Songs of the chapter: "Eye to Eye" by Go West and "MMMBop" by Hanson.
Man, this chapter was HILARIOUS from back to front. It looks like Cavendish's brief flashback is just about over, with Suleiman showing just about no interest whatsoever. I wonder if the other six members will be able to outdo his story.
And of course, the main story. The Straw Hats are in mortal panel, but it's still so funny! The facefaults from the Firetanks, Caesar, and the Straw Hats all make this chapter really worthwhile. Big Mom nullifying the weapons and breaking the mirror was to be expected, but the reactions to this made this chapter worth it. Any chance to see my bois Bege and Caesar stretch their face muscles is precious.
In a weird twist of fate, minor character Streusen is revealed to have been Big Mom's caretaker after the Carmel...incident (more on that later). Thankfully, Oda doesn't try to claim Streusen to be the true mastermind to Big Mom's rise to power...just a guy who was in the right place at the right time. Also, Smoothie's standing right next to Katakuri in that uber-cool Big Mom Pirates money shot! Will she get to do anything? Probably not, but we'll see!
Now, for the real issue at stake here...Carmel. Did Linlin eat her and the other residents. It's confirmed that Linlin played a role in this SOMEHOW, as her actions repelled the giants to no end and caused Streusen to become interested in her. Hooooowever, Oda's refusal to reveal what happened beyond vague hints is hella suspicious. It reminds me of another twist in the arc, when Pudding whispered to Luffy and Nami her plan to stop the wedding. Given the context of the scene, which featured a brief flashback of Lola leaving Totto Land, it seemed as though Pudding was looking to go against her mother and abandon the wedding, possibly incurring her wrath. But NOPE! Instead, the flashback is a red herring, Pudding's working with her mom, and her plan to end the wedding was to kill the groom. Yeeeeeah. I'm gonna say it wasn't cannibalism here, but what do you think?
Overall, a pretty great chapter. After the meaty flashback ended, we were treated to a flurry of nonstop action and hilarity. Did Bege eat Pica?