So, fun fact about this part of One Piece: when we got to this point in the manga, I remember thinking “Maybe the Straw Hats have got this. I mean, they’ve all gotten crazy strong since Wano. Maybe they can handle themselves as a group against one of the God’s Knights. At least Jinbei could!” I was A FOOL. A COMPLETE AND UTTER FOOL! If there was ever any doubt that the God’s Knights are monsters, Gunko just shut that up for good. They are FREAKING TERRIFYING!
The Straw Hats just got clapped
I normally spend the majority of these reviews diving into the details about what happened in the episode. However, I think that I can summarize everything that happened with this simple description: a case study in the art of butt-whooping. Because that is basically what we spend the entire episode witnessing. With some of the best animation of the entire season, I might add.
I still remember the sheer shock I felt when I read these parts of the manga when they came out. I knew that the God’s Knights were strong, but seeing what Gunko managed to do to Nami, Usopp, Brook, and Sanji? It was straight-up demonic. They threw their best attacks at her, and she basically no-selled every last one of them.
Nami and Zeus’ combo attack? She almost fried Nami with it! Brook and Jinbei’s attacks? She uno-reversed them!
And the scariest one had to be how she tanked that attack from Usopp. She got her upper half blown off, and she just regenerated from it like she was Cell or Majin Buu!
There is a war coming
Now, I had already known at this point that Imu had granted his most elite servants some kind of immortality. If you saw the Egghead Island Arc, then you would know that. However, seeing it up close and personal like this is genuinely terrifying. I can’t even call the God’s Knights human. They’re demons, plain and simple! Why else would they be kidnapping children to force the grown-ups to fight for them.
If you’ve been up to date on One Piece lately, then you should already know that what Gunko was saying was true. There is a war coming on the horizon. According to the rumors, Oda plans on making a war so massive that it makes what happened at Marineford look like child’s play. Considering how that was the big war arc of the series until recently, that is terrifying! And I had already known that the Giants would be a tipping point in the whole thing. Hence why Imu is hellbent on making them kneel.
What else is there for me to say about this episode, save for the fact that the animation is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I had imagined what these fight sequences might have looked like in my head, but to see them play out like this is just amazing! I love it! Even if the majority of this episode is about the heroes getting pounded into the ground by the God’s Knights.
There’s no getting around the fact that Elbaph is facing its greatest crisis ever. If the God’s Knights are not stopped, the Giants of Elbaph will be forced to become slaves to Imu. And I’ve seen enough Shonen anime to know that the only way that they can be stopped is if the main character pulls up. Sadly, that is not something that is going to happen anytime soon. Trust me; I’ve read the manga. I suggest you guys get used to things being bad for a while, you guys! But don’t you worry. That’s only going to make it even cooler when the Straw Hats counterattack.
I Give “The Threat of the Arrow-Arrow Fruit – Gunko vs. the Straw Hats” a 5/5
So, where are we with everything on Elbaph? There’s an entire branch of the great tree on fire. A bunch of sleepwalking kids are being led right into it and will burn to death. There’s an army of dream monsters wreaking havoc and keeping most of the grown-ups busy. Yeah, I can safely say that we are in the part of the Elbaph arc where things are going to get worse before they get better. But at least we don’t have to see a bunch of kids burn, thanks to Jinbei. And we just got our first set up for what is going to be one of the GOAT characters in One Piece.
Jinbei saves the day
Instead of talking about the episode in order, I’m going to focus on the second half first, and then go to the first half so I can talk about what’s happening there. The second half of the episode is focused on the threat of that massive fire that’s threatening to kill the Giant kids: it’s too big! The fire brigade has managed to make it to the flames, but it’s glaringly obvious that what they have isn’t going to be enough to stop the flames. And the tension as we see the kids inching towards the fire is sickening. Death by fire is said to be one of the most painful ways to die, and these are just kids! And that monster Sommers is watching the entire thing like he’s getting off from it! It’s horrifying!
But thankfully, Jinbei, our GOAT, comes in clutch to save the day.
This is why I consider Jinbei to be one of the strongest of the Straw Hats. I have lost count of how many times I’ve seen him save Luffy and the others over the years, and that includes emotionally! The man is just amazing!
Too bad that the arc dictates that things are only going to get worse from here. Gunko shows up.
But what I really want to talk about is the first half, as Luffy and the others are helping Loki heal up. Well, everyone else is. Luffy…just makes things worse.
LUFFY HANDING OVER SOME MEAT TO LOKI AND PUTTING ON HIS FACE WAS SO FUNNY😭😭😭
Now, Hajrudin and his crew don’t like Loki, and the feeling is mutual, but despite his namesake, he wasn’t lying about Shanks. I think he really does have an idea where Luffy’s mentor and hero might be. Plus, he wouldn’t lie about something like that, for he knows what it’s like to have a pirate they look up to. The only difference is that Loki’s role model was a scumbag. Awesome, but still a scumbag.
Rocks. D Xebec. In a series that is filled with GOATS, that man is a serious contender for the GOAT of GOATS. Manga readers already know this, but this long-dead pirate has become the subject of so many memes. Some people are even saying that he’s even greater than Gol D. Roger, the man who became the King of the Pirates. Now, we didn’t know it at the time of the manga, but this one scene was setting us up for one of the greatest flashbacks in the entire series. A flashback so great, we got a flashback in the flashback about Rocks specifically, all leading up to one of the most defining moments in the series’ lore: the God Valley Incident.
And get this: it’s going to be made into a movie.
Next year, when the anime comes back and we will presumably head into the flashback part of the arc, they are turning the big event, the God Valley Incident, into a movie! They reached something so amazing that Toei decided to do what Demon Slayer did for Infinity Castle. How epic is that?! Having read the manga myself, I can confidently say that this was the correct decision. It’s too big an event to be confined to the span of a few episodes!
I Give “Elbaph in Flames! Jinbe’s Shoulder Throw Explodes!” a 4/5
And so it begins. The chaos that I have spent the past year or so becoming intimately familiar with in the land of Elbaph. I hope that you guys had your fill of the quieter moments of the Elbaph Arc, and yes, I know how that sounds. In the short time since the Straw Hats came to Elbaph, they’ve escaped a giant, traversed the Underworld, reunited with old friends, AND fought a living legend of a pirate. But that was just a warm-up. From here on out, Elbaph is at war, and the God’s Knights are delivering the opening salvoes.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: if the big bad Imu (the monster running the World Government) wanted to conquer Elbaph, why would he only send three people? Shouldn’t he send his strongest fighters to make the giants submit? Plus, there’s no way that the God’s Knights could be so strong as to be able to conquer the strongest country in the world. I think that even I was a little skeptical about the feasibility of this at first. But as Oda soon proved to us, this was wrong. Terrifyingly, nightmarishly wrong. In fact, these three MONSTERS are probably the strongest enemies the Straw Hat pirates have faced to date!
The God’s Knights Strike
The episode opens on a very ominous note at the Walrus School. We see the kids enjoying recess, playing and having fun, doing normal kids’ stuff. It’s what every parent wants to see their kids doing. But the red flags are already there. The shots of Gunko, Qillingham, and Sommers walking towards the school was giving me goosebumps in the worst way possible. In fact, part of me even thought, “Did Toei set this scene up to feel like the prelude to an attack on a school on purpose?“It sounds paranoid, but considering how many schools in America have been victims of violent acts in my lifetime alone, I think the fear is justified.
The first attack comes in the form of a GIANT SERPENT. The students are sent running for their lives as the teachers do what teachers are supposed to do in a crisis: kick ass and protect their students.
It helps that Saul is an ex-Vice Admiral. And the Principal is a retired member of the Giant Pirates. Both of those titles makes them strong by default, and they deal with the serpent. But there’s still the question as to how it showed up. And why it looks like something that was drawn by a kid.
This Arc is shaping up to be one of the top ones even Side characters are popping off! SAULLLL One Piece Episode 1172! pic.twitter.com/lwBcTwW023
But that’s not the worst of it. That serpent was just a distraction. While everyone was panicking, the God’s Knights snuck in and put a bunch of kids from Colon’s class to sleep, before leading them away from the school Pied-Piper style. With Gunko’s arrows guiding them, they’re sleepwalking straight for the beach, where they will board a ship to take them to Mariejois as hostages. And when the adults try to stop them, they collapse to the ground in pain from touching something invisible.
Oh, and to matters worse, more monsters show up. And they all look like something a kid would draw because they were, in fact, drawn by kids. It was a class activity where the kids had to draw what they were afraid of the most.
I don’t want to wait for the anime to explain it, so I’m just going to spoil it: this is all the doing of the God’s Knights. Specifically, their Devil Fruits. We already know that Gunko can create things out of arrows, but then we have the other two. Sommers can create vines covered in thorns, while Qillingham, besides turning into a mythical beast called a Kirin, can put people to sleep AND manifest anything from their dreams. The former is ensuring that none of the adults can save the kids, while the latter is using their nightmares to create an army of monsters to rampage across Elbaph.
Esta cena absolutamente incrível do episódio #1172 de One Piece, foi animada por ‘Creature’ um animador que acaba de estrear no time! É realmente muito acima da média! ✨⭐️ pic.twitter.com/Wt2CninLM7
Okay, three things. Firstly, a part of me has to respect the bad guy’s plan for how foolproof they’ve made it. The God’s Knights summoned an army of monsters (who are incredibly well-animated, I might add) to keep all the grown-ups busy. And they made sure that even if the adults try to free the kids, they will get badly hurt in the process. It’s a pretty well-thought-out plan, and I gotta respect that. Secondly, though, it is also pure evil. To this day, Sommers ranks at the top five list of One Piece villains I wanna see get fed their own teeth. Because as you will come to learn, he is a sick, depraved sadist. The man is laughing at the despair he wants to put those parents through like he’s the Joker!
And three, and I need you to pay attention to this one: the Straw Hats have a no-tolerance policy for child abuse. Hurting kids in their vicinity is basically signing your own death warrant, because they will show you no mercy. And when they find out about what’s going on, they are going to drop everything and fight. But the scary thing is that they may not be able to do much with who they have right now. They need the Monster Trio if they wanna win this, and they’ve got their own problems. Or so they think.
Yeah, I’m Calling Loki’s Bluff on this
So, Loki is free, as you might recall. However, Luffy and Zoro aren’t complete idiots, so they made sure to keep one of the cuffs made out of sea stone (it suppresses Devil Fruit powers) attached to his leg. So he can’t use his powers. But Devil Fruit or not, he’s still terrifying. Even though he’s sporting some serious injuries from Shamrock and Gunko, he’s still aura farming. And then he grabs that GIGANTIC HAMMER he calls Ragnir, and threatens to use it to set fire to the giant tree that makes up Elbaph. He’s willing to burn his own country to the ground to get his point across!
I know that this makes Loki seem like an irrefutable villain, but if you’ve read the manga, trust me, this is nothing. Plus, he’s bluffing. Regardless of how much trouble he’s caused for his country, Loki does care about Elbaph. Plus, he hates the Celestial Dragons more than anything in existence. He’s not going to let them run roughshod over his home.
Well, I hope you guys are happy now. The chaos has begun and it’s not going to stop! WE WILL CRUSH THE KNIGHTS FOR THEIR CRIMES!!
I Give “Monsters Appear in Elbaph – ‘What I Fear Most'” a 4/5
So, we all knew that Loki was going to be let out eventually, right? Even if Luffy would’ve chosen not to do it, the story demanded that this would happen. What with the arrival of the God’s Knights on Elbaph with their evil plan to conquer it? The Straw Hats are gonna need that kind of firepower on their side! And I’m pretty sure that when this all went down in the manga, I was thinking that, despite what his name is, I think his hate-on for the World Government is genuine. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First Luffy and Zoro have to decide whether or not to trust Loki.
Full disclosure: they don’t, so they’re smart about this.
Nothing to see here!
So, while Luffy and Zoro head back down to the Underworld, Nami has Road take her and the injured guards back to the party. The plan is to make sure that no one gets too suspicous and doesn’t try and stop whatever the pair are going to do…I think. Honestly, I don’t think Nami cares that much. She’s upset that she couldn’t get any loot in the castle. Plus, she knows Luffy and Zoro are big boys who can clean up their own messes.
She does manage to come back in time to see Usopp completely wasted, and it’s pretty funny. He has the right to get wasted, though. Seeing Elbaph has been his dream for years now!
Sadly, while Nami can keep a secret, her newfound servant is a complete and utter pushover.
DANG IT, ROAD!
Road takes the Castle Guards to Gerd, since she’s a medic and can treat their injuries. But she is smart enough to know that what happened to them is sus as they come. Road tries to lie to her about what’s going on because he doesn’t want that kind of heat on him…but it doesn’t work. His poker face is terrible and Gerd isn’t stupid! He caves super quick.
And that leads to Hajrudin panicking and bringing his crew to the Underworld to keep Luffy from…well, being Luffy. But they stupidly forgot their ships don’t work without clouds, so they almost fall to their deaths. If Luffy hadn’t been there to save them, then everyone except for Gerd would’ve died. Why Gerd? Because Sanji came along and he probably would’ve done something.
By this point in time, Luffy and Zoro had already made it back to Loki, and they were appalled to see what had happened while they were away. Zoro’s horrible bedside manners confirm that he’s still breathing, but when Luffy goes to use the key, he almost passes out. That’s what happens when he touches sea prism stone, though. As for Zoro, he’s more skeptical and doesn’t want to free the Giant since he knows what would happen if he went on a rampage.
Zoro may not be that smart, and he’s got a horrible sense of direction, but at least he’s got a good sense for things like this. So they compromise by keeping the leg cuffs on so he can’t use his Devil Fruit powers. And that’s when Harjudin and the others show up and almost die.
And then, Loki gets up. And holy cow, was it amazing, you guys! The animation was top-notch for this one moment as we get to see just how big Loki really is. He’s massive. Like the size of the Colossal Titan! That’s terrifying!
Look, guys. Loki just got his butt kicked by Shamrock and Gunko. He’s in a lot of pain and losing a lot of blood. There’s no way that he can fight at his full power right now. Plus, he’s got bigger fish to fry. The God’s Knights are here.
I don’t remember if the scene of them approaching the Walrus School was in the manga or not, but…I was scared. I was scared because I knew what was about to happen to those kids, and how the adults were not going to be able to stop it. That’s got to be terrifying if you’re a parent!
So, it’s about to begin.
I Give “The Heinous Sinner – Loki of the Underworld Freed?!” a 3/5
I have been reading and watching One Piece for many years now, and I have come to notice a formula to the way that Oda writes the story. Whenever the Straw Hats make it to some new island, things will start out pretty low-stakes as they explore the place and get a feel for things. Eventually, though, the big bad of the arc will make themselves known, and then everything hits the fan. We are now at that point in the arc where things are about to start hitting the fan, and trust me when I say this, they are going to need Loki. But first, Luffy has to win the key from Scopper Gaban, ex-member of the Roger Pirates.
If you’ve followed One Piece at least as far back as Sabaody, then you know that the hype behind the crew of the Pirate is well-deserved. Rayleigh was able to go toe-to-toe with a Navy Admiral despite being well into his 70s, and he was able to scare off Blackbeard not that long ago. Needless to say, most of the crew can be counted as some of the strongest in the world by default. And that’s why seeing Luffy fight Gaban was so hyped when the manga came out. If Luffy could hold his own against one of Roger’s two hands, then we would know just how strong he has gotten. And the anime knew this.
I know that there were fights while trying to escape Road’s brick model, but truthfully, this was the first real fight of the Elbaph arc. The anime knew this, because it went all out on showing just how wild this fight was. Luffy was bouncing around the place like crazy, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t play a finger on Gaban. The man held him off using the very key they came to get as a weapon. Regardless, though, the fight was very well animated, and it more than lived up to the hype. And that moment when Zoro decided to jump in, and Luffy went into Gear Five? It was incredible. The strongest of the Straw Hats were getting ready to double-team a legend in what we thought would be a legendary duel, and if it had continued, I do think they would’ve won. But, nope! Gaban drops his axes and surrenders!
To be honest, I already knew that the two won when Gaban tried shoving the key into Luffy’s mouth in a goofy fashion. He did say he wanted them to get their hands on the key, and they did. From the way I saw things, Gaban was only doing this to test them and see if they were on the level that Shanks said. Because if they let Loki out, they would have to be prepared to fight him, and if they lost, they would lose the trust of the Giants. But more importantly, though, Gaban did it because he knew that Elbaph was about to be in danger. The greatest threat it has probably ever faced, if you ask me.
EVIL! EVIL! EVILEVILEVILEVILEVIL!
Meanwhile, as the children at the Walrus School are playing, Gunko and Shamrock are about to make their move. Their goal is to conquer and enslave Elbaph so their master can use the Giants in the coming war for the fate of the world. And so they summon reinforcements to help them in the form of two more God’s Knights, Sommers and Qillingham.
Don’t be fooled by their goofy introductions, you guys. I have had years to get to know these two as individuals, and trust me when I say this: they are monsters. Not just monsters as in they’re monstrously strong, but monsters as in sick, twisted, and sadistic demons! The two of them and Gunko are going to be enough to cause a catastrophe the likes of which Elbaph hasn’t seen in years. They are absolute menaces to society, and at this point in the manga, I am genuinely hoping that the Straw Hats send them home in body bags.
Don’t believe me? Their game plan to conquer Elbaph is to capture the kids and take them back to Mariejois as hostages. It takes a special kind of evil to go after kids!
I hope that you guys got your fill of the low-key stakes, because that is about over. From here on out, things are going to get progressively crazier as the Straw Hats face their biggest battle yet! And I can’t wait to see it animated!
I Give “Get the Key! Luffy vs. Scopper Gaban” a 4/5
This is it. Of all the episodes of One Piece that I’ve been looking forward to all year, this is probably one of my top three. The chapter that this episode is adapting was one of the biggest and most talked-about in the entire series. Given how the series has been ongoing for almost three decades and 1100 chapters and counting, that’s saying something. However, I can attest to the fact that the two big events of that chapter left the fandom foaming at the mouth. Not only did it confirm a long-standing theory that apparently existed, but it dropped some of the biggest lore in the entire franchise!
Shanks Has an Evil Twin
I don’t know who first came up with it or when, but there was this theory going around about Red-Haired Shanks, the pirate who inspired Luffy to become one himself. It all stems back to this one scene at the Reverie, the summit where world leaders meet to discuss important matters. We saw what looked like Shanks meeting with the Five Elders of the World Government. Since Shanks is a pirate, that should be impossible. I guess someone thought that this means that Shanks might be a Celestial Dragon by birth. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but then this guy from the God’s Knights showed up on Elbaph looking like Shanks with longer hair. And all of a sudden, fans were saying that this mystery guy was Shanks’ evil twin brother! And you know what? They were right! As Shamrock and Gunko finish beating the tar out of Loki, the former reveals that Shanks is his younger twin brother!
Oda pretty much dropped a live bomb in the room with this reveal, and I remember the tweets and Reddit posts and discord servers going crazy over it. Suddenly, people were asking all kinds of questions about Shanks’ backstory, and it revealed just how little we actually knew about him. The most we knew was that Gol D. Roger and the Roger Pirates found him in a treasure chest after this big adventure and adopted him. How could a baby Celestial Dragon end up like that?
Well, regardless, fans were glad that this ended up happening, because it was the best thing that could happen to Shanks. Being raised by the Roger Pirates saved Shanks from becoming as cruel and sadistic as the majority of the Celestial Dragons, who are among the most toxic groups of people I have ever seen in fiction.
Luffy is defending Shanks but can't pronounce Bell-mère correctly 😭
Speaking of Shanks, when Luffy is talking with those Giant guards and they say Shanks jumped him, Luffy adamantly refuses to believe it. They argue that it looked exactly like Shanks, but in a rare show of intelligence, Luffy is able to point out several flaws in their logic. Firstly, Shanks is chill, while Shamrock is arrogant and a jerk. Secondly, Shanks would never become violent unless he had to. And when the evil twin theory is mentioned, Luffy remembers how Shanks never mentioned his biological family. As far as he knew, the Roger Pirates were his family…except for Buggy. Loved the shade thrown at Buggy.
Good on Luffy for not being fooled by this. He’s always been a good judge of character, and if he says someone is good, then we should take his word for it.
All of that, though, takes a backseat in comparison to the part that set the entire fandom ablaze: the Harley Mural.
They Will Meet again
As Franky and Ripley are exploring the massive tree that covers the island, they come across a mural that’s believed to have been painted during the Void Century. This gets juxtaposed with Robin, Chopper, and Saul back at the Owl Library as they read this ancient book called the Harley that tells the story of the Sun God, Nika. We hear Robin begin reading the story aloud as we join Franky looking at the mural, and the anime went above and beyond for this. In the manga, everything was summarized in a single panel over a look at the Mural, but the anime has the whole thing revealed bit by bit as Robin reads the story, which I will now show to you.
In the days and weeks after this chapter, there so many video essays about this story that I found online. The most die-hard fans of the franchise poured everything into deciphering the meaning behind the story, and I will be including one of the most prominent at the end of this post. In a nutshell, though, it’s saying that the world has been destroyed twice in the past. Someone tried to stop it from happening, first in the form of the Sun God, Nika, and then in the form of Joy Boy, but for whatever reason, they failed, and the world became what it is today. The last part is a prophecy, though, saying that this time, the Sun God will bring about a new world, one that is better than the current one. In other words, Luffy might be the guy who will end up saving the world.
Pirate. Jesus.
To casual fans, this all might sound confusing, but to those who have stuck with One Piece for the long haul, this was big. One of the big draws of the story is the amount of worldbuilding put into it, with the mysteries about the past being something that fans have wanted to know more about for decades. It’s gotten to the point that when given the opportunity to learn the truth early, fans will refuse. So, this was a big moment for us.
And we’re going to get even more big moments soon. According to rumors, the second batch of this year’s episodes will drop in July. Which means that I’m going to have multiple shows to go over this summer! Tough, but worth it!
I Give “Ancient History – The Harley Passed Down by Elbaph” a 5/5
You know who I hate in One Piece the most? The Celestial Dragons. We have seen a lot of jerks in the franchise, but aside from a handful of people who I can count on one hand, they are the biggest d-heads you will ever see! Oda does such a fantastic job of having them embody the snobbish, racist, hedonistic elitism that represents the worst of humanity, it’s almost scary. The good news is that the majority of them are so weak that you could take them out with your bare hands, and I’m pretty sure many of us fans have wanted to do that. The bad news? There is a small minority of them that are some of the toughest fighters in the entire series, the God’s Knights, and if you’ve been keeping up with the manga, you’ll know just much of a pain they are. And now, two of them are on Elbaph, meaning that the entire country is in danger. If you don’t believe me, wait until you see what one of them does in this episode.
Party Time!
By this point, the banquet for the Straw Hats is in full swing, and everyone is going around having a good time. The Straw Hats are marveling the Giants with tales of their grand exploits, enjoying the food and company, and just doing what they do. Because if there’s anyone who know how to have a good party in anime, it’s the Straw Hat Pirates.
Gerd even decided to let Rodo out as long as he apologized and swore never to do what he did again. Not that he could have actually hurt them. Zoro even remarks that the only reason Rodo still has his head is that Usopp wanted them to not hurt him. And Gerd says that they’re free to take it!!
The funniest part? Rodo is into it. He likes this sadistic side of Gerd! I think even Sanji would have some more self-respect than this!
As funny (in a pathetic sort of way) as this is, though, it’s meant to segue into an important topic: Nika the Sun God, AKA the being who Luffy became the latest incarnation of the day he ate that Devil Fruit. Much like myths and religions in real life, the story of Nika has been muddled and reinterpreted differenly over the centuries. Some of the Giants think he was this god of fun and laughter meant to save the world, while others see him as a warrior meant to conquer and dominate. And as is the case when people are passionate about something, they argue and fight about it. It’s what people do.
At this point, longtime One Piece fans had come to recognize that Nika is tied up with the overarching mystery of the series: what is the One Piece? The fact that so many people see him differently only further strengthens just how important he is to the history of the world, and thus emphasizes Luffy’s role in what will come. Not that Luffy cares about being worshipped as a god, though, and thenk goodness for that. Imagine if someone bad had Luffy’s powers and let it go to their head? Someone like…Loki.
Everyone Hates Loki
As soon as Luffy drops Loki’s name, almost everyone present gives their opinion about him: he sucks. They proceed to list off all of the horrible things that he either did or have happened since he was born, and the result is impressive
Now, I’ve read the manga, so I can’t say too much about what’s true and what isn’t without spoilers. What I will say is that I remember fans debating like crazy when this came out in the manga about whether Loki was evil, a bad boy, or just misunderstood. And Oda only made it even more confusing when Luffy decides to sneak away from the party to find the keys to let Loki free.
Luffy might be an idiot, but he’s also proven to be a great judge of character, which is what makes what he’s doing so controversial in our eyes. Is Luffy being blinded by his desire to see Shanks and making a mistake? Honestly, I didn’t know at the time. But I wasn’t that worried, since if Loki did anything, Luffy would kick his ass. Plus, he did have Zoro tagging along to help judge him, and he can be pretty perceptive. Even better, Nami is coming (with Rodo as her new servant). Partly because she knows the two will get lost, and because she wants to rob the castle.
Little do they know, they’re stumbling into their next big conflict. The God’s Knights are on the move.
Loki HATES the Celestial Dragons
By this point, the Knights have made it to the Underworld in search of Loki, because they want to make him an offer. If he agrees to join their ranks, they’ll set him free. They want that kind of destructive power that he’s got. However, there’s just one problem: Loki hates, hates, HATES the Celestial Dragons!
I can’t get into all the details right now, but Loki hates the Celestial Dragons with every fiber of his being. If I were to compare it to someone else, he hates them on the same level as Kratos hated the Greek Gods in the original God of War games. So he tells them to take their offer and shove it, promoting one of them, Gunko, to start getting aggressive. She uses her Devil Fruit powers to attack one of the wolves that Loki befriended and threatens to kill him if he doesn’t reconsider. His response? “So be it! I will just add it to the list of grievances I have against the Celestial Dragons for when I destroy the world!”
I love just how cold and ruthless this makes Loki seem, to be honest. Just when we think he might not be as bad as we thought, he does this. In his defense, though, Gunko would’ve killed the wolf anyway just to be petty. Therefore, no deal.
There are only two episodes left in this first cours of the season, and I know it’s been slow. But this is just the opening act to something amazing. Trust me, things are about to get way more interesting! And you won’t believe the uproar that the next part of the story caused in the fandom when the manga came out.
I Give “Encountering Loki – Gunko of the Knights of God” a 3/5
Okay, so by now, I think it’s pretty clear that this first part of the new season of One Piece is not going to be heavy on the action. Honestly, I should have warned anime-only watchers about this beforehand. However, I can assure you that when the anime comes back later this year, it’s going to get crazy. Besides, once the chaos starts, you are going to miss the calmer moments. Well, a given level of calm, since we’re talking about the Straw Hat Pirates. Plus, it’s time for the party that we’ve promised for the last few episodes, so there’s that!
These Kids are So lame!
After the happy reunion with Saul, Robin took Chopper, Lillith, and Bonney (the smart ones, basically) to see the Owl Library, where the Giants keep all the books from Elbaph. And as someone who spent most of his childhood reading a a crazy amount of books (I had to entertain myself at school), that place gets me. It’s filled with so much ancient knowledge and wisdom! And even if I can’t understand any of it, I know that it would be like a dream for the lore-obsessed portion of the fandom. I love it!
Luffy, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly endear himself to the kids at the Walrus School. Then again, I doubt most people would appreciate him turning a swingset into one of those pendulum rides you see at amusement parks!
Luffy and Usopp tease the Titan children, and Nami hits them as usual.
The truth is that Luffy and Usopp can’t hide their disappointment over how wimpy the Giant kids are. It dampens their image of Elbaph! Now, I don’t see anything wrong with being raised to be nice, but there are going to be times when you meet jerks that won’t listen to reason or talk no jutsu. The only response left is the fist. Still, at least there’s one kid left who has the spirit of a warrior!
I respect Collun
Everyone, meet Collun. Well, we met him already. He was at a bar that Shanks was visiting, begging him to take him out to sea to be a pirate and listening to stories about Luffy. And unlike the rest of his peers, he’s a fighter. The first thing he does when he sees Luffy is try to jump him with his training sword! But we know how it was going to end.
It can suck being considered the class delinquent and outcast who doesn’t get along with others, can’t it? But Collun is the kind of kid who will live how he wants, no matter what others think. More importantly, though, his willingness to pick a fight with Luffy earns him the respect of the rubber wonder, so I consider that way better! I also respect that! Plus, he’s not a bad kid. After all, he listens to his mom, Ripley, one of the teachers at the school. Plus, his behavior makes sense when you consider how his dad is a former pirate. And also a human. Collun is a half-giant.
Now, remember the golden rule of Oda’s writings: if a new character gets mentioned ahead of time, they’re going to be important. Though, I was more distracted trying to figure out how a human man can have a kid with a Giant woman. I mean, how dhow does that even work? I’m not sure it sure I wantt any rate, though, it’s time for the welcome banquet. And the rest of the Straw Hats get some new threads for the occasion! You can tell that cosplayers are going to love it.
The banquet itself is also pretty fun to watch. Especially when Chief Jarul, the oldest Giant in the world, shows up. And yes, I think plenty of us manga readers had the same reaction to the sword sticking out of his head! I would question how that is even possible, but at this point, I’d be wasting my time!
Not everything is good, though. Remember that threat I was telling you about at the castle? They’re here, they’re looking for Loki, and they are dangerous. More dangerous than you can imagine.
Meet the Gods Knights, the elite guard of the Celestial Dragons. They serve directly under Imu themselves as enforcers of their will, and might be some of the strongest fighters in the series to date. One of them was able to take down a Giant without moving a muscle!!! And their arrival on Elbaph is going to start a storm that will threaten to destroy everything.
By now, it’s obvious that we have to wait for the second half of the season to come out later this year to see more action. But trust me when I say that things are starting to heat up. In fact, if I remember correctly, we are due to get one of the most important pieces of lore in the entire series. So, I can’t wait to see that.
I give “A Welcome With Friends’ Cups and Intruders Seeking Loki” a 3/5
You ever wanted to go someplace for so long that you’ve built up this impossible image of it in your head? And then when you finally get there, you find out that your expectations don’t match up with reality, and you feel that bit of disappointment in you? Well, congrats. That is exactly Luffy and Usopp experience in this episode, and it is a feeling I shared when the manga got to this point two years ago, as we discover that Elbaph has gone from a nation of warriors to…pacifists.
Oh boy.
Luffy does know how to be formal, after all!
So, after Robin and Saul have their absolutely tearjerkingly wholesome reunion, Luffy introduces himself to the Giant and fellow bearer of the D. And, as goofy as it was seeing him talk like a Yakuza boss, I think most of us can appreciate how Luffy was ltrying to be polite and formally thank Saul for everything that he did for Robin. That’s the good thing about Luffy. If you help out someone he considers a friend, then he’ll already consider you one by default. And if he does, then he’ll fight heaven and earth to help you. And I think that the Straw Hats speak for the fandom when they declare that they will protect Robin with their lives. Anyone who makes Robin sad will suffer!!
"They'd do anything to protect someone like me. My true friends!"
Introduction Saul to the Straw Hat Crew Episode 1164 of ONE PIECE silmulcast streaming pic.twitter.com/EcLqMkIDiy
Speaking of protecting, Lillith is happy to see Saul again, even if the Giant only ever met the original Vegapunk until now. Speaking of whom, who here was surprised to learn that Lillith had brought a fully-formed clone of the Doctor with her? I certainly was when reading the manga. Not only are the other Satellites still alive, but technically, the World Government failed to kill Vegapunk himself. The doctor played them for fools the whole time! And now that they think he’s dead, Lillith is free to start a new lab in Elbaph where they can’t find them. And it means there’s still hope for restoring Kuma’s humanity, meaning Bonney will have her dad back!
The Giants are Becoming Pacifists
All that aside, the Straw Hats are all eager to explore Elbaph, so they decide to split up. The most important group, though, are Luffy and Usopp. Having wanted to see Elbaph the most out of all the Straw Hats, they’re eager to visit the school and see the next generation of Giants being trained to become warriors. When they get there, though, it’s not what they expected. Not only are the Giant kids not training to be brave warriors of the sea, they’re actually afraid of any kind of fighting whatsoever.
Yes, in a surprise twist, it turns out that Elbaph is trying to leave its warrior ways in the past in favor of a more peaceful way of life that respects other races. Why? Because that’s what their late king, King Harald, wanted.
I was so Bummed out!
You cannot imagine just how disappointing it was for me reading this in the manga. The world is on the brink of armageddon, and I’m convinced that the only way to save it is by Luffy finding the One Piece. And since Luffy is the second coming of Joy Boy/Nika, AKA Pirate Jesus, the figure the Giants worship, I assumed that they would gladly help him out. Having the army of the strongest country in the world on his side feels like a surefire way to ensure the World Government doesn’t win! And you’re telling me that now the Giants want become peaceful? The timing couldn’t be worse.
Now, having read the manga, all I can say is that there is more to the story than we know, and it will be revealed later on. And I knew why Oda was doing this: it was to create tension for the story so the Straw Hats could do their thing and save the day. But still, I shared Luffy and Usopp’s disappointment in how whimpy the Giant kids are.
And, as if to prove my point from earlier, something bad happens. In the ruins of Castle Aurust, where the King lived until he was apparently killed by Loki (it’s complicated), a dark circle appears. It’s the same one we saw when the Five Elders were summoned to Egghead. That’s not good. That can only mean one thing: Imu is on the move.
For those who don’t know, Imu is the secret ruler of the World Government and one of the overarching antagonists of One Piece. At this point in the manga, they were still a mystery, to the point where we didn’t even know if they were a man or woman! What we did know, though, is that they were likely ancient, powerful, and are determined to maintain their rule over the world. And having the Giants of Elbaph submit to them was the perfect means of doing so.
I hope you guys got your fill of the light-hearted wholesomeness thus far, because it’s over. Starting from the next episode onwards, things are going to start escalating as the chaos that follows the Straw Hats comes to Elbaph. And trust me when I say that if you’ve only watched the anime, you’re not ready for what happens next.
I Give “Saul’s Resolve – The Inherited Will of Ohara” a 3/5
Oh, I’ve been waiting for this episode to get animated for a long time now! When I said that the Elbaph Arc is going to go absolutely hard, I wasn’t joking. The detail and care that Oda puts into the home of the Giants makes it clear to all that this is a story that he’s been wanting to tell for a long time. And while some people are likely disappointed that the first few episodes of One Piece’s return were a mini-arc in a LEGOland, this is about to make it all worthwhile. Not only do we finally see the size and scope of Elbaph, but we also get introduced to the best character in the arc. A character that I remembers sparking a lot of debate in the fandom about whether he was a friend or a foe: Loki.
Strap yourselves in. Things are starting to heat up.
The Straw Hats Will Reunite in Elbaph
So, while half of the Straw Hats are currently escaping the Block Kingdom of Rodo (or Road), what’s going on with the other half and the Giants Pirates? At this exact moment, Dorry, Brogy, and the other Giants are freaking out since they don’t know where Luffy or the Sunny are. They’re about ready to jump into the ocean and look for them on the sea floor, it’s so bad! Thankfully, this isn’t the first time the Straw Hat Pirates have gotten split up like this. This stuff is nothing to them! So Franky and the others tell their hosts to calm down, because they know their friends will be fine and will find their way to Elbaph.
I know it sounds callous to outsiders, but to us, it shows how much faith the the crew has in each other.
What’s of bigger interest, though, is what they read in the papers. As expected of a stooge of the World Government, the news has pinned everything that happened on Egghead on Luffy and the Giant Pirates. That weasel Morgans even says Luffy killed Vegapunk! Though there’s no way the World Government would admit that they’re the ones at fault, so what else is new?
There is one part of the news that was of particular interest, though: the X mark on Luffy’s arm. Robin vaguely remembers it, but none of the others have any idea what it means. The irony is that, besides the fans knowing what it is, the half of the Straw Hats that would recognize it isn’t present. But if you don’t know, it was a mark the crew drew on their wrists during their adventures in Alabasta with their friend, Princess Vivi. Said Princess is currently on the run with the guy who publishes that newspaper, so this was basically her letting them know that she was okay. Sadly, this won’t become important until after their time in Elbaph ends, and given how the arc’s still ongoing in the manga, we’ve got a while. Thankfully, though, the same doesn’t have to be said about Elbaph!
After making their escape from the Block Kingdom, Luffy’s half of the Straw Hats find themselves on the outside. The bad news? It’s not the fact that everything is just as big as it was indoors. It’s the fact that it’s freezing cold and in the middle of a blizzard.
The good news? Two of Road’s crewmates pass by because they heard he”s been up to his antics of kidnapping humans and have come to reprimand him. And they confirm once and for all that the group is now in Elbaph. Too bad the others tell Luffy and Usopp to be quiet so they can’t celebrate.
Full disclosure: yes, Gerd and Goldberg are part of the same crew as Road and Hajrudin. Yes, I believe that Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp met them back in Dressrosa, so they’re part of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet that pledged itself to Luffy. But since they don’t fully remember, and because the other half of their crewmembers weren’t there when it happened, they can’t ask them for help just yet. Ergo, they cross the giant rope bridge to the other side to safety.
…is what they were supposed to do. But then they hear a roar coming from the forest below, and the Monster Trio can tell right away that it’s coming from someone equally as monstrous. Naturally, Luffy decides to investigate on his own. And this is where things start getting good.
Two important things happened in the chapter that this episode is adapting, and Toei did an incredible job adapting it into the anime. The first is that after all the teasing we’ve got in flashbacks and quick looks, we finally get our first full look at the island of Elbaph. And…calling it massive would be an understatement. It is absolutely gargantuan in size. In the first moments Luffy and the others step outside, they see mountains that are probably big enough to qualify as small islands in any other part of the world. The forests tower over even the biggest of Giants, and the animals are roughly the same size. To a normal Human, this is the equivalent of a sizeable insect waking up to find themselves in a city the size of New York or Tokyo. And then there’s the tree. The absolutely massive tree standing in the center of the island that dwarfs even the tallest of the mountains. I don’t know how to do the math, but that tree has to be dozens, or even hundreds of miles, in size. It’s so big that we can’t even see the top! Some fans have speculated it might be tall enough to allow someone access to Sky Islands.
But all of this pales in comparison to the character that we will get to know very well in the coming weeks. Arguably, the most important character introduced in this entire arc, a man who the Giants call an absolute terror and the “Shame of Elbaph.” The Giant Pirates tell Dorry and Brogy that he was the son of their late king, whom they believe he murdered to gain the Royal Family’s incredibly powerful Devil Fruit. The Prince of the Kingdom of Warland, and the self-proclaimed Sun God who will end the world, give it up for LOKI!!!!
The Buildup, OST, Paneling, voice acting, Visuals everything was Beyond perfect 💯
If you only watch the anime, then you have no idea how much of an uproar the introduction of Loki caused throughout the fandom. If you’ve seen any modern depictions of Loki in media like the MCU, or as Atreus in the God of War games, then the name alone should be enough to worry you. Regardless of if he’s a good guy or a bad guy, Loki tends to cause trouble. Heck, in Norse Mythology, he got so bad that his fellow gods had to imprison him, only for it to be said he would be set free at Ragnarok. AKA, the end of the world.
What I was most concerned about, though, was how Loki was calling himself the Sun God. We thought that Luffy was supposed to be one who had the powers of the Sun God, Nika. That he was meant to be this person who would liberate people from oppression! But here Loki was claiming to be this destroyer of the world! It had us all so confused!
Anime watchers, prepare to remain confused, as a large part of this arc involves Oda doing his best to make us question if Loki can be trusted or not. I won’t spoil anything, though!
It’s great to know that we can finally start the Elbaph Arc in earnest. I know that the Block Kingdom took up a lot of time, but trust me when I say it will be worth the wait. We are going to see things that will blow your mind! If you haven’t started watching One Piece, then now is the time to do so!
I Give “An Encounter on a Snowfield-Loki, the Accursed Prince,” a 4.5/5
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