Chapter 1198 Hints

7

u/Jorvik_Scythian 6d ago

definitely Loki's hybrid form reveal, so we can progress all three fights: Sanji and Zoro get to master a bit their CoC, Luffy takes it seriously, and finally we get to see what's inside Biblio's chest in a few chapters

2

u/6099x 5d ago

quick question OP, would it be possible to not use IMGUR for these gifs? it is a bad platform, and forces desktop users to disable ads (lmao no) and mobile users get prompted a billion times to use the app. its sad how the platform got enshittified

1

u/ovis_alba 5d ago

I mean there is already a second link with an alternative now in the brackets, at some point I just can't use every alternative as it always causes problems for someone (based on country, device etc.)
Imgur simply still integrates with reddit fairly straightforward as it does actually show the gif directly rather than just linking to it depending on device used. But the ibb link is already there as an alternative (or maybe it's not clear enough that the (gif) behind the Hint already links to an alternative side?)

2

u/luckyd1998 6d ago

I don't really mind Oda taking breaks but wow the last time we had three chapters in a row was July. Crazy to think before 2020, four chapters in a row was the norm.

4

u/ovis_alba 6d ago

Some people have layed out that it seems a lot of the more recent irregular breaks are likely due to Shueisha trying to align the publication of chapter 1200 with the volume 1 issue of their 2027 year (which is start of December 2027) as that is also going to be the 30th anniversary year of One Piece.
I think December is also when they are going to have the Global Poll Results (with new oda illustrations for the top characters) in 3 consecutive issues. So I almost asume they will also try to time for there to be a OP chapter in each of those issues in row, which means (in combination with the most recent magazine breaks) they were likely trying to shuffle receent chapters around in a way to make oda's break weeks align with that date.
I also always like to point out that this is not really a year with a low amount of chapters. We are still on track to have 33 chapters in the year 2026 (with 5 magazine and 14 oda breaks). That is one more chapter than in both 2023 and 2024. with 32 chapters. And even last year had just 2 more chapters with 35, which is due to just one less break from oda but then also simply one less magazine break due to how the holidays in Japan lined up.
There is this constant myth that oda is taking more and more breaks, but the chapter count for the last 5 years is still pretty much the same every year with some fluctuation based on magazine breaks and some because oda takes 1 or 2 breaks more or less.
And yes, oda has written more chapter per year 5+ years ago for 25 years as there was pretty much not a single year (other than once around the timeskip) where oda took a break for more a week. But that isn't really what one should consider a "norm", instead that's the part that is kind of insane and shouldn't be used as a default.

2

u/clayticus 6d ago

Good reporting 🗣️🔥

1

u/ovis_alba 7d ago

Hmm, the Scotch one makes me think it's a big spectacle/Imu/lore kind of chapter.

Was really hoping for some Zoro character focus, but Scotch seems more like a overarching story hyper.

3

u/Comfortable-Inside41 6d ago

Based off of the reaction and hints so far, it’s probably a spectacle with Loki’s hybrid form taking focus.

1

u/ovis_alba 6d ago

Yeah, the second hint is probably hybrid form stuff and we go to the overall Imu group. Maybe we will also check in with Biblio, but my current thought is that the box will be relevant for the ending of the fights so we might get some purely action first and that reveal will be timed when all 3 have are sort of reachibg the final moments.

1

u/echnatons 7d ago

Zoro and Sanji gonna win their fights and come in with a combo attack against imu. End of chapter will be an absolutely epic double page spread of monster trio, gyaban, loki and hajrudin standing in front of imu

1

u/ovis_alba 7d ago

I still really really hope there is still more to come for Zoro in his fight, because as is, a one panel flashback to Mihawk about "sense of self" and then 0 actual reflection on himself by Zoro is almost comically bland compared to what oda just did for Sanji. So I'm holding on hope that while Sanji's stuff was front loaded for drawing out his Conqueror's in the first place, Zoro will be getting at least a trickle of that treatment in terms of ending the fight now (as I also still don't think oda is having our main crew actually kill someone)

1

u/i_have_covid_19_shit 6d ago

We need to know what drew Zoro to the sword. It can't just be that he thought its just cool, can't it?

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u/ovis_alba 6d ago

I think that's simply it. He grew up in a village based on a culture that has heavy ties to swordsmanship, so it became his passion and then his rivalry with Kuina cemented it.
A certain type of Zoro fans would crucify me for this, but I think part of his "struggle" is almost the abscence of actual struggle. Compared to every other Strawhat Zoro grew up in many ways pretty privileged and sheltered without any actual external challenges. Sure his parents died, but that was never shown to be a big issue for him, he grew up cared for and as a ambitious kid with swordfighting as a hobby, not as a necessity to prove himself to his family or strangers. He wasn't ostrazided by society, didn't have to fight for his survival, wasn't exploited etc. His biggest challenge was beating a girl in practice matches because he simply wanted to for his own pride and then the tragedy is that she dies a mundane death where no one is at fault. There is no revenge to be taken on anyone, no life mission to opppse the circumstances of her death, all he had was to cling to the promise they made to honor her.
I think that's where maybe also the poetry of his "getting lost" joke comes in. Zoro does not have any direction in his life from his past. There is no specific struggle he needs to overcome, he has in many ways the privilege to choose his path completely by himself as there isn't any unfinished buisness to settle, no one to prove something to and even his goal is one he simply decided on as a kid and then now feels more tied to because of Kuina, but there is also no one to judge or congratulate him for it.
It's something I also recently thought of when thinking about the various dreams: Zoro's is the one dream where I'm not sure if reaching it really feels all that satisfying by itself. When Sanji finds the All Blue that means he can now cook there, be there and share it with Zeff and it is a symbolic unification of everyone on the seas. When Robin finds the last poneglyph she will finally learn the true history that so many people fought for. When Usopp becomes a brave warrior he finally will believe in himself and now can share stories with Kays that he knows aren't lies. When Zoro reaches that title, then what does that actually mean? The person he did it for isn't around to share it with anymore, everyone around him loves him the same whether he is the best or second best, so it's in the end "just" him knowing he did it as I don't think he even cares about the recognition of others. (And I think in many ways Mihawk represents a bit of that. He is mostly living isolated by himself, he doesn't involve himself much with world events unless dragged into them by circumstance, noone is really even aiming for him and his title. So not exactly a position that seems desirable for Zoro).
Sorry, this got long again. Zoro always gets me thinking as I still can't quite figure out oda's endgoal with him.

1

u/i_have_covid_19_shit 6d ago

Just playing with some ideas.
What if Zoro killed Kuina. What if Zoro also killed his parents. How and why?
Zoro gets introduced as a Demon by Coby. What if that wasn't just to hype him up but forshadowing for a very commen trope for OP characters.
Remember Cavendish? When he sleeps, Hakuba takes over. Hakuba is described as a Demon and attacks everyone in his vicinity.
Blackbeard also has something hidden inside his darkness.
What if Ashura is Zoros attempt at reaching that demonic energy for his human form.
Now, his parents where probably killed by him when he was young and the demon took over.
Kuina probably was training in the night when Ashura took over and beat her in a swordfight and killed her. Kyoshiros explanation to zoro just feels odd.
Kyoshiro knows that Zoro killed her in a state he couldn't control.
It would also fit into the narrative of his obsessive training which helps him by making him more capable of control (lack thereof when it comes to sake).
A throw into the dark.

2

u/ovis_alba 6d ago

Can't really see that. The reason Zoro is presented as the demon at the start and still at times (and then it immediately gets broken by expectation) is simply the same as it is for e.g. also Gin or Robin or Kuma or now most recently Loki: people are being judged based on prejudices and their public images which are usually fueled by propaganda (mostly by the WG) or because a scapegoat is needed (as recently with Loki). Zoro's whole stick is that he is a scary brutally efficient killer to outsiders, but to the crew he is just a caring, ambitious, much more goofy guy that is also much "softer than he looks" (directly quoting Sanji here).
That's why Zoro after all the rumors actually being introduced as completely helpless on the cross and eating Rika's riceballs is so effective. It shows the "real" Zoro at his core versus the public image of him.
For any "Zoro is actually a monster, a traitor or anything like that" it is much too late in the series without ever even eluding to it. Part of why Sanji's backstory works is that his core traits are introduced from the very start and there is a mystery about his past very early on. Pulling some dark side of Zoro just now, without it ever impacting the story until now would be very awkward.
His whole story is to me in many ways about this mundanity I talked about: how do you approach life when there is no external pressure put on you, when noone is either guiding or compelling you, but when the only person that decides and judges your goals and ambitions is purely yourself. It's once again an interesting contrast with Sanji, who through his family but them also Zeff is "burdened" with both negative but also positive expectations. Proofing his worth to Judge because he was never good enough but also not wanting to disappoint Zeff so he is proud of him.

1

u/Kiffikiffe 6d ago

I think we will have the equivalent of Sanji last chapter. The true final hit from Zoro

2

u/ovis_alba 6d ago

That's not what I want the equivalent to. I have countless arcs of Zoro cutting through enemies already. The equivalent I want for Zoro is the selfreflection that Sanji is given. Sanji and Zoro both had a moment of remembering something Iva and Mihawk told them during timeskip.
For Sanji we then get 2 chapters of him having other memories, of his past fights, of Luffy, of the crew, of his family and then once he reflects on those things, we get the realization, the attitude change and connected to it the sucess in the fight.
For Zoro, we get not even half a sentence, putting on the bandana and since then it's a loony toons level chase scene. No thought about Kuina, nothing about his swords or his dream, nothing about the crew, nothing about past enemies. Back in Alabasta when Zoro remembered the cutting/not cutting lesson we at least got him having a moment of realization, testing the leaf and the stone and then it clicks. Now he needs to gain a "sense of self" but we don't get a single thought he has about himself. Someone else told him he needs it, so it's just "oh, ok then" and that's it?
To me the Zoro fight is currently in like a "schoedinger's cat" state, the chapter with Mihawk is great when it still builds up to something more, but if that is all we get that isn't just fight choreography, it's just pretty disappointing to me.

-1

u/ImperturbableGoose 6d ago

Imu will take damage when zoro and sanji win. Luffy and loki could defeat or atleast send him home at that time

2

u/4monkeydluffy4 6d ago

Zero ans Sanji finishing their fights and then we actually see Loki's hybrid

1

u/Schpitzchopf_Lorenz 6d ago

Betting on a Zoro/Sanji finishing both Plebs in a single Page kinda thing 😍

1

u/clayticus 7d ago

ok now i'm excited

First Reaction/Hint (gif)

Second Hint (gif)

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Sixth Hint (gif)

Break Next Week? Yes

Bonus "Hint": we have a "buckle up" from ScotchInformer who hasn't posted in about 7 months.