I’ve always been a rather vocal advocate for the idea that the raid will end in tragedy.
Many seem to think that Kaido moving the island of Onigashima to Wano proves that this theory can’t happen since we’ve entered our “birdcage” portion of the arc, but I disagree. In fact, I think we can’t make judgement regarding the success or failure of the raid until Act 3 ends because we’re still waiting on a moment of great tragedy.
I want to ask something to those who don’t subscribe to the idea that the raid ends in failure: What do you think the Tragedy of Act 3 will be, if it isn’t the raid failing?
When the act started, most assumed the tragedy was going to be Oden’s death, but the act carried on passed that regardless.
When the raid began, the theory changed and became that the tragedy would be the Scabbards losing to Kaido. As of this chapter however, we’ve moved on from that battle. The only reason Kaido started moving the island now is because the Scabbards no longer pose a threat to him, or else he’d have done it sooner. They are defeated, and yet the act persists.
Yes, we’re still waiting for Luffy to arrive at the top of the dome, but if the tragedy was meant to be the Scabbards’ death, than how would Luffy’s arrival convey a sense of tragedy? If anything, his arrival in front of Kaido is the moment of hype we’ve been building towards. Him arriving with Kid and Law at his side, seeing the corpses of his comrades, would be tragic but it wouldn’t be a tragedy. There’s too much hype in that moment; yes, the Scabbards are defeated but we still have hope that Luffy will prevail.
True tragedy leaves you with no hope at all.
Since the start of Act 3, I’ve been saying the tragedy of the act is total defeat, based on the following 3 points:
- The Alliance loses and is forced to retreat.
- Kaido moves to the Wano mainland and subjugates the citizens of the Flower Capital.
- Luffy’s Vivre Card starts to burn.
If anything, Chapter 997 is the start of the above coming to fruition because Kaido is now moving Onigashima to Wano to fulfill bullet point 2.
