As the battle between the Interstellar Union Army and the Nero fleet unfolds, the Edens Zero and Oasis Rebellion use that commotion to their advantage in order to attempt to sneak through the gaps in the enemy formation to reach Nero 66. The size of the Nero fleet though makes it impossible to approach unnoticed, as such, the Oasis battleship resolves to stay behind so that a path forward can be made for the Edens Zero. Charging through boldly, the Edens Zero penetrates the enemy defenses and successfully manages to slip past the Nero fleet. Shura, aware that the Edens Zero belongs to Ziggy, senses a strange presence that doesn’t match Ziggy. The presence of Shiki has piqued Shura’s interest and momentarily unsettled him. Will Shura move against the Edens Zero or will he wait for them to come to him?
For someone as insecure as Shura, I am beginning to wonder what his reaction will be once he realises that Shiki is the “son” Ziggy had chosen. Even though Ziggy met Shura first, Ziggy only spent a short time training Shura and never really treated Shura as precious. Shiki on the other handle was taken in by Ziggy who stop his journey in order to raise Shiki and train him in the art of Gravity Gear Martial Arts. And beyond fighting techniques, Ziggy taught Shiki about life, friendship and the endlessness of space. Ziggy’s spirit and love now resides within Shiki. Even with the current Ziggy seeking to end Shiki, the moments they shared in the past when Shiki was growing up were seemingly genuine. Ziggy was Shiki’s parent. To make matters worse, Shura wasn’t even chosen by Nero. It was Nero’s dice that determined Nero’s decision to adopt Shura. Such a past and lack of personal love will become relevant to Shura as he begins to reflect himself against Shiki. The weight of emptiness against the weight of love. As the battle intensifies, it will be Shiki who will be able to draw on more power from the gravity of the bonds that exist between Shiki and those he cares for. Will Shura sink into complete darkness or will Shiki’s presence provide some hope for a longing he may hold deep within his heart for connecting with others?
The Princess mentioned during Laguna and Ibaraki’s conversion was quite the curious revelation. Ibaraki stated that the Princess had been killed by Shura yet he also mentioned that her beautiful face was so mangled that they couldn’t tell who she was anymore. Considering that, it seems apparent where the story is heading. The Princess was not killed. And further, it will be revealed that Ijuna is the Princess of the Oasis Rebellion. The corpse Ibaraki mentioned was likely a stand-in for Ijuna. Shura may have believed the person he killed was the Princess of the Oasis Rebellion. Shura likely captured Ijuna when she attempted to save the rebellion troops that were caught. I wonder if Ijuna at one point had long hair and in order to steel her resolve after being captured, she cut it short. This could explain the soldiers concern in the previous chapter about Ijuna before he was killed by Shura. He may have suspected Ijuna due to her connection to the Oasis Rebellion.
If Ijuna really is the Princess of the Oasis Rebellion, Laguna’s presence on Nero 66 seems directed toward meeting her. I could also see Weisz lending his assistance to Laguna in order to help liberate Ijuna. Weisz is aware of the conversation Laguna had with Ibaraki and the supposed death of the Princess of the Oasis Rebellion. In the back of Weisz’s mind, he likely realises that Laguna does care for the Princess. Once Weisz gets to see a more stripped down version of Laguna where he is more open with his intentions and feelings, Weisz will come to accept Laguna more. There it does seem important for Weisz to be present when Laguna and Ijuna encounter each other. Weisz could be the one who encounters Ijuna first and makes the connection to who she is. This could result in Weisz helping Ijuna and Laguna reunite. And in turn, this could see Ijuna helping the Edens Zero crew defeat the forces on Nero 66 and destroy the All Link system. It may also help Laguna open up more to Weisz and the rest of the Edens Zero crew. If Laguna doesn’t continue to travel with aboard the Edens Zero, will he remain in the Aoi Cosmos to help it rebuild?
I still wonder where Ziggy is. Does he intend to move on Nero 66 or are his intentions directed toward the Temple where Nero currently presides? Ziggy’s lack of presence near Nero 66 is very curious. Instead Ziggy was last seen south of the Temple. Beyond the All Link system, Ziggy has also mentioned his interest in taking the Aoi Cosmos from Nero. For that to happen, Nero would have to be defeated. As such, it makes complete sense for Ziggy to be moving on the Temple where Nero currently is. Elsie following Ziggy to the Temple is also an interesting aspect of the story. What role will she serve? Will Elsie’s Fleet be the ones to save those caught in the battle between Ziggy and Nero? Or will Justice appear to force Elsie to disengage from her pursuit of Ziggy? There are many elements in play with many possibilities existing. Very excited to see what happens next. Looking forward to the next chapter!
12Dimension 