One Piece 1042-1043 Review: He Awakens

One Piece, Chapter 1042-1043

I was so glad I wasn't spoiled for either 1042 or 1043 prior to me reading the chapter, let's just put it that way. I'm genuinely not sure when was the last time I was so hyped week-to-week, cliffhanger-to-cliffhanger for this manga. I guess Reverie?

Chapter 1042: The Victor Needs no Epithet

This chapter starts off with a bit of a deceptively 'oh god this again' eye-roll. Remember when Drake got beaten off-screen? And then Izo and Maha had a mutual defeat off-screen? And now Drake's big moment, stabbing Bowler Hat McMask also happens mostly offscreen. It really does seem to be leading to another Izo/Maha mutual defeat, with Drake shishkebabing Bowler Hat from behind, but getting taken down by a Shigan in the process.

We cut to Luffy fighting Kaido and it's pretty cool action scenes going on, with Luffy's Hydra attack pummeling Kaido from all over. As if a hint to what's to come in 1043, Kaido's monologue even notes that altering the trajectory of attacks is impossible for the nature of rubber... something that could have been a throwaway nod to how Luffy's Gear Fourth Snakeman is super-advanced, or, well... foreshadowing to the fact that Luffy isn't actually rubber. I love it. I love that this comment is so suspicious but it could also just as likely be a red herring. 

We also get the absolutely glorious panel of mid-pummelled Kaido going all "just staaaahp ♥" which the manga identifies as his 'drunken beggar' phase. God I love this manga's comedy. 

We also get a very brief showcase of Kaido essentially copying Snakeman's bouncing serpentine blows with his 'thieving drunk' phase, which Kaido also identifies as his own ability of using Observation Haki to see the future. I mean, Luffy can't complain, considering he also 'stole' the technique from Katakuri during his fight. I'm never that big on trying to power-scale, but little nods to these sorts of 'oh yeah, these other super-powerful characters also have access to other super-powerful abilities'. 

There's a pretty cool action scene of Kaido biting Luffy, coiling up, spitting him out and then Boro-Breathing him almost all the way through Onigashima. I really don't have much to say about this whole sequence other than holy shit it's so cool. Luffy goes into Boundman and rockets back up, continuing to emphasize that this is his final Gear Fourth. We get an honestly pretty typical 'final clash' as Luffy gives a declaration about how the people of Wano need to be free, Kaido also talks about his own worldview about essentially a survival-of-the-fittest mentality... it's all building up to a climax, right?

I also really like the lines exchanged here. Kaido mocking how the losers are just losers who use 'glory in death' as an excuse for their defeat -- which is a bit of a running theme in this final battle -- before we get Luffy unleashing an Over-Kong Gun while Kaido uses a Thunder Bellow Bagua. It's just slightly different versions of moves we've seen before but the art does look pretty cool! We get very cool shots of the two warriors, locked in a deadly dance, and we're just in to it, you know? This is what we read shonen battle manga for...

And then McBowlerHat shows up. 

He grabs Luffy's shoulder -- he doesn't even try to attack the two monsters -- and that slows Luffy's swing enough for Kaidou's Thunder Bagua to ram straight onto Luffy's face and knock him the fuck out. An amazing shot of the despair and confusion on poor Kaido's face in the last page as he flashes back to his old interrupted fight with Oden in the past, and how this fight with Luffy, the one combatant he respects as an equal after so long... getting defeated after a dishonourable interruption. 

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Chapter 1043: Let's Face Death Together!! 

1043's first page gives us another amazing shot of Kaido's despairing face, and... and we're just making sure that, no, this isn't a 'Luffy falls off Onigashima but basically recovers after eating Caribou's buffet' moment. Luffy's actually knocked out. His eyes are whited out. 

Just to hammer it in even further, he just poofs into the air like a deflated balloon. Momonosuke even goes "I can't hear his voice anymore!"

And just to hammer it even further, we get the narrator boxes declaring that the winner of the battle as Kaido. It's been a stylistic choice of using the narrator announcing the winner and loser in this arc, and without exception it's been one of the good guys that won.

and you know what? I actually really like this surprise plot twist. I've never been on the camp of the 'raid failing' or whatever, but I have been kind of sighing and slightly disappointed that every single fight is going on the side of the good guys -- particularly with how none of the Scabbards other than maybe Ashura Doji seems to have been killed. I think I was ready for CP0 and the World Government to pull a Blackbeard or Kuma and just screwing over the good guys at the end of the arc, y'know? After Kaido and Big Mom and King and Queen and the rest are defeated?

But no. This one is a nice plot twist. Again, not a huge power-scaler, but with how unstoppable Kaido had been portrayed as in the previous chapter, as well as the damage Luffy himself has taken all throughout the Wano arc, I actually wouldn't like it as much if Luffy just beats Kaido with just a huge rubber punch without at least some sort of good explanation of awakening or conqueror's haki or some sort of new form or a team-up with the others. Admittedly, CP0 interrupting the fight the way Oden/Kaido was interrupted wasn't high on my list of possible plot twists, but I actually really like it. 

Oh yeah, Kaido glares at Bowler Hat Dude and... and I've been kind of mocking how One Piece really could stand to kill its characters more. Is that why we don't have a name for Bowler Hat Dude? So the audience won't feel any sort of attachment to him, and when he does his cool hat tip and Kaido lightning-bashes him to death, we would believe his death?

Kaido straight-up just swirls down into the fortress in his full, imposing dragon form and starts demanding for Momonosuke's surrender. I absolutely love that the manga takes time to show the change in morale among the ground troops. Sure, none of the actual people that matter on Kaido's side is still up, but seeing the random Beast Pirates goons all cheering, while Kid and Law and Chopper get all demoralized and stuff... that's very effective. 

Nami demonstrates that she probably has the biggest balls among any cast-member in this manga, too, because she immediately rants and stands up to Kaido, telling him to basically fuck off with his lies about Luffy dying. Nami doesn't exactly get a proper fight in this arc, but I love how between her earlier confrontation with Ulti (a very understated moment) and this one, she just refuses to back down. Motherfucking Kaido even Boro Breaths Nami and she would've been vaporized if Marco didn't show up and create a fire shield. Bad ass!

Kaido spends a couple of pages delivering a bad guy speech, talking about how he's going to enslave all of Wano and force them to work. He talks about how this is the fate of the defeated and... and I really am curious about Kaido's flashback now to see just why he places so much emphasis in strength. 

We get a pretty great conversation and argument between Momonosuke and Yamato again -- an interesting contrast to Usopp's argument with Kin'emon earlier in the arc, too. Momonosuke is ready to surrender, knowing that the battle is hopeless... but Yamato insists that their 'survival' in this case is essentially a fate equitable to death, and gives a pretty cool speech that gives the chapter its title.

...and then Zunesha starts to speak. He talks about the 'drums of liberation', how 'he is here' after 800 years, as we cut back and forth between Zunesha and Luffy's body... and then Zunesha name-drops JOY BOY. As Luffy's fainted face turns into that Clan of D grin... while he melts upwards?

WHAT?

I love this. Such an amazing cliffhanger. I have no idea what's going on -- I expected Luffy to get back up, of course. I didn't expect him to die, of course. This is One Piece, this arc will most definitely end with Kaido defeated and Wano free. But I expected just... just an awakening, y'know? Or maybe Luffy mastering Conqueror's Haki. Or Yamato or Momonosuke or Zunesha doing something... but no. Joy Boy! What does it mean? Some sort of possession? Is Joy Boy the true identity of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, whatever the hell that entails? Is this just Luffy realizing the true nature of his fruit? Is Zunesha mistaking Luffy for Joy Boy? How does this relate to the Will of D? Is this why Kaido has been seeking death, because Joy Boy is related somehow to death? Is the reaper with Zoro connected to this? Bink's Sake lyrics! Sun God Mika! Sap conspiracies! Devil possessions! Wisdom King!

MASS HYSTERIA! God, I love this manga. 

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Random Notes:

• I guess we can all collectively agree that Luffy's fruit is going to be awakened with all the hints we're having, and the mystery fruit that the Gorosei are talking about, right? All the hints throughout this arc with have really pointed there, right? Now the question is, what is the true form of the Gomu Gomu no Mi?
• The biggest 'theory' people seem to like seem to be it being some sort of Resin or Amber or Sap-based fruit of some sort, which... which I would actually like, not going to lie. It expands on the capabilities of the rubber fruit but also doesn't deviate too much from it since those are the 'original' form of rubber.
• WE STILL DON'T HAVE A NAME FOR BOWLER HAT DUDE. 
• The cover story is just Oven and Brulee taking the book with the Vinsmokes in it to Whole Cake Island. Eh, I guess. 
• I really love the short scene of Luffy almost deflating after being hit by the Thunder-Bellow Bagua and having to physically close his mouth to keep the air from leaving him. 
• I've always thought that Luffy was going to 1v1 and defeat Kaido this time around, maybe with a new Gear Fifth or Awakening form (or if those are the same thing) but I absolutely love that we get a twist here. I absolutely love that there's a complication and that there's no 'oh, third time's the charm right boys?' victory without any explanation.  
• Frilly-neck McMask the CP0 guy who's just hanging out in the Go board room has a short moment of mourning Bowler Hat Dude, but... but I looked at that scene and I feel like the thought going through his head is probably 'wow, shit, thank god I volunteered to stay behind and take calls'. 
• Jean Bart does something! Jean fucking Bart! He and a random unnamed Kid Pirate goon jumps in to protect Law and Kid from the Beast Pirates goons. 
• Some people have pointed out that the 'drums of liberation' is Luffy's heart starting back up, in the similar way that Enel's Goro Goro no Mi did a self-defibrillation during the Skypiea arc. I like that!