None of the challengers so far facing off against Big Mom and Kaido have yet to escape the gaping chasm of differing power levels that exist between the Emperor and themselves. Page One encountered Big Mom and was taken out by one hit. Likewise, Ulti, looking for an avenue to vent her rage sourced from witnessing Page One getting injured has met the same fate when facing off against Big Mom. After one hit from Big Mom’s Master Cannon, Ulti is unconscious and defeated. The only two characters that have somewhat challenged the Yonko are Luffy and Zoro. Yet, both are incapacitated with Zoro momentarily out of commission and Luffy unconscious plummeting from Onigashima floating in the sky toward the ocean below or the Wano mainland if Onigashima has reached it. Will an ‘ally’ able to traverse the skies save Luffy or will the awaiting ground or ocean below greet Luffy with its vast embrace?
Luffy has been defeated. Again. No problem. That is Luffy’s modus operandi. Against extremely tough foes, Luffy always rises to the occasion from the brink of defeat. Whether it was Crocodile, Enel, Rob Lucci, Gecko Moria, Donquixote Doflamingo and Charlotte Katakuri. Each defeat Luffy’s suffers is a stone he uses to step toward his eventual victory. As long as Luffy is alive, he will not give in to hopelessness and defeat. Kaido may be right that the outcome was obvious but with him leaving Luffy alive through the act of knocking Luffy off Onigashima to the awaiting landscape below, the obvious outcome has begun to morph into one of possibility. The wild card called Yamato still exist. And then there is Momonosuke. Contrary to Kaido’s perspective, the battle taking place is far from over. Hope still exist.
Nami standing up to Ulti was incredibly cool but I did hope for a battle more substantial than the brief exchange of attacks we got before Big Mom stepped in to completely steamroll Ulti. The battle could have at least focused on Nami’s abilities to create illusions with her climate control in order to avoid being pinned down by Ulti. It would have gone a long way to adding substance to the resolve she showcased in the previous chapter. With the way the scene played out, Nami was shown to have more bark than bite that is quite disappointing. After not having a proper battle to feature in for so long, the opportunity given to Nami here seems somewhat wasted. Hopefully, the display illustrated in this chapter is but a precursor to the eventual battle Nami will feature in when ALL the Straw Hat Pirates get to showcase what they’ve got. One aspect that leads me to believe this will come about is Zeus’s change of heart toward Nami.
I was correct in believing that the presence of Hera would push Zeus away from Big Mom and toward Nami but what I did not expect was Hera consuming Zeus’s soul. If Zeus soul was to be absorbed, I thought Big Mom could absorb it herself and remotely. Maybe she still can as she absorb Zeus’s soul when holding him but it is curious that Hera was made to consume Zeus. Especially at the point when Nami provided Zeus with the black lightning balls he loves so much. I don’t believe we have seen the end of Zeus yet. Zeus is either still ‘alive’ within Hera where the black lightning balls Nami shot will become his energy to escape or Zeus will use the energy Nami provided him to takeover Hera and destroy/consume her from the inside. If Hera can consume Zeus, why can’t Zeus consume Hera? They are both lightning based familiars. The development with Zeus will likely occur when Kid has been backed into a corner by Big Mom’s insane offense abilities. Ultimately, I expect Nami to get a power boost when Zeus is revived and empowered. At this point, Nami will be able to face off against the Beast Pirates completely and seriously. Possibly Ulti again considering Ulti’s treatment of children? Unless, Nami gets wind of Kaido’s treatment of children =P.
I don’t expect Nami, Usopp and Tama to remain where Big Mom is as they need to get Tama to the Performance Floor in order for Tama to activate her ability to pacify the SMILE users who consumed her kibi-dangos. The time it takes for them to reach the Performance Floor may provide Page One and Ulti sufficient time to recover and chase after them. Page One and Ulti may have been overwhelmed by Big Mom but they roles within the arc are done yet. The Straw Hat Pirates have been set-up as the characters who will face off against the Tobi Roppo and defeat them. Usopp will likely be the one to defeat Page One and Nami will be the one to defeat Ulti. Who’s-Who is taking on Jinbe and will be defeated by him. Sasaki will be taken down by General Franky and as for Black Maria, Robin and Brook have her covered. The All-Stars are a bit more trickier. Jack will be defeated by Inuarashi. Sanji and a recovered Zoro will likely be the ones to take down King and Queen. Zoro may have broken bones and be exhausted but he is anything but out of the fight for this arc. Give Zoro some time to recover and he will be ready to take on a weakened King/Queen.
Very curious about Yamato and what he will do when he realises Luffy has been knocked off Onigashima. Or will Yamato inspire Momonosuke to change into his Dragon form in order to recover Luffy and get him back to the floating Onigashima? I don’t believe Yamato has a beast form that can fly but there may be other characters who can that could end up saving Luffy. Momonosuke can sense Luffy and would be aware where Luffy is when falling down Onigashima Island. Could this move Momonosuke into action or will he consult with Yamato first? Will Yamato continue to the top of the Onigashima roof or will he take a detour to Luffy when he is informed that Luffy has been knocked off Onigashima? Very much looking forward to the next chapter.
12Dimension 