Big Mom asserts that despite her defeat, this isn’t enough to kill her and indeed, she will undoubtedly return to exact her vengeance. Again, this is something I already discussed at length in the review for chapter 1,039, but Big Mom will leave Wano bruised but not broken. Law and Kid were able to neutralize her threat and prevent her from reaching the roof – and in so doing, created an opening for Luffy to defeat Kaido. This chapter makes it even more clear that individually, the Supernovas are nowhere near strong enough to eclipse the strength of Big Mom and with her crew and territory remaining intact, her Emperor status remains, but is no longer uncontested.
Next Stop Elbaf?
Big Mom’s reputation and thus her authority are likely to be severely damaged by this defeat, particularly if Big News Morgans and the world’s papers have anything to say on the matter, which could provide motivation for her character moving forward. As I said in last week’s discussion, I still suspect that as a consolation prize of sorts, she could serendipitously stumble upon Wano’s Road Poneglyph, depriving the Straw Hats their opportunity to read it, thus necessitating another encounter, potentially on Elbaf.
After all, it was her grudge against Luffy which first brought her to Wano and the story of the Charlotte Family remains incomplete. The tone of the story suggested the New Generation would triumph over the old in this war for Wano’s liberation, but Big Mom also can’t exit the narrative without first resolving her conflict with the Straw Hats. Big Mom’s story is likely to continue on Elbaf and that desire to rebuild or strengthen her weakening Empire may be what drives her to the Land of Giants.
To be clear, though I believe she will again clash with the Straw Hats, I’m not fully convinced she will be the primary antagonist of the Wano story arc. Elbaf is said to be the mightiest nation in the One Piece world and is likely home to many powerful warriors responsible for maintaining its independence from both the Emperors and the World Government. Even Wano, with its mighty samurai and impenetrable borders, eventually fell to Kaido. All that is to say, it’s quite possible there could be an antagonist on Elbaf, like Prince Loki, who rivals the strength of the Four Emperors and Big Mom’s story could even end with reconciliation or some sort of redemption. After all, we saw she adopted the far more kind and docile Olin persona when stripped of her memories, and though it doesn’t justify her evil actions, Big Mom’s dream of creating a land where everyone can live in harmony is noble.
Overall I was very happy with this week’s chapter and the way Oda concluded Law and Kid’s fight with Big Mom. He managed the very difficult task of elevating Luffy’s two foremost Worst Generation rivals while also preserving Big Mom as a credible threat moving forward. It’s clear she was outmaneuvered, but not overpowered, even in a 2 on 1 fight. It’s clear that despite this defeat, her story remains incomplete – and now that the Worst Generation is on the rise, she won’t underestimate Luffy and the Straw Hats when they next cross paths – most likely on Elbaf.
*by Straw Hat Jedi
