Manga Diaries – One Piece Volumes 37 to 39

One Piece Volume 37 One Piece Volume 38 One Piece Volume 39
If you don’t know what my Diaries are, please go here. Spoilers ahoy!

Otherwise, let’s go!


Volume 37:

The bulk of this volume is a flashback. We get the backstory of Cutty Flam (trying and successfully taking Chimney’s Worst Name Award), Iceberg, and Tom. It reminded me a bit of Sanji’s story.

Usopp and Franky find themselves getting along, while Usopp having to admit Merry’s time is up.

Speaking of time up, Robin rebukes the others while Pauly finds himself in the opposite situation. It’s an interesting dynamic. Two groups want to go back to the way things were, but it’s people betraying others versus people being betrayed.

Franky, in his past, learned a very valuable life lesson: once something is invented, it can’t be un-invented. Real-life history is filled with people regretting what they developed, from K-cup pods to AK-47s to dynamite. Good intentions or not, you can’t control it once it’s been created for the world.

Speaking of Franky, is the town protecting him? It’s not like he took the name Franky after his “death”.

Volume 38:

So I guess the townspeople knew him at Cutty? Still a bit confused.

Anyway, the gang learns Robin was just trying to protect them. Zolo proves he’s been with Luffy far too long and is becoming just like him. Stuck in a wall, stuck in a chimney, either way, they’re idiots. The funniest parts of this volume were Sanji’s “subtle” letter to Nami and the townspeople shocked by Chopper. Reindeer, raccoon, gorilla?!

Rocketman is not the name of some new superhero or villain but a failed train. Sanji sneaks aboard to save Robin. I kind of wonder how Oda keeps all his attacks separated. Most look just the same to me. Maybe in the anime it’s easier to tell one food-named attack versus another. In manga form, without any magical abilities, how much different can one kick look from another?

Anyway, the ultimate alliance is formed as the others head to “trial”.

P.S. Forgot to mention, Kokoro looks like she’s a transplant from The Nightmare Before Christmas while T-Bone looks like that guy from Rurouni Kenshin. Gonbe is a blue rabbit? Blue bunnies are only good for one thing: ice cream.

Volume 39:

Sodomu and Gomora? Did someone not get the reference?

Also, I’m pretty sure Franky’s name was spelled correctly earlier. In this volume, it looks like “Frnky”.

Speaking of Franky, it seems like he has joined already, spoiled by one of the splash pages. I mean, I figured he was most likely to join (Iceberg probably will still work at Water Seven), but Oda pretty much confirms it. In that same picture, Chopper looks so cute when he’s serious. He’s also cute when he meets the Sniper King.

All in all, just a bunch of battles. Not much to say. The cook’s face getting rearranged was pretty funny though.

Final Comments:

Some battles, laying the groundwork for future battles, and a bunch of betrayals. Lots of prepping for Franky to join the Straw Hat Pirates. I don’t think he’s a bad character, but I like more him as a foil to Iceberg. He gets along with Usopp pretty well, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in the larger dynamic of the group.

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4 Comments

  1. Arria Cross

    I love all the references in the names of the characters. Not my favourite part of this arc, but I appreciate the backstory of Franky. I hated him at the beginning, but I love him now. He’s such a big teddy bear. Ahahaha. That’s not right. He’s Robo-aniki!

    Reply
    1. Krystallina

      I thought it was Robo-pantsu-aniki. XD

      Reply
  2. The Otaku Judge

    I thought celebs gave their kids bad names, but Cutty Flam takes the biscuit.

    Reply
    1. Krystallina

      I feel sad for the kid out there somewhere whose parents love One Piece and decide to name him that… If someone is not named that now, there will be.

      Reply

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