It’s just showdown after showdown in the Onigashima raid, which is still not even close to leaving steam. The latest chapter included some great small moments as we take a short break from Kaido and Luffy’s showdown. One Piece‘s chapter 1038 gives us a vignette of where everyone else currently is while catching back up with Kid and Law’s battle with Big Mom, who isn’t going to go down that easily.
The cover story this time is quite surprising as it seems Niji and Yonji of Germa 66 have been caught by the Big Mom Pirates. So, either they might return to free them, or Sanji gets a chance to save his family once again in the near future, but mostly cause it’s hard to believe that his father would go back and save his sons. Yet, who knows if he had a bit of a change of heart after the events from the Whole Cake Arc.
It’s great to see Jimbei back, as he mostly took a backseat since his confrontation with Who’s Who. His saving of the samurai was a great moment, as we also see that the spreading flames have wrecked the entire place. Even Chopper gets to return as his super tiny form has expired and he returned to normal. It’s sweet to see him instantly care about Zoro, who is going through something of his own.
Speaking of, what in the world is Eiichiro Oda doing playing with our hearts? It’s so strange to see the freaking Grim Reaper stand above him right after Chopper discusses the pain he’ll go through. Though the arms and close-up of the face make me think this is a fake-out and it’s probably Brook. How he got his hands on a scythe is a different story, but it seems like the most logical reason the literal embodiment of death appears here. Luckily, Franky is on his way to help.
Izo has been taking quite the beating to give Usopp enough time to get the Red Scabbards away from the battlefield. The interesting aspect is the confrontation with CP0, which probably won’t end well given that the Beast Pirates have pushed him to his limits. It doe make you wonder if an eventual confrontation between the secret organization and the Straw Hats. Going by the direction they are heading, it seems they might end up catching up with Usopp.
I am always excited to see Yamato – who I still hope joins the crew – and it’s great to see her showcase her abilities. It still seems like a shame how little we saw of her fight against Kaido. She’s also a perfect counter to the flaming ball of vengeance, as she just made it in time to keep it from blowing the whole island up. I am curious just how Yamato might manage to get it away from the explosives and weapons, as it’s very unlikely the island will just blow up.
Now, it’s finally time to talk about Big Mom’s battle against Kid and Law. It’s not going so great for them, as she seemingly towers over them and mocks the young pirates. It almost looks like the two might have met their match, but she is certainly pushing beyond her limits. Her main goal is to return to Kaido’s side adds a nice level of urgency to this fight, especially as Law continues to keep the fighting going.
We once again get the return of his Awakening through Kroom, which offers a clearer picture of what it can do. The fact he can warp the reality of an object adds quite a curious element to his ability, especially how his sword goes through Mom without actually cutting through her. Perhaps this ability is deeply connected to the fruit’s famous ability to give someone immortality. Kid also makes a grand effort by pulling in all the metal around him to create a giant raging bull, as both proclaim she will not get to the roof.
The title was surprisingly misleading as Zoro and Sanji’s “vs.” chapter titles ended with the defeat of their enemy but seems Oda decided to mix things up this time around. Even after their defeat, they are continuing to push forward which is quite exhilarating and makes me curious what the next chapter has in store for us, as we might enter the final stage of this battle after all.
