Summary
After a gripping series of episodes thatfeatured battles across Egghead Islandas well as other locations in the New World such as Elbaf and Winner Island, theOne Pieceanime will now shift its focus to Hachinosu, the domain of the Blackbeard Pirates. Centered on a mission to rescue Captain Koby along with a host of imprisoned Marines, this segment of the Egghead Arc holds a great deal of significance due to the presence of one major character: Monkey D. Garp.
Having first appeared more than 20 years ago in Toei Animation’s anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piecemanga, Garp is a character whose reputation precedes him, despite the fact that the full extent of his strength has never been shown on screen. In thisupcoming battle against the Blackbeard Pirates, Garp’s might could finally be tested by the arrival of Kuzan — formerly known as Admiral Aokiji — culminating in a huge twist that may become a standout moment in theOne Pieceanime.
Until now, there has been a sharp upward trend in the anime’s quality since the Wano Country Arc, which featured the highly anticipatedon-screen debut of Luffy’s Gear 5 form. Although it had its share of flaws — ranging from poor pacing to excessive flashbacks and recaps — the Raid on Onigashima also set new standards for theOne Pieceanime which have been elevated to an even higher degree in the Egghead Arc.
In fact,Toei Animation’s work on the Egghead Archas been a breath of fresh air for theOne Pieceanime, which had previously suffered from longstanding issues related to its use of filler content and padded scenes. By contrast, the Egghead Arc has been a near-ideal adaptation of its source material from the manga, with a few additional anime-only scenes which have enhanced the overall viewing experience to an extent that merits praise.
Beginning with the fight between Trafalgar Law and Blackbeard, followed by Luffy and Rob Lucci’s rematch, and continuing into other conflicts on Egghead Island, Toei Animation has stepped up their game just when they needed to, asOne Pieceentered its Final Saga.
Even Episode 1112, which covered theconfrontation between Eustass Kid and Shanks, did not disappoint when compared to how much buzz the manga version generated at the time of its release, which attests to howOne Pieceseems to be outdoing itself in each successive stretch of this current arc.
What More Could Toei Animation Have In Store
Whereas the clashes between Kid and Shanks as well as Blackbeard and Law conformed to the main art style that has prevailed throughout the Egghead Arc, there have been some instances whereToei Animation has pushed the envelope. For instance, Luffy and Zoro’s battle against the Seraphim, alongside the earlier face-off between Luffy and Lucci, featured an eclectic mix of animation styles which added to the frenzied, chaotic mood of these sequences.
Such stylistic hybridization and exaggeration is not uncommon in contemporary anime, especially when looking at successful franchises over the past few years, such as MAPPA Studio’sJujutsu Kaisen, or Science SARU’sDevilman Crybaby. Hence, it is quitelikely that Toei Animation might takea similar route with this long-awaited battle on Hachinosu, given the sheer volume of bombastic moments it contains within its relatively brief length.
Why Garp Vs. Kuzan Is Such An Important Battle
One of the longest-running themes inOne Pieceis the notion of inherited will and the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. In the context of the Egghead Arc, there is perhaps no better instance of this theme being brought into focus than Garp’s assault on Hachinosu, which was all done in the interest of saving his imprisoned protégé, Koby.Having honed his strength under Garpwhile overcoming his earlier lack of confidence, Koby has blossomed into the kind of Marine that the world ofOne Piecesorely needs.
His compassion, earnest nature, strong moral fiber, and honesty have been a stark contrast to the corrupt, self-interested individuals that run both the Marines and the World Government, which positions him asthe natural successor to Garp himself. Without saying too much, Koby is the future of the Marines both literally and metaphorically, as his dream of becoming a Marine Admiral would allow him to reform the organization into one that actually protects the weak against oppression while safeguarding the world from injustice.
Conversely,Kuzan’s fall from grace as a Marine Admiral, highlights both the growing extremism within the organization, and his own nihilism and lack of conviction. There are strong parallels between Kuzan and Koby, as they both share some beliefs which led them to deviate from the World Government’s hard-line ideology of “Absolute Justice.” However, where Kuzan failed is where Koby might succeed, under the tutelage of the “Hero of the Marines.”
In essence, Garp’s effort to save Koby against the orders of his superiors, signifies his commitment to protecting the next generation of Marines from the moral turpitude and disillusionment that young recruits often succumb to. His unflinching resolve to save his protégé against all odds, from the clutches of an incredibly powerful cohort of pirates led by a former Marine Admiral, highlights how his character has always sought to effect meaningful change for the greater good from within the World Government’s ranks. Lastly, there is no doubt that virtually everyOne Piecefan will beraring to see Garp go all-outin a fight, and what better location is there than the Blackbeard Pirates' base of operations?
Manga readers will already be well aware of the scale and impact this fight will have on the story moving forward, making it another critical story segment that needs to be adapted with a great deal of care. Depending on how Toei Animation renders the conflict in Hachinosu in the anime, this sequence, includingthe face-off between Garp and Kuzan, could turn into one of the most memorable moments from the entire Egghead Arc. There is a lot that can go wrong here, but given Toei Animation’s track record with the Egghead Arc so far, there is a lot to be excited about in the next few episodes ofOne Piece.
