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

We’re at the first possible end point for volume 101, and what a place it is to stop. We’re also back to normal cover pages, which once again raises the question of which chapter the WT100 spread will be made part of for the volume release, if it’s used at all in that version. All at once ahead of chapter 1024 is my guess, but it’s a bit of an enigma. I wasn’t expecting to see Momo’s flight this soon. I really thought Oda would try to wrap up the remaining fights before bringing Luffy back to the island, but I’m glad he went about it this way. Luffy and Momo’s interruption of the others’ battles were a joy to behold.

Yamato’s past turns out to legitimately be pretty rough. Twenty years sneaking around the castle like an intruder, unable to leave but unable to live normally. I can only imagine that kind of tension reinforced the need to be Oden as a way to survive. After all, it was a feat of inhuman endurance that brought Oden to Yamato’s attention in the first place.

The suggestion that ogres were an actual race is a fascinating development that I wasn’t strongly expecting. So Kaido isn’t an ancient giant then? Or were ancient giants ogres all along? Or are ogres to humans as ancient giants are to regular giants. And a pretty demonic kind of people to namedrop so soon after bringing in the angelic Lunarians. I have so many questions! I’m not particularly bothered by the oni/ogre translation debate for the moment. Wano is the Japan-themed arc, justifying a lot more loanwords than usual, but Kaido isn’t from Wano, so it tracks he wouldn’t describe himself by the local culture’s mythology. Of course, this may be contradicted as we learn more about the ogre race in the future, but for now it’s not a problem. The last panel of this sequence is great. Kaido really looks like the monster he’s been built up as. His hybrid form can stil often be underwhelming, but when it looks good, it looks good.

Giant dragon Momo tearing through the dome and the castle is an absolutely magical sequence and may go down as one of the highlights of the whole arc. I wonder if all these new holes in the castle are going to have an impact on the fights taking place there – like letting Kid and Killer communicate about Hawkins’ trap for them, or giving the pirates still in the castle a new way to flee the spreading fires.

Once again, I love seeing consistent environmental damage. The exterior shots show a hole above the eye socket where Momo entered, and the wide view of the roof really makes it look torn up by the many fights that have taken place there. That’s a well-worn boss arena if I ever saw one.

Luffy and Momo coming up screaming behind Yamato as he tries to stike a dramatic pose is peak One Piece. I’m glad we get to see an encore Snakeman performance before the inevitable new form or gear that’ll close out this battle. Seems that Luffy’s a lot more able to freely go in and out of Gear Four now as well. Back in Whole Cake Island, he seemed to go into the haki-exhausted state from transforming back after throwing one quick punch at Big Mom, and now he’s in and out of it between panels with no ill effects.

Kaido says at the end that the world doesn’t need two dragons, but he’s incredibly, painfully wrong on that point, because two dragons were exactly what this arc needed. The main panel of them confronting each other in the last spread is a treat, but the one below that shows both their bodies snaking around is brilliant as well. Just fantastic work from Oda. Take your break, man, you’ve earned it!