User blog comment:Kaido King of the Beasts/Chapter 881: Look at Me, I'm the Helmsman Now/@comment-24850639-20171005152544

Kinda staggering how many people are overlooking the genius that Luffy employed in this chapter. He pinched his mouth and kept his face away from Katakuri so that he couldn't predict that he was going to be talking to his crew. That way he, nor Brulee or any of the other Charlotte kids could have any idea that the crew is actually okay. Now Brulee and Katakuri can't send more of her siblings after the Straw Hats, as no one actually knows where they are now. So before anyone goes claiming that all the pages of Luffy getting his ass handed to him are waste, he used to it to get a better understanding of how Katakuri's observation haki works. So impressed with Luffy's decision making as a captain lately. Now that he no longer has to worry about his crew, which ALWAYS hampers him in combat situations, and he's gotten a good feel of how his opponent gets down, it's time for the real fight to start. If you didn't like the buildup fine, but don't disrespect Oda's writing by trying to pass all that off as just "Luffy running away".

The comedy bits were really on point this chapter, loved Brook and Chopper's jokes about potentially dying. Was also nice to see Nami call Luffy on his shit, knowing that he didn't actually have an escape plan and was just focused on keeping Katakuri away from the crew. Always nice to see how well she understands the things that her captain doesn't have to actually say. Jinbe was of course greatness. I was expecting some sort of Fishman Karate technique to help the crew, but going Otto Rocket and surfing the wave with the entire Sunny in one hand was pretty fucking epic. All the people who predicted Jinbe would be helmsman may now rejoice.