Being a hero doesn't mean being brave all the time. It's about stepping up and risking all for the sake of others. Even if they will never realize what you've done for them. Today, Usopp is the bravest hero on the island of Dressrosa.
The Good
I made no qualms about my disapproval of the events from last week's ONE PIECE issue and the treatment of Rebecca. However, it's almost as if Oda wanted that out of the way then redeem that moment with a scene of true heroism for Usopp.
Usopp has almost always been a character of moments scattered throughout the series, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's an example of slow and steady personal growth. He's a character that wants to be brave despite being a total coward. It would be boring if he made a complete conversion after one moment of mustering up his courage to do something special. That would make him too much like the other macho men of the Straw Hats.
These moments in which he's allowed to shine makes them all the more unique and special. He finds his own way of being brave. Luffy and Law will likely never know or understand what saved them this day from obscurity. It was one act of bravery and cleverness. I may be mistaken, but Usopp may have also awoken to some talent in Observation Haki. That could be handy for a sniper of his talents.
The Bad
I'm a touch disappointed that the rematch between Usopp and Sugar ended this quickly, but that didn't stop me from laughing nearly as hard as the first time he knocked her out. Who knows, maybe fingers crossed for a round three at some point down the line, but I kind of doubt it.
The only real flaw I see here is in Trafalgar Law taking Sugar so lightly. Shouldn't he have recognized her almost immediately and warned Luffy? Maybe there's something behind that, but it hasn't been explained yet.
Verdict 4/5
While not a perfect chapter, this was certainly a really good one. Admittedly, I was confused how Usopp immediately knew the peril that Luffy and Trafalgar were in, but then I remembered that Viola had been watching Sugar since she woke up and was tracking her actions with her own powers. With that bit aside, we're left with the rest of the chapter to focus on Usopp setting up one of the more interesting sniper shots of his career as a marksmen. I can't help be impressed how a sniper can adjust for wind and distance to make such a pinpoint, accurate shot. This is certainly an extreme example, but there are some people who can pull off these sort of shots.
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About the Author
 | Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates:@AnimeVicers/@FoxxFireArt / http://kristofferremmell.tumblr.com/ |
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