I still think this is probably the best single ending to any arc yet, though Skypiea comes close (and is, in a way, grander). And also the best ending of any single manga volume in the series - rarely do the volumes end with such a clear final chapter.
Miss Father's Day and Mr. 7 are looking forward to a promotion for carrying out their important duty. (They appear to have overlooked the fact that they're about to be blown sky-high.)
I don't think they know about it... as far as they know, they're going to shoot down into the crowd at the square, that's it.
Vivi takes out Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day with her Peacock Slasher weapon. (...) Vivi has cut the fuse with 1 second remaining,
Vivi-bashers always seem to forget that without her actions here, the town and all the Strawhats would have been goners. Yes, Pell was still needed to truly save the day, but if Vivi hadn't been there to cut the fuse in time, Pell would have been too late.
The cinematic (literally) moment when the raindrops begin to fall is another one of my very favorite sequences. Love how the perspective zeros in on the island from high above, and keeps narrowing until a single drop of rain falls on Kohza's hand.
This is just masterful.
Another thing I love about this arc is that there's proper attention to the aftermath. I love the way the Strawhats just collapse out of all-too-understandable exhaustion - especially that panel with Sanji toppling over, cigarette still in mouth - the sleeping scene with Vivi next to them while it's raining outside, and the following days and the celebration. The Strawhats get some time to rest and recover after their ordeals. ♥
The Alabastans do seem like a resilient people, don't they? If I could go to the One Piece world, I wouldn't mind spending some time there... well, in winter.
Everything is in place, but Hina's subordinate is concerned about the fact that the Merry seems to have disappeared from its previously known position in Erumalu.
[Chapter 216 spoiler]In my headcanon, Robin and Bon Clay met up off-panel - perhaps in Albana, perhaps not until they both reached Merry - and struck some kind of deal through which Bon Clay kept quiet about her stowing away on it. (Though he might also just have done so out of loyalty. We will see from Miss Goldenweek's cover arc he has loyal feelings towards some of his old BW comrades, now that there is no advancing-by-killing career structure to worry about.)
Bon Clay: "You can stray from the path of a man or the path of a woman... but there's no straying from the path of a human!!" ♥♥♥♥♥
(I defy anyone to read this chapter without crying. I defy you!)
I've yet to make it through it tearlessly.
ETA: WHOOPS forgot something as usual!
Igaram and Chaka are aghast to discover that both Luffy and Zoro now have wanted posters, for 100 million and 60 million respectively (Luffy's is up from 30 million).
In the lower left of Zoro's picture you can see a tiny bit of Usopp doing his Crocodile impression (most visible in this very chapter).
Why would anyone bash Vivi? ;__; She's so awesome!
Sure, she wasn't strong enough to save Alabasta all by herself, but the whole point of having nakama is you don't have to do everything alone.
Alabasta absolutely has one of the best aftermath sequences of all the arcs. I love a good post-victory wrap-up done right.
Wow, thank you for your *spoiler* suggestion. That possibility honestly never occurred to me. I will stash that thought away for when I'm working through the next volume.
In the lower left of Zoro's picture you can see a tiny bit of Usopp doing his Crocodile impression (most visible in this very chapter).
Ahaha, is that what that is? I completely missed it. That means Usopp is in the lower-left corner of both the first two Strawhat wanted posters, hee!
Miss Father's Day and Mr. 7 are looking forward to a promotion for carrying out their important duty. (They appear to have overlooked the fact that they're about to be blown sky-high.)
I don't think they know about it... as far as they know, they're going to shoot down into the crowd at the square, that's it.
Vivi takes out Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day with her Peacock Slasher weapon.
(...)
Vivi has cut the fuse with 1 second remaining,
Vivi-bashers always seem to forget that without her actions here, the town and all the Strawhats would have been goners. Yes, Pell was still needed to truly save the day, but if Vivi hadn't been there to cut the fuse in time, Pell would have been too late.
The cinematic (literally) moment when the raindrops begin to fall is another one of my very favorite sequences. Love how the perspective zeros in on the island from high above, and keeps narrowing until a single drop of rain falls on Kohza's hand.
This is just masterful.
Another thing I love about this arc is that there's proper attention to the aftermath. I love the way the Strawhats just collapse out of all-too-understandable exhaustion - especially that panel with Sanji toppling over, cigarette still in mouth - the sleeping scene with Vivi next to them while it's raining outside, and the following days and the celebration. The Strawhats get some time to rest and recover after their ordeals. ♥
The Alabastans do seem like a resilient people, don't they? If I could go to the One Piece world, I wouldn't mind spending some time there... well, in winter.
Everything is in place, but Hina's subordinate is concerned about the fact that the Merry seems to have disappeared from its previously known position in Erumalu.
[Chapter 216 spoiler]In my headcanon, Robin and Bon Clay met up off-panel - perhaps in Albana, perhaps not until they both reached Merry - and struck some kind of deal through which Bon Clay kept quiet about her stowing away on it. (Though he might also just have done so out of loyalty. We will see from Miss Goldenweek's cover arc he has loyal feelings towards some of his old BW comrades, now that there is no advancing-by-killing career structure to worry about.)
Bon Clay: "You can stray from the path of a man or the path of a woman... but there's no straying from the path of a human!!" ♥♥♥♥♥
(I defy anyone to read this chapter without crying. I defy you!)
I've yet to make it through it tearlessly.
ETA: WHOOPS forgot something as usual!
Igaram and Chaka are aghast to discover that both Luffy and Zoro now have wanted posters, for 100 million and 60 million respectively (Luffy's is up from 30 million).
In the lower left of Zoro's picture you can see a tiny bit of Usopp doing his Crocodile impression (most visible in this very chapter).
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Sure, she wasn't strong enough to save Alabasta all by herself, but the whole point of having nakama is you don't have to do everything alone.
Alabasta absolutely has one of the best aftermath sequences of all the arcs. I love a good post-victory wrap-up done right.
Wow, thank you for your *spoiler* suggestion. That possibility honestly never occurred to me. I will stash that thought away for when I'm working through the next volume.
In the lower left of Zoro's picture you can see a tiny bit of Usopp doing his Crocodile impression (most visible in this very chapter).
Ahaha, is that what that is? I completely missed it. That means Usopp is in the lower-left corner of both the first two Strawhat wanted posters, hee!
Reply
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