Ron Does Stuff

Last episode! Let’s go!

It’s been a long journey for Luffy’s crew, but as teased in the previous episode, this is when they finally have their climactic battle with Arlong and Luffy finally has a sorta complete crew.

Nami gets a sort of redemption thanks to Najiko talking about how she sacrificed for the town, and now everyone’s raring to fight Arlong. Now will they be successful? Luffy and the crew will be because there’s a second season but I don’t know if the villagers are going to make it out alive.

BUT it looks like the villagers aren’t going to be joining the fight as it’s just Luffy and his crew attacking Arlong’s base. Luffy is not happy about the fact that Nami has been chained in Arlong’s map room up until she was 12.

Just like any finale episode, there’s great fight scenes that I won’t fuck around with because what’s better than just watching it? I particularly liked the Zoro-Sanji team up and the fighting moves named after what I assume are French culinary terms. Also Nami totally ignoring Sanji.

There’s a celebration back at what remains of Coco Village, but it’s cut short by the arrival of Garp and the Marines. Garp orders the arrest of Luffy and the Straw Hats, but Koby and Butt Boy stand up to Garp and refuse to follow his orders. And it looks like Arlong isn’t going to be the final fight of the show after all because now Luffy and his grandpa are fighting.

And boy does Luffy get clobbered. I kinda like that Luffy doesn’t win this fight, to be honest. As it turns out, Garp was just testing Luffy’s resolve. Boy, if I was the World Government’s auditor I would be calling Garp to the office right now because are you telling me you used government funds to make sure you’re grandson is on the right career track?

After that it’s just a matter of wrapping up the season’s storylines. Nami finally says goodbye to her mom but the one storyline that I am squeeing over is Koby showing Luffy his wanted poster. When Luffy says he’s a wanted man now I kinda expecred Koby to say “I’ve always wanted you.” Sorry not sorry I’m a Luffy/Koby shipper!

News of Luffy’s bounty spreads across the globe and I like all the callbacks to the characters we’ve met along the way, all the way back to Alvida from episode 1. And then there’s Shanks and Mihawk? Shanks saying he could still take Mihawk? Is there fanfic of this? I need it?

I also like the ending being the characters restating the dreams they had as a kid. I feel like that’s the attraction of One Piece for its fans: a call to never loose that childlike capacity to dream and to follow that dream. Can’t wait for season 2!