to become the freest man in the world. For him, there’s no greater treasure than living life without being bound to anything.

Luffy doesn’t seek to become the King of the Pirates for wealth, fame, or power; he simply wants to live without restriction. And he knows he can’t achieve his dream without acquiring everything Gol D. Roger did. Even his powers scream the most important theme of the story – freedom in truest form, as Nika, the Sun God, Warrior of Liberation. Unlike others, Luffy doesn’t need a grand reason to fight someone. If they do some injustice, hurt his friends, or piss him off, he will do what it takes to set things right.

And yet, at the same time, he knows when to pull his punches, just like he did in Jaya against Bellamy. That’s how Luffy has also fought, and slowly his power evolves into the very thing he has always chased after. There’s nothing that screams more freedom than the form of Sun God Nika himself. So, Luffy not having an inner monologue in One Piece engages the audience to understand him, not through his thoughts, but through his actions and humanity.

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With the God Valley Incident and Ginny’s tragic backstory behind us, One Piece’s anime is now shifting the spotlight entirely to Kuma and Bonney as the father-daughter duo reckon with Bonney’s life-threatening disease. After scouring every corner of One Piece’s planet, Episode 1133 of One Piece sees Kuma turn his sights to Vegapunk, finally bringing the genius scientist into the picture and with it the origins of the World Government’s clone army.

Episode 1133 of One Piece carries on with Kuma’s flashback, wherein fans see Dragon recommend that Kuma consult Dr. Vegapunk about Bonney’s mysterious illness. Dr. Vegapunk not only diagnoses Bonney but also claims he can cure her. However, upon finding out that Kuma is a Buccaneer, Vegapunk suggests that Kuma pay for Bonney’s treatment by allowing him to create clones of Kuma using his rare Buccaneer blood. Vegapunk then calls Kuma a saint for agreeing to these terms so readily, though Kuma says he is simply a pacifist, words which inspire Vegapunk to thus name the clone soldiers Pacifista, as fans know them today.

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One Piece Reveals the Origins of the Pacifista

It would be an understatement to say that Kuma has long been one of the most intriguing characters of the series ever since his introduction as one of the Seven Warlords. There have been many lingering questions about Kuma as well as the Pacifista modelled after him and Kuma’s flashback on Egghead is finally revealing all. Episode 1133 even sees Vegapunk suggest giving the clone soldiers light beam and laser powers, which would also come to fruition through Vegapunk’s subsequent research on Kizaru’s devil fruit.

That said, the latest episode also ends on quite an ominous note as it is revealed that St. Saturn is secretly listening into Kuma and Vegapunk’s conversation and seemingly has very different, nefarious plans for Kuma’s clones. Of course, the fact that the Pacifista were named so because Kuma hoped they’d someday save lives only adds to the irony of how the World Government would go on to weaponize not just the Pacifista but also Kuma himself. Nonetheless, while things are looking up for Bonney and her health, the same can hardly be said of Kuma, and judging by Saturn’s growing involvement in the flashback, the upcoming episodes of One Piece will very likely see Kuma’s flashback take an even more tragic turn.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

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One Piece’s anime is currently in its Egghead Incident Arc as the chaotic fight takes a side step because of its highly-anticipated flashback. Even after Admiral Kizaru arrived with a hundred Marine Ships to kill Vegapunk and capture a Yonko crew, Luffy and the others managed to get the upper hand. They would’ve soon been able to head towards Elbaf, the Land of the Giants, if not for the sudden appearance of Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, one of the Five Elders. The anime only revealed silhouettes of the Five Elders’ demonic forms, but it’s much more horrifying than anyone could’ve imagined. Saturn can transform into a gigantic spider-legged humanoid with a set of horns.

Seeing him suddenly show up on the island, in the middle of the fight, Bonney couldn’t keep her cool and rushed to attack him. However, not only is he unfazed, but he’s crushing the girl with his hand while the Marines point their guns at her. In such a dire situation, Bonney remembers her father and the suffering he went through his entire life. That’s when the backstory begins, beginning from his birth to the moment that led him to strike a deal with Vegapunk in order to save Bonney. Now that we are one step closer to learning the truth about his tragedy, the anime will soon wrap up the backstory and continue the fight against the villains.

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Kuma’s Backstory Will End in One Piece Chapter 1136

One Piece’s anime is currently adapting one chapter per episode while also adding a few filler scenes in between to keep up the pace. The backstory kicks off in Episode 1129, adapting Chapter 1095 of the manga. If the anime keeps up the same pace, Episode 1136 will adapt Chapter 1102, which wraps up the flashback. The fight at Egghead will continue in Episode 1137 where we will finally learn what will happen to Bonney after Saturn arrives at Egghead.

Although the anime has revealed the reason Kuma met with Vegapunk, we still don’t know what transpired between the two that resulted in the scientist erasing Kuma’s humanity. Vegapunk certainly was interested in Kuma’s bloodline, but he was never cruel enough to trick someone into such a brutal fate, especially a man who has a daughter to take care of. He only wanted to research Kuma’s blood and model his army of Cyborg Clones after him. However, the Kuma we know in the present has been turned into a Pacifista, with the anime gradually revealing what led to him becoming a mindless puppet.

The anime has currently released Episode 1133, where Saturn is aware of the deal between Kuma and Vegapunk. He clearly has a scheme that would cause Kuma to suffer more, explaining why Bonney reacted so strongly after seeing him. The backstory will also focus on what happened to Bonney after her father left her for good, and the struggles she faced as a young child out on the brutal sea.

The post When Will One Piece’s Anime End Kuma’s Backstory? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Over the course of the last twenty years or so, One Piece has steadily expanded the Straw Hats’ roster, giving Luffy one valuable crewmate after another. While a majority of the spots in the crew were filled very early on, the series has introduced new additions even after the time skip, with the latest being Jimbei, who officially joined during the latter half of the Wano Arc.

Having said that, over the years, One Piece has introduced many potential Straw Hat candidates, and the series arguably continues to do so even in the Final Saga. Though it seems unlikely that Luffy will be recruiting new members this late into the game, it’s impossible to be sure with One Piece. The series may just surprise fans with one, if not multiple, new crewmates before the big finale, and these characters deserve it the most.

10) Loki

First mentioned during the Whole Cake Island Arc, Loki has finally made his debut on Elbaf in One Piece’s manga and is already shaping up to be much more interesting than his initial introduction let on. Until very recently, it had been unclear whether Loki would end up being a foe or an ally, though as the story progresses, Loki seems to be leaning more towards the latter. Even with what little fans have seen of his abilities so far, Loki would prove to be a very powerful addition to the crew, that is, if the Straw Hats can figure out the logistics of fitting him onto the Sunny.

Though Loki seems to idolize Rocks D. Xebec, much like Luffy’s biggest rival, Blackbeard, the latest chapters have proven that Loki and Luffy are, in fact, very much alike. Loki and Luffy can even be seen as two sides of the same coin and as the Elbaf Arc gradually reveals the truth to the Straw Hats about King Harald’s murder, there’s no doubt that One Piece will eventually redeem Loki.

9) Kung-Fu Dugong

Although technically a filler character, the Kung-Fu Dugong from the Ceaser Retrieval Arc is also another strong contender for a Straw Hat member, with an adorable backstory and even some firepower. The arc revealed that one of the dugongs from Alabasta whom Luffy trained ended up forming his own crew known as the Sea Animal Pirates, with their captain adorably emulating Luffy down to the scar on his chest.

That said, besides being incredibly cute and lovable, this Kung-Fu Dugong would also be valuable in battle as the arc revealed he could also use Armament Haki, an ability that many of the Straw Hats still don’t possess.

8) Marco

Another fun possible addition to the Straw Hats could be Marco. The Wano Arc already saw the former Whitebeard Commander fight alongside the Straw Hats. Furthermore, given that the Whitebeard Pirates have long disbanded after their captain’s death, this conveniently leaves Marco with nowhere to go, and recruiting him as a permanent ally could be very advantageous for the Straw Hats going into the Final Saga.

Marco could especially prove invaluable as Luffy and the Straw Hats face more and more powerful foes with regenerative abilities like Imu, the Five Elders, and the Holy Knights, as Marco would naturally be the perfect counter with his own regenerative powers.

7) Karoo

One of the first characters that fans usually bring up when talking about potential Straw Hat hopefuls in One Piece is Vivi. That said, few ever mention Karoo, the adorable leader of the Supersonic Duck Squadron of Alabasta, who is arguably a package deal with Vivi. While Chopper no doubt already fulfills the Straw Hats’ cuteness quota, there’s no harm in having another adorable mascot character on board. In fact, you could even argue that Karoo was there before Chopper.

6) Trafalgar D. Law

If there’s one thing the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance has proved, it’s that Law has amazing chemistry with Luffy and the Straw Hats and could be a very fun yet also meaningful addition to the crew. Out of all the Worst Generation members, Law might just be the most popular, with his popularity even taking Oda by surprise. While the Straw Hats already have their own doctor in Chopper, it wouldn’t hurt to have Law and the additional expertise and fighting power that the Op-Op Fruit provides.

With Law’s crew supposedly wiped out by Blackbeard, this would also be an excellent opportunity for Law to join the Straw Hats and accompany them to the final island, thus also giving him a way to achieve his dream of learning the truth of the world. Besides, this would also be a major win for all the LuLaw shippers. But of course, all of this hinges on Law having survived the battle with Blackbeard, which is something that One Piece has yet to confirm.

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5) Bonney

Despite being burned by the Wano Arc and Yamato not joining the crew at the end, when the Egghead Arc came around, fans yet again fully believed Bonney would be the next Straw Hat. Her gluttonous tendencies and child-like nature made her instantly get along with Luffy and the reveal that Bonney could also take on a Gear Five-like transformation opened up interesting possibilities for future tag-team battles.

More than anything, Bonney and Kuma’s backstory made it so fans wanted nothing more than for Bonney to happily sail the seas and explore the world like she always wanted. The Elbaf Arc has since implied that Bonney, Kuma, and Lilith could settle down in the land of the Giants instead, allowing Lilith to fix Kuma. However, Imu and the Holy Knights’ arrival has complicated things, which means Bonney may be forced to accompany the Straw Hats a little longer.

4) Carrot

Though she started as a stowaway aboard the Sunny, Carrot is another character who has warmed up to fans’ hearts over the years with many agreeing on her being a “best girl” and wanting her to become a permanent member of the crew. Carrot has displayed good chemistry with Chopper as well as Luffy while her Sulong form also adds considerable combat value.

While the end of One Piece’s Wano Arc saw Carrot become the new ruler of the Mokomo Dukedom, many still argue she should have joined the Straw Hats, instead, as it is still debatable whether Carrot is suitable for the role. Many even hoped she had stowed away on the Sunny yet again, but alas, it seems like fans won’t be seeing much of Carrot again outside of filler episodes.

3) Yamato

One of the biggest disappointments at the end of the Wano Arc was the fact that Yamato did not join the Straw Hats despite being asked by Luffy and wanting to do so himself. Yamato would not only be an incredibly strong addition to the crew but would also thematically fill the role of Oden in the Straw Hats, furthering the parallels with the Roger Pirates. Joining the Straw Hats and setting out to sea would also bring Yamato’s character full circle by finally giving him the true freedom he’s always wanted.

As such, it was understandably frustrating when Yamato chose to stay back and journey across Wano first. Admittedly, Yamato was needed to protect Wano during this period of restructuring but seeing as the country is slowly headed towards stability and Yamato’s pilgrimage is also nearing its end, hopefully, it may not be too long till Yamato officially joins, potentially reuniting with Luffy at another island like Jimbei did.

2) Bon Clay

One Piece has introduced thousands of characters so far, including many honorable figures like Pedro, Oden, and Fisher Tiger, to name a few. Having said that, not many characters in One Piece command as much respect from fans as Bon Clay, who to this day remains one of the top picks for a potential Straw Hat crewmate. Although Bon Clay, or Bentham started out as an antagonist, his noble sacrifice for the Straw Hats at the end of the Alabasta Arc quickly redeemed him in fans’ eyes.

Bon Clay would go on to claim a permanent place in fans’ hearts after the Impel Down Arc. where he displayed unassailable loyalty to Luffy and sacrificed himself yet again so Luffy could escape. For the longest time after, Bon Clay’s fate was unknown, though the cover story of Chapter 666 fortunately confirmed he is still alive, thus keeping him in the running as a candidate for the next crew member.

1) Vivi

Fans of One Piece rarely agree on anything, though if there is one thing that comes close, it’s the fact that Vivi should be the final Straw Hat to join the crew and that she, of all characters, deserves the spot the most. Vivi won over hearts during the Alabasta Saga, and ever since fans have considered her (and Karoo) honorary members of the crew.

If anything, the recent revelation that Vivi, too, is a member of the D Clan like Luffy makes the case for her joining the Straw Hats even stronger. Furthermore, her unique qualities would have made her the innate choice of the Straw Hats’ diplomat by default. Finally, the events since the Reverie all seem to point to a reunion with Vivi, as she would certainly be much safer with the Straw Hats than with Morgans.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix and is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post 10 Best One Piece Characters Who Deserve to Be on the Straw Hat Crew appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Kuma’s backstory in One Piece’s anime is almost near its end as we finally witness the meeting between him and Vegapunk. Kuma was introduced in the Thriller Bark Arc and has had a minor but significant role to play until now. He was first perceived as a villain, but turned out to be the biggest supporter of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, his daughter, Bonney, has been looking for him for the past two years and trying to find answers about his transition. Despite everyone telling her that Kuma volunteered to become a mindless puppet, Bonney refuses to believe he would leave her alone like this.

She risks her life to see Vegapunk and almost drowns in the sea. Luckily, the Straw Hat Pirates, who were also heading towards the Egghead Island. Vegapunk doesn’t directly tell her everything, but shows her the paw bubble that contains Kuma’s memories. Bonney learns everything about him since his birth, to the reason that led him to choose to become a Pacifista. The latest Episode 1133, reveals a lot of unanswered questions, including how Kuma gained the reputation of a tyrant and became a pirate. However, the biggest shock was the fact that he met Vegapunk as his last hope of curing Bonney’s fatal illness. Vegapunk isn’t the kind of person who will take advantage of Kuma’s desperation and strip him of his humanity, so what went wrong in the past?

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Saturn’s Sadism Is Responsible for Kuma’s Biggest Tragedy

Since he was four years old, Kuma has struggled endlessly because of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. The past kept haunting him even after he finally left the hell called God Valley and built a peaceful life for himself with Ginny. His peaceful days were short-lived when Ginny was suddenly kidnapped by a Celestial Dragon and forced to become one of his wives. Two years after her kidnapping, Bonney was cast aside and returned with an infant in her arms, hoping Kuma would take care of the child after she passed away.

Kuma raised Bonney with as much love as any parent would, but he was helpless against her illness that was bound to take her life before she could even celebrate her tenth birthday. Although Vegapunk has offered to save her life, he wants his Clone Army to be modeled after Kuma, who has the Buccaneer blood flowing through his veins. Unfortunately, Saturn is aware of the situation, and as shown in Episode 1133, his greed is bound to result in something tragic.

Vegapunk only wanted Kuma’s help in creating an army of Cyborgs, but erasing his humanity is something the scientist would never have thought of, so it’s likely Saturn had a role in all this. After all, that would explain Bonney’s anger after seeing Saturn in front of her. We only saw glimpses of Kuma’s past through her memories, but the anime will soon reveal the full picture.

The post One Piece Is All Set to Reveal Saturn’s Role in Kuma’s Backstory appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has been working through an emotional flashback into Bartholomew Kuma’s past, but the newest episode of the anime proves that there’s still time for a little bit of fun within all of the heartbreak with a hilarious tribute to Willem Dafoe’s best meme. One Piece has been steadily getting fans through Kuma’s tragic past with the last several episodes, and each one has been full of heartbreak as Kuma was hit with one tragic reality after another. But as the anime gets closer to filling in the final gaps, Kuma’s past tragedies are only going to keep piling up.

One Piece‘s newest episode gets fans closer to the present day as Kuma eventually overthrew the King who was terrorizing his home, and thus held a one person revolution against the tyrant. But when the former king tried to return with Marine forces in order to forcibly take back control of the country, Kuma decided to brand himself a criminal and fight back in order to save his home. This results in a powerful attack that one Marine clearly is distressed about…going as far as looking exactly like Willem Dafoe’s “looking up” meme.

Willem Dafoe Makes Surprise Cameo in One Piece

One Piece Episode 1133 sees Kuma fighting back against the Marines, and unfortunately having to leave his home in order to keep trouble away from them. With one powerful strike, he’s able to sink all of the ships coming to attack his home. It’s here that one Marine looks a lot like Willem Dafoe, and is never seen again after the attack. As for the meme itself, it has some wild origins too as it has since taken off among pop culture as a funny way to show someone reacting to something big and overwhelming coming their way.

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The original depiction of Willem Dafoe itself comes from the 2018 film, At Eternity’s Gate. Directed by Julian Schnabel, this film was a biographical drama about the final years of painter Vincent Van Gogh’s life. Dafoe portrayed Van Gogh himself in the film, but hilariously the meme comes from a trailer for the film rather than the film itself. Thanks to the trailer showing the now infamous visage of Dafoe looking into the sky, it quickly took off as a rather hilarious reaction image that’s now been cemented into the anime world thanks to the One Piece anime team.

What’s Next for the One Piece Anime?

One Piece’s anime has been working through a flashback into Kuma’s past to reveal more of his connection with his daughter, Bonney, and the latest episode brings fans closer to the present day than ever. But at the same time, the anime is also filling in the gaps for Kuma and his ties to the Pacifistas. The newest episode revealed that he only volunteered to become a weapon of the Marines to heal Bonney’s deadly Sapphire Scales disease, so it seems like the anime has one last bit of heartbreak planned before the flashback ends.

Then when the flashback comes to an end, fans will be thrown right back into the current day chaos of the Egghead arc. Luffy and the Straw Hats are scattered across Dr. Vegapunk’s future island laboratory as St. Saturn of the Five Elders has begun to reveal just how terrifying he can be. But we’ll see how that all works out soon enough, and you can catch up with the latest episodes of One Piece: Egghead Arc now streaming with Netflix and Crunchyroll in the meantime. It’s only going to get more intense from this point on.

The post One Piece Honors Willem Dafoe’s Best Meme in New Episode appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Kuma’s backstory is nearing its end in One Piece’s anime as we finally get closer to the truth behind his tragic sacrifice. Bonney risked her life to find Vegapunk and get answers about what happened two years ago that turned him into a mindless cyborg. However, the truth is far brutal than she could handle. After stepping into the paw bubble that stored Kuma’s memories before his transition, Bonney learns everything about his past, from his birth to the reason that led him to make such a decision. The backstory takes place in the middle of the chaotic fight on Egghead Island where Luffy and the others fight Admiral Kizaru and the Marines.

Things were finally getting under control when Saint Jaygarcia Saturn suddenly showed up on the island, and Bonney charged to attack him out of anger. Her father’s memories kept replaying in her mind, and seeing him in front of her was extremely aggravating. Unfortunately, Saturn is incredibly powerful, and his regenerative powers almost make him untouchable. Before the backstory begins, Bonney is almost at death’s door as Saturn crushes her with his hand while the Marines point their weapons at the girl.

Kuma Became a Pacifista to Save Bonney From Her Illness

After Ginny’s death, Kuma raised Bonney all on his own in Sorbet Kingdom. He gave her everything she needed, but nothing he did was enough to save her life. The clock was ticking, and Bonney was growing up without being able to step into the sun. The disease she and Ginny got because of Saturn’s experiments was fatal, and there was no cure. After the rebellion in the Sorbet Kingdom was over, Kuma went far and wide to look for a way to save his daughter. Bonney stayed behind the Sorbet Kingdom and waited for him for a long time. During his journey, Kuma sank all the Marine Ships that attacked him and ended up becoming a well-known pirate.

His value swelled over time, but he never stopped looking for a cure. Kuma was horrified to realize Bonney won’t live long enough to experience her tenth birthday. That’s when he met his former comrades from the Revolutionary Army, including Dragon. Dragon told him about Vegapunk in One Piece Episode 1133, the only person in the world who could help him. Vegapunk was more than happy to help someone sent by Dragon, but he was ecstatic to find Kuma is a Buccaneer.

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Since Kuma is from a special bloodline, Vegapunk decided to model his Clone Army after him. Kuma didn’t decline the request since he had to save Bonney, but Saturn had another plan altogether. We will soon learn about his role in Kuma’s past, which made Bonney so furious. Kuma’s sacrifice for Bonney was what sealed his fate. Whether by coincidence or not, One Piece dropped its Episode 1133 on Father’s Day, highlighting Kuma’s struggles in trying to save his daughter and finally giving up everything to ensure she lives on.

The post One Piece Unveils Kuma’s Biggest Sacrifice For Bonney on Father’s Day appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has been working through a very emotional flashback through Bartholomew Kuma’s past, but the anime has dropped a disappointing update for its next new episode. One Piece: Egghead Arc Part 2 returned for its new episodes earlier this Spring after a six month hiatus. This was the longest hiatus in the anime’s franchise history to date, and it truly felt like it when the new episodes started back at the chaos breaking out throughout Dr. Vegapunk’s future island laboratory. But then the series decided to take a detour to go back and explore previously missing parts of the past.

One Piece has been making its way through its special look back at Kuma’s past with his daughter Bonney, and the newest episodes have been bringing fans closer to the present with its latest developments as Kuma set out around the world to cure Bonney’s deadly disease. But with the end of the latest episode and first look at what’s coming next, it’s now been confirmed that next week’s episode of One Piece will be yet another recap (as teased by a look at the schedule earlier this month) getting fans up to date before the flashback continues again in a couple of weeks.

One Piece Has Another Recap Episode Coming

It’s now been announced that coming on Sunday, June 22nd in Japan, One Piece will be airing another special recap episode titled “Dr. Chopper’s Adventure Checkup -Good Friends at a Crossroad-” that teases it will be going over some of the last couple of arcs to get a bearing on how Luffy and the others have been developing in the anime over the last year or so. But this coming recap also means it’s going to be an even longer wait for the premiere of One Piece Episode 1134, and even longer before we finish this flashback overall.

It’s not that these recap episodes are particularly bad, it’s just that they mean that fans have to wait longer to see what’s next. The team behind the series puts a lot of work into bringing the anime to life, and we’ve seen the results of all of these efforts through some spectacular sequences. But this also comes at the cost of time, and it means that these recaps are necessary in order to buy more of that time. It’s just that after waiting six months, fans aren’t responding well to how many recaps we’ve gotten in this new era.

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What’s Next for Kuma and Bonney?

When One Piece‘s anime does return for new episodes, Kuma and Bonney’s flashback will be reaching a crucial place in its story. It’s getting closer to the present day as Kuma was seen searching all over the world for a chance for cure Bonney’s Sapphire Scales. After her mother died from the terrible disease that would spread when exposed to natural light, Bonney herself was only given until the age of ten before she would succumb to the disease as well. In his search for the cure, Kuma has come to Dr. Vegapunk.

It was revealed that the scientist indeed had the cure to Bonney’s disease thanks to medical technology that hasn’t made it to the rest of the world, but it would be very expensive to make it happen. In exchange, Vegapunk wants to use Kuma as the base for an army of new clones for the Marines. It’s getting fans closer to showing how Kuma became the Pacifista weapon, and how he eventually got separated from Bonney in the process. We’ll just need to wait a little longer to see it happen, unfortunately.

The post One Piece Drops Disappointing Update for Anime Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Jump Festa 2024, which was held in December 2023, took the internet by storm by announcing a One Piece remake by WIT Studio. Netflix has officially confirmed to be the streaming platform of the show, and fans couldn’t be more excited. WIT Studio is one of the most popular anime studios in the industry, known for its gorgeous animation, as we have seen in the first three seasons of Attack on Titan and Netflix’s Moonrise. However, the only update about the remake we ever got from the studio was in August 2024 when they shared a bunch of gorgeous concept sketches. They were widely praised by the fandom, making them anticipate the upcoming series even more.

One Piece was already popular thanks to Eiichiro Oda’s brilliant storytelling and worldbuilding, but it reached new heights after Netflix’s live-action adaptation. Considering that the original anime debuted in 1999, many fans would love to witness the same story in modern animation. The remake is expected to adapt the entire East Blue Saga, the first saga of the series, where Luffy sets out to sea and meets Nami, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp before heading towards the Grand Line. However, it’s quite clear now that the remake will be released a lot later than expected.

One Piece Remake Is Making Slow Progress

According to the reputable One Piece fan account, @pewpiece, insiders suggest fans may be waiting awhile for The One Piece by Wit Studio, stating, “Kyoji Asano, the character designer for the One Piece remake, said in an interview yesterday that he was drawing some One Piece cuts just the day before. He’s still actively working on it, but progress has been pretty slow.” The report comes from a reliable source, and although these claims are not at all shocking, it’s still disappointing, given the general hopes for other classic anime remakes in the works that have run into similar slowdowns.

Asano is known for his work in Attack on Titan (2013), Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004), and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (2016). He will also be the character designer of the show, so his latest interview confirms that they are working on the remake. The anime remake will make use of modern technology and even have a new soundtrack and cast members, which means the studio is working on everything from scratch.

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Wit Studio Has Had Scheduling Issues in the Past

With the ever-growing anime industry, it’s common for animation studios to struggle with tight deadlines and capacity challenges. Wit Studio is one of them, considering they had to let go of Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga because of a time crunch. Because of both series’ popularity, MAPPA wasted no time in taking them over. They couldn’t keep up with the burden of working on several ambitious projects at once.

Not to mention, the studio spent six years in development on Netflix’s original anime series Moonrise. It was initially announced in 2018, and production began around 2021, with the final product released in April 2025. With two of the biggest projects gone from their hands, WIT Studio now has a considerably better schedule to work on their upcoming series.

One Piece Remake Will Be Worth the Wait

Toei Animation has been working on One Piece’s anime since 1999 and has played a significant role in making it famous overseas. They have also released some of the most wonderfully animated episodes during the Wano Country Saga and the ongoing Egghead Incident Arc. However, the biggest issue with the anime is the pacing, which is a lot worse now than it used to be in the beginning. Usually, an anime episode consists of three to five chapters worth of content, but One Piece adapts only one chapter.

The studio makes up for it with extremely slow scenes and anime fillers. Of course, since both the anime and manga are weekly shows, there’s no way for Toei to adopt the same method as other shows. However, Wit Studio aims to fix this problem in the remake. One Piece’s anime, having more than 1100 episodes, also keeps it from gaining new fans who aren’t ready to commit themselves to such a long story.

However, it’s a different story if they have to watch a seasonal anime with a limited number of episodes. Not only that, but the animation in the East Blue Saga is quite dated, and the 4:3 aspect ratio isn’t used anymore, which Wit Studio also aims to fix. So while it may be taking longer than usual for the anime to be released, it will definitely be worth the wait if we consider the studio’s past works have always been exceptional.

H/T: @pewpiece

The post One Piece Remake Reportedly Shares Disappointing Production Update appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Earlier this summer, Netflix finally revealed one of the biggest things that fans of the Grand Line have been waiting to see from One Piece’s live-action adaptation. The next swashbuckler to join the Straw Hat Pirates, Tony Tony Chopper, was revealed in all of his CG glory. Not only did the platform reveal a first look at the reindeer doctor but Netflix’s TUDUM also confirmed that actress Mikaela Hoover would be voicing and giving facial features to the Straw Hat. Before the second season arrives next year, new posters are giving shonen fans a better idea of what the Drum Island resident will look like.

While the new look isn’t a fresh preview of season two, the new Displate posters highlight the differences and similarities for the live-action Tony Tony Chopper. It’s an impressive feat to see Chopper brought into a live-action project considering not only is he a character that is far from human but he continuously changes shape in the shonen series thanks to the Devil Fruit that made him more human-like. Even though fans have now seen Chopper, we’ll all still be waiting for some time to see him arrive on Netflix proper as One Piece’s second season has been confirmed for 2026. You can check out the new posters below.

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One Piece’s Anime Chopper Reacts to Live-Action Chopper Debut

Worlds Collide

Following the debut of the live-action Tony Tony Chopper, the anime iteration of the reindeer doctor commented on his North American “cousin.” In a special video, Chopper’s anime voice actor, Ikue Ohtani, introduced the live-action version of the Straw Hat Pirate. Considering Chopper has gone through quite a few changes since his debut earlier on in One Piece, the voice actor wasn’t remiss to notice that the live-action version looked quite different from how he looks these days.

The American cast of the live-action One Piece haven’t been shy when it comes to stating their love of the series and the Japanese anime cast had a special part to play in the Netflix adaptation. For the Japanese dub of the series, several members of Luffy’s crew reprised their roles, so it certainly would be no surprise if Ohtani returned to do the same for Chopper in season two.

Chopper joining the Straw Hats is far from the only big event that will take place in the live-action series’ second season. Luffy and crew will be bouncing around to locales such as Little Garden, Loguetown, Whiskey Peak, and more, with quite a few new heroes and villains introduced along the way. With Crocodile, Baroqueworks, Smoker, and Nico Robin also slated to make appearances here, the live-action Straw Hats are definitely going to have their hands full when Chopper hops aboard the Going Merry.

Want to see what the future holds for the live-action take on the Grand Line? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime or hit us up in the comments.

Via Displate

The post Netflix’s One Piece Sails With New Look at Live-Action Chopper appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For the past few weeks, One Piece has been full steam ahead with one of its saddest and most tragic backstories yet, and fans have been nothing short of impressed with how it looks. While there have been some complaints regarding questionable choices of censorship, the backstory has fortunately gotten the proper love it deserves and has shown that the half-year hiatus the anime entered last year was more than successful, and the end result couldn’t be any better.

The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the One Piece franchise has revealed a new poster for this stretch of episodes that cover the Kuma and Bonney backstory, and it is as stunning as it is heartbreaking. It depicts the father sitting on his work desk cluttered with books and the such, and him writing one of his many letters to Bonney, but anime-only fans will soon see why this sight brings out mixed emotions from fans. The backstory has been sad this entire time, but the best of it, which is without a doubt the most heartbreaking part, is coming soon, and fans are not ready to be overwhelmed by the love of a father and daughter.

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Kuma and Bonney’s Flashback Finale Is Almost Upon Us

The anime adaptation of the Kuma flashback currently has four episodes out, and there are not many left now, especially given this new poster that shows the end of one of One Piece’s best backstories is near. Surprisingly, the flashback had an amazing promotion, and the official website and social media accounts did well to hype fans with many illustrations, trailers, and posters. The hype has not only been met but also exceeded, as the visuals, animation, and atmosphere were all amazing and matched the tragic yet hopeful vibe of Kuma’s backstory.

This poster, in particular, shows that the most important part of the backstory is near. For those who do not mind spoilers, Kuma is writing a birthday letter to his Bonney, although nefarious forces ruthlessly intercept his communications at every turn. It’ll be a heartwrenching sequence in which One Piece fans will see just the lengths Kuma would go, with Bonney never truly seeing it, to show his love for his daughter even as he slowly became a pacifista. This particular plot point will get even more screentime even after the flashback, as Kuma and Bonney’s reunion means so much more because of it.

The upcoming One Piece episode, titled “To Save His Daughter – Kuma the Timid Pacifist”, will flesh out the relationship between Kuma and Bonney more. After his kidnapped wife returns to him with her daughter, Kuma takes it upon himself to raise her, but tragically, she has the same illness that took her mother’s life. Episode 1133 will see him continue his search for a cure, as well as one of his most awesome displays of power and wrath. There is more to come out of this backstory, and the best part is coming, so fans should brace themselves for one of the most beautiful displays of love and parenthood in One Piece yet.

The post One Piece Drops New Kuma Look Ahead of Next Episode (And Fans Aren’t Ready) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has long entered its Final Saga, but the story is far from over. The Wano Country Saga made great waves in the world, with the defeat of two Yonkos and Luffy and Buggy replacing them. Shanks has finally made his move and is going after the One Piece while the Blackbeard Pirates are wreaking more havoc in the New World than ever. The Hero of the Marines has been captured, and the Heart and Kidd Pirates, two of the Pirate crew responsible for the defeats of Kaido and Big Mom, have been obliterated in the New World. On the other hand, Luffy and the Straw Hats continue to sail across the sea and even found Bonney on their way to Egghead.

They quickly land themselves on a futuristic island, Egghead, an artificial sky island that serves as the location of Dr. Vegapunk’s laboratory. The thrilling fights and the lore drop have been incredible in the first arc of the Final Saga, further solidifying the fact that Oda will now be unraveling the truth one after another. The Straw Hat Pirates and their allies are currently in Elbaf, the fabled land of the Giants, and things are way worse there than Egghead. We have a complete One Piece manga schedule for this year, so you won’t miss out on any chapter of the series’ most highly anticipated arc.

One Piece Manga Chapter Release Date Schedule 2025

One Piece’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, usually takes a break after every three chapters, but his schedule is always flexible. Due to his busy schedule after working on the live-action adaptation, Oda went on several breaks before the first season’s release, and it might be the same before Season 2.

November will likely be a busier month for Oda since he will be taking a hiatus every two chapters. The chapters are released in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on Mondays at 12 AM JST. Because of the time difference, fans can read the chapters on Sundays at 11 AM EST.

The schedule above includes Oda’s breaks for this year as well as the holiday breaks by Weekly Shonen Jump. The first WSJ break is because of Obon, a Japanese festival, and the second break will happen at the end of the year for Christmas and New Year’s.

Kindly note that there might be some last-minute changes, but we will update this space in the unforeseen situation.

What Is Happening in the One Piece Manga Right Now?

The Elbaf Arc introduces Prince Loki, the Cursed Prince of the Kingdom, who is serving his sentence for the murder of his father, the beloved King Harald. Loki has been portrayed as a villain by the Giants, but the truth is far from it. Unfortunately, only Loki and Jarul know the truth about what happened 14 years ago that led to Harald’s death. On the other hand, the arc introduces us to the members of the Holy Knights, Shamrock Figarland, Gunko, Shepherd Sommers, and Rimoshifu Killingham. Shamrock is Shanks’ twin brother and the one who met the Five Elders during the Reverie.

Shamrock left the island on urgent business, but he left behind his three subordinates to take the children hostage and force Elbaf to join the World Government’s side in the impending war. Imu, the mysterious ruler of the world, will then use their evil powers to transform them into powerful and mindless puppets. The Holy Knights don’t want to target Luffy since their only goal is to make the Giants surrender by any means necessary. However, Luffy isn’t the kind of person who will sit by and let the villains trample all over the peaceful home of the Giants. The real fight is only just about to begin, and we will get to see an unexpected alliance between Luffy and Loki, two of the strongest characters in Elbaf right now.

The post One Piece Chapter Release Date Schedule 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The world of One Piece is brutally broken, as most people find themselves suffering because of the World Government’s tyranny. The story has been ongoing since 1997, and we have followed our protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, through several ups and downs as he meets new people, forms new bonds, and fights for the dreams and friends who matter the most to him. Luffy aspires to become the Pirate King, and to do that, he must travel the world and unearth its secrets. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the horrible acts committed by the World Government and the history they keep hidden from the world.

As a shonen manga and anime, the story is marketed toward a younger audience, but One Piece is a lot deeper and more complex than it seems on the surface. The story touches on several sensitive topics and focuses on a lot of characters that aren’t always liked by fans. The series has a large fan base, and it’s impossible for all fans to be on the same page. However, this also means a lot of the scenes that are hated are surprisingly more meaningful than fans realize. One Piece is a great story, but it also has its ups and downs. While liking or disliking a scene is purely subjective, one also can’t ignore what it contributes to the story and why it was put there.

1) Ace Is Hated For Standing By His Ideals

Chapter 573

The tragedy of the Summit War is still fresh in fans’ memories. It changed the entire story and triggered the time skip after delivering one of the best war arcs in Shonen. However, Ace has just as many fans as he has haters. And the primary reason is because, as many say, he fell for a “daddy joke.” However, it is very much in line with his character, prideful, stubborn, and someone who would do anything for the people he loved. If anything, the scene elevates Akainu’s status as a villain, who is clearly not strong enough to defeat Whitebeard and his entire crew all by himself. Hence, he uses petty tricks at his disposal to kill the young man whose existence he deems unworthy.

As Roger’s son, he spent almost his entire life burdening himself with feelings of self-hatred and fear of being unworthy. After living with the shame of being Roger’s son, he finally found his self-worth when Whitebeard became the father figure he never had. So, when Akainu calls Whitebeard a “loser,” he knows that taunt is meant to lure him, but he can’t let it go. He was never the kind of person who would run away like that. In a way, he resembled Roger and even Luffy a lot.

2) Hody Jones Is a Lot Complex Villain Than You Think

Chapter 643

Hody Jones is easily the least favorite villain in the series, and for good reason. He’s considerably underwhelming when compared to Doflamingo, Crocodile, Akainu, Blackbeard, and many more. However, if there’s anything about Hody Jones that wasn’t meant to be misunderstood was his response to Fukaboshi’s question. Amid the brutal battle on Fish-Man Island, Hody Jones admitted that humans did nothing to him, but he knew humans were his enemies. He didn’t need any human to directly hurt him to let this hatred manifest. His purpose in the story was to be the embodiment of inherited hatred, the complete opposite of inherited will, which is a crucial theme of the story.

Hody’s feelings stem from the racism and oppression his people have faced over the centuries. Not every villain needs a grand purpose; some just have pure hatred in their hearts. He couldn’t stand the thought of Otohime trying to build peace between humans and Fish-Men. He thought her ideals were dangerous and that she would ruin Fish-Man Island. Ironically, he was so consumed by hatred that he harmed his own people in the process, without a shred of guilt.

3) Sanji Asking Robin For Help Wasn’t What Fans Wanted

Chapter 1005

It’s almost regrettable that Sanji, despite his popularity, is still one of the most misunderstood characters in the series. As one of the main characters in the show, many have expressed dissatisfaction regarding their gag, which is overused and dated. The simping over women gag was quite popular in the old gen Shonen, but has been slowly phased out over time. However, this scene of Sanji asking Robin for help against Black Maria had nothing to do with the gag, yet many failed to understand his intentions. After the Whole Cake Island Arc, we learn everything about his tragic past and the struggles he faced.

However, when he came to Wano, many fans still didn’t like him putting Robin in danger by asking her for help against a female opponent. Sanji refusing to hit women doesn’t mean he sees them as weak, but it’s because of the way Zeff raised him. He knows Robin is strong enough to deal with an opponent he couldn’t, and he was right. In fact, the scene highlights how Sanji, who did everything to push Luffy and Nami away in WCI, is now letting go of his stubbornness and seeking help from one of his friends. When he was imprisoned by his father in his childhood, he would keep yelling for help, but no one came. This signifies him breaking free from his shackles because he has people in his life to back him up. This scene is also special for Robin, as the happiness in her eyes is clear as day when Sanji trusts her completely.

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4) Shanks’ Intentions Are Still Misinterpreted

Chapter 1054

Never before this moment, even in all these years, has Shanks ever clearly displayed his goals in the series. And when it happened, a part of the fandom interpreted his actions quite differently than Oda intended. Shanks doesn’t have a major role in the story, but his influence is unmatched. We didn’t know until the Wano Country Saga, but he intentionally stole the legendary Devil Fruit from the World Government, despite the risks involved, because he knows more about the world than he lets on. He also may have wanted to find a perfect user for the Nika fruit, but couldn’t have imagined Luffy would eat it. Things turned out well, and Luffy awakened his true powers.

Looking at the bounty poster, it’s obvious Shanks realized the height Luffy has reached, and the world will be heading towards another Great War. Hence, Shanks says it’s time to claim the One Piece, indicating he’s finally ready to make his move. However, the scene was misunderstood by many fans, as he waited for Kaido’s and Big Mom’s defeat to finally join the race for the One Piece. We have yet to witness his true power, but every hint suggests he’s one of the strongest, if not the strongest, Haki user roaming the seas. He’s been actively seeking to stop Blackbeard, so it’s quite a stretch to think a man like that would be scared of his fellow pirates.

5) Kaido’s Backstory Is Hated For Being Short

Chapter 1049

One Piece’s backstories are some of the best you’ll see in anime and manga. They’re not only hit emotionally but also deeply tied to the characters’ motivations, values, and the world they live in. However, not every character needs a long, sob story to be considered well-written. Some can even have that advantage, and still, that wouldn’t make them intriguing. In Kaido’s case, his backstory contributes almost nothing to the way we perceive him before it. He did have a tragic past, but it was over before we knew it. Oda didn’t delve deep into it, but we at least got a good idea of the world he lived in and the political and social issues he faced.

However, because One Piece fans are used to longer flashbacks, Kaido is often trolled as a far less interesting villain because of this. Even though his backstory didn’t hit the mark, it was by no means bad in any way. It even left behind some unanswered questions, such as Kaido’s past with the Rocks Pirates and his obsession with Joyboy and the prophecy. This clearly means Oda is planning to delve deeper into his past, as the story continues. We won’t learn everything about him at once, but in bits and pieces, whenever a part of the series’ history unfolds. Kaido has been a famed pirate for years, and part of some major incidents, so that explains why Oda opted for a rushed backstory.

6) Hiyori’s Famous Quote Is Still Controversial

Chapter 1057

Hiyori takes pride in being a Samurai’s daughter, and yet, she was forced to live as a Geisha, an entertainer for men’s amusement. For over twenty years, she struggled to survive and dreamed of making Orochi pay for his crimes. The Kozuki Clan has always been the one leading Wano through generations of Shogun. On the other hand, the Kurozumi were meant to be their loyal subordinates, but the clan was destroyed when they betrayed the Shogun. They were persecuted and oppressed for decades, which led Orochi to eventually join Kaido’s side and ruin the Kozuki Clan. During Luffy’s fight with Kaido, Orochi met his end by getting beheaded and then burning to death.

Hiyori watched everything while revealing the truth and looking down on the man who caused her misfortune. When the curtain of the Wano Country Saga closed, Hiyori proudly stood in front of everyone and said, “The Kurozumi was born to be burned.” The crowd cheered for her as they celebrated Orochi’s and Kaido’s defeat for days. This quote is meant to parallel Oden’s famous punchline, “Oden wouldn’t be Oden if it wasn’t boiled.” It’s common in Japan to refer to one another using their last names. Additionally, Kurozumi means charcoal, which is why Oda used this metaphor. It was supposed to be a powerful scene, especially when said by Oden’s daughter. However, Hiyori using Orochi’s surname was met with criticism, especially because Otama was one of the Clan members as well.

7) Bonney’s Gear 5 Form Caused a Lot of Confusion

Chapter 1118

This is one of the most wonderfully written scenes, and even this couldn’t escape criticism because of the confusion it created in power scaling. Power scaling is a core part of the One Piece fandom, so when the chapter dropped, many didn’t realize that Bonney was merely imitating the form, and not the sheer amount of power Luffy has. Luffy’s powers defy logic, and while Bonney can imitate it to some extent, she’s nowhere in the same range as the Sun God himself. Even though the misunderstanding regarding her transformation was cleared up in the same arc, it still remains one of the most controversial scenes in the story.

Bonney always had the ability of a Distorted Future, where she could take on any form she could imagine. She even tried to mimic Nika but couldn’t get it quite perfect since she only heard about him and not seen him. So, when she saw Luffy jumping in the sky with a big grin on his face, she knew that the savior her father promised her had arrived. It was thanks to her undying faith in Kuma that she kept believing Nika was real, and she was right. Nika saved her when she needed him the most, giving that child the freedom she always yearned for. Bonney not only transformed into a Gear 5 variant form, with her even tying her jacket to a stash just like Luffy. Her small gesture made this scene similar to how a child mimics the hero they admire.

The post 7 Most Controversial One Piece Panels & Why They’re Actually Great appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ever since Monkey D. Luffy began his journey in the East Blue Saga of One Piece, he has faced off against several powerful opponents. Each time, he pushes through his limits and shocks everyone by doing the unthinkable. Unlike most Shonen protagonists, Luffy wasn’t some powerless boy at the beginning of his journey. He mistakenly consumed a devil fruit and spent more than ten years honing his skills. Luffy set sail to the sea at the age of 17, when he knew he was ready for any danger the treacherous sea threw at him. Throughout the way, he stumbled, fell, and lost something precious to him, but he kept fighting for his dream.

In the Wano Country Saga, Luffy fought the strongest creature in the world, an enemy that no one has ever been able to take down before. Despite all his powers, he wasn’t able to defeat the villain. To make matters worse, a CP0 agent landed a sneak attack on Luffy that would’ve been fatal if the young pirate hadn’t awakened his Devil Fruit abilities. The story unveiled the true nature of his Devil Fruit and the legendary power it holds. With one of the strongest Haki in the series and the awakening of his Mythical Zoan-Type Devil Fruit, Luffy has now become a force to be reckoned with, so much so that even some of the strongest villains in the series don’t want to fight him anymore.

[RELATED: 7 One Piece Characters Stronger Than Admiral Kizaru]

The Holy Knights Don’t Want a Direct Confrontation With Luffy

The Holy Knights make an appearance in the ongoing Elbaf Arc of One Piece. Because of the impending Great War, they want to turn the Giants to their side, even if it means using force. Shamrock Figarland, the Commander of the Holy Knights, orders the other members to target the children, so the Giants will surrender easily. Just when Elbaf had welcomed the Straw Hat Pirates, the Holy Knights caught the Giants by surprise.

The sudden attack on the peaceful country is brutal, and the fight is still continuing. However, Luffy has yet to join the battle, and that’s exactly what the villains fear. In Chapter 1147, Gunk captured Nami, Jimbei, Usopp, and Brook. Sommers asks if she wants to take the crew members with them, but Killingham panics and suggests they don’t make Emperor Luffy furious. He also adds that they should simply fulfill their goal and leave the island.

The goal of the Holy Knights has always been to target the Giants, and they only retaliated against the Straw Hats when the pirates attacked them. However, this also means that the Holy Knights don’t want a direct confrontation with Luffy. The Holy Knights are the most feared group of people who guard Mariejois. They have the ability to travel long distances in mere seconds, and there’s no limit to their regeneration abilities. All the members who have been introduced so far also have terrifying Devil Fruits.

Luffy’s Title Instills Fear in His Enemies

The title of Emperor isn’t just for show; it’s about the power and authority someone holds. Luffy has territories under his protection, a fleet of over 5000 members who are ready to be at his beck and call, and he has his crew to sail across the ocean. However, most importantly, it’s his individual power that truly makes him a threat to his opponents. The world witnessed his Conqueror’s Haki in the Marineford Arc, but only a few are aware that he has honed it to such perfection that he is almost untouchable.

Moreover, his Devil Fruit is believed to be the strongest one in the world. Luffy can turn imagination into reality, a very prominent theme in the story. While his stamina is a drawback that comes with his Gear 5 form, he still has more than enough power to stop any opponent he sees. Gaban knows the trick behind stopping the regeneration, and it may have something to do with Haki. Hence, we will likely learn how Luffy can render a Holy Knight immobile.

The attack on Elbaf should be an easy mission for the Holy Knights, but things may not be in their favor if Luffy decides to step in. They probably didn’t comprehend the fact that Luffy, a pirate, won’t turn a blind eye to the struggles of the Giants. He was in the Underworld when the attack happened. Luckily, in Chapter 1151, Luffy has learned about the situation and is ready to fight against the villains along with Zoro, Sanji, and Loki.

The post One Piece’s New Villains Are Strong But Even They Fear Luffy appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the best parts about One Piece is the hilarious dynamic between Zoro and Sanji, the Wings of the Future Pirate King. They have been rivals since the beginning of the story and are always shown to be somewhat close in strength. While there is a slight difference in their power, both of them refuse to back down and fight for the spot of the second strongest member in the crew. While the debate between them has yet to be settled, no one can deny their role in lending Luffy the support he needs in his path to becoming the King of the Pirates.

After all, he has a much smaller crew than most notable pirates, and most of the members aren’t conventionally strong fighters. Zoro and Sanji always take the strongest opponents besides the main villain in an arc. The Elbaf Arc of One Piece is currently in a crucial phase, as the latest Chapter 1151 just teased that Luffy will now join the battlefield. Not only that, but we can also look forward to an alliance between Luffy and Loki, the Cursed Prince of Elbaf. However, even with such high stakes, One Piece isn’t ignoring the fan-favorite comedy at all. The ongoing arc finally unveiled Gaban’s whereabouts and his importance in Roger’s crew. However, even after his severe injuries, he couldn’t let someone call him the third strongest in Roger’s crew.

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One Piece’s Gaban and Rayleigh May Have Been Rivals All Along

Ever since the Elbaf Arc began, the manga has never hidden the parallels between Gaban and Sanji, especially with their talks about love. However, there’s more to it than that, especially when we consider the parallels between Zoro and Rayleigh. Rayleigh and Gaban always stood by Roger’s side, much like how Luffy’s best allies do in a time of crisis. In such situations, it’s easy for some friendly rivalry to develop, especially when the two crew members are immensely powerful. We have seen a glimpse of Rayleigh’s powers before, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that Gaban is just as powerful as him.

In Chapter 1150, Gaban easily overpowered Sommers, but Gunko threatened to kill Colon if he continued to fight. The former pirate used Future Sight to see the possible death of his son and immediately dropped his weapons. Gunko gave him fatal injuries before taking him and escaping to the underworld. In Chapter 1151, Luffy and the others finally learn that Gaban was a member of the Roger Pirates.

The Giants also reveal that he and Rayleigh were known as Roger’s wings and that Gaban was the third strongest among them. However, despite his fatal wounds, Gaban gathered all his remaining strength to state that he was the second strongest instead. A lot about Roger’s crew is still unknown, but with this, we can at least know that the rank of the second strongest in the past and future crew of the Pirate Kings will remain debatable.

The post One Piece Confirms Another Rivalry Just As Good As Zoro and Sanji appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The One Piece manga is currently in its Elbaf Arc, the second arc of the Final Saga. Luffy and his crew head towards the fabled Land of the Giants after a chaotic battle in Egghead against powerful villains such as Admiral Kizaru and the Five Elders. However, they definitely didn’t expect that trouble would soon find them on the island of their dreams. Since Elabf isn’t affiliated with the World Government, the pirates were wholeheartedly welcomed by the Giants. However, it doesn’t take long for the situation to spiral down, as the Straw Hats find themselves facing off against some of the most powerful fighters in the world. The Holy Knights have unimaginable powers, courtesy of Imu, the mysterious ruler of the world.

The fight is only going to get more intense, but Oda doesn’t fail to drop gorgeous color spreads every once in a while. The most recent one we saw was in Chapter 1149, centering around a maid cafe run by Nami, and it immediately became a fan favorite. Although not all the Straw Hat members were included in the cover, Oda decided to include Bonney and Lilith. It immediately became a favorite among fans, but Oda initially decided to recreate a special Little Garden color spread, which all fans would’ve loved too.

[RELATED: One Piece Reportedly Has Disappointing News for Anime Fans]

One Piece Creator Almost Redrew the Color Spread From Chapter 117

The video shared by the official account of One Piece features Oda’s drawing process of the latest color spread, and we can see how he initially planned to recreate the one from Chapter 117. Oda likely wanted to use Elbaf as the backdrop initially, with the crew standing at random places. He later decided to add Jarul in between as well, but ultimately settled for the Maid Cafe color spread. Not only that, but initially, he thought about adding Nami as the only girl there, but changed that as well.

The Little Garden Arc followed the Straw Hat Pirates as they took a brief detour on their way to Alabasta. They meet Dorry and Brogy, two Giant warriors who have been fighting for a hundred years. The crew also faced off against the agents from the Baroque Works who were after them and Princess Vivi. Unfortunately, Dorry and Brogy got mixed up in the chaos in the middle of their duel. Their bravery and valor greatly impressed the crew, especially Luffy and Usopp.

It first foreshadowed the Elbaf Arc, where Dorry and Brogy talked about an island full of Giant warriors such as them. Lufft and Usopp have been fascinated with the thought of going to the place ever since, and their dreams have finally been fulfilled. The crew reunites with Dorry and Brogy in the Egghead Incident Arc where the Giant Pirates lend them a hand against the villains. After sending the Five Elders away, they head towards Elbaf together and now face off against the Holy Knights. Dorry and Brogy may not have a major role in the series, but they are crucial characters.

H/T: @Eiichiro_Staff on X

The post One Piece Creator Almost Gave Us the Perfect Homage to the Little Garden Arc appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has reached a new turning point in the look back at Bartholomew Kuma’s past, and the first look at the anime’s next episode is teasing how he eventually became a Pacifista. One Piece has been breaking many hearts with Kuma in the latest episodes as a detour in the Egghead Arc has since spent its time exploring his tragic past. And as fans have seen through this flashback arc thus far, Kuma has been making it through a lifetime of massive losses one after another. It’s been heartbreak after heartbreak for him with barely any breaks in it to speak of.

This took a turn for the even more tragic as not only did Kuma eventually reunite with his childhood love Ginny, but unfortunately had to say goodbye to her just as quickly as they reunited. In her absence, Kuma then resolved to raise her daughter Bonney as his own. But even with that moment of happiness, Kuma was hit with yet another cruel reality as Bonney was afflicted with the same fatal disease that her mother suffered from. Now as Kuma searches for a cure, he’s going to have to make a big sacrifice. Check it out in the preview for One Piece Episode 1133 in the video above.

How to Watch One Piece Episode 1133

One Piece Episode 1133 is titled “To Save His Daughter – Kuma the Timid Pacifist” and will be making its debut on Sunday, June 15th in Japan. The episode will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it hits (and will be releasing with Netflix about a week after), and the episode preview teases it as such, “To save his beloved daughter’s life, Kuma goes on a journey. He meets a genius scientist at the end of the world. Is that man a devil or a saint? What is the strange, yet grand condition offered in exchange Bonney’s cure?” Now it seems like the flashback is closing in on current day events soon.

One Piece has been steadily filling in the blanks of Kuma’s past with his daughter Bonney, and the newest episode tragically confirmed that her mother Ginny died soon after giving birth. It turned out that she was afflicted with the Sapphire Scales disease, and rocks appeared on her skin when exposed to natural light. Even more unfortunately for Kuma, Bonney inherited the same disease and was diagnosed to likely die before she reached her tenth birthday.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Chopper Reveal Raises a Big Question About Franky

What’s Next for Kuma and Bonney?

One Piece’s flashback arc has been filling in Kuma and Bonney’s past, and it’s getting closer to the current day. With this episode teasing that Kuma approaches Dr. Vegapunk for Bonney’s cure, it also teases why Kuma eventually was turned into a Pacifista by the scientist. This era has been especially important to the current events of the Egghead Arc, and will likely share more of the relationship between Vegapunk and Kuma. Because Bonney believed that Vegapunk was the source of her father’s pain until very recently.

Something changed Bonney’s mind during the Egghead arc as she figured Saturn was the source of all her trouble rather than Vegapunk himself. It’s why the last we had seen of her she was in Saturn’s clutches, and why when this flashback comes to an end, we’ll likely know more about Bonney’s motives as well. But it’s still yet to be revealed why this flashback is being explored now and not at some other point. One Piece needs to wrap up this arc with a final note of what it means for the present day, so there’s a hope that the anime can stick the landing.

The post One Piece Promo Teases Kuma’s Pacifista Origins appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc is an adventure that fans have been looking forward to for well over two decades, ever since Dorry and Brogy’s introduction on Little Garden, and ever since then, fans have believed that this would be Usopp’s big arc. It was on Little Garden that Usopp dedicated himself to becoming a brave warrior of the sea, and it seemed like, after all these years, he was going to achieve that goal at long last. That said, in true One Piece spirit, the Elbaf Arc has thrown one curveball after another, and as things stand, it doesn’t seem like Usopp is the main star of the arc anymore.

While Imu’s appearance on Elbaf has caused quite a stir, one interesting plotline that nearly got buried in the process is Gunko’s implied past connection with Brook, the Straw Hats’ musician. Chapter 1149 of One Piece even saw the Holy Knight recognize Brook at long last and rush to free him before being possessed by Imu, with the few glimpses of Gunko’s memories hinting at a tragic backstory waiting to be sprung on fans right when it’s sure to hurt the most. This hints that there’s much more to Brook’s past and backstory than revealed so far, and if so, the Straw Hat that steals the spotlight on Elbaf may very well end up being Brook instead of Usopp.

[RELATED: One Piece Just Dropped Its Biggest Plot Twist Since Gear 5]

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Could Be One Other Straw Hat’s Big Arc Instead

Ever since Gunko made her debut on Elbaf, her quirky, noticeably pantsless design led fans to joke that she could be a fan of Brook, whose desire to see undergarments is as famous as he is. Surprisingly enough, not only did Gunko end up being a fan of Brook’s music, but Chapter 1149 even sets up Gunko for a potential redemption through a tragic backstory that somehow involves Brook. Little is known about Brook’s life before he became a pirate, other than the fact that he was the leader of a battle convoy of an unnamed kingdom, and perhaps the Elbaf Arc may finally answer these questions.

It’s unclear whether the Elbaf Arc has any character development in store for Brook in the present through this connection with Gunko or even any major power-ups, though the same can be said even of Usopp. It is quite disappointing that Usopp may end up being sidelined in terms of the story, though there is still perhaps room for him to walk away with some growth, especially in the Observation Haki department, with the Future Sight expert Scopper Gaban himself present on the island. That said, for Usopp to even get the chance to be trained by Gaban, Luffy and the Straw Hats will first have to deal with the situation at hand, and as things stand in One Piece, things don’t look too hopeful for Elbaf.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Just Revealed It’s Main Star (And It Isn’t Usopp) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As part of trying to raise the bar after the momentous Egghead Arc, One Piece‘s Elbaf Arc has introduced all-new exciting antagonists into the limelight in the form of the Holy Knights, the World Nobles’ own elite guard. The Holy Knights have brought in not only new, wackier-than-ever devil fruit powers but also fresh new mysteries attached to each character. Gunko, who appears to have a past with Brook and Shamrock, who was revealed to be Shanks’ twin brother, might just be the two most interesting Holy Knights in that regard. However, One Piece’s latest chapter just revealed its coolest-looking Holy Knight, and it’s the member you’d least expect.

Chapter 1151 of One Piece just revealed St. Killingham’s hybrid form, which consists of a centaur-like form much like St. Nusjuro. Unexpectedly, St. Killingham’s human appearance is quite a sharp contrast to the fully transformed look that fans have seen so far. Killingham sports spiky dark hair, spiked, Fishman-like teeth, and even long, spiky eyelashes, giving the otherwise benevolent-looking Holy Knight quite an edgy, handsome look. Interestingly enough, St. Killingham’s man-beast form also comes with quite a shift in his personality, altogether making his character far more interesting than fans initially assumed.

[RELATED: One Piece Just Gave Luffy His Best Alliance Since Wano]

One Piece Reveals St. Killingham’s Hybrid Form and Stunning Design

As far as good looks among the Holy Knights go, until now, it seemed like Shamrock had won the genetic lottery. However, Eiichiro Oda has proven otherwise with Killingham, who is not only deceptively good-looking but also boasts a very distinct design. Killingham’s spiked teeth make him look like he could be a Fishman, though, considering the prejudice and racism the Fishmen have faced for centuries, and the fact that even attending the Reverie was only a recent feat, it seems unlikely that the Holy Knights would grant such a high-ranking position to a Fishman.

That said, it is possible that St. Killingham belongs to the unnamed race that Charlotte Galette and Poire belong to, seeing as they possess similar eyelashes and spiked teeth, respectively. It is also quite interesting that Killingham takes on a much more maniacal and somewhat violent personality when in his man-beast form, as until now his personality has been quite subdued and pacifistic. It may be that the inherent benevolent nature of the kirin influences Killingham’s personality when he is completely transformed, as mythical zoans do tend to have a will of their own. Nonetheless, Chapter 1150 has proved that character design is one of One Piece’s biggest strengths, and it will surely be interesting to see what Oda has in store for the rest of the Holy Knights that have yet to make their debut.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Just Revealed Its Coolest Holy Knight and It’s Not Who Fans Think appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is continuing through Kuma’s heartbreaking flashback arc with one tragic reveal after another, and the newest episode of the series is breaking even more hearts with what happened to Jewelry Bonney’s mother. As the anime works through this detour from the current day events of the Egghead Arc, One Piece has been showcasing much more of Bartholomew Kuma’s life before he was turned into a Pacifista and became a weapon of the Marines. This all started with the promise of getting to see more of his connection with his daughter Bonney, and the connective tissue is now coming together at last.

One Piece’s anime made its biggest stride towards this with the previous episode that fully revealed Bonney’s mother Ginny. She was an escaped slave who lived together with Kuma after the two of them survived the God Valley Incident, and had grown to be romantically infatuated with Kuma before trouble on their island made the two of them go on to enlist in the Revolutionary Army. But as the episode came to an end, Ginny was abducted by a Celestial Dragon. Then the trouble continues as she meets her fate in the newest episode.

One Piece Reveals What Happens to Bonney’s Mother

One Piece Episode 1132 picks up right after Ginny was abducted, and it’s revealed that Kuma and the others have unfortunately never seen her since despite traveling all over the world in search of her. Then many years later, she suddenly calls Kuma and the others and reveals that she has been stricken with a fatal disease. Because of this disease, she has been cast out by her Celestial Dragon captors and escaped with only a few moments of her life left. Then in her final words, she bids the others goodbye while telling Kuma that she’s always loved him.

Kuma figures out that Ginny likely escaped back to their childhood home, but gets there too late to help. Finding her body, it’s revealed that she is covered in these blue jewels that she told the villagers had popped up when she was touched by natural light. She made the dangerous journey back to their childhood home, however, to save her baby girl in the hopes that Kuma would help to raise her daughter in her stead. With this baby, Kuma breaks down in tears and promises to become the baby’s father.

RELATED: 7 One Piece Characters Stronger Than Admiral Kizaru

One Piece Won’t Let Kuma Catch a Break

The episode the continues to reveal more of Bonney’s life together with Kuma as the early stages of her childhood were happy ones. It was teased that Bonney’s mother was not there for her and Kuma through all of the promotional materials seen with One Piece’s flashback arc so far (including the anime’s new eyecatchers for the arc itself), and now it’s been unfortunately confirmed that she died shortly after Bonney was born. But it was due to a disease that has since been transmitted to Bonney too.

It was a disease known as Sapphire Scales which one doctor tells Kuma is something that spreads when an infected person touches natural light. It’s not just sunlight either, it’s moonlight too. Even if Bonney were to stay inside, it’s such a disease that it will continue to spread either way. It’s then revealed that Bonney won’t likely live to the age of ten at her current rate, and it’s just another way Kuma is taking losses. He not only lost his family and Ginny, but could lose his new family as well. It’s truly heartbreaking how much he’s been through already. But as this flashback continues, there’s even more of his past to discover.

The post One Piece Reveals the Tragic Fate of Bonney’s Mother appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Admiral Kizaru was introduced in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc in the pre-time-skip era of One Piece as a formidable presence from the World Government. As one of the Marine powerhouses, he was practically untouchable when he targeted the pirates on the island, including the Straw Hats. Kizaru has the power of the Light-Light fruit, a Logia type that not only makes him as fast as light, but anyone without Haki can’t even hope to damage him. He also had a major role to play in the Marineford Arc of the Summit War Saga. The incident, culminating in the Paramount War, was a major event in the series, and it even triggered the two-year time-skip. With Whitebeard’s death, the power system in the world shifted massively, and even the Marines underwent several changes, with Kizaru’s dominance even more frightening.

Sengoku retired as the Fleet Admiral and was hoping for Kuzan to take his place. However, Akainu challenged Kuzan to a duel and ended up winning the fight by a small margin. Kuzan left the Navy after the duel, but the only one unaffected by the shift in power was Kizaru. He continued to work for the Marines as an Admiral and followed their orders. Kizaru was also a major antagonist in the Egghead Incident Arc, where he fought against Luffy and the others on behalf of the World Government. Despite his complex emotions for targeting his old friend, Kizaru once again showed his prowess. However, while he is still one of the strongest characters in the series, the story has come a long way to prove the Admirals aren’t as strong as we thought.

[RELATED: One Piece Reportedly Has Disappointing News for Anime Fans]

1) Shanks

Shanks’ rank in the power scaling has always been debatable among One Piece fans because of Mihawk’s “World’s Strongest Swordsman” title, while having nothing to show for it. However, when it comes to someone other than Mihawk, there’s no room for any argument, considering how Shanks easily surpasses them. Although we have yet to see the full extent of his power, his Haki is the strongest we have seen so far. Kizaru won’t be able to win against Shanks’ Advanced Conqueror’s Haki. Even without a Devil Fruit, Shanks can easily give Kizaru a run for his money.

2) Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy and Kizaru fought in the Egghead Incident Arc, and it’s clear our protagonist is way stronger now. While there have been debates regarding Kizaru being more powerful due to his anguish, the story proves otherwise. Luffy’s biggest drawback is his stamina, and he had to overexert himself because he was facing countless enemies. Even so, the unpredictable nature of his Devil Fruit and his Advanced Conqueror’s Haki gives him an edge against the Admiral.

3) Monkey D. Garp

Garp may have lost against the Blackbeard Pirates after being outnumbered, but his strength can’t be denied. As the “Hero of the Marines,” Garp was offered the role of an Admiral several years ago, but he declined since he never wanted to work directly under the Celestial Dragons. However, without any Devil Fruit, Garp used to rival Gol D. Roger in his prime. He may have been weakened due to his old age, but taking down Kizaru wouldn’t be impossible for him.

4) Akainu

As Kizaru’s superior and someone with a much more offensive Devil Fruit, it’s not a surprise that Akainu would rank higher in power scaling. With his Magma-Magma fruit, he was the one who caused the most damage in the Marineford Arc. Although the story hasn’t confirmed Akainu has Conqueror’s Haki, his Armament, and his Devil Fruit are more than enough to overwhelm almost every opponent.

5) Kuzan

Despite having a considerable disadvantage against Akainu with his Devil Fruit powers, Kuzan still managed to go toe-to-toe with the current Fleet Admiral for ten days. The duel between those two changed the climate of Punk Hazard forever. While Kuzan lost the battle, it was by a small margin. He may not be as fast as Kizaru, but his offensive powers put him at a significant advantage.

6) Blackbeard

Blackbeard is one of the most mysterious and powerful villains in the series. He’s the only character in the series who has the power of two devil fruits, the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Both are ranked among the strongest devil fruits in the world, and that’s what makes Blackbeard practically untouchable. It’s not Kizaru, but there’s a possibility that no Admiral can hold a candle against that force of nature.

7) Imu

Imu is widely recognized as the final villain of One Piece because of their mysterious history. They are also an immortal being who has existed since the Void Century, or maybe even before that. While there are several hints about Imu, the story has yet to reveal everything about them. Imu may be a mystery to us all, but their powers can’t be denied, especially after their actions in the Elbaf Arc. Not only are they able to cast spells and control others, but they are also able to do so from a long distance.

Imu’s latest appearances reveal abilities to grant immortality, regeneration, take control of gargantuan beings like the Giants Dorry and Brogy, and more. Given Imu’s particularly deadly hold over the Five Elders and ability to revoke their immortality on a whim, this not only allows Imu an easy spot on any strongest One Piece characters list, but that the Five Elders are only still alive because of Imu to begin with.

One Piece Has Several Characters That Are Likely Stronger Than Kizaru

After the Final Saga, Kizaru has ranked lower in the power scaling. While this list includes the characters that are alive, we can’t rule out Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, who are deceased now. Additionally, Kaido and Big Mom’s status is unknown, but they would easily rank higher than Akainu. Mihawk hasn’t revealed his full strength either, but he will likely be stronger than Kizaru as well. The Admirals were introduced much earlier in the story, and they used to be a force to reckon with.

However, now that the story is in its Final Saga, many powerful and emerging characters, such as the Holy Knights, the Five Elders, and more, are coming out of the shadows. The story is in a crucial phase, and while Kizaru has a major role to play, it’s not enough to have him rank among the most powerful fighters anymore.

The post 7 One Piece Characters Stronger Than Admiral Kizaru appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece‘s anime is now working its way through one of the most intense flashback arcs in the series to date, but the newest episode really took fans by surprise with some unexpected censorship. One Piece took a detour from the current events of the Egghead Arc to look back into Bartholomew Kuma’s past and his connection with his daughter Bonney. The episodes thus far have shown that Kuma’s life has been one long string of heartbreaks as he has been losing the people closest to him ever since we was at a very young age. It really hasn’t been holding back.

As One Piece continues to explore Kuma’s life before he became a weapon of the Marines, the episodes have really been breaking fans’ hearts one after the other. The episodes have been showcasing all kinds of darkness and violence that Kuma has went through, and the anime team has been going all out to present Eiichiro Oda’s original manga versions of the events in a new adapted way. Which is why it was surprising to see some censorship of a rude image in the anime’s newest episode as the anime didn’t let Bonney raise her middle finger.

One Piece Censors Bonney in Newest Episode

One Piece Episode 1132 picks up right from where Kuma’s flashback left off, and it’s been years since Ginny was shockingly abducted. Kuma and the Revolutionary Army have failed to find her in all that time, and it turns out that she was taken by a Celestial Dragon to a remote region. Years later, she suddenly calls up Kuma and the others and reveals she has a deadly disease that’s seen her cast out by her captors. Upon finding her, Kuma finds that Ginny has since given birth to a child and he sets out to raise her in Ginny’s stead.

Years past, and when Bonney is five years old she starts to take on the kind of personality that fans see when she’s much older. She yells at some bullies in her neighborhood, and in the original manga’s version of the events, she lifts her middle finger to really tell all of them off. But as the anime adapted it, they completely removed the rude gesture to have her instead raising her fist instead. Making for a much less impactful moment for Bonney in the moment overall.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Chopper Reveal Raises a Big Question About Franky

What Does This Mean for One Piece?

One Piece’s anime censoring this moment does fall in line with the way it has removed rude gestures like this in the past, but fans were wondering whether or not that would be the case now that the anime is airing at a much later time slot in Japan. With how dark and violent Kuma’s flashback has been so far, there was a wonder if that it meant that One Piece’s anime would be leaving its history of censorship behind. But that’s clearly not the case as of the newest episode.

It still means that One Piece‘s anime audience is the same, and the team will treat it as such. While they are not going to hold back from its violence and darker themes, there are just some things that kids are likely going to imitate. And if a kid is doing a rude gesture like this, it’s likely that the One Piece anime team is just taking precautions just in case. It’s better to be cautious in these cases than potentially deal with any complaints later. It’s just a funny way of going about it.

The post One Piece Hits Anime Fans With Surprise Censorship in New Episode appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It has been nearly two years since Gear Five made its debut in One Piece, and little else has managed to shock fans as much since then. After over two decades of hearing Luffy call out every one of his moves with “Gum Gum” this and “Gum Gum” that, the revelation that Luffy’s devil fruit was never the Gum-Gum Fruit at all was quite a huge plot twist that no one could have anticipated. Having said that, the Elbaf Arc just dropped what could be One Piece’s biggest twist in the last two years since the Gear Five and Nika reveal, and it hints things will only get more heated from here on out.

Chapter 1150 has dropped an absolute bombshell with Imu single-handedly turning the tide on Elbaf. The chapter sees Imu turn Dorry and Brogy into Ancient Giant-like winged demons that obey Imu’s every command, including that of killing Jarul. The upcoming chapters will likely see even more Giants turn to the dark side, setting up quite the twist as the island that openly welcomed the Luffy and Straw Hats all turn against them. Moreover, it seems doubtful whether even Gear Five can rival Imu’s godly powers that have now made magic and devils a reality in One Piece.

[RELATED: One Piece Teases the Real Reason Loki Killed His Father]

One Piece Teases All of Elbaf Could Turn Into Enemies

Elbaf has been marked on the Straw Hats’ maps ever since they first met Dorry and Brogy on Little Garden. In contrast to many of One Piece’s arcs so far, where the Straw Hats usually land on an island and only make allies there by the end, the Straw Hats were welcome on Elbaf right from the beginning. Even the banquet that usually takes place at the end of an arc was held right at the start of the arc amidst tearful reunions. However, it seems for the first time ever, the Straw Hats may leave an island after having made enemies there instead, as the latest chapters have proved Imu and the World Government have huge plans for the Giants in the supposed upcoming war.

All that said, the biggest twist of all would have to be Imu’s powers themselves, which are almost as ridiculous as Gear Five. When Gear Five made its debut on Wano and introduced the concept of gods in One Piece, there was still room to believe that these were only myths and legends. However, the Elbaf Arc has proved that not only gods but devils, demons, and magic may all be real after all, and One Piece is never going to be the same ever again.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Just Dropped Its Biggest Plot Twist Since Gear 5 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Earlier this year, Netflix finally gave anime fans a first look at the live-action Tony Tony Chopper, with the reindeer doctor arriving in season two of One Piece. The long-awaited reveal of the Straw Hat’s medical practitioner was highly anticipated as fans speculated for quite some time how Chopper would be brought to life. With the streaming service revealing that Tony Tony would be a creation of CGI, the question now for many fans is how Franky will be depicted considering “Cutty Flam” has human proportions while also having more than a few technological adjustments.

To bring you up to speed when it comes to Tony Tony Chopper, the entirely CG character will be portrayed by actress Mikaela Hoover who won’t just be voicing the Straw Hat doctor but also providing the facial movement for the anime character. The second season of Netflix’s One Piece is set to arrive in 2026, though a specific release date remains a mystery. With Drum Island, the first locale that featured Chopper in the source material, set to play a big role in the upcoming live-action season, expect many other characters from this arc to make an appearance. Considering the many forms that Chopper takes in One Piece, making him a creation of CG makes sense. As for Franky, the question remains of how the cyborg will be brought to life.

[RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece: Chopper Star Breaks Silence on Joining the Series for Season 2]

Franky In Live Action

Franky, aka Cutty Flam, is most likely years away from making an appearance in the live-action One Piece, leaving Netflix plenty of time to figure out how he will be brought to series. As it stands, the live-action adaptation will have to adapt the Alabasta and Skypeia arcs before it gets into the riveting story of Water 7 and no one knows how many seasons it will take to bring both storylines to life. For Franky, it doesn’t appear necessary that he will need to follow in the footsteps of live-action Chopper.

Unlike the reindeer doctor, Franky might have cybernetic enhancements that make him both an amazing fighter and shipwright, but the protege of Tom has a very human aesthetic. This of course changes over time when Franky finds the need to increase his strength, building his frame up to a wild extent later on in One Piece to take on future challenges. When Franky does arrive, casting an actor with the use of prosthetics feels like the best for the Straw Hats’ shipwright, especially if a small amount of CG was used.

Future Straw Hats Brought To Life

Of course, Franky isn’t the character to join Luffy’s crew. Following the cyborg’s admission to the Straw Hat Pirates, Eiichiro Oda would go on to add the likes of Brooke and Jinbe. Much like Chopper, Brooke will most likely need to be a creation of CG as the walking/talking/singing skeleton most certainly doesn’t have any sort of human aesthetic. For Jinbe, the fishman who is the latest addition to the Thousand Sunny, we’ve already seen how the Netflix series depicts the fishmen like Arlong using prosthetics and make-up, so we imagine the same would be true for the samurai shark man.

Of course, seeing all these characters introduced in the Netflix live-action anime adaptation might be a pipe dream. It’s been almost two years since the live-action One Piece debuted on the streaming service and if each season takes multiple years to produce, it might be decades before the likes of Brooke and Jinbe appear. The creators of the live-action series, including Eiichiro Oda himself, are remaining wildly faithful to the source material so we wouldn’t expect any “shortcuts” to arrive as a part of the popular series. Only time will tell as to how many seasons of the successful One Piece adaptation will receive before taking a bow but we are certainly crossing our fingers that all of the Straw Hats will make an appearance before the grand finale.

Want to see what future live-action Straw Hat Pirates will look like on Netflix? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Netflix’s One Piece Chopper Reveal Raises a Big Question About Franky appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The chaotic fight in the Egghead Incident Arc has taken a side step as One Piece commences its best backstory so far. Fans are finally learning more about Bartholomew Kuma, one of the most beloved characters in the show, a former Warlord of the Sea who helped the crew a great deal in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc. Kuma was once believed to be Luffy’s enemy, but his selfless actions during the time the Straw Hats were separated proved otherwise. Kuma had already given up on his humanity and agreed to become a mindless weapon for the World Government. However, he had one final request before losing consciousness, and that was to protect the Thousand Sunny until members of the crew arrived.

The Egghead Incident Arc revealed he’s Bonney’s father and the girl is looking for answers about what happened to him. As the fight against the Marines and Saint Jaygarcia Saturn continues, the story finally delves deeper into his past. Since Bonney saw through Kuma’s memories, she knows about everything that happened to him since his childhood. The anime commenced the backstory in Episode 1129, and it will continue in the next few episodes. However, while we are in such a crucial phase in the anime, One Piece will have another episode delay.

[RELATED: “If They Read It, They Will Cry”: Renowned One Piece Animator Still Hasn’t Read the Series’ Best Backstory]

One Piece Will Reportedly Delay Episode 1134

A popular One Piece account, @pewpiece, which typically shares the episode titles ahead of the official announcement, has updated fans with the planned release of another recap on June 22nd in place of the usual programming. While there’s no official announcement regarding this, the news comes from a reliable source while this story continues to develop. However, the titles are unofficially translated, so they might be slightly different in Toei’s release. The new schedule appears to confirm the recap episode to take place after Episode 1133’s debut this weekend. Chopper will again take center stage in the recap, where he will be accompanied by a guest character this time as well.

One Piece only recently went on a hiatus just before Kuma’s backstory began, and Chopper was the host at that time as well. Unfortunately, fans dislike recap episodes and gave it thousands of dislikes on Crunchyroll. This time, the break is happening right in the middle of Kuma’s backstory. The upcoming recap episode titled “Dr. Chopper’s Adventure Checkup – The Life Crossroads of Close Friends” doesn’t specify which friends he will talk about. Considering the ongoing arc, it could be anyone, either Vegapunk and Kizaru or Dragon and Kuma, there’s no guarantee.

Either way, the episode delay gives fans one extra week to catch up with the anime (if they haven’t) before a major plot twist happens in this arc. After looking at the episode schedule shared by the leaker, we can expect the backstory to end in Episode 1136, and the fight in Egghead will continue right after that. Everything we are seeing right now is through Bonney’s memories of remembering her father while she’s close to death herself. Her situation is dire as she’s unable to fight Saint Jaygacia Saturn.

H/T: @pewpiece on X

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Ever since his introduction in One Piece, fans have been constantly debating whether Loki will end up being an ally or foe. The Elbaf Arc has already set him up as quite the fiend, and in the absence of a major villain for the arc, Loki appeared to be everyone’s best bet. That said, things have completely changed with the arrival of the Holy Knights and, more importantly, Imu, who has completely turned the tide against the Giants. It is becoming increasingly clear that Loki may end up being an ally after all, and interestingly enough, one of Imu’s newly revealed abilities may just absolve Loki of his biggest crime.

In Chapter 1150, Imu, while still possessing Gunko’s body, uses a mysterious ability called Domi Reversi to turn the Giants into demons with bat-like wings, enlarged canines, and horns. Imu uses the ability on Dorry and Brogy, assuming complete control over them and ordering the two to slay Jarul and declare themselves the kings of Elbaf. This ability may just be the key to unraveling the truth about why Loki killed his father, King Harald, as it is possible that Harald, too, was turned into a demon under Imu’s control.

King Harald May Have Been Turned Into a Demon by Imu

So far, One Piece has dropped many hints that there’s much more to Harald’s murder than meets the eye. For starters, the only living individuals who know the truth of what happened in Aurust Castle 14 years ago are Jarul and Loki himself. According to what Road told the Straw Hats, the Giants believe Loki’s motive for murder was a legendary devil fruit passed down the royal line. However, when confronted by Hajruddin in Chapter 1143, Loki questions whether Hajruddin truly believes he murdered their father in cold blood like the rest of Elbaf.

While it is difficult to prove whether the abyss pentagram in the throne room of Aurust Castle only appeared when Gunko and Shamrock arrived on Elbaf or had been there all along, it is quite interesting that the abyss pentagram spawned precisely where the battle between Loki and Harald took place 14 years ago. This supports the possibility that the Holy Knights may have similarly teleported to Elbaf in the past, had Imu take over in a similar manner, and turn Harald into a demon to assume control of Elbaf.

One Piece Has Dropped Many Hints That Harald Was Being Controlled

Another major hint that Harald may have been turned into a demon is that he appears to have claws protruding from under his cape on both sides of his shoulders, which could be his hidden wings. Having said that, Harald also appears to have these protrusions in Loki’s flashback in Chapter 1143. Harald is also known to have ripped out his horns much later, though it is possible that Imu seized control of Harald a long time ago, and he momentarily snatched back control of his body to rip out his horns as an attempt to break the spell cast by Imu.

[RELATED: One Piece Settles a Huge Debate About the Final Villain]

In fact, Imu’s ability, Domi Reversi, which in Latin means “returning home,” may simply be drawing out the traces of Ancient Giant blood in an individual. If so, this could explain why Harald so strongly rejected the violent ways associated with his Ancient Giant heritage, which Harald himself referred to as remnants of a wartorn era. There is also the interesting fact that Luffy came across a giant horned skull in Aurust Castle in Chapter 1137, which he pointed out was almost as big as Oars. In response, Road replied that the skull must have belonged to someone with rare Ancient Giant blood, curiously using King Harald as an example and stating that he was larger and stronger than most Giants.

Overall, there’s plenty of evidence that King Harald may have been turned into a demon. Jarul would know the truth, and this would explain why he willingly agreed to burn Elbaf’s schools and libraries rather than see history repeated. This also means that Loki, who defeated and killed Harald, may just have the key to defeating the Holy Knights and the Giants turned into demons, making Loki an indispensable ally in One Piece going forward.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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As One Piece enters the Final Saga, one particular debate among fans that has gotten especially heated is who will end up being the final villain of the series. One Piece has already presented quite a few strong contenders, though the frontrunners are definitely Imu and Blackbeard. While Blackbeard was introduced and set up as the antithesis to Luffy much earlier on, Imu, though more recently introduced, is proving to be more and more important, especially as fans learn more about the Void Century. That said, the latest chapter of One Piece may have finally settled the debate with the reveal of Imu’s terrifying abilities.

With Gaban out of the picture, Chapter 1150 of One Piece sees Imu turn their attention to the Giants, unleashing a powerful wave of Conqueror’s Haki that knocks out multiple Giants and children. Imu also displays the ability to summon weapons from a grimoire, as well as magic circles that resemble the abyss pentagrams that the Five Elders and the Holy Knights use to teleport. All that said, easily Imu’s most terrifying ability in the latest chapter is “Domi Reversi,” which turns Dorry and Brogy into demons under Imu’s control. All of these powerful abilities go to prove that Imu is indeed the final big bad of the series instead of Blackbeard.

[RELATED: One Piece Just Became the New Black Clover]

Imu Will Be One Piece’s Final Villain, Not Blackbeard

Even after seeing the overwhelming power that Kaido had to offer, Blackbeard still presented a unique threat owing to the fact that he is the only individual in all of One Piece to possess two devil fruits. The intrigue surrounding how he managed to acquire this power, as well as his true motives, further painted him as a formidable end-of-series opponent for Luffy. The Egghead Arc also revealed that Blackbeard’s goal is the world itself, drawing immediate parallels to Rocks D. Xebec and strengthening the rivalry with Luffy who follows in Rocks’ rival, Gol D. Roger’s footsteps instead.

Imu, though just as much of an enigma, has comparatively seemed like less of a threat, that is, until the latest chapter. Moreover, it is very likely that this is not even the full extent of what Imu can do, as having to possess Gunko’s body may very well have come with some limitations. These limitations, whatever they may be, may just be what lets Luffy gain the upper hand when he ultimately clashes against Imu on Elbaf, saving the full-blown fight for later, much like how Luffy initially faced Kaido at Kuri before the final fight at Onigashima.

With Imu able to force people under their control, it seems this inevitable fight between Luffy and Imu will also be a clash between opposing ideologies, with Luffy perfectly poised to free those under Imu’s influence as the Warrior of Liberation reborn. That said, there will no doubt be many hurdles to defeating Imu, or rather Gunko, and as such, it will be interesting to see what shape One Piece’s Elbaf Arc takes next

One Piece is available on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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At long last, One Piece has kicked off its Final Saga, and it’s proving to be anything but predictable. The Egghead Arc was an absolute rollercoaster of revelations and now the Elbaf Arc is proving to be the same if not even wilder. Things on Elbaf have especially heated up with the arrival of Imu, who has taken matters into their own hands by taking control of Gunko’s body. The latest chapter has now finally revealed Imu’s powers, and they’re straight out of Black Clover, with grimoires, demons, and magic.

Chapter 1150 of One Piece reveals Gunko’s all-new Imu-possessed transformation, which includes sprawling bat-like wings, an arrowed tail, and a trident. The chapter also sees Imu conjure a grimoire and pull out a massive gun from it. Imu also uses magic circles to attack the giants and cast a spell called “Domi Reversi” on Dorry and Brogy, turning them into demons under Imu’s control. Imu even executes a classic devil’s bargain when chopping off Brogy’s arm in exchange for giving him the power of evil, a move quite strongly reminiscent of the devil contracts from Black Clover. From the grimoire to all the talk about demons, it seems One Piece has taken a page from Yuki Tabata’s Black Clover, and this could hint at the Final Saga taking a completely different direction than anyone could have anticipated.

[RELATED: One Piece Teases Epic Luffy vs. Imu Showdown]

One Piece Just Introduced Devils and Magic of Its Own

Considering how devil fruits can grant users nearly any power under the sun, one can argue that One Piece’s world has always been a fantastical one. The best logical explanation that even Dr. Vegapunk could come up with to explain their existence was that devil fruits could be the manifestation of human desire for evolution. Having said that, the Egghead Arc and now the Elbaf Arc have proved there’s much more to One Piece’s world than devil fruits and haki, and perhaps Gear Five’s logic-defying powers were only the beginning.

It has been suspected that the Five Elders could be real demons ever since they revealed their true forms on Egghead, wherein they were introduced not by the names of their devi fruits but as the monstrous creatures they has transformed into. This was the first ever hint that there was another completely different power at play, and Chapter 1150 has confirmed as much. Yet, despite the subtle foreshadowing, this revelation that magic and devils exist in One Piece is almost more unbelievable than Gear Five.

Overall, with only a single chapter, Eiichiro Oda has proved that it is impossible to anticipate where One Piece’s story is leading next. And who knows, with Luffy’s final opponent now set to be evil incarnate, perhaps One Piece’s Final Saga might just fill the gap that Black Clover left behind since its move to Jump Giga.

One Piece can be read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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Earlier this year, LEGO announced a collaboration with Tomorrow Studios and Netflix that would bring the Straw Hat Pirates to anime fans in brick form. It all starts today with the official debut of a massive collection of One Piece LEGO sets that are inspired by some of the biggest scenes from the first season of the live-action show on Netflix. What’s more, all 7 of the new sets can be pre-ordered starting today, June 5th with bonuses for LEGO Insiders. The sets will officially launch on August 1st, which will give you plenty of time to build the whole collection before One Piece Season 2 launches in 2026. Everything you need to know about the collection can be found right here, including a gallery of images and details on bonuses.

As noted, there are 7 new sets in the first One Piece LEGO collection, though fans will undoubtedly be most excited about the sets inspired by The Going Merry Pirate Ship, Battle at Arlong Park, and The Baratie Floating Restaurant. A breakdown of each new set can be found below. Note that LEGO Insiders are entitled to a LEGO One Piece series poster as a LEGO Insider reward when purchasing a set. Furthermore, all of the main sets will include one or more of a total of eight collectible “Wanted” posters featuring some of the series’ most notorious pirates.

LEGO ONE PIECE The Baratie Floating Restaurant / 75640 / 3,402 / $329 / See at LEGO: The pier in front of the fish-shaped sea-born restaurant allows builders to dock the Going Merry and recreate Zoro and Mihawk’s tense sword battle, with unique play functions. The iconic restaurant includes 10 of characters in Minifigure form, including the Straw Hat Pirates, Zeff, Vice Admiral Garp, Helmeppo, Koby and Dracule Mihawk. Five collectible “Wanted” posters are included,

LEGO ONE PIECE The Going Merry Pirate Ship / 75639 / 1,376 / $139.99 / See at LEGO: This set brings the ship’s detailed deck and interior to life, with a large, printed sail featuring the iconic Jolly Roger skull, to sail the crew out to uncharted waters, as they embark on their search for the famed One Piece treasure. This set includes four collectible “Wanted” posters.

LEGO ONE PIECE Battle at Arlong Park / 75638 / 926 / $79.99 / See at LEGO: This sett recreates the iconic showdown between the Straw Hat Pirates and their rivals, with elaborate details such as a collapsing Arlong Park pagoda. The set comes with Minifigures of Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Arlong and Chu. It includes three “Wanted” posters.

LEGO ONE PIECE Buggy the Clown’s Circus Tent / 75637 / 573 / $54.99 / See at LEGO: The devious clown villain’s lair includes three circus contraptions from which the heroes must escape: a water tank, spinning vertical table, and a hanging cage and is customizable with two “Wanted” posters so young fans can create their own ONE PIECE world. The set features Buggy the Clown, Monkey D. Luffy, Nami and Zoro in their Minifigure form.

LEGO ONE PIECE Windmill Village Hut / 75636 / 299 / $29.99 / See at LEGO: The 299-piece set showcases a young Monkey D. Luffy, Shanks and Makino, all in Minifigure form for the first time. With a detachable roof, the beachside store has a fun-filled interior with plenty of accessories to role play running the store and entertaining customers. Fans will be able to find one collectable “Wanted” poster.

• LEGO BrickHeadz Monkey D. Luffy Figure / 40799 / 136 / $9.99 / See at LEGO
• LEGO BrickHeadz Buggy the Clown Figure / 40800 / 176 / $9.99 / See at LEGO

”Bringing the Straw Hat Pirates in LEGO brick form to fans worldwide has been a dream assignment”, said Yi-Chien Cheng, Associate Design Lead on LEGO ONE PIECE. “I have always been a big fan of the story of ONE PIECE and it was so exciting to work with the team on building all the details from some of our favourite locations and scenes in the live-action Netflix show in brick form. I cannot wait for fans of both the LEGO Group and ONE PIECE to get their hands on these sets and start charting their own courses into the Grand Line.”

You can find many of the upcoming LEGO releases here in the “Coming Soon” section on the LEGO website. After the launch, they will shift here in the “Available Now” section. Some of the new releases will be available here on Amazon, but in most cases you’ll want to stick with LEGO to take advantage of the special offers for Insiders. You can sign up for a free LEGO Insiders right here.

The post LEGO One Piece Collection Sets Sail With a Huge Wave appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece‘s anime has been working through a very emotional flashback through Bartholomew Kuma’s past, and the first look at the next episode is teasing one of his most important fights yet. One Piece has been breaking hearts one week after the next, and with it has been showcasing just how much pain Kuma had suffered throughout his life long before becoming a Pacifista. And as fans have seen, it really has been nothing but heartbreak even when Kuma was able to make up for lost time and find some happiness eventually. But this flashback is far from over yet.

One Piece‘s newest episode saw Kuma even finding some happiness for a few years after he was able to escape from slavery, and formed a bond with Ginny in the years since that brought the two of them much closer than ever before. But as the episode came to an end, he was headed for even more heartbreak as Ginny was mysterious abducted while she was out fighting in the field. Now with the first look at One Piece Episode 1132 (that you can check out in the video above), Kuma’s gearing up for an even bigger struggle.

How to Watch One Piece Episode 1132

One Piece Episode 1132 is titled “A Pledge to Ginny – Kuma Becomes a Father” and will be making its debut on Sunday, June 8th in Japan. The episode will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it hits (and will be releasing with Netflix about a week after), and the episode preview teases it as such, “After Ginny was abducted, Kuma takes his helpless rage out on the battlefield. Two years pass with no chance of rescue, and then suddenly a call comes from her! Kuma thought he would never get to see her again, so he rushes to her and sees a shocking sight!”

One Piece began this flashback into Kuma’s past with the tease that it would reveal more about Bonney’s connection with her father, and the anime has been steadily building to this point by going all the way back into his past. Not only revealing that he spent his childhood in chains and lost his father and mother at a very young age, Kuma has been suffering so much for all this time. But with each bit of suffering, Kuma also gets some of that joy and brightness back.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece: Chopper Star Breaks Silence on Joining the Series for Season 2

What’s Next for Kuma?

That might be the case for what’s coming in the next episode as not only does it tease how Kuma’s going to be in a desperate struggle searching for the abducted Ginny, he’s also going to have an unexpected reunion with her and a new surprise, Bonney. One Piece‘s previous teases about Kuma and Bonney’s past only showed the two of them alone, so that teases that Kuma is about to go through even more heartbreak as this flashback continues.

But on the brighter side, it’s also where he’s introduced to his daughter for the first real time. We’re rounding out this look back at Kuma’s past now that he’s going to be introduced to Bonney, and now it’s just a matter of filling in the final gaps of how Kuma eventually got involved with Dr. Vegapunk and became a Pacifista. All while also explaining what’s happened to Bonney after all this time and why she eventually went out to sea to find her father and became a member of the Worst Generation.

The post One Piece Promo Teases Kuma’s Biggest Fight Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

At a recent yearly event hosted by Netflix, Tudum, fans of the One Piece live-action series were eager for updates on the second season, as the streaming giant had been vocal about its development. Naturally, all eyes were on what is set to be the most important addition to Season 2, the inclusion of Tony Tony Chopper. The first look at the newest member of the Straw Hat crew was finally revealed, and from this initial glimpse, fans were relieved to see that Netflix appears to have nailed the talking reindeer-human hybrid, at least based on the trailer.

Voiced by Mikaela Hoover, a fitting choice to capture the innocence of the character, the teaser included many nods to both the manga and anime that define Chopper’s personality and endearing behavior. As revealed in the teaser, One Piece Season 2 is set to release next year, continuing the Straw Hats’ journey through the Grand Line, a mysterious, vast sea with a variety of landscapes. In one of these regions, the Straw Hats will meet Chopper, who joins the crew as their doctor. Given that the journey expands significantly from this point on, introducing a wide array of devil fruit users, properly incorporating Chopper’s character into Netflix’s One Piece has become a crucial element, one that could serve as a strong indicator of how well the series will handle future arcs.

[RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece: Chopper Star Breaks Silence on Joining the Series for Season 2]

Chopper Will Be a Key Measure of Netflix’s One Piece Production Limits

At the end of the day, One Piece is a fictional narrative that introduces a wide range of characters that defy human logic, and Tony Tony Chopper currently stands as the prime example of this variety. Beyond featuring a talking reindeer who serves as a doctor, One Piece includes many other fantastical characters, each belonging to a distinct race. The first season even introduced the Fish-Men, brought to life using prosthetic makeup. While the response to this depiction was somewhat neutral, fans remained skeptical about how Chopper would be realized, especially after recent leaks showed Dalton, another character appearing in Season 2 during the Drum Island arc, with his zoan form also rendered through prosthetic makeup.

This raises concerns, given the diversity of zoan devil fruit users that will appear in future arcs. While prosthetics may have worked reasonably well for the Fish-Men, they are unlikely to be as effective for zoan users, whose transformations and animalistic traits require greater flexibility. This is precisely why Chopper’s integration into the narrative carries such weight. The live-action adaptation must not only depict Chopper as a three-foot-tall character but also accommodate his ability to transform into seven different forms. Therefore, CGI is the only viable method, and if his transformations, particularly during intense action scenes, are executed well, the series may establish a successful blueprint for adapting other complex, fantastical characters.

Overall, Season 2 of One Piece presents a major challenge. In addition to introducing Chopper, it will also feature Giants and an array of diverse landscapes. From snowy terrains to desert islands, the upcoming season must capture both the beauty and danger of the Straw Hats’ journey. It is a pivotal test that the series must pass to ensure its longevity and keep fans engaged.

The Challenges Facing Netflix’s One Piece

Tackling Chopper’s role in the series isn’t the only challenge One Piece will have to overcome, but it serves as a critical checkpoint that opens the door to a wide array of fantastical characters. The debut season didn’t face major demands in terms of CGI, though it’s worth noting that nearly every episode still required some CGI to enhance specific elements, particularly during action sequences. While the action was well-executed, the first season didn’t feature as much of it as fans of the original series had anticipated.

Delivering consistent action will be one of the primary challenges moving forward, as it will require the production to rely heavily on CGI. This demand will increase significantly, as nearly every enemy the Straw Hats will face possesses a devil fruit ability that can’t be portrayed using practical effects alone. Additionally, the Straw Hat crew itself will expand to include other devil fruit users and even a cyborg, pushing the show’s budget to its limits, with high-cost CGI needed in nearly every scene. In this context, Chopper becomes Netflix’s One Piece‘s most important character so far, as his integration represents a small but crucial step that will test the production’s ability to handle the growing complexity of the world and its diverse characters.

One Piece Live-Action is available to stream on Netflix.

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Even though One Piece Fan Letter may not have won any awards at the 2025 Anime Awards, the special continues to receive plenty of love from fans even months later. The response to the special was so overwhelmingly positive that it’s even getting its own guidebook, giving fans an exclusive look into the creation of the episode and other intricate details. One of the bonus materials to be included in the guidebook was revealed to be a sketch of Nami and the little girl from Fan Letter. Well, now fans can finally feast their eyes on the new art by Eiichiro Oda himself, and it’s more wholesome than ever.

A post on X by @pewpiece recently shared a new illustration of Nami and the little girl from One Piece Fan Letter by Oda featuring the two doing Nami’s signature “okay” hand gesture. Nami can also be seen holding the titular letter from Fan Letter, implying that the letter did make it to her at some point. The One Piece Fan Letter guidebook, which releases on June 4th, is also expected to include an additional epilogue story, which will hopefully give the episode’s protagonist the wholesome ending she deserves.

[RELATED: “If They Read It, They Will Cry”: Renowned One Piece Animator Still Hasn’t Read the Series’ Best Backstory]

One Piece Fan Letter Girl Finally Meets Nami in New Art

For the most part, filler in One Piece has been a mixed bag, with certain arcs like G8 being widely beloved while others like Foxy’s Return are almost despised. The same can be said of specials, with even the Egghead Arc’s most recent special becoming One Piece’s most disliked episode since the anime returned from hiatus. As such, fans had many reservations about One Piece Fan Letter at first, though the episode completely blew everyone away upon release, resonating with both long-time fans as well as those completely unacquainted with the series.

The entire special revolves around the little unnamed girl trying to reach her idol, Nami, and give her a hand-penned letter telling Nami about the influence she’s had on her. But, in the end, the little girl sacrifices her one chance to meet her idol to ensure the Straw Hats’ escape. Despite being less than 30 minutes long, Fan Letter does an incredible job of getting viewers to root for the little fan girl, and given the bittersweet ending, it’s nice to see her and Nami finally united, even if only in art.

Source: @pewpiece on X.

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