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Go To Kumamoto
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Cover art from Weekly Shonen Jump #46 Ch.992
Lately there’ve been a good number of Kumamoto nods in One Piece thanks to the reopening of Kumamoto Prefecture’s One Piece collaborative tourism plans and this week Oda-sensei gave readers a scene of the Strawhats heading toward Kumamoto via Sea Train. The scene is packed with local delicacies and treats from Kumamoto so let’s help introduce them to the world!
Dekopon
Citrus fruits grown in the vicinity of Mt. Aso.
Karashi Renkon
Lotus root stuffed with Japanese mustard! I have never had this particular dish but I am *dying* to try it!!!
Kumamoto Ramen
This regions ramen variety is best known for heavy use of garlic and sesame oil for rich flavoring!
Sakuraniku Bento
Horse meat is still consumed as a regular delicacy in parts of Japan with Kumamoto’s specific preparation known as ‘sakuraniku’ for its light pink color.
Dekopon Juice
A citrus juice made from the aforementioned dekopon fruits.
Watermelon Soda
Kumamoto leads Japan in watermelon agriculture! As such there are a number of watermelon-based drinks.
Ikinari Dango
Dumpling treats for those with a sweet tooth, these (allegedly) easy-to-prep dumplings contain sweet potato and red bean jam.
Obake no Kinta
A local children’s toy based on the story of a soldier (Kinta) known for his humor who lived around the time of Kumamoto Castle’s construction.
Musha Gaeshi
The name of these red bean paste-filled pastries from the design of Kumamoto Castle’s walls. Also… there’s no way I can claim that I found this one out by myself. Someone familiar with the source material offered some very friendly and welcome advice!
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Weekly Shonen Jump #46 Ch.992
Maki Maki??
Way back in 1998, Oda-sensei famously stated in a magazine interview that supernatural elements of the story would be attributed to the Devil Fruits. This rule seems to have been bent with the appearance of Haki; although Haki’s origins are still poorly understood or at least described in the world of One Piece. So when we saw Raizo performing duplication ninpou, I was very interested as to what implications that would have with respect to the few mystical elements present in One Piece. Now, Chapter 992 seems to have answered that question! Once again, ninpou (basically ‘ninja magic’) once again seems to be attributable to Devil Fruit powers!
Is Raizo a user of ‘Maki Maki’ skills? ‘Makimono’ or ‘maki’ are essentially scrolls, the same scrolls ninjas traditionally use to initiate magical abilities. Having seen Raizo absorb and reflect Kaido’s ability, it would seem that Raizo can absorb, copy and the redistribute physical material. This is probably how he was able to duplicate himself, by simply copying himself into a scroll.
So is Raizo really a Devil Fruit ability-user? Or…does inexplicable fantastic ninja magic exist in One Piece? My guess is Oda-sensei will tell us sooner or later!
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Weekly Shonen Jump #46 Ch.992
One Piece Vol.82 Ch.817