There's been a million blogs this week, so why should you read mine? Simply put, I'm going to talk about a bunch of things that aren't fucking Sabo! Aren't you thrilled to read something that's not just about fangasms and intercourse with fictional characters?! (See what I did there?) There's a lot to this chapter besides the elephant in the room.
So let's get right to it!
Caribou's cover story ended without us seeing what happened to him? That means someone's going to reappear in the manga soon... Also, it means that after awhile we're getting a new cover story. I couldn't imagine who it could be about though seeing how there aren't many characters who've appeared after the timeskip. The only ones who come to mind are Wadatsumi, Kuzan, Smoker, and the very dead Vergo.
So let's get on with it! Barto's protecting Bellamy with his life and considers him a friend. That's a real change from the guy who just a few chapters ago was urinating in public and insulting everyone. I'm starting to like this guy. Also, Bellamy despite getting the shit kicked out of him under Doflamingo's orders and being shown great kindness by others still doesn't want to betray Doflamingo. I wonder what makes his huge respect for Doflamingo. That certainly changes how I look at Bellamy's appearance in the Skypeia arc when Doflamingo almost killed him. Bellamy's destination once he leaves the colosseum is also one of the most unpredictable cliffhangers this chapter produced, and possibly the most overlooked.
I don't actually have much original to say about the Usopp team's story. I do have two observations though. 1) With all of the Donquixote Pirates' colosseum fighters besides Diamante going to the factory, there's an awful lot of people to fight there and not a lot of Straw Hats. 2) If theories that Trebol is a Logia user are correct, that means trouble for the team since none of the people there are confirmed Haki users. Those two observations lead me to the conclusion that they will be getting help from others, but not before someone (likely Thunder Soldier, since he taught Rebecca how to fight) is revealed as a Haki user and Trebol is defeated.
One thing I really love about how Oda brought the Revolutionaries into Dressrosa: He actually foreshadowed it and nobody noticed! Back in chapter 726 Luffy said that Dressrosa's injustices "Sound a lot like where I grew up!" The Revolutionaries saw the injustices occurring in Goa and had to get involved, so of course it would logically follow that they would get involved in the injustices occurring in Dressrosa too! It's a really subtle hint that shows just how great of a writer Oda is.
Now, ignoring the topic of Sabo, let's talk about the revolutionaries! Koala, after escaping slavery and going on her journey with Fisher Tiger ended up becoming a revolutionary! More interestingly, Koala is a human, yet can use Fishman Karate, and is the "substitute teacher" of it. This implies that there is a real teacher (probably Hack, as others have pointed out) but also shows that the Revolutionaries are sympathetic to Fishmen and likely their plight. That's a rare insight into the objectives of the Revolutionaries. Now, the really, really interesting part of this chapter: The revolutionaries' interest in the Mera Mera no Mi. "That person's Will, we must inherit it!" said Sabo. Every time I hear the phrase "inherited will" I'm always reminded of something DP once said in chat "'Inherited will'? That's some Will of the D. shit!" So does this mean that there's some kind of connection between Devil Fruit regeneration and the Will of the D.? This is a HUGE reveal by Oda, yet just another one that is overshadowed by the elephant in the room.
Finally, let's talk about Luffy and his gang of critters! First off, the costumes are hilarious! I really hope we get to see Zoro attempt some serious fighting while dressed as a kitty cat. But these costumes are also allegedly quite common, according to Kin'emon, which of course means they're only common in Wano Country. But with all the "troop movements" that have occurred between this and the last chapter, it seems like we're finally moving into the second half of Dressrosa. People are finally heading towards where they want to go and things are falling into place. We're finally gonna get some action, not that I've minded the "pre-action" stage of this arc. It's been a hell of a ride.
Anywho, I hope you've enjoyed this mostly Sabo-free reading experience! Now if we really want to keep this blog different from the others, let's keep the comments section Sabo-free too!