I don't think I've seen a chapter this strange since Thriller Bark, which this arc is starting to heavily resemble in a lot of ways...but more on that later.
Oh Marguerite is holding Luffy's wanted poster I can't remember all these side characters anymore
Brook accompanies Pedro on the Poneglyph retrieval mission, which is a pretty smart move if I say so myself, as it allows Brook more room for the spotlight and allows him to serve as a conduit to whatever moments Oda gives Pedro - whether more confessions of his past or a sudden betrayal.
The rest of the team heads to Whole Cake Island, where Luffy claims to have seen Sanji and Purin on the coastline. Those were my top two predictions for the people standing on the coast, but Oda takes it to another level as he has Sanji strike various poses only to disappear shortly after. The team then crosses a bridge only for a GIANT FUCKING CROCODILE to take a bite out of them. Too soon, Oda. But it turns out the crocodile is an educated gentleman and departs on his hind legs, not wanting to eat humans. We did see another talking alligator back in Sweet City in 829, so the mystery surrounding these guys is only thickening. Minks are only mammalian as far as we know, and it's obviously not a Zoan. Best guess is that Big Mom can make dead animals alive like she can inanimate ojects. But this is only the edge of the crazy woods here.
Suddenly, Luffy confronts...his reflection, while the team sees Sanji once again. So, not only are there talking crocs, but reflections are also parading around these woods. Seems like a Mirror-Mirror Fruit user or something like that at work. The rest of the team then finds the greatest attraction in the woods, a guy who is buried because he likes being buried. You do you, buddy. Finally, a rabbit lady, who we saw in 827, attacks the team and kills some trees in the process. The crew finally realizes how out of it they are as the entire forest begins serenading them.
That was definitely a trippy chapter, full of a ton of mysteries to be dealt with in the future. I'm definitely getting Thriller Bark vibes here, given the forest setting, the living creatures that shouldn't be alive, and of course the marriage plot. Definitely looking forward to figuring out just what is in store and how it all works...right after another hiatus. Jeez, Oda's back to just three-chapter intervals like in late 2015. I hope it's because of Film Gold.
What did you think about this chapter?