About this “great cleansing” (holy shit that scared me as fuck as I read it)… We can see that this “Im-sama”, as the king of the world, has the right to choose who will be extinguished from history, it’s not only killing someone, but to make everything that’s possible to make him disappear from all minds.
The word “light” is very important here I think, it may be metaphorical as “someone who gives hope to others” or as someone’s “life” simply. Put with the image of Vivi (which Im doesn’t seem to hold anymore when he goes to the throne)… Her picture is the only one which is not cut but Luffy’s, Blackbeard’s and Shirahoshi’s are. Does that mean that Im doens’t consider they deserve to disappear yet and his goal is Vivi of that they have to be eliminated but Vivi is another special case? If she had to be put in danger, I think it would be because of her family history (“traitors” + Cobra wishes to speak about the poneglyphs). But she hasn’t made anything else (except being in Luffy’s crew) which would make of her a target? I mean, Shirahoshi is a antic weapon AND also an ally of Luffy, why would Vivi be the center of attention ? It has to be important.
I think that through her, it is Alabasta which could be targeted, as well as many other allied countries of Luffy. As the gorosei ask for “their name” , and that they are willing to do a “great cleansing", it may mean that history may repeat itself with the forgotten century. Those who are willing to oppose the world balance (which may include Fujitora, the revolutionnaries as well as Luffy and potentially Blackbeard) should be killed and forgotten. It would imbalance strongly the world (as all institutions would be unbalanced [royalties, pirates, revolutionnaries, marines]) but for a even greater balance after.
However, Shirahoshi and Vivi are at the Reverie, which makes of them very easy targets, but I think that neither of them would die, as Neptune and Cobra would no stay without moving (as well as Rebecca and Riku and others) and killing them all is not possible right now.
In the end it’s very mysterious and scary. Well let me know what you think about it!
Once again Oda proves us he’s a great story teller, and his amazing ability to convey emotions through his panels is particularly strong this chapter. Seriously, it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a chapter as much as I did this week. It’s was a nostalgic but so well executed that feels refreshing and exciting. I know Oda isn’t very fond of taking Luffy away of the spotlight but as I already mentioned I’m really enjoying this Arc, and I think that after the past two prolonged arcs that Dressrosa and Whole Cake ended up being, he’s enjoying changing the pace too.
Now, to the fun part, my favourite parts of the chapter—
1)Contrasts
Look at this, what a magnificent panel, we can see and feel the magnificence of Marie Geoise (still getting used to the change).
And then…
We have this heartbreaking panel, full of emotion. This particular panel is a reminder of the cruelty of the world government, and of the World Nobles, it’s a reminder of how much he hate these institutions, but even more importantly of why we hate them. And it’s amazing, because we’ve been so excited about seeing Marie Geoise and the Reverie and old beloved characters that we might have overseen or forgotten that slavery happens in Marie Geoise. That this so proclaimed Holy Land is a glorified portion of earth filled with self-entitled people who are under the protection of an institution as corrupt and old fashioned as themselves.
So Oda throwing this panel feels like a bucket of cold water waking us up. “Like, yeah cool, you’re excited about finally getting here, but this is basically the origin of the evil on this world, have a suffering slave…”
2) Luffy’s Fanclub [Not a Bartolomeo’s associated]
In spite that I’m not really fond of Rebecca and that I’m actually quite fed up with her after the prolonged drama of Dressrosa, I actually liked the interaction between the Rescued Princess® gang. It was a pure and funny interaction.
Just look at those faces, they’re so proud of being #TeamLuffy. Dalton was the cherry on top tho:
3)The foreshadowing
Besides of providing a funny scene, I can’t help but think this will be a problem in the future, not only with Shirahoshi, but with the rest of #TeamLuffy. The Strawhats and particularly Luffy will offuckingcourse be a topic of discussion during the Reverie, and I can’t help but feel that perhaps someone won’t be able to keep their mouths shuts if people start attacking Luffy. Somehow I feel that Shirahoshi will be the chosen one to break the silence tho, she’s much more less diplomatic that her fellows royalties and damn, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but this also goes hand in hand with the bad feeling I have about the Gyojins and a sad outcome for their participation in the Reverie.
And panels like these don’t do much to calm my fear. Just like I said last week, Shirahoshi and the Gyojins are endangered and I swear if something bad happens to them I will riot. They have suffered enough and deserve happiness, not being chased like an animal zoo by scumbag like Charloss.
About that ending tho, I really don’t know what to think or say. Why the heck would a Straw Hat be the oh so precious treasure of the Holy Land? Is it perhaps related to the Will of D? And if it is, could it be it is related to like their old lider ir something of the sorts? But even if it did it still doesn’t make sense, cause let’s say that okay, the D. Family or tribe or whatever the hell they were, were the original rulers of the world and also lived atop the Red Line, that doesn’t make and old hat (no matter who it belonged to) a treasure, going by this long line of assumption and ‘if’ the Strawhats would be more like a trophy not a treasure.
I almost forgot about the absolute best part of the chapter: Dr. Kureha proudly wearing her son’s bounty on a T-Shirt while in a formal even hosted by the World Goverment. How cool is that?!If that ain’t love, then I don’t know what love is.
Gol D. Roger’s execution may have been one of the “great cleansing”. Only being a king himself, he turned it into a new era and the Pirate Age begun. At his execution he created a worldwide disturbance and shaken the balance that those at the top are so obsessed with. He made the world search for something – for wealth, for freedom, for an answer. That is his answer to whatever they’ve found in Raftel. That is also his answer to the power holding the empty throne. Instead of being “cleansed” he made a history never to be forgotten. And his name and legacy lives on.
Cheloneuniverse 