Luffy FINALLY Did It!

Luffy has finally landed what may be his first genuinely effective hit on the Rona Emu. However, being able to damage the god of the world isn't even the most important thing that happened this week because Usopp is back and this chapter is one of his finest moments in the entire post-timeskip era. So, as is the pattern with Alabasta this chapter, it picks up exactly where the last one left off with Emu being smacked by a Gomu Gomu no Sovereignty and it does appear to have done some damage to Emu because he's bleeding a bit more than normal and the bulk of this chapter is taken up with Emu being assaulted by the combination of Luffy and Loki. And man, there is some really great action in this chapter with one of the most fun parts of the chapter for me definitely being Luffy's new attack, the Dawn Kraken Gatling. Man, it's not entirely new. In fact, no single feature of this attack is new. It's a cobbling together of previous moves with a nice shiny coat of dawn applied to it. Luffy actually used the original form of this attack almost exactly 1,000 chapters ago as in chapter 200 Luffy used a move against Crocodile which is either called Gomu Gomu no Pistol Shot or Gomu Gomu no Shotgun. It depends on the translation. And you know what? Because this happened this early on in One Piece, it was actually adapted by the Four Kids dub and they decided to call it Gum Gum Quake because shotguns are very violent and not something that the children should be seeking to emulate. Well, some logic like that. But the reason why Dawn Kraken is a very natural evolution of Shotgun is because Luffy innovated this to take on Crocodile. And before he performed the attack he doused himself in water so that he could hit Crocodile. So, I do love that this move sort of has its roots in the water and so this escalation to Kraken it makes sense. We started out with a small amount of water, more of a large puddle really, and now we've expanded into a great sea and look what's what's that? There's a Kraken in that great sea. And I do think it's funny that we have another Crocodile callback in this fight against Emu right after Emu crocodile Luffy with his swords. It's almost as if Luffy's retracing the same steps that led him to victory on Alabasta, remembering the choreography of one of his most iconic of dances. In fact, even Luffy's final attack against Imu in this chapter is somehow pretty much exactly how chapter 200 ended, with Luffy getting in his first solid hit on Crocodile straight in the stomach. Also, I have to point this out because my mind was a little bit blown when I reread this. In this chapter, Usopp has a speech, a great speech, where among other things he states that Luffy has always been serious, which is a response to Scopper Gaban calling him very unserious. However, at the end of chapter 200, that is exactly what Luffy himself says. Crocodile accuses him of screwing around, and Luffy says, "Who who's playing around? I'm always serious." Right before the aforementioned smack in the stomach. So, we've now got four callbacks to Crocodile with Imu, and four is where I officially revoke coincidence privileges, and we break out the corkboard. Because this fight, or at least this section of it, is starting to look like a narrative remix. Although, I should say that shotgun didn't actually work against Crocodile, the attack it didn't land. But, I think that what Luffy's realized is that Crocodile was one target, and this move is much more suited to be an area of effect attack. I love the Kraken because I think it's a cool idea that Luffy is acting as both missiles and interceptors all-in-one. The need for the Kraken aspect was to punch Imu's copious, and I mean copious, little worm bomb things that are all sentient and quite skilled in avoiding basic attacks. So, Luffy creates his his rubber twanging effect with his arms, and it confuses the worm dudes, allowing them to eventually be hit. Meanwhile, the rest of the tentacles, they go straight towards Imu and transition into the Gatling. Thematically, I imagine that Luffy took some inspiration for Kraken from Sudame, the actual Kraken that became his friend on Fish-Man Island. And I do also wonder if there's a certain intended irony of Luffy using an attack named Kraken against Imu, who is implied to be heavily associated with the sea god. And with the Kraken being one of the sea gods greatest agents of moist moist chaos and destruction. Also, one of the swords that Imu chose to impale Luffy with was the sea god blade Fragarach. So, Luffy is he's almost certainly unaware of this, but he is fighting on the same thematic ground that Imu is or not ground because water, but you know what I mean. But as always, Imu did use a new weapon in this chapter and I imagine that he's going to keep doing so until we see all 19. However, we have heard the name of this new weapon before. We didn't see it, but Sabo has previously name dropped it in his fight against Zoro. We still don't know what the One Piece actually is, but after almost 30 years, I am increasingly confident of what it is not and what it is not is award-winning flavor primarily because the sponsor of this video FÜM has already found that. FÜM is a wondrous little flavored air fidget that helps you create better habits distracting your cravings without any nicotine, vapor, or batteries. FÜM is just glorious flavored air. Well, it's not just that. It's also a weighted super fun twisty fidget tool that gives your hands something better to reach for. 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And don't forget to use code GrandLineReviewer at checkout to receive your free gift. And thank you so much as always to Fume as it's due to the support of sponsors like them that we're able to bring you the best fictional pirate content possible as often as possible. So definitely check them out, but for now it's back to you. Imu actually dual wields in this chapter the swords Tohu and Bohu or Vohu I think is the official translation of the latter. In regards to Bohu though, this is the sword of nothingness that we saw in chapter 1188. And it was the first blade that went through our protagonist Monkey D. Luffy before it was swiftly joined by the sea god sword. Meanwhile, in this chapter we meet Tohu the sword of chaos. And the reason why Imu is using nothingness and chaos together, Tohu and Bohu, is I believe because these names are linked to a Hebrew phrase found in the Bible, specifically Genesis. That phrase is Tohu Wa Bohu and it refers to the condition of the earth immediately before the creation of light, which I love. I mean, like how much more thematically intertwined can One Piece be with that? Imu's weapons, the two of them being a representation of the planet without light, the planet before the dawn. And then Luffy coming on in to bring that light to the world. Oda, he's done a crazy amount of research here. But the translation of the phrase, it varies quite a bit. Like in the King James Bible, apparently Tohu means without form and Bohu, well it still means emptiness. It always means emptiness. I don't think that one's ever disputed. And while I don't think it means chaos specifically in any translation of Genesis, Tohu does contribute to the idea of chaos in cosmogony, which is the idea that chaos refers to a reality that exists outside of the ordered cosmos, said to be inhabited by strange demonic beings. And in early Greek cosmology, it was said that chaos was the very first being to have ever existed. Sort of like how Imu is referred to as one of the first 20. This world obviously goes further back beyond Imu, at least I think it does, but he was the being that allegedly crafted this world as we know it making him effectively the first entity and therefore something something chaos ah it's appropriate. It's all extremely well thought out. And what I find particularly interesting is that the Hebrew phrase to who a bo who sounds like a perfect Japanese phrase as well. To be clear, it means nothing in Japanese to the best of my knowledge, but I imagine that Oda may have gotten a kick out of it when he was researching it. But all of that is to say that what is happening on Elbaf right now, it is escalated beyond a standard shonen fight battle. Elbaf is a land that worships the sun god and that land is now under threat from a being that existed before the light. They are being assaulted by chaos and nothingness and according to their beliefs it will be the light of the sun god that leads them to salvation or destruction. There is a there is still that reading of Nika, but this is all turning into such a grand affair, which is why it is so extremely important that Usopp showed up here at just the right moment because he delivers a very grounding speech. Something that we absolutely need before we get too lost in all of this business about gods and fate and prophecy and owls and clouds and hammers and squirrels and this animation I have of Sanji being whipped by Nami. We need to not forget about all of that, but we need to remember who Luffy is. Usopp is Oda's audience perspective and he has a lot of great speeches in One Piece and this to me it is quintessential Usopp because Sogeking he keeps insisting that they need to run. And you know what? At this point I don't know if he's even wrong to keep suggesting that. However, there is something very very special about Usopp being the one who says that they cannot run. The weakest person on the island, the most cowardly person in the series traditionally in the face of the most overwhelming power that the crew have ever encountered, it is Usopp who is standing his ground for the sake of the people that he admires and respects so much and the people that have given him so much. To run away now from Usopp's perspective would be giving up not only on those people, not only on Elbaf, but on his dream. Usopp, despite his own cowardness, innately understands the spirit of Elbaf. Even though he refers to so many of the giants as his underlings in this chapter, he does look up to Dorry, Brogy, Oimo, Kashii, and Harudin, and he knows that none of them would ever run away in the situation, even if the only alternative was death. This is really important because therefore, if Usopp ever wants to realize his dream, then he needs to stand alongside them, and I love this. This is the Usopp that I have been craving for for, I think, all of the post-timeskip era. It's been a long time since I've seen this Usopp. And there's even this amazing moment where he talks down to Scop Gabann. Literally talking down to him. You have Usopp on Harudin's shoulder, and Gabann's, he's like down here. And he's looking up at Usopp like an emissary from on high. Perhaps calling back to when Harudin raised Usopp during Dressrosa, and everyone was looking up to him then. And I'm going to be paraphrasing here a bit, but Usopp says, "Nika this, Joy Boy that, we don't care about any of your crap, old man. You are free to put your faith in Luffy, but if that means taking away his freedom, then we will not allow it." This is fantastic because it shows that Usopp, he not only understands Elbaf, but it also showcases his deep understanding of Luffy, and just how highly Luffy values freedom. I also think it's great commentary on a point that I really try to emphasize on this channel, which is that Luffy is not the kind of person who can be contained by a specific ideology. He's not someone that you should be so eager to label. You can believe in him. You can be inspired by him. You can even decide that he's going to be the man who's going to save the world, but the moment that your belief becomes an expectation that Luffy is obligated to fulfill, then you've taken that freedom away, and you have misunderstood the entire point of Luffy, which is what a lot of the in-world characters are doing. They're associating him with the second coming of Nika or Joy Boy. But doing so takes away Luffy's freedom because it's molding him into the strict expectations of being someone that he is not. Nika is a role. Joy Boy is a role. Even being an emperor of the sea is a role. In fact, that's even more role-y than the other two. But also being the Pirate King, it is a role that the rest of the world has spent decades defining only for Luffy to come up with his own unique definition of what it means to be the Pirate King, which is to be the person who is the most free. Now with that context in mind, when Usopp says that you cannot take away Luffy's freedom, what he is saying is that if we run here, he ain't going to be the Pirate King. We are taking that away. Because Luffy doesn't exist to fulfill a role or a purpose and Usopp, he's not having any of this old man nonsense. And that's actually the kind of uncomfortable logical end point of Usopp's argument. If you truly believe that Luffy should be free, then you can't just defend his freedom only when he makes the choice that you want him to make. You need to defend it regardless. And Usopp goes on to say that Luffy has always been the same. He may have this fancy white form now. He may be some high-rolling emperor of the sea, but nothing about him has changed. He's always been serious and he should always have the freedom to choose an honorable death should that come to pass. That last bit there, that gives me chills in both good and bad ways. Because Usopp, he has this fantastic way with words and part of me is wondering if this might be foreshadowing for the end of One Piece. As far as I'm concerned, right here and now, Luffy, he's not going to die. We've got too much story left to tell. But perhaps there is an end point where Luffy does prioritize freedom to the point of incurring that honorable death as many members of the will of D seem to choose to. But my favorite panel of this whole speech section has to be this one of Haradin. I love this smile. This is the smile of a man who is hearing the words of a spiritual brother. Usopp's heart is perfectly in sync with his and I think this is what settles it. Because it's going to be real hard for Scopper Gaban to run away if even Usopp of all people will not run. That's the thing. He is our most cowardly character. So, if Oda is saying that Usopp won't run, it means that no one is going to run. And Luffy, in a wonderful act of the aforementioned seriousness, comes up with another patented brilliant idea, which is to be hit by Loki's hammer and to become a Thor bullet to collide with Imu, dealing the most damage that I think we've seen so far. And very importantly, this last attack, it shows Imu's body having that rubber effect. Because Luffy, he's going right through him just like he did with Kaido and Kizaru and also Rob Lucci, which I think means that Luffy is actually starting to take some control with this final hit. Imu, he's tanked a lot of hits so far on Elbaf, but this feels like the first one that has been outside of his control. Although, I do have some reservations about putting too much hope in that idea, because we have seen this happen quite a few times already. This chapter, it has a uh a very familiar full stop, is I think how I describe it. So, I haven't gone back on the chapters to check if this is true or not. So, this is just me running on pure vibes. But, the way I feel is that the way this chapter ended, wonderful heartfelt speech aside, is pretty much the same way that every chapter has ended since Nerona Imu appeared. The final panel is of someone attacking Imu, usually a Luffy or a Loki, and it looks like a great hit, and the cliffhanger is, "Did it work?" But, the resolution at the beginning of the next chapter is always no. No, it did not. That may change with the next chapter because Luffy does look like he has caused some serious pain with this final attack in 1,192. But, honestly, I do think I'm starting to feel a bit fatigued with these chapter endings. To give a different example, I'm someone who's notoriously outspoken on one issue. And I want to preface this by saying I am fully aware that this is such a nitpicky criticism. I know what I am. You don't need to tell me. But, during Whole Cake Island, there were two chapters that ended in the exact same way, which were 876 and 885. The final panel of both of them is Sanji doing the exact same pose and saying that he's going to make a cake to knock Big Mom out. And it's not the same artwork, either. Oda didn't just reuse what he did before, he redrew the entire panel. So, it's slightly different, but also exactly the same. And that's how I'm starting to feel about these chapter endings with Imu getting hit. It feels like Oda is just reusing that same full stop. And it also extends to the content of the chapters as well. Not just the endings, but the same but different is our mantra lately. I spent a lot of time in this chapter talking about Luffy's fight against Crocodile a thousand chapters ago. Because what's happening here with Imu is the same but different. Meanwhile, every chapter Imu he does something different, he reveals a new sword, but it is still a sword. He's also transformed now. Imu has a new form, but his transformed state isn't all that different from his first form. So, it's different, but the same. And also Imu spams his little omen balls in every chapter, as well. That is the same and the same. That one hasn't become different yet, but I feel like we need something to really break this monotony. And that is what I am hoping that this Luffy punch at the end of this chapter is. Because if we open up on chapter 1,193 and we redo the same cycle again, I just don't know where this is going. Because what we're doing right now, if this doesn't work, feels a bit borderline meaningless. Especially because damage apparently means nothing to Imu because he's immortal. Damage also means nothing to Luffy because he's a cartoon. And damage means nothing to Loki because he's too plot relevant. So, we have all of these wonderful dramatic attacks happening, but none of them really do anything in the end, or at least I haven't up until this point, with the exception of Scopper Gaban losing an arm, of course. But to me, we feel a bit stuck here in a narrative sense. And again, I really want something to to break us out of this cycle. However, to make the argument for the other side, there is also something extremely unique about what's happening here in regards to Imu. The fact that characters like Luffy and Loki keep using their main protagonist powers to continuously get up and smacking Imu no matter how damaged they get, but then Imu just tanks those attacks. It's as if Imu is actually able to transcend the shonen protagonist power. Like sure, we can keep using our BS story reasons to get up over and over again, but even that is not enough to beat this guy. And that's why this fight despite its repetitiveness is still quite interesting because it very much feels like the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. the force and who's the object seems to swap back and forth every few chapters or so. Luffy's not going to relent, but according to Gabann, Imu cannot be defeated. And maybe Gabann is wrong. Perhaps the end of this chapter is our first real opening into that, but I'm really fascinated by how Oda plans on ending this because other than Imu suddenly dropping dead from whatever his condition is, I'm not so sure. All I know is that no one is running. So we are eventually going to need a winner and we're going to need a loser. So very much looking forward to next week, but for now you to let me know what your thoughts are on all of this in the comments below. 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