One Piece -- Discussion

[Soras Teva Gee]

I'm very curious as to what we SAW happen when Smily ate that bag of fruits. Good idea though.

Well saw Smiley eat a big candy while thrashing around then stop, a bag of fruits on the sled Caesars men ditched, one fruit turn into a devil fruit, and the Smiley turned into the Shinokuni gas.

With a bit of back reading I've gathered that Smiley started as the gas from way, Caesar then jellied and "fed" the axolotl Zoan fruit (ala Funkfreed etc) and his hole plan was to feed Smiley the big "candy" which would turn it into an upgraded gas he called Shinokuni.

Putting it together Smiley died by being turned into a new gas. Ergo the fruit he ate passed on to that apple.

Which is nominally still sitting out there.


@New Chapter:

You know I'm reasonably confident of a happy ending, but this arc could get really really grim really really easily y'know?

[LaZodiac]

Yes, it could get unbelievably grim. The fact that it COULD is why One Piece has such good writing. We know the heroes are going to win and we'll probably get our happy ending, but dear god Mocha whyyyyyy!

[Kato]

I have to be honest... I really don't feel any deep emotional connection to Mocha. Maybe if they gad shown the flashback EARLIER and got us to know her better before she kind of sacrificed herself... but like this it feels rather forced to me. (I could go back to how I felt the same about Ace but... let's not.)

I don't know how it will turn out... but we know the death rate in OP so I guess she'll be okay... We'll have to see.

I liked the first page with Zoro and Tashigi, though.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Yeah but you can understand why these events would be a major grim turn for this manga.

[Kato]

Of course I can. But I just feel Oda could have done a much better job making me like Mocha so it would have more of an impact. But if it works so well for you guys I guess I'm the one that's off.

[DiscipleofBob]

Of course I can. But I just feel Oda could have done a much better job making me like Mocha so it would have more of an impact. But if it works so well for you guys I guess I'm the one that's off.

Well, look at the alternative.

He could've done a multiple issue flashback arc about Mocha.

[Silva Stormrage]

Well, look at the alternative.

He could've done a multiple issue flashback arc about Mocha.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

But ya I honestly felt somewhat sympathetic about Mocha. She more of symbolized what has happened to the children for me. I rather liked this chapter and look forward to the Luffy vs Ceaser fight

[Soras Teva Gee]

Ehh I'm digging Caesar less then Hody personally, Hody had some reasons (bad ones but there) Caesar just seems like running up jerk points just for their own sake.

Though doesn't help we already know he's basically a puppet of Doflamingo and I'm not sure we have anything major left to do with this arc other then beating up the bad guys and moving on.

I keep trying to decide if this arc is launching a major saga or not. There's two set up for right now, Big Mom and Joker respectively, but I can't decide what's going to end up on the back burner for awhile.

[lord_khaine]

I keep trying to decide if this arc is launching a major saga or not. There's two set up for right now, Big Mom and Joker respectively, but I can't decide what's going to end up on the back burner for awhile.
Today 03:20 PM

We might get an entire new thing

It wouldnt be unlike Oda to devote an arc or to, just to show the scale of the new world, and the challenges that is to come.

[Suichimo]

Ehh I'm digging Caesar less then Hody personally, Hody had some reasons (bad ones but there) Caesar just seems like running up jerk points just for their own sake.

Though doesn't help we already know he's basically a puppet of Doflamingo and I'm not sure we have anything major left to do with this arc other then beating up the bad guys and moving on.

I keep trying to decide if this arc is launching a major saga or not. There's two set up for right now, Big Mom and Joker respectively, but I can't decide what's going to end up on the back burner for awhile.

Sadly, Fishman Island and Punk Hazard have both been extremely lack luster for me. Fishman Island was literally just a place for the Straw Hats to show off their new powers and for Luffy to challenge Big Mam. Hody, and none of the New Fishman Pirates, were a threat to Luffy or any of the others. Hell, its been a while but IIRC, Luffy basically one shot Hody with Red Hawk.

The only good thing about Punk Hazard, so far, has been Law and Smoker's return. Caesar is working out to be a lot like Hody, capability wise. The only reason he was able to do anything to Luffy so far was because he took him by surprise. The only real threat is Shinokuni.

It just feels like Oda doesn't know how to challenge the Straw Hats at the moment. Hell, Zoro beat a Logia without using Haki or her weakness.

[Kato]

I'll have to agree that neither Fishman island or Punk Hazard are working well for me.
Though I get the feeling most people agree that FI was just to show how powerful the Strawhats became and possibly to do SOMETHING with Jinbei Punk Hazard hat a lot of potential but.. it just won't work for me. Not so much because there is so little threat, it's just... I can't put my finger on it. I just fail to be able to really get into what's going on. Did Oda really lose his skill and we need to sit through this for the whole second half? I hope not.

[Silva Stormrage]

I'll have to agree that neither Fishman island or Punk Hazard are working well for me.
Though I get the feeling most people agree that FI was just to show how powerful the Strawhats became and possibly to do SOMETHING with Jinbei Punk Hazard hat a lot of potential but.. it just won't work for me. Not so much because there is so little threat, it's just... I can't put my finger on it. I just fail to be able to really get into what's going on. Did Oda really lose his skill and we need to sit through this for the whole second half? I hope not.

I actually don't mind Punk Hazard. Mainly because I love Law and Smoker and I find the interactions quite interesting. Also I think Caesar's lack of power potential is fine. He is not a brute force villain he is a mastermind (A bit a somewhat bad one). I feel like the main threat from this arc doesn't come from Ceaser but from Smiley and Donflamingo watching the events.

I will agree with you that Fisherman's Island arc was not well done.

[Soras Teva Gee]

It just feels like Oda doesn't know how to challenge the Straw Hats at the moment. Hell, Zoro beat a Logia without using Haki or her weakness.

Actually I don't have a problem with this per say. I think the lack of directly comparably skilled threats is a deliberate choice, and entirely appropriate. The Straw Hats are supposed to be world shaking, while obviously nothing to rest too easy on there really shouldn't be a lot of people able to pose a serious direct challenge to them anymore.

So if the boss is of the moment isn't a Yonkou, Shichibukai, or Supernova I've no real problem with the Straw Hats having the advantage. For now at least. Heck I think we keep seeing Logia users to make clear that even they are no longer more then moderately threatening. However they will need something to tie the island hopping together more now I think

What Fishman Island I felt did better was pose some more complex challenges where the dramatic goal was not just to beat the badguys. And helped by an interesting supporting cast.

Something I don't think Punk Hazard has done as well. The stakes are if you will just survival and without quite the scope. I will give that the villains are more threatening because they don't need to take super-pills.

[LaZodiac]

Whatever Punk Hazard lacks, it makes up for it with having a really amusing villian. Ceaser Clown is, at the very least, hilarious. He's so transparently evil. Fitting, since he's made of gass.

[Soras Teva Gee]

I don't find him that amusing but I can see others doing so.

Definitely evil, someone I could watch getting a Rasputintian treatment and not feel the slightest sympathy for. So it will be good to see Luffy kick his ass from Redline to Raftel.

[Susano-wo]

Gotta say I have no problem with these arcs, though I am feeling a little epic battle Blue Balls'ed

I think there's a lot more to OP than just Shounen Fighting Manga stuff, and these two arc bring that out. (it also shows that Oda knows how to make things difficult without making it a power level size contest)

[Kato]

I think there's a lot more to OP than just Shounen Fighting Manga stuff, and these two arc bring that out. (it also shows that Oda knows how to make things difficult without making it a power level size contest)

Of course OP is about more than just Shounen Fighting but really, the big point in Fishman Island was racism. And... I just didn't feel Oda did a good job with that. Maybe I'm just oversaturated with racism stories but this one fell totally flat. And apart from that... Yes, the support cast was good and I guess the fight when it finally happened was decent but the build up was way too long and for the most part boring.

Punk Hazard... I don't know. I can't get myself to hate Cesar because he is too much of the clichee evil scientist. Yes, he has a proper, simple motivation, to proof he is smarter than Vegapunk and that's okay but everything else... Law and Smoker are pretty much the only good things in this arc. Our samurai is neither great or terrible but it just feels weaker than old arcs. Ah, well, you can't please everyone.

[ThiagoMartell]

I'm loving Punk Hazard. Caesar feels like the most evil villain in OP to me. He makes Crocodile look tame! I love how Oda is making the Strawhats actually feel stronger. We hardly ever get that in shounen manga, since the world scales with the heroes and all.

[Kato]

I'm loving Punk Hazard. Caesar feels like the most evil villain in OP to me. He makes Crocodile look tame!

An evil villain does not make an interesting villain. Also I would argue whether he or Hodi are worse. Hodi long term wanted to commit genocide against humans, Caesar turns people into guinea pigs... It's both pretty damn evil.
I just felt much more for people like Lucci who started to make you like him or Kuro or even Enel who was just such a prick. Somehow Caesar doesn't work for me.


Anyway, new chapter and so on.

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Kind of like the last one... but we got to know Brownbeard more than Mocha before. But two chapters that at least to me felt a lot like the same story twice are just not that entertaining to me... Yeah, Caesar is evil, we got it.

Then again Luffy doesn't giving a **** about who protects Caesar was kind of badass.

[Dscherro]

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The scene of Brownbeard gettings shot by his crew was really tragic, but I couldn't help but laugh at Caesar's trollface.
It doesn't help that his trademark laughter includes "lol".

[ThiagoMartell]

An evil villain does not make an interesting villain.

Opinions, opinions. Let's just agree to disagree. I like Caesar, you don't. Fine.

[LordRahl6]

Oda put some BIG complications for the future with Doflimgo and an unrevealed member of the Four Emperors bankrolling Caesar. I have bad feeling that the Craziness meter is about to jump up several notches.

[ThiagoMartell]

New chapter. Extremely cool!

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So Luffy is beating the crap out of Caesar, Law curbstomped Vergo...
Was it implied that Law lost to Vergo back then on purpose or is this just me being crazy?

[Kato]

Opinions, opinions. Let's just agree to disagree. I like Caesar, you don't. Fine.

By all means, I'm perfectly fine with that.

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Well... not really much to say about the new chapter. It was kind of anticlimatic and Law's declaration of war against Doflamingo... ah, it's One Piece, I really shouldn't think too much about it.

I guess we'll learn what Laws plan is exactly one of these days.

[DiscipleofBob]

New chapter. Extremely cool!

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So Luffy is beating the crap out of Caesar, Law curbstomped Vergo...
Was it implied that Law lost to Vergo back then on purpose or is this just me being crazy?

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The implication is that Law lost legitimately, but since then he's grown in power enough to take down even Vergo.

Never underestimate the power boost of a timeskip.

[lord_khaine]

So Luffy is beating the crap out of Caesar, Law curbstomped Vergo...
Was it implied that Law lost to Vergo back then on purpose or is this just me being crazy?

I think that was mostly due to Vergo holding Law's heart last time they fought, after Smoker retrieved it there wasnt anything left to hold him back.

And i belive what was implied is that Vergo might have been stronger than Law before the timeskip.

[ThiagoMartell]

I think that was mostly due to Vergo holding Law's heart last time they fought, after Smoker retrieved it there wasnt anything left to hold him back.

I'm fairly sure Law and Vergo fought offpanel during the timeskip and that was what they were talking about.

[Kato]

I'm fairly sure Law and Vergo fought offpanel during the timeskip and that was what they were talking about.

Yeah. At least they are not referring to just now and I can't recall ever seeing Vergo before. So some fight before/during the timeskip.

[LordRahl6]

I got the impression the Vergo versus Law matchup was off panel during the Whitebeard/ Paramount War. Also I was always feeling that the endgame fight at presumably Raftel was going to be BIGGER than the Whitebeard/Paramount War. However now, if we even only believe half of what Oda is telegraphing will occur the entire New World Saga will make that event look like a prelude to the main event.

[Kato]

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Well, nothing too exciting happening... I'm not sure if it is sad or amusing how stupid and gullible those pirates are... But Usopp was good and I'm still surprised Zoro has the mental strength not to cup a feel or something carrying Tashigi around the whole time

But apart from that... not much of a surprise... Luffy is going to kick Cesaer's non-existent behind with or without killer gas power-up.