Ukimix's One Piece review: chapter 687

[ukimix]

Hi again. Here my review of the chapter (I was not write one this week, but I feel I had to).

Chapter 687: Beast. A review

Zoro

Remember? There Zoro was about to be murdered by Kisaru, in front of his powerless and devastated crew-mates and captain. The page, and those chapters are one of the most dramatic ones of One Piece.

That battle marked the separation of the straw huts and the beginning of the time skip, time skip that ended with a moment that I always want to remember:

We saw this chapter on October 2010. Since then, every One Piece reader has been waiting for a demonstration of “the straw hats real new power”. Fishman Island arc, with a rival with any other motive that a blind hatred and constantly needing doping pills to be able to stand up for the next punch, was a complete failure that only made us to wait even more. But this chapter gifted us with this crazy panel…

Only for that, the chapter is epic. It doesn’t show us Zoro’s highest level, but it fulfills (some of) our expectation: Monet is not the first logia user beaten without haki, but she really is the first logia user beaten without haki and that fast and in such a utterly way. Only two slashes were required a devastated one and a small thrust by a nosey Tashigi. I think now we may lawfully wonder… what would happen today if Zoro meets Kisaru. Do you have an idea?

Lets go back to the previous chapter, and suppose that you are entrusted with the direction of the anime episodes for the last two chapters. How would you do it? I mean, you have there a cold swordsman, with no hurries, efficiently getting his strategic objectives, (namely, to let his mates go for the children), very calm, very powerful and with no regrets at all. Plus the action goes since the moment in which a dangerous enemy stabs a beloved friend of this swordsman, until the moment he slashes that rival in two. What shots would you make? What pace would you chose for what actions? Those chapters could be a gem. Anyway, from this point of view, the previous chapter is now a good one and can’t be judged separately of the present one, because instead of showing us an incomprehensible behavior of a hesitating and troubled nearly warrior; rather it is like a preparation, like a premonition of a fearful demonstration.

A final note about Zoro’s performance. I said he beat Monet with only two slashes, because the other one in the cheek was not necessary to beat her, but just to prevent her seriously damaged Tashigi. But no doubts about how much control Zoro has over CoA should be allowed. Canon fact tells us that Monet didn’t have any doubt about it, she could feel it in the skin; and that’s why she experienced an overwhelming and incapacitating panic.



Monet


Now, if the chapter is epic because of Zoro's performance, IF we don’t see again Monet in her battle whatever would it may be, THEN this chapter will be also really bad. Yes, if she doesn’t come back, we will never know what for us, readers, would be exposed to so many hints, ambiguities, foreshadows about her that would be going to nowhere.

Suppose she won’t come back. Then what for these ambiguities regards her body shape?

… what for this panel, in which she sees Chopper, a just now clearly enemy of her?

…or those quotations signs on her lines? (I wrote a lot about it in my last review)

... Only to make us wonder about something that we will never know or that will never play a role or make sense in another part of the story? Notice also that her intellectual style doesn’t match very well with the fact that in the end she was just an insane bitch. Then no thanks, the arc would be much better without all those teaser panels. Even if so, Monet looked less mysterious, less attractive to us.



Tashigi

If love would have a place in One Piece, what do you think would be Zoro’s beloved? Some people think Robin. Because of a difficult relationship in the beginning, than later becomes a closest, caring and discreet one; we have seen in this arc how the cold Zoro worries about Robin’s dress… But the last two chapters would be a powerful argument in favor of Tashigi. Mainly because these chapters touch the very essence of Zoro’s story. Zoro’s destiny if defined by the promise he and Kuina’s made. Tashigi resembles a lot Kuina. And beyond than the fact that Zoro gets annoyed by this resemblance, Tashigi’s impression about Zoro’s behavior also resembles the idea Kuina had about women in war.

So yes, those panels make Tashigi look like a stupid person. But, as you know, people in love behave stupidly. There is no point on complaining about nothing with Zoro, even more after that superb slash over a woman. So, deep inside maybe she just wants to talk about something with Zoro.

Nothing else for the moment. Hope you like it ;-)


Credits:

Images taken from mangareader and mangarule. Thanks for all people posting in the thread for chapter discussion.

[dex]

really liked the way you started...showing zoro's fight with kizaru (that was really shocking moment...devastating too) if zoro faces him now it won't go so bad for him..but i still feel he has a long way to go before competing with top ones...maybe monster trio together can beat an admiral now...but not sure coz even admirals must have gotten strong in past 2 years...

monet is still a mystery... the way she talked about protecting children and being parent like was not allout evil to me... maybe she is one of the captives held by doflamingo working under threat or something...i do want to know her story a bit...

tashigi is going to be paired with zoro...for robin i always felt that she is more fit with franky...they both are under almost same destiny (ones who can revive ancient weapons)

nice review...

[mattiaildivino]

lol,awesome how you remind us of those dramatic moments. dunno why,but I would have added the moment when usop left the crew and,whilst luffy was crying, zoro gave him important advices. that scene was unbelievably epic!

[ukimix]

Yes, that was really dramatic, tho it wouldn't have much to do with this chaper. I think that the last two chapters have driven us to remember the most important moments in Zoro's story. Only for that, and for the way Zoro beat Monet, those chapters are really good.

[V1c0]

Really nice review.

I too really enjoyed the way you started it, making a line with the dramatic situation of SA.
Well, if you think about Zoro's haki, it was already showed in this chapter that has this video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4q77eVTYwE

If someone know the number i'll be realy grateful...

[ukimix]

Thanks for your comment. Dont know the number of that episode. Seems to be in Sabaondy, since they talk about a grove. Not sure there is haki there.

[V1c0]

Thank you.

Well, it's not haki, but it's the thing that Tashigi says: The fear of a massive power that you know you can't win agaist it...
I my opinion it's a starting disposition to conqueror's haki.