Oda woke up and chose pain for 1098. We are not alone in seeing this flashback. Bonney saw all of this in that memory bubble. Bonney saw the pain her father went through and now knows the true enemy and tried to stab one of them in the face.
This is a powerful and emotional scene, and it is clear that Oda's flashback has had a profound impact on Bonney. To see her father in such pain and anguish must have been incredibly difficult for her, and it is no wonder that she reacted so strongly. Bonney's attempt to stab one of the people in the flashback is a sign of her deep anger and hatred for them. She knows that they are responsible for her father's pain, and she wants to make them pay. This scene also raises some interesting questions about Bonney's character. Why does she hate these people so much? Is she seeking revenge for her father? Or is there something else going on? It is also interesting to note that Bonney was able to see Oda's flashback even though it was not her own memory. This suggests that she has some kind of special ability to see into the past. It is possible that this ability is related to her Devil Fruit powers. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that this scene is a turning point for Bonney. She has seen the true enemy, and she is now more determined than ever to defeat them.
She also knows Sanji and Zoro offered to sacrifice their self for Luffy on thriller bark i think it's why she calls sanji cool when she talks with Luffy. I wonder what her interaction with Zoro will be next :)
Whats worse than a loved one dying during a flashback? Having a loved one get used as a sex slave for years by a celestial dragon and then dying to a horrific disease, during a flashback. Also when Kuma asked Bonney where she would like to go if she could go on a vacation, I cried. Kuma showed the Strawhats SO MUCH heart during a moment that we thought was the Strawhats lowest point. "If you could go on a vacation, where would you like to go?" is an all time fav One Piece quote for me now.
It's really messed up that Bonnie had to stop Zoro from killing that one Celestial Dragon in Saboady, since he was doing the same thing that they did to her mother but she didn't know that yet.
That breakdown of Ginny's mentality at the end of her life truly stood out to me, amongst all the analyses of the chapter I've listened to. I didn't quite think of her initially as trying to spare Bonney the horrors of Marie Geois with every fiber in her being and delivering her quite literally to the salvation of the best man she knew, who could care for and Love that child better than any other person in the planet... Ginny never got the chance to be a mother for Bonney as she grew, but the amount of dedication, strength, and maternal love that she managed to pack into that sacrifice will forever cement her as one of Oda's best portrayals of motherhood in the series. Bonney never got to know her mother, it's so bittersweet to me that she got to know her through the lens of the person who loved her mom most in the world, and whom loved him as intensely in return.
@@Magni87 Those damn onion-chopping ninjas that keep raiding my house every time a new chapter is released, or when I watch a video on them, are starting to be a problem
It's not the first time that sexual abuse has been mentioned in the One Piece universe, now we stop to think that she stopped Zoro from killing a celestial dragon who was trying to steal a wife for him, the same fate as her own mother, I guarantee that if she had Her memories at that time, she herself would have killed the celestial dragon, an interesting fact is that the god Saturn in mythology loves sapphires, and in the world of One Piece we have a character called Saturn and a disease that has to do with sapphires, in addition to that the The mythological oni creature that Saturn from One Piece represents has the ability to curse people who don't like him, it was certainly on purpose by Oda, I believe that perhaps this disease is to make a comparison with sexually transmitted diseases, certainly created by celestial dragons
It's hits even worse if you realize that Fisher Tiger's raid was only a year before Ginny was captured. If she was captured only a little earlier she could have been freed.
Maybe. But even if she was, she wasn't taken to be just a regular slave. She was taken to be a celestial dragons wife. so there's a chance that even if she was taken earlier, she might not have been with the other slaves since their circumstances were different.
One of the reason she was taken was actually probably because fisher tiger freed soo many slaves. After that the celestial dragons probably demanded more slaves and wives be brought in for them.
@@felixowen2693Yes, exactly my thoughts too. That because of Fisher Tiger, the Celestial was more eager to find new slaves/wives. Because Boa and her sisters, I don't think they would just be regular slaves. It is implied they are somewhat "wives" also of the celestial dragons.
This is one of the details that an average reader may not even notice, but yeah if you realize it it hits. One Piece is a very interconncted story and the more you know about it, the more impactful the reading is.
I called it and im really upset that i called it. Ginny deserved better but luckily Kuma is the dad that stepped up. The panel where Bonney calls Kuma "Daddy" for the first time and he just starts weeping is adorable.
An interesting observation retrospectively is Kuma’s first interaction in the series was with a pink haired girl who lost a bear she loving called Kumashi and then she made another one to care for. And also the first time he asks where she’s like to go in the series
Wondering if Perona with her pink hair reminded Kuma of Bonney on Thriller Bark, which may have been related to why he asked her where she wanted to go, and immediately got her out before destroying Thriller Bark.
Kuma didn't have to send her off though, dude can inflict pain or knock out people on Perona's level on a whim. In fact his mission when he first arrives is supposed to be either making sure Gecko Moria doesn't lose, or if he Moria does lose, kill everyone on Thriller Bark. So sending Perona away conflicts with both of those objectives.
This chapter really got me into tears. 3 years ago my son born, but my wife got DVT with blood coats in her lungs, the blood coat was in all her leg, so it was hard for me having a 3 day son and had to deal all with that, and in some point, she told me that If she had to die, she wasn’t scared. I still had my family complete, but this chapter remember me all that pain, and the future I imagined if the worse happened, I hope Oda gives Kuma some final peace, because he really earned it
I just wanted to point out that the book Bonnie read about the Sky Island's and Fishman Island is Kuma's Bible. The same one he read while asking the Strawhats where they would want to go on vacation. And also the 8 dots orbiting a large "sun" appear in the center of the cross in the Church when Ginny dies. This same symbol is seen in the Alabasta Crest, skypiea, Kozuki crest, and so many other places.
@@drpea5189 What Devil fruit do you think OP Jesus would have eaten? Think about the whole walk on water thing, it's the perfect counter to the whole swimming curse thing
What hit me the most was the panel where Kuma held Ginny in front of the altar. Iirc, normally two loved ones stand in front of the altar and pledge their love and loyalty through every catastrophes and challenges. Kuma and Ginny might've never had a wedding, but they still pledged their love and loyalty to each other in front of this altar with Ginny saying how she has always and will always love Kuma before dying while Kuma pledges his loyalty to Ginny's wish to raise Bonney. The baby might not be blood or born out of love, but she's family to both Ginny and Kuma. Thus, Kuma is also pledging his loyalty and love to Bonney as much as he does to Ginny.
There’s probably a lot more to that disease. Everything that Oda is doing with the Sun and Moon: Nika, the Buccaneers, the Alabastan flag, the Sun Pirates, Kuma’s religion, Eneru, the Skypeans, the Lunarians, the Kozuki clan, etc… And here we have a disease, from the Celestial Dragons, that makes sunlight and moonlight literally kill you.
For me, one of the most heartbreaking aspects and overlooked aspects of this chapter is the expression on Ginny's Den Den Mushi when she contacts Kuma and the revolutionary army (remember, the snails take the characteristics and expressions of whoever is using them). The cheerful girl that we came to know on the previous two chapters is now completely gone. The spark and life in her eyes is no more and she can barely form a bitter smile as she declares her undying love for Kuma and breathes her last. The two years she spent with that Celestial Dragon must have been *hell* for her.
I remember Charloss saying he had grown bored of a bunch of his oldest wives when he abducted the new one in Sabaody. It was really twisted back then, but now I really wonder how and in what state those women were released. Oda really doubled down in the horror he hinted at with Boa's past.
There's an idea out there that Oda struggled to get through the chapter because of the emotions he felt from writing it. In 2015 he did this with Kyros meeting Rebecca at the end of Dressrosa, where he was crying too much and was late. The editor was furious with this, but then he read the chapter and cried too 😂😭. People are thinking this is what happened, which would make sense because almost everyone, even the most heartless powerscaler, was crying for this one 😢😢
@@sageinit no, but I have seen it posted by multiple people. All I know is that, whether true or not, it was about Kyros and Rebecca at the very very end of Dressrosa. The chapter where Luffy carried Rebecca to the house on the flower field
This chapter made me very emotional and when I finished reading it I thought to myself "I blame Merphy for wanting to see Kuma's past so much 😭" Also it's pretty insane that Bonney probably saw everything from this flashback in the Kuma bubble she absorbed, that must've aged her up a few decades 😨
What really got me upset was realizing how innocent his questioning of where others would like to visit. It's interesting because seeing that before the timeskip made my heart sink on Sabaody, something so petrifying having such a humble and innocent beginning.
I think the craziest part about Bonney's age reveal is just how recently the events in her life occurred. She was literally 10 when we were introduced to her in Sabaody, which means whatever happened that cured her illness presumably took place shortly before we were first introduced to Kuma in the Jaya arc. It's very surreal to have a character flashback that is most likely concurrent to the story that we've been following pre-timeskip.
The unfinished artwork just felt appropriate, like that even the artist was struggling to get through this backstory; almost adding more weight to what we were seeing If not for odas note i would've just assumed it was an artistic decision Also dragon is a true legend for making those difficult calls, and kumachi is best anime dad bar none
After stuff like the Boa sisters and what happened at Sabaody, I always thought Oda would only ever imply sexual assault; and currently these implications were only due to us as readers understanding the kind of horrific acts that people with the power of the Celestial Dragons hold can get away with, and not due to the fact that SA was ever confirmed in these cases. This is about as close you can to confirming what happens at Mariejois without it being tactless
Honestly, after reading the chapter, I think the reason Oda didn't finish was because he was too emotional in regards to the chapter itself. As you mentioned, he covered *intense* topics that would take a lot out of anyone. Since he cares for this world more than anyone else, it would follow that this chapter took a lot out of him, and that he needed to do what he needed to recover. Amazing chapter!
@@YOGI-kb9tgI don't, since it happened before...running out of time is more likely, but Oda taking a long time to finish a chapter(first time for the art looking this way though)because he was too emotional has happened before, i think
Absolutely not the case. Working conditions in the manga industry are awful and he's been subject to them for decades now, which has been very damaging to his health, leading to this and the constant pausing(which should be the norm, publication shouldn't be both ongoing and weekly). I know your comment means well, but having a fantasized version of reality downplays the material conditions for bad stuff happening, and they must be kept in the spotlight to be combatted.
@@nathbalzana That said, it's more realistic for it to be a mix of things, not just one thing. So yeah, conditions of the industry is definitely a big candidate, but this chapter taking a lot out of him emotionally may also be part of it. Also, his eyes giving him trouble (you don't just magically heal seconds after an operation and it can take months before you're back to full health, if ever) is likely to be a part of it, as well as dealing with possible personal situations we'd have no notion of and/or other things he may be doing (helping with Live Action again, teaming up with someone like Gucci again, doing other business in his life, etc). it's NEVER just one thing, so chill on the combat mentality. We have no actual idea what it is that caused him to have to put the chapter out unfinished, so saying it's not x/y/z because YOU don't think that's likely, when it very well may be part of the reason is dumb. The fact of the matter is, __NONE__ of us know so it could be magical rainbow unicorns running rampant through his workroom and stealing half the manuscript. We have no idea unless we're told it, so chill. It's just as likely all of these things (bar the unicorns).
@@7thlittleleopard7 Yeah, the surgery is probably high up there too. But I very much disagree with most of the sentiment of your comment. Yeah, we weren't told that the pauses are due to bad working conditions, they don't just say that. But we do know how the industry works, and we have a pattern of similar health issues(and consequently publication issues) with a lot of long term authors. We also have a pattern of narratives created that shy away from discussing these issues(e.g. Togashi being lazy/pausing the manga to play videogames). And my main point wasn't that the issue this week was necessarily a health problem that happened because of his work(the astigmatism, for example, is very likely unrelated and just due to his age), but that the deadlines he and other authors work under are absurd for ongoing publications. When the narrative is that the reason for the unfinished chapter is that he got emotional, it credits the idea that it's on him and not the process itself, and moves the whole conversation away from all of this. If you have to run up fifty flights of stairs every morning to get to work, you didn't arrive late one day because you had to stop for air, you arrived late because you have to run up fifty flights of stairs.
Bonnie is ginny and Kuma's daughter. Calling her celestial dragon's daughter is giving them too much respect. These mf don't deserve a single ounce of it
Never thought Celestial Dragons gave Ginny the disease intentionally but now that you mentioned it, for someone who believes "Sun God" Nika will liberate them to catch a disease that specifically gets worse under sunlight is kinda sus
This is the second time we see Dragon talking about living without regrets: The first time was when he first saw Luffy's wanted poster (waaay back then), and now he says the same to Kuma. The fact that he also has the "habit" of staring towards the East Blue when he is outside (pointed out by Ivankov many chapters ago) makes me think that maybe he kind of regrets leaving his family (Luffy, and possibly a lover/wife) behind.
We know Dragon despises violence, in that bounty poster scene, he yells at his soliders for celebrating winning a battle and says something like "war isn't something to celebrate" and Vegapunk asks him why he's creating a standing military since he's a pacifist. His family might be part of his regrets too, but more importantly I think Dragons regret is that he has to turn to violence to achieve his goal of taking down the corrupt WG. Which lines up perfectly with one of the main inspirations for Dragon and the RA, Castro and the Cuban revolutionaries, there's a pretty famous Castro quote that goes something like "we exhausted every peaceful option before we turned to violent revolution" which I feel like that's the idea Oda was going for when he wrote Dragon
the unfinished drawing helped make this chapter more emotional and darker, its like the pages are crumbling away just like Kuma's whole world. And also I really like your new background.
What hits me the most on this flashback is the responsibility that luffy has as nika. We saw him fighting kaido and Lucci and we didn't think about it bc they were surprised by luffy's strength, and I think we need to see G5 more like zunesha and Saturn see it: as the salvation legend that has been spread all around the world, as the only hope for some people, especially slaves. And you're telling me that my non-hero boy will take that responsibility? That would make him a slave of liberty. He will keep liberating people, and bringing joy to the world, but not as a job imposed by this legend, even if the world needs it
Outside Perspective: THAT DAMN STRAW HAT IS BREAKING OUR TRADITIONS AND RULES. THE LEGENDS WERE TRUE...!!! Luffy: Bro, you gave me meat. Who I gotta drop?
i believe that since his introduction, Oda dedicated an hour of his day to think how to make Kuma suffer. Also interesting thing to notice, Sanji never once acted like he does with girls with Bonney, never once he had heart eyes for her and 'flirted' with her, like he deep down knew she's just a child despite her looks
He might've deciphered that when Bonney popped out of the sea twister at the beginning of Egghead and she was in her original 12 year old child form. Man's observation skills was already on point before haki.
I love how you went from being unsure of this manga before you started to having a one piece set. Murphy, you are one of my favorite one piece content creators.
I been wanting for this for Days! Since the Leaks version came out the first though was “Ow! Merphy is going to have a breakdown at home, hopefully the kids n ur husband are around to console her”
Fully agree. Surprised how many gloss over the Kuma marrying Ginny thing, only for it to happen regardless. You brought it up in the beginning how we saw the Celestial Dragon take someone’s wife in Sabaody. It’s probably already been brought up to you, but that’s also one of our first Bonny scenes when she stops Zoro from slashing one in two. The call backs by Oda have been very amazing for both Bonny and Kuma.
I love the new set-up! Seeing one of my favorite UA-camrs working on spicing things up is so enjoyable to me. Seeing all the little changes and nuances over the next few months is going to be fun.
My Heart Broke, Particularly for Bonney. I few chapters back there was a scene where you see Kuma being driven and Bonney just says "Dad..." and My mind went right back to that scene. Ohhh this Family I feel for them, Sadness.
We weren't ready for this, Oda just pulled one of the darkest chapters in the story. There were scribbles in some panels because he didn't finish it in time but that worked so well with chapter 1098 😵
You describing and analyzing Kuma’s love for Ginny and Bonney made me tear up, so I had to pause the video for a moment. 10/10 chapter, and a 10/10 review. Would cry again. :’)
I thought oda just forgot or rather gave up on bonney and Mad monk uruge but she turned out to be one of the key character of one of the best backstories
In Rebecca encounter with Kyros Oda almost failed to deliver the chapter because of his emotions so it can be the same here. He also uses shades here more.
There are two panels in this truly devastating chapter that I find particularly powerful. Both of them are simply closeups of Kuma’s face. The first is the panel that shows the intense fury and silent heartbreak he’s going through as he just pushes everything into liberating people on the battlefield. I honestly think it’s one of the best expressions Oda has ever drawn, and that’s saying A LOT. The second is the panel of Kuma shedding a tear and smiling as he feeds baby Bonney and remembers her mother’s big appetite. That panel completely wrecks me. To see such subtle emotional expressions that each say a thousand words on a character that we have only known as literally robotic for the entire time we’ve known him just hits SO incredibly hard. 💔
Do you remember Doflamingo's flashback? Back then, it looked brutal against him and his family to get punished for his people's crimes. But now, the villager's suffering feels so much more raw and I can't imagine how to punish the celestial dragons but to have them experience what the Donquixote-family did.
No, I'm sorry but that's just not the answer. What those villagers did to the Donquixote family *was* brutal, especially when you consider that aside from Doflamingo himself, his family were some of the better Celestial Dragons. Certainly Doffy's father seemed like a good guy who wanted to give up his privileges and be a bit more normal, and we all know what a great person Rosinante / Corazon was. The mother seemed nice as well. Of course I understand the villagers' anger but what they did wasn't right either. Brutal vigilante vengeance is rarely the answer, and Oda has been very good at showing that. That's also why we had characters like Mjosgard. Even Celestial Dragons are people and not all of them deserve a horrible fate. The solution to problems like this has to be more than just "yeah let's lynch the rich". Especially when you attack families and children, all you are doing is perpetuating the cycle and ensuring that the children grow up to be hateful. Which is exactly what happened to Doflamingo.
@@MarkHogan994 Reminds me of the conflict that came up near the end of the Hunger Games, when everyone was like "now let's make district 1 do a solo games and kill each other" and Katniss or Peeta (can't remember, been too long) was like "woah, wtf".
@@MarkHogan994i mean, the Revs are burning all food to the tenryuubito as part of their plan, including food to the good ones and food to the kids too. So what about that?
I get where they’re coming from, but I think it’s been made pretty clear through Doflamingo himself that choosing vengeance only incites people like him to do the same and give back worse than they got. There might be a few standouts like Homing and Mjosgard who want to change, or Rosinante who understood that there was a reason for his suffering that couldn’t be perpetuated- but most people, and especially such bigoted people, won’t see it that way. Violence may be inevitable for taking down the system, but the torture and destruction of innocent families like the Donquixotes doesn’t have to be a part of that. At the very least they’d have to separate the more ‘proactive’ members from those who were more or less strung along for the ride
This is the first time I've cried over a weekly release chapter. Its easier to capitalize on emotions in the anime with music and voice actors, and easier in the manga when you're reading chapter after chapter... but weekly??? That's hard to do, and this chapter did it. When Kuma suggested the kids were just jealous of her jewels I fricken lost it. KUMA IS SO NICE. HE'S THE NICEST GUY, LEAVE HIM ALOOOONE
About the disease, her being infected by the celestial dragons on propose to discard her makes sense. My guess would be, they wanted to discard her but keep her as a prize, this is why they we're trying to turn her into a jewel, or something like a precious stone statue
Oda has said in the past that any time he draws those panels of his characters crying he cries too. I imagine this was a really difficult chapter for him to draw.
"Don dun dut dut! Don dun dut dut!" im telling everyone its the drums from Overtaken the Drums of the Walk to Arlong park. the Drums of Liberation really are Drums of War.
1) love the setup 2) I think this is the first chapter I’ve read from Oda that is legitimately unfinished. At times it did bother me a little but as others have said, sometimes it adds a little to the story. Something similar happened during a really important fight in JJK and so many people thought it was just a character using their ability 😂 3) easily one of Oda’s darkest chapters and that is SAYING something considering how much of the story he’s gone through
So happy to see your summary actually covers whats very important and what stands out in this chapter. Recently there have been a huge cropping up of the loud minority in the OP fandom/TT that are calling dragon a fraud because Ginny was captured and he didn't risk life and limb to get her back at any cost like Luffy did in Enies Lobby despite the massive differences of the scenerios. I truly appreciate the content of people who look at context along with content to really drag out the great story telling and world expansion in this chapter. One of my fave scenes was when Kuma was cheering Bonney up by saying she has sweet jewelry on her face which is why her epithet is Jewelry Bonney! Alongside the timeline placement of it being after the fires in the Goa kingdom since they either had troops that were liberated for a time after the fires or that the Gray Terminal Fires were fairly recent to modern day showing what dragon has been doing during luffy's childhood flashbacks and tending to those wounded. What I also didn't notice that was elucidating to hear was your take of received suffering by the Celestial Dragons and force plague on Ginny with our prior knowledge of her behavior. There is obviously so much more to this chapter and I can't wait to hear more of your takes after some more releases.
I can't handle much more of this flashback ngl. It's so heart-wrenching that I just couldn't stop crying the night I read it. I had to cry myself to sleep
There are times when One Piece hits you so hard that you're just a broken mess. You're so absolutely livid at the sheer cruelty and tragedy on display that you become a blubbering, writhing mess of emotions and tears cursing "Why? Why must he suffer so? What cruel, indifferent god must we pray to to stop this pain?" This chapter broke me, broke us.
When the stuff with Boa was brought up, I was instantly reminded of how good the Merphy and Jay discussions were, and now can imagine there being another one about the entirety of Kuma’s flashback when it ends, or maybe Egghead. I just get a feeling that it would be an impactful chat based on the themes.
What actually breaks my heart even more and it's just a stupid detail, is that Bonney is dancing with Kuma when thinking about Nika and the drums of liberation. It's just a really sweet and heartbreaking panel after Kuma starts to dance, I don't know why, but that one packed a punch.
I waited for your chapter review, merphy. ❤️ I cried so hard and none of the boys here on youtube get the female perspective on Ginny right. She loved her baby so much. She gave all her time left to bring her to savity. And her trust in Kuma to care for her treassure, her girl, is just so... i cry again.
First chapter that made me cry hard since i got caught up to the manga 7 years ago. This arc is one of my favourites easily i love the mini arcs so much.
I wonder if Bonney’s Devil Fruit basically acts as a cure for her disease, and maybe Kuma sided with the WG in order to get it. Her ability to alter the age/state of her body could also maybe allow her to reverse/halt the progression of her disease
What hits me the most in addition to us going through the backstory of Kuma and seeing everything... is that Bonney has now seen it too in Egghead Island... and she's having to process all of this at ONLY 12 years old
I just want to say, Kuma's flashback is probably the most effed up one Oda has written so far. Enslaved as a child, felt he had to lie to his father about being ok, just to get the news of his mother's death in return, and to see his father executed minutes later in front of his eyes, just because he was trying to make his son feel better. Shortly after, put as "rabbit" in a rabbit hunt, with literally a target on his back. Then, what seems to be a little bit of very much earned happiness, soured a bit the feelings of regret upon the people he "left to die" at God's Valley (when it was not physically possible for him to save anyone else, but still, the regret "Damocleses" over his head), and Nothing Happening secretly every Sunday and denying himself of accepting love out of fear and PTSD. But guess what? Even that glimpse at half-baked happiness goes away when a tyrannical ruler, and he needs to put everything on hold to fend him off. But hey, here's a good cause, they join the Revolutionary Army, that's good, they can help even more people, and Kuma lives for that! ...even if it means they can't see each other for years... But they are about to reunite!! But a Celestial Toejam fucking kidnaps Ginny, makes her his sex-slave, and he cannot allow himself to bring the castle down to recover her. Two whole years later she is back, he instantly goes to her, and yet he arrives too late. Decides to make the best of an extremely bad situation, and protect her legacy, Bonney. But she only has 5 years left to live. Anything else you want to throw at this guy, Oda??? Oh, yeah! Remember the ruler of Sorbet the RA drove away as he wanted to kill half the country, specifically the half that's populated with Kuma's friends? He's back, and trying to kill them again! What's next? Bonney died in his arms after being brutalized and the one we know is a Vegapunk-made clone? That and Iva being killed and skinned for someone like Charlos to wear his face as a mask is the only thing he's missing, at this point!
The first real interaction we had with Bonnie is when she let the Celestial Dragon take away the woman to be his wife so that she can save herself and Zoro. That woman now is like her mom and she probably just made another Bonnie
15:38 I think I can confidently say that the devil fruits do look different depending on the person. One may influence the other interchangeably and to different levels in a case by case scenario. The biggest examples I can think of this phenomena are Karasu, Luffy and Caesar Clown. Luffy's fruit, as the rubber fruit of course, has a whole side of close combat, a wrestling-like, style of combat that Luffy doesn't even think about, like those of big snakes, constricting the opponent. We know Oda knows about it, Queen used a bit of it against Sanji for example, but Luffy lacks affinity to it, he instead uses his elasticity to magnify the momentum of regular attacks as well as the enhanced durability of his body for short bursts of doping. Karasu ate the soot soot fruit, yet he manifests himself and his powers as crows whenever possible. We have not yet seen any other logia user manage to emulate an animal with their powers like that, and his whole style revolves around it too. If another person ate the soot fruit they wouldn't be able to summon soot crows in the same way. Caesar Clown could very well fight the same way Smoker does, even better considering his fruit is a total upgrade from Smoker's, but because of his scientific knowledge and his lack of fighting skill, he doesn't and instead focuses on using his powers to do chemistry like no one else can.
kinda waiting for OnePiece daddy tierlist "He may be your father boy but he ain't yo daddy" tier Celestial "Am not the step father. I am the father that stepped up" tier Kuma
My history teacher once said, what he loved so much about Japan is how they handle a disaster. Specially in media. He said, where there were a disaster stroke Japan, all the media and the goverment doesnt linger too much on the tragedy that happened. They doesnt let the media took the advantage of tragedy too much to spreading sadness. But, they highlighting The rebuild, the healing of their damaged city, more than anything. That is their way to be hopefull. Its tragedy, yes. But there will still be tomorrow, and tomorrow is what the most important thing above all. Thats why Japan can rose up to be one of the most powerfull country even after they massively lost the war. I always feels this spirit in One Piece. Yes, its Shounen, yes it is One Piece. But thats why it is what it is. Oda always hitting hard with his flashback. Harder and harder. Dude never run out of idea to torture his reader. But, even with the horrific tragedy that happened to Ginny, Oda contrasting that with the hope of tomorrow that is Bonney. In a single chapter. #thankYouOda
My theory on Bonney’s cure. She hasn’t been cured but her devil fruit allows her to change herself into different variations of herself. This not just by age but by body characteristics as well because on what future she chose for herself at that time. She has changed her appearance at least twice now, one of which we actively saw this arc. I believe she wanted herself to be older and disease free so she can pursue her goal.
Masterful work by Oda in sowing the Revolutionaries true colors after 1097, a very condescending chapter that painted them in a very good light including dragging my big boi Kuma and his beloved Ginny into their army. I remember Sabo recently saying something like "it doesn't matter that this odd thing just happened as long as it blazes the flame of revolution in these kingdoms", wich knowing against who are they fighting seems like a very reasonable and heroic thing to do. The thing is Dragon and even Ivankov didn't care enough to try to save Ginny bc attacking Mary Geoise could mean the absolute end of their little revolution, so letting her be enslaved for the cause is very on brand with their ideology where nothing and no one (not even them) are more important than the changes they're trying to implement (by force if necesary). That's such a contrast with Dragon's dad, the military dog that ultimately serves to the Tneryubito but it has enough emotional inteligence to distance himself from the power positions and instead focusing in training the new generation of marines that could actually make a change during these weird times. And when one of these young marines gets kidnapped by a Yonko he goes in person to save him despite all the repercutions this could cause. Now he's at mercy of Teech and we don't what this could mean but it doesn't matter bc he saved Koby. The other contrast is of course Dragon's son and I don't need to explain the lenghts this dude went to save his friends regularly. He fucking punched a Tenryubito in the face bc the asshole shoot Hatchan. He was ready to put a full pause into the One Piece quest and drag everyone's asses back to Alabasta just to make sure Vivi is ok and he needed to be talked down to continue the adventure. This is why I don't like and I never liked Dragon and Sabo. They are way too radicalized even in this literal dystopia. Nika alone is doing more to liberate slaves by just existing and punching motherfuckers in the face than this whole organization infiltrating in tyranical kingdoms, ordering coups and letting their own people die.
i feel really bad for Oda. I cant imagine how he must feel at having been forced to put out a half baked chapter. whatever is going on behind the scenes, i hope he's given the time he needs
This might be wishful thinking, but are we heading for another "luffy. Help me." Moment? Luffy again doesnt know ANYTHING about what Bonney (and Kuma) went through, since it is all in the memory bubble, but he will definetly come to her aid against this weird demon-crab guy when she asks him, once she realizes he IS nika. Probably not, but i like this headcanon for now.
Nope, after this flashback kuma will appear on Egghead and Nuke Saturn with his pain. Otherwise this backstory unfortunately serves no genuine purpose.
@@gunnymaru2900 While i agree with you that my scenario is highly unlikely, i dont think Kumas Backstory served no geniuine purpose if he doesnt get the finishing blow on Saturn. The purpose of it woould be to show the Horros of the CDs, and the abilty to stay kind and gentle in a world with so much hatred. Him getting his "revenge" is the shonen manga speaking out of you. Could be awesome though, not gonna lie, but its just a theory flying around. And just because its your favorite one, doesnt mean its defintly gonna happen. ^^
I think the person who has given Kuma his title is going to be Morgans. My thinking is: Kuma is overthrowing the old kind and takes over. I can even see him implementing a quasi socialst society. The rich getting poorer and the poor getting richer. Morgans as part of the establishment is twisting this and makes Kuma the villain. The old nobility and by extend the rest of the world is going to remember him as the tyrant, because they didn'T live through the suffering Kuma has ended. On 'Kuma is going to see Nika': I can imagine a scenario where Kuma's body is going to see Nika but based on his reaction it is clear, that he is infact already dead and just acting based on his programming. It would be the ultimate irony for Kuma's and Bonney's plot, when they are reunited and both see Nika, but one of them is not conscious anymore to understand. Bonney by his side still begging her dad to recognize her and Nika but unable to reach him before he shuts down for the last time.
I know making more videos is important for the youtube algorithm and whatnot, but your work really shines when you're reviewing two chapters together. One doesn't feel the length of the video at all in that case. (Totally a subjective opinion btw)
This is by far the best review of this chapter. This was amazing. You just got me emotionally attached to Kuma, and I want Bonney to join the crew now. i love the idea of a little girl travelling with the God she has heard so much about. I also love the idea of having this type of love/ admiration towards Luffy come from a gluttonous and fisty lil kid who can actually travel with the crew. An experience he never had
I think that Kuma agreed to become a Pacifista for Vegapunk in exchange for him helping Bonney and the way he came up woth was goving her the Age Fruit to keep her young
I already wrote that under Syv's video but what I loved when I read the chapter and couldn't really know just by spoilers is the way how Ginny talks to Dragon, Iva and Kuma before her death. The heart after her greetig indicates that she tries to cheer herself up one last time so her family remembers her how she always was: upbeat and happy despite the cruelty she endured. Even the wqy how she says that it was a 'sign of luck'or sth. like that must've felt like 'Yeah, typical Ginny !" And it's crazy thah you can say that about a character we've only known for litterly 3 chapters ! I don't even think it was like the typcial, putting up a facade but a way of showing one last time how mentally strong of a character Ginny was. We, they and she knows how cruel the Celestial Dragons are and in her last moments she didn't want to lament about what despicable things they did to them but rather go out on her terms. Smiling and saying goodbye to her family and telling especially Kums much she loved him. Not only that, but also to look out for Kuma for her because that was originally her responsibility and something I kinda brushed off. Because even tho both Kuma and Ginny started to develop romantical feelings for each other over the course of the 15 or 16 years they spend together, originally Ginny was like a big sister for Kuma and looked out for him. They're story covers love in a way, I've almost never seen anyway and that was probably why that chapter broke me so hard. But I'm glad that both knew, especially Ginny, how much they meant for each other.
My wife is so used to me getting emotional while reading one piece that while I was nextto her crying she just says "One Piece?" and through the tears I say "One Piece"
the crazy thing is, while i cant see Dragon making that choice to raid the Celestial's home - I can 1000% see Luffy attacking their homes without hesitation if he knee that ANYONE somewhat related to him was a slave there. Luffy is just that sort of person while dragon is more careful. If anything, Luffy is like garp more than he is like Dragon
I can see this going two ways when Kuma arrives to Egghead 1. He takes all of his pain and suffering, memories of his life and injects it into Saturn and it will be unbearable and Saturn will die witnessing directly the consequences of his tyranny 2. He will inject the memories and pain into Luffy, who will in turn be fueled by these memories to “liberate” Kuma and Bonney by defeating Saturn and Imu will kill Saturn for failing
A couple of things I have noticed several One Piece UA-camrs have not pointed out yet are 1. Ginny took on Kuma’s dream-to become a freedom fighter like Nika-out of love for Kumachi. After achieving her own of (a) being out of slavery and (b) not being hungry, all she wanted was to marry the man she loved. Ginny risked the safety and comfort of her dreams to do what Kuma wanted just to be with him. And I think it is another thing Kuma blames himself for Ginny’s death 2. Bonny’s piercing is in the same place as her first sapphire scales, hopefully to cover up scar tissue
Ohh cool new background! This has to be one of the most painful chapters I have read and once again underscores the depravity of the Celestial Dragons.
I am wondering if Oda was inspired by the manga series Diamond in the rough with this disease. They have a similar gem disease in that story and people will sacrifice people and turn them into statues to make money from the gems that come from the process. It would also make Ginnys body a statue that could be standing in some sort of gallery in the celestial dragons home. It just feels like something so cruel it could fit in One Piece very well.
Luffy would have stormed Mariejeoise without question. He probably would have lost. But he'll do it anyway. But I suppose that's the difference. Dragon is leading a revolution with the fate of everyone involved. He has to be methodical and calculating. Luffy is on an adventure on with his crew. Their mission isn't to liberate people. It's the adventure. They just happen to end up doing it wherever they go
Dragon definitely see the bigger picture. And because of his willing go sacrifice and be patience, now they have the power and influence necessary to strike back
![Dead Beat | [spoiler] Dresden Review](/img/n.gif)
This thumbnail is still my own hack job, I'll be working with an artist soon. Hope you like the new background!
Looks good to me
It's a good thumbnail but child bonney's hat
Think the unfinished scribbles added to the scene in the panel of the chapter
Your thumbnails are always cool.👏
You can use AI if you cannot someone for the thumbnails...
Merphy since meeting Kuma: "Oda give me more about this man I need his backstory"
Merphy now: "No more, please no more"
Jay: If you don't give us a
Kuma flashback I'm gonna send this worded mail!
Oda: Here you go
Jay: No! Please Stop!
Oda is really gonna traumatise a generation when this gets animated
oda saw that email and said im unleash the beast since you wanted it so bad@@D__634
@@ffbear8078the sheer amount of sadboi edits this flashback will spawn will be staggering
Pretty much what I wanted since "nothing happened" and I got what I want....and now I regret those words. Kuma needs peace and Bonney needs protection
Oda woke up and chose pain for 1098. We are not alone in seeing this flashback. Bonney saw all of this in that memory bubble. Bonney saw the pain her father went through and now knows the true enemy and tried to stab one of them in the face.
Probably also he was in pain, this chapter left unfinished and he need a break. Maybe he's ill or he having a hard time writing this chapter.
I kinda want it to be Saturn that took Ginny; it would make his death that much more impactful when Kuma kills him
This is a powerful and emotional scene, and it is clear that Oda's flashback has had a profound impact on Bonney. To see her father in such pain and anguish must have been incredibly difficult for her, and it is no wonder that she reacted so strongly.
Bonney's attempt to stab one of the people in the flashback is a sign of her deep anger and hatred for them. She knows that they are responsible for her father's pain, and she wants to make them pay.
This scene also raises some interesting questions about Bonney's character. Why does she hate these people so much? Is she seeking revenge for her father? Or is there something else going on?
It is also interesting to note that Bonney was able to see Oda's flashback even though it was not her own memory. This suggests that she has some kind of special ability to see into the past. It is possible that this ability is related to her Devil Fruit powers.
Whatever the case may be, it is clear that this scene is a turning point for Bonney. She has seen the true enemy, and she is now more determined than ever to defeat them.
@@Doommaster677 Unlikely, Saturn is not a Celestial!!
She also knows Sanji and Zoro offered to sacrifice their self for Luffy on thriller bark i think it's why she calls sanji cool when she talks with Luffy. I wonder what her interaction with Zoro will be next :)
Whats worse than a loved one dying during a flashback? Having a loved one get used as a sex slave for years by a celestial dragon and then dying to a horrific disease, during a flashback.
Also when Kuma asked Bonney where she would like to go if she could go on a vacation, I cried.
Kuma showed the Strawhats SO MUCH heart during a moment that we thought was the Strawhats lowest point.
"If you could go on a vacation, where would you like to go?" is an all time fav One Piece quote for me now.
And your loved one have a child and you actually love that child AND the child is dying with your loved one disease..
Yes, that quote went from absolutely terrifying to wholesome and tragic as fuck.
@@albumkosongclannad: After Story
The Bayonetta prequel ( The girl in the box).
It's really messed up that Bonnie had to stop Zoro from killing that one Celestial Dragon in Saboady, since he was doing the same thing that they did to her mother but she didn't know that yet.
OMG!!! I didn't think of that... That makes all these even more depressing and tragic....
Bonnie didn’t even know her past at the time, but now she does… man, crazy.
If she knew she probably wouldn't've stopped Zoro back then.
She should've let Zoro cook
That breakdown of Ginny's mentality at the end of her life truly stood out to me, amongst all the analyses of the chapter I've listened to. I didn't quite think of her initially as trying to spare Bonney the horrors of Marie Geois with every fiber in her being and delivering her quite literally to the salvation of the best man she knew, who could care for and Love that child better than any other person in the planet... Ginny never got the chance to be a mother for Bonney as she grew, but the amount of dedication, strength, and maternal love that she managed to pack into that sacrifice will forever cement her as one of Oda's best portrayals of motherhood in the series. Bonney never got to know her mother, it's so bittersweet to me that she got to know her through the lens of the person who loved her mom most in the world, and whom loved him as intensely in return.
STOP MAKING ME CRY ALREADY!!! I'm starting to get dehydrated.
@@Magni87 Those damn onion-chopping ninjas that keep raiding my house every time a new chapter is released, or when I watch a video on them, are starting to be a problem
It's not the first time that sexual abuse has been mentioned in the One Piece universe, now we stop to think that she stopped Zoro from killing a celestial dragon who was trying to steal a wife for him, the same fate as her own mother, I guarantee that if she had Her memories at that time, she herself would have killed the celestial dragon, an interesting fact is that the god Saturn in mythology loves sapphires, and in the world of One Piece we have a character called Saturn and a disease that has to do with sapphires, in addition to that the The mythological oni creature that Saturn from One Piece represents has the ability to curse people who don't like him, it was certainly on purpose by Oda, I believe that perhaps this disease is to make a comparison with sexually transmitted diseases, certainly created by celestial dragons
It's hits even worse if you realize that Fisher Tiger's raid was only a year before Ginny was captured. If she was captured only a little earlier she could have been freed.
Maybe. But even if she was, she wasn't taken to be just a regular slave. She was taken to be a celestial dragons wife. so there's a chance that even if she was taken earlier, she might not have been with the other slaves since their circumstances were different.
One of the reason she was taken was actually probably because fisher tiger freed soo many slaves. After that the celestial dragons probably demanded more slaves and wives be brought in for them.
@@felixowen2693Yes, exactly my thoughts too. That because of Fisher Tiger, the Celestial was more eager to find new slaves/wives. Because Boa and her sisters, I don't think they would just be regular slaves. It is implied they are somewhat "wives" also of the celestial dragons.
But that doesn't guarantee Ginny will not get sick.
This is one of the details that an average reader may not even notice, but yeah if you realize it it hits. One Piece is a very interconncted story and the more you know about it, the more impactful the reading is.
I called it and im really upset that i called it. Ginny deserved better but luckily Kuma is the dad that stepped up. The panel where Bonney calls Kuma "Daddy" for the first time and he just starts weeping is adorable.
I don't think there's any doubt about that, Kuma raised her with all of his love
An interesting observation retrospectively is Kuma’s first interaction in the series was with a pink haired girl who lost a bear she loving called Kumashi and then she made another one to care for. And also the first time he asks where she’s like to go in the series
Oda: "Oops I did it again ♪"
Oda is absolutely insane. I love him
Yooooo thats crazyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Nah...Oda is the goat sorry yall
I mean, technically his first interaction was at the shichibukai meeting in chapters 233/234 before Skypeia.
@@SolersRoburcome on now don't ruin this moment haha
Wondering if Perona with her pink hair reminded Kuma of Bonney on Thriller Bark, which may have been related to why he asked her where she wanted to go, and immediately got her out before destroying Thriller Bark.
That's probably it! Which makes it even more 😭
He also asked the same to Moria and Zoro (in Sabaody).
@@sonofcronos7831 But Perona is still the only person who he sent away from the island before destroying it.
@@Willie_Dickinsbut that was because Perona was preparing to attack Kuma, that's why he banished her
Kuma didn't have to send her off though, dude can inflict pain or knock out people on Perona's level on a whim. In fact his mission when he first arrives is supposed to be either making sure Gecko Moria doesn't lose, or if he Moria does lose, kill everyone on Thriller Bark. So sending Perona away conflicts with both of those objectives.
This chapter really got me into tears. 3 years ago my son born, but my wife got DVT with blood coats in her lungs, the blood coat was in all her leg, so it was hard for me having a 3 day son and had to deal all with that, and in some point, she told me that If she had to die, she wasn’t scared. I still had my family complete, but this chapter remember me all that pain, and the future I imagined if the worse happened, I hope Oda gives Kuma some final peace, because he really earned it
I just wanted to point out that the book Bonnie read about the Sky Island's and Fishman Island is Kuma's Bible. The same one he read while asking the Strawhats where they would want to go on vacation.
And also the 8 dots orbiting a large "sun" appear in the center of the cross in the Church when Ginny dies.
This same symbol is seen in the Alabasta Crest, skypiea, Kozuki crest, and so many other places.
that same symbol is similar to a symbol in buddhism and/or hindiusm and we all know that oda likes to take shit from all kinds of cultuures
no its a bible Christianity exists in some form in one piece as well as Buddhism and other relgions
@@drpea5189 What Devil fruit do you think OP Jesus would have eaten? Think about the whole walk on water thing, it's the perfect counter to the whole swimming curse thing
@@perrinaybara8762 true haha
@@perrinaybara8762 Revive Revive Fruit fits perfectly, actually
What hit me the most was the panel where Kuma held Ginny in front of the altar.
Iirc, normally two loved ones stand in front of the altar and pledge their love and loyalty through every catastrophes and challenges.
Kuma and Ginny might've never had a wedding, but they still pledged their love and loyalty to each other in front of this altar with Ginny saying how she has always and will always love Kuma before dying while Kuma pledges his loyalty to Ginny's wish to raise Bonney. The baby might not be blood or born out of love, but she's family to both Ginny and Kuma. Thus, Kuma is also pledging his loyalty and love to Bonney as much as he does to Ginny.
There’s probably a lot more to that disease. Everything that Oda is doing with the Sun and Moon: Nika, the Buccaneers, the Alabastan flag, the Sun Pirates, Kuma’s religion, Eneru, the Skypeans, the Lunarians, the Kozuki clan, etc… And here we have a disease, from the Celestial Dragons, that makes sunlight and moonlight literally kill you.
For me, one of the most heartbreaking aspects and overlooked aspects of this chapter is the expression on Ginny's Den Den Mushi when she contacts Kuma and the revolutionary army (remember, the snails take the characteristics and expressions of whoever is using them).
The cheerful girl that we came to know on the previous two chapters is now completely gone. The spark and life in her eyes is no more and she can barely form a bitter smile as she declares her undying love for Kuma and breathes her last.
The two years she spent with that Celestial Dragon must have been *hell* for her.
I remember Charloss saying he had grown bored of a bunch of his oldest wives when he abducted the new one in Sabaody. It was really twisted back then, but now I really wonder how and in what state those women were released. Oda really doubled down in the horror he hinted at with Boa's past.
@FireFemmeYuri He told one of his bodyguard to dispose of some of his wives. The ones he grew bored of.
There's an idea out there that Oda struggled to get through the chapter because of the emotions he felt from writing it. In 2015 he did this with Kyros meeting Rebecca at the end of Dressrosa, where he was crying too much and was late. The editor was furious with this, but then he read the chapter and cried too 😂😭. People are thinking this is what happened, which would make sense because almost everyone, even the most heartless powerscaler, was crying for this one 😢😢
Do you have a source for that in 2015?
@@sageinit no, but I have seen it posted by multiple people. All I know is that, whether true or not, it was about Kyros and Rebecca at the very very end of Dressrosa. The chapter where Luffy carried Rebecca to the house on the flower field
This chapter made me very emotional and when I finished reading it I thought to myself "I blame Merphy for wanting to see Kuma's past so much 😭"
Also it's pretty insane that Bonney probably saw everything from this flashback in the Kuma bubble she absorbed, that must've aged her up a few decades 😨
What really got me upset was realizing how innocent his questioning of where others would like to visit. It's interesting because seeing that before the timeskip made my heart sink on Sabaody, something so petrifying having such a humble and innocent beginning.
I think the craziest part about Bonney's age reveal is just how recently the events in her life occurred. She was literally 10 when we were introduced to her in Sabaody, which means whatever happened that cured her illness presumably took place shortly before we were first introduced to Kuma in the Jaya arc. It's very surreal to have a character flashback that is most likely concurrent to the story that we've been following pre-timeskip.
The unfinished artwork just felt appropriate, like that even the artist was struggling to get through this backstory; almost adding more weight to what we were seeing
If not for odas note i would've just assumed it was an artistic decision
Also dragon is a true legend for making those difficult calls, and kumachi is best anime dad bar none
Realizing that Ginny waited to make that last call until her final moments so Kuma couldn’t repel the disease out and take it on himself, she knew. 😞
Oh no... He would. And even if he couldn't there's no way Ginny would want Kuma to break himself to death trying to defy the limitations.
And now I'm literally crying in my car. Thanks.
After stuff like the Boa sisters and what happened at Sabaody, I always thought Oda would only ever imply sexual assault; and currently these implications were only due to us as readers understanding the kind of horrific acts that people with the power of the Celestial Dragons hold can get away with, and not due to the fact that SA was ever confirmed in these cases. This is about as close you can to confirming what happens at Mariejois without it being tactless
Honestly, after reading the chapter, I think the reason Oda didn't finish was because he was too emotional in regards to the chapter itself. As you mentioned, he covered *intense* topics that would take a lot out of anyone. Since he cares for this world more than anyone else, it would follow that this chapter took a lot out of him, and that he needed to do what he needed to recover. Amazing chapter!
I doubt it. More likely just ran out of rime but either way itvended up fitting the to e of this chapter.
@@YOGI-kb9tgI don't, since it happened before...running out of time is more likely, but Oda taking a long time to finish a chapter(first time for the art looking this way though)because he was too emotional has happened before, i think
Absolutely not the case. Working conditions in the manga industry are awful and he's been subject to them for decades now, which has been very damaging to his health, leading to this and the constant pausing(which should be the norm, publication shouldn't be both ongoing and weekly). I know your comment means well, but having a fantasized version of reality downplays the material conditions for bad stuff happening, and they must be kept in the spotlight to be combatted.
@@nathbalzana That said, it's more realistic for it to be a mix of things, not just one thing. So yeah, conditions of the industry is definitely a big candidate, but this chapter taking a lot out of him emotionally may also be part of it. Also, his eyes giving him trouble (you don't just magically heal seconds after an operation and it can take months before you're back to full health, if ever) is likely to be a part of it, as well as dealing with possible personal situations we'd have no notion of and/or other things he may be doing (helping with Live Action again, teaming up with someone like Gucci again, doing other business in his life, etc).
it's NEVER just one thing, so chill on the combat mentality. We have no actual idea what it is that caused him to have to put the chapter out unfinished, so saying it's not x/y/z because YOU don't think that's likely, when it very well may be part of the reason is dumb. The fact of the matter is, __NONE__ of us know so it could be magical rainbow unicorns running rampant through his workroom and stealing half the manuscript. We have no idea unless we're told it, so chill. It's just as likely all of these things (bar the unicorns).
@@7thlittleleopard7 Yeah, the surgery is probably high up there too. But I very much disagree with most of the sentiment of your comment. Yeah, we weren't told that the pauses are due to bad working conditions, they don't just say that. But we do know how the industry works, and we have a pattern of similar health issues(and consequently publication issues) with a lot of long term authors. We also have a pattern of narratives created that shy away from discussing these issues(e.g. Togashi being lazy/pausing the manga to play videogames). And my main point wasn't that the issue this week was necessarily a health problem that happened because of his work(the astigmatism, for example, is very likely unrelated and just due to his age), but that the deadlines he and other authors work under are absurd for ongoing publications. When the narrative is that the reason for the unfinished chapter is that he got emotional, it credits the idea that it's on him and not the process itself, and moves the whole conversation away from all of this. If you have to run up fifty flights of stairs every morning to get to work, you didn't arrive late one day because you had to stop for air, you arrived late because you have to run up fifty flights of stairs.
Bonnie is ginny and Kuma's daughter. Calling her celestial dragon's daughter is giving them too much respect. These mf don't deserve a single ounce of it
Never thought Celestial Dragons gave Ginny the disease intentionally but now that you mentioned it, for someone who believes "Sun God" Nika will liberate them to catch a disease that specifically gets worse under sunlight is kinda sus
This is the second time we see Dragon talking about living without regrets:
The first time was when he first saw Luffy's wanted poster (waaay back then), and now he says the same to Kuma.
The fact that he also has the "habit" of staring towards the East Blue when he is outside (pointed out by Ivankov many chapters ago) makes me think that maybe he kind of regrets leaving his family (Luffy, and possibly a lover/wife) behind.
We know Dragon despises violence, in that bounty poster scene, he yells at his soliders for celebrating winning a battle and says something like "war isn't something to celebrate" and Vegapunk asks him why he's creating a standing military since he's a pacifist. His family might be part of his regrets too, but more importantly I think Dragons regret is that he has to turn to violence to achieve his goal of taking down the corrupt WG. Which lines up perfectly with one of the main inspirations for Dragon and the RA, Castro and the Cuban revolutionaries, there's a pretty famous Castro quote that goes something like "we exhausted every peaceful option before we turned to violent revolution" which I feel like that's the idea Oda was going for when he wrote Dragon
Some panels were rough but in many places it added to the scene because it was Kuma fighting or the Ginny reveal.
"Suffering builds character" - Oda whilst writing this flashback
This chapter was heavy and dark. Felt like Oda stabbed us and twisted the knife before pulling it out. Yet it is also very touching and endearing💔😢
Love the new background!
the unfinished drawing helped make this chapter more emotional and darker, its like the pages are crumbling away just like Kuma's whole world.
And also I really like your new background.
What hits me the most on this flashback is the responsibility that luffy has as nika. We saw him fighting kaido and Lucci and we didn't think about it bc they were surprised by luffy's strength, and I think we need to see G5 more like zunesha and Saturn see it: as the salvation legend that has been spread all around the world, as the only hope for some people, especially slaves. And you're telling me that my non-hero boy will take that responsibility? That would make him a slave of liberty. He will keep liberating people, and bringing joy to the world, but not as a job imposed by this legend, even if the world needs it
Outside Perspective: THAT DAMN STRAW HAT IS BREAKING OUR TRADITIONS AND RULES. THE LEGENDS WERE TRUE...!!!
Luffy: Bro, you gave me meat. Who I gotta drop?
i believe that since his introduction, Oda dedicated an hour of his day to think how to make Kuma suffer.
Also interesting thing to notice, Sanji never once acted like he does with girls with Bonney, never once he had heart eyes for her and 'flirted' with her, like he deep down knew she's just a child despite her looks
He might've deciphered that when Bonney popped out of the sea twister at the beginning of Egghead and she was in her original 12 year old child form.
Man's observation skills was already on point before haki.
Agreed, although he was kind of a simp for Pudding, who's 16 tho.
@@audreym3908that's legal age in japan
@@audreym3908 Japan's age of consent is 16, so it wouldn't be weird in that context.
@@atharvarajadhyaksha4813 that's sadly true.
One Piece sometimes feel like it has Trauma Powercreep, every backstory hurts me more than the last one.
"Of you were to go on a trip, where would you go?" When you realize that's what Kuma asked Perona in Thriller Bark and SHs later... Wow.
One of the many examples of a backstory adding so much weight to something from so many chapters ago, making it all the more emotional.
I love how you went from being unsure of this manga before you started to having a one piece set. Murphy, you are one of my favorite one piece content creators.
I been wanting for this for Days! Since the Leaks version came out the first though was “Ow! Merphy is going to have a breakdown at home, hopefully the kids n ur husband are around to console her”
Fully agree. Surprised how many gloss over the Kuma marrying Ginny thing, only for it to happen regardless.
You brought it up in the beginning how we saw the Celestial Dragon take someone’s wife in Sabaody. It’s probably already been brought up to you, but that’s also one of our first Bonny scenes when she stops Zoro from slashing one in two. The call backs by Oda have been very amazing for both Bonny and Kuma.
Surprised you didn't mention the parallel with Perona. Kuma sees young loudmouth girl with pink hair then asks her where she wants to go.
I love the new set-up! Seeing one of my favorite UA-camrs working on spicing things up is so enjoyable to me. Seeing all the little changes and nuances over the next few months is going to be fun.
My Heart Broke, Particularly for Bonney. I few chapters back there was a scene where you see Kuma being driven and Bonney just says "Dad..." and My mind went right back to that scene. Ohhh this Family I feel for them, Sadness.
We weren't ready for this,
Oda just pulled one of the darkest chapters in the story. There were scribbles in some panels because he didn't finish it in time but that worked so well with chapter 1098 😵
You describing and analyzing Kuma’s love for Ginny and Bonney made me tear up, so I had to pause the video for a moment. 10/10 chapter, and a 10/10 review. Would cry again. :’)
Kuma is getting top 10 in the next popularity poll, for sure. One of the best characters in the whole manga . And the flashback is still not done!
he's already my favourite
I thought oda just forgot or rather gave up on bonney and Mad monk uruge but she turned out to be one of the key character of one of the best backstories
In Rebecca encounter with Kyros Oda almost failed to deliver the chapter because of his emotions so it can be the same here. He also uses shades here more.
I clicked this sooo fast! This chapter is one of the darkest we have. Kuma just can't seem to catch a break.
Also love the new background!
I'm with you. I want Oda to get all the rest he needs.
There are two panels in this truly devastating chapter that I find particularly powerful. Both of them are simply closeups of Kuma’s face. The first is the panel that shows the intense fury and silent heartbreak he’s going through as he just pushes everything into liberating people on the battlefield. I honestly think it’s one of the best expressions Oda has ever drawn, and that’s saying A LOT. The second is the panel of Kuma shedding a tear and smiling as he feeds baby Bonney and remembers her mother’s big appetite. That panel completely wrecks me. To see such subtle emotional expressions that each say a thousand words on a character that we have only known as literally robotic for the entire time we’ve known him just hits SO incredibly hard. 💔
Do you remember Doflamingo's flashback? Back then, it looked brutal against him and his family to get punished for his people's crimes. But now, the villager's suffering feels so much more raw and I can't imagine how to punish the celestial dragons but to have them experience what the Donquixote-family did.
No, I'm sorry but that's just not the answer. What those villagers did to the Donquixote family *was* brutal, especially when you consider that aside from Doflamingo himself, his family were some of the better Celestial Dragons. Certainly Doffy's father seemed like a good guy who wanted to give up his privileges and be a bit more normal, and we all know what a great person Rosinante / Corazon was. The mother seemed nice as well.
Of course I understand the villagers' anger but what they did wasn't right either. Brutal vigilante vengeance is rarely the answer, and Oda has been very good at showing that. That's also why we had characters like Mjosgard. Even Celestial Dragons are people and not all of them deserve a horrible fate.
The solution to problems like this has to be more than just "yeah let's lynch the rich". Especially when you attack families and children, all you are doing is perpetuating the cycle and ensuring that the children grow up to be hateful. Which is exactly what happened to Doflamingo.
Yeah just linch de rich
@@MarkHogan994 Reminds me of the conflict that came up near the end of the Hunger Games,
when everyone was like "now let's make district 1 do a solo games and kill each other" and Katniss or Peeta (can't remember, been too long) was like "woah, wtf".
@@MarkHogan994i mean, the Revs are burning all food to the tenryuubito as part of their plan, including food to the good ones and food to the kids too. So what about that?
I get where they’re coming from, but I think it’s been made pretty clear through Doflamingo himself that choosing vengeance only incites people like him to do the same and give back worse than they got. There might be a few standouts like Homing and Mjosgard who want to change, or Rosinante who understood that there was a reason for his suffering that couldn’t be perpetuated- but most people, and especially such bigoted people, won’t see it that way. Violence may be inevitable for taking down the system, but the torture and destruction of innocent families like the Donquixotes doesn’t have to be a part of that. At the very least they’d have to separate the more ‘proactive’ members from those who were more or less strung along for the ride
This is the first time I've cried over a weekly release chapter. Its easier to capitalize on emotions in the anime with music and voice actors, and easier in the manga when you're reading chapter after chapter... but weekly??? That's hard to do, and this chapter did it. When Kuma suggested the kids were just jealous of her jewels I fricken lost it. KUMA IS SO NICE. HE'S THE NICEST GUY, LEAVE HIM ALOOOONE
Despite the tragedy, seeing Kuma raise Bonney and being a good dad was very sweet.
About the disease, her being infected by the celestial dragons on propose to discard her makes sense. My guess would be, they wanted to discard her but keep her as a prize, this is why they we're trying to turn her into a jewel, or something like a precious stone statue
Oda has said in the past that any time he draws those panels of his characters crying he cries too.
I imagine this was a really difficult chapter for him to draw.
"Don dun dut dut! Don dun dut dut!" im telling everyone its the drums from Overtaken the Drums of the Walk to Arlong park. the Drums of Liberation really are Drums of War.
1) love the setup
2) I think this is the first chapter I’ve read from Oda that is legitimately unfinished. At times it did bother me a little but as others have said, sometimes it adds a little to the story. Something similar happened during a really important fight in JJK and so many people thought it was just a character using their ability 😂
3) easily one of Oda’s darkest chapters and that is SAYING something considering how much of the story he’s gone through
So happy to see your summary actually covers whats very important and what stands out in this chapter. Recently there have been a huge cropping up of the loud minority in the OP fandom/TT that are calling dragon a fraud because Ginny was captured and he didn't risk life and limb to get her back at any cost like Luffy did in Enies Lobby despite the massive differences of the scenerios. I truly appreciate the content of people who look at context along with content to really drag out the great story telling and world expansion in this chapter.
One of my fave scenes was when Kuma was cheering Bonney up by saying she has sweet jewelry on her face which is why her epithet is Jewelry Bonney! Alongside the timeline placement of it being after the fires in the Goa kingdom since they either had troops that were liberated for a time after the fires or that the Gray Terminal Fires were fairly recent to modern day showing what dragon has been doing during luffy's childhood flashbacks and tending to those wounded.
What I also didn't notice that was elucidating to hear was your take of received suffering by the Celestial Dragons and force plague on Ginny with our prior knowledge of her behavior. There is obviously so much more to this chapter and I can't wait to hear more of your takes after some more releases.
I can't handle much more of this flashback ngl. It's so heart-wrenching that I just couldn't stop crying the night I read it. I had to cry myself to sleep
There are times when One Piece hits you so hard that you're just a broken mess. You're so absolutely livid at the sheer cruelty and tragedy on display that you become a blubbering, writhing mess of emotions and tears cursing "Why? Why must he suffer so? What cruel, indifferent god must we pray to to stop this pain?" This chapter broke me, broke us.
When the stuff with Boa was brought up, I was instantly reminded of how good the Merphy and Jay discussions were, and now can imagine there being another one about the entirety of Kuma’s flashback when it ends, or maybe Egghead. I just get a feeling that it would be an impactful chat based on the themes.
What actually breaks my heart even more and it's just a stupid detail, is that Bonney is dancing with Kuma when thinking about Nika and the drums of liberation. It's just a really sweet and heartbreaking panel after Kuma starts to dance, I don't know why, but that one packed a punch.
I waited for your chapter review, merphy. ❤️ I cried so hard and none of the boys here on youtube get the female perspective on Ginny right. She loved her baby so much. She gave all her time left to bring her to savity. And her trust in Kuma to care for her treassure, her girl, is just so... i cry again.
This story has had cannibalism, Genocide, experiments on children and much more, how are people acting like one piece is just “now” getting dark?
First chapter that made me cry hard since i got caught up to the manga 7 years ago. This arc is one of my favourites easily i love the mini arcs so much.
I wonder if Bonney’s Devil Fruit basically acts as a cure for her disease, and maybe Kuma sided with the WG in order to get it. Her ability to alter the age/state of her body could also maybe allow her to reverse/halt the progression of her disease
Yeah, we've already seen her do alternate future versions of herself. Maybe this is the the version in a timeline with a cure.
Been waiting for this. Definitely one of the best flashbacks
What hits me the most
in addition to us going through the backstory of Kuma and seeing everything...
is that Bonney has now seen it too in Egghead Island...
and she's having to process all of this at ONLY 12 years old
I just want to say, Kuma's flashback is probably the most effed up one Oda has written so far. Enslaved as a child, felt he had to lie to his father about being ok, just to get the news of his mother's death in return, and to see his father executed minutes later in front of his eyes, just because he was trying to make his son feel better. Shortly after, put as "rabbit" in a rabbit hunt, with literally a target on his back. Then, what seems to be a little bit of very much earned happiness, soured a bit the feelings of regret upon the people he "left to die" at God's Valley (when it was not physically possible for him to save anyone else, but still, the regret "Damocleses" over his head), and Nothing Happening secretly every Sunday and denying himself of accepting love out of fear and PTSD. But guess what? Even that glimpse at half-baked happiness goes away when a tyrannical ruler, and he needs to put everything on hold to fend him off. But hey, here's a good cause, they join the Revolutionary Army, that's good, they can help even more people, and Kuma lives for that! ...even if it means they can't see each other for years... But they are about to reunite!! But a Celestial Toejam fucking kidnaps Ginny, makes her his sex-slave, and he cannot allow himself to bring the castle down to recover her. Two whole years later she is back, he instantly goes to her, and yet he arrives too late. Decides to make the best of an extremely bad situation, and protect her legacy, Bonney. But she only has 5 years left to live. Anything else you want to throw at this guy, Oda??? Oh, yeah! Remember the ruler of Sorbet the RA drove away as he wanted to kill half the country, specifically the half that's populated with Kuma's friends? He's back, and trying to kill them again! What's next? Bonney died in his arms after being brutalized and the one we know is a Vegapunk-made clone? That and Iva being killed and skinned for someone like Charlos to wear his face as a mask is the only thing he's missing, at this point!
This manga studio set up is so amazing!!
The first real interaction we had with Bonnie is when she let the Celestial Dragon take away the woman to be his wife so that she can save herself and Zoro. That woman now is like her mom and she probably just made another Bonnie
15:38 I think I can confidently say that the devil fruits do look different depending on the person. One may influence the other interchangeably and to different levels in a case by case scenario.
The biggest examples I can think of this phenomena are Karasu, Luffy and Caesar Clown.
Luffy's fruit, as the rubber fruit of course, has a whole side of close combat, a wrestling-like, style of combat that Luffy doesn't even think about, like those of big snakes, constricting the opponent. We know Oda knows about it, Queen used a bit of it against Sanji for example, but Luffy lacks affinity to it, he instead uses his elasticity to magnify the momentum of regular attacks as well as the enhanced durability of his body for short bursts of doping.
Karasu ate the soot soot fruit, yet he manifests himself and his powers as crows whenever possible. We have not yet seen any other logia user manage to emulate an animal with their powers like that, and his whole style revolves around it too. If another person ate the soot fruit they wouldn't be able to summon soot crows in the same way.
Caesar Clown could very well fight the same way Smoker does, even better considering his fruit is a total upgrade from Smoker's, but because of his scientific knowledge and his lack of fighting skill, he doesn't and instead focuses on using his powers to do chemistry like no one else can.
kinda waiting for OnePiece daddy tierlist
"He may be your father boy but he ain't yo daddy" tier Celestial
"Am not the step father. I am the father that stepped up" tier Kuma
Kuma backstory is already one of my favourite backstories in all of one piece and it is the darkest one
My history teacher once said, what he loved so much about Japan is how they handle a disaster. Specially in media.
He said, where there were a disaster stroke Japan, all the media and the goverment doesnt linger too much on the tragedy that happened. They doesnt let the media took the advantage of tragedy too much to spreading sadness. But, they highlighting The rebuild, the healing of their damaged city, more than anything.
That is their way to be hopefull. Its tragedy, yes. But there will still be tomorrow, and tomorrow is what the most important thing above all. Thats why Japan can rose up to be one of the most powerfull country even after they massively lost the war.
I always feels this spirit in One Piece. Yes, its Shounen, yes it is One Piece. But thats why it is what it is. Oda always hitting hard with his flashback. Harder and harder. Dude never run out of idea to torture his reader. But, even with the horrific tragedy that happened to Ginny, Oda contrasting that with the hope of tomorrow that is Bonney. In a single chapter.
#thankYouOda
My theory on Bonney’s cure. She hasn’t been cured but her devil fruit allows her to change herself into different variations of herself. This not just by age but by body characteristics as well because on what future she chose for herself at that time. She has changed her appearance at least twice now, one of which we actively saw this arc. I believe she wanted herself to be older and disease free so she can pursue her goal.
@@nonutemperorWhat!? Did you reply tom the wrong comment?
Masterful work by Oda in sowing the Revolutionaries true colors after 1097, a very condescending chapter that painted them in a very good light including dragging my big boi Kuma and his beloved Ginny into their army.
I remember Sabo recently saying something like "it doesn't matter that this odd thing just happened as long as it blazes the flame of revolution in these kingdoms", wich knowing against who are they fighting seems like a very reasonable and heroic thing to do. The thing is Dragon and even Ivankov didn't care enough to try to save Ginny bc attacking Mary Geoise could mean the absolute end of their little revolution, so letting her be enslaved for the cause is very on brand with their ideology where nothing and no one (not even them) are more important than the changes they're trying to implement (by force if necesary).
That's such a contrast with Dragon's dad, the military dog that ultimately serves to the Tneryubito but it has enough emotional inteligence to distance himself from the power positions and instead focusing in training the new generation of marines that could actually make a change during these weird times. And when one of these young marines gets kidnapped by a Yonko he goes in person to save him despite all the repercutions this could cause. Now he's at mercy of Teech and we don't what this could mean but it doesn't matter bc he saved Koby.
The other contrast is of course Dragon's son and I don't need to explain the lenghts this dude went to save his friends regularly. He fucking punched a Tenryubito in the face bc the asshole shoot Hatchan. He was ready to put a full pause into the One Piece quest and drag everyone's asses back to Alabasta just to make sure Vivi is ok and he needed to be talked down to continue the adventure.
This is why I don't like and I never liked Dragon and Sabo. They are way too radicalized even in this literal dystopia. Nika alone is doing more to liberate slaves by just existing and punching motherfuckers in the face than this whole organization infiltrating in tyranical kingdoms, ordering coups and letting their own people die.
i feel really bad for Oda. I cant imagine how he must feel at having been forced to put out a half baked chapter. whatever is going on behind the scenes, i hope he's given the time he needs
Your videos and analysis feel so genuine and personal, no gimmicks just you. I enjoy your content, keep up the great work
When your voice cracked a tear showed. This really moved me.
Merphy the background is amazing! Also commenting so the algorithm God Nika does not rain down fire and brimstone in this channel transition 🙏
This might be wishful thinking, but are we heading for another "luffy. Help me." Moment?
Luffy again doesnt know ANYTHING about what Bonney (and Kuma) went through, since it is all in the memory bubble, but he will definetly come to her aid against this weird demon-crab guy when she asks him, once she realizes he IS nika.
Probably not, but i like this headcanon for now.
Nope, after this flashback kuma will appear on Egghead and Nuke Saturn with his pain. Otherwise this backstory unfortunately serves no genuine purpose.
@@gunnymaru2900 While i agree with you that my scenario is highly unlikely, i dont think Kumas Backstory served no geniuine purpose if he doesnt get the finishing blow on Saturn.
The purpose of it woould be to show the Horros of the CDs, and the abilty to stay kind and gentle in a world with so much hatred.
Him getting his "revenge" is the shonen manga speaking out of you. Could be awesome though, not gonna lie, but its just a theory flying around. And just because its your favorite one, doesnt mean its defintly gonna happen. ^^
Love the new background , the room looks extremely fantastic
I think the person who has given Kuma his title is going to be Morgans.
My thinking is: Kuma is overthrowing the old kind and takes over.
I can even see him implementing a quasi socialst society. The rich getting poorer and the poor getting richer.
Morgans as part of the establishment is twisting this and makes Kuma the villain.
The old nobility and by extend the rest of the world is going to remember him as the tyrant, because they didn'T live through the suffering Kuma has ended.
On 'Kuma is going to see Nika':
I can imagine a scenario where Kuma's body is going to see Nika but based on his reaction it is clear, that he is infact already dead and just acting based on his programming. It would be the ultimate irony for Kuma's and Bonney's plot, when they are reunited and both see Nika, but one of them is not conscious anymore to understand.
Bonney by his side still begging her dad to recognize her and Nika but unable to reach him before he shuts down for the last time.
I know making more videos is important for the youtube algorithm and whatnot, but your work really shines when you're reviewing two chapters together. One doesn't feel the length of the video at all in that case.
(Totally a subjective opinion btw)
This chapter not just dark and tragic, but made me worried with oda health issue too 😢
This is by far the best review of this chapter. This was amazing. You just got me emotionally attached to Kuma, and I want Bonney to join the crew now. i love the idea of a little girl travelling with the God she has heard so much about. I also love the idea of having this type of love/ admiration towards Luffy come from a gluttonous and fisty lil kid who can actually travel with the crew. An experience he never had
I think that Kuma agreed to become a Pacifista for Vegapunk in exchange for him helping Bonney and the way he came up woth was goving her the Age Fruit to keep her young
I already wrote that under Syv's video but what I loved when I read the chapter and couldn't really know just by spoilers is the way how Ginny talks to Dragon, Iva and Kuma before her death. The heart after her greetig indicates that she tries to cheer herself up one last time so her family remembers her how she always was: upbeat and happy despite the cruelty she endured. Even the wqy how she says that it was a 'sign of luck'or sth. like that must've felt like 'Yeah, typical Ginny !" And it's crazy thah you can say that about a character we've only known for litterly 3 chapters ! I don't even think it was like the typcial, putting up a facade but a way of showing one last time how mentally strong of a character Ginny was. We, they and she knows how cruel the Celestial Dragons are and in her last moments she didn't want to lament about what despicable things they did to them but rather go out on her terms. Smiling and saying goodbye to her family and telling especially Kums much she loved him. Not only that, but also to look out for Kuma for her because that was originally her responsibility and something I kinda brushed off. Because even tho both Kuma and Ginny started to develop romantical feelings for each other over the course of the 15 or 16 years they spend together, originally Ginny was like a big sister for Kuma and looked out for him. They're story covers love in a way, I've almost never seen anyway and that was probably why that chapter broke me so hard. But I'm glad that both knew, especially Ginny, how much they meant for each other.
I felt so sad during this chapter, but you narrating Ginny's last words made me cry
My wife is so used to me getting emotional while reading one piece that while I was nextto her crying she just says "One Piece?" and through the tears I say "One Piece"
That's crazy, you have a manga studio. That's so cool. The effort is appreciated.
the crazy thing is, while i cant see Dragon making that choice to raid the Celestial's home - I can 1000% see Luffy attacking their homes without hesitation if he knee that ANYONE somewhat related to him was a slave there. Luffy is just that sort of person while dragon is more careful. If anything, Luffy is like garp more than he is like Dragon
I can see this going two ways when Kuma arrives to Egghead
1. He takes all of his pain and suffering, memories of his life and injects it into Saturn and it will be unbearable and Saturn will die witnessing directly the consequences of his tyranny
2. He will inject the memories and pain into Luffy, who will in turn be fueled by these memories to “liberate” Kuma and Bonney by defeating Saturn and Imu will kill Saturn for failing
A couple of things I have noticed several One Piece UA-camrs have not pointed out yet are
1. Ginny took on Kuma’s dream-to become a freedom fighter like Nika-out of love for Kumachi. After achieving her own of (a) being out of slavery and (b) not being hungry, all she wanted was to marry the man she loved. Ginny risked the safety and comfort of her dreams to do what Kuma wanted just to be with him. And I think it is another thing Kuma blames himself for Ginny’s death
2. Bonny’s piercing is in the same place as her first sapphire scales, hopefully to cover up scar tissue
The Ushi Oni yokai specifically is associated with catching diseases by presence alone, which may also play into the Saturn is the dad theroy.
Ohh cool new background! This has to be one of the most painful chapters I have read and once again underscores the depravity of the Celestial Dragons.
I am wondering if Oda was inspired by the manga series Diamond in the rough with this disease. They have a similar gem disease in that story and people will sacrifice people and turn them into statues to make money from the gems that come from the process. It would also make Ginnys body a statue that could be standing in some sort of gallery in the celestial dragons home. It just feels like something so cruel it could fit in One Piece very well.
Oda saw everyone talking about potential celestial dragon redemption after Mosgard and was like no no no they are irredeemable, here’s proof
Luffy would have stormed Mariejeoise without question. He probably would have lost. But he'll do it anyway. But I suppose that's the difference. Dragon is leading a revolution with the fate of everyone involved. He has to be methodical and calculating. Luffy is on an adventure on with his crew. Their mission isn't to liberate people. It's the adventure. They just happen to end up doing it wherever they go
Luffy and shp would have. Liked when vivi lost and cobra "killed" by sabo but zoro stopped them
Dragon definitely see the bigger picture. And because of his willing go sacrifice and be patience, now they have the power and influence necessary to strike back
That backgruond is VERY dope Merph!!, tho the bookshelf will always be iconic!