Fifteen pages and it’s mostly action. These kinds of chapters are sometimes necessary to make a bigger fight feel fleshed out (or make sure the right scene arrives on the right milestone), but they can definitely make for thin-feeling weekly discussions.

Unfortunately, we open on a loss that should be a win. I actually really like the panel at the bottom of page 3 where Loki’s shadow falls over Imu. It’s a great show of scale. I like how you wonder for a moment if this is Imu revealing a new power and reshaping his own shadow before turning the page and seeing Loki plummeting in. So why is it a loss? Because he’s facing the wrong goddamn way! How did that happen? The panels before and after show him facing the right way, as does the Loki reveal panel a pager over. Imu doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would willingly show his back like this, so it has to be an art error.

Also remember when Loki first revealed Ragnir’s power and it turned out even a single bolt of lightning coming to charge the hammer was a significant fire risk? Either the Astral World is burning or Oda’s letting that one slide.

Okay, I’ve nitpicked long enough. Luffy’s Kraken Gatling looks awesome and gives us a couple of great pages. Imu’s shield damaging Luffy’s hands feels reminiscent of when he tried to punch Warcury back on Egghead, but also the part around the middle of the Katakrui fight where Katakrui’s Armament overwhelms Luffy’s. So is this Haki? Is it Omen acting like Haki? Are the two not as different as we think? Keep a pin in this one.

Usopp’s speech is obviously the centrepiece this week, and it feels like a response to years of fanbase speculation about Nika’s spirit influencing Luffy and debate about his level of seriousness in fights. Luffy is Luffy, whatever titles and roles you put before that. It echoes Luffy’s Fishman Island bit where he rejects hero and villain labels and declares that he’s going to help the people he wants to help. I’m glad Usopp is here, and I’m happy to see his connections to both Elbaph and Luffy come into play, but I still want to see him contribute something more than a motivational speech before the arc is over.

The final move is a satisfying beat to end on. Having Imu pull the same shield up again to see it break gives us a measuring stick for how much more powerful Luffy and Loki’s teamup is. But while it certainly seems like Imu is starting to actually take damage, the good guys are starting from so far behind I’m still doubting they’ll be able to take Imu down here. Do we think that after being caught off-guard by this big hit, next chapter is the time for Imu to pull whatever his final trick is and start up the inevitable end-of-arc countdown?

Well, whatever’s coming, I’m just glad there’s not another break between us and it.