One Piece manga chapter 1066 left no one indifferent. Called “Ohara’s Will,” the episode contains one revelation after another about the Void Century, Vegapunk, and even the Revolutionary Army commanded by Dragon, Luffy’s father. Much of the episode consists of the Straw Hats chatting with Shaka, one of six incarnations of Vegapunk himself (who happens to be a signature version of Eiichiro Oda from Pain and Voldemort). During her conversation with the mysterious Navy scientist, the great mysteries of the world are revealed, and Robin soon asks out loud the question we’ve all been asking. How does Shaka know so much about that time if the records that spoke about the subject were lost with the destruction of Ohara, the island our beloved archaeologist is from?
It is then that Shaka, Vegapunk-01, confesses to having been on the said island and having seen there how giants saved the books of Ohara and took them to Elbaf, his own kingdom. Giants in front of which stood… Saul. Exactly, the same Saul who encouraged Robin to laugh during the worst moments of his childhood. The author of the phrase that the Demon Girl, now the Light of Revolution, clung to during her lifetime. “Even if you think you are alone, the ocean is vast. One day you will surely find colleagues and friends who will fight for you and protect you”. A piece of his past that still resonates in our memory as a very special sound. Dereshi shi shi shi, dereshishi shi shi shi!
Until now, we all thought Saul died at the hands of Aokiji, the former ice-powered Admiral. After all, there was a very explicit panel in which Kuzan was seen attacking the giant with Ice Time, the attack with which he was also about to freeze and kill Robin and Luffy in his time. In fact, at the end of Water 7, when Aokiji talked to Robin in the middle of the mugiwara celebration party, the famous Blue Pheasant said the following: “Jaguar D. Saul was a good friend of mine. Since that day he fought for Ohara 21 years ago, I’ve followed what he started and helped you escape from this island. Since he gave his life to protect you, it’s my duty to follow you and make sure you don’t waste yours. » White and bottled… right?
Saul’s resurrection so long after was not appreciated by much of the community and many believe it to be one of the biggest script holes One Piece has had to date. Why hasn’t the giant tried to contact Robin for the past 20 years? And if Dragon knew he was alive, how come he didn’t tell the archaeologist during the two years she spent in the revolutionary army? Not to mention the chilling déjà vu that runs through our backs and reminds us of the most famous deus ex machina in anime history: dragon balls.
One of One Piece’s most recurring criticisms is precisely about this, with Eiichiro Oda’s struggles to say goodbye to his characters, and the argument grows stronger than ever with Saul’s resurrection. The mangaka was already threatening to bring Kozuki Oden back during the Onigashima War, in the home stretch of Wano, but we got lucky and it all ended with a momentary turn by Kanjuro. Even so, said tip served as a cliffhanger before a break and the mere idea caused chaos and rejection from the majority of fans. Many are wondering what’s next if we keep bringing people like Saul back. That Ace is still alive? Rock? Rosinante? How about Bellmere?
The helm turn splashed and touched many other issues. Doubts about whether Aokiji was good or evil are lifted, as he no longer killed anyone and his story loses the nuances that led him to be one of the navy’s grayest and most fascinating characters. . It becomes clear that his current alliance with Blackbeard is history and that when the time comes, he will help the Straw Hats. On the other hand, if the giant survived and saved the books of Ohara, it indicates that the government’s Buster Call has failed and that it is enough to go to Elbaf to discover the mysteries of the Void Century. And while the genocide of his people continues to haunt Robin, his past is now far less tragic. There are still people living from it, and the knowledge of its people has not been wiped from the face of the earth. She has ceased to be alone and condemned to oblivion.
Of course, there are also those who are in favor of the return. Robin’s excited faces alone were worth it, and goodness knows (that is, Goda) the archaeologist deserved a treat. I have already played. But in addition, surprise defenders claim that Aokiji never used his Ice Time attack, but Ice Time Capsule, which would have preserved Saul’s body. Either that or Buster Call’s flames melted Kuzan’s ice (and then burned, hence why many consider him the man with the burning face). In any case, his hypothetical death happened off screen, off camera, and anything could have happened. Without forgetting that his full name is Jaguar D. Saul, with D. Like the others, we are facing another of the characters called to change the world and it is clear that he will be able to do so in the near future, when he returns to the story more than 600 chapters after his death (we pass in 1067 and it was in 397). 16 years have passed.
For or against, the news is a shock and shows once again that Eiichiro Oda has decided to push the accelerator in order to complete One Piece in three years, which he has already recognized as his goal now. It won’t be the last surprise and for us, as long as they serve to give us more reasons to see the Straw Hats in Elbaf, they are welcome. Usopp’s Test of Courage, Ohara’s Books, Kid…
