Welp, look what I found in my drafts, if not an unfinished draft for a chapter analysis for 1084 ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

And then I deleted my careful write-up by mistake. Sigh.

Eh. Such is life. Here it is, before 1085!

Somewhere, someone is cackling manically, going “got your noooose…”

You are a devious woman, aren't you Jewerly Bonney, making others do your dirty work like that?

Karasu’s powers are really cool! Wonder about the sudden appearance of the crow – did he leave soot on Sabo’s black gloves? Can he appear wherever there's soot? Probably not, since we haven't seen anyone do that with logia powers before (is he even a logia, or a paramecia?)

A phantom room with a phantom hat, perhaps?

And why are you so thoughtful, Sabo-kun?

“It’s a little odd” - you JUST said to have kept tabs on them! And that you knew Sabo was trustworthy! Then you should know he’s a little cinnamon bun and completely honest and kind and all that! CONTINUITY, ODA. CONTINUITY.

But then we turn the page and go back ot the main story of Cobra and the Five Elder Stars.

I like how the Five Elders are barrier, keeping Cobra from the truth of the throne both physically and mentally. Such imposing figures, towering over a poor, wheelchair-bound, sickly old man like that.

Nice little recap of the Celestial Dragons for those of us (unlike me) who are mired in One Piece trivia. And what are you thinking about there, Curly Mustachioed Elder? You look mightily worried.

And what are you thinking about, Kizaru-accompanied Elder? What are those ellipses?

We finally have a name –and story– for the Nefertari royal who declined becoming a Celestial Dragon! I do wonder if the flower theme is intentional or Oda just picked a nice name to go with the structure of female Nefertari names?

And Lili’s silhouette looks a lot like Imu. Theories!

This is, however, an interesting exchange in another way. This solidifies that the ceremony to install the Empty Throne was just that: a ceremony. All practicalities had been agreed upon beforehand, since the new ruling families had been picked and it's obvious that queen Lili was supposed to return to Arabasta after partaking in the founding ceremony.

Aren't you in the possession of an imposing brain, king Cobra?

Although I don't know what you expect from 800-year old records, as Kizaru-adjacent Elder says. It's hard enough to find trustworthy records from last year, not to speak of a century, or several, ago.

I wonder where Imu keeps the den den mushi that’s transmuting from the throne room? One of the Five Elder's pocket?

As expected, Cobra does not buy it. But he has a back-up question for his audience! He will not leave empty-handed!

“Passed down from one gen to the next” – did you pass it down to Vivi and that’s why she’s in hiding now?

The Elders look a mixture of angry, worried, resigned and sad. Is it now that they realised that Cobra won't be leaving the room alive?

And another shift, now out into the open courtyard, where Kuma, Shirahoshi and other people are.

So that's the incident Garp was apologising for.

I don't like this, but Nameless Royal has a point there, reminding Fukaboshi of his duty.

…which, of course, Mjosgard hammers home. I really, really like Mjosgard!

First off, because he is so incensed by the behaviour of his fellow Celestial Dragon. That is not the way anyone should behave, the least those so-called Gods of the world. Mjosgard and Charlos are such neat foils to each other, actually. Mjosgard is what Charlos could have become, if he would have taken his first beating by Luffy to heart as Mjosgard did with Otohime's words.

Second off, because he is such a voice of reason when he reiterates the reason Luffy went to sea to become a pirate, why he doesn't want to be a hero and why he lives the way he does.

Because that IS the problem with being a (good)(supreme) ruler: YOU CAN'T THINK OF YOURSELF. Yes, you are furious that your baby sister, who's been locked in a tower for ten years, is hurting. And of course you want to do something about it (because you are the aforementioned good person/ruler). But you can't, because if you do, that'll incite an international political scandal which will hurt your subjects.

Also: “Look how they massacred my boy” – translator liberties or does Oda actually quote the Godfather?

And when we now know that Kuma is on his way to safety, we can turn our gaze back to the Five Elders, where tensions are running high…

Cobra had two goals: learning more about Lili and The Will of D. Looks like he'll achieve them both.

Sadly not his one wish of seeing his daughter wed before his death (ಥ ͜ʖಥ)

Speaking of the chapter, Igaram seems to have psychic powers: Morgans is a sort of monstrous bird, after all…

Interesting plot developments afoot.