I always had this idea into Shanks’ teenage- early adulthood, Mihawk was the one to send shanks to the holy land. I have this long running theory Mihawk was raised to be a holy knight and then suffered the ‘great betrayal’ spoke about and left (probably realised what holy knights are actually served to do) I then imagined if he came across Shanks he would fight with him in a case of mistaken identity with Shamrock and would learn he had a brother. Therefore, Shanks would set off to the holy land.
HOWEVER after the new chapter reveal I actually think Blackbeard was the one to do this and not Mihawk. Blackbeard knew Shanks and Buggy when they were on Roger’s crew however at this point did Blackbeard know his father was Xebec?
Just to divert away from this point, some leaked drawings came out to do with the man with the eyepatch Oda has always mentioned. Those drawings are very similar to Blackbeard/Xebec and I’m betting money on Xebec eventually losing an eye and getting an eyepatch.
My theory is Xebec lost his eye to Garling on or before god valley and this is why Blackbeard later confronts Shanks and gives him the scar over his eye. We know Shanks at that point power wise was stronger than Blackbeard and it has been theorised that Blackbeard must have caught Shanks off guard to do this. What if Blackbeard after learning the truth about his father sought revenge and Shanks was the most easy to access ( Shamrock statistically harder to get to/ find and also maybe Blackbeard doesn’t know about Shamrock). Blackbeard mentions to Shanks about his father, Garling that he never met, catches him off guard and goes for the same eye Xebec lost. Therefore setting Shanks on his journey?
As for the one to tell Blackbeard I do not know but my best bet is probably Whitebeard? Whitebeard knows everything there is about Xebec for the most part as we can see from the new chapter he was with him from the very beginning of his crew. He was present for God Valley and he will definitely be present for the eye losing.
Whitebeard is a kind character and I think that he had Blackbeard from when he was a baby in the same way Roger had Shanks ( I wouldn’t be surprised if Xebec trusted him specifically with raising him or if he abandoned Blackbeard and Whitebeard took it upon himself to raise him) Blackbeard for the majority of his life was also a good son and crewmate. I wouldn’t be surprised if Whitebeard told him about Xebec when he thought Blackbeard was old enough/ the time was right as he believed that even though he was Xebecs son he showed positive behaviours and is his own person.
The only missing link I have is if Whitebeard knew Shanks was Garlings son and if he did in that case I believe Roger would have also known and not told Shanks before his death.
Hiiii! Sorry for not posting recently. I want to post good doodles, but don’t have the time to right now due to my summer school course. So the next few weeks might be a bit shitty quality wise.
Here he is! And here’s the reference photo:
Has anyone heard the latest chapter 1154 leaks? Crazy right! Like what do you meeeeean you’re rewriting the way we look at fight between the characters and the donutification?!
You could be showing us Kiku's sweet Daimyo room Oda, not cool. But...you make up for it with an excellent subtlety for the Kiku Canon. Pretend you're Tarantino for a sec and look at the feet. Everyone else is sinking into the ankle-deep snow except Kiku because of course she has a feather-light step! This is the kind of cool little bonus detail that made her a favorite. To me it's all part and parcel of being an actress and kinda like Girl Usopp, you're good at a lot of oddball little things. Never not going to love Kiku getting a "feat" in terms of feminine grace. It's also cool how she and this darker snowdrift frame the scene, almost like it makes her as much of a spectator as we are.
As expected if Kiku's showing up at the start of this section it means she's tagging along for something like Tama did through Udon and I fw Cho in Speed's role. That's the neat part of all this, we don't really have any clue what's going to happen now. So here's some cool old guy's grave. Neat. Ulti dashing ahead to the shrine is adorable as well. What a deep appreciation for hist...oh you're making a snowman. Amazing. Yamato's relentless snacking continues to please and don't forget there was a theme with Kiku/Tama & apples. Page One also gets some props for the casual posture and making me realize how giant Yamato's backpack would be on a regular-sized person, he's showing off for the cutie. With Ulti and Cho though, can't not see a Kiku panel where there's one similar girl acting super childish and someone you could argue represents the 42yo Kiku who "should" be here playing tour guide.
More than anything, I hope this single panel is enough propaganda to convince any holdouts that this quintet is a dino-mite group just in terms of sheer appeal. Dig if you will the picture, something with a Boss Luffy or Gintama tone with Yamato as the scruffy lead, Ulti/P1 as his bickering sibling backup duo, and Lady Kiku with her menacing assistant Cho setting up the story each week and having an intersecting B-Plot. Infinity episodes. I'd watch them gladly. Because they'd have the depth to match that appeal when you want to dig a little into their stories. Kiku can't go back and catch up with the guys but she can enjoy a much more peaceful, honest with herself future growing up alongside these dorks. These three need to live somewhere, right? I know Cho's probably this but they could stay around as her muscle too.
I'm going to assume this is Ryuma's grave until we say otherwise, that was something we dangled but never saw in Wano proper. Making him a West Blue native raised in Ringo is great as a tool for Yamato's story by showing that hey...we have heroes who weren't born here. That's the point regardless of who it is, and it's a sign to P1/Ulti that hey...we'll give you a second chance too. This is also a pretty good locale for another former Beast Pirate to attack. Even if she doesn't need it I bet Kiku would gleefully play the helpless maiden waiting for some dashing hero's aid. Truth is, this second step is still a pretty blank check for how we're going to bring this whole serial home and it's still holding my interest more than solid chapters. Boo to the color spread next week, but it is one that wouldn't be a bad time to do something neat like fairly rolling Kiku into a featurette with some of the "noble" ladies.
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.
I am back on my chapter analysis shenanigans! After two years of following the manga wihtout saying a peep, I return, since —like the title of the chapter— I can't even die.
It has been a delight to follow Yamato's pilgrimage, from acquiring disciples (I wonder what Ulti is so intersted in, that she runs towards the shrine) to besting sumo wrestlers to finally getting to the end of the journey. I hope we'll learn who the Hero Born in West Blue is next chapter.
(Side note: it's neat that the former Tobi Roppo-siblings have another behorned leader to follow now)
And then, to one of the most heartbreaking chapters I've read, and that includes Nami's, Law's, Robin's and Sanji's flashbacks — because however horrible their childhoods were, they at least got to experience love.
First, I really like how Oda does these mini-callbacks. Here he uses just two thirds of a page to both set up the story of Loki's Curse and remind the reader of Big Mom.
And in the last third of the page, we seamelessly transition into the overarching story of Loki's horrible, no good at all, really quite depressing childhood and how the whole country turned against him due to...
...purely a coincidence.
It's nice to note how Harald's efforts at peace-building and diplomacy has changed Elbaph's culture, though! Last chapter we saw how he started changing things 105 years ago (35 years in human terms) and how they had made some progress 81 years ago (27 in human terms) - but things started to really kick off 70ish years ago (~23 years in human terms) when Elbaph's navigation is admired.
And now the poeple of Elbaph are fighting each other rather than attacking nearby nations.
Progress?
But people haven't forgotten the alleged curse and demand blood, any blood! And so they go after Hajrudin and Ida.
Side note: I have known Ida for a chapter and a half, and would gladly die for her. I love her, she's the best tiny giant ever (normal giants are a minimum of 12 meters tall, she's 10). Unfortunately I assume she'll meet the Fate of Mothers in Flashbacks :(
Note Hajrudin, going from panicking in the background to threatening the intruder with a sword in one (1) panel! Attaboy!
And the fist of doom approaches...
I'm just putting the whole spread because it is magnificent and has so much information packed into it!
First, Harald went to Ida and Hajrudin before going to the castle to meet his newborn son.
Second, his diplomacy efforts have born fruit! Look at all the help Elbaph is getting! Collaboration for the win!
Third, I wonder if there'll be a large, disrupting event that calls for Elbaph to help these "good folks in a pinch" in the near future...
Finally, I wonder how his "Brothers! You must not fight amongst each ohter!" is remembered by Harjudin in the present day.
Another fullpager, since Oda keeps packing them with punches of all kinds!
I wonder why Harald is crying? Because Estrid died, or because she kept renouncing their child until her death?
He does look happy to see Loki! And although the real reason for Loki's lack of smiles is something rather different, "mourning his mum" is a reasonable expectation from Harald.
(I don't like how the servants keep Estrid's hatered of their child secret, though. Of course harald won't understand why his son is like he'll turn out to be if he never knew his beginning.)
...although it does give a perfectly reasonable excuse for why Estrid's brother is put in charge of Loki, showing the importance of honesty and clear communication channels: if Harald knew about Estrid's opinions, he might have put someone else in charge...
(More about this later)
Ooo, new history tidbit! I wonder if they were active during the Lost Century, since they were 'sank into the ocean' as per Jarul on the following page.
I really like this short and sweet, efficient use of panelling to show Loki's growth as well as how completely coincidental (except for the last bit, probably) accidents are tied to him, just because he was born during a bad year weather-wise.
(Also, we haven't seen that Asura, the Horse of Good Fortune, actually did anything, that's just what Estrid called it.)
If Loki was born 63 years before the present, and giants age at a third the rate of humans, he should be around 5 years old at 48 years before the present.
Maybe, just maybe, Harald should have taken a larger interest in raising his own child...
(That'd also make Loki 21 at present.)
But his Ancient Giant's blood is showing; here 5-year old Loki is towering over 11-year old Hajrudin (33 in normal years).
I'm also wondering about the translations, is Loki using 'father' and Hajrudin 'dad' in the original as well? And is this an indication of their upbringing, Loki getting a prince's education and Hajrudin learning humanity and empathy from Ida?
You will learn Loki, you will learn...
And of course the love and concern Hajrudin's friends show him makes Loki uncomfortable.
Poor child, already ready to end it :(
And the grand reveal of the chapter!
Not sure about the whole Blackbeard connection, although it is an interesting parallell beteen him and Ace that he in this case also seems to have kept his mother's surname rather than taking his father's.
Rocks's design is amazing. Love the hair, looking forward to seing more of him. The perspective choices is also nice, emphasizing Rocks in the front while including the very diversely tall cast of characters in the back. It's nice how Oda also shows their personalities with just a panel-a-piece; Whitebeards concern, Shiki's cynicism, and Stussy's silence and analytical approach (which is my take on Oda again leaving the female character out).
And now I really, really want to know what Loki will learn from this group of degenerates (affectionate)...
Some final thoughts, while we wait for the next chapter.
It shows that Oda has children now, and I'd hazard a guess that his own hectic schedule is weighing heavily on his mind, looking at the latest arcs. After the time skip, we've seen different types of family and how to defined it (Doflamingo, Big Mom, the Vinsmokes), but recently we've also taken a look at the damage neglectful parents cause their children, no matter if it's due to apathy (Kaido), outside forces (Kuma), or a drive for the greater good (Harald). The undercurrent seems to be something akin to "leaving your child is always bad, whatever the rasoning for abandonment" (Yamato identified with Kaido's greatest threat so far, Bonney thought her father abandoned her and got into piracy as a child, Loki was alone from birth) and now I'm wondering how that ties into Luffy's background. He was also abandoned, first by his parents and left in Garp's care, and then Garp left him with Dadan. No wonder Luffy tried so hard to keep up with Sabo and Ace.
I give the chapter (and especially Loki) all the hugs and kisses in the world.
Okay personal confession for One Piece chapter 1154/1155
I hate that Rocks is Blackbeards dad.
It may be great down the line story wise but currently? Just pokes so many holes as to how this hasn’t come up sooner
I get it’s a new development
But NO ONE PICKED IP ON THIS?!
Sengoku? Garp? Hell even Imu themselves never put two and two together?
In canon it makes no sense
They are identical
You’re telling me the gov connected Ace to Roger w very little in common physically but NOT Blackbeard to Rocks?
As a gov official you wouldn’t freak out seeing literal Rocks 2.0 on his ex crew mates ship?
Also that same Rocks 2.0 killing whitebeard and taking his devil fruit to be the first person in history to use two fruits?
Also he looks just like rocks
Oh now he’s a Yonko and taking over pirate island
AND HE LOOKS JUST LIKES ROCKS
Oh now he took out Law, an ex warlord and Aokiji An ex freaking admiral who was one of two choices for Fleet Admiral (or whatever the in universe rank is, I don’t care about the Navy/Marines) is now on his crew
AND HE LOOKS JUST LIKE ROCKS
Like….the more I think about it the more I can poke holes. Let’s hope Oda has some stuff to fill them with to explain why they ran a witch hunt for Ace but just kinda left Blackbeard alone for even longer
WE HAVE OFFICIALLY SURVIVED THE BREAK WEEK AND IT IS TIME FOR 1154 BABY LET'S REEEEEEAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD
The grave of a hero born in the West Blue and brought up in Ringo? Am I missing something, an I meant to know who that's referring to? If so I've missed it because I've got no clue. They all look very cute though, and GOD Yamato is tall. I mean I know he is but sometimes it just slaps me in the face again lmao
okay chapter time :)
BIG MOM hello
Aaaaand let me guess, they're going to blame the disasters and the famine on Loki...somehow godDAMN what did the baby ever do to you
SHE WASN'T DEAD!!!!!!!!! urgghhhhhhhh GODDDD FUCKING.FUCKKKKK AAAAAAA
HE BROKE THROUGH THE FUCKING WALL. TRYING TO SEE HIS MOMMY. I'M CRYING HE'S A LITTLE SWEETHEART??? HE JUST WANTED TO SEE HIS MOMMY GOD FUCK FUCK FUCKKKKKK
HOW DAAARE YOU HOW ABOUT WE GOUGE OUT YOUR EYES OH MY GODDDDD I JUST WANNA CUDDLE THIS GIANT ASS BABY SO FUCKING BAD DAMN YOU DAMN YOUUUUU
and giant ass baby is right like holy shit infant Loki is as big as two adult giants Jesus Christ
WHEN WILL WE LEARN NOT TO LISTEN TO RUMORS PEOPLE. YES TIMES ARE BAD BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THE FAULT OF THE LITERAL FUCKING INFANT BABY WITH THE SOMEWHAT CREEPY EYES OKAY
THEY TRIED TO KILL HAJRUDIN????? BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT LOKI WAS CURSED???? WHAT THE FUUCKKKKKKK HOW DOES THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE WHYY
I am glad to see Ida's still alive though (so far, this is still a One Piece flashback I'm not holding out hope lol)
Man :( fuuuuuck that hurts :( the Elbaph giants were so kind and welcoming to Ida when she first came there with Harald, but now that they think Loki's cursed they've turned their anger onto her and Hajrudin instead :( I'm assuming the only reason they're being attacked and not Loki directly is because they're easier targets, what with them being banned from the castle :(
EVERYBODY SAY THANK YOU HARALD Ida is still okay (for now)
Awwwww wAAAITTTT the humans that Harald was developing relations with ended up helping them through the famine!!!!!!!!! COMRADERIE AND COMPASSION AND COMMUNITY SEE PEOPLE. THIS IS HOW WE SOLVE PROBLEMS. NOT BY LABELING INFANTS AS CURSED AND TRYING TO KILL THEIR FAMILIES. FUCK
SHE DIED YEAHHH SHE CAN'T HURT THE BABY ANYMORE YAYYYYY
WAIT WAIT WAIT HOLD ON. DID THEY....NO. DID THEY ACTUALLY GOUGE OUT HIS EYES. WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCKKKKKK HUHHHH HE'S ALREADY GOT THE BANDAGES ON. PLEASE. PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF GODDD PLEASE. TELL ME THEY DID NOT DOOOO WHAT I'M THINKING.
MY SONNNNNN OHHH MY GOD I'M SO HAPPY HARALD DID LOVE HIM OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOOHOHHHDDDDDD
WHAT. NO. NO NO O ONONONINONO THEY DIDN'T. THEY FUCKING DIDN'T. DID THEY ACTUALLY DO THTA?????!!! AND THEN LIED ABOUT IT????!!!!N!? TO THE KING???!???!
There's a chance they only covered his eyes not actually gouged then out but the IMPLICATIONSNNNNSSSS. ARE RIIIIGHT THERE AND THEY ARE SCREAMING AT ME
Awww Ida ran a tavern!!! I wonder if that's the same tavern Shanks was at during Egghead....potentially Ida still alive?????? (I'm trying soooo hard not to get attached to her guys it's so hard she has such a cute design and she's so sweet and nice I love her but she is almost certainly dead I'm clinging desperately)
Reverie incident???? WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT REVERIE.
But also HOOOOWWWW the fuck. Did they get away with hiding HARALD (ancient giant blood, 150-200ft tall ffs) as a soldier. Ddid they. pretend he was human. what.
WHOOOO GOT MURDERED??? AT THE REVERIE WHAAT
An army of frozen giants..??? Hmmmmm okay so that whole conversation FEELS very innocuous and out of place but I need to remember that this is ODA and this is ONE PIECE so it's obviously here for a reason. Could it have something to do with the giants we saw on Punk Hazard? Or maybe even the giant freezer in Mariegeois where we saw the giant straw hat?
did. did Loki fucking kill that guy actually you know what I hope he did he deserved it
so Loki's rampaging through the villages with his animal friends now (Disney princess moment again) but you know what I DON'T EVEN CARE FUCK EM UP LITTLE GUY GET THEMMMM
Hajrudin baby he tried to stop him and yess I get it I UNDERSTAND he wants to protect the village he wants to make Harald proud but but buuuutttt I NEEEED HIM TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF PEOPLE WERE JUST NICER TO HIM. IF EVERYBODY STOPPED CALLING HIM A CURSE AND BLAMING HIM FOR EVERYTHING THAT GOES WRONG ON ELBAPH. HE WOULDN'T ACT LIKE THIS. HE IS ACTING OUT BECAUSE NOBODY EVER GAVE HIM ANY KIND OF CHANCE.
EXCEPT FOR HARALD. BUT HE'S NOT THERE, SO TO LOKI IT MAY AS WELL HAVE NOT EVEN HAPPENED???? FUUUUCK CRYING AGAIN
GOOOODDD WAIT NOOO THE SWITCH BETWEEN THISE TWO PANELS. Loki sees all the other children run to Hajrudin IMMEDIATELY to make sure he's okay. And HIS FACCE. HIS FAAACCEEEEE!!! HE WANTS THAT!!! HE WANTS SOMEONE TO CARE ABOUT HIM HE WANTS SOMEONE TO CARE IF HE'S HURTING AND TO PLAY WITH HIM AND LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE'S NEVER HAD THAT. BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY HE SWITCHES BACK AND STARTS MAKING FUN OF HIM AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS LASHING!!! OUT!!!! FUUUCKCJKK I WANT TO HUG HIM
ARE YOU FUUUUUUCKING KIDDING ME HE TRIED TO KILL HIMSELF. HE CANNOT BE OLDER THAN 8-9 IN HUMAN TERMS WHAT THE FUUUUCK ODA :((((( (his eyes were not, in fact, gouged out though so thanks for that at least but NO THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME THINK THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE AAAAAAAA)
AAAAAAAAAAA HOLY HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT IT'S HAPPENING IT'S HAPPENING IT'S HAPPENINNGGGG HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN. WHEN WAS ROCKS D. XEBEC FIRST MENTIONED IN THIS FUCKING STORY WE ARE FINALLY GETTING TO SEE HIM OH MY GOODDDDD HE LOOKS REALLY COOL I LOOOVE HIS DESIGN I'm unreasonably excited to see what colors his hair is actually
So you're telling me the Rocks pirates stumbled on this CHILLKDDD crying after THROWWWING HIMSELF OFF THE TOP OF THE ADAM TREE TO TRY AND KILL HIMSELF
Of cooouuurrsee Whitebeard would be the one to ask him why he's crying :(((( I'M going to cry now (fourth time this chapter) fuuuuckkj
oh HEEEEE WAS THE ONE WHO DID THE MURDER AT THE REVERIE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AND HE KILLED AN ADMIRAL OHHHHHH
WAIT WAIT WAIT HOLD ON A FUCKING SECOND. FUTURE captain??? So they're not even the Rocks pirates yet at this point??? Huh??? FATHER OF BLACKBEARD!!!!????? OH MY GODDD???? HELLO?????? AND WHYYY WOULD THEY BE SEARCHING FOR HARALD WHAT IS HAPPENINGGGGGH
okay OKAY OKAY OKayyy....there's thingggsss happening and I'm :) concerned :) but also :) very intrigued :) and very excited for next week :)
