One Piece chapter 1105 ended with a tantalizing cliffhanger—a sunk Navy ship, with someone reported that simply, “They have arrived.” All week, anyone reading One Piece wondered who the hell “they” could possibly be.
Major spoilers for One Piece‘s Egghead arc immediately ahead!
The top contender for me, at least initially, was the Blackbeard Pirates. After all, we learned way back in chapter 1079 that a ship with Blackbeard’s flag was approaching Egghead, and it’s about time that came back into pay. Then again, I’m holding a highly optimistic hope that Law and Bepo are on that ship. But more to the point, Blackbeard would’ve killed both the Navy ship and the civilian ship of Egghead workers that the Navy was attacking.
After we all got over Blackbeard, other contenders popped up. Could it be the Revolutionaries, because Shaka was on the phone with Dragon saying he that he was about to die, even further back in chapter 1064? Could it be members from the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, because it was teased at the very end of Dressrosa that they would cause an “incident”? Hell, could it be Shanks and the Red Haired Pirates, since they were nearby on Elbaf?
It was none of those. All of our admittedly very good guesses were wrong. However, Shanks wasn’t too far off. But like all the best entries, no one saw this one coming.
The boys are back, baby!
No one had on their bingo card that the mysterious “they” the Navy spoke so fearfully of was none other than Dorry and Brogy—the co-captains of the much-feared Giant Warrior Pirates.
While we did just see Dorry and Brogy with Shanks on Elbaf in chapter 1079, taking part in “The Great Kid Decimation,” their last previous sighting in the world of One Piece was way, way before that. Before Egghead, we were introduced to them as they dropped their 100-year duel-to-the-death and became friends with the Straw Hat Pirates during the Little Garden arc. Which started in 1999. Meaning, 25 years ago. Before even Chopper was in the crew.
And now here they are, absolutely decimating entire Navy ships with a single swing of their sword or axe. You simply love to see it.
Fans were all completely blindsided by this highly unexpected, exceedingly epic entry. The reactions were exceptionally joyous. When I personally read it, I started giggling and kicking my legs while a delighted toddler who just tried chocolate pudding for the first time.
Did this song play incessantly in my head as fans all rejoiced in the return of these two excellent big boys? Yes, absolutely.
This also brings Oda’s promise from December’s Shounen Jump Festa into even sharper focus: the next island very much seems like it will be the giants’ island, Elbaf. The Straw Hats’ visit to Elbaf has been in the back of the minds of people who have been following One Piece since its beginnings, because it was first teased in Little Garden, 25 years ago.
Talk about tying up loose ends.
And that other panel …
But Dory and Broggy’s epic entrance was only one reason chapter 1106 was so incredible. But to be honest, the other is harder to talk about, simply because it makes you choke up.
One of the many things we learned during the extended Kuma flashback was that, as both the last of the Buccaneer race and as a former slave to the Celestial Dragons, the legend of Nika the Sun God meant the world to him. The idea that someone could help free the world with laughter and a smile gave him hope. He even knew the beat of the Drums of Liberation. And he passed his love of this legend to his daughter, Jewelrey Bonney.
But because the World Government and St. Saturn in particular are evil as hell, Kuma and Bonney have had it incredibly rough. Kuma voluntarily turned himself into will-less human weapon in order for his daughter to have a chance to live. Naturally, on Egghead, St. Saturn—again, evil as they come—gleefully seized the opportunity to have Bonney killed by the clones of her father.
But Vegapunk, the scientist who cyborg’ed Kuma, defied St. Saturn and placed Bonney at the top of the chain of command for the Pacifistas, above even the Five Elders. This rebellion potentially got Vegapunk killed on the spot, but in the moments before, Vegapunk uttered one of the most moving lines in recent series history: “Even if the entire world should be your enemy … Kuma will always be on your side!!!”
And as she attends to the bleeding Vegapunk, she sees Luffy in Gear 5. Just a few chapters after Saturn attempted to sap any sense of hope from her by making her doubt his existence, she sees Nika.
You know? One Piece is pretty damn good.
(featured image: Shuiesha / Eiichiro Oda)
