one piece: whole cake island arc — part two

2024-9-16

ch. 852–878

JY: AA sent me a screenshot of your love for pudding in the messages and I knew that you were gonna see it and be upset lmao, Whole Cake is peak

AA:

lol
I've been reading Water 7 with EN recently and they just got to the point where the CP9 were unmasked and it was revealed that Kaku, Lucci, Kalifa, and Blueno betrayed Iceberg and then immediately after that I read more where I'm at and another person betrays me!! Well fuck!

AA: Hell yea

I'm slightly more than 75% caught up btw

AA: Noice

GA: i think zepo was bepo's older brother, not his dad

ahh! I think the reason I thought that was zepo died after only 20 years was taken, so I assumed he was much older, but that could have been true and true that they were brothers

Honestly, when this arc was about to start/just started, I was cautiously optimistic, but generally not immediately won over by the "land made of sweets" idea. I'm not really a huge fan of sweets like most people seem to be, so I was worried it was gonna play too hard into that and I was gonna feel like it was fine. I'm so glad those impressions were wrong! The sweets theming is a little bit cool, but entirely non-intrusive. But what I didn't expect was the full on alice and wonderland shit! The living foods and furniture shit! Big Mom is such a fun, scary, and captivating villain, and all the supporting villains are great too, from Big Mom's family to Sanji's "family". I'm so fucking excited to continue reading to see how the hell this goes!

Anyways, let's read a little more!

852
Hell yeah! Sanji's filling in Reiju about what actually happened! Here's hoping she actually believes him!

Thank you again Jinbe for being a real one and rescuing us! I really hope he officially joins the crew in this arc and comes with us to Wano! I don't see why not...

FUCK yeah! Please do a full side switch Reiju! She seems to want to see Germa "as they are" destroyed, I really hope Sanji gets to have a kind big sister after all this!

ODA YOU CAN'T MAKE ME CRY OVER AND OVER AND THE SAME FLASHBACK RECONTEXTUALIZED!! FUCK OFF!!! (Sanji's mother eating Sanji's food and saying he did grow, as a human being)

WOAH REIJU SWITCHED OUT SANJI'S BRACELETS? COOL! THANKS!

853
Oh fuck!? Big Mom says she screwed up with Roger... "He used that strange ability to hear the voice of all things and read the stone..." That makes me think about how Luffy and Momonosuke could hear Zunesha's voice, but like, more powerful if it can "hear" a stone. No matter what, this is something noteworthy.

OH AND THEN PUDDING IS THIS PERSON SHE BELIEVES WILL ONE DAY WIELD THAT POWER???? RELATING TO THAT THIRD EYE????

Holy shit Baron Egg cracked, turned into "Viscount Chick", cracked again, and is hatching into "Count Chicken"! What utter nonsense. How fucking stupid. That's so fucking funny

WOAH!!!!! PEDRO JUST FUCKING BLEW HIMSELF AND EVERYONE UP (including the fetal "Count Chicken")!!!

Oh it's fine lol, he was saved by Chopper and Carrot in the mirror world! That's silly but I'm glad he's still okay (for now)

LOL! Carrot's drawings of everyone are great!

Ayye!! Reiju pulled Luffy aside into a safe room! Hell yeah!

WOAH LUFFY JUST JUMPS OUT THE WINDOW AFTER HEARING SANJI KNOWS ABOUT PUDDING TO GO WAIT AT THAT SPOT!!! FUCKING HELL MAN!!!

854
LOL NAMI FUCKING ELECTROCUTES CHOPPER!! Well I'm glad they are safe in the mirror world! It's really turned into a handy hiding place!

Big Mom and Pudding casually talking about the whole evil plan in front of Brook, and poor Brook has no idea that the other straw hats know this already, so he's panicking trying to think of how to get out and warn them...

LOL THIS DUDE IS IN SANJI'S BED

Oh shit! Count Chicken is not dead! "Indubitably" my goodness Count Chicken (that's SUCH a ridiculous name...I love it so much!)

Lol the official report is still "we've captured all of them actually". This is going surprisingly well...but we've still got a lot of arc left...

I may have to stop there for the night, but if I can continue I will

JY: I think Whole Cake is generally a better arc than everything before it post time-skip

it's really good so far, I may agree with you when I finish it although Dressrosa was really damn good
Also I really think a distinction should be made between the long central arcs of a saga and the short setup arcs. Punk Hazard and Zou were both incredible, but obviously they can't reach the highs a longer arc can. Maybe they should be ranked in separate categories

I've got some time, so I'm gonna read some more!

855
LOL Bobbin has "105.5" million belly! I think that's the first time I've seen a decimal in the bounty for someone with that high a bounty! I wonder what he's done to earn the extra half a million haha

Oh my goodness! Big Mom is sleeping holding Brook like one would a teddy bear (or perhaps a toy skeleton?)

They're gonna switch out Brook with a toy Brook! That's so fucking good! Although the fact that this next scene starts with a narrative box saying "Attempt 1" implies it won't be that easy hahaha

lol it took four attempts, but somehow they escaped without Big Mom realizing what happened

WOAH BROOK! I BELIEVED YOU DIDN'T MANAGE TO COPY THE PONEGLYPH, BUT YOU DID AND HID IT IN YOUR SKULL HELL FUCKING YEAH!!

Awww!!! Sanji finds Luffy passed out and hungry, and smiles...

856
Aww goodness, the parallels here! Luffy enjoying Sanji's messed up dropped and rained on food, just like his mom did...

FUCK, SANJI!! THIS PANEL...

I LOVE that Luffy's not like "too bad let's get the fuck out of here" and is instead like "of course you want to save your family even though they are shitty. let's crash that wedding together!!" SO fucking good. I love Luffy so much!!!

857
I love that their solution to meeting up with Luffy and Sanji is the mirror shards from earlier!! That's such a good full circle moment! It's crazy how much has happened since this mirror shattered though, like we're WINNING now, and the bad guys literally have no idea!!

Woah! There are even more layers to this! Interesting background on Bege! Big Mom is secretly trying to betray and assassinate Germa while Bege is secretly trying to betray and assassinate Big Mom!

Pekoms is still alive!!! At least it's a satisfying explanation as for how!

WOW! I in no way expected them to team up with Bege!!!!! But Jinbe's right! With this (begrudging) partnership, we actually have a chance at taking out Big Mom!

GA: one of my favourite brook moments

858
Seems the sun pirates are keeping Pekoms safe to recover and telling him that Jinbe is informing Big Mom...obviously all the sun pirates are in on it and rebelling, and Pekoms seems suspicious!

Wow I can't believe the reason Big Mom is trying to gigantify humans is because she pissed off the real giants because Lola ran away...!

Oh my gosh poor Chiffon! She's been abused by her mom constantly because she looked like Lola!! Makes sense why she's all for Bege's plan!

I noticed Luffy seemed to still have that lost tooth! He calls it out here! I wonder if he'll get a noticible filling or something! It's in a good spot for one!

Oh nevermind lmao!! The very next panel they drink milk and their bones are fixed!!!

LOL I love how they're about to get into a fight, Jinbe's like "you all hate Big Mom so we're allies" and then Luffy, Bege, and Clownhair are yelling at each other "ALRIGHT LET'S JUST DO IT AND BE DONE WITH IT" so good! Truly a bregrudging alliance

AA: jinbe blood player moment

859
What a plan Bege has! Also could the picture be someone we recognize? Apparently none of the Big Mom pirates know much about her...and we haven't seen the picture yet. Maybe someone will recognize her?

Wow! Big Mom is totally fooled by the toy skeleton! She thinks he died overnight! I honestly expected her to suspect something in the morning, but tbf she does get violent in her sleep.

860
I like Pekoms a lot, but I'm worried leaving him alone is gonna somehow complicate things. Big Mom's gonna find out or something!

And here begins the tea party!! How in the hell is this gonna go? We still have like 42 chapters!!!

AA: 848 is probably one of my favorite brook moments of all time

861
Why do they call it oven when you of in the cold food of out hot eat the food?

There's the "Mother Carmel" photo! I certainly don't recognize her... It's worth noting that she smoked though!

Sanji still being vulnerable to Pudding's cute act is pretty funny actually

LMAO BEGE IS PRAISING SANJI'S "ACTING"!!!

Well, next chapter shit is going to go down, that's for sure. It's definitely going to go wrong somehow...how? I'm not totally sure, but it's just too good to be true, and we have so many chapters left! I think even if I was reading this as it was released, not knowing how long the arc would be, I'd still be a little doubtful of this plan...it sounds great! But as I said, it's just too good to be true!!

862
Oh cool! On the cover, Shanks and Buggy are playing with "hanafuda"!! I have a set of those and like playing koi koi a lot!

HAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHA PUDDING FALLS TO HER KNEES BECAUSE SANJI GENUINELY COMPLIMENTS HER THIRD EYE ASFAFADGADGADG

LUFFY FUYKASIVCOGNBGNIGKNIGNG BURSTS OUT OF THE CAKAUGHIEHAIUGUIEGHIULGHIUEGHIUEGHIEHGIEHGUIEGH

863
FUCKING BRILLIANT!!! LUFFY IS SO FUCKING GOOD!! SO MANY OF HIM JUST JUMPED OUT OF THIS CAKE WHAT AN ENTRANCE

HOLY FUCKING SHIRTBALLS AJGHALEIGHLAIHLE:HGRIHjS:"JPSHJRP JINBE IS THE FUCKING GOATSAIUBGFHUEGBHLIAGHUIRHBLIUHHRESHERHA HE STANDS HERE DEFYING BIG MOM, AND ISN'T AFRAID IN THE SLIGHTEST SHE CAN'T TAKE HIS LIFE!!!!!!! FUAHODGHUOA:REGHOAUEHUO:AHG:OHAURIS:GOSAR:UJS:RHJ:OOJS:J

AA: Hell yea

864
Brook of course comes and smashes the picture in a Luffy costume, I don't have the energy to scream anymore this is fucking crazy!

Big Mom is getting one shock after another! I'm sorry my reactions to this segment are short, but this is peak man, I can't think of anything to say about it! It speaks for itself holy shit

AA: So true

865
THEY'RE ABOUT TO FUCKING DO IT, AND NOW WE GET A FUCKING BIG MOM FLASHBACK!?!?!?!? 63 YEARS AGO!?!?!?! ON ELBAF!?!?!?!?!!??!!!?

866
Wow! Hajrudin grew up with Linlin/Big Mom! That's interesting! It's really neat to see something of Elbaf! I feel so bad for this child Linlin, she wants the best but doesn't know her own power! She hurts people around her without even realizing it! No wonder she grew into the monster she is today! I feel bad for her, but she has to be taken down...

AA: yea it was interesting to see what something as sweet and innocent as a childhood fantasy could turn into under the right circumstances

867
"THE SUN GOD"?????? This is clearly one of her cravings we saw earlier in this arc, but it's because of the wrath of some sun god??? Which is Big Mom's pet "Zeus"?? I don't fully understand what happened here honestly

WOW SHE KILLED ONE OF THE FUCKING OLDEST GIANT WARRIORS ALIVE IN HER FIT!

It's really sweet that Mother Carmel was willing to be banished herself to protect Linlin

Welp, nevermind! Apparently she sells kids to the government! All respect I had for her is gone.

Wow....and then they just totally abandon her all alone... again... fuck!

868
Wow...Streusen was with her from the beginning...... I don't like this one bit

FUCK THE PLAN FAILED

Okay okay okay the mirror broke, we're entering Bege's castle, and we're just gonna bail if we can but... I have no fucking clue how this is gonna go

And I have to take a break! Goddammit!!

AA: Hehehe

I'm back home again!! It's One Piece time again!!!!!

AA: Yippee

869
Wow! The Vinsmokes had some soda can shaped belt doodad that fully armed them again!!! At least they'll be fighting with us (for now)

What the fuck are we going to do now!?!?!?!?!?!?

870
FUCK YEAH SANJI! HE FUCKING TOLD HIS DAD

The Sanji's family stuff is so satisfying. Sanji is such a fucking goat for SAVING the family that treated him so fucking horribly, and then with that, talk about his father, Chef Zeff, and declare that indisputably, Judge is NOT his father, and to stay the FUCK away from him!!!!

Idk why but this panel is so funny to me:

WOW AND THEN LUFFY AND SANJI JUMP OUT (I'm assuming to save Reiju)!!!

871
LOL I love how the Germa fan was one of Bege's, so now that they're helping them get away, he's even more of a fan!!!

WOAH! That's cool!!! Stussy is actually CP0????

Wow!! Stussy and Du Feld's little kerfuffle got the tamate box lost, so the bomb in there won't be of help! I swear of the whole gag Oda's doing with this chest is it actually doesn't end up getting open, that'd be very, very funny! If it does get opened that's totally fine, that's the thing you'd EXPECT to happen when a chest with a bomb in it gets introduced. But maybe Oda'll be like "you thought!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA NEVERMIND!!! OF COURSE IT GETS OPENED!!! AND IT OPENS BECAUSE THE CHEST FUCKING PLUMMETS AND BREAKS ON THE GROUND ON IMPACT!!!!!!!!

872
LMAO THEY PUT A FLASH BACK HERE ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THE BOX??? I wonder how many people forgot about what opening the box does... I'd imagine not most of them, considering Oda didn't really try to make you forget

THE CAKE FELL OVER!!!!! HAHAHA!!

Wow... what. a. face...

873
So Pudding's off to try and make a replica of the cake to stop Big Mom's craving, and Big Mom herself is mindlessly charging after the straw hats! They use Kingbaum to run as fast as they can but Big Mom flies overhead!!!! She's directly attacking the Straw Hats, this is NOT good!!!!

AA: take a shot every time big mom says wedding cake /j

874
OH MY GOODNESS NAMI FEEDS BIG MOM'S CLOUD SOME LIGHTNING BALLS AND NOW WE'VE WON IT OVER LMAOOO

Fuck man I want to believe Pudding but she is an actor... what are the chances she's lying? Pretty high but... I want to believe!!

875
KINGBAUM NOOOOOOO

HOLY SHIT NAMI YOU BADASS!!! YOU JUST USED ZEUS'S POWER TO FUCKING STRIKE BIG MOM AND THEM!! EVERYONE NOT INVOLVED IN THIS BATTLE THINKS BIG MOM USED IT WOW!!

I did NOT expect to care about Bege and Chiffon this arc but damn... their parting conversation... "If anything should happen to me, you'll have to raize Pez on your own!!"

Yeahh....I thought so.... Pudding clearly wants revenge because Sanji made her look bad

AA: do you think it's common for a couple who both love baking to bake their own wedding cake

I sure hope so

AA: ye

876
Okay...Pudding? So she wants to help them but she's...bad at it? She has reflexes to say evil things but when her sister calls her out on it she's...apologetic???

I'm trying my damnedest with this commentary but Oda makes it real hard. Sanji is heading to Chocolat Town with Chiffon and Pudding to make another Wedding Cake!! Luffy's team plus Brook and Chopper have to hold off Big Mom and the folks at the ship until that cake gets back!! We got this!! We're so close!!! We're going to get out of this and it'll be GLORIOUS!!

AA: she's born and raised in evil, she can't help it

877
Fuuuuuck man.... RIP Pedro the real one. I knew he wasn't gonna make it through this arc. He went out looking fucking badass though....

878
Wow. Luffy fucking jumped through the mirror holding Katakuri and then shattered it behind them to hold them off while the rest of them escape!!

That's as far as I go for tonight
Wow

So after all of that chaos, Big Mom is incredibly angry, lots of people are dead, but all of team straw hat escaped except for Pedro who gave his life and Luffy who is now holding them off... Sanji is helping Pudding and Chiffon make a cake for Big Mom to calm her down... Unclear what happened to Germa (but I think Judge died)... Bege and co. escaped as well, and so did Clownbag... AND THERE'S STILL FUCKING 24 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT OF THIS ARC!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!

Honestly...I haven't even finished it and as of right now I think this is my favorite arc........
I'm scared for Wano lmao

AA: Hell yea

GA: "abandon"
i suggest you reinterpret the scene
this is never outright stated
but how do you think she got caramel's soul fruit powers?

AA: :^)

okay I'll reinterpret this...

867
so...I didn't really make the connection that the power Mother Carmel had was the soul-soul fruit, but I suppose I can see it and it makes sense!!

What this seems to be implying is that in Linlin's blind eating session, she was gobbling up EVERYTHING in the vicinity including the people... Note the screams in this panel I had looked over before.

AA: what a truly wonderful birthday

CC: i remember the discussions from when 867 came out probably oda's darkest backstory at that point

And the other thing that this implies is that apparently if you eat a devil fruit user, you get their fruit! Which, kinda makes sense actually! This really goes to help explain something in Marineford!!! Back then, Blackbeard used his power to literally consume Whitebeard (though not orally like Linlin did), and that seemed to absorb his power!! Obviously, most humans can't have a second devil fruit power, but my theory for the reason Blackbeard can is not that he's just built different, it's that his specific fruit power operates like a black hole. He can consume anything without it actually needing to physically take a toll on his body.

this post discusses 'One Piece', which is intellectual property of Eiichiro Oda.

the screenshots used in this post are not mine, but are used under fair use for the purpose of commentary and review.