Usopp's heroic sacrifice wasn't in vain. Sugar is unconscious, and with it all those under her spell are released. The memories that are flooding back to the people of Dressrosa will turn into a tsunami that shall overcome the Warlord, Doflamingo. That is if Kyros doesn't end this war with the opening salvo.
The Good
Well, that's certainly a way to kick off your big final act for an arc. It was only around this time last year that the Dressrosa Arc was just beginning. Now that we've entered the third -- or fourth -- act, it all starts off with Doflamingo being beheaded. Oda sure doesn't pull his punches with the visuals, but I can't say I find this all that impactful. Partly because I know that this couldn't be the end for him, and I already have an assumption as to how he's going to survive this. It's likely that the String-String Fruit user is going to take a trick out of the bag of KILL LA KILL's Ragyo Kiryuin. There's going to be some thread that's keeping him alive.
Not that I'm saying this is true, but wouldn't it be hilarious if Oda had seen that episode of KILL LA KILL then made some last minute alterations to his story based on what he saw? The timeline doesn't seem unreasonable. ONE PIECE is a weekly published series, with a pretty tight time line; and that episode of KILL LA KILL was aired back in February. Guess we'll see next week.
I also came out of this chapter feeling oddly proud of Usopp. It took him a while to get there, but the boy did good. Chaos has swept the entire nation thanks to him, and from Doflamingo's perspective, it's all coming out of left field. There's something so satisfying about seeing an antagonist known for his manipulation and plotting have the rug so suddenly pulled out from under him. Maybe that was Oda's not-so-subtle metaphor with the decapitation. Rather than a rug, it was his neck.
The Bad
For as much as I enjoy the graphic nature of Doflamingo's beheading, I also don't like it for some of the same reasons I listed above. I don't take it seriously, because I know this won't be the end of the warlord. I also don't even feel like guessing as to why or how. Another series already gave me what I feel is the best answer. The shock value has been greatly diminished. Not that I wasn't surprised initially. It just faded then evaporated altogether in a matter of moments. Although, color me vastly impressed if he does actually stick to it.
Verdict 4/5
It's taken us long enough to get to this point. There have been several times I thought the Dressrosa Arc was entering the last act. It's just been a while since Oda's done a really long arc, such as this. Not that I mind. Punk Hazard was pretty brief, and this one's been a lot of fun with some amazing reveals.
Things have really exploded in this series, and I'm not just talking about what Sabo pulled on the stadium arena. If you want to know something funny. I always felt that floor was going to blow up on tournament to bring those two separate stories together. I just didn't realize it would an intentional act from inside the ring. Just be thankful that this chapter doesn't end with a week break so the wait for what comes next won't be too long. However, I bet Oda has something cooking for just before the impending Golden Week break.
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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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