Book Review: One Piece, Vol 22: Hope!! by Eiichiro Oda

 

One Piece, Vol 22: Hope!!      

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: October 6, 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

As Princess Vivi faces down Crocodile, who has taken possession of the Palace, the Kicking Claw Force arrives! Dedicated to the kingdom, they will do whatever it takes to defeat him!  Meanwhile, Zolo’s battle is done and he has emerged victorious! Sanji is pushing forward himself, along with Chopper and a heavily bandaged Usopp riding on a camel.

Another country has now been heard from in the form of Koza, the rebel leader. Vivi doesn’t want news of the impending explosion to get out, knowing it will only serve to cause chaos. Listening to Vivi’s impassioned plea, Koza tells the rebels not to fight and shed more blood. But his efforts are met with unexpected results.

Just when all seems lost, who should arrive on the scene, to Crocodile’s amazement, but none other than Luffy himself! You just can’t keep a good man down! Crocodile maintains that Luffy will never beat him, he is far out of the boy’s league, he is one of the seven warlords of the sea. Luffy replies, “If you’re one of the seven warlords of the sea, then I am the eighth warlord of the sea!” Brave words but can he back them up?

As Luffy and Crocodile battle, Ms. All Sunday, aka Nico Robin tells Cobra he’s going to miss the rest of the fight, and to take her to the ponegliff…. Now!

The tension rises!  A bomb is set to go off and destroy the square and kill a lot of people – but no one knows where it is! One way or another, it seems as though people will die – can Luffy and his crew prevent this from happening!  Onward to the next volume!

Book Review: One Piece, Vol 19: Rebellion by Eiichiro Oda

 

One Piece, Vol 19: Rebellion     

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: October 7, 2008

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Luffy and his crew are making their way to Alabasta, slowly but surely. Since Luffy ate all the bait they need for fishing, they are using Karoo, to Vivi’s shock! When they pass through a steam cloud caused by an underwater volcano, they are surprised to find they have gained an unexpected passenger.  He’s a bit of an oddball and claims to have also eaten the devil fruit. Only when a ship draws near and takes him off do they find out he is Mr. 2 Bon Clay of Baroque Works!

They reach Alabasta at last, only to find, to their alarm, a whole lot of Baroque Works ships behind them! They anchor the ship and Luffy takes off immediately, having smelled a restaurant.  Vivi is dismayed to spot Mr 3’s ship in the harbor. Apparently he isn’t dead after all. Not only that, but Captain Smoker is there as well. Luffy finds food, but then Smoker finds him. Off Luffy goes, Smoker in hot pursuit! Another unexpected arrival turns out to be Ace, Luffy’s older brother! Brother, what?

Meanwhile, Mr. 11 has been captured by a group who calls themselves the “billions”. They see an opportunity to make a name for themselves – at 11’s expense.  As Luffy and the others reunite, Vivi sends Karoo with an important message for her father. Of course, everyone wants to know about Luffy’s brother, who apparently has also eaten the devil fruit. What are the odds? For something that is supposed to be a rarity, they seem to find a lot of people who have partaken of it. Ace invites Luffy and his friends to join Whitebeard’s pirates, but of course he declines.

They set course for Yuba. Vivi intends to reason with the leader of the rebels, intent on avoiding future bloodshed. She is determined to rid her country of Baroque Works as well.  In the meantime, those same people are meeting at their headquarters, at the Spiders Café.

Luffy and the others arrive at Erumalu the Green City – but it isn’t very green!  Vivi explains that it was once upon a time, but that rain hasn’t fallen there in three years!  She also tells them about the King’s Miracle, which provided water to Alubarna – but at a high price. It’s gonna be a long, hot, and dry trip to Yuba across the desert sands!

We’ve finally reached the crux of the Alabasta arc and things are falling into place. We have Luffy and the others who are fighting for Princess Vivi, who is fighting both Baroque Works and the rebel forces. We’re seeing the assembled Baroque Works now, in all their “glory”. They have some real characters among them, that they do. There is backstory for Vivi, which yields very interesting information, especially in light of an unexpected reveal. And let’s not forget Captain Smoker, who is hot on Luffy’s heels! Things are really happening, looking forward to the next volume!