第102回：Shipping Mom

So what are we supposed to make of Judge and Germa 66? Are they friend? Foe? Something else? First let’s consider the case of Sanji’s siblings.

Ichiji, Niji and Yonji are, as far as we know, incapable of human sentimentality as proven by creepily laughing in the face of their family’s impending doom at the hands of the Charlotte family.

We also know that they are programmed to follow their father’s will. So when they’re rescuing Sanji and Luffy, we should understand that their actions represent the will of Judge, backhanded compliments and all.

Reiju, as we’ve previously discussed in this column, is stuck in a torturous world between *understanding* sentimentality and *bending* her father’s word, but never breaking it.

We know where she stands in her desire to save Sanji and the memory of her mother. This brings us to…

Judge, the despicable man of the hour and…savior of the Strawhats.

In column #68 we discussed how Sanji’s father might once have been a decent man and these past two chapters -despite clearly painting him as a bitter savior- the truth is, even if it was convenient for him to leave the Strawhats to their doom, he *did* help them.

Why is Judge blinded by ambition? What turned his heart to stone? What are those mysterious ‘66 days’? And which way do his eyebrows twirl? Looks like we’ll have to wait for an answer to those questions! Judge is far from redeemed and I don’t expect to see him and Sanji tearfully hugging, but I do hope that one day they can come to an understanding.

Check out Goldberg’s shield. Given Mom’s poor relationship with Elbaf I don’t think that’s a Homie…or is it? Did Mother Caramel make that for him while she lived on Elbaf? Or is it a shield that ate a Zoan Devil Fruit? Could be! What’s your guess? I’d say…frog maybe?

Now, at the climax of the Tottoland Arc, we finally have a name for what appears to be the Big Mom Pirate’s flagship which we first saw all the way back in Dressrosa, ‘The Queen Mama Chanter’. Chanter is French for ‘song’ making this, appropriately enough for this chapter, ‘The Queen Mother’s Song’.

The lyrics of that song remind me of some other Risky characters in the series by the way. I wonder if Lola was attracted to them as crewmates because of their name and Mom’s use of the term!

The final celebration scene with Mom reveals a few more types of Mom’s Homies like stars and…a MOON!? Yes, Mom seems to have a Homie moon but what could it be made out of? Prometheus is fire, Zeus is thunderclouds and lightning. What’s the moon made out of?

Chopper and gang gave Caesar Clown a run for his money as king of the face faults in a comedic episode which the time just seemed to fly by! Check some of ‘em out!

Luffy doesn’t look so hot here but you can also see a near-starvation Luffy in Chapter 825.

Interestingly enough, Oda-sensei has had this concept for Luffy in mind for years! In the data book One Piece GREEN, released 8 years ago, you can find a sketch of a starving Luffy. What’s more? The depiction of Luffy and Chopper from the sketch plays out almost exactly the same way in the actual comic!