#op1049

Woo. Okay. Lots of different reactions to this chapter, but let's just dive in-

Chapter title: The world you wish for

First off, might be interesting to mention that on the cover page we see Yonji and Niji inside Mont d'Or s books, but someone lit them on fire so they're able to escape now... who could it? Perhaps Ichiji, I mean he does have the fire powers doesn't he? Oh well-

So in this chapter, we kind of get a glimpse on Kaido's past!! Some information we got:

At ten years old, Kaido was considered to be the strongest soldier of the Vodka Kingdom [Note how Kaido is from the Vodka Kingdom, and he's always drinking? Oda thinks he's so funny]

Also, this might have already been stated but I never caught on but 44 years ago, he was 15 years old which makes him 59 now!

3. He was given to the Navy at 13 years old as collateral, or "Celestial Tribute" to ensure that the Vodka Kingdom could have a place at the Reverie.

4. He got his first bounty at 13 years old with 70 Million Berries

5. We previously got some information about his captures, and apparently he gets captured by the Navy so he could get some food and then escapes. This man is completely unhinged, he got captured 18 times by the Navy simply to get food.

6. Approached by Whitebeard when he was 15 years old (who was part of Rocks' pirate crew at the time) and told that Rocks is interested in him - he really was such a big name already at 15 that he got noticed and recruited by the most powerful pirate crew.

7. Then we get to God's Valley and of course get no extra information except-

STOP. SLEEPING. ON. GARP'S. NAME.

This is not new information per se, but I just want to reiterate it because everyone is always sleeping on Garp's name! Sure he teamed up with Rogers to do it but this was the strongest pirate crew at the time. Rocks. Whitebeard. Big Mom. Kaido.

8. There's some weird old lady in his past that seems to spur a lot of things on for him...

Might be his mother? She looks sort of familiar, a little Yamato-esque I'm not going to lie, and they look similar. I wonder if we'll find out who she is because she seems relevant. I mean, this is what she tells Kaido-

[Edit: I completely forgot about this lady but thanks to @danwhobrowses i was reminded: "the old lady is Kurozumi Higurashi, the old lady who pushed Orochi to plot against the Kozuki and gave him his DF, she had Bon Clay's DF before Kaido killed her for posing as Momo and distracting Oden"

If you study history, humans have always resorted to brutality to solve the world's problems. But then again, humans are just like any other animal. "Survival of the fittest" is our true nature.

Seems to shape much of Kaido's own views because he goes around to later tell his crew:

Let's show all those "peace-loving nobles" the hell-ish reality of war!! One's worth can only truly be gauged in battle!! Where everyone is equal and anarchy reigns free.

Kaido is just obsessed with fights, and proving your worth in battle. It's shown a lot in his past too, he was the strongest soldier in his kingdom by the age of 10, sold to the navy by the age of 13 because of his strength and ever since has never been defeated. He is obsessed with the idea of looking for someone who can defeat him - because he thinks whoever defeats him will be Joy Boy.

Remember I mentioned some chapters ago that Kaido believes that he is Joy Boy? Well, clearly that's not the case. When he said "So you couldn't be Joy Boy either?" to Luffy he wasn't referring to himself, but to everyone to go up against him and fail to defeat him.

He's been waiting patiently for that man to appear. 20 years ago he found out that Oden was waiting for Joy Boy in Wano and believed he would appear, so he resided himself in Wano to wait for Joy Boy. Another interesting question: King was waiting for Joy Boy? For what reason?

Anyways!! So back to the present!!

So Luffy is punching Kaido right, and Kaido asks

What kind of world do you want to make?

A world where my friends can eat as much as they want-

That's my kind of world!!!

And Kaido falling down after this, and after he expresses the fact that whoever defeats him will be Joy Boy - King saying "I don't think he'll ever appear"

And the lanterns coming up:

Please vanquish the scary dragon.

Restore the Kozuki clan.

Here's my thing now. This dragon is clearly not Kaido, it's Momo (after saving Onigashima and Onigashima landing safely!) Luffy is falling. Where's Kaido? It seems like he's done (seeing the lanterns and the emotional impact) but is he really?

My reaction to this is: I'm okay with it either way. If he' defeated or not. And I understand that some people wanted more from Kaido, and more from his flashback - but the hate? Saying Wano is trash if this is it? That's all agenda talk. Shut up, this was a great chapter. Luffy did so much.