One Piece Chapter 1000 Review
Foreword: Wow, 1000 chapters of One Piece. From this point on, new chapters of One Piece will have four digits in them. I don't really know how to describe what I think about that, so on with the review.
-The title is called Straw Hat Luffy, after the first character we see in a panel is Luffy. This makes me wonder if the chapter will be more focused on Luffy, after the chapters leading up to this one had him take a backseat with all of the moving pieces of the battle.
-The musketeers are able to help Luffy get to the roof
-Marco wraps his phoenix wings around King's and Queen's necks to restrain them as he throws a reluctant Zoro to the roof
-More non-specific stuff about Oden's journal, followed by prophecy stuff
-Another Ace flashback, there's some unspoken thing that Ace refers to as being at the end of Luffy's dream. At first I wondered if this was a continuation of the last flashback with Ace and Yamato, but re-reading 999, Ace only seems to say at that point that his little brother is going to be massive. Maybe it's something like that, or something of a misdirect. Either way, if the words are important, they'll be revealed at the right time, I'm sure.
-Ace believing in Luffy is so wholesome
-Ace and Yamato talk about Roger without naming him... leading to irony as Ace expresses interest in meeting him
-Yamato made Ace his vivre card. Their conversation parallels the one between Ace and Luffy when Ace handed Luffy a piece of it.
-Yamato clarifies the timeline of how and when they learned various pieces of information
-Luffy arrives on the roof, a double page spread as Kid advises that everyone else should stay back and watch him fight, Kaido and Big Mom are mad, and Yamato's recollection of Oden's predictions narrate a two-panel shot of five of the supernovas and two of the four emperors facing off.
-Kaido and Big Mom don't take Luffy seriously, they taunt him as he walks right past them to check on Kin'emon
-Luffy sees the state of the scabbards
-Kin'emon, injured and still alive, tearfully regrets not being able to honour Oden, and asks Luffy for help
-Luffy accepts, of course he does, he's Luffy
-Kaido raises his club
-Luffy tells Law to send the samurai down, and he does; he probably understands the practicality of doing so, as they would be in the way in their current state
-Luffy dodges Kaido's attack and readies a gear third attack
-A reminder of every moment that matters to the Wano storyline
-Luffy punches Kaido in the face
-A double page spread where the first panel gives a clearer indication of the impact that the punch had, as well as the attack name
-Big Mom and Kaido are shook as Luffy declares, once again, he will be King of the Pirates, and there ends the chapter
I liked this chapter. It felt fitting for 1000... it brought into focus the main character of the story, and why they are pursuing their current goal in Wano, as well as reiterating their future goals. He's Monkey D. Luffy, and he's gonna be King of the Pirates. And though I had thought about all manner of possibilities for Chapter 1000, in the end, that's the essence of this story. Everything else is a bonus. So it's fine that this chapter brought Luffy into the forefront. It makes more sense narratively to have something like this given the pacing. I don't think One Piece has another 1000 chapters left, but I do look forward to whatever comes next in this ongoing story.
This was more or less my review of One Piece Chapter 1000, thank you for reading if you chose to do so.