One Piece Chapter 799 – The Straw Hat Pirate Alliance

What will Luffy decide?

We all had a feeling this moment would come when the Colosseum fighters and the Tontatta Tribe allied with the Straw Hat Pirates + Law earlier in the arc to take down the Donquixote Pirates and save Dressrosa. But now it is official, well almost…the expansion of the Straw Hat Pirate Alliance. Depending on Luffy’s decision, he may have a sizable army under his flag to command. Although, given the name of this saga we are currently in – Pirate Alliance Saga – I don’t see the new alliance members not following Luffy and Co. even if Luffy decides against them becoming his subordinates. Given Luffy’s nature, he may just have a problem with the exact type of relationship being formed and instead want something more along the lines of an alliance formed by friendship instead of orders.

One Piece Chapter 773 – Half And Half

Bartolomeo unleashes!

Personally, one of the most enjoyable chapters this arc; it highlighted Cavendish, Bartolomeo and Robin in such a sensational light and expressed just how important this battle in Dressrosa is for each of them. The way Gladius was defeated was nothing short of epic, and the half and half of Cavendish/Hakuba was unusually fascinating, yet the true moment of the chapter for me was Robin unleashing some of the potential she has as a fighter. With Robin arriving in the “monsters battleground” I look forward to seeing her in action, especially since it seems likely that she will be highlighted in a battle.

One Piece Chapter 772 – Bartolomeo And Cavendish

What a team these two make…

What an exciting chapter; Kyros is able to fight with Diamante and is ready to atone for his sins of not being able to protect his wife and daughter, Zoro has noticed the capabilities of the Happo Navy and is still in casual mode with Pica, Bartolomeo is amped up to defeat the guy who attacked Robin and Cavendish has just let Hakuba out to unleash. The highlight of the chapter certainly was the ridiculous interactions Bartolomeo and Cavendish have with one another, what a hilarious team those two make. I look forward to seeing the two of them conclude their battles with the Donquixote Pirates they are up against.

One Piece Chapter 757 – Taking Down The Donquixote Pirates

Robin about to unleash!

What a shame it is that Doflamingo hasn’t gotten the memo of his inevitable end and still tries desperately to be a jerk and ruin the lives of thousands of people as well as the beauty of an entire country. I guess whatever he has coming to him, he so wholly deserves. Hopefully it won’t be long now until Luffy smashes Doflamingo in the face expressing the feeling every citizen of Dressrosa has towards Doflamingo. Bartolomeo and Robin pretty much summed up Luffy’s charm nicely, he is someone you wouldn’t mind betting your life on.

One Piece Chapter 731 – Welcome Back Sabo and Koala

Creating waves all around the world, Ace’s death and those carrying on his will

I was wondering how Oda-sensei would follow-up the magnificent chapter of last week and my goodness, my freaking goodness, he did it, he shocked us even more and left us in awe once again, in a complete and euphoric state of awe. I can’t believe he was able to get all of that in a 19 page chapter, so many developments took place, what a mangaka Oda-sensei. Ah I am tearing up, I was hoping Sabo would appear this arc and I was hoping Koala would appear at some point during the story but both together in the same chapter, ah I can’t help but be left in a state of numb. And as such the extent and sheer weight of how glorious these developments are has not fully been realised by my body yet, but even so, my ear-to-ear wide smile is reacting overwhelmingly. Oh man, Luffy has another reason to smash Doflamingo’s face in now, Mingo is so going down.

One Piece Chapter 720 – For Those We Love

Well understandable, we all fell in love with Luffy after that as well

That sure was one eventful chapter. I’m still getting over the past of Don Chinjao’s because I’m still laughing at what happened to him at the end of last chapter. The revelation of Bartolomeo’s interest in Luffy didn’t help the situation at all, in fact I’m finding it incredibly hard to stop laughing now because once again it blind-sided me in how extreme and ridiculously hilarious One Piece can be. Bartolomeo a Strawhat fanboy? Oh dear goodness, I expected it to be revealed that he admired Luffy but a complete fanboy, I am contently stunned and amused. Well played Oda-sensei.

[Theory] One Piece – Bartolomeo The Cannibal

The barrier man, Bartolomeo – colour by Choparini

Edit: well this theory was made when chapter 714 was the latest chapter, but after chapter 720, when it was revealed Bartolomeo was a Luffy fanboy, my theory pretty much crumbled spectacularly. It was fun theorising who Bartolomeo was before we knew who he was (even though I was majorly wrong), but just like Oda-sensei has done many times before, he surprises us immensely – Sabo did get the Mera Mera no Mi though!

It was revealed in chapter 714 that Bartolomeo has some history with Strawhat [Luffy], a history that he made seem extends quite far into the past. From what we know the likely place Luffy and Bartolomeo could be connected by is Dawn Island. I’ve been trying to fit Bartolomeo into the events that took place there and the only way I can likely see Bartolomeo fitting in is if he is actually Bluejam’s son. That would establish the connection between Luffy and himself and explain why Luffy doesn’t recognise such a memorable face like Bartolomeo’s.

One Piece Chapter 708-713 – A Trick To See

Bartolomeo releasing a bit of tension…

Doflamingo, what a guy, what a mysterious and truly frightening man. Hahah so that’s what Vergo meant when he told Law not knowing Doflamingo’s past would come back to haunt him. It seems so obvious now in retrospect, but the thought that Doflamingo being linked to the Tenryuubito was totally outside my train of thought before the revelation, I can’t help but smile and say ‘well played Oda-sensei, well played’, it was a really amazing twist that has now excited me greatly.