Things heat up as the group takes on the Kami’s vassals!
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Eiichiro Oda
Translation: JN Productions
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
What They Say
The Straw Hats have been branded criminals for entering Skypiea without paying the toll! Their only chance for a way out is a series of challenges given to them by Kami’s vassals. Meanwhile, Nico Robin makes an important discovery about the island. Is there a city of gold hidden on Skypiea?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Continuing from the last volume, we find Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji fighting Satori, one of Kami Eneru’s vassals. The area in which the group is fighting Satori is filled with floating balls that seem to have random effects, and all the while their boat is drifting further and further away from them, putting them at risk of being trapped. And that’s not all… Satori wields the mysterious power of mantra, which allows him to predict his opponent’s movements! After he somehow knocks out Sanji with a single blow, we cut to Chopper, who is forced into a battle against Shura, another vassal, all the while attempting to defend the ship. Unsurprisingly, Chopper quickly blows the whistle to summon the Sky Knight to aid him. However, even with the help of the powerful Sky Knight, Chopper is soon defeated and cast into the sea of clouds.
Meanwhile, the battle with Satori continues, as Luffy makes a risky move, but barely manages to defeat his opponent with the help of his friends.
We then find Chopper and the Sky Knight, amazingly alive and well and back with the ship. The rest of the crew soon arrives, and the newly reunited group comes to a shocking realization… the Upper Yard of Skypiea is really a missing piece of Jaya… the legendary “El Dorado,” Noland the liar’s “City of Gold!” By combining the maps of Jaya and Skypiea, along with the help of a clue they had received from Mont Blanc Cricket, Robin manages to decipher the location of the treasure. As night falls, the crew plans out their next day and falls asleep, only to wake up and find their ship has been mysteriously restored to the way it was before arriving in Skypiea!
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the remaining vassals, we are finally introduced to the eccentric and mysterious Kami Eneru, who decides to go all out against both Luffy’s group and the Shanadians, the natives who intend to use the confusion to reclaim the Upper Yard, which was originally their home. As the volume ends, we are given a bit more of the history of Skypiea from the Sky Knight, whose real name is Ganfor. The group then splits, half the group remaining with the ship and the other half looking for the treasure (and of course becoming terribly lost.)
In Summary:
In this volume, the arc begins to truly open up as the battles begin and the faces of the last few key players are finally revealed. With their ability to predict their opponents’ moves, as well as the unknown and seemingly all powerful abilities of Kami Eneru, this group of villains seems to be one that’ll really give the Straw Hat crew a fight!
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: January 5th, 2010
MSRP: $9.99
