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

I really liked this chapter. Kawamatsu’s been a low key favourite ever since his reveal and I really liked Gyukimaru’s design from the start, so getting such a sweet story for the two of them was a treat. No idea where this leaves volume 94 though, because as nice as the chapter was it still didn’t feel like as good a ending note as Big Mom and Kaido’s clash. It’s not usually safe to bet on 12 chapters to a volume but eh, we’ll see where we this time next week.

Bege’s story is going an interesting direction. We know that both Lola and Thriller Bark have left the Florian Triangle (though how Thriller Bark’s movements aren’t big news to the whole world given that it’s essentially a moving island and as such pretty hard to miss is beyond me, and how has it managed to cross the Red Line again, for that matter?) but Bege doesn’t, so what’s he going to run into instead. The big monster worked just fine as a permanent mystery, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little keen for the lore behind it.

There was some great background art in this chapter, from the strikingly shaped mounds of the eternal graves to the fine detail of Gyukimaru’s weapons stockpile. “Another day of ransacking graves ahead!” is a great line as well.

I’ve seen people who don’t believe Onimaru could be just a fox, saying it has to be a devil fruit or something, but I think it works with the broader themes and ideas of wano to have that kitsune mythology just be a thing that happens. Or Oda could work up some lore for the Koma animals specifically, say that the can imitate humans with the right motivation and connection to someone to model themselves off.

Now Enma and Shusui are an interesting case. I find it hard to believe that Shusui is just going to be set back on Ryuma’s grave to appease the Sword God. That goes hard against the philosophy of putting arms for the living ahead of respect for the dead seen earlier in the chapter. The army needs every sword it can get, which raises the question of who, if not Zoro, is going to use Shusui. Looking forward to seeing Enma in action though!

Also rip the theory that Sakazuki caused Kaido’s scar. I really liked that one…