Chapter 1,009: Naraku

[Deicide]

It's out!

https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/viewer/1009086

My thoughts:

Spoiler:

- I'd rather have Orochi dead, but, considering he only showed six heads in this, there's still one head remaining. I'm betting on Hiyori doing the killing blow eventually.
- No way Big Mom is out. I still think the dragonfire that is lifting the island is made of homies. BM said she didn't have souls to spare on Marco, then rushed to Kaido. The island started floating after she reached the roof. I think the dragonfire-homies will save her.
- Both Zoro and Luffy got hit hard in this chapter, so maybe they'll be out of the fight for a while.
- Kid finally did something impressive by withstanding a direct hit from Big Mom. Not bad, kid!

This is the midpoint of Volume 100, so I guess the next 5 chapters will be pure awesomeness.

[Monkey D Buggy]

Another bad chapter. Wano is the worst arc so far.

[King Cannon]

The official English translation made Kid foreshadow his repel attack. Cute.

Also, I think we just have to accept Big Mom is out. This is Kaido's arc first and foremost and we knew he was eventually going to take center stage, especially since he has development to go through.

Big Mom already had her time to be big and scary at Whole Cake.

[andre]

Hm, I'm not really sure how to feel. I like the way Big Mom was taken out. It was a really clever scheme by all of them, but I think she for sure is going to come back, either with the rest of her crew or by some other means. Kaido's man-beast form was great this chapter with the way he utilized his tail and that hit on Luffy seems like it was on another level entirely.

Also, Luffy reacted the same way from when he fought Katakuri when he dodged that first hit from Kaido, which means he still hasn't reached peak haki utilization.

[KageKageKing]

It's out!

https://mangaplus.shueisha.co.jp/viewer/1009086

My thoughts:

Spoiler:

- I'd rather have Orochi dead, but, considering he only showed six heads in this, there's still one head remaining. I'm betting on Hiyori doing the killing blow eventually.
- No way Big Mom is out. I still think the dragonfire that is lifting the island is made of homies. BM said she didn't have souls to spare on Marco, then rushed to Kaido. The island started floating after she reached the roof. I think the dragonfire-homies will save her.
- Both Zoro and Luffy got hit hard in this chapter, so maybe they'll be out of the fight for a while.
- Kid finally did something impressive by withstanding a direct hit from Big Mom. Not bad, kid!

This is the midpoint of Volume 100, so I guess the next 5 chapters will be pure awesomeness.

I wouldn't count the MC being out of the fight twice.

[Coookie]

Does anyone have an idea why Stephen left the chapter title as “naraku”? It also appears in Kaidou’s attack that was otherwise translated as Ragnarok as the obvious reference, so what’s up with “Ragnaraku”? I get that it means hell and that Buddhism has “Naraka”s but it just doesn’t seem obvious to Westerners. Is it just another case of “Akazaya” and “Tobi Roppo”?

[King Cannon]

Does anyone have an idea why Stephen left the chapter title as “naraku”? It also appears in Kaidou’s attack that was otherwise translated as Ragnarok as the obvious reference, so what’s up with “Ragnaraku”? I get that it means hell and that Buddhism has “Naraka”s but it just doesn’t seem obvious to Westerners. Is it just another case of “Akazaya” and “Tobi Roppo”?

I'm pretty sure we already have "Hell" as a chapter name somewhere in the Impel Down Arc.

[Deicide]

I wouldn't count the MC being out of the fight twice.

It happened with Crocodile (defeated twice before the final confrontation)

And Doflamingo (one being Luffy diverted with Bellamy, the other being the 10 minutes after Gear 4th).

Wano is still too far from its conclusion for Luffy to stay up all the time.

Also, I think we just have to accept Big Mom is out. This is Kaido's arc first and foremost and we knew he was eventually going to take center stage, especially since he has development to go through.

Big Mom already had her time to be big and scary at Whole Cake.

Big Mom is going down in this arc. Kaido may be the main villain, but there's no way Big Mom will be diverted to a third arc when she comes back yet again and is diminished even further in importance. People have been counting the BM pirates out since the arc began, but I'm sure they'll be the complication that will make everything worse before we can reach the conclusion.

Does anyone have an idea why Stephen left the chapter title as “naraku”? It also appears in Kaidou’s attack that was otherwise translated as Ragnarok as the obvious reference, so what’s up with “Ragnaraku”? I get that it means hell and that Buddhism has “Naraka”s but it just doesn’t seem obvious to Westerners. Is it just another case of “Akazaya” and “Tobi Roppo”?

Probably because "Hell" was already used as a title (Chapter 523), and Stephen may have wanted to keep the "Ragnarok/Rag-naraku" word play in english.

[Coookie]

I don't think it would be the first instance of duplicate chapter titles though, but there's no quick way to fact check that...

[Syphin]

I find it weird Big Mom can't use Geppo or some variation of it when her children can.

For a Yonko, Big Mom is awfully reliant on her Devil Fruit ability.

Her time during WCI should have established to her how weak she can become when she doesn't have one of her main Homies with her i.e. Zeus. The very fact that she let rookies escape her territory with a copy of the Road Poneglyph and the destruction they caused should have sent her a loud and clear message.

Yonko being dumb is no fun.

Should not have skipped leg-day, Linlin.

All Kaido needs to do is ignore Luffy for a bit, transform into his dragon form and fly down to pick up Linlin. Doubt he will do that though...

Also, with Orochi, I only counted 5 decapitated heads, does this mean there are two left (one for Zoro and one for Hiyori)?

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

I don't think it would be the first instance of duplicate chapter titles though, but there's no quick way to fact check that...

Weren't chapter 152 and chapter 289 both called Full Moon in English?

[King Cannon]

Big Mom is going down in this arc. Kaido may be the main villain, but there's no way Big Mom will be diverted to a third arc when she comes back yet again and is diminished even further in importance. People have been counting the BM pirates out since the arc began, but I'm sure they'll be the complication that will make everything worse before we can reach the conclusion.

I personally think she's interfering too much with Kaido's role in the main stage, and she's too dangerous to be left in the smaller stages (since Nami will probably have Zeus for good). I think having her as an expectator who may attempt something to come back is better in the end.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

Weren't chapter 152 and chapter 289 both called Full Moon in English?

Not in Japanese, I think. The Kanji was slightly different even if it meant the same thing.

But thatwas from a time the English translation didn't give a damn about things.

[Coookie]

Weren't chapter 152 and chapter 289 both called Full Moon in English?

Yep, there's also chapters 121 and 632 being called I Knew, 333 and 739 Captain, 548 and 627 Thank You. So avoiding repeated chapter titles can't be the reason to keep it as Naraku

[Rean]

Also, with Orochi, I only counted 5 decapitated heads, does this mean there are two left (one for Zoro and one for Hiyori)?

They cut off 6 heads (there's one that's only partially shown in the bottom left corner of that panel), so he has only one head remaining.

[King Cannon]

I find it weird Big Mom can't use Geppo or some variation of it when her children can.

Why would she? Zeus was serving her fine.

It's not like Shanks or Mihawk or Whitebeard can fly either. They would be just as helpless.

[Kaido King of the Beasts]

I don't see Big Mom being permanently sidelined this arc. I could definitely see her sticking around for future arcs, but it's a bit rash to say she's done, especially since Perospero is still involved and there's no reason for her and her crew not to go back to Onigashima (i.e. if they don't, then there will need to be some sort of external force involved. Hear me out, maybe...Shanks?) If she doesn't land on her ship or end up on the Wano mainland (with the reveal that Onigashima is almost at the Flower Capital) then I'll be pretty surprised. Or maybe Kaido will just save her with Flame Clouds next chapter and this whole discussion will look even more silly.

I don't think it would be the first instance of duplicate chapter titles though, but there's no quick way to fact check that...

Chapters 569 and 764 are both called "White Monster" with the former being written in kanji and the latter in katakana. That being said, from what I've read I'm not sure "Naraku" is exactly equivalent to the kind of Hell that most of us think of, it is simply the closest thing to one in Buddhism.

[Deicide]

I find it weird Big Mom can't use Geppo or some variation of it when her children can.

I like that characters in One Piece have specializations, rather than the Dragonball rote where everyone is pretty much the same and power levels mean everything.

(I really dislike that Luffy can use geppou in Gear 4th, but at least it's unavailable for him in every other form).

Big Mom has her own strengths. I'm sure she will come back somehow despite not being able to air-kick her way back.

[Syphin]

If the main Big Mom Pirates were added into this arc as main antagonist, Wano Kuni would become beyond bloated. The story, flow and enjoyment are already suffering with the amount of characters Oda has to handle and switch between. I also don't see Big Mom being defeated without the presence of her crew. The Big Mom Pirates so far have been handled poorly in my opinion save a few members. As a Yonko crew, they have had an overall lackluster showing. I'd prefer it if Big Mom and her crew were held off for a later arc then being dealt with in this already oversized arc where they would be perceived as merely extra and not central. The story needs to become more focused, not more expansive at this point. Momonosuke is about to have his moment and I'd rather it take center stage above everything else than being diluted because new antagonist need to be dealt with. Momonosuke has been the more important secondary character within the New World story and I hope Oda treats his story as such by giving it ample room to shine.

Two Yonko being defeated in one arc would also in my mind do disservice to both Yonko.

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

They cut off 6 heads (there's one that's only partially shown in the bottom left corner of that panel), so he has only one head remaining.

Ah, gotcha. I see it now. Thanks.

[wolfwood]

What does ragnarök have to do with hell?

[Syphin]

Why would she? Zeus was serving her fine.

Yeah, you right. Linlin specifically created her main Homies to enhance what she could do. In her mind, she didn't need to do what the main Homies she created could do.

Makes me wonder if this is one of the few times an opponent has managed to separate Linlin from all her main Homies. It's a cool strategy by the Next Generation taking advantage of Linlin's arrogance and weakness.

[Blissed]

What an amazing chapter, rooftop chapters continue to not disappoint whatsoever, Zoro coming clutch and the teamwork that cake afterwards was really freaking hype to see play out.

As for Orochi, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Hiyori will deal the final blow.