One Piece arcs have slow and bloated midsections that can be difficult to sit through week to week. This is nothing new; we’ve been doing this dance since Skypiea. But it’s the endings, the post-arc lore bombs like this, that make it all worthwhile.

Now, I don’t want to toot my own horn too much, but I feel pretty validated by Garling being promoted to Elder status following Saturn’s fall, which I spitballed in a chapter discussion thread in February, and Punk Records taking off to fill the role of satellite internet, which I was pitching as a way to escape the siege since at least August last year (though admittedly, I thought it could be launched all the way into space). I believe I also said in one of my reviews, when the escape plan was being made and Shaka said the Vegaclones were expendable that Oda seemed to be setting them up for self-sacrifice, but that it didn’t feel like his style to kill them all, but also that he probably also wouldn’t bring the full set of them on the Sunny, so there had to be a third option. And would you look at that, this week we get the third option.

Cover story first. Minatomo’s disappearance has to be linked to the kidnapping foiled in the last installment. There were theories last from the last one that Raizo could be back to his old ways, but he wouldn’t be interested in Minatomo, so the lead theory that it’s a former Beasts Pirate gains ground.

Right away we get a very interesting inferred character interaction for Lucci and Kaku. Is Lucci lying for Kaku? You can tell from Kaku’s face that something difficult for him has gone down. I’d love to someday see the conversation that preceded this scene, but that wouldn’t have the engagement factor of trying to fill in the gaps short term. And then, where is Stussy? I don’t believe for a second that she’s dead, but would she have made it to Punk Records before its takeoff?

Next, we learn some big things about the Five Elders. We know from the Gum Gum Fruit being a myth even to them that the Elders of today do not date back to the Void Century, but Saturn at least goes back 200 years. So the demonic forms come with a kind of agelessness. And shortly after, that the forms come with the position, seemingly bestowed by Imu and taken away just as easily. The first big clue about how to beat these guys, and a deepening of the mystery of who and what Imu is. And what an unexpectedly brutal and satisfying way for Saturn to go. A fantastic escalation for the series’ endgame.

Earlier than expected, the setup of the cloud machine’s importance pays off. But I’ll be honest, the mechanics of how the clouds are moving to pick up only Punk Records and not the rest of the lab aren’t really clear. And what the heck was York shooting at? Seems like she breaks the connection between the two halves of the eggshell, but that only makes it easier to steal Punk Records. Bit of a weird one.

You can’t help marveling at the sheer entitlement of the Celestial Dragons in their little sequence. How about that guy saying the sinking of the world wouldn’t impact him. Dude, you’re starving to death because you don’t have a way to grow your own food on top of your rock. You’re getting a taste of what it’s going to be like when the lower world goes away right now. And the obvious implication that while they have fewer choices and extras, the Celestial Dragons themselves are still eating well. The guy complaining about fish has a full plate, and another is still fed decently enough that snacks are an expectation. All while the chef serves on a growling stomach. You can see how far things are being stretched to make sure the haves keep having while the have-nots feel the impact first. There’s no saving these guys.

Garling joining the Elders is an awesome development. Can’t wait to learn more about this guy. And will he adopt Saturn’s demon form, or while he get ihs own monster to play. For how relatively late he’s come in this story, this guy’s already been fantastically set up as a villain.

I also think it’s worth noting how the Elders treat Garling when he walks in, before they know he’s joined their ranks. Garling seems to have been about as highly ranked as a non-Elder Celestial Dragon could be, a Holy Knight with the authority to execute an otherwise untouchable nobleman. But the Elders confront him about coming into their space without stated business. They demand deference. He’s told to know his place. There’s clearly a towering difference in rank that they expect to see respected, even though all present are Celestial Dragons.

The new Vegapunk Frankenclone is certainly something. I do enjoy the asymmetry of the giant Atlas arm though. I wonder if this entity will get a new name. I wonder if these guys would consider manipulating the information in Punk Records to mislead or mess with York should she try to reconnect. Hopefully they’ve learned enough to do the things York and the Stella did to prevent info they don’t want seen from syncing.

When I spoke about the last spread of chapter 1121, with the key players of the final saga, I raised the possibility of unexpected rivalries, but I’m still surprised to see Revolutionaries considering the implications of a run at the One Piece. Sabo and Luffy becoming rivals, even if they’re friendly about it, would be a crazy place to escalate things to.

Ivan realises something about the bridge projects, but I’m not sure I see it the same way. They don’t seem tall enough to escape the flood, but maybe they’re not just to live on. They could be ways for the people of the lower world to make pilgrimage to the Redline. Or they could have been intended to slant gradually upward as they extend out. There’s a few ways it could work, but no single one sticks out as the answer.

Meanwhile Dragon leaves us with some relevant social commentary. As much as we’ve all been thinking about Vegapunk’s words sparking rebellions and anger against the World Government, there would definitely also be panic and war. If the WG is smart, it can stoke the battles for dwindling space and keep the peasants below distracted fighting each other for as long as possible so no one has time to think long enough or get a big enough force together to challenge it directly. Will the Revolutionaries have a way to capture the hearts and minds of the whole world and unite them to collective safety instead of personal survival?

This has been the kind of One Piece chapter I’m here for. The sheer amount of work my rewrite project was taking had me a little burned out on the series last week, but all these big developments and hints to future lore and events are a shot in the arm. Can’t wait to see what Oda has in store next.