Sunday, April 15, 2012

Manga: Chapter 661 (SPOILERS!)

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
Be cool like Brook! Read One Piece on SJAlpha!
We start this chapter by returning to Luffy's group as their banana boat gets destroyed by a gang of centaurs whose leader happens to be Brownbeard! Not only that, but he is now an alligator centaur, and I can't say I've ever seen one of those before. Zoro and Usopp emerge from the water with Luffy and Robin on their backs. As the centaurs prepare to fire again, Zoro is dragged underneath the water by sharks. Just as Usopp is about to be shot, the centaur's weapons suddenly explode in their faces.

Brook just keeps getting cooler each time he shows up. The centaurs attack Brook, but he cuts them down easily. Afterwards Luffy and the others manage to get back on the ground, but are now freezing. Brownbeard manages to recognize Luffy upon closer inspection and is naturally terrified because of  his 400,000,000 berry bounty.

This is snow laughing matter

Meanwhile outside of the Research Institute, Law realizes that he cannot let the Straw Hats get away and uses his Op-op powers to switch their hearts. As the Straw Hats continue to run, we see that what Law has actually done is switched the minds of the Straw Hats so Nami acts like Sanji, Sanji acts like Chopper, Franky acts like Nami, and Chopper acts like Franky. This is going to be hilarious.

Law resumes his attack against the marines using his powers to steal all of their weapons and their Transponder Snails because he doesn't want them to report what they've seen to Marine Headquarters or the World Government. Smoker resumes his attack on Law and they fight it out for a bit. Smoker warns everyone that Law completely rules an area within his circle but Tashigi charges ahead to attack Law despite Smoker saying that her Haki isn't powerful enough. This is where the chapter ends.

This was definitely the best part of the chapter

This was another solid chapter with its usual great mix of light hearted comedy and serious action. The artwork continues to be great as always and now we have both the Straw Hats and the Marines in another tight spot. In addition I need to ask; what's going to happen between Brownbeard and Luffy? How is the mind switchgoing to play out? What will happen between Tashigi and Law? Will the Straw Hats reunite as well as becoming back to normal?

Once again we should get some answers next time. Now if you'll excuse me, Peggle Nights is calling me so have a good week and see you all in my next review!

Did anybody else seriously not see this coming?

6 comments:

  1. Great Review.

    I really like how Robin still looks glamorous even when she is freezing while the others look more comical.

    The switching seems cliche but it is definetely gonna work with the straw hats We are not gonna ask Oda to make a revolution in story telling.

    The only downside of this chapter was Tashigi getting defeated so easily right after her reintroduction. She is pretty much a character I came to care as much as the straw hats . After all the pain she went through in part 1 and her determination to become stronger and not playing an important role in an arc since 2002. I was very excited to see her progress after the TS. It seems that all the hype and excitement I had for her collapsed in a single panel. Hope she gets to redeem herself later on.

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    1. Glamorous is a word to use for Robin in that panel. haha

      It is cliche but it is something that Oda hasn't done. I admit, when I saw the hearts coming out, I thought that was going to happen but I was surprise to see that he actually did it.

      Yeah, Tashigi just can't get a break. First being knocked out by Robin in Alabasta and then getting slapped in the face by Law. It doesn't look good for her. I ma sure if it was anybody else that didn't have a crazy power like that then Tashigi would have done well. Maybe next time for her.

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  2. The Punk Hazard Arc is starting to gain some serious momentum, and I'm loving it.

    Probably my and my friends favorite part of this chapter was the page when Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Robin see the centuar pirates, and they all simultaneously say "WARM CLOTHES!!!" Seriously, the looks on their faces were priceless. They looked like a pack of wolves about to pounce on their next prey.

    I too also noticed right away that Brownbeard was the Crocotaur (Croc/centaur hybrid) though I am kind of confused about something. Last we saw Brownbeard, he had a run in with Basil Hawkins the fortune teller, who's last words too him were "I see the shadow of death upon you," back in the Post War Arc. Seeing as Hawkins' predictions have a reputation of being very accurate, I was almost convince Brownbeard was going to be killed off right then and there off screen (he didn't seem like he was that important of a character to keep around.)

    Here's my prediction: Hawkins did mortaly wound Brownbeard in battle, but left him just barely alive. At which point, Law found him, and being the surgeon he is, he was able to save Brownbeard from death by fusing his remaining body with a Crocodile, and as a result, indebted Brownbeard to serving him. That's my guess.

    Yeah, the mind switch thing has been done before, but considering that Oda was able to go 15 years without yet reverting to that clice, that alone is impressive. While I'm sure it's going to be a ton of fun, I can't help but feel my idea of a mind switch plot was a little more clever:

    My idea was to have Moria and his team from Thriller Bark reunite in the new world, and they plan to get their revenge on the Straw Hats. But instead of just killing them, Moria decisdes to mess with them and watch them destroy eachother (that sounds like something his sick personality would come up with.)
    So he raids their ship one day and uses his shadow powers to switch all their shadows around, thus having them excange personalities.
    Robin's given Nami's shadow.
    Nami gets Usopp's shadow.
    Usopp gets Zoro's shadow.
    Zoro gets Chopper's shadow.
    Chopper gets Sanji's shadow.
    Sanji gets Franky's shadow.
    Franky gets Robin's shadow.
    And then Luffy and Brook show up back at the ship after being gone fishing or whatever other little adventure, they see everyone and they're like...
    Luffy: Hey, why is everybody acting like everybody else?
    Brook: Perhaps they are playing charades.
    Luffy: That's AWESOME! Alright! I'm gonna be Brook!
    Brook: And I will be Luffy-san! Yo-ho-ho...I mean, I will be King of the Pirates!
    Luffy: Hey Robin! Show me your panties!

    And then Moria watching from afar, gets upset when they start thinking it's a game and are laughing at it instead of tearing eachother apart.

    All that said, Oda's version will be fun. You all do know that Sanji in Nami's body means he is going to spend the whole next chapter looking at himself naked in a mirror, right?

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    1. I would have loved if Neku had used that image in the review. That was an awesome panel.

      That may have worked but maybe Hawkins was using the 'Shadow of Death' phrase to mean something else. Maybe something like the death of his career of his pirate life.

      The Moria thing sounds like fun. haha Moria would be so pissed off if it didn't work how he wanted. Still, I am looking forward to more body swap fun. Still, based on what you said, would Nami be in Robin's body or would Robin be acting like Nami?

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    2. Robin would have Nami's shadow, meaning that she takes on Nami's personality and skill set.

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