An absolute flood of action and awe.
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Eiichiro Oda
Translation: Laabaman
English Adaptation: Lance Caselman
What They Say:
With Whitebeard injured, the Navy launches a counterstrike to finish the pirate rebellion once and for all. And as the three Navy Admirals stand in his way, Luffy will need one last trick if he hopes to save his brother Ace from being executed.
The Review!
Whitebeard has been stabbed by his own man, leaving the world in awe at this shocking betrayal. Squard, the ally who stabbed him, soon explains that Akainu told him that Whitebeard sold out his own allies, the 43 pirate captains, so that Ace could live. Squard is furious, and the crews seem to be questioning their leader, when Whitebeard embraces Squard, reinforcing his love for his “sons” and telling Squard not to blame Ace for Roger’s sins. Enraged, Whitebeard finally takes the stage and smashes the walls around Marineford in a single stroke, allowing his allies to desert him if they wish. Reinvigorated, they of course choose to follow him into the very heart of the fray.
His immense strength on full display, Whitebeard begins to tear up the battlefield in his rage, shifting the whole island with his mighty quakes. Though the Navy’s encircling wall is imperfect thanks to the sacrifice of the fallen Oars, they decide to proceed with their plan, melting the very ice that the pirates are fighting on. Despite the dangerous enemies blocking the single, perilous path left to Ace, Luffy leaps forward and finds himself in front of the three invincible admirals. Getting past the three formidable Logia users appears impossible for our hero, but help soon arrives from the likes of Marco and Crocodile. Even still, Luffy is forced back, and begs Ivankov for one last boost despite the risks. Though he warns him of the great danger of doing so, Ivankov consents, allowing Luffy to make one last rush. Unwittingly using his haki of the Supreme King, he is able to temporarily knock out the executioners.
Entrusting everything to Luffy’s strong will, Whitebeard orders his men to back up our desperate young hero. With the help of his allies, Luffy makes it to the base of the platform, and Inazumi appears conveniently from Ivankov’s hair to make one last path. Rushing to save his brother, Luffy is confronted by a final enemy standing in his way: Garp. Due to his fatherly feelings however, Garp is quickly defeated in one epic punch, leaving only Sengoku himself on the platform. Unfortunately for Luffy, Sengoku proves the title of Fleet Admiral isn’t given for brains alone, unleashing his powers to become a giant monster. Luckily, though, it turns out Mr. 3 had been hiding on the platform, allowing him to create a key for Luffy, which he uses to finally free his brother. Reunited at last, the siblings put on an impressive display of teamwork and quickly make their way back through the crowd. Realizing his time is limited, Whitebeard decides to stay behind and drag the whole island of Marineford with him into the depths of the sea, telling his crew to get away. Unable to let his vision of justice crumble, Akainu makes one last play and goads Ace into a fight, calling Whitebeard a loser. Enraged, Ace takes the bait only to be beaten down, as Akainu’s magma powers apparently override his fire. Continuing his assault, Akainu leaps at Luffy, prompting Ace to leap in front his brother and save him at the cost of his own life.
In Summary:
This arc continues on strong, once again giving us page after page of glorious, frantic action. Luffy also once more manages to take the center stage, pushed onward by an increasingly impressive supporting cast. Not only that, we also get to see Whitebeard steal the show, proving himself to be quite possibly the most amazing old guy in all of manga. His power and even the effects that go with them are incredibly impressive, perhaps only getting beaten out by his strong presence and resolve. As if all that wasn’t enough, though, this volume goes one step further and ends quite possibly the most shocking note of the series thus far. While readers may be itching to see Luffy finally reunite with his crew, I doubt many will mind the hurricane of action provided in this book.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: B
Package Rating: B+
Text/Translation Rating: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: September 13th, 2011
MSRP: $9.99
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