#ch 1020

[kookoofufu]

jesus christ oda

[larkreadsop]

...This does not seem like something to laugh about!

Though to Robin’s point, she and Brook have never really gotten to work together before and they actually play off of each other very well in this fight.

[shysheeperz]

[ninhaoma-ya]

Chapter 1020 — Robin vs. Black Maria

Before the chapter even starts and I’M SO HYPED! Let’s go!

Yamato-fruit revealed! A makami is apparently a deification of an extinct Japanese wolf, also known as oguchimagami. From.. the Yamato province (now: Nara Prefecture). Makami were known to punish the wicked and protect the good — a fitting fruit for Yamato, in other words.

Nice yin-yang symbolism in the breath nexus.

And then, the highlight of the day! Which will continue BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ALL, FOLKS!

Black Maria seems to have some useful powers, creating illusions like that.

Sad for her that her opponents have accepted their losses ages ago and the illusions are therefore useless, but Robin’s tears above and the panel below still broke my heart:

And the character growth!

At Water 7, this was exactly what happened — Robin truly believed herself to be a burden and that the crew would be better off without her. But now she has accepted her new family and that’s why the illusions don’t work and Black Maria’s taunting is ineffective. Robin knows that her crew would do anything for her and that they just don’t stop, even in the face of the world government, to get her back.

Because she’s seen this. And after that, nothing will sway her trust in her crew.

And of course Sanji’s character growth, actually mirrored in the same arc (can’t ask for help when fighting a woman) but that’s for another time.

And Brook. You are a skeleton. You really shouldn’t.

And Giant Robin vs. Black Maria? Can’t wait!

Finally, a teaser for what’s to come:

What is Caribou’s role? Will Momo be able to carry Onigashima? Can the Hearts find enough meat for Luffy to regain his strength enough to at least stand up?

[larkreadsop]

I mean the pompadour wasn’t real anyway so for all we know it was just a giant tempura shrimp all along

[larkreadsop]

Despite knowing that Robin was never fooled by these illusions, the look on her face is so elated that I feel like, even for a moment, she was happy to see them again.

[larkreadsop]

Well, as we’ve recently found out, Rockstar is really just a glorified errand boy even at this point but it’s good to know the rest of them have names

[larkreadsop]

So again we’ve got the whole idea of miracles associated with Luffy but that Momo and Shinobu just happened to end up on the sub is a pretty big stroke of luck all by itself.