One Piece 852 Review: Killing Emotion

One Piece, Chapter 852: The Germa's Failure

Another 'get from point A to point B' chapter, which we kind of needed after the huge plot-heavy chapter we got last week. It's a bit of a strange storytelling method for Reiju to have her memory wiped out and then immediately returned when Sanji shows up at the infirmary, but I suppose from a more realistic storytelling of course Sanji will try to fill in on her sister's memory the first chance that he gets. 

Meanwhile, Jinbe frees Luffy and Nami from the book prison by... burning all the books! Apparently Luffy and the others don't know that the Sun Pirates are a subordinate of Big Mom? I thought it was established way back from the Fishman Island arc, but I guess this is Luffy. But Jinbe also makes clear where he stands now and that he's picked a side, rebelling against Big Mom. We get a brief scene of Luffy collapsing because of lack of food, before getting up with DETERMINATION and running off to fight, leaving Jinbe and Nami behind. We later get a brief scene of Luffy, still looking like shit, beating up random mooks.

Later in the chapter we also get a scene of Smoothie telling her people not to bother or anger Big Mom any further or 'the plan' might get affected. Smoothie uses 'the plan', not the assassination... which make it delightfully ambiguous whether all of Pudding's talk about assassinating Germa is something she made up to villify herself in front of the Straw Hats, or something that is truly being planned. Regardless, Smoothie's people shuts off the floor, basically cutting the Brook/Big Mom fight from everyone else. It's a bit odd why Smoothie and the others aren't telling Big Mom, which might be what Smoothie is saying and it's just to avoid Big Mom going on a rampage... but at the same time, it does seem a little suspicious. Are some of the children planning something?

The main meat of the story is Sanji and Reiju's conversation, though. Sanji is feeling sorry for himself, feeling like a failure for not being to accomplish anything... but Reiju notes that she thinks it's for the better if Germa were to die out then and there. She notes how she's been conditioned to never disobey Judge's orders and how one of the memories she remembered as a child was how their mother (who we get a name -- Sola) tried to stop Judge from experimenting on their children before they were born, and how Judge is a psychopathic motherfucker who doesn't care if his children becomes monsters as long as they can win wars. The experimental drugs apparently also killed their emotions, which explains why Ichiji, Niji and Yonji are soulless twats. Before giving birth, Sola attempted to purge these experimental DNA things by ingesting a different drug, which didn't manage to do anything for the three assholes... but Sanji retained him humanity while not having any of the soullessness. Also, the drug was the reason why Sola died.

Yeah, a bit of an introdump and honestly it's mostly just things we already know and only get confirmations of in here. Reiju notes that Sanji is kinder than anyone. Reiju also confirms something we all guessed when we found out that Reiju is a sympathetic character -- that the cuffs she placed on Sanji's hands are duds, and tells Sanji that he no longer has an excuse, and has to follow his heart in helping out his friends, the Straw Hats, the people who mean the most to him.

Also, if there are any suggestions for more weekly manga to review -- there are so many stuff that's cancelled or finished that I'm honestly running a bit empty manga-wise.