Having mostly seen and experienced the vast world of One Piece through its protagonist Luffy and the Straw Hats, instances such as the latest God Valley flashback are quite rare in the series. As the series has proved over the years, there is much more to One Piece’s world and history that fans still do not know, and the mysterious God Valley Incident is one of these things. As such, besides telling fans Kuma’s backstory, One Piece’s latest flashback is also revealing precious information about the series’ history, including a legendary battle where the former King of the Pirates and the Hero of the Marines joined forces.

After referencing the event multiple times and leaving fans with only brief teases for years on end, Episode 1130 of One Piece finally gives fans a good look at the infamous God Valley Incident. The episode reveals that the island was the location of the Celestial Dragons’ cruel Native Hunting Competition, with Ginny being the one to lure in the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates as part of their escape plan. Besides giving fans a brief glimpse of the Rocks Pirates in their heyday, the latest episode also reveals young versions of Roger, Garp, and their respective crews as they jump into battle on God Valley, hyping up the mystery surrounding the historic event even more.

[RELATED: Why Does Ginny Cry in One Piece’s Kuma Flashback?]

Roger and Garp Make Their God Valley Debut in One Piece

So far, the only other time fans have gotten a proper glimpse at the God Valley Incident was when Sengoku first introduced the island and the mystery of what took place there 38 years ago. This was in Episode 958, wherein One Piece first revealed the young version of Garp that fans see in the latest episode, with Sengoku revealing that this was when Garp earned his famous title as the Hero of the Marines. Episode 958 was also when Sengoku revealed the nature of the battle at God Valley, which involved Garp and Roger joining forces to defeat the fearsome Rocks Pirates.

At this point, other than Garp, the series hadn’t yet revealed the younger version of any other characters, including Roger and his crew, which is why Episode 1130 has fans so excited. It is safe to say that the anime nailed the character designs, especially with Roger, who is seen without his signature mustache for the first time in One Piece. Sadly, beyond a few exchanged battle cries between Rocks and Roger, Episode 1130 cuts away without giving fans a good look at Rocks D. Xebec or the battle between him, Roger, and Garp. However, with One Piece headed into the Final Saga at breakneck speed, it likely won’t be long till the series reveals the entire clash, and it’s sure to be just as epic as fans imagined when that time comes.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Teases Roger and Garp’s Most Legendary Battle With First Look appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s anime commenced its best backstory yet in its Spring 2025 return, with many questions still left unanswered about Kuma’s past and his decision to become a Pacifista. While Bonney has already seen through Kuma’s memories before the main fight began, we are just now learning the truth. The latest Episode 1130, was absolutely horrifying because of the Native Hunting Competition in God Valley. The Celestial Dragons were already hated for their atrocities before, but there’s no limit to how low they can get after getting free rein from the World Government to do as they please.

The World Government allows them complete freedom while the Admirals do everything they can to protect them while ignoring their horrible actions. Although Kuma may have escaped the hell in God Valley and doesn’t live as a slave anymore, the happiness he felt in the Sorbet Kingdom is nothing but a fleeting moment. We have yet to see the worst part, and for some of us, including One Piece’s most beloved animators, there’s a strong possibility it’ll be the first time seeing how much worse it can still get. Kuma’s backstory is extremely dark, and it’s difficult to process how one character can suffer so much. It’s not just fans, but even the animators have difficulty when it comes to learning more about him, so much so that one of them hasn’t even read the backstory yet.

[RELATED: It’s Been Two Years Since One Piece Dropped Its Coldest Manga Panel Ever]

Megumi Ishitani Didn’t Even Read Kuma’s Backstory

Megumi Ishitani shared on her X account, “I don’t like watching stories that I know from the beginning will be sad, so I haven’t even read the original manga, let alone the Kuma Arc anime… (It took me a long time to decide to read Summit War as well.) Everyone tells me that if they read it, they will cry, so it’s hard to read… The sadness of not being able to ride this big wave.”

In another post, she shared her experience of working on the Fan Letter, which showed glimpses of the Summit War: “The Summit War makes you feel like you’re left alone on a devastated battlefield, so while I was making it, I kept saying I didn’t want to reread it.”

Ishitani is a famous animator, especially for her work in One Piece. She first joined the team in 2022 and has contributed significantly to visually striking episodes, openings, and the fan-favorite special episode, One Piece Fan Letter. It was released to commemorate the anime’s 25th anniversary and won fans’ hearts with brilliant storytelling and unparalleled visuals.

Although she has yet to work on any Egghead episode after Episode 1089, Ishitani is still a part of the team just as any animator. Now that the anime is featuring Kuma’s backstory, she not only confirmed that she hasn’t read it but also talked about her difficulty navigating through the Summit War during the Fan Letter’s production, which is the most heartbreaking arc in the series.

H/T: @ishigyunyu on X

The post “If They Read It, They Will Cry”: Renowned One Piece Animator Still Hasn’t Read the Series’ Best Backstory appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece‘s anime is finally adapting Kuma’s backstory, and what no one could have expected is that the flashback took fans to God Valley. The latest episode debuts the younger versions of many of One Piece’s most legendary characters, both pirates and marines alike. Some star appearances in Episode 1130 include the Rocks Pirates, such as Kaido, Big Mom, Whitebeard, and Shiki, as well as Garp, Roger, Scopper Gaban, Rayleigh, and the rest of the former Pirate King’s crew at the time. All that said, Episode 1130’s most interesting cameo is actually a character who hasn’t appeared in One Piece in nearly eighteen years, and fans may have entirely missed it.

While fans were focused on the Rocks Pirates and the new lore about God Valley, Episode 1130 of One Piece subtly snuck in a cameo by Bogard, Garp’s right-hand man, who can be seen in the bottom right of the scene drawing his sword as Garp and his crew jump into battle at God Valley. The latest episode marks Bogard’s first appearance in One Piece’s anime in eighteen years, with his last appearance being before the time skip during the Post-Enies Lobby Arc. The cameo not only proves that Bogard has been by Garp’s side for much longer than fans initially thought, but also adds to the intrigue surrounding his criminally underutilized character.

[RELATED: Demon Slayer Beats One Piece For Major Award]

Bogard Re-Appears in One Piece’s Anime After 18 Years

While One Piece has many mysteries that are far more important, Bogard is an enigma that has haunted fans for decades. Bogard, who appears to be Garp’s right-hand man, was first introduced in Episode 68 when Garp was sent to arrest and transport Captain Morgan and went on to train Koby and Helmeppo. His next, and last proper appearance in One Piece’s anime would be directly in Episode 323 when Garp met Luffy during the Post Enies Lobby Arc. After this, Bogard would only appear two years later in Chapter 0, the special chapter released at the time of Film: Strong World, with Bogard featured during Garp’s meeting with Kong. This confirmed that Bogard had been at Garp’s side for at least 27 years.

Interestingly, even though Bogard appears in the manga in Chapter 1087 during SWORD’s raid on Fullalead, the anime completely leaves him out in Episode 1121. As such, Episode 1130 is indeed his first appearance in a long time, and Bogard fans are understandably over the moon. Given his long absence, the latest episode especially does him justice, featuring him much more prominently than in the manga and making him look the coolest he’s ever looked in One Piece.

Overall, despite being one of the most important members of Garp’s crew and one of the few people who have been at Garp’s side the longest, One Piece has revealed little else about Bogard, who went completely missing from the anime after the Water 7 Saga, not even appearing at Marineford. In fact, Bogard hasn’t even been formally named or introduced in One Piece yet, and isn’t featured even in any of the series’ databooks, vivre cards, or SBS sections, with his name being revealed from the credits of Episode 68 and confirmed only through a brief entry on the official One Piece website.

This has only led to an increased interest in Bogard over the years, with many fans eager to see more of him, believing he could possess great potential. The series has seemingly recognized this interest in Bogard, as he was also prominently featured in Netflix’s live-action One Piece.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

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One Piece’s anime is currently in the most crucial phase of the Egghead Incident Arc. The first arc of the Final Saga has been one surprise after another, but nothing will shock you more than finding out about Kuma’s tragic past. Just when we thought the world couldn’t be more broken, Eiichiro Oda unveils the dark truth about the God Valley Incident. While Episode 1129 focused primarily on Kuma’s childhood and the tragedy that befell his family when he was four, Episode 1130 unveiled the horrors of the God Valley.

Kuma simply had the misfortune of being born with the blood of a Buccaneer, and the World Government did everything to break his spirit. His parents died one after the other when they were forced to become slaves, while Kuma endured senseless torture for several years. Just when the Celestial Dragons thought they had no use for the child, they threw him in God Valley to become one of the “rabbits” who would be hunted for their amusement. The Native Hunting Competition in God Valley is only the beginning, and we will get to learn more about Kuma, as well as his beloved friend Ginny, who settled in the Sorbet Kingdom with him after escaping the hellish tournament.

[RELATED: One Piece’s Newest Flashback Is Just Getting Sadder & Sadder]

What Is the Release Date and Time for One Piece Episode 1131?

One Piece Episode 1131, titled “A Fleeting Moment of Happiness – Kumachi and Ginny”, is scheduled to be released on June 1st, 2025. The series broadcasts new episodes every Sunday at 11:15 PM Japan Standard Time (JST) as per the new time schedule after the anime’s hiatus. New episodes drop on Crunchyroll at 8:45 AM Pacific Time (PT), 11:45 AM Eastern Time (ET), and 3:45 PM Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the Western regions. Crunchyroll is the primary streaming platform for One Piece fans based outside of Japan. While Netflix does add the Egghead Incident Arc episodes, it’s always one week after the official release.

Additionally, the release date mentioned above is only for the subtitled version, as the anime has yet to release a dubbed episode after the hiatus. One Piece has dubbed episodes up until 1122, right before the hiatus, and there hasn’t been a release date for the new ones yet.

What Should You Expect From One Piece Episode 1131?

According to the promo, we will continue to witness Kuma’s journey, along with the fleeting years of happiness he spent with Ginny. The two of them have grown quite a bit, but their peaceful days don’t last when the king of the Sorbet Kingdom is revealed to be a tyrant. The duo decides to put an end to his ruthlessness for their sake as well as for the innocent people in the kingdom.

We will soon get to meet Ivankov and Dragon, whose silhouettes appear in the preview. After their successful escape from God Valley, Ivankov parted ways with Kuma and Ginny. So, we may get to see their reunion and learn how he joined the Revolutionary Army.

The post One Piece Episode 1131 Release Date and Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The latest episode of One Piece has focused on one of the most tragic storylines in the history of the Grand Line and considering what shonen fans have seen so far, that is saying something. Kuma might have arrived as an opponent of Luffy and his friends, in the employ of the World Government but his backstory tells viewers a very different story. While Kuma’s early days were filled with woe, he was still able to get slight moments of happiness with his daughter and one of those moments has gone super viral as fathers and daughters recreate the pivotal One Piece dance.

Nika the Sun God has long been a legendary figure within the shonen universe of One Piece. Thanks to Monkey D. Luffy achieving the power of Gear Fifth, many now, rightfully, believe that the Straw Hat captain might be the reincarnation of the liberator that meant so much to those in the past. Early on in Kuma’s life, when both himself and his family were captured by the Celestial Dragons, Kuma’s father shared with him the “Nika Dance” before being graphically murdered by one of the aristocrats that had captured them. In showing his daughter the legendary dance moves, Kuma helped to solidify a bond that might have been suppressed for years but has recently returned with a vengeance on Future Island.

[RELATED: One Piece’s Newest Flashback Is Just Getting Sadder & Sadder]

The Nika Dance Goes Global

While One Piece has been looking to the past, things aren’t going so well for those on Dr. Vegapunk’s island. Kuma is still struggling with the World Government’s mind control while a certain member of the Five Elders has made landfall. The terrifying Saturn is now looking to do what his underlings could not and take Vegapunk’s life, hoping to stop the mad scientist from revealing a secret that will turn the Grand Line upside down. As the forces collide in the final saga, viewers are still taking the chance to celebrate the happier times featuring Kuma and Bonney as you can see below.

So far, Luffy has been living up to the Nika name with Gear Fifth. Transforming himself into a living cartoon during his fight against Kaido in Wano Country, the Straw Hat pirate has been wielding the power of his ultimate transformation against Kizaru on Future Island and has shown he’s becoming more adept at this ludicrous upgrade. Even though he isn’t routinely dancing during his fights, Luffy’s connection to Nika might be the thing that saves the Grand Line and helps him become King of the Pirates.

Heartbreak In The Grand Line

Those who have been following One Piece’s manga know that not everyone is making it off of Future Island alive, a fact that has already presented itself with the arrival of Saturn. WIth the Final Saga still potentially having years of stories under its belt, creator Eiichiro Oda is sure to inject some more tear-jerking moments before we say goodbye to the Straw Hat Pirates.

The post One Piece Fans Are Performing Family “Nika Dances” In Heartwrenching Trend appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ever since the end of the Wano Arc, One Piece‘s story has stepped into high gear. The Egghead Arc and even the Elbaf Arc so far have already dropped many major revelations and its finally starting to feel like the series is truly in the Final Saga of the story. The Elbaf Arc, in particular, has continued to surprise fans as what seemed like a fun adventure full of happy reunions has turned into a full-blown war against the World Government. Now, One Piece has brought Imu to the land of the Giants as well, teasing that the series’ most anticipated showdown could take place sooner than fans think.

Chapter 1149 of One Piece sees Imu descend on Elbaf by taking over Gunko’s body, ready to take the situation on Elbaf into their own hands. With Imu having come down from the Holy Land to Elbaf themselves, a clash between Imu and Luffy is all but imminent on Elbaf. The latest chapter also sees Gunko seemingly recognize Brook and rush to free him right before Imu takes control, implying that she may turn into an ally, that is, if someone can manage to free Gunko from Imu’s control, and who better than Luffy, the reincarnation of the Sun God Nika, the Warrior of Liberation.

[RELATED: One Piece Teases A Popular Imu Theory May Be True]

One Piece Sets up a Battle Between Luffy and Imu on Elbaf

Over the course of its decades-long saga, One Piece has carefully been setting up the World Government as the central antagonists of the series, with nearly every new arc exposing the Celestial Dragons’ cruelty and wickedness. Ever since Imu was first introduced, there’s been a debate among fans about whether Imu will be the ultimate villain of One Piece, and the latest arcs have proved this may very well be the case. Having said that, for the longest time, it seemed as though the ultimate showdown between Luffy and Imuy would be saved for the very end of the series, but Chapter 1149 of One Piece suggests otherwise.

Though Imu’s powers and abilities are still a mystery, freeing Gunko from Imu’s control would still be the easiest and most efficient way to get the situation under control, especially with Gunko implied to be an ally. It would also be incredibly thematically fitting for Luffy to be the one to free Gunko, given that her name quite literally means “war drum” and the fact that Gunko has previously mentioned fearing Nika.

As for Gunko’s regeneration, Scopper Gaban seems to be the only person who knows the key to working around the Holy Knights’ immortality, and the latest chapter sees him conveniently falling into the Underworld, where Luffy currently is. Chopper can also be seen jumping after Gaban in Chapter 1149, eager to learn the secret to beating the Holy Knights. With help from Chopper, Gaban may just survive the fall to the Underworld as well as have his wounds tended to, allowing him to tell Luffy the key to defeating Imu, though whether Luffy will actually be able to do so is still left to be seen.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece’s Final Showdown May Happen Sooner Than Fans Think appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece Episodes 1129 and 1130 featured Kuma’s tragic backstory, but there’s more to come. Born in a loving family, Kuma lived a peaceful life with his parents till he was four. However, the World Government found out about his half-Buccaneer blood and took his entire family as slaves in a cruel sequence fans won’t likely forget anytime soon. Kuma’s father belonged to a special race that was persecuted and wiped out by the World Government for unknown reasons. Kuma’s father married a human woman and built a family with her, but his happiness didn’t last long. Kuma’s parents died at the hands of the Celestial Dragons after years of torture. On the other hand, although Kuma survived somehow, he was discarded during the God Valley Incident.

Ginny and Ivanokov were also left on the island to die during the Native Hunting Competition. However, thanks to their team effort and Ginny’s genius, the trio not only made it out alive but also saved several hundred lives. Kuma and Ginny settled in the Sorbet Kingdom and lived peaceful lives for a little bit. Kuma was nine when he escaped the horrors of the God Valley Incident, but we all know his tragedy is far from over. Even the happiness he felt with Ginny was nothing but a fleeting moment.

[RELATED: One Piece Finally Made the One Change Fans Have Been Asking For]

Kuma’s Suffering Is Far From Over in One Piece’s Anime

The shocking truth behind the God Valley Incident and Kuma being one of the victims of the atrocities committed by the Celestial Dragons is only the tip of the iceberg. Even at the age of nine, and going through years of horrors no human should, Kuma was brimming with kindness. He finally escaped God Valley, and life should have taken a turn for the better. Meeting Ginny was a miracle, who was the brain behind the escape plan. However, we will have to go through several more episodes of his tragic life before finding out the reason behind his transition to Pacifista.

He was introduced as a Warlord and known as the tyrant ruler of the Kingdom before we found out he used to be a member of the Revolutionary Army all along. Additionally, we will soon learn about Saturn’s involvement in Kuma’s sufferings that provoked Bonney to have such a violent reaction despite knowing she isn’t powerful enough to defeat the enemy in front of her. Kuma suffered almost his entire life before giving up everything, including his humanity, to save his only daughter, Bonney.

The latest Episode 1130, ends on a heartwarming yet sorrowful note as both Kuma and Ginny burst into tears after eating a warm meal, especially after everything the two children faced so far. In the preview of Episode 1131, we see the two have grown up after living in the Sorbet Kingdom for several years. However, the tyranny of the king forces them to take action and rebel for the sake of the people. The preview also features silhouettes of Ivankov and Dragon, so we may soon find out how Kuma joined the Revolutionary Army.

The post One Piece’s Newest Flashback Is Just Getting Sadder & Sadder appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is now in the midst of a special flashback arc exploring Bartholomew Kuma’s past for the first time, and the preview for the next episode of the anime is teasing his turn into a Revolutionary Army fighter. One Piece: Egghead Arc returned for the highly anticipated Part 2 of its run earlier this Spring after six months of a hiatus, and the anime resumed all of the chaos around Dr. Vegapunk’s future island laboratory. But surprisingly, the series has taken a detour from the present day to highlight Kuma’s past with his daughter, the Worst Generation member Jewelry Bonney.

One Piece‘s latest string of episodes kicked off this look into their shared past with the reveal that Kuma has lived a heartbreaking life. Born into a clan that’s gone extinct due to the danger they pose to the government, Kuma finally found some peace as he and fellow escaped slave Ginny have made a new home on a quiet island. But the preview for One Piece Episode 1131 teases that happiness doesn’t last for long as Kuma is forced to fight to protect people. Check it out in the video above.

How to Watch One Piece Episode 1131

One Piece Episode 1131 is titled “A Fleeting Moment of Happiness – Kumachi and Ginny,” and will be making its debut on Sunday, June 1st in Japan. The episode will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it hits (and will be releasing with Netflix about a week after), and the episode preview teases it as such, “Escaping the yoke of slavery, Kuma and Ginny spend their days fueled with laughter. However, the ruthless king tramples on the happiness of his people! For the sake of freedom, Kuma and Ginny are determined to fight the government. Will their hope be able to change the world?!”

One Piece Episode 1131 teases that while Kuma and Ginny are able to spend some time living a peaceful life together, it’s not long before chaos finds the two of them once more. It’s simply heartbreaking to see how much he’s gone through, and somehow it’s even more cruel to find that he found happiness again and it’s going to be stripped away. It’s likely why he eventually becomes a major figure of the Revolutionary Army as we see him making a decision to fight in this preview as well.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Shares New Look at Season 2 For Tudum Event (With Major Chopper Tease)

What’s Next for Kuma’s Origin?

One Piece is really only getting started with its deeper dive into Kuma’s past. There are still several gaps that need to be filled such as who Ginny ends up being, and more of Kuma’s adult life before he gets turned into a Pacifista. Kuma’s flashback began with a heartbreaking start as he was taken into slavery as a child, and his parents were killed shortly after. It meant that he was alone for a long time before meeting Ivankov and Ginny, who helped him to escape.

It’s clear that although he was able to escape from slavery, Kuma’s troubles had only just begun. With still much more about his past needing to be revealed, and more connections to the present day needing to be explained, it’s now just a matter of seeing just how this all goes back to Bonney at the center of it all. It will all mean something to the rest of the arc, and One Piece is going to show off even more of its past as it explains things.

The post One Piece Preview Sets Up Kuma’s Revolutionary Turn appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Just when fans were beginning to get over the massive Jewel Tree Adam reveal, One Piece‘s Elbaf Arc has upped the ante yet again with the newest chapter dropping another huge bombshell. It seems Eiichiro Oda isn’t wasting any more time in the Final Saga as the series’ most mysterious villain, Imu, just made landfall on Elbaf, teasing fans may finally learn more about the secret ruler of the World Government, their identity, and powers. Though even before all that, Imu’s appearance on Elbaf itself may have already confirmed a popular fan theory.

In Chapter 1149 of One Piece, Imu arrives on Elbaf by taking possession of Gunko’s body, seemingly confirming fans’ suspicions of a deeper connection between Imu and Gunko. The fact that Imu possesses such an ability at all raises the interesting possibility that the form fans have seen Imu take so far may not be Imu’s real body at all but another person that Imu has possessed, with a prime suspect being Nefertari D. Lily, Vivi’s missing ancestor. Fans have long suspected that Imu could be possessing Lily’s body ever since her introduction, and One Piece’s latest chapter hints this theory could be true after all.

[RELATED: One Piece Reveals Brook’s Connection With a Holy Knight]

Imu Could Be Possessing Nefertari Lily’s Body After All

Nefertari D. Lily was first introduced in the Reverie flashback in Chapter 1084 during Cobra’s meeting with the Five Elders, wherein King Cobra revealed that Nefertari Lily was one of the twenty rulers who founded the World Government but did not stay in Marijois to become a Celestial Dragon. However, Lily never made it back to Alabasta with her younger brother having to take over as the country’s ruler in her stead. Chapter 1085 would go on to reveal that Lily was a member of the D Clan that was the World Government’s enemy during the Void Century and that Lily was also responsible for scattering the poneglyphs across the world.

Lily’s coincidental disappearance after committing this grave sin of releasing the poneglyphs into the world is what initially led to the popular theory that Lily’s body had been taken over by Imu, and this is why she never made it back to Alabasta. Of course, Imu’s reasons for choosing Lily are a mystery, but Chapter 1116 of One Piece also revealed that Imu keeps a portrait of Lily in the castle, despite the troublesome mistake she committed, suggesting there may be more to the relationship between the two.

All that said, there are still a few kinks with this theory that have yet to be smoothed over, one of these being the fact that in Chapter 1086, Ivankov revealed that there was a Saint Imu Nerona during the Void Century, which could be the Imu fans see today in the series. The other major issue with this theory is that Lily is presumed to have scattered the poneglyphs using Kuma’s devil fruit, though if her body was being possessed and kept alive for so long, the fruit could not have resoawned and fallen into Kuma’s possession as there cannot be two users of the same devil fruit at the same time. Still, Imu’s ability to possess people opens many doors to speculation in One Piece, and it will be interesting to finally learn more about the final villain of the series.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Teases A Popular Imu Theory May Be True appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s second season has become one of the most highly anticipated arrivals on Netflix, with the live-action anime adaptation blowing away fan expectations when it landed in 2023. With many anime adaptations unable to live up to their respective source material, the streaming service, according to many fans, was able to do justice to the Straw Hat Pirates thanks to its devotion to the manga. With season two on its way, the upcoming Netflix Tudum event is planning to release some major new information and has shared a teaser of Luffy and crew assembling once again. Not only that, but the preview is hinting at the arrival of a certain reindeer doctor.

Netflix’s Tudum is an annual event that highlights some of the biggest movers and shakers on the streaming service, so it makes sense that One Piece’s live-action series would make the cut. On top of the Straw Hats sitting center stage, the platform is also planning to reveal new previews of series such as Wednesday, Stranger Things, Squid Game, Outer Banks, Love Is Blind, and more. On top of these offerings, Tudum will also dive into the likes of the WWE, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Happy Gilmore 2, Frankenstein, and more. To get fans hyped for the Straw Hats’ comeback, the main cast has assembled for a “slumber party,” as you can see below.

One Piece Season 2 Details

One of the biggest questions that many fans have had is when we can expect Netflix to release the second season. As of the writing of this article, the streaming service has yet to reveal season two’s release date, though many are crossing their fingers that it will arrive later this year. Another major question is what Tony Tony Chopper, the doctor of the Going Merry, will look like since he has been teased for quite some time. Set to debut as a part of the Drum Island storyline, Chopper will be the first member of Luffy’s crew that will need to be created via CG, making for quite the change to the Straw Hat Pirates.

On top of visiting Drum Island, the Straw Hats will be visiting quite a few anime locales in the Netflix comeback. So far, the likes of Loguetown, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and more have been confirmed as the live-action anime adaptation continues to be steered by both fans of the source material and One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda himself. On top of these familiar environments, Netflix’s One Piece is also planning to bring in some big characters such as Crocodile, Nico Robin, Mr. 3, Dr. Kureha, Wapol, and many more. Hopefully, Tudum will give us a look at many of these new characters when it airs on May 31st at 8PM Eastern.

Want to see what the live-action Straw Hat Pirates have in store for season two? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Netflix’s One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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One Piece’s anime recently unveiled the horrifying form of one of the Five Elders, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn. However, before the real fight could actually commence, the series commences its most tragic backstory ever as Bonney’s confrontation with Saturn unearths painful memories. Kuma is one of the most beloved characters of the show, especially among manga fans who know his entire past. The anime just wrapped up his experience in the God Valley flashback, but there’s more to come. Kuma’s family met with a cruel fate simply because his father was a Buccaneer, a hybrid of races who were persecuted and hunted by the World Government.

Kuma, being a half-Buccaneer, is probably the one carrying the blood after his father’s death. His mother, who was an ordinary human, was still taken in as a slave for marrying a Buccaneer. Young Kuma continued to suffer abuse from the Celestial Dragons even after his parents’ deaths. He finally escaped their clutches during the God Valley Incident, where he met Ginny and Ivankov. Several hundred lives were saved thanks to Ginny’s genius and the team effort of the slaves. After escaping that hell, Ivankov parted ways with them while Kuma and Ginny settled in the Sorbet Kingdom. However, by the end of Episode 1130, Ginny started sobbing uncontrollably, and even Kuma became emotional after watching her tears. The reason behind those children’s tears is heartbreaking.

[RELATED: One Piece Shares the First Look at One of the Anime’s Biggest Mysteries]

Kuma and Ginny Shed Tears of Joy in One Piece Episode 1130

Just like Kuma, Ginny was taken away as a slave at the age of four. She was from the Porco Kingdom in the Grand Line, but the details about her past before becoming a slave are unknown, and even this tiny piece of information was revealed in her Vivre Card. During the God Valley Incident, she was 13, so she lived as a slave for even longer than Kuma. However, even those Celestial Dragons couldn’t have imagined that they would discard a genius like her who secretly leaked the location to the outside world.

Ginny used the treasure on the island as bait to lure out the pirates, and it worked. After her escape from the God Valley, she started to live with Kuma, who was also a victim of the World Government’s tyranny. The kids only have each other, but they live a far better life than before. They have a roof over their heads and a warm meal to fill their bellies.

These are only the most basic things, but they are luxuries to those who were treated as less than humans for years. After taking a bite of the food, Ginny cried tears of happiness, believing that life was finally better. Kuma joins her and sobs uncontrollably, cherishing the brief moment of happiness without knowing that the future has something much more tragic and horrifying in store for him. The anime has only scratched the surface of his past, and there’s more to come in the upcoming episodes.

The post Why Does Ginny Cry in One Piece’s Kuma Flashback? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s latest backstory sheds more light on the God Valley Incident, the erased past that shows the true nature of the Celestial Dragons. After the establishment of the World Government 800 years ago, rulers of 19 out of the 20 allied nations left their kingdoms to trustworthy kings and moved to Mariejois with their families. Only the Alabasta family continued to rule their kingdom because of the love of their people. The Celestial Dragons are protected by the Admirals, and there’s no law binding them. They can kill and ruin people’s lives on a whim. They are also allowed to have slaves, because human lives mean nothing to them.

The World Government not only overlooks their atrocities but also lends them a hand whenever they can. If a Celestial Dragon wants a slave, then no one will be able to resist, for fear of being attacked by an Admiral. Even in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, Kizaru knew how Saint Charlos and the others were buying people like livestock, especially Fish-Men and Mermaids. However, when he was tasked to attack Luffy, who punched Charlos for shooting Hachi, Kizaru carried out his duty perfectly without caring to think who was right or wrong. Things like that have been happening for over 800 years, but we didn’t even see the worst of the Celestial Dragons until Kuma’s backstory began.

[RELATED: One Piece Finally Brings the Rocks Pirates to Anime With New Flashback]

One Piece’s Celestial Dragons Turned Genocide into a Competition

The truth behind the God Valley Incident was hidden from the public because of the alliance between Garp and Roger. However, after Kuma’s backstory was revealed, we realized there’s more to it than that. God Valley used to be a peaceful nation that wasn’t affiliated with the World Government. In order to continue their tyrannical reign, the World Government coerces nations to join them, and the consequences for refusal are dire. Every three years, the Celestial Dragons target one such nation and kill the natives simply for their amusement.

The Holy Knights, known for their exceptional skills, participate in the Native Hunting Competition and get points for killing each target, or “rabbits” as they call them. The Celestial Dragons also bring the slaves they no longer need and turn them into targets as well. For those cruel “World Nobles,” the screams and pleas of innocent lives are simply something to laugh at. When the God Valley Incident was first mentioned in Episode 958, we only knew that the slaves and Celestial Dragons were on the island during the skirmish between the pirates and the Marines.

However, no one could’ve imagined that the truth would be far more horrific than we ever imagined. The fact that the World Government and the high-ranking Marines not only know the true nature of the so-called Nobles but also aid them in every way proves how crucial Luffy’s awakening as Nika was. What we have seen in Episode 1130 is merely a glimpse at the tragedy through Kuma’s perspective. It’s possible Oda will soon delve deeper into the past, including the fight against the Rocks Pirates.

The post One Piece Reveals How Cruel the Celestial Dragons Really Are appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The fight on Egghead Island has taken a side step as One Piece’s anime focuses on the highly anticipated Kuma’s backstory. This fan-favorite character has always been a mystery, even after more than ten years have passed since we found out he helped the Straw Hat Pirates despite losing everything. Kuma’s daughter Bonney arrived on Egghead hoping to find answers about her father’s transition to Pacifista. Although she initially hated and blamed Vegapunk for her father’s tragedy, she understood his actions after going through Kuma’s memories. Although Bonney learns the truth before the fight against the Marines begins, she doesn’t tell any crew member about the details.

The anime is now delving deeper into the series’ saddest backstory right after Saturn’s arrival. The villain and several Marines currently corner Bonney as she remembers her father and the tales of Nika he told her about. The backstory begins in Episode 1129, where Kuma finds himself in God Valley. Episode 1130 sheds light on the mysterious God Valley Incident that happened 38 years ago. The World Government removed any traces of the incident because of their shameful actions that mustn’t be made public. Furthermore, the team-up between Roger and Garp wasn’t a glorious event for the Marines, so they kept that hidden from the world as well.

[RELATED: One Piece Finally Brings the Rocks Pirates to Anime With New Flashback]

One Piece Episode 1130 Unveils the Chaos in the God Valley

One Piece first mentioned the God Valley Incident and the legendary pirate Rocks D. Xebec in Episode 958. Rock’s crew consisted of powerful big shots like Whitebeard, Big Mom, Shiki, Stussy, Gloriosa, Shiki, and more. Although the anime briefly mentioned the incident, a lot about it is still unknown. During the Native Hunting Tournament held by the World Government, Ginny leaked information about the devil fruits and treasures lying on the island. As expected, pirates swarmed the island, including the Rocks Pirates, most likely the strongest crew at the time.

They disbanded after Xebec’s defeat and parted ways. We also learn about the atrocious actions of the Celestial Dragons, who invade and kill the residents of an island not affiliated with the World Government. It’s not simply a massacre, but they make a mockery out of those people by turning them into targets for the Holy Knights to score points in a game. The World Nobles also bring their slaves so that they no longer need to become targets as well. Kuma was one of those slaves who were brought to the island to die, but by a stroke of luck, he met Ivankov and Ginny.

The trio made a successful escape and even saved many lives in the process. Even though we saw the known members of the Rocks Pirates in God Valley, Xebec still hasn’t been introduced in the show, so the show isn’t done with the God Valley Incident. What we saw in Episode 1130 is merely a glimpse from Kuma’s POV, and the real story has yet to be unraveled.

One Piece’s latest episodes can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

The post One Piece Shares the First Look at One of the Anime’s Biggest Mysteries appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ever since the introduction of Gear Five, not many powers and abilities in One Piece are as impressive as they used to be, though Future Sight remains a notable exception simply due to how rare the ability is in the series. First introduced during the Whole Cake Island Arc, this extremely advanced level of Observation Haki, just like its name implies, allows its handful of known users to look a few seconds into the future, making it an indispensable, game-changing ability in any battle. Having said that, One Piece’s latest chapter has just revealed a new Future Sight user on Elbaf, adding a new name to the roster.

Chapter 1149 of One Piece confirms that Scopper Gaban also possesses Future Sight, making him the fifth confirmed user in the entire series alongside Katakuri, Luffy, Shanks, and Kaido. The latest chapter sees Gaban clearly use Future Sight when Gunko threatens to kill Collun, with Gaban foreseeing that Gunko’s sword will pierce and kill Collun before he can intercept her, and thus surrendering so as to save his son’s life. This also finally confirms that Gaban used Future Sight against Luffy and Zoro in Chapter 1140, wherein he also foresaw Zoro and Luffy’s Gear Five attack and surrendered in advance.

[RELATED: One Piece Makes Luffy’s Power More Important Than Ever Before]

One Piece Confirms Gaban Can Use Future Sight

When Luffy and Zoro first clashed against Scopper Gaban at Aurust Castle for the key to Loki’s chains, the former Roger Pirate mysteriously gave up the fight right as Luffy and Zoro were about to get serious. This moment in Chapter 1140 is when many first suspected Gaban of possessing Future Sight, as there appeared to be a curious glint in his eye before he surrendered, which even down to the onomatopoeia was very similar to previous depictions of Future Sight in One Piece.

Even so, it was hard to be completely sure until the latest chapter, which finally depicts Gaban using the elusive ability in plain sight. This includes not only a clear look at Gaban’s premonition but also the telling sparkle near his eye. In retrospect, it makes sense for Gaban to be a Future Sight user, given that he was able to sense the Straw Hats approaching Elbaf from miles away at the beginning of the arc, which proves he already possesses incredibly advanced Observation Haki. Granted, One Piece has well established that Future Sight isn’t something all skilled Observation haki users can simply unlock, though given Gaban’s position as the “Left Hand of the Pirate King,” it seems only natural for him to have an ability of this caliber.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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Anime and food is a match made in heaven. So many amazing shows and movies are filled with our favorite characters cooking, eating, and dreaming about food. So, what happens when some of the most popular characters from the best shows of the past year venture out into the real world for fast food? McDonald’s has released an unexpected promo for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, and it’s giving fans a surprising insight into their favorite characters.

The Anime Awards took place on May 25th, celebrating the very best of new anime from the past year. Solo Leveling dominated the ceremony, taking home nine awards, while Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Look Back also won major prizes. The awards gave fans a reason to judge the shows they didn’t like that inevitably won. But McDonald’s newest promo has given fans a whole new reason to hate popular characters: for their take-out orders.

Popular Anime Characters Invade McDonald’s In New Promo

McDonald’s Senior Marketing Director, Guillaume Huin, shared all nine of McDonald’s surprising anime crossover posts on X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Along with an animated picture of the iconic McDonald’s bag, each post included a different character’s order on the label.

The customers included Luffy, Ranma Saotome, the Colossal Titan, Sung Jinwoo, Momo and Okarun, and Frieren. Most of the characters had relatively normal orders. Luffy asked for a steak, egg, and cheese bagel with extra steak, bacon, and sausage. Meanwhile, the Colossal Titan is apparently on a diet as they only asked for a small coffee.

Frieren’s order was very on brand, as the famous lover of Hamburg steaks asked for a steak, egg, and cheese bagel. Kafka ordered enough food to feed the entire Kaiju Defense Force, including eight egg McMuffins, eight McGriddles, eight steak, egg, and cheese bagels, eight hotcakes, eight big breakfasts, and so much more.

And then there’s Sung Jinwoo. Solo Leveling‘s second season only finished airing a few months ago, and social media was dominated by hype posts and discussions about the new season. But no one mentioned Sung Jionwoo’s love of grape jam. The overpowered S-Rank hunter ordered a single egg McMuffin with ten sides of grape jam, meant to represent his summons.

[RELATED – McDonald’s Just Dropped a Collab With an All-Time Bestseller Mystery Anime]

Why Are Anime Characters at McDonald’s?

As entertaining as McDonald’s anime appreciation post is, it’s also incredibly random. In a comment under the original post, Huin shared the inspiration behind the campaign, as well as some surprising details about each order that some fans might not have noticed. “This campaign was made to celebrate the Anime Awards,” his post began.

“Each McDonald’s breakfast order and design have been thought based on the personality of the character,” it continued. “For example, Maomao is represented via a green background and the way the bag is folded is neat and tidy. If you look at Kaiju’s order, the bag is drawn in a way that represents the duality of the character. Ichigo has strawberry preserve in his order, because his name means strawberry, and Ranma’s bag is half wet, based on the effect cold and hot water has on Ranma!”

The post McDonald’s Takes Orders from Anime’s Most Popular Characters (And It’s Hilarious) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is now in the works on Season 2 of the live-action series with Netflix, and quite a bit about the production has been revealed as we wait for the new episodes. One Piece first made its debut with Netflix a couple of years ago as one of the most successful live-action anime adaptations of some time, and so it was no surprise to find out that the franchise would be continuing with a second season of episodes. But that also means that fans have been waiting for quite a while to see the next batch of episodes continuing Luffy and the Straw Hats’ story.

One Piece Season 2 was announced to be in the works shortly after the first season released to success, and production from the season wrapped earlier this year. Now that One Piece is gearing up for Season 2’s release with Netflix, it’s time to get ready for what’s next by going over everything that has been revealed for the new episodes thus far. So while there are still many mysteries as to what to expect from the new season, there are a lot of clues already put in place.

When Does One Piece Season 2 Come Out on Netflix?

Unfortunately as of the time of this initial publication, Netflix has yet to set a release date or window for Season 2 of the live-action One Piece series. Filming for the new season officially began last year, and it was announced earlier this year that filming had wrapped. This means that the new season is much closer to its release than fans might have realized, but at the same time could be a bit away from its actual release. Netflix themselves have not shared much of the new season in motion through trailers or even promotional images.

When they revealed some of the big new releases that could be coming this year, Netflix did not mention One Piece Season 2 as one of those key releases. This could mean that the new season might not even release until 2026 at the earliest, but it has yet to be confirmed one way or the other. So fans just need to be ready for what could end up being a long wait for the new season. With Season 3 filming reportedly beginning soon too, at least things are moving in the right direction.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Star Joe Manganiello Talked to Eiichiro Oda for His Take on Crocodile

What Will One Piece Season 2 Be About?

But while its release might currently be a mystery, it’s at least been made clear what the new season is going to tackle. The end of One Piece‘s first season saw Luffy and the Straw Hats defeat Arlong’s crew, and with that earned their bounties for the first real time in the East Blue. After everything they had been through, the crew then decided to officially enter the Grand Line and take on their next journey. As for what’s next, One Piece’s original series creator has already confirmed the new arcs this next season will be adapting too.

One Piece‘s live-action series will continue following the events of the manga release, and this means it will be continuing to adapt its events in the new season without any major skips. Coming to the next season are the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island arcs. These arcs are some of the building blocks for the first major saga of the Grand Line that will likely be playing a role in a future season, but a third season has yet to be announced. At least for now, One Piece fans have a lot to look forward to.

Who Joins the Cast for One Piece Season 2?

Along with the story, One Piece has also confirmed many of the new faces we’ll be meeting in the coming season as well. Joining the cast of villains for the live-action series are the likes of Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Clive Russell as Crocus, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, and Joe Manganiello as Sir Crocodile. But there will be just as many new allies coming with the new arcs as well.

Joining the series to aide Luffy and the others in One Piece Season 2 are the likes of Werner Coetser as Dorry, Brendan Murray as Brogy, Ty Keogh as Dalton, Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Cobra Nefertari, and Charitha Chandran as Vivi Nefertari. The final new addition is the mysterious Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday, whose true identity and goal will be revealed within the coming season as well.

There’s still one major new addition coming to One Piece that has yet to be revealed as of the time of this publication, and it’s the final one that fans are most looking forward to. Tony Tony Chopper is a very important character who makes their debut during the Drum Island arc coming in the new season, but will likely be entirely CG animated with the coming season. This character also plays a huge role in the series’ future, especially with the Straw Hats, so this is the biggest debut coming our way.

If you wanted to catch up with One Piece in the meantime, you can find the first season of the live-action series now streaming with Netflix.

The post Everything We Know for Netflix’s One Piece Season 2 (So Far) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc is currently featuring the fight against the Holy Knights, and things have just taken a turn for the worse. The crew could barely catch a break after the intense battle in Egghead, and now they have to fight some of the most powerful villains in the series. The Holy Knights are the strongest villain group in the show currently, and most of their strength comes from regeneration. So far, all the members of the Holy Knights introduced in Elbaf have shown devil fruit powers, except Shamrock, whose sword consumed one instead. As if they weren’t strong enough already, they can also regenerate even from the most fatal injuries.

This is the same power as the Gorosei, which makes these villains formidable. The reason behind their limitless regeneration remains unknown, but it sure helps them to overcome their targets. The same thing happened in Elbaf, especially when Sommers and Gunko are fighting the crew and the Giants. In Chapter 1148, we see Robin fighting Sommers one-on-one, but even her powers aren’t enough against the villain’s regeneration. Unexpectedly, Gaban arrives at the scene and cuts Sommers’ hand in one strike. Not only that, but somehow Sommers is unable to regenerate, proving that the villains have a major weakness. The latest Chapter 1149 unveils what really happened to Sommers.

[RELATED: One Piece Makes Its Most Tragic Origin Even Sadder With Brand-New Scene]

One Piece’s Gaban Easily Defeats Sommers

Gaban introduced a major progress in the already existing power system, likely related to Haki, which allowed him to stop the regenerative abilities of the Holy Knights and the Gorosei. It’s likely this isn’t the first time he has fought with someone who possesses this power, which is exactly why he knew how to strike Sommers. In Chapter 1149, Sommers is clearly unhappy with Gaban’s arrival, likely knowing that the fight wouldn’t turn out in his favor. As expected, Gaban cuts Sommers down, and the villain is unable to move.

Getting cut into several pieces should’ve killed Sommers easily, but a mysterious power is keeping him alive. Gaban proved he’s way stronger than any Holy Knight on the island, and the situation should’ve been in his favor. However, Gunko pulls off a dirty move by targeting Colon instead. Gaban uses Future Sight to witness his son’s death and immediately surrenders. Although it’s heartbreaking to see him put down his weapon and be ready to die to protect his son, we also can’t ignore that this is one of the best displays of Observation Haki in the series. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it could be on the same level as Shanks.

It should’ve been expected that Gaban’s powers would be far greater than most characters we have seen so far, but cracking the secret weakness of the regeneration ability may be the key to winning this fight, Unfortunately, Gaban is down for the count, at least now. To make matters worse, the mysterious ruler of the world, Imu, has somehow taken control of Gunko’s body, and the situation in Elbaf may spiral down even further if Luffy and the others don’t join the fight soon.

The post One Piece Proves Why Gaban Is the Left Hand of the Pirate King appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As a series that has been running for over twenty-five years with the end still nowhere near in sight, One Piece is easily the first anime that comes to mind when thinking of the best continuing anime series. The series has continued to enthrall viewers of all ages and ethnicities for decades, growing into a global sensation with fame and success that many series can only hope to achieve. Having said that, the last couple of years have finally given One Piece some tough competition, and now one of these new sensations has beaten One Piece for a major award at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

At long last, the winners of Crunchyroll’s 2025 Anime Awards have been unveiled, and much to the surprise of One Piece fans around the world, Demon Slayer has dethroned One Piece in the Best Continuing Series category, winning the award with the Hashira Training Arc. This loss for One Piece has come as quite a surprise, given the series’ meteoric improvement in animation quality for the Egghead Arc over the last year. Having said that, Demon Slayer truly emerged as the dark horse this time around for the Anime Awards, even taking home the win in the Best Animation category against tough competition like Dandadan, Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End, and most surprisingly of all, Solo Leveling.

[RELATED: Attack on Titan Is Set to Achieve an Industry-First Landmark Honor]

Demon Slayer Dethrones One Piece as the Best Continuing Series

While the loss for One Piece may seem surprising at first glance, it is important to remember that One Piece has taken home the award for the Best Continuing Series back to back for the last two years. The only other time One Piece was nominated and lost was to Dragon Ball Super back in 2019. There is also the fact that One Piece’s anime, despite being nominated, was on hiatus for nearly half a year, which may or may not have impacted its chances this year.

As such, many might argue that it is refreshing to see another series take home the win for a change, and Demon Slayer is more than deserving. Demon Slayer has given fans one exceptional season after the next, with the Mugen Train movie still sitting cozy as the highest-grossing Japanese animated film of all time. The Hashira Training Arc, which was the latest installment of the series, also quite literally blew fans away with its explosive finale. More importantly, with the series set to wrap up its story with the upcoming Infinity Castle film trilogy, this may have been Demon Slayer’s one and only chance to take home the title, and thankfully, it did.

Demon Slayer and One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

Source: Crunchyroll.

The post Demon Slayer Beats One Piece For Major Award appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Against all odds, One Piece‘s Elbaf Arc continues to outdo itself, turning up the excitement with every new chapter. The first of these exciting developments was the reveal of the Harley texts and the ancient Jewel Tree Adam mural, followed by the introduction of even more members of the fearsome yet enigmatic Holy Knights. Now, One Piece’s latest chapter has brought the series’ ultimate villain, Imu, to Elbaf, finally confirming one of the biggest theories about a certain member of the Holy Knights in the process.

Chapter 1149 of One Piece sees Imu take over Gunko’s body just as she seemingly recognizes Brook and is about to free him from his constraints. Setting aside Gunko’s history with Brook, the fact that Imu takes possession of Gunko, in particular, may have just confirmed that the two share a deeper connection than any other Holy Knight, something that fans have theorized about ever since Gunko’s introduction on Elbaf. This possession by Imu also sets up the Elbaf Arc for the perfect confrontation between Gear Five Luffy, Imu, and Gunko, who, as revealed in earlier chapters, fears Sun God Nika.

[RELATED: Please, One Piece, Let Robin Win Another Fight]

One Piece Confirms Gunko’s Connection With Imu

Ever since Gunko first appeared on Elbaf, her design immediately made fans suspect a connection to Imu due to the fact that she seemed to be the only individual capable of casting the abyss pentagrams that would summon St. Sommers and St. Killingham to Elbaf, just like how the Five Elders teleported to Egghead. The Egghead Arc heavily implied that the Five Elders derived their immortality and regeneration as well as this teleportation ability from Imu, which is why fans immediately began drawing connections between Imu and Gunko.

Having said that, the similarities don’t just end there, as Gunko’s Arrow-Arrow powers were also reminiscent of Imu’s devilish arrowed tail that pierced and killed King Cobra during the Reverie. Gunko’s split nature was also quite clearly foreshadowed through her split-toned eyes and a myriad of other quirky personality traits, such as her taste in music. For most of the Elbaf Arc, Gunko’s character has quite simply been a collection of contradictions, as seen when Gunko was revealed to be a fan of Brook’s music, particularly his song, New World.

Interestingly enough, this may have actually been a bit of Gunko’s true self leaking through the cracks, as the latest chapter also hints at a deeper history between Gunko and the Straw Hats musician. Clearly, fans were onto something with these suspicions, as the latest chapter all but confirmed a connection between Imu and Gunko. Chapter 1149 raises the inevitable question of why Imu chose to take over Gunko of all the Holy Knights present on Elbaf. Given these many hints laid out across the Elbaf Arc so far, it is too much to be a coincidence. One Piece surely has big plans for Gunko going forward, and who knows, she may even end up having a tragic backstory that puts Kuma’s to shame.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

The post One Piece Confirms a Huge Holy Knight Theory appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is now working through a very crucial flashback with the latest episodes of the anime, and with it has debuted the legendarily scary Rocks Pirates crew in the newest episode. One Piece has taken a detour from the current events of the Egghead Arc with a new look into Bartholomew Kuma’s past, and the series is going to be spending a few episodes fleshing out his heartbreaking backstory as a result. But as the anime gets ready to show off even more of what he went through as a kid, One Piece is also showing off some previously hidden parts of the world’s past.

As One Piece‘s anime continues to adapt the events of the Final Saga from Eiichiro Oda’s original manga series, it’s also sharing some previously unknown parts of the past that have only been teased up to this point. This includes the mysterious “God Valley Incident” that the previous episode had teased that Kuma had once found himself in the center of in the past. As the newest episode shows off more of this flashback, it’s also revealed the dangerous Rocks Pirates crew for the first real time.

Who Are the Rocks Pirates?

One Piece has previously teased the Rocks Pirates as the original crew that famous pirates like Whitebeard, Big Mom and Kaido belonged too before they went on to become Emperors of the Sea. It was teased to be a crew that was one of the legendary ones vying for the same kind of treasure that Gol D. Roger was after, but fell apart for one reason or another. But the biggest impact from the crew came during the mysterious God Valley Incident, which was teased to have Roger teaming up with Garp to fight back the entire Rocks Pirates crew.

As shown in the episode, the Rocks Pirates crew not only has Whitebeard, Big Mom and Kaido, but also Stussy, and a few other mystery members who have not been named. One member of the crew seems to be coming from Wano Country and one seems to have come from the home of the Amazonians. Even with this full debut in the anime, they are still being wrapped in a ton of mystery as One Piece is likely going to be revisiting this crew at another point in the future.

RELATED: One Piece Makes Luffy’s Power More Important Than Ever Before

What’s Next for One Piece?

Unfortunately for fans who want to see more of the Rocks Pirates, One Piece ends this God Valley incident flashback with this episode. While we get to see how Kuma was ultimately involved, it’s also explained that the Rocks Pirates had come to God Valley in the first place after hearing about the Paw-Paw and Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon Devil Fruits being given away as prizes for the Celestial Dragons’ terrible game. But once his role in the incident is done, the flashback ends for now.

There’s still much more to see about what else happened in the coming clash against Roger and Garp, and much more to explain about what happened to the Rocks’ crew Captain and the crew itself. They broke up for some reason in the past, and this incident likely led to that in some way. Especially as Kaido gets one of the Devil Fruits they were chasing after at the end of the day, the mysteries are stacking up even more. But as Luffy and the others keep chasing after the One Piece itself, fans will get to learn more about the world’s past too.

The post One Piece Finally Brings the Rocks Pirates to Anime With New Flashback appeared first on ComicBook.com.

You can’t name a more iconic duo than sad backstories and One Piece. Manga author Eiichiro Oda has a talent for devising some of the most tragic lore in any media. For a series starring a boy made out of rubber, the series is known for allowing the fans to cry. The One Piece anime has finally begun covering Kuma’s backstory, revealing what turned the “tyrant” into the cyborg we see in the present. Kuma, one of the original Seven Warlords of the Sea, has always been enigmatic. He acts cold and emotionless, yet he is constantly helping the Straw Hat pirates in moments when they need it the most.

Even though he seemed extremely loyal to the World Government, he had ties to the Revolutionary Army and other pirates against the government. His daughter Bonney associates him with positive feelings, but he has the nickname of a tyrant. One Piece episode 1129 began unraveling the mystery of Kuma, showcasing his life when he was just a child. The Kuma flashback in episode 1129 highlights the cruelty of the World Nobles and the unnecessary suffering for many. The most shocking thing about 1129 is that it’s only the start of Kuma’s no-good time life. It’s only the start of Kuma’s role in the final saga of One Piece.

RELATED – One Piece Makes Luffy’s Power More Important Than Ever Before

Kuma Had a Sad Childhood in One Piece

Episode 1129 covers Kuma’s very early life and establishes that he is from a race of rare humans known as the Buccaneers. His father was a Buccaneer, whereas his mother was a normal human. Buccaneers are known for their huge stature, explaining Kuma’s unique physique. Kuma and his family were captured into slavery in due part of their Buccaneer heritage, with Kuma spending most of his early childhood in confinement. Kuma would start wishing for death when he discovers his mother has passed away while enslaved. His father encourages him to endure and tells him the story of the warrior of liberation, Nika.

The mythical Nika is a pseudo-deity in the One Piece world, who has multiple different meanings and a backstory worldwide. Luffy inherited Nika’s will with his Devil Fruit and can transform into a Nika form via Gear Fifth. Kuma’s father explains what Nika means to the Buccaneers and does the iconic Nika dance. Kuma’s father begins singing to cheer him up, which does for a brief moment, until a World Noble shoots and kills his father for making too much noise. The blood from Kuma’s father splatters all over Kuma, leaving him parentless. Kuma is then sent to God Valley to participate in a mysterious competition, where he meets fellow slaves Ivankov and Ginny.

How Can it Get Worse for Kuma?

Kuma’s early life already seems dire and hopeless, yet somehow it’s only the beginning of his tragedy. One Piece manga readers know where the story is heading and what more suffering Kuma will face. Kuma will have to endure more hardship and loss throughout his life, including how he becomes the father to Jewelry Bonney. Kuma has always been one of the relatively least popular major supporting characters in the series, barely cracking the Top 100 in the One Piece Poll.

His flashback in the manga, which will soon be fully adapted in the anime, paints the character into a new life, transforming him in a way that most fans didn’t think possible. Expect to laugh, cry, and whipper as more of Kuma’s history is explored in the anime. Kuma’s backstory may be Oda’s most personal, as it covers themes about friendship, perseverance, and fatherhood. If suffering builds character, then Kuma has that in spades.

The post One Piece Is Nowhere Near Done Breaking Our Hearts With Kuma appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Besides utterly breaking fans’ hearts, One Piece’s Kuma flashback is also unexpectedly proving to be a treasure trove of information. This includes not only the infamous God Valley Incident but also Sun God Nika, with Kuma’s father surprisingly revealing that the legend of Nika has been passed down through generations of the Buccaneer clan that Kuma and his father belong to. The intrigue surrounding Sun God Nika continues to grow and it only proves that Luffy’s Nika powers and the origins of his devil fruit are going to be more important than ever going into the second half of the Egghead Arc and the Final Saga of One Piece as a whole.

Other than introducing a whole new clan called the Buccaneers, Episode 1129 of One Piece also reveals more of the lore surrounding Sun God Nika, the presumably mythical figure that Luffy’s devil fruit is modelled after. In the episode, Kuma’s father attempts to cheer up a young Kuma by telling him about the legend of Sun God Nika, reassuring him that the warrior of liberation will come and save him, and take him out to sea, where he’ll be free under the sun. Kuma’s father also shares how Nika is always laughing and making others smile with his unique rhythm, going on to emulate Nika’s drumbeat. The same episode also includes a flashback of Kuma cheering up a young Bonney by imitating Nika’s beat and dance, hinting that Nika’s importance in the Kuma flashback will not stop here.

[RELATED: One Piece: Is Kuma the Most Heartbreaking Character?]

One Piece Continues to Prove Gear Five and Nika’s Importance

When Gear Five and the truth about Luffy’s devil fruit were first revealed on Wano, many felt as though the development came out of nowhere during One Piece’s run. At that point, all that fans knew was that Nika was a legend among slaves and that Luffy was the first to awaken the devil fruit in centuries. The latter did somewhat hint at Luffy going down the cliche “chosen one” path, though many still hoped that this would not be the case. However, the revelation that the World Government had been trying to get its hands on the Nika Fruit for centuries already hinted that Luffy was going to be much more important than he’d signed up for, whether he and fans liked it or not.

The Egghead Arc has only continued to hammer home Nika’s importance, with the latest episodes hinting at a connection to the ancient Iron Giant on the island. Kuma’s flashback also proves how many lives the legend of Nika has touched while also adding to Nika’s legacy that Luffy now inevitably has to uphold. As such, Sun God Nika will likely continue to be at the center of the Egghead Arc as well as One Piece’s future arcs henceforth as the series continues to unravel the mystery surrounding this enduring myth.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Makes Luffy’s Power More Important Than Ever Before appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s been just over a month since the anime returned, and One Piece is already breaking hearts with Kuma’s tragic origin story. Episode 1129 has finally kicked off the highly awaited flashback, and it’s clear the anime’s producers aren’t holding back in the slightest, especially when it comes to adding ambitious anime-original scenes. Having said that, One Piece’s anime has also stopped holding back with the blood and gore, finally making a change that fans have been asking for for a very long time and putting an end to the series’ history of censorship for good.

Episode 1129 of One Piece surprisingly turns up the blood and gore during the scene of Kuma’s father’s death. In the manga, only a few droplets of blood splash onto Kuma’s face after his father is shot, but the anime noticeably increases the amount of blood, making the scene much more jarring and visceral as a result. What’s more impressive is that the episode manages to pull off the blood splatter without coming off as cartoonish or funny, as such scenes usually do. More importantly, this means good news for the rest of Kuma’s flashback and the Egghead Arc as a whole as things are about to get pretty gruesome and One Piece likely won’t be toning it down anymore.

[RELATED: One Piece Preview Teases Very Important Piece of the World’s History]

One Piece Turns Up the Gore For Kuma’s Flashback

While One Piece’s problems with censorship are mostly associated with the infamous 4Kids English dub, even the original anime has been known to have toned down particularly gruesome scenes. Examples of this go as far back as the East Blue Saga, which notably changed the scene of Zeff eating his own leg. Other examples include Whitebeard’s injuries at Marineford, which were far more gruesome-looking in the manga than in the anime, and Luffy’s injuries after being pierced by Katakuri’s spear during the Whole Cake Island Arc, which, albeit bloody, was still toned down in the anime.

As such, it’s quite surprising for the anime to turn up the blood and gore as opposed to toning it down. Part of the reason that the anime can now be less cautious could be the new time slot change. With the return of part 2 of the Egghead Arc One Piece shifted from its usual morning timeslot aimed at children to a late-night one more directed at the series’ now adult audience. This especially bodes well for future episodes of One Piece and Kuma’s flashback, which will have to deal with fairly dark, mature themes going into the tragic future that awaits Ginny.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Finally Made the One Change Fans Have Been Asking For appeared first on ComicBook.com.

After only recently celebrating Luffy’s birthday back on May 5th, One Piece is now shining a spotlight on the series’ furry best girl, and through the cutest art ever. While Nami and Robin are usually at the center of the debate surrounding who One Piece’s real best girl is, an underrated contender that barely gets brought up is Carrot, the Straw Hats’ beloved stowaway, almost-Straw Hat, and now the adorable new ruler of the Mokomo Dukedom. Carrot has won over many hearts since her introduction on Zou, and given that it’s her birthday, there could not be a better time to give her the appreciation she deserves.

A post on X by One Piece’s official account has shared a new illustration of Carrot on the occasion of her birthday on May 24th. The adorable Mink is featured smiling brightly while surrounded by her namesake and her favourite food against a solid blue background. It’s quite surprising yet also heartwarming that Carrot still got a dedicated new illustration and birthday post on her birthday despite the fact that she did not end up permanently joining the Straw Hats at the end of the Wano Arc, and this only goes to prove she will always remain one of the the series’ best girls and a special honorary member of the Straw Hat crew.

[RELATED: One Piece Drops First Look at Young Gold Roger]

One Piece Celebrates Carrot’s Birthday in Style

It would be an understatement to say that Carrot was incredibly popular among fans, especially after fans got to see her Sulong form in action on Whole Cake Island. Though more than anything, Carrot had an amazing dynamic with the Straw Hats, particularly Chopper and Luffy, which is why many were rooting for her to become the next Straw Hat, even with tough competition like Yamato and Vivi also in the running.

Though Eiichiro Oda had different plans for Carrot, it’s quite nice to see her get the spotlight through her own birthday art. In fact, One Piece’s alternative X account, @Eiichiro_Staff, has also joined in on the festivities with a manga-edit style visual of Carrot to celebrate her birthday. So far, Carrot has only appeared in One Piece’s most recent filler recap of Bonney and Kuma’s history, “Dr. Chopper’s Adventure Checkup -The Ballad of a Father and Daughter,” though hopefully it won’t be too long till fans see more of her in the canon storyline.

Source: @OPcom_info and @Eiichiro_Staff on X.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Shares New Look to Celebrate Its Furry Best Girl’s Birthday appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As the final saga continues in One Piece, there are still some big mysteries that are surrounding the Grand Line. One of the biggest remains the identity of the head of the World Government known as Imu. While fans have been speculating about Oda’s “Big Bad” for quite some time, Imu has proven how powerful they are in eliminating a member of the Five Elders. Hilariously, one of the first pieces of merchandise is arriving this summer that will bring the mysterious shonen villain to life and it might not be what many Thousand Sunny fans were hoping for.

Deciphering Imu’s identity is a difficult task in One Piece’s manga, so fans were hoping to have this alleviated in the anime adaptation. Unfortunately, the way that both the Japanese and English iterations of the series portrayed the head of the military raised more questions. Granting the villain a voice that sounded as though it was multiple voices reverberating off one another, Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation have been sneaky when it comes to Imu’s identity. While Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear Fifth has allowed him to tackle members of the Five Elders and Admirals alike, fighting against Imu and their wild power might be a little more tricky.

[RELATED: One Piece Theory Unpacks the True Power of Imu]

Imu’s Hilarious Merch

In Japan, Banpresto Crane Games routinely will team up with Shueisha in offering One Piece trinkets from across the Grand Line. In hyping the arrival of an Imu plushie, the official One Piece social media account released the following statement that includes a look at other merch dropping next month, “June’s prize items have been released on the official website. The Five Elders are actually appearing in World Collectible Figure! There’s even a stuffed Im-sama doll and a Gomu Gomu no Mi bowl!”

Considering how terrifying Imu has been so far, despite fans not knowing the big bad’s identity, receiving a plush iteration of the mysterious figure is an eye-popping development. Once Imu steps out of the shadow, it’s a safe bet that shonen fans will receive merchandise of the world leader in all their glory. As the Straw Hats continue to fight against Saturn and the military on Future Island in the anime adaptation, anime fans should prepare for Imu to hold a big role in the shonen’s future.

Imu And One Piece’s End

While One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has confirmed that the final saga is well underway, this doesn’t mean that the Straw Hat Pirates’ journey is ending any time soon. It could still be years before we see Luffy and his Straw Hats achieve their dreams, if they can, but Imu is sure to play a major role in the grand finale. As of the writing of this article, we have yet to learn who will be the one to fight Imu but whoever does, it’s sure to be one of the biggest fights of the franchise to date.

Want to stay in the loop when it comes to the Grand Line’s biggest villain? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on One Piece and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post One Piece Unveils New Merch for Its Biggest Villain (Who Deserves Far Better) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s anime is currently featuring the highly anticipated Kuma’s backstory. While anime-only fans will finally learn more about this tragic character, manga fans already know the horrors that await them. One of One Piece’s strongest elements is its backstories, which often add depth to the characters, even the minor ones. Bartholomew Kuma is one such character who left a deep impression in his first appearance. As a Warlord working for the government, he was supposed to be an enemy of the Straw Hat Pirates. Everything from Zoro’s iconic “Nothing Happened” scene to the tragic Straw Hats’ separation in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc was enough proof that Kuma was loyal to the World Government – or so we thought.

The fact that he was a member of the Revolutionary Army working for the government as a spy was revealed much later in the series. Not only that, but everything Kuma did for Luffy’s crew since the beginning was for their benefit. While the crew set sail for Fish-Man Island without knowing anything, Franky shared the details about how they had an important ally all along. The anime commenced Kuma’s backstory in Episode 1129, which will answer a lot of questions for us. Manga fans are already aware of the plot, and there’s often talk about Kuma being the most tragic character.

Warning: This Article Contains Major Spoilers from the One Piece Manga!

[RELATED: One Piece Debuts Heartwarming Eyecatches With New Flashback Arc]

Kuma’s Backstory and Sacrifices Make Him the Most Heartbreaking Character in One Piece

One Piece has its fair share of tragic characters, but it could easily be argued that Kuma is by far the most heartbreaking one. It combines elements of Dressrosa’s Kyros and Wano’s Oden to add equal parts tragic origins and a heroic element. While viewers got a glimpse with Episode 1129 of Kuma’s story detailing loss, enslavement, and a plan for a desperate escape at God Valley with the help of new friends, this only marks the beginning.

Not only did he suffer from slavery and oppression in his childhood, but he also couldn’t live freely despite escaping that hell. He met Ivankov and Ginny in God Valley, and the trio managed to free themselves and hundreds of slaves and inhabitants of the island. Every three years, the World Government chooses an island that’s not affiliated with them. They take it over and turn the inhabitants into hunting targets for a tournament just to amuse the Celestial Dragons.

One Piece Anime Viewers Will Soon See Kuma’s Entire Life, Not Just the Origin, Is Tragic

The horrors of God Valley are the World Government’s biggest stain, and they wouldn’t want to make it public. Kuma lived a peaceful life with Ginny in the Sorbet Kingdom before joining the Revolutionary Army. Despite having feelings for her, Kuma never agreed to marry Ginny because he didn’t want to recreate his family’s tragedy. After Ginny was taken away during a mission and forced to live as one of the Celestial Dragon’s wives, Kuma was too helpless to save her. She was abandoned after two years, after contracting a Sapphire Scales disease that also affected her newly born daughter, Bonney.

Kuma raised Bonney with as much love and care as any father would, but the disease was catching up to the young girl. She couldn’t live under the sun, and there was seemingly no cure for her. That is, until Vegapunk promised to cure her, but the scientist was under orders by the World Government to turn Kuma into a Pacifista. He happily agreed to erase his humanity in hopes of having his daughter live a free life.

Kuma Dreamed of Freedom, But It Was Always Out of Reach

On the surface, One Piece is a fun series about adventure. However, at its very core, it’s filled with tragedies and heartbreaks. Fan-favorite characters like Robin, Law, Sanji, and many more suffered because of the circumstances forced on them. And while Kuma was also a victim of this broken world, his true tragedy lies in his sacrifice. Even when he was about to become a mindless puppet, he decided to guard the Thousand Sunny for two years while taking unimaginable damage, alone and wordless, just to fulfill a promise no one even knew he made.

He saved Luffy and his crew and saved his daughter at his own expense. His biggest regret was leaving his young child alone in the world to fend for herself, but it was what he thought was right. As a Buccaneer, the tales of Nika were passed down in his family. Even in his final moments, Kuma’s father told him about a warrior who dances and smiles as he liberates people. Kuma carried on the tradition by telling those stories to Bonney, hoping she would one day be free.

However, that very freedom was always out of reach for him. His happiest days were when he raised Bonney, but even that didn’t last when he volunteered to erase his humanity. Even after being turned into a mindless weapon, fragments of his will live on. He gave up everything, yet his body screamed to go to his daughter and protect her from whoever is trying to harm her. He is currently in Elbaf with Bonney, and there’s no guarantee that he can ever regain his humanity. For all we know, that might be how his soul-crushing journey ended, as a tool for the very people who destroyed his life.

The post One Piece: Is Kuma the Most Heartbreaking Character? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Nico Robin, one of the Straw Hat pirates who’ve been with the series since Alabasta, is one of the best characters in the One Piece franchise. She is effortlessly cool and mysterious, and readers have only ever wanted to know more about her. She ranked sixth in the One Piece global fan poll, remaining popular after all these years, yet she rarely shows off her strength despite having a scarily lethal devil fruit ability. This has been a problem in the One Piece manga since the time skip, with most Straw Hats not getting proper one-on-one fights. Characters like Luffy and Zoro almost always get a major fight, but nearly everyone else has to fight for the scraps. Besides Chopper, Robin probably has had the worst fight-to-appearance ratio. She only had one main fight pre-timeskip in Skypiea, showcasing her skills and adding her mystique as she brutalizes Yama.

Her one fight was visceral, highlighting how deadly her Devil Fruit powers can be. She never had any other major battle until over a decade later in Wano. What’s frustrating is that she has had multiple opportunities to fight, particularly in Dressrosa. Nonetheless, it always felt like manga author Eiichiro Oda went out of his way for her not to be part of the conflict. Sins of Dressrosa feel like they are reemerging in the ongoing Elbaf, where another potential fight between Robin and an enemy is taken away so that a different character could have a moment to shine.

[RELATED – One Piece Theory Unravels Elbaf’s Darkest Secret]

Robin’s Dressrosa Problem

One of the main reasons why many Straw Hats never get a proper battle is that Oda never makes enough antagonists for them to fight. The Straw Hat pirates have become too big, there are not enough primary enemies for them to fight in every given arc unless Oda comes up with filler villains, something the author refuses to do. When the author tries to fill out the villains with more forgettable fodder, One Piece gets stuck with the lame New Fish-Man Pirates from Fish-Man Island. Surprisingly, Robin didn’t even get to battle any of the New Fishman Pirates, except for quickly disposing of a minor lackey.

However, whereas previous arcs have the excuse of a lack of antagonists, Dressrosa was the most insulting arc where Robin didn’t get to fight. Dressrosa has the Straw Hats split up, with half of them staying on the island of Dressrosa. Every Straw Hat on Dressrosa had a major fight, except for Robin. Even Usopp had a confrontation with Sugar, a literal woman in a little girl’s body. Robin was stuck protecting Rebecca, a teen girl who was part of Dressrosa’s royalty before being usurped by the Donquixote Pirates. Even though the arc established Rebecca being a fairly competent sword fighter, she was essentially dead weight throughout the story, forcing Robin to protect her in creative ways. It all comes to a head when the two confront Diamante, an Elite Officer of the Donquixote Pirates, and the murder of Rebecca’s mother.

The obvious story direction would be for the women to team up to defeat Dimante and for Rebecca to gain her deserved revenge. Yet, because Rebecca was suddenly shown to be incompetent, Robin spent most of the confrontation on the defensive. It’s a testament to Oda’s writing that he’s able to come up with inventive ways to use Robin’s powers to protect Rebecca, including making a tree of arms to shield themselves from spiked balls. Nonetheless, the confrontation doesn’t show Robin’s true strength, and the person who ultimately defeats Dimante is Kyros, Rebecca’s father. What is deeply offensive about the Dimante fight, other than the optics of the two women’s battle being overtaken by a man, is that Kyros is such a forgettable character. He doesn’t even reach the top 100 in the latest character rankings despite being one of the main characters of the Dressrosa arc.

Who Can Robin Fight in Elbaf?

The Dressrosa situation seems to be repeating itself in Elbaf. The Holy Knights have come to Elbaf to annex the island, steal the children, and burn the remaining books that survived Ohara, Robin’s home island. Robin and Scopper Gaban, the former left-hand to the king of the pirates, is all that stands between the knights and the library. It was a perfect set-up for Robin to have another major fight; she directly confronted Saint Sommers of the Holy Knights to protect what remains of her homeland. But, as the conflict was going on, Scopper Gaban swoops in to slice off Sommers’ hand, setting up a new fight between the two men.

Even though the battle is still early enough that things could still turn around, we hope Oda doesn’t pull another Dressrosa and have Robin not fight. Elbaf has been a great arc for Robin, she deserves to have one fight in this arc. She can still battle, even if she doesn’t fight Sommers, as two other Holy Knights are on the island. We hope Oda gives her the respect she deserves because we don’t want to wait many more years for her to have another one-on-one again.

The post Please, One Piece, Let Robin Win Another Fight appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has kicked off a new flashback arc exploring Bartholomew Kuma’s past, and the preview for the next episode has dropped the first look at a much younger Gol D. Roger. When One Piece started to officially set the stage for its grand finale with the start of the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga series overall, fans started to get a whole new look at Gol D. Roger himself. Not only did the King of the Pirates land at Wano, but he traveled around the world to some very famous places that Luffy and the Straw Hats are coming across in the present day.

But there are some key places that Gol D. Roger had come across that Luffy and the others will never be able to as they have either been wiped from history, or have been shrouded in other mysteries entirely. This includes the mysterious God Valley where Roger was apparently at the center of a huge incident that has yet to be fully explained in either of One Piece‘s anime or manga releases. But with the next episode, we’ll get a new look at it with a younger Roger.

What’s Coming in One Piece’s Next Episode?

One Piece Episode 1130 is titled “A History Erased! God Valley Of Despair,” and the episode teases a continuation not only from Kuma’s past but that it crosses over with a very important event. The God Valley Incident has been teased as a key part of the history where Roger teamed up with a very young Garp, and the two of them apparently worked together to fight off a huge group of pirates. Very little has been revealed about this incident so far, but now we’re going to see even more of it in motion as Roger makes his young debut.

While we have gotten to see Roger at a much later stage of his life when he’s officially crowned as the King of the Pirates after his crew completes their journey around the world, this is the first look at a much younger version of the legend. It’s before he grows in the mustache we associate with him and his crew later, and he even more resembles Ace than fans had ever expected. Now that father and son connection is really coming through, so it’s certainly emotional.

RELATED: One Piece Surprises Fans With New Nostalgic Straw Hat Art

How to Watch One Piece Episode 1130

One Piece Episode 1130 will be making its debut on Sunday, May 25th in Japan, and will be streaming with Crunchyroll not long after that debut. The episode will then be available for streaming with Netflix a week later, and you can catch up with all episodes of the Egghead Arc with both services as well. Now that One Piece is in the Final Saga of the anime, we’re going to get a lot more information about the rest of the world to help fill in all of the gaps in its past.

One Piece has taken a detour from the current events of the Egghead arc to start exploring Kuma’s past, but it will also be revealing more of Bonney’s connection with her father. Much like many of the other flashbacks in the anime’s past, it’s going to offer some big clues to the present day’s events and make things hit that much better when it’s all back in action. It’s just a matter of waiting to see what twists and turns are still coming in the rest of the flashback in the weeks to come.

The post One Piece Drops First Look at Young Gold Roger appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece‘s Egghead Arc finally gave fans the flashback they’ve been waiting for all this time and it was just as devastating as everyone anticipated. Having said that, other than having Kuma’s tragic origin story bring viewers everywhere to tears, One Piece’s big new flashback has also introduced a new mystery in the form of an all-new clan called the Buccaneers that is at the center of Kuma and his family’s persecution by the World Government. Adding to the intrigue, the Buccaneer clan is also implied to have a connection to Sun God Nika and may very well be a crucial part of the Final Saga.

In Episode 1129 of One Piece, when Bonney blames St. Saturn for killing Kuma, St. Saturn simply claims that Kuma was supposedly born into a slave caste called the Buccaneers. Saturn reveals that Kuma is the last survivor of this extinct Buccaneer clan that once committed a grave crime against the world, though he does not expand on what this crime was. Piling onto the mystery, the flashback later sees Kuma’s father introduce him to the legend of Nika, revealing that the legend has been passed down the Buccaneer clan for centuries. Furthermore, Ivankov, who also makes an unexpected appearance in Kuma’s flashback, reveals that the Buccaneers possess Giant blood, with all these revelations only making the clan all the more mysterious instead.

[RELATED: One Piece Hits Fans With One of Its Worst Cliffhangers Yet]

One Piece Reveals the Mysterious Buccaneer Race With a Connection to Sun God Nika

While weird proportions like Kuma’s aren’t anything out of the ordinary in One Piece, the revelation that his size and strength stem from belonging to a special clan with Giant blood does make plenty of sense. Given that new races like the Tontatta were introduced in One Piece as late as the Dressrosa arc, it isn’t all too unbelievable that there’s a whole clan that fans had never heard of until now.

That said, despite the latest episode revealing so much about the Buccaneers, fans have been left with only more questions, especially about the Buccaneers’ connection to Sun God Nika. The clan must have been closely connected to Joyboy or Nika in the past to have the legend passed down among clan members so religiously for centuries.

This could perhaps even play into the mysterious grave sin that the Buccaneers committed, according to Saturn. It’s also hard not to think about Zunesha, Joyboy’s former companion, who has been similarly punished to wander the seas for an unspecified grave sin. Either way, One Piece still has many more episodes of Kuma’s flashback ahead and hopefully the Egghead Arc will soon reveal more about this mysterious new clan.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Sparks a New Mystery With Kuma’s Clan appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As One Piece‘s anime inches closer and closer to the climax of the Egghead Arc, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the entire arc is a mirror of the Sabaody Arc. The Egghead Arc features many familiar faces from Sabaody such as Kuma, the Pacifista, and even Admiral Kizaru with the recent rematch between Kizaru and Luffy almost bringing the series full-circle after all these years. While fans are constantly being reminded of the Sabaody Arc, One Piece has simultaneously honed in on this nostalgia through a new stunning poster of the Straw Hats.

One Piece recently shared a new poster of the Straw Hats as seen during the Sabaody Arc. The new visual features the Straw Hat crew on a cliff with Luffy, Franky, and Usopp arm in arm cheering as they head out together. Robin takes up the center of the image holding a thick book in her iconic Sabaody outfit, the last remnant of Robin’s Miss All Sunday-style design. Meanwhile, Zoro and Brook are seen off in the distance surrounded by seagulls, while Sanji and Nami frame the poster from the sides. Lastly, Chopper can be seen eating cotton candy and wearing a swimming ring.

[RELATED: One Piece Will Reportedly Feature a Nami Crossover Fans Have Been Dying to See]

One Piece Animator Takashi Kojima Calls Back to Sabaody With New Straw Hat Art

Though not officially credited, the distinct art style of the new visual clearly gives away that the artist behind it is none other than Takashi Kojima, one of One Piece’s most talented animators. Kojima has famously worked on Episode 1015 and parts of Episode 1071 of One Piece with his most recent contribution to the series being the new Egghead Part 2 ending theme. Furthermore, Kojima also recently worked on the stunning post credits scene in Dragon Ball Daima and cuts by him can be found in various other popular anime such as Dandadan, Attack on Titan, Lazarus, Look Back, SK8 the Infinity, and many many more.

Kojima has been behind many of One Piece’s stunning visuals and posters over the years including the above illustration of Luffy for his birthday in 2023. Both Kojima’s art and animation are best known for their strong posing and character acting, and with his style coming to be instantly recognizable among fans of his work. As random as it was for One Piece to remind fans of the Sabaody Arc with the new poster of the Straw Hats, with art as gorgeous as Kojima’s its honestly hard to complain.

Source: @pewpiece on X.

The post One Piece Surprises Fans With New Nostalgic Straw Hat Art appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While fans of One Piece have been looking forward to Kuma’s tragic origin story for quite some time now, few could have anticipated that the flashback would take fans to God Valley of all places. Second only to Laugh Tale in terms of intrigue, God Valley, and the truth of what exactly took place on the island 38 years ago has eluded fans for years on end. However, One Piece’s Egghead Arc is finally changing things with the latest episode even giving fans their first proper look at the mysterious island in years.

Episode 1129 of One Piece gives viewers an all-new, clear look at the island of God Valley, including its landscape, architecture, and even its people. The latest episode marks the first proper appearance of the island in the anime in four whole years. God Valley’s last appearance in One Piece’s anime was in Episode 958, which was released back in January 2021, and even then, fans only got a dark, foggy view of the island from afar. In contrast, Episode 1128 is far more detailed and includes many new touches such as the Navy ships surrounding the island and the daytime fireworks going off as the Celestial Dragons kick off their cruel native hunting contest.

[RELATED: One Piece Hits Fans With One of Its Worst Cliffhangers Yet]

One Piece Finally Reveals More About God Valley

Along with giving fans a better look at the island, One Piece’s Egghead Arc is also revealing more about the mysterious God Valley Incident. The latest episode finally gives fans some more context on what preceded the incident, revealing that God Valley was chosen as the location for a human hunting contest between the Celestial Dragons. The main reasons for this punishment were simply that God Valley was not affiliated with the World Government and was rich in resources. Besides this, the World Nobles also saw the name of the island as sacrilege.

As such, all of God Valley’s citizens, along with Kuma, were to be hunted down as “rabbits.” It is still unclear how the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates will come into play amidst this cruel game organized by the World Nobles, though the upcoming episodes will likely reveal all. It is also left to be seen how Kuma and Ivankov, who has also made an unexpected appearance, will escape the island, though the clear view of God Valley suggests One Piece has answers to all these questions and many big revelations in store.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Gives Fans a New Look at God Valley appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has kicked off a new flashback arc showcasing a look into Bartholomew Kuma’s past, but the preview for the next episode is teasing a very important piece of the One Piece world’s history. One Piece has taken a detour from the events of the Egghead Arc as the newest episode saw Bonney attacking St. Saturn, only for the Five Elder member to then quickly take her hostage and threaten her life. But amidst all of this chaos, the anime has some different plans for a while. Because instead, we’re going to spend some time looking into the past.

One Piece kicked off an official flashback arc highlighting Kuma’s mysterious past. The Egghead Arc has revealed that Bonney is his daughter, and has been teasing some looks into the past through the episodes thus far. But now that this flashback has begun, it’s now time to showcase not only more of that father and daughter connection but more of Kuma’s life before he became a weapon of the military. But that looks to take a huge turn with the preview for One Piece Episode 1130 that you can check out in the video above.

How to Watch One Piece Episode 1130

One Piece Episode 1130 is titled “A History Erased! God Valley Of Despair,” and will be making its debut on Sunday, May 25th in Japan. The episode will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it hits (and will be releasing with Netflix about a week after), and the episode preview teases it as such, “The Celestial Dragons begin their hunt for humans, and the screams of the slaves echo throughout the island. Amid the chaos, Ivankov and Kuma make a risky gambit, hoping for their freedom.”

One Piece’s newest episode began revealing Kuma’s past, and it’s been incredibly heartbreaking so far. Because of his blood belonging to an ancient clan known as the Buccaneers, Kuma’s family was taken into slavery when he was very young. Losing both his mother and father in quick succession then made the young Kuma lose all hope, and that seems to be taking an explosive new direction in the next episode as Kuma is caught in the middle of a rather massive event that’s been teased in the series before.

RELATED: One Piece’s Garling Takes Over the Fandom For All the Wrong Reasons

What’s Next for Kuma’s Flashback Arc?

That first episode of Kuma’s flashback was already filled to the brim with some very emotional events, but it’s made clear by this first look at the next episode that it’s all going to go in a much different direction. One Piece has dropped hints about the mysterious “God Valley” in the past that fans have only heard brief stories about, but thanks to Kuma actually being there, fans are now going to get their first look at this massive moment. Given that this is also the Final Saga of Eiichiro Oda’s original series overall, this is likely going to play a massive role in the series for the future.

Kuma eventually becomes a revolutionary before he turns into the Pacfista weapon, and the latest episode teased how he met with Ivankov as a child. The two seemed to have formed a quick connection from their first meeting as kids, and it seems like that’s going to continue to get even more important as the two of them go through this massive God Valley incident. Now it’s just a matter of seeing that all play out in the episodes over the next few weeks as the flashback continues. You can keep up with it all with Netflix and Crunchyroll.

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One Piece Episode 1129 commences the highly anticipated Kuma’s flashback, and it’s going to be the most tragic part of the Egghead Incident Arc. Kuma is a character introduced in the Thriller Bark Arc and was the major reason behind Zoro’s iconic “Nothing Happened” scene. He then appears in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, separating the Straw Hats for two years. It was later revealed that he was an ally to the crew members all along, and sending them away was the only way he could save them. At each place, the crew had been allowed to develop their skills. Although Kuma is a member of the Revolutionary Army, it still doesn’t explain the lengths he went to save the Straw Hat Pirates and even the Thousand Sunny.

A lot of the questions have remained unanswered for much too long, and now the story will finally explain them one by one. The backstory begins with Kuma’s birth and the tragedy that befell his family. His daughter Bonney, who risked her life to save him from Mariejois and even went to Egghead to look for answers, will be a major part of the flashback. Ever since the anime’s return, the emphasis on the father and daughter duo is too obvious to ignore. Now that the flashback has begun, we get two adorable eyecatches that warm our hearts.

[RELATED: One Piece Makes Its Most Tragic Origin Even Sadder With Brand-New Scene]

One Piece Episode 1129 Features Two New Eyecatches

An eyecatch, or an eyecatcher, is a short visual segment used to transition between a show and its commercial breaks. Just like most anime, One Piece is a TV show that first broadcasts on Japanese networks and is later added to streaming platforms for global fans. The show’s eyecatches often include the crew members, but this time, it focuses on Kuma and Bonney. In the first one, she is looking for Kuma and runs to him till he catches her. In the second eyecatch, she is playing around, and Kuma places pizza on the dining table, her favorite food, and waits for her to come back.

The father and daughter then have a hearty meal, showcasing the blissful days they spend with each other. It’s not just the eyecatches, but the anime is putting a lot of emphasis on these characters, considering how crucial they are for this arc. The opening theme focuses more on Bonney than the other Straw Hat Pirates while also featuring glimpses from the flashback. On the other hand, the ending theme only focuses on Bonney and her memories with Kuma.

Unaware of the reason behind Kuma’s transition into a Pacifista, she faces any challenge the New World has to offer. At this point in the story, she already knows everything, and it’s clear the truth is too much for her to bear. Bonney only remembers the happy days she spent with her father before the World Government took him away from her. However, Kuma had been struggling since he was a child, and clearly, what Episode 1129 has covered so far is only the tip of the iceberg.

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One Piece’s Egghead Arc is paving the way for the Final Saga in the best way possible with not only interesting new revelations about Sun God Nika but also with the introduction of all-new antagonists in the form of the Five Elders. Though the Five Elders have made multiple appearances in the series so far, the Egghead Arc is finally bringing these enigmatic five figures to the spotlight, starting with St. Saturn, who is already causing quite a storm on Egghead Island. After spending much of the series in the shadows, One Piece has finally revealed a glimpse of St. Saturn’s true powers, cementing him and the Five Elders as the penultimate villains of One Piece after Imu.

Besides kicking off Kuma’s flashback, Episode 1129 of One Piece also gives fans a glimpse of St. Saturn in action, revealing more of his terrifying skill set. The episode sees St. Saturn use an eye beam ability of sorts to attack Bonney and Sanji, which he previously also used against a Marine in Episode 1128 upon arriving on Egghead. St. Saturn also displays the frightening ability to freeze Sanji, Franky, Vegapunk, and the rest in place using a mysterious aura he emits. All that said, easily the most frightening ability that St. Saturn uses in the latest episode is his extreme regeneration, which allows him to instantly heal from the stab wound that Bonney inflicted on him. All this goes to show that St. Saturn could prove to be a very troublesome opponent on Egghead and could single-handedly doom the Straw Hats’ plan to escape with Vegapunk.

[RELATED: “I’m Not Sure What Overanimation Means:” One Piece Animator Slams Internet Trolls]

One Piece Teases St. Saturn Will Be a Tougher Opponent Than Fans Anticipated

Despite having the appearance of a frail old man, like many of the other Five Elders, St. Saturn is quickly proving to to a serious threat. His presence on the island has already overridden the chain of command over the Pacifista, and as if his demonic transformation weren’t frightening enough already, Episode 1129 gives him even more terrifying powers. With Luffy all worn out from using Gear Five against Kizaru, there isn’t anyone who can currently stand up to St. Saturn, making the situation on Egghead quite dire for the time being.

Furthermore, as seen in Episode 1119 when Sabo snuck into Mariejois, the rest of the Five Elders, including Imu, also possess similar terrifying transformations. If so, they may even have similar powers of regeneration and other terrifying abilities like St. Saturn. While Luffy is out of action for now, a battle between him and St. Saturn on Egghead is all but inevitable and if Luffy fails to deal with St. Saturn even with Gear Five, this could bode ill for the Final Saga should he truly have to face the Five Elders and Imu at the end of One Piece.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Shares First Look at Saturn’s Frightening True Power appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s anime commenced the highly anticipated backstory centering around Bartholomew Kuma recently, telling the tale of the former Warlord and member of the Revolutionary Army. Episode 1129 unveils that he was taken away as a slave along with his parents because he was from a Buccaneer bloodline. The Egghead Incident Arc confirmed that Bonney is his daughter, who wants to know why Kuma became a Pacifista. Her question was previously alluded to after stepping into the gigantic paw-bubble that concealed Kuma’s memories. Judging by Bonney’s reaction after seeing Saturn, we know that the villain had a major role to play in Kuma’s tragedy. The anime will continue to cover his backstory in the next few episodes, starting from the tragedy in God Valley that took place 38 years ago.

God Valley was first mentioned in Episode 958, where a historic event took place with Roger and Garp joining hands to defeat the Rock Pirates. The incident was never elaborated on except for the fact that there were several Celestial Dragons and slaves on the island. It’s also the place where Roger found a one-year-old Shanks and adopted him. While the ongoing flashback in the anime focuses on Kuma, fans also get to see a new look at Saint Figarland Garling, the Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights. He was introduced in Episode 1120 while executing Saint Mjosgard for defending Shirahoshi from Saint Charlos. The episode introduced him as the man known for his exploits in God Valley, but arguably the biggest crime, in the eyes of One Piece fans, is the newly confirmed color of his hair.

[RELATED: “Everyone’s Confused”: One Piece Animator Breaks Silence on Toei AI Controversy]

One Piece Fans Hate Garling’s Color Scheme

As the Supreme Commander of the strongest villain group in the series so far, fans have high expectations of him. His powers haven’t been revealed yet, but no one expects him to be a weak character. Furthermore, young Garling, during his time in God Valley, was rather popular with the ladies. Also considering his resemblance to Shanks, fans expected him to look at least decent.

While the pale blonde banana-shaped hairstyle was supposed to make him look goofier, that’s not even the least of the concerns. In fact, his color scheme, regardless of his hair, is too flashy and colorful, a far cry from the speculated red hue fans had hoped for all these months to see. Since the manga is black and white, fans often come up with their color combinations before the anime makes it official.

@Abhinav75431 says, “I was fine with him being blonde, but why did they make his outfit so ugly?”

“To be honest, is it that Toei does not consider looking at some fan colorings? I’m not talking about the hair, though, the outfit is kinda meh in my eyes,” writes @brandendio515.

However, a small part of the fandom is also in favor of the design. “I don’t mind, I always knew it because of the differences between his hair tone and Shanks/Shamrock hair in the manga. I never imagined those clothes colors, but I think they’re based on the Vatican guards’ uniform, so it makes sense (Also, of course, the colors are supervised by Oda),” shares @Link_Doodle.

Garling’s anime debut is in the current timeline, and while fans clowned his blonde hair, it wasn’t that big of an issue until now. He might also appear in the next episode, being a topic of ridicule during the show’s most tragic backstory. No matter what, though, this is nowhere near the last time we’ll be seeing Garling in One Piece.

H/T: Artur – Library of Ohara on X

The post One Piece’s Garling Takes Over the Fandom For All the Wrong Reasons appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece really left off on one of the anime’s worst cliffhangers yet with the newest episode of the series. One Piece: Egghead Arc Part 2 finally returned from hiatus earlier this Spring, and has been one banger episode after another. The table has been set for even more chaos to breakout across Dr. Vegapunk’s future island laboratory, and Luffy and the others have been caught in a major struggle against one of the Five Elders themselves. But even with all of this in the current day, One Piece is going to take a detour and explore some big moments from the past.

Following a break last week featuring a recap episode that ended up being one of the most disliked by fans in One Piece’s history, the anime has returned to the current day events of the Egghead Arc. Episode 1129 sees Jewerly Bonney caught in St. Saturn’s clutches, and Luffy is powerless to help as his extended use of Gear 5 has exhausted him to this point. But as Bonney is near death, she begins to think back to Kuma’s backstory as a new flashback arc begins. It just also means we’re stuck on this cliffhanger for a while.

What Happens in One Piece Episode 1129?

One Piece Episode 1129 fulfills the promise it had ahead of its premiere to explore one of the most tragic backstories in the series’ history. Bonney and Kuma had been revealed to be father and daughter, but something happened between the two of them to separate them before he became a weapon of the military. But before this flashback arc begins, Bonney herself is in a rather desperate situation as her life now hangs in the balance against one of the strongest foes the Straw Hats have come across in their journey thus far.

The episode then sees Bonney seemingly resign herself to her fate as the Marines point their guns on her in Saturn’s clutches, but for a brief moment she thinks back to a fond memory she has with her father. As the episode then continues, it evolves into a full look into Kuma’s origin overall. The episode then reveals it’s going to be focusing on Kuma’s backstory for a while through the next few weeks of episodes at the very least before we return to the present day chaos happening during the Egghead Arc.

RELATED: “Everyone’s Confused”: One Piece Animator Breaks Silence on Toei AI Controversy

Is This One Piece’s Worst Cliffhanger?

This is definitely one of the more frustrating One Piece cliffhanger as this flashback comes right in the middle of a tense scene, but thankfully it’s far from the worst in the anime’s history. That unfortunate honor goes to the end of Egghead Part 1 from last year. When the first half of the arc reached its end teasing that Luffy and the others were trapped on the island and surrounded by the Marines, the anime team then announced the series would be going on a six month hiatus before it returned with new episodes.

So while this current cliffhanger is frustrating because Bonney’s life hangs in the balance, at least the anime is still continuing with new episodes. The anime’s previous flashback arcs have done a great deal to help flesh out the present day events, and that’s going to be the same case here. When the anime is done telling us all about Kuma and Bonney’s past, we’ll likely root even more for the duo as the chaos returns to Egghead. It’s just a matter of waiting for when that’s actually going to go down.

The post One Piece Hits Fans With One of Its Worst Cliffhangers Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Egghead Incident Arc of One Piece’s anime has just begun Kuma’s backstory, the most tragic origin story in the show so far. Kuma was introduced as a recurring villain in the pre-time-skip era, bringing with him, among other things, the iconic “Nothing Happened” moment at Thriller Bark. After the Straw Hats reunite and set sail for the New World, Franky unveils that the former Warlord was always on their side. The story has come a long way since the Fish-Man Island Saga, and now we will finally unravel the mystery behind this character. The first arc of the Final Saga has been setting up the backstory, especially with Bonney joining the Straw Hats’ side.

We learn that she’s Kuma’s daughter and is looking for answers regarding Kuma’s transition into a Pacifista. Bonney already knows everything about his past after witnessing it firsthand from the paw-bubble. The situation in Egghead takes a turn for the worse with Saturn’s arrival, whose powers are nothing to sneeze at. As the fight continues, Bonney faces the biggest threat on the island. On the brink of death, she remembers her father and the Sun God Nika, whom he told her about. One Piece Episode 1129 kicks off Kuma’s backstory and includes several filler scenes, one of which is extremely heartwrenching.

[RELATED: “I’m Not Sure What Overanimation Means:” One Piece Animator Slams Internet Trolls]

One Piece Episode 1129 Features Kuma’s Final Farewell to His Mother

Kuma lived a peaceful life with his parents until, one day, the World Government realized that his father was a Buccaneer. Kuma’s mother, despite being a human, was also taken away as a slave along with her husband and son, who had Buccaneer blood flowing in their veins. The Celestial Dragons treated the slaves less than humans, and their fate wasn’t any different. Kuma was separated from his mother, who wished him well during their final farewell. The backstory begins in Chapter 1095 of the manga, but it doesn’t include that scene, nor does it delve deeper into his life as a slave in Mariejois.

Since One Piece’s anime adapts one chapter for each episode, they always include additional filler scenes to make up for the lack of content. Although those scenes aren’t part of the manga, they often add more depth to the story. Kuma’s mother being taken away by the Celestial Dragons was one of the most heartwrenching scenes of the story, especially her final words to her son. The cause of her death wasn’t specified, but it’s clear she was tortured until she died. His father knew what happened and even said that death was better for her instead of suffering the horrors the Celestial Dragons put her through.

Meanwhile, his father was shot to death for singing about Nika to his son. What was supposed to be a heartwarming moment of a father trying to comfort his son turned into Kuma’s nightmare. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of Kuma’s tragedy. The anime will continue the flashback in the next few episodes, ultimately revealing what possessed him to sacrifice everything and become a human weapon.

The post One Piece Makes Its Most Tragic Origin Even Sadder With Brand-New Scene appeared first on ComicBook.com.

At long last, One Piece is finally diving into one of the saddest flashbacks in the series to date. After endless teases the Egghead Arc is finally unveiling Kuma’s tragic past and origin story, and it’s time to strap in because it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster. The flashback has already started out strong in Episode 1129 of One Piece, giving fans a glimpse into Kuma’s birth, the death of his parents, and his childhood as a slave in the Holy Land. That said, what caught fans completely by surprise is the fact that the flashback also takes fans to God Valley, where One Piece gives fans an adorable look at a most unexpected character.

Episode 1129 unexpectedly takes fans 38 years in the past to the ever-mysterious God Valley Incident. The episode reveals that the Celestial Dragons had organized a human-hunting contest on the island due to it being rich in natural resources and unaffiliated with the World Government, despite being blasphemously named “god’s valley.” Part of this hunting contest, as the “rabbits” to be hunted by the World Nobles were not only the citizens of God Valley but also Kuma, and surprisingly enough, Emporio Ivankov. The future queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, Ivankov, is revealed to have been a slave just like Kuma, with fans getting their first ever glimpse of Ivankov as a child.

[RELATED: One Piece Theory Teases Gear 5 Luffy Has Been Holding Back His Power]

One Piece Reveals Young Ivankov and Teases a Deeper Connection to Kuma

In Episode 1128 of One Piece, fans finally get to see the memory of Kuma crying that was first teased back in Episode 1106, with the latest episode giving fans the full picture of what Bonney saw back then. Kuma is seen escaping from his cage when the other slaves come after him to drag him back. This is when Ivankov and a newly introduced character named Ginny interrupt and reveal they have a plan to save them all.

The ever-flamboyant Ivankov that fans know and love is seen sporting his signature purple afro even as a child, donning a sleeveless floral shirt and star-printed underwear that Franky would most definitely approve of. Furthermore, the girl named Ginny refers to Ivankov as her brother, though fans will likely have to wait to learn about the actual relationship between them and whether they are truly related, as they do not look too alike.

All that said, the most interesting aspect of Ivankov’s appearance on God Valley and in Kuma’s flashback is that it hints at Ivankov and Kuma sharing a far deeper connection than fans ever anticipated. Until now, the only way the two were assumed to be acquainted was through the Revolutionary Army, though Kuma’s flashback now implies they go much further back, shedding new light on Ivankov’s plea for Kuma to recognize him at Marineford. Either way, as hinted in One Piece’s new opening theme, this trio of Kuma, Ivankov, and Ginny is likely going to be a major part of the story going forward, and it will be interesting to see where Kuma’s flashback takes fans next.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post One Piece Drops Adorable New Look at One of Its Best Characters appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece has officially kicked off the saddest flashback arc in the anime to date with the newest episode of the series. One Piece is now working its way through the second half of the Egghead arc, and following another surprise break earlier this month, the anime has returned with one of the biggest flashbacks in the Final Saga. Flashback arcs serve as key pieces of the One Piece series that help to flesh out the current events, and often come ahead of an arc’s climax to give everything just a bit more emotional juice before things really get going.

Before the Egghead Arc can really get into the climax for Luffy and the others, there are some important pieces of the puzzle that need to be put in place for the connection between Bartholomew Kuma and his daughter Bonney. She had previously believed Dr. Vegapunk was the reason Kuma was turned into a cyborg, but it’s clear as of the latest episode that she’s turned all of her attention to St. Saturn. Now as the newest episode officially starts a new look into Kuma’s past, we’re about to find out more about this mother and daughter.

One Piece Episode 1129 Begins Revealing Kuma’s Past

One Piece Episode 1129 picks up right after Bonney launched a direct attack on St. Saturn, and her attack does nothing to the Elder. Not only does he immediately heal from the damage, but he’s able to grab her and threaten her directly while keeping everyone else at bay with his power. Then it cuts away from the current events to kick off a new look into Bartholomew Kuma’s past. Born to a happy couple, it’s explained that Kuma actually shares the blood of a dangerous clan known as the Buccaneers. And because of that blood, Kuma and his family are soon taken into slavery.

Separated from his mother and father, Kuma is forced to work for a cruel Celestial Dragon master. Even when there’s a brief bit of hope in a later reunion with his father, Kuma discovers that his mother has died. Meaning the last time he had seen her was when they were both in chains, and Kuma can’t hold back the tears. His father tries to cheer him up by telling him the legend of Nika the Sun God and dances for him, but then is killed right in front of Kuma.

RELATED: One Piece Hiatus Is Painful for Fans Who Know What’s Coming Next

What’s Next for this Kuma Flashback?

As teased by the end of the episode, this look into Kuma’s past is really only just beginning. There have already been some big teases about Kuma’s place in the world through this first episode, and there are going to be even bigger reveals as the anime continues to tell more of this flashback story. It also needs to eventually tease Kuma’s connection with Bonney as well, and thus there is a lot of ground to cover. But this is also a look into just how cruel the Celestial Dragons can really be.

Kuma lived a terrible early life, but is teased to later lead a happy life together with Bonney. It’s yet to be revealed how the two dots will connect, but eventually fans know that even after all of this, he eventually becomes a robotic weapon for the Marines. So even with all of this sadness, the real cruelty and tragedy of what happens to him has still yet to come. So One Piece fans better get ready to cry as new episodes debut with Netflix and Crunchyroll.

The post One Piece Kicks Off the Anime’s Saddest Flashback in Newest Episode appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The studio behind One Piece and Dragon Ball, along with several classic shows, Toei Animation is the oldest anime studio in Japan. It was previously known as Japan Animated Films from its establishment in 1948 to 1956. Toei has also created the first colored anime feature film, Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent), in 1958. It’s still one of the biggest studios in the country and has had its fair share of controversies in the past. Dragon Ball fans have been upset with the poor marketing of Daima and taking years to complete a project. Meanwhile, One Piece fans complain about the poor pacing and several changes from the manga.

However, this time around, the possible use of AI is causing chaos on social media, with everyone feeling worried about their favorite shows. While there are a few speaking in favor of using AI in animation, the majority of the fans still prefer the usual, hand-drawn sequences. One of the reasons why anime is so well-loved globally is because of hand-drawn frames that are oozing with talent. In recent years, AI is taking over the world, and a lot of people aren’t ready to embrace the change. Along with Kodansha, a Japanese publishing company, Toei, and a few Banking companies as well have made investments in Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN), a Japanese technology company, that’s working on generative AI foundation models and AI solutions. 

[RELATED: OpenAI CEO Responds to “Twink” Studio Ghibli AI Art]

One Piece Animator Is Also Confused By the Sudden Investment

According to the official website of PFN, Kiichiro Yamada, Senior Director at Toei Animation, supported the combination of the anime production expertise with new technology. He believes this will contribute to the overall development of Japan’s anime industry.

It didn’t take long for the statement to be circulated on social media. Considering Toei’s legacy, it wouldn’t be surprising if all studios start following them in the future. Animators and mangakas work long hours and often struggle with a work-life balance, so a few people were supporting the use of AI.

While it’s reasonable for fans to complain about the whole situation, Toei hasn’t confirmed how they will be incorporating the use of AI in their company. The studio is filled with talented artists who are respected for their passion and dedication towards their work. Many fans believe that even animators wouldn’t be comfortable using AI for creating storyboards.

Amid the controversy, renowned One Piece animator Vincent Chansard, who has been a crucial part of the team since the Wano Country Saga, said, “Have been talking to everyone I know on this AI thing, but it seems everyone’s as confused as me. Right now, it just feels like an overblown disconnected PR-esque statement like ‘look how we are an innovative company’ aimed at shareholders with no concrete real-life production change.”

When one fan said they hope Toei doesn’t use AI for One Piece, Vinecent replied, “If that’s your concern, there’s no concern at this point. But the company is large, and I’m not aware of what’s happening across all teams; I’m continuing to keep myself informed.”

While the response from the animator doesn’t guarantee that the studio won’t be using AI for storyboarding, the fact that the team hasn’t been informed even after such a major announcement means that there’s nothing to worry about as of now. The anime is currently featuring the Egghead Incident Arc and will continue to deliver stunning episodes.

H/T: @Sparkleredpanda on X

The post “Everyone’s Confused”: One Piece Animator Breaks Silence on Toei AI Controversy appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece is now in the works on coming to Netflix with Season 2, and Netflix has shared a new sneak peek at how Loguetown will look when it makes the jump to live-action. One Piece’s first season wrapped up with Luffy bringing together the first members of his Straw Hat crew as they got ready to officially enter the Grand Line. After defeating Arlong, they are feeling like they are on top of the world and are getting ready to see what kind of dangerous new enemies and grand adventures are coming their way in the future. Which starts with the next season.

One Piece Season 2 wrapped its production with Netflix earlier this year, and fans have steadily getting new looks at the coming seasons thanks to sneak peeks or new tidbits shared by members of the cast. This now continues with the best look at one of the new locations yet with the first dive into the live-action version of Loguetown, which serves as the final location within the East Blue that Luffy and the others will need to visit before they get to make their way to the Grand Line. Check it out below.

What Is Loguetown in One Piece?

When series creator Eiichiro Oda previously teased what new arcs would be covered in One Piece Season 2, Loguetown was the first on the list. This arc takes place as the final piece of the East Blue saga seen in the first season, and features some big moments for Luffy and the others before they enter the Grand Line in full. It’s a shift in the series that teases the kind of impact that Luffy will have on the rest of the world in the coming years, and has some major ties to Gol D. Roger himself as it’s where he was executed as seen in the very beginning of the live-action series.

As teased by this new sneak peek that only gives fans a glimpse of the town itself, it’s clear that the One Piece live-action series is going to have as expansive of sets as seen in the first season. It’s one of the big reasons why fans loved what they got to see in the first season, and it’s likely going to be one of the big reasons why the new season is going to be a hit as well. But it’s just a matter of waiting for the new episodes to hit.

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Star Joe Manganiello Talked to Eiichiro Oda for His Take on Crocodile

Netflix to Share One Piece Season 2 Update Soon

Netflix has yet to officially announce a release date or window for the new season of One Piece as of the time of this publication, but even more information is coming soon. Netflix has announced that One Piece will be one of the many franchises sharing new information during the upcoming TUDUM 2025 event coming later this month. While it’s yet to be revealed exactly what fans can hope to see, it’s going to be the first concrete update in a while.

One Piece has yet to reveal any extended looks at Season 2 of the live-action series, and sneak peeks like this one have been very coy about what we actually get to see. There have yet to be any promotional images of the actual series, or any of the footage in motion, so there are still many questions about how all of the new additions will look when they make their eventual live-action debut. But for now, you can catch up with the first season of One Piece now streaming with Netflix.

The post Netflix’s One Piece Shares First Look at Live-Action Loguetown With New Sneak Peek appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Toei Animation has become one of the heaviest hitters in the anime world for good reason at this point. Creating the anime adaptations for major shonen franchises such as Dragon Ball and One Piece, Toei also has helped to create the likes of Digimon, Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Kinnikuman to name a few. While the production house has earned plenty of goodwill amongst the anime fan community, rough seas appear to be ahead thanks to Toei’s future plans. Looking to the future, Toei Animation has revealed its plans to use artificial intelligence for its creations and this plan is raising some eyebrows amongst fans.

With Toei Animation’s newly released plan for its next financial year, FY2026, the studio held nothing back in noting that artificial intelligence would play a big role. Releasing a new image that breaks down just where the animation house plans on implementing A.I., Toei released the following statement expressing their future, “We will seek to co-develop new business opportunities and improve the efficiency and quality of our production, capitalizing on synergies between AI and animation production technologies.” You can check out the detailed plans below thanks to the newly released financial strategy which you can read in full by clicking here.

[RELATED: Anime Leaders Warn Against AI’s Dystopian Impact]

Artificial Anime Intelligence Controversy

A.I. has been one of the most controversial technologies to enter the anime world in some time. Animations, voice actors, and countless creators have routinely expressed trepidation regarding the use of artificial intelligence. In fact, last year, Japan’s Nippon Anime and Film Culture Association released the following statement regarding the dangers of artificial intelligence and how everyone involved needs to keep a watchful eye on the use of the format.

“We [the NAFCA] feel it will be very difficult in the future to bring fair revenue to creators when projects are being created through the use of generative AI. For instance, if an AI generates a character with the head of Doraemon, the body of a Gundam, and the voice of Son Goku… If that creation is made with the thought it can be used freely so long as we hand over the required revenue, we’re not interested. Even if a character created using 100 others were to make a ton of profit, there is no good mechanism of sharing profit and approval with the creators of those 100 said characters.”

Dragon Ball & One Piece’s Animated Futures

Dragon Ball brought its latest animated series, Dragon Ball Daima, to an end earlier this year, leaving many Z-Fighter fans left to wonder where Goku and his fellow brawlers will make a comeback. As of the writing of this article, that question remains unanswered. Luckily, Straw Hat Pirate fans have been eating good as of late, with the series recently bringing back its weekly anime episodes. As the final saga continues, things are heating up on Egghead Island and Luffy is in dire straits thanks to the arrival of one of the biggest villains of the Grand Line.

Want to stay in the loop when it comes to the ways that artificial intelligence is permeating the anime world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Dragon Ball/One Piece Studio Reveals AI Plans (And Fans Aren’t Happy) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One Piece’s anime is back in full swing, almost as if the hiatus never happened, blessing fans with excellent episodes week after week. Ever since the second half of the Egghead Arc commenced all that fans have been looking forward to is the big flashback of the arc centered around Bartholomew Kuma and Bonney. The highly anticipated flashback has only been teased in bits and pieces so far in One Piece’s anime, only adding to the intrigue. Episode 1129 is finally expected to kick off Kuma’s flashback, and One Piece just gave fans a whole new look at the titular father-daughter duo ahead of its release this weekend.

A post on X by one of One Piece’s official handles, @Eiichiro_Staff, has shared a new poster for Episode 1129 ahead of its release this Sunday, May 15th, hyping fans for the beginning of Kuma’s flashback in the upcoming episode. The poignant poster features Kuma holding Bonney as an infant inside what appears to be a church. The poster is captioned, “I saw a rainbow beyond the heavy rain,” which makes up the text on the top right of the image while the text on the bottom left translates to “Episode Kuma: The Little Jewels Left Behind,” which is likely meant to be the title of the art piece. The artist of the poster has not been credited, so it is unclear whether this piece was drawn by Oda or one of One Piece’s many talented animators.

[RELATED: One Piece Just Got Its Most Disliked Episode Since the Anime’s Return]

One Piece Hypes Kuma’s Flashback in New Promo

Despite having to wait a week longer due to the filler special recap episode being released last week, fans are still on the edge of their seats for Kuma’s full flashback. There’s no doubt this flashback will be one of the biggest highlights of Part 2 of the Egghead Arc. The production staff at Toei is sure to have put in a lot of effort into animating this flashback, as evidenced by the opening and ending themes, the glimpses in the anime so far, and now the stunning new poster.

The poster, which is almost in the style of a religious oil painting, is quite laden with symbolism both in the art itself as well as the title and caption. Kuma’s face is completely obscured while a single ray of sunshine illuminates young Bonney’s face, likely symbolizing how she is the rainbow in question that Kuma found after the heavy rains of suffering and misfortune that his life had been until then. The poster likely depicts the moment Kuma first met young Bonney and held her after her mother’s death, and it is easy to imagine that Kuma’s obscured face is likely one full of tears.

Meanwhile, the title of the piece, “The Little Jewels Left Behind,” is likely a reference to how Bonney was the only thing left behind by her mother and may even be alluding to Kuma and Bonney’s forced separation later on in the flashback. But of course, to get the full story and context, fans will have to wait till One Piece’s new episode releases this weekend.

Source: @Eiichiro_Staff on X.

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Netflix is generally considered the primary streamer. And fair enough, it was a trendsetter, first in its concept of delivering DVDs to your door and then in its production of original content with gargantuan budgets, all of which they would release at once. For the most part, their business model has worked, as the company has always done a great job of producing content that has a far reach. Unfortunately, they also have the pesky habit of canceling shows before they really deserved to go, from niche stuff like Santa Clarita Diet to critically acclaimed favorites like GLOW. The reasons for this vary.

Of course, one of those is money. It always is. If a show is expensive to produce but isn’t attracting enough attention to warrant the investment, the show gets the ax. What follows are the biggest investments Netflix has made. Some of the shows started out expensive, some only grew to be that once they ended up proving themselves to be flagship IPs.

1) The Sandman

The Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman’s 1989-1996 comic book, is like a few other popular Netflix shows in that it’s not intended to go on and on. In fact, it’s only set to run for two seasons, the second of which hits the streamer in July 2025. The narrative follows Dream AKA Morpheus AKA the title character, Sandman. He’s the embodiment of dreams and, after being held captive for over a century, he’s out.

The eleven-episode first season reportedly cost about $165 million. That equates to $15 million per episode. It’s unclear at this point how much Season 2 cost, but given how the IP was always a niche (but revered) part of DC Comics history, it’s hard to imagine them going much higher than $165 million as they send the show out

2) Marco Polo

An ultra-ambitious period piece, Marco Polo was an extremely costly expenditure for Netflix, and it wasn’t quite worth it. The first season netted outright poor reviews, even if the second season did much better. But that jump in quality still didn’t justify an expenditure of about $10 million per episode across 20 episodes total.

At the time of release, Marco Polo was the second most expensive TV show in the world, after only Game of Thrones. The difference is that Game of Thrones was in its fourth season in 2014, Marco Polo was just starting out. Game of Thrones was a pop culture juggernaut, so an expenditure of that magnitude was certainly worth it for HBO. It wasn’t at all for Netflix and, after canceling the series, the streamer was reported to have lost $200 million on it, which was more or less its entire production budget.

3) The Witcher

It will be interesting to see how The Witcher does with a new protagonist, because Henry Cavill is out and Liam Hemsworth is in (for the show’s last two seasons). Based on the book series of the same name, the fantasy drama was essentially Netflix’s answer to HBO’s Game of Thrones.

The first season of The Witcher cost upwards of $80 million, or $10 million per episode. Season 2 saw a sharp increase up to $176.3 million, or over $20 million per episode. All in all, Netflix has spent an estimated $319 million on the show, meaning the third season was brought more in line with Season 1 than Season 2. With two more seasons happening though, it’s pretty expensive stuff.

4) Arcane

One of the few Netflix shows with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, Arcane is certainly one of the better adaptations of an online multiplayer videogame out there. The narrative follows sisters Violet and Powder, two residents of the underfunded city-state Zaun, as they and their neighbors rise up against the ultra-rich city of Piltover.

Arcane wasn’t a particularly long-term investment on Netflix’s part, as the series was only intended for a two-season run. Even still, it’s been reported that the show hasn’t proved to be profitable for Riot Games, but perhaps good things come over time. With $250 million for 18 total episodes, profitability isn’t an overnight attainment.

5) Bridgerton

A period piece cultural touchstone of a show, Bridgerton immediately announced itself as a fan-favorite romance. The narrative follows the siblings of a noble family as they all look to find love and clout.

Thus far there have been three seasons of the show, with a fourth season expected to release in 2026. A spin-off series, titled Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, was also released in 2023. The first episode of the fancy costume-laden show was budgeted at an estimated $7 million per episode. With eight episodes total that’s $56 million. It’s been reported that the $7 million per episode allotment hasn’t really changed too drastically as the show has progressed so, given the show’s popularity, not a bad investment at all.

[RELATED: Bridgerton Sneak Peek Reveals Season 4’s New Couple (Just in Time for Valentines Day)]

6) Sense8

Considered by many to be one of Netflix’s best shows, Sense8 was nothing short of ambitious. It’s also one of the more critically praised projects to come from Lana and Lilly Wachowski, following the divisive nature and financial failure of Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas, and Jupiter Ascending. The science fiction series follows eight individuals from separate corners of the Earth who find that they are linked in mind and emotion. In other words, they are “sensates.”

The two season show, which ran from 2015 to 2017, with 12 episodes per season. The first season cost an estimated $120 million, or $10 million per episode. The second season was reduced to $9 million per episode, but the cost-cutting wasn’t nearly enough to get the show a longer run, as it was pretty much a cult series from the beginning.

7) One Piece

One Piece, the live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga series, follows teenage pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, AKA the Straw Hat Pirates, as they search for the title treasure, which will allow Luffy to be deemed the Pirate King. The show has been renewed for a second season (and it seems a third), so it certainly found a wide audience, but one still has to imagine that Netflix would like to keep Season 2’s budget close to Season 1’s. Why? Because it cost a whopping $144 million.

The debut season had eight episodes, so that equates to $18 million per episode. Pirate-focusing projects have always had trouble securing wide audiences outside of the first few Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but One Piece managed to buck the trend by being Netflix’s most-watched show during the latter half of 2023.

8) The Get Down

One of those canceled Netflix shows fans want to come back, the single season The Get Down was Netlix’s most expensive series at the time of release in 2017. Worse yet, it was 33 percent more than the allotted budget at the beginning of production.

Specifically, The Get Down was supposed to cost Netflix “just” $90 million for 13 total episodes. However, only 11 episodes ended up being produced and even that reduced number still cost the streamer a massive $120 million. Over $10 million per episode is a gargantuan amount for a show detailing teens witnessing the rise in popularity of hip-hop, disco, and punk music.

9) The Crown

Like the final entry on our list, The Crown proved to be one of Netflix’s flagship series. And, throughout its six seasons, the period piece (covering various periods), was quite the investment for the streamer. It was, after all, a lengthy story to tell, one spanning nearly 60 years.

All in all, The Crown cost Netflix in the neighborhood of $648 million across its tenure, and $144 million of that was for the sixth and final season alone. Costuming alone cost a fortune, but many of the show’s fans would agree that the money was well spent, as both the clothing and the replications of the different time periods were gorgeous and stunningly realized.

10) Stranger Things

Like with any other television series, the budget per season of Stranger Things has gone up with each subsequent year. It’s a special effects-laden show, so improvements on that front are always a factor, especially when the stories get bigger and bolder. But there are also cast contract renegotiations to consider, and since Stranger Things is arguably the flagship series for Netflix, the cast has certainly been entitled to increased fees to return.

The first season of the throwback show only cost $6 million per episode. That went up to $8 million per episode of Season 2. It’s not clear how much each episode of Season 3 cost, but the budget for the fourth year was a massive $30 million per episode, making the cost of the first four seasons at least $400 million collectively. This year’s fifth season is also its final one, and it’s currently estimated that the budget per episode is in line with those for Season 4.

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Ever since its introduction in One Piece’s manga three years ago, Gear Five continues to be one of the most mysterious abilities in the series, which only grows more and more intriguing as fans see more of the transformation in action. That said, since the Wano Arc, one other power is slowly proving to be even more of an enigma, and it’s surprisingly the one that fans thought they already knew everything about. Haki, just as Kaido claimed, may be the most important power going into the Final Saga, especially against One Piece’s new immortal antagonists, as further hinted in the latest chapter.

Chapter 1148 of One Piece finally sees Roger’s left-hand man, Scopper Gaban, unleash his true power against the Holy Knights as he severs one of St. Sommer’s arms in one fell swoop. The most surprising part of this feat is that Gaban seemingly manages to work around St. Sommers’ regeneration, with the latter even openly expressing his inability to regenerate his severed arm. The most likely answer for how Gaban was able to pull this off is some form or application of haki that Luffy and the Straw Hats, and by extension, readers, have yet to learn about, with another huge hint being Joyboy’s haki unleashed at the end of the Egghead Arc which sent the Five Elders back to Mariejois.

[RELATED: “I’m Not Sure What Overanimation Means:” One Piece Animator Slams Internet Trolls]

One Piece’s Latest Arc Proves Haki Is Still the More Mysterious Power

When Gear Five entered the picture on Wano, it certainly seemed as if devil fruit powers would be the determining factor of any future battles in One Piece, especially with Blackbeard and his crew on the hunt for powerful devil fruits. By defeating Kaido at Onigashima, Luffy had essentially proved the former Yonko was wrong about haki being the be-all end-all. The revelation of the Nika fruit seemed to be pushing haki as a power system to the side entirely.

However, the Egghead Arc, and now the Elbaf Arc as well have continued to prove that haki will still be a crucial part of the Final Saga. The Egghead Arc proved this through Joyboy’s haki which was powerful enough to intimidate even the immortal Five Elders and Imu. Meanwhile, the Elbaf Arc is seemingly teasing a new, undiscovered form of Haki through Scopper Gaban. It isn’t completely implausible for One Piece to introduce a whole new application of Haki this late into the series, given that Luffy only learned Ryou well into the Wano Arc.

Of course, this raises the simple question of why Rayleigh, who would definitely know to use whatever haki Gaban is currently presumed to be using, didn’t teach Luffy this during their time skip training session. However, Rayleigh didn’t teach Luffy Ryuo either, so it is possible that there’s more he left out. Similar to how Ryou was the key to defeating Kaido, it i possible that this new type of Haki will be crucial to taking down the Holy Knights and the Five Elders, and if so, One Piece may need to have another training session for Luffy very soon.

One Piece is available on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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The Void Century and the truth about the Ancient Kingdom that existed during the most mysterious portion of One Piece‘s history are easily some of the biggest mysteries in the series, second only to the nature of the final treasure. This curious mystery was first properly presented to fans through the Ohara flashback, and Ohara’s research still remains the closest anyone has ever come to finding the truth in One Piece other than the former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and his crew. As such, it was quite a big deal when the Egghead Arc revealed that Ohara’s research had been saved and was being safe kept at Elbaf.

With the Giants generally being considered the strongest warriors in the world, it initially seemed like there could be no safer place to store Ohara’s findings than Elbaf. However, with the Straw Hats now at Elbaf, things do not seem so sure anymore, as the World Government has sent their elite guard, the infamous Holy Knights, to subjugate the land of the Giants and bring the nation under the World Government’s control. In fact, the latest chapters of One Piece are all pointing to the possibility that Ohara’s research could be lost a second time, wasting one of the biggest twists of the Final Saga as well as wasting Ohara’s sacrifice all over again.

[RELATED: One Piece Reveals the True Power of the Left Hand of the Pirate King]

One Piece’s Elbaf Arc Could Waste Ohara’s Sacrifice

In Chapter 1147 of One Piece, St. Sommers revealed the true purpose of taking the Giant children hostage as he demanded that Jarul burn down Elbaf’s schools and libraries. This, of course, includes the Owl Library, which is currently housing Ohara’s research that was recovered by Saul and the Giants after the tragedy two decades ago. In Chapter 1148, St. Sommers further follows this demand with the condition that the libraries should be burned without taking out a single book, essentially ensuring that they cannot be saved like the scholars of Ohara did by throwing the books into the water.

St. Sommers even crudely states that what the Holy Knights and the World Government wish to erase is Elbaf’s culture and history. Though they may not even know that Ohara’s research survived, recent events in the manga all point to the World Government unintentionally getting two birds with one stone. It would be incredibly disappointing if Ohara’s findings were destroyed without Robin even getting a chance to peruse them, especially after the Egghead Arc took the painstaking effort to reveal how the research had survived and set it up for a big reveal at Ebaf.

It is also important to remember that the scholars of Ohara prioritized saving these books from the burning library over their lives, sacrificing themselves so that the truth would live on, and it just seems like a waste to have their sacrifice go in vain. There’s no doubt that Robin and Saul will fight to protect Ohara’s legacy as best as they can, though with Jarul already having passed to order to burn down the schools and libraries, things certainly aren’t looking hopeful for Elbaf in One Piece at the moment.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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Ever since the anime’s return, One Piece has entered the most crucial phase of the Egghead Incident Arc. It’s the first arc of the Final Saga where the Straw Hat Pirates arrive on a futuristic island and meet Dr. Vegapunk, the most genius scientist in the world. Despite serving the World Government for years and contributing massively to their current power, he was being targeted by them for researching the Void Century. Luffy and his crew promised to protect him, but things took a turn for the worse when a hundred Marine ships, along with Admiral Kizaru and nine Vice Admirals, arrived on the island.

Just when Luffy was fighting Kizaru, the strongest enemy they had on the island, an even greater threat, Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, arrived on the island. The Gorosei’s powers were hinted at before, and now one of them has fully revealed his powers. However, while the chaos is happening, One Piece is also focusing on the crucial story of Bonney and Kuma, the father and daughter duo, who have suffered immeasurably due to the World Government. Just when the anime was about to drop Kuma’s backstory, it took a one-week hiatus. Instead of broadcasting a new episode on May 11th, Toei released a recap episode titled, “Dr. Chopper’s Adventure Checkup -The Ballad of a Father and Daughter.”

[RELATED: “I’m Not Sure What Overanimation Means:” One Piece Animator Slams Internet Trolls]

One Piece’s Latest Recap Episode Has Thousands of Dislikes on Crunchyroll

The episode focused on Chopper and Carrot retelling Bonney’s journey from her introduction in the Sabaody Archipelago Arc till the Egghead Incident Arc. As the anime’s major streaming hub, Crunchyroll added the episode before Kuma’s backstory began. However, the episode currently has over 13k dislikes, which is a massive number, reflecting fans’ impatience to see the backstory as soon as possible. Some of the dislikes could be because of Chopper and Carrot, who don’t have a huge fan base. Despite being a beloved member of the Straw Hat crew, Chopper is often trolled for various reasons.

The recap primarily recounted all the crucial scenes regarding Kuma and Bonney. Ever since her father became a Pacifista, she has been trying to save him and find Vegapunk. The World Government has confirmed that Kuma voluntarily became a human weapon, but Bonney refuses to believe her father would decide to leave her. However, after arriving in Egghead, she finally learned the truth about Kuma through the paw-bubble that stored his memories. Considering Bonney’s reaction after seeing Saturn, we can be sure that the World Government is responsible for his tragedy. The backstory is a crucial part of the arc, and it will answer a lot of the questions about a certain major incident that shook the world.

Source: Crunchyroll

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For a series as popular as One Piece, the fan base is massive, and they often spot trolls who post bait or slander about anything related to the show. The term “overanimation” is often thrown around as rage bait about an anime show or an episode that’s well-animated. One Piece’s anime debuted in 1999 and has changed its art style and upgraded the animation several times in the past. However, since the Wano Country Saga, the animation has improved significantly with renowned talents such as Megumi Ishitani, Vincent Chansard, Akihiro Ota, and more joining the team. The animation was further enhanced in the ongoing Egghead Incident Arc, and the anime has been dropping one banger chapter after another ever since its return from the hiatus.

The anime is getting intense as the first arc of the Final Saga is about to do a major lore drop. However, before that happens, the anime brings Admiral Kizaru to the island who is carrying out his mission to kill Vegapunk and capture the Yonko crew. The fight between Luffy and Kizaru is one of the best in modern animation, but even that couldn’t escape the trolls. As the allegations of overanimation went viral, Vincent Chansard, the animator who worked on one of those episodes broke his silence.

[RELATED: “There Is No Agenda”: One Piece Animator Breaks Silence on Sanji Controversy]

Vincent Chansard Explains Why Luffy vs. Kizaru Isn’t Overanimated

In a podcast channel of Brago D. Ace on YouTube, Vincent was asked about the trolls. He answers, “I’m not sure what overanimation means. Like, one guy is literally the God of the Sun, and the other one is literally light, like what would be overacting that, you know what I mean? What would be too much for something that’s already so far beyond the boundaries of imagination?”

Luffy’s powers are exceptional; he is not only the Sun God, but anything he imagines comes true. The only thing dragging him down is his stamina. If he wants to fly, he can fly, and if he wants to turn his surroundings to rubber, he can make anything stretchable. With a smile on his face and white hair, his rubbery body is basically indestructible. Not only that, but he looks divine in that form. One of One Piece’s greatest themes is turning imagination into reality, and Luffy wholeheartedly embodies it.

On the other hand, we have Kizaru, a Marine with the power of a Light-Light Fruit, a Logia-Type that turns him into light. There’s no saying what form he can take and how fast he can be. He was practically untouchable around two years ago, and the only reason Luffy can overpower him now is because the latter has an awakened Mythical Zoan. In this scenario, there are no limitations to the animator’s creativity, and they are given free rein to bring the manga to life.

H/T: Brago D. Ace on YouTube

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One Piece returns to Las Vegas for Licensing Expo 2025. Toei Animation, the studio behind the One Piece anime adaptation, will celebrate the annual expo by “illuminating Las Vegas’ skyline.” The 90-second animation of One Piece at the Exosphere, the exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas, will have a grand encore from Monday, May 19th, through Wednesday, May 21st. One Piece was initially displayed at the Exosphere in June 2024, becoming the largest One Piece display in the franchise’s history. The Exosphere is touted as the largest spherical structure in the world, measuring 366 ft (112 m) tall and 516 ft (157 m) wide.

Toei Representatives will be at Licensing Expo to meet with potential licensing partners for One Piece and its other properties. The animated studio owns the rights to several popular anime franchises, including Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Digimon. Toei will meet with potential licensors at Exhibit Booth #C196 in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The One Piece anime returned from a several months hiatus in April, releasing new episodes from the Egghead Island arc. Toei has produced and released a new One Piece anime episode almost weekly for over 25 years. The franchise is one of the studio’s biggest brands and one of the most successful media franchises in the world.

[RELATED – One Piece: Red Releases New IMAX Poster]

One Piece Is Taking Over the USA

One Piece has always been popular worldwide with a sizable and dedicated fan base in the United States, but Toei Animation has been pushing the series much harder these last several years. Toei has cross-promoted the brand with popular American sports teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Luffy, the main character of One Piece, has a balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The franchise has always had a foothold in the States because of the 4Kids and later Funimation dub, yet Toei is now investing plenty of money to ensure One Piece is viewed as big as other fictional brands in the West.

Even though the One Piece anime began in 1999, the show continues to grow its audience thanks to enduring storytelling. Fans across the globe have become invested in Luffy’s quest to become the Pirate King and find the One Piece treasure. Anime is growing in the West, becoming one of the most-watched media on streaming services. 2025 is expected to be the biggest year for anime yet, with multiple companies planning to pour millions into the medium to get some of that anime profits. Toei’s investment in One Piece, alongside its push with Dragon Ball, is part of corporations’ growing venture into the world of Japanese animation. One Piece is already extremely huge in Japan; Toei now wants to make it equally big in the States.

The 90-second animation at the Exosphere is a truncated version of the series highlights, including film reels with the biggest moments from the anime. All the Strawhats from the show are in the animated short, plus Luffy’s giant face laughing across the sphere. The animation also includes Luffy’s latest form, the Gear Fifth, as the spotlight for the presentation.

The post One Piece Set to Light Up Las Vegas This Month For a Limited Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For the longest time, the former Pirate King and his crew in One Piece have been nothing less than legends, ever cloaked in mystery. However, over the course of his journey so far, Luffy has gradually come across and learned about several of Roger’s crewmates, including Crocus, Dark King Rayleigh, Kozuki Oden, and now Scopper Gaban, who most recently made his return to One Piece in the Elbaf Arc. Once an enigma, Scopper Gaban is finally stepping into the limelight amidst the chaos on Elbaf, and the latest chapter of One Piece just proved why Gaban is worthy of his title as the “Left Hand of the Pirate King.”

Chapter 1148 of One Piece sees Robin valiantly stand up against St. Sommers, but unfortunately, it isn’t long until Robin is eventually overpowered and trapped by Sommers’ thorns. This creates the perfect opportunity for Gaban to step in and save Robin as Sommers prepares to attack her. Gaban finally reveals a glimpse of his true powers as he swiftly severs one of St. Sommers’ arms, with the even bigger surprise being that Sommers fails to regenerate his lost arm. The chapter implies that Gaban may know the secret to circumventing the Holy Knights’ advanced regeneration, and this could hint at St. Sommers’ looming defeat at Gaban’s hands.

[RELATED: June 4th Will Be an Incredible Day for One Piece Fans]

Gaban May Have the Key to Defeating the Holy Knights and the Five Elders

After barely fleeing from the Five Elders on Egghead, the Holy Knights definitely seemed like a downgrade in terms of the threat they posed, that is, until it was revealed that the Holy Knights possessed the same regenerative abilities as the Five Elders. Gunko was the first to display this regenerative power, with Saul shockingly confirming in Chapter 1147 that all of the Holy Knights were immortal. St. Sommers has proved as much in the latest chapter, which clearly depicts him regenerating from Robin’s neck-snapping attack.

This would have otherwise meant trouble for Luffy and the Straw Hats as well as the Giants and the entirety of Elbaf, except, the fact that Gaban was able to prevent St. Sommers from regenerating suggests there is a key to defeating them after all. Gaban may just know the Holy Knights’ weakness and, by extension, the way to get around the Five Elders’ regeneration as well. Not only does this promise hope for Elbaf in the current situation, but also for Luffy to defeat the Five Elders and Imu when they inevitably cross paths again.

For now, it is unclear how exactly Gaban was able to harm St. Sommers and prevent him from recovering, though the most likely answer is some special type or application of Haki that Luffy and readers have yet to learn about. The finale of the Egghead Arc wherein Joyboy’s fearsome Haki seemingly sent the Five Elders back to Marijois also suggests that Haki may just be the key to this immortality conundrum, especially if this ability stems from a devil fruit power that Imu possesses. This means that One Piece may have another training session with a former member of Roger’s crew in store for Luffy at the end of the Elbaf Arc, that is, if the Straw Hats and the Giants manage to subdue the Holy Knights in time.

One Piece is available to read on Manga Plus and Viz Media.

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