#ch 1078

I can't wait to see the Strawhat grand fleet getting ready to fight with Luffy like

I really enjoy the cover story! Good for Judge and Caesar; sad for Reiju and Ichiji, sighing in defeat. Maybe there is hope for the next generation of Vinsmokes after all?

Confirmation about the Void Century research conducted on Egghead! As well as a nice little nod to the difference between government-sponsored weapons research (Egghead) and ancient institutionalised academia (Ohara) — one you can just bomb, the other will bomb you back.

Cool use of the silhouette-against-explosion-trope here.

She is one cold-blooded snake, stomping Pythagoras like that, tho’ :(

I wonder if Boa and S-Snake’s powers are reversible through haki? If Law’s earlier negation of Doc Q’s sick-sick fruit is anything to go by, I’d say yes; her mero-mero power just has the unfortunate side effect of paralyzation, making your haki useless… power-up for Franky in the pipeline?

Backup! Backup! Backup!

The flying thing is cool as well.

And Atlas is one big girl.

We knew that. But still.

All rights, it’s nice that Sanji’s embracing his human-exoskeleton-thing. And his eyebrow has reversed, so it’s proper Germa Science! going on. But does he have to look so pleased with himself?

Ooo, also a lot of ideas about how his mum sacrificed herself so he could be normal and all the love she had and how that could be seen as the power of love too and how he continues the love and—

—and Luffy and Zoro are being absolute morons again.

On the other hand, Kaku’ snot showing his critical thinking skills either right now, reacting way too late to being called Usopp.

And Luffy, really? You’ve fought Pigeon Guy earlier, why are you surprised he’d happily eliminate the weaker links to rattle the stronger ones? He’s done it before. You threatened/tricked him into not doing that once this fight is finished!

On one hand, it’s the exact same tactic Luffy had against Kaido: bash your head against the wall until you think of something else.

On the other hand, I miss his earlier adaptation and quick battle-thinking. After the time-skip it feels like he’s just… hitting things again and again. Which, don’t read me wrong, is a pleasure at times (see: pummelling Caesar, pummelling Doflamingo, pummelling Cracker, pummelling Kaido…). But I do miss the wacky pre-timeskip fights: Luffy having to figure out how to fight with a ton of gold hanging of his arm. Luffy with a Door through his face. Luffy breaking Kuro’s swords. Water Luffy.

But we move on, to what will be known as the Egghead Incident, apparently.

What do Bonney see? What secrets do Kuma’s memories hold? O_o

Traitor speaking, how may I help you?

Love Angry Lilith in the background.

Although art quality has gone down, Oda really can tell a story. This is the last panels on the spread and we still don’t know who it is. But it is someone huge: they have to bend to fit through the door and their shadow is massive on Vegapunk.

But who can it be?

York is huge.

She was petrified by S-Snake; did she manage to unpetrify her as well in the chaos? Does she have an antidote? Do S-Snakes powers, unlike Boa’s, only last for a certain amount of time before unraveling?

I wonder if killing of the satellites destroys that part of Vegapunk’s personality or if they.. return, somehow?

And it’s a really nice comment on the need for balance in people. You are not only your feelings or desires: you are the combination of those, keeping each other in check and balance. People who lose their feelings make worse decisions that people with a healthy blend of rationality and emotion, for example, and no human can be completely rational. Vegapunk let his desires lose on the world, and where did that leave him? Prisoner in his own cellar.

And York: they don’t let you become a Celestial Dragon just like that, you know that, right Guessing the Elder Star on their ways has a special mission with regards to her…