One Piece Chapter 1063 – Bonney And Kuma

The advancements within technology and science may have been a recent development within the One Piece world but ever since the Punk Hazard Arc over 11 years ago, the readers have been slowly teased of the new position such developments hold within the political and militaristic landscape of One Piece. Caesar showed how science and technology can destroy Islands, create weapons of mass destruction and even replicate the powers of the Zoan Devil Fruits within Artificial ones albeit with massive side effects. Now with the story centrally focused on Vegapunk, we are beginning to see the true heights science and technology have reached within this world. And intersecting through such a focus is the story thread dealing with Bonney and Kuma who have, to a substantial extent, been ruined by the progress of science and technology.

One Piece Chapter 1062 – The [VI] Vegapunk

What a curious development, the mystery surrounding Vegapunk is even more fascinating than I initially suspected. Rather than something as simple as cloning or biological legacy, he instead split himself into six forms to cover more areas of research and potentially make it more difficult for his “enemies” to fully discard of him later on. It is unclear when Vegapunk exactly devised such a methodology but based on how events progressed through the story, I feel certain that Vegapunk only segmented himself after the events on Punk Hazard with Caesar i.e. around 2-4 years ago.

One Piece Chapter 1061 – The Humble Genius Scientist

So we finally get the reveal of the genius scientist “Vegapunk” but something tells me not everything is as it appears. For starters the appearance of Vegapunk greatly differs from the implied accounts we have had of them throughout the manga and there is just something about the Pun[k] 02 label on this character’s suit that makes me suspicious if this really is THE Vegapunk.Could this be Vegapunk’s daughter or a clone or someone pretending to be the scientist? Whatever it is, Vegapunk is behind it.

One Piece Chapter 1060 – The World Government’s Secret Weapon

We have known about floating Islands in the sky since Skypiea and about man-made/alien Island flying constructs since that scene where Capone Bege was pulled into the sky pre-timeskip but this is the first time we have seen a Death Star type of weapon floating in the sky, although it could very be the construct Bege was attracted to pre-timeskip. With such a development, the World Government has now become the Empire within One Piece. If it was clear that the World Government are the final antagonist of One Piece (sorry Blackbeard), it should be very apparent now.

One Piece Chapter 1057 – Yamato’s Decision

While within the realm of possibility, I am curious as to why Oda-sensei scripted Yamato in such a manner to only have him remain in Wano Kuni out of focus. I did suspect such a development, but I couldn’t see much reason for it considering the character and narrative momentum Oda-sensei has associated behind Yamato. One of the earlier theories I had which could have seen Yamato remain in Wano was the possibility of there being a seventh Wano Family and Kaido and Yamato being descendants of that family. In order to discover more about his blood and family story, Yamato would need to remain in Wano to uncover additional information. With Yamato not remaining in Wano to follow the “path” Oden took in traveling Wano, this could potentially open up an interesting path for Yamato to develop to be weaved into the story at a later point when the Straw Hat Pirates are in need of assistance.

One Piece Chapter 1056 – Preparing To Depart Wano

The Straw Hat Pirates conclude their loose ends in Wano and finally prepare to depart the land after having been disengaged from the outside world for a significant amount of time while events altering the landscapes of politics, power and possibility have transpired. The world has changed and the actions of Straw Hat Pirates on Wano have directly contributed to the reality they are about to return themselves into. The Straw Hat Pirates are now a Yonko crew with strong ally connections who are also about to get a new addition to their crew.

One Piece Chapter 1053 – Ryokugyu Enters

Ryokugyu arrives and his first stop is the Prison Mines holding the captured Beast Pirates. In order to vent and likely silence Queen and King for the scientific and historic knowledge they possess, he took out all the Beast Pirates present there absorbing their life force in the process. It is unclear if the Beast Pirates were all killed by Ryokugyu but he does seem like a guy who doesn’t understand mercy. On top of being able to absorb others life force, Ryokugyu is also able to instill within other forms life. As he walks across the barren lands of Wano, life flourishes and springs to forth. It’s a curious power that gift life but within the hands of Ryokugyu, it serves a very foreboding darkness. One that has targeted Luffy.

One Piece Chapter 1050 – Wano’s Samurai

He won. Luffy won. He challenged the world’s strongest creature and together with the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai alliance, the forces of Kaido were defeated. The twenty year long night that began when Oden died has finally been illuminated by the glimmer of hope awaiting in the future. Momonosuke in turn has also saved the Samurai and arrived in the Flower Capital with the Akazaya Samurai (those that can stand) and Hiyori to declare an end to the night and usher in a new dawn for the people of Wano Kuni. The time that stopped on the day Oden died has begun to move again with the arrival of his children, Momonosuke and Hiyori, and the Samurai who believed in them.

[Analysis] One Piece – Why Yamato Will Leave Wano After Kaido’s Defeat

Looking at Yamato as a character, Oda-sensei introduced them in a very specific way that directed him toward Luffy. From the fact that Luffy was the person Yamato was waiting for to Yamato’s expression of wanting to travel aboard Luffy’s ship. There wasn’t much hesitation in Yamato’s mind about leaving with the Straw Hat Pirates once Wano was liberated and its borders opened. In order to make a case for Yamato remaining in Wano, the narrative would need to entrench Yamato and his desires within the plot threads of Wano but as at chapter 1049, that has not yet happened (potentially it still could). Rather, Yamato leaving with Luffy has only been reinforced.

One Piece Chapter 1049 – Luffy VS Kaido: Joy Boy

The chapter framed itself within the context of Luffy representing Joy Boy, an existence prophecised to precipitate change. Within the narrative of an unfair world ruled by the whims of unjust nobles, the suffering of the people gave rise to a longing for liberation. Those aware of the legends of Joy Boy came to believe in its manifestation and approached life with such a thought in mind. King saw Joy Boy in Kaido. And despite Kaido’s doubt in Joy Boy’s existence, he had hoped for the contrary. The World Government feared Joy Boy and attempted to hid his existence from the world. Oden came to find out the importance of Joy Boy and desired to open Wano for this person. And finally, there is Yamato, who realised the identity of Joy Boy while grieving over Ace’s death. The man Yamato has waited for since that day. Within this chapter, the threads of Joy Boy all converged onto Luffy who drove his fist down from the heavens and sent Kaido flying into the depths of the Earth. A display that illustrated the overwhelming nature of Luffy’s Haki that has now knocked down the world’s strongest creature.