And so it begins…
So it begins, the event that will determine the continued threat of one of the major powers within the New World. It is dubbed the Tea Party but behind the scenes it is actually the basis for the Vinsmoke annihilation plot and even beyond that lies the Big Mom assassination plot. Multiple factions caught up within the current events have cast their die and now what’s left is to see where their fortunes have determined their fates to lie.
What he wanted in the end was simply to be loved
Despite my attempts at understanding what happened with Mavis’s child, I failed to even consider August relevant to Mavis even with the acknowledgement that August would serve a key role being the last the Spriggan 12. I questioned Larcade’s age not being consistent with when Mavis’s child was implied to have been born yet did not look at the one character whose age would allow the timing to fall in line. Even the desperation August had at finding an answer to the reason Zeref didn’t love his child, it makes sense now why such a question would torment August inside. His power and devotion to Zeref all make sense now.
Will the plan really work?
Despite the elaborate plan Capone has come up with to carve out 5 seconds in which Big Mom exposes her vulnerability, every aspect of the plan is based on improbability and the assumption that with so many variables present, nothing unexpected will happen. But this is One Piece and “something” unexpected ALWAYS happens. This time though with Luffy uncontrollably overjoyed about his upcoming entrance, I have this deep sinking feeling shackled by a grating foreboding uneasiness that he will be the one to mess up this carefully calculated plan right from the very start.
Enemies join hands (despite their arms being crossed) in order to defeat Big Mom and stop the Tea Party slaughter
Firstly, how did I now realise that HE was Caesar Clown in the previous chapter. I noticed HIM and thought to myself ‘he looks badass, I hope we get to see more of him’. How did I not notice…was it the angle? The stern expression he was wearing? His inclusion within the Firetank Pirates? Whatever it was, well played Oda-sensei, that was a fantastic way to reintroduce Caesar in this arc. With Big Mom as the obstacle within Luffy, Caesar and Capone’s paths, an almost impossible alliance has been formed and it is all thanks to Jinbe who arranged for such a possibility to be made possible.
The child she does not know she has…
So Larcade really is Mavis’s son? How was he able to survive for so long or was his birth delayed by Mavis’s body being entrapped within a Lacrima prison? Given Irene, it is not impossible but how did Mavis give birth to Larcade and why is she unaware of having a son? Mavis meeting Larcade is inevitable and now that Zeref has injured Larcade, Mavis will need to be brought back into focus to save her son. She will convey to Larcade what love is; what a parents love is, particularly, what a mother’s love. And August will finally have his answer for why ‘his majesty’s son was not loved’, because he was loved already despite Mavis not knowing of his existence and Larcade not knowing of his mother’s existence. Mavis will “save” Larcade and help liberate him as to who he really is.
Jinbe may have found a way for the Straw Hat Pirates to challenge Big Mom
Well snap, surprise after surprise, I was not expecting that yet it is a development completely logical. An alliance between the Straw Hat Pirates and Capone “Gang” Bege’s crew, the Firetank Pirates, how ludicrously exciting. This was an amazing chapter, so many developments relevant to the direction of the arc and Jinbe showcasing exactly why the Straw Hat Pirates NEED him. His experience, composition, knowledge and understanding of the pirate world have resulted in a plan the Straw Hat Pirates can utilise to foil the Wedding, save the Vinsmoke family members (especially Reiju), escape Big Mom’s territory and possibly establish a lasting alliance. Jinbe has created an opportunity for the Straw Hat Pirates to genuinely challenge Big Mom and her crew.
My heart just got crushed…
Acnologia really is a piece of work. How arrogant can he get stating that as Irene is the mother of Dragon Slayers, she is his sin. Does he really believe that he is THAT significant that the fate of the world and its future rest on his shoulders. It should be the other way around, because Irene created Dragon Slaying magic and failed to stop herself from succumbing to the effects of its power, she should be the one feeling the need to clear the consequences of her sins by stopping/crushing Acnologia and ensuring a brighter future for the next generation.
12Dimension 