One Piece: 4 things fans loved about the Onigashima Raid (and 4 they didn’t)
One Piece fans certainly underwent some highs and lows with the Onigashima Raid. For better or worse, manga readers will never forget this experience. Before continuing any further, this article will contain manga spoilers, so readers should keep that in mind. This One Piece article is mainly geared towards manga readers.
One Piece Chapter 1050 heavily implies that Kaido and Big Mom are down for good. With the Beasts Pirates defeated, the alliance can finally celebrate their victories. Of course, readers will have some very strong opinions about the Onigashima Raid.
Here's what some One Piece fans loved about the Onigashima Raid
4) Yamato becomes a lovable ally
One Piece fans immediately took a liking to Yamato ever since her introduction. Even more surprisingly, Yamato placed very high on the 2021 popularity rankings, and she hadn't even shown up in the anime at that point.
Fans loved her fighting spirit, protective nature, and strong belief in freedom. Nobody expected Kaido's own relatives to help out the Straw Hats. Yamato didn't even show up until the Onigashima Raid. Nonetheless, she has made a very memorable impact ever since.
3) Kaido lives up to his monstrous hype
Kaido ran the most brutal gauntlet in One Piece history. During the Onigashima Raid, he managed to fight the following opponents:
- Monkey D. Luffy (multiple times)
- The Red Scabbards, minus Kanjuro
- Roronoa Zoro
- Trafalgar Law
- Eustass Kid
- Killer
- Yamato
- Momonosuke
Not only did he defeat several of them with a few powerful attacks, but he also held up a large floating island while doing so. Kaido even took on several devastating moves that would've killed anybody else, such as Zoro's Ashura Bakkei.
Very few One Piece characters would be able to withstand that punishment, and Kaido is a completely different beast altogether.
2) Luffy, Law, and Kid finally prove themselves
It's hard to believe that Kaido and Big Mom would go down in the same arc. They collectively have the highest active bounties in the pirating world. Regardless, a new generation has arrived to steal their spot. They even had to awaken their Devil Fruits to reach their full potential.
Luffy, Law, and Kid gave it all they got in the Onigashima Raid. After several long and grueling fights, they finally overcame their biggest obstacles. Kaido and Big Mom were soundly defeated.
The One Piece series will never be the same again. Going forward, the Worst Generation can no longer be considered rookies. All that's left is the end game, so readers should buckle up their seatbelts.
1) The big reveal about the Gomu Gomu no Mi
This was a groundbreaking revelation for manga readers, and One Piece Chapter 1044 completely broke the internet.
The Onigashima Raid dropped several lore bombs about the Gomu Gomu no Mi. It turns out the Red Hair Pirates stole it from the World Government. More importantly, Luffy awakened a power that hadn't been seen in over 800 years. Gear Fifth defies the logical conventions of this universe.
In a shocking turn of events, Luffy's Devil Fruit isn't a Paramecia but a Mythical Zoan instead. It was originally known as the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. However, the World Government tried to cover up the truth for centuries. In the end, Luffy unknowingly defied them and became the next Joy Boy.
Here's what some One Piece fans didn't love about the Onigashima Raid
4) Hiyori not being the one to finish off Orochi
Ever since the One Piece timeskip, Oda rarely allows female characters to get the last word on their antagonists. Instead, a male character has to save them with a last-minute rescue.
Hiyori almost gave Orochi the perfect send-off after burning him alive. However, the shogun managed to survive, which resulted in Denjiro making a last-minute rescue. This exact scenario played out with Rebecca and Kyros versus Diamante back in Dressrosa.
A few disappointed readers believed that history was repeating itself here. Keep in mind that it was the second time he cut off Orochi's head, which seemed excessive by this point. In the end, Hiyori didn't get to do much of anything.
3) Kaido not having a longer flashback
Truth be told, Oda likely doesn't want to reveal too much about the Rocks Pirates until a later date. Nonetheless, Kaido's backstory is among the least developed in the One Piece series. He barely gets a few panels before he bites the dust.
By comparison, his counterpart Big Mom had multiple chapters. What makes it worse is that Kaido's flashback only raises more questions than answers.
His real motives continue to remain unclear at this point, and it defeats the purpose of having a flashback in the first place. Nothing has really been added to Kaido's overall character.
2) Orochi escaping death multiple times
It goes without saying that One Piece fans despised Orochi and wanted to see the cruel tyrant pay for his crimes against Wano Country.
However, no matter how many times Orochi got his head cut off, he always got right back up. He was a living and breathing cockroach in the flesh. After a certain point, fans were just tired of seeing him.
Readers should keep in mind that several panels were spent on Orochi, but the shogun barely progressed the plot in a meaningful way. Meanwhile, fans never got to see Jack in a serious fight against the Minks. Those encounters mostly happened off-screen, even though Oda hyped them up since the Zou arc.
1) The way Kaido was defeated
Most readers don't mind the way Kaido went down. However, more than a few have taken issue with the end result. Some of them are disappointed in how Luffy defeated Kaido with a very big punch. This was despite Eiichiro Oda's earlier statements on the matter.
One Piece fans will likely argue about this for a long time. Supporters believe it makes perfect sense for Luffy. He relies on punching the same way Zoro relies on sword attacks. Luffy never really strays from that strategy.
Meanwhile, detractors consider Kaido's defeat to be very unimaginative, despite the cartoon physics of Luffy's Gear Fifth. They expect a little bit more from the main character, whose latest power-up relies on creativity.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.
Disclaimer: All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners and Sportskeeda claims no ownership of the same.
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Siddharth Satish