One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga

Episode 16

Episode 16 of One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga pushes us right up to the edge of the climactic battle of the arc and leaves us dangling precariously before it all lets loose.

Most of this episode centers on Hody at the height of his success. The king is in chains, the princes have been laid low, his armies have gathered, the people are scared, and the Straw Hats are nowhere to be found. All the pieces are in place and he sits atop the throne, gloating and lashing out in equal measure. Hody finally feels confident enough to reveal the true mastermind of Orihime's killing - himself! Obviously, his victory is secure, so why not let everyone in on the worst-kept secret in Fish-Man Island? And hey, let's cut off the king's head while we're at it.

Of course, the big asterisk next to this is Luffy and the Straw Hats.

But that's not all. Shirahoshi shows her strength for once in a scene that underscores that even those we perceive as weak and meek may have tremendous willpower. She promised not to hate her mother's killer and has been carrying that for essentially her entire life, which is no small feat no matter how you slice it. Given that the arc is predicated on cycles of violence and hatred creating new waves of hatred, it shows her resolve to fulfill her mother's wishes and put an end to this by letting the hate end. While we can debate whether this is Shirahoshi's responsibility in the first place or even practical in the long term (this non-violent posture shifts the focus away from the real perpetrators in the World Government and Celestial Dragons, after all), it nevertheless lets her shine and get a big moment.

Luffy's arrival on the scene is one of those moments that reminds you why they are remaking this arc. We get the great sequence of Hody's blade descending with Shirahoshi's cry reflected in the metal, as well as the excellent pained expressions both on Shirahoshi's face and Megalodon's in various cuts. Then Luffy arrives and delivers that full-force kick that pops, sizzles, and explodes off the screen. As much as I love the classic animation style for the arc, this all looks really nice and has a definite wow factor. We'll see how the main event shapes up next week.

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One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.