Okay, definitely a peak chapter with a few surprises, or neat ways of wrapping things up.
I'm not gonna go in depth, so I'll just touch upon a few things (<--liar, liar, pants on fire).
The Perona cover was cute. I read a meta the other day (and might have reblogged or had it queued) where the author supposed that Mihawk might be the survivor of similar human-hunting games, which is why he calls his own "prey" rabbits (or one Roronoa Zoro at least).
Thinking about that, and also the sick "games" on God's Valley, the cover of Perona chasing the White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland shout-out), with Mihawk looking on (below) takes on a bit of a darker tone. I don't think the requester meant it to have darker implications, but considering the events it's paired with, parallels will be drawn!
Also, Big Mom gets her height back (almost on par with Whitebeard in the panel below). She's taller than all of these guys, except for perhaps Rocks (in his non-demonized form), and the gorosei, Imu, etc.
Rocks doesn't become a demon not in control of his faculties straight away, and he has a few words for Imu, guessing (or so it seems) that Davy D. Jones was the king of the world (page below). Imu contradicts Rocks, but the World Government (WORLD) also would surely not acknowledge Roger as a true king, so it could play into this. Or it's that the word "World" is carrying a lot of weight at the moment.
I've included the whole page above, because there's a lot of information in there. For sure, why is Imu scared with his claims that Davy's and those bearing the intial "D" mean nothing? Rocks calls him out. The will and promise of Davy that
Rocks' talks about is tantalising. Eris and Teach are still fleeing in the last panel (above), but just in general (ie: not from their errant, transformed husband and father).
It seems that Joyboy and Davy D. Jones are not the same entity, but are spoken in the same breath by Rocks (panels above), there definitely is a connection in threat-level at least, and in Imu's hopes to obliterate them. However, Imu also says that both (Joyboy and Davy D. Jones) will fade with the end of the Davy clan, so who knows? (or is he specifically referring to Rocks?). Also, that second long panel (above and repeated below) clarifies that
Imu definitely has his eye on the giants, and especially on Harald's naivety and therefore his pliability. Rocks' loyalty is admirable. Ahh, and you can see part of the reason why Teach turned out the way he is and why he thought his Dad was monstrous, because after Imu and Rocks finish their tête-à-tête, Rocks (after lying about on the ground for a bit and it seems either
Domi-Reversi-'ing Kaidou (?!?), or just wiping him out? (cos, he would be a menace! Doesn't have the streaks rising from his eyes, so he's out for the count, I think) [and side note, I love LinLin's concern], and also K-O-ing Big Mom, and it seems defeating Whitebeard,
(all of which results in an inevitable One Piece fire and one half of the cleaved mountain toppling)
...after all of that, Rocks
...goes after his wife and child. At least Eris knows what is going on, but that would have been Teach's last view of a father he perhaps never knew. LUCKILY for them, however...
the kindhearted eight-year-old (?) slave Bartholomew Kuma is still around. And a very dejected Dragon, still crippled with Catholic-adjacent guilt (understandably, however, his rifle across his back is brings to mind a penitent bearing a symbolic cross) seems unable to move.
Kuma fortuitously, and just in the nick of time–
–saves Eris and Teach from certain death either by marauding demonised husband (as in, turned into a demon, but thereafter, demonised, for sure), or marine cannonball fire (aimed for Rocks, I think) aimed for escapees, same as Akainu sinking a boatload of civilians off Ohara (thanks for pointing that out in your post @crinj-centralecentral).
I hope Kuma got himself out of there soon after, and had already sent Iva and Ginny. I love him. Maybe he saved Dragon. I'm figuring that Eris might have still been fatally wounded.
But wait!, that's not all...
Imu has charged Rocks with killing everyone left on the island, and Rocks sets out to that, starting with Garp and Roger (actually, I think he first chases some of Rogers? crew). Garp and Roger are up for it, as seen below, either one or both bellowing at him to "Bring it on!"
BUT, it seems that not only Roger, but Garp (and Rocks too) have
the Voice of All Things, or the ability to hear voices, and also to communicate telepathically. Rocks begs for Roger and Garp to kill him, as many predicted. I guess that others being able to hear voices means there is hope for these guys in the panel below:
Marauding Domi-Reversi'd giants above, turning on their own people in Elbaph. Dorry and Brogy at the fore. Additionally, Loki having his eyes covered ties into that whole internal world, ability to talk to animals, etc. that Luffy, Momonosuke (and Chopper) have (I hope!). (Shirahoshi too, of course).
That's the crux of it (short chapter commentary, my arse!).
Asides:
Shakky, I would have liked for you to do some more, but too many cooks spoil the broth, and there are enough players already:
I know that Sommers got you good, but you are an Amazonian.
Also, it seems that Rocks' crew at the upper echelons, maybe, the guys who were in it for devil fruit, or for the genuine well-being of Shakky, or a form of kinship, did have a loyalty to their leader. I think that Big Mom, Whitebeard and Kaidou are demonstrating that.
They are schemers, though (except maybe Whitebeard), that's clear. But those more driven to kill each other for treasure (or to sell each other or allies into slavery) don't seem destined to survive (as we know they didn't, ultimately. Not all died on the island). (Screencap of Shiki and Captain John below. Shiki escaping with John's treasure).
Don't get me wrong. I know that Big Mom and Kaidou would do whatever suited them best at any given time, but they were there, fighting the biggest threat on God Island, along with Roger, Whitebeard, Garp and Rocks. I'm sure I've missed some (most of the marines and Celestial Dragons and Rogers' crew stuff). Also, there are all of the other Domi Reversi'd Davy clan. Wonder what they're up to right now.
Hey, nice! A Perona cover request soon after Halloween and soon after we learned a bit about Moria's history.
The rabbit ears look so so so cute on the ghosts, and I'm that much more eager to see Perona and Moria appear in the main story again.
And hold up a second, Perona in Wonderland? Was her wonder garden in Thriller Bark on Oda's or the requester's mind this week?
I like this, fairy tales and folktales having a strong presence throughout Thriller Bark. As some may be aware, Cindry has the connection to the story of Bancho Sarayashiki, and Perona is in a scenario right out of Alice in Wonderland on this cover.
Oda definitely got me with this one; I was so sure she would die in God Valley! Not that her making out of there alive means that she's still alive in the present day story line, but still, this was a surprise. But now the question is what happened to her.
It seems from the flashback above (Whitebeard's flashback when he's dying at Marineford), that Roger (and Whitebeard) both knew the meaning of the D. in the names of those who bear or bore it.
However, it doesn't seem that Rocks kept his "D." initial a secret, does it? Sengoku knew about it, at the least. So Whitebeard knew that Rocks had the initial. Whether or not he heard Rocks' conversation with Imu in chapter 1163 and 1164 is up for debate. Big Mom and Kaidou didn't seem to hear anything, but they might have also been taken by surprise due to Rocks' possessed form (domi rerversi). Roger was also there.
I'm going to take from this meeting between Roger and Whitebeard (which occurred after God Valley) that the Davy and the D. are therefore not connected, as some people have surmised (and I think it's in the text of the recent chapters). And that
i. if they heard Rocks' and Imu's conversation, it isn't related to the Davy clan, because it would be strange for Whitebeard to be having this discussion with Roger, otherwise.
AND/OR
ii. people bearing the initial D. did not adopt it due to paying homage / keeping alive the Davy clan, because it would seem strange, again, that Roger and Whitebeard would be speaking as if they had no knowledge of Rocks. BUT, of course, that's dependent on them hearing the conversation.
AND/OR
iii. Oda was just playing the vague game, and it is related to one or the other, or both of the points above, or is something completely different (the half moon, etc.). It seems from the panels above, though, that neither Roger nor Whitebeard were aware that Teach was Rocks' son. However, at Marineford, Whitebeard tells Blackbeard that he's not filling the shoes or prophecy of the person that Roger was waiting for.
So he knows or knew something about him, whether it was information gained there and then, or over time. But, yeah, if Whitebeard didn't know about Davy D. Jones, but knew about Joyboy, then who might Blackbeard be representing, or which prophecy is he wanting to fulfil? He wants to take over the World (capital W), but it doesn't seem that that was Joyboy's aim. Hmm. Maybe his mother or another survivor passed along mythos of Davy D. Jones. Lots of good meta out there, so I'll wait an see!
Saturn tries to kill these two (Blackbeard’s crew mates) immediately after their statement that the Blackbeard pirates are after the World. Catarina has also touched Saturn, so, given her powers, super interesting (especially as Saturn was killed by Imu, right? and replaced by Garling? Correct me if I'm wrong).
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Garp and Ace hold a conversation reminiscent of words Ace's father once shared with Garp.
In light of recent manga developments, I’m rebloggin this fic.
It’s not necessarily a happy fic, but the ending is open. Garp having a conversation with Ace similar to a conversation he had with his childhood friend (that’s the fanfiction bit!), Roger, many years before. I never noticed Garp’s open hand above before
From the frames above:
Garp: Why are you telling me this, Roger! I’m with the navy. We mean to hunt down anyone who was ever associated with you!
Roger: That’s exactly why I’m telling you this...
Chapters 1163 and 1164 Spoilers below the cut. I’ll probably remove the cut with the official release.
Eris and Teach got away, but not for want of possessed Rocks putting in his best effort to wipe them out:
It’s not an exact one to one, reason-wise, but Garp did witness a man and clan who were hunted down for their name by the head of the World Government, and I think he saw the injustice of it, and defied Imu in a way by (I’m assuming) finishing Rocks’ life at his own request and for mercy. I’m not a Garp-hater, by any means. He’s flawed, for sure, but that’s the beauty of the story. I’m also far from a marine-lover, so please don’t automatically equate one viewpoint with the other.
Puts a new perspective on Nico Olvia too, and possibly Yassop’s lack of contact with his son (however, how much Olvia might know is definitely up for debate. Rogers might have passed on some of the God Valley story to Shanks, and from Shanks to Yassop. Just conjecture, though). Not sure if Dragon knew that the Davy clan were being hunted down, but it would make sense in terms of contributing to not having Luffy with him (and also with Garp not keeping him close).
do the "Zzzzz..." above the treasure chest the pirate on the right is carrying indicate that he's unknowingly transporting Shanks to safety? Guessing this is Rogers' crew, cos Rayleigh and Shakky are adjacent (otherwise I'd think they were randoms, but the Zzzz... must be Shanks!)
What a save! I'll take Kuma as my goalie any day. Seriously, what a good dude through and through. Absolutely wild a simple whim is the only reason Blackbeard is even alive. I also love Baby Bear having the skill to make such a razor-thin save and get himself out of there.
Of course...there's the really fun parallel to him and a previous war in this story right? He's the saint the silly clown tried to present himself as. And I love that for him. But don't underestimate how much Buggy's antics ended up mattering in the grand scheme of things. Kuma was a saint on a level Buggy came nowhere near...but no one really knows about it the same way. Which one was called "the Tyrant" again?
And of course...kinda what just makes sense knowing what we know. The downside to these late-stage happenings. At this point, the only thing that made sense is Roger & Garp needing to team up to defeat a Rocks who was under the influence of Domi Reversi.
It's powerful, it's a cool panel, but well there just isn't much to say. Except this. In all this talk of how one could resist Domi Reversi...please consider the humble actress who could resist the similar effects of the Shadow Fruit. Which, more and more I'm thinking might have something to do with these fruits Rocks was looking for. Harald finally crept back in as well, I'm ready to see what happens as we start working our way back up through the layers.
