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

Finally! The end of Act Two! Things are really picking up now, and what an excellent chapter to end on. My only real complaint about the series at the minute has nothing to do with the chapter at all, it’s just the way they teased the volume 84 cover in Jump but didn’t follow it up with the full reveal on the official website like they normally do after it makes it into the magazine. Where’s the cover, Shueisha? You’re killing me over here.

The alliance feels 90% ready to go to Onigashima by this point. The army is gathered, the heavy hitters have new toys to play with, the prophecy seems close to fulfilled and everyone’s out of the enemy’s line of sight (at least until the last page). The only loose end is the samurai imprisoned in the capitol, but I don’t think they’re likely to stay there long. If I was a betting man I’d say when we cut back for Act Three it’ll begin in medias res with an operation to break them out on the evening of the raid, just in time to join the fight. But of course, we’re a bit too ready for action right now. The raid is going to go wrong hard and fast after the action starts, because that’s just how stories go. Right now, there’s not any real sense of tension (anticipation, certainly, because this is going to be a spectacular set piece, but our guys don’t feel like they’re in real danger going into it) and we haven’t yet had our darkest hour.

Franky anticipating such a huge number of soldiers obviously indicates surprise reinforcements at a critical moment, but I don’t think it’ll be the Grand Fleet, despite Oda’s recent comments. I’m still pretty sure their big moment will have something to do with the Reverie rather than Luffy personally, but we’ll see. Catviper’s arrival, Marco showing up, turncoats from Orochi’s people who decide they’d rather support the old dynasty or a full uprising from the commonfolk are more likely to fill those extra ships in my opinion.

Carrot made her first appearance in a while, and to be honest I’m underwhelmed. Getting ready to fight in front of Pedro’s grave should be a huge emotional moment, but what’s with that expression. She looks so neutral. Not sad. Not particularly determined. There’s just not much of anything to read into that face. The march of the red scabbards on the previous page, however, is a beautiful and powerful moment. It’s been nearly seven years since Kinemon and the samurai subplot were first introduced, and now it’s all coming to a conclusion. The final pages of the chapter make it clear the result of this battle is going to a turning point for the One Piece universe, but really it’s a turning point for the manga as well. Almost a decade we’ve been building to this conflict, so the series can’t possibly be the same after it’s done.

Law being shown after Orochi gets intel from the traitor is an obvious red herring. I’m inclined to stand by the theories saying its Kanjuro. Just based on who knows what about the plan and what information has been leaked recently and in the past, he makes the most sense. I’m sure he’ll have his reasons/redemption arc though.

A final note: funny how it hasn’t been explicitly stated yet that Komurasaki and Hyori are the same person. You would almost think there’s something to that, but we see in the last page here that Hyori has taken the place of Komurasaki playing the act out. Oda’s obviously not trying to hide that they’re the same person, so maybe he just thinks its so obvious it doesn’t need to be stated. Still, a throwaway “I disguised myself as a courteasan all those years” would be nice just to get it all swept away. Unless there’s another twist coming, like Komurasaki is just faking being Hyori or something. I’m probably overthinking things.

Very excited for next week. I’m guessing the intermission will be at most a single chapter, same as last time. I’ve said elsewhere I don’t think we’ll be shown the Reverie directly, we’ll only get hints of it through newspapers and tangentially related characters hearing news. It’s going to be the ultimate long-haul tease until Wano is over and done with.