Episode 1099 does a good job reviving the audience's fear of Rob Lucci and co while also raising the stakes enough to keep things interesting.
I'm very glad to see how this week we see Rob Lucci's brutality front and center. As I mentioned last week, even though Lucci, Kaku, etc. are all iconic villains from perhaps One Piece's best arc, it is initially challenging to take them seriously as threats again. The Straw Hats have grown so much in the years since they faced off against CP-9 that it is hard to quantity. Not only have our plucky little seaborne criminal goobers gained an exponential amount of power since those bygone days of Water 7/Enies Lobby, but they've also added more permanent shipmates to the roster who bring their powers to bear. That's not to say that the former CP-9 gang couldn't have grown too (that would only be fair after all, plus they have cool new masks). But with CP0 appearing - at first blush - to be lesser in number in addition to facing off against much stronger Straw Hats, well, it's a tough sell to buy them as credible threats.
This is all a preamble to underscore that I think Rob Lucci comes off as very menacing in this episode. The way he dispatches Atlas - in terms of how quickly it was resolved, how one-sided it was, and the brutality of it - reminds us that these government killers are not to be trifled with, even for otherwise imposing defenders powered by Vegapunk's technology. Of course, it gives Luffy the emotional investment needed to lock in and get to slugging it out with his old nemesis.
Another dimension that I think deserves particular mention this week is the music and sound design. The background mix did excellent work modulating the tension of each moment. Furthermore, the various laser and techno-esque bleeps and bloops had a crisp sound that was appealing and (for whatever reason) noticeable.
Rating:
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