This text was originally written for Arlong Park forums’ discussion thread.

Loved the colour spread this week, though the perspective on Nami’s legs looks a bit weird. I’m sure there’s a billion theories about the globe, but I doubt it means much of anything. One thing I can’t stop noticing about One Piece globes, both canon and fanmade, is that the Grand Line never seems to have enough islands to make up the seven routes we’re told there were for the first half, and at least three starting paths for the second half. Although, it’s possible some smaller-looking places like Little Garden aren’t big enough to be visible on the average globe.

The other thought is that the landmasses on this one don’t seem to match the infamous seven-mooned Oharan globe at all. Even assuming its the exact opposite side, it doesn’t quite work. It’s likely the consistency of maps, except for the broadest points, isn’t all that important to Oda, but I do have something of a theory that the Oharan globe is meant to show the world as it was in the ancient past. And what with there being an ancient giant who can move continents in the story, there’s plenty of possible justification for landmasses being different between modern and ancient globes.

I wasn’t expecting the story to cut away from the prison again so soon. Not that I’m complaining about seeing a bit of Zoro after he took most of a volume off, but I’d really like to see the prison story moving into its climax.

The haki lore is not at all what I expected. Oh, I remember the weird shockwave deflection the admirals did and the way the elephant foot bounced off Rayleigh’s hand, but I’d attributed the former to haki not being totally defined yet and the latter to a quirk of the art that was just meant to depict the foot hitting Ray’s hand. I’ve been in debates over this. Hoo boy, was I wrong. Of course luffy is going to learn this haki forcefield skill, but I don’t think it’d going to change much about anything aside from justifying him winning some tougher fights, much in the same way future sight is more of a skill milestone than a tangible powerup so far.

Going to the Zoro scene, I still love Gyukimaru as a character. The daruma-like face lines are a great look. I love the way his nose is shaded over, like it’s gone red from the cold to match the face paint. A great touch. I also enjoy seeing a character willing to fight dirty without being a total bastard about it. There’s always been a few too many super-honourable fighters for my tastes in One Piece, taking an unrealistic number of hits voluntarily for the sake of chivalry or whatever. This is a good bit of variety.

And while we’re on the topic of variety, I think Oda has realised that Zoro’s fight choreography has historically been kinda weak, so he’s been making good changes like having Pica be a puzzle boss, and making the fight in this chapter a two on one.

Komurasaki appears to be alive. That’s sooner than I thought; figured we’d at least go through the motions of the funeral before this reveal. Nothing much more to say at this point.

I don’t have much to say about Kamazo just yet. He looks pretty cool, but he’s got basically no personality. I look forward to the rad look being undermined by the colour art making his kimono neon green or hot pink or whatever. The trademark Wano experience.

No comment on black blades either. We barely know anything new about them. This is just another tease, and they’re not the most interesting part of the lore to my mind anyway.

Also two bits of hit and miss translation this week. Someone already mentioned that the wording of the line about Ryuma and souls was off, but I also keep pausing at the panel where Zoro’s saying “Here we go with another weirdo…” Here it’s not that the line is inaccurate, it’s that the tone of it doesn’t match the art at all. Zoro looks mad, like he’s yelling, but the line ending with a “…” makes him sound more resigned or sarcastic. Something more like “What does this new weirdo want?!” would have had less of a disconnect. That’s a nitpick, I know.

The chapter ends fantastically. I like Zoro taking a real hit for the first time in a while, I love him keeping the weapon he was hit with, and I adore that he found a way to make Three Sword Style even more impractical by doing it with a scythe between his teeth. That final panel just exudes power. A solid chapter. Much better than I would have guessed from hearing we were cutting away from the prison again.