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

Ugh, Sanji, Sanji, Sanji. I want to hope we’re not about to get another Kalifa situation, but this first scene was not promising. There’s a spot of hope if Oda wants to turn the idea of him throwing away his pride to use the Raid Suit into a theme. At the very least, bring back smart, Mr Prince Sanji and have him think up a way to handle Black Maria without physically hitting her rather than just throwing the fight.

Zoro’s moment was pretty damn cool and drawn fantastically, but I am looking forward to him being put more of a struggle at some point in the future.

The ice oni plot seems to be under wraps surprisingly quick. Will there be something else happening to delay the vaccine distribution. Chopper in his samurai gear and face half iced over is the coolest he’s looked in literal years and it would be great to see him trying different forms and being forced to fight in that state.

Zoro seems to have cut the balcony railing at the crucifixion mount in his warning shot at Queen. Just some more battle damage to watch out for the continuity of.

The falling of Okiku’s arm is the first acknowledgment from Oda that the other side of the hole in the ceiling actually exists on the roof. Good to know it’s not completely a one-way opening. And lucky for Kiku (in relative terms anyway) that does appear to be her left arm. Imagine how dark it would have been if an arm fell and it wasn’t the same one we saw get blasted off earlier.

And then Onigashima lifts up in an absolutely jaw-dropping panel. It was an easy guess that Kaido at least would go back to the mainland, but I figured it would be to burn the capital in dragon form, Smaug-style. At least we don’t have to worry about how everyone else catches up with him this way. Hopefully this means we’ll finally get to see the top of Mount Fuji. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if this moving island situation finally ends with Onigashima either balanced precariously on top of it or impaled on the mountain in the way of Shandora on the beanstalk. I’ll be interested to see what happens to the citizens when Kaido arrives. I don’t want them to be all talk about their newly-revealed secret hatred of him. Hopefully the fact that they’re flying Oden-shaped balloons will make it impossible to hide and force them into a fight or die situation.

I love that we can see the flames spiraling back to Kaido as their source in the final panels. Who is he talking to though? The fallen Scabbards? Their final survivor? The mystery guest from Decks of the World that Marco brought?

Some people have said that Kaido being able to produce flames in human form is evidence that he’s an actual dragon, but I’m just not seeing it. Making flames is just something some people can do in One Piece’s world. Luffy, Sanji and Kinemon all have totally devil fruit-unreleated fire moves. It can’t even be that high level of a thing if Pearl could do it back at the Baratie. Luffy himself is able to make a not-dissimilar-looking lingering wreath of flame to wear for Snakeman, though it obviously doesn’t lift him up (and the anime decided to just have it be steam for whatever reason). So colour me unconvinced on that one. I remain in came World Government genetic experiment Kaido.

Really fun chapter overall, even if that one plot thread is going a direction I’m not a big fan of. Some incredible artistic highlights in Zoro’s moment and the final spread, not to mention more inspired Gifter designs through the middle. The anticipation for chapter 1000 is starting to get painful!