Things really feel like they’re getting back in gear this week, proving that the last chapter’s burst of energy wasn’t just a one-off. And no more break either, to keep the momentum going.

While it’s not the Egghead material I think many were hoping for, the opening Marie Geoise flashback does show a willingness to return to events parallel to the cutaway sequence in their own random breakaways from the current story. I would guess we need to see this now to be ready for Kuma to burst back into the main story in a few weeks. But why? What is he doing and what is his mission? One theory states that his push can’t send things past the Redline so he had to climb it himself to get to the other side, but that doesn’t explain his choice to attack the Celestial Dragons. If it was just getting over he’d have blipped away as soon as he reached the top. Some say the programming of the giant robot in Egghead has been put in his body and it’s repeating its attack from 200 years ago, but then why give up so quickly, even in the face of Sakazuki? I’d have wanted to see more struggle between the real Kuma and the robot to foreshadow him wrestling control from it. The prediction I’ve liked most is that he came looking for Bonney in her last known location and has bailed after getting enough of a look around to know she’s not there. I don’t think he would have a way to track her specifically, but he’s almost definitely coming to Egghead now, if only just to get repaired before continuing his search.

All I know is that the repeated emphasis on there being no will or mind left inside him makes it all the more certain he’s clung onto himself somehow.

And back at Egghead, in the present, Luffy vs Borsalino is on. I enjoy that Luffy’s lower gears still get to come out despite the marketing dominance of Gear Five following its reveal. And it’s a strong showing for Borsalino as well – if Snakeman’s speed and unpredictability was revealed as a counter to the literal future sight specialist, it backs up the admiral’s lightspeed claims to be able to keep up with it so effectively. The ability to hit and run from such an enormous range really shows how annoying Borsalino’s fruit can be when he gets serious.

While Borsalino’s expression doesn’t change much as all this goes down, the memory of Vegapunk’s pride in Vegaforce 01 speaks to something going on under the surface. I think it’s a shame to see Vegaforce go as well, but I guess we can’t have him overshadowing the arc’s other big robot.

Gotta appreciate Bonney and Franky’s willingness to throw down with an admiral the way they do. Franky especially for boldly choosing to fight lasers with lasers. We get a little more on Bonney’s change of heart as well, that her anger with Vegapunk isn’t gone, only shifted to another target. But who? And where are they? And should we have expected already that Borsalino would act so familiar with her? There are a lot of gaps to fill in with the inevitable flashback when Kuma arrives on the scene.

Ah, but where is Bonney after that kick? Borsalino was able to send Luffy through the impassable barrier, but that was with much more of a wind-up. And if she did make it through instead of being thrown back, the Fabrio-phase is occupied by the Marines currently, so with her laser damage on top of being worn out from the offscreen death game, she could be in a really rough situation.

The last spread is a great bit of Gear Five insanity to take things to the next stage. I’m fine with the giant Luffy big damn hero moment grab becoming a Gear Five icon, but Oda should probably hold back on the next use a while so it doesn’t get run into the ground. At least one arc without it from here, please. It has to give Borsalino some pause to know Luffy can make it in and out of the barrier on his own, so that he can’t just attack safely from outside like he did with that first kick. Sure, Luffy takes damage with each trip, but when has something like that every stopped him?

The robot in the Fabrio-phase powering up is surprise though. It didn’t do that when Luffy and Lucci were fighting. Or at least, we weren’t shown it doing that at the time. Whether or not this is an oversight I guess will depend on if it just lights up while Gear Five is active, waiting for a command, or if it actually moves on its own.

As we shift into the (presumed) back half of volume 108, Oda seems to have his pieces in place for the climax. Luffy and Borsalino have skirmished to test each other, but with the latter’s determination to do his job and the former having seen how quickly he can reach Vegapunk if left alone, the battle can only escalate. Meanwhile Kuma is coming, with more hints being built for the flashback, and Bonney potentially in danger to give him a hero moment. The only outlier is Saturn. Whether he’ll enter the fight to increase the pressure on Luffy, or be the extra opponent that forces the exhausted Strawhats to retreat, or who even knows what. I could see volume 109 being the last of this arc, or at least the last full one, if things go forward quickly enough. But maybe it’s too soon to make such a bold statement… Let’s just see what the next stage of the fight has in store.