Anime: Marineford Arc- Episode 490 *Late*

What a great way to start off…well, anything actually. This type of great “final lines” can only be found at OnePieceOfficial.com. I’m there. Are you?

First Thoughts

Sora back (and late…again) with last week’s episode of One Piece! Hey, think of it this way, skipping a week to get double the episode coverage for the price of one, right?

This was an astounding episode, these whole last few have been a wonderful end to the epic Whitebeard War Saga. Only an episode or two to go until it is over, and from the action on-screen you can definitely tell. The events of this episode where only a bit over half of a surprise, but it was totally worth it. Great episode, and I can tell you, I am stoked for the official end of this Saga-to-end-all-sagas!

Summary

The end of the war is official and the chant of Marine Victory resonates across a celebrating globe. With Whitebeard’s announcement about the One Piece, rowdy pirates are filled with the desire to claim the legendary treasure as their own, and islands once protected by Whitebeard’s great name are laid to waste by his enemies, now having nothing to fear.

Sengoku receives news on how Blackbeard acquired new crew members at Impel Down while he and Gecko Moria both learn the immense and over-pressing power of those in the highest degree of power in the Marines.

Boa Hancock and Ivankov catch up with Trafalgar Law’s submarine and Luffy as Jimbei stumbles above deck to thank Law for saving his and Luffy’s lives. Together they decide the rubber-boy’s future for safety from the Government, and Hancock worries for Luffy’s life.

Thoughts

So, to start off, they show the general response of the world’s people as the Marines announce their “complete victory” over the Whitebeard pirates. I can’t help but let them feel happy, if only for a moment. Most of the folks in the world really aren’t interested in the details, let alone privy to them. Let them celebrate; after all, in some regard, what we fans consider to be the “good guys” really are a bunch of cutthroats, even if the main characters and such are nice guys. You have to consider the opinion of the general public for a moment.

Yes, the only thing I really have a bit of an issue with is the Marines declaring their “complete victory”. Not really true. Of course, once again, what else can they do? It isn’t like they can just announce every detail of the war, how so many people lost their lives or how many casualties each side received, and especially not that one of the Four Emperors actually stopped the fighting in the end. You gotta tell the simple people something, and if nothing else, then why not a basic version?

Now this part surprised the heck out of me. All of the Supernovas went to watch the end of the war? Really? This was surprising to me. I didn’t exactly know where they Were going to be, but certainly not here. Still, that explains how Law was able to get to Marineford so quick, if he had gone to watch initially with the others or something of that sort.

I like Captain Drake, but I am not totally sure yet. He is rather serious after all, especially with how he is an ex-Marine officer. That Capone man worries me a lot, talking about Whitebeard’s “territory”. A crime boss would definitely think like that, if a high-ranking competitor fell and his areas were up for grabs.

I Really do not like Urouge. Don’t ask me why. He is correct in thinking that Blackbeard will hold the power for a while now, but I don’t know quite what he means by his use of “reign”. Reign over what? Whitebeard’s old haunts? His title? Blackbeard is certainly not going to become one of the Four Pirate Emperors; at least, this is my speculation. I do rather like Jewelry Bonney though. Again, don’t ask me why. Haha, probably because she saved Zoro, but that is unlikely to be the reason! I do wish I knew by who she was referring to when she said, “This is all his fault.” Who is she talking about? Blackbeard? She has that expression on her face a Lot, I’ve noticed. Oh well, whoever she is talking about, he had better be careful, haha, he is on her List!

0.o Oh…well…that is…bad. Yup, I am talking about Apoo. And no, not about his face (although it is rather bleh). What the music man said about Trafalgar Law. I was wondering the same thing. Why would a man like Law aid Luffy anyhow? Certainly none of the other Supernovas would ever even ponder the Thought of helping someone out at that battle, especially such a high-level rookie as Strawhat. But, what I am severely concerned about right now is what Apoo mentioned about Law’s brutality. I did NOT know about that, and the knowledge worries me. [Law IS my favorite Supernova, after all.] I know that something looks weird about the man, I just did not know what it was…

Oh. My. Gods. A dude with a CAT-FACE! Awesome. Oh, and Dawkins. Who is, actually, rather cool. I like him, hehe. Interesting odds he is coming up with about Luffy’s survival. Finally, we come to the only captain scarier than Luffy (bounty wise). Captain Kidd. He bugs me, for several reasons, but one stands above the others. He isn’t annoying like Apoo, or irritating like Urouge, but Kidd is the type of pirate whom I Want to like, but just can’t find the Will to. It probably has something to do with how many casualties he racks up on each island, his freakin’ scratchy voice or how much clown paint he has on his face. One of the three

HOLY CRUD! (most powerful thing I’ve said in text probably, oh, Ever.) I now know who all of the Four Emperors are. Sweet, I have all their names now. Of course, haha, this doesn’t help me at all much! Oh well. Still good to hold onto for future reference. Whitebeard, “Red-Haired” Shanks, Kaido, and Big Mam. Cool.

Hm. They are addressing that facts are “trimmed off”. I am forced to agree, this is so common in history it is practically expected by now. Sad how only true Historians (like myself and Robin-sensei) will be some of the few privy to the truth behind stories like this.

Ooooooooooohh. It seems like this New Era that Whitebeard spoke of has actually inspired even More pirates to go for the One Piece. Now even non-believers like Bellamy could start up after the treasure. Oh dear…well, it is good…I suppose…but still, the people Are foolish to celebrate without remembering All of the facts.

Oh…I had nearly forgotten about all of the towns and whole islands under the protection of Whitebeard. This is what Capone was talking about. They are going to be ransacked, divvied up, and destroyed now that the great man is gone. The result of this war is not peace by a long-shot…it is less peace and more bloodshed, no matter what the history books will say to the people. How sad…

Here is a great anology for ya. Whitebeard was, in the eyes of the Marines, a disease which had corrupted and ensnared the body of the seas and its people. They wear it down, and it just loses its hold on the body. The Marines celebrate their victory over the disease, but they forget one crucial point about some long-lasting and enveloping diseases. These illnesses, while holding the appearance of harm, may do more good than harm. Say a disease lets off extra white blood cells, keeping the body healthier and safer all the time. Now that the illness is gone, the parts of the body which were under its influence will crumble, lose stability, or even die off. By trying to do the “right thing” the Marines have really just ruined the seas more than leaving Whitebeard be.

Point and Case: Stupid. Marines.

?...??...Where the…where the freak did the goat go…oh, never mind. You can’t pick on Sengoku’s awesome goat!

Impel Down…? What Has gone on there after Luffy left…Oh! I still want to know, for confirmation, if Bon Clay is…well, you know. Level 6…? But Luffy left them all be, how could it be bad…oh gods. I’ll be anything that Blackbeard had something to do with this.

Gods…the few times I am right, I always hate it. And I was not disappointed this time either. I shared the look that Sengoku has right now. Still…he only took four out…which means…gods, everyone else must be…jeez…how…how…aweful.

{I really don’t know why the kawaii~ goat is chewing on his cape-thing, but it is adorable}

Sick…seriously? This is why I hate Blackbeard. That part of me inside just dislikes him, I think, most of any villain or person in this whole series. Probably on par with Kabuto in Naruto. I hate people who first debut in the series as either a neutral party, an unknown, or even worse, a person who is a bit like the main character and Helps them out somehow, with advice or something. It makes me sick when characters like that end up like Blackbeard, or Kabuto. I feel as though it is the lowest form of evil a villain can be. A lot of cunning and wickedness going on, but none of it is fun. Not in the least.

Woah. The Higher-Ups are gonna put even Fleet Admiral Sengoku off by keeping their “reputations in tact”. Seriously? This is the whole reason my favorite female character is Robin. She can really see how corrupt the World Government is when few others can anymore. Still…the stupid things that the World Government has done: destroying all knowledge of the Void Century, hiding Gecko Moria’s defeat by Luffy, countless others, and now this, denying the public the right to know that unknown numbers of insane murderers and/or worse criminals are on the loose. That is horrible. This is why I do like Sengoku, he actually Does care, where as the Higher-Ups do not.

YEAH!! Holy Beep! This is awesome! I knew this was coming from a spoiler I heard, but I never knew it happened, well, THIS immediately! Gecko Moria being killed? by Doflamingo. Sweet~ fufufufufu…

This scene is playing out so awesomely…in a scary and terrifying, yet oddly satisfying, manner. When Doflamingo mentioned “much higher up the latter”, I just got chills. Scary…

I officially LOVE Bepo. He is so funny, I do not understand how I could not love him at this point.

Gods. This scene is too funny. Just this whole scene morphs from great scene to greater scene, next with Hancock and then with Ivankov and the Okamas randomly stashing away on the Marine ship. Still…Law is right. I am severely worried for Luffy’s mental condition as well as physical. All that stuff Ivankov did to him, and even before that, Magellan…it had to catch up to him at some point. Of course, normally he would shake it off with some meat and partying after his victory, but this is the first time he has actually, well, Lost. And he fell hard.

This is approaching the point where I know I have major spoilers for. No details, but I know the basic gist of it, so it didn’t totally surprise me besides what I mentioned.

All-in-all, it was a fantastic episode. I loved every minute of it. There was no little expense taken with how well it was done either.

Preview

No need for one this week, seeing as the episode is already out, haha!

Hope you come by again for more coverage of the most epic Anime out there as we cover the latest and wrap up the largest war probably, like, ever. Go to OnePieceOfficial.com now!