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

As we count down to the big quadruple digit, it’s worth keeping in mind that other multiple of 100 chapters weren’t always earth-shattering either. They can be things that don’t play into the bigger story, but are long-awaited in their arc, like Luffy landing his first blow on Kaido, or the Strawhats finally getting fight matchups with Cipher Pol. It’s easy to expect 1000 to be a level beyond, but judging by the current state of things, it could be something simple as well. Hell, chapter 900 was a negative moment of significance, with the Sunny seemingly destroyed, so our big moment might be Kaido finally letting loose, and little more than that.

And speaking of Kaido, what’s he doing, just hanging over the battlefield. It’s hard to read the emotions on his transformed face. Is he furious? Unnerved? Studying his foes? Debating whether it’s worth nuking Jack and the Number with a Boro Breath just to be done with samurai and furries? Go figure Oda would tease us with Cat and Dog’s sulong forms, but I wasn’t counting on a cut back to these parts for a few chapters yet, so I’ll take it.

Back inside, it says something about the Beasts Pirates that even in these circumstances, the Tobi Roppo have to be ordered to drop what they’re doing and help push back the invasion. There’s a lot of internal confidence for this crew. They’re still pretty sure they can handle this, given that it wasn’t an immediate all hands on deck situation. Whether that confidence was earned or not remains to be seen.

Drake nudging Hawkins in the direction of betrayal is a nice little nod to the potential of a Sword agent in an organisation like this long term. One can only wonder how much internal tension he’s stoked over the past who knows how long, especially given how ruthless and competitive most of the crew seems to be (although we see a little later the conflict between the Tobi Roppo and the Lead Performers doesn’t run as deep as was initially suggested). Given the context, it probably makes sense for Hawkins to be calculating Drake’s changes of survival, as a way of weighing up whether to listen to him, but Luffy is also a strong candidate. Remember back around Marineford when Drake kept trying to predict Luffy’s death but his survival odds refused to come up zero? Might have left him with a spot of curiosity about our captain, and what a time to try again for different results.

The panel where King says the internal power struggle on hold is the best look so far at the layout of the dome interior, which seems to be a network of islands, buildings and bridges. I wish we could get a proper overhead view or a map to work with. I want to be able to visualise the space better.

As much as I hate a chance for a co-op battle to be skipped, the acknowledgement that these kinds of enemies once took the whole crew to fight but are now easily put in their place is a fantastic demonstration of their progress and I love it.

The choice to have Hyo call Luffy simply a “guardian deity” rather than call out a specific Buddhist god like in the Japanese was probably smart. The story doesn’t flow if I have to stop reading to google a thing, or squint to read a hasty margin-sized note that barely gives enough context for it to work. I do wish Viz would let its translators add some notes, trivia and commentary at the ends of chapters or volumes, just for those little points of interest. (Or failing that I wish Stephen could be as twitter-active as Caleb Cook is for his series, given that it’s a slightly easier format than the podcast, but to each translator his own social media)

So what’s with that explosion that saves Drake? Doesn’t seem to be one of his moves, doesn’t seem to have come from the battle on the performance floor either. There shouldn’t be anyone else left to come from behind the stage, so who or what did it? Also, this is another chapter where Oda plays with the passage of time a little, getting all those conversations to play out in time for Drake’s fall to line up with Luffy’s attack. But then, talking is a free action. Queen and Who’s Who would have had to do quick work of subduing Drake though.

Luffy and Drake might have been the most unexpected teamup of the arc if it weren’t for Marco and Perospero the other week. I think Drake mentally dismissing the idea of going to the Marines for help and declaring himself an army of one is a good indication the Marines won’t be factoring into the Onigashima battle at all. They might challenge Wano’s borders as a post-climax complication after the fighting is done, but they aren’t being summoned here. And that’s fine. The characters we do have are jostling for screentime as it is. As always, can’t wait to see where it all goes!