#chapter 1133

[ai-megane-music]

THE SHIP SAILED! Another couple MADE IT after many years. That speaks volumes about how I've rooted for this couple since they fell on that cliff and totally captured my heart! Also them being a couple is totally on my 2050 bingo card ;⁠-⁠)

[fallensnowfan]

Cute Chopper I didn't notice until recently. He is doctor buddies with Gerd.

It would be so sweet if this leads into Choppa telling Gerd that Linlin was treated well by Tsuru and Kiku and Leftovers Town.

Maybe Chopper and Loki could even have a moment of understanding too, due to both knowing what it's like to have been rejected over a facial feature others didn't accept.

I'm not sure who of the Straw Hats the ?! in the lower left is supposed to belong to but Chopper is here when Gerd says this. While he doesn't view Linlin as a friend, he knows the most about Linlin being accepted by Tsuru, Kiku, Tama, and the town.

And like, we know Linlin still has it in her to be kind and generous, due to seeing her wanting to get food to bring to Leftovers Town, and fighting against Kaido's crew later when she learned the town was burned down. It really makes me want Shaggy to be someone who accepted Linlin during Act Two. I don't care if it's unlikely or whatever, but would think it would be wasted potential to not do more with that Leftovers Town story thread, regarding this arc. And that anyone, regardless of who you think Shaggy is, can understand the potential here.

There is a lot that could be done with Loki and Shaggy, if Shaggy is someone who has accepted Linlin during the Leftovers Town stuff. Linlin, like Loki, is someone rejected by Elbaf, but Leftovers Town accepted Linlin. There is a lot that could be done with letting Shaggy have a role in Elbaf learning to accept Loki. Plus it'd be a great way to show that Wano's dumb law making it illegal for citizens to leave is gone.

[madamenyx]

One piece 1133

I'm not crying! Really! I... I... Okay, I'm crying.

[eleni-cherie]

me ignoring all the heikazu spoilers bc the english trans isn't out yet even tho I've been waiting for this moment for literally 15 years

[aksarah]

Finally!!!

Bawling like a little baby. I was so ready for Oda to pull the rug out from under us, but no... Oh my goodness. I have been reading One Piece for so very long. This is so incredibly satisfying.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Family Reunion

Oh dear, we're leading in with a recap of Robin's backstory. I could play around with this. Act like we're leading up to a bad turn...but you know where this is headed right? I just don't have much to say this time. That doesn't mean I didn't like the chapter. It was great. But for now it doesn't really have much from the perspective I tend to approach these from. Which is to go a little deeper, tie together strands of these New World plot lines. This is a chapter about our lovely archaeologist Nico Robin, and she doesn't get many of those. I always figured part of that is her role by design is something that would matter much more as we got closer to the ending.

So maybe let's start by just talking about Robin. I like Robin, a lot. When I first picked up this series she was my favorite. And now she's slid to #4. Both cases for kinda the same reason; she's definitely the Straw Hat most like me. Fun when you're a 14yo looking up to her, not as much when you're older than her now. It's a reflection of how I relate to the series differently. It's kinda why I like Kiku a lot and Nami's grown to that top spot over the years; you want to root for someone like yourself 10 years ago. It also doesn't help that first Pudding then Kiku took over being more relatable. I've talked before about the way Wano frames Kiku & Robin, how they're actually quite different people in big ways. Ways I'd tend to come down on the former's side of.

But Nico Robin is still a great character. Her devil fruit is still one of the best I'd actually want. Her morbid humor and love of weird cute things never gets old. I'm always interested in Poneglyph lore drops. And she's the indulgent mother of the crew. Not a doting perfect mom, but more like the kooky artsy mom that lets her kids run wild. She has great dynamics with other crew members. Gal-palling with Nami, ragging on Usopp, getting Luffy's weird way of thinking, flirting with Jinbei. All great stuff.

I love the framing here. How she doesn't buy Saul passing out for a moment and we have very similar panels to their first meeting. What's crazy about this reunion is how I never saw it coming. But I'm glad we didn't pull some overly mean rug pull. There would have been no point to having Saul croak right before she got there. It was already bad enough what you did with Izo Oda...

Speaking of though, is there a greater point here? Having Saul around? I think there could be. We did have Kid mentioning the burned man and Saul could fit that. But even if he doesn't, we took the time to set him up as a type of history professor here on Elbaf. This arc does need to have some point in the broader story right? The main one left is a lead on that last road poneglyph. Saul is a solid vehicle to get there. We also have several regular poneglyphs Robin hasn't really delved into. Three right? The two blue ones Big Mom had and the one that Law found on Onigashima. The last one just pointing the way to the red one under the palace could make sense but now feels like a pretty good time to head over to the library and drop some lore. Especially when Vegapunk really didn't give us as much as we'd hoped for.

But for now, dawww. Everything about this is just perfect. Seeing Robin so happy and giving this a full chapter to let it breathe is so good. Especially after things like Sanji having a troubled family reunion and Zoro bucking the chance to connect with his ancestry. Even Franky finally getting a chance to meet Vegapunk felt a little undercooked. I do hope Usopp has some good development here too but it's nice to see a happy, heartwarming moment like this no matter where the story goes from here.

[chromatic-lamina]

Chapter 1133 spoilers: expanded a little

Robin 💔❤️ I'll add a little to this now (December 7th, I wrote it on December 6th). The way Saul and Robin met was so endearing. I loved it so much. I can't believe that's how he thought he'd greet her, but it was right and apt, and Oda's recall--oof!-- Although he'd have a team working with him.

And then the tears, baby girl. That's some finely woven trauma there, delivered by the World Government with a sledgehammer.

You guys know i'm a LawBin shipper, so, of course this is absolutely her story, but the parallels man—from the way the government dealt with her land, to losing two families (Robin loses two in one day, three, if we include the scholars), and the way that society has and had absolutely shunned them.

We need the Robin novel now! Also, Luffy doing all the healing work. That smile on the end panel 🥰

[basedkikuenjoyer]

This, however is intriguing. That dastardly Holdem! But, this is important, for now it just seems to be regular banditry. Hand over all your stuff. As opposed to still wanting specifically Tama like he did in Act 1. Do you think he's recognized her yet? He should be able to put things together, especially is Speed is around.

As things unfold too...really ups the chances Udon goes to Kiku's story if we're involving Holdem. Though we have already seen Urashima without her and it could just be a chance to let Yamato mirror one of Luffy's feats snatching her away quickly. It'll be a while sadly with a break and a color spread next chapter. So hold on little Tama!