The True Definition of Pirate King
When Rayleigh asked Luffy, “Can you conquer this mighty sea?” Luffy answered without hesitation: “I’m not gonna conquer anything! The freest man on the sea is the Pirate King!!”
Rayleigh simply smiled quietly and replied: “I see…”
Gaban, on the other hand, delivered crushing words to the already critically injured Luffy:
“The title of Pirate King is a name borne by one who is celebrated in death!“
“If you think you can become ‘Pirate King’ peacefully and joyfully — go back home!!”
“You’re not fit for it!! You’re just in the way, you little brat!!”
Gaban grabbed Luffy by the throat and delivered this lecture.
This is the exact same dynamic as Jinbei and Luffy immediately after the Marineford War.
And even in that situation, being able to listen carefully, think it through, and deliver exactly the answer the other person wanted to hear — that’s what makes Luffy special.
This mirrors Marco protecting Luffy from Akainu — another Marineford Arc self-homage.
Even though Gaban said he was “disappointed,” his harsh words mask a deep expectation.
“You’re the man that Roger’s crew and Whitebeard have been waiting for — so you’d better live up to it!”
Self-Homage: The 3D2Y Parallel
“Pirate King” Gol D. Roger and his entire crew have been waiting for this man. Given this caliber of people expecting Luffy, he clearly hasn’t yet lived up to those expectations.
The panel composition and surrounding context point clearly to a self-homage of “3D2Y.”
During the time-skip, each Straw Hat spent two full years training individually. But in the current Elbaf Arc, power-ups are happening at an unprecedented pace:
- Franky’s physical abilities boosted by Super Vega Cola
- Zoro seemingly able to control Conqueror’s Haki
- Sanji on the verge of awakening Conqueror’s Haki
- Chopper and Brook close to awakening their Devil Fruits
Will the rest of the crew also power up before the Elbaf Arc concludes?
A Praying Mantis Precedes the Fall
Gaban’s technique “Mantis Axe Method: Praying Mantis Plum (蟷螂梅/Tōrōbai)” conjured a praying mantis silhouette behind him.
A praying mantis previously appeared on a cover page during the Impel Down Arc — Chapter 530 “To Hell, To Hell!”
In Chapter 530, the Sphinx got so absorbed in Mr. 3’s Whack-a-Mole game that it smashed through the floor, causing Luffy and the others to plummet to LEVEL 3.
Likewise in Chapter 1190, Gaban cuts the tree branch from under their feet, sending Luffy and the others falling to the underworld (冥界).
If Impel Down provides the template for future events:
Impel Down = Hell → Hell = Buddha → Buddha = Okama (cross-dresser)
→ Imu written as Okama
Chapter 537: “Buddha in Hell (Okama)” — the foreshadowing buried in that chapter title may finally be paid off soon.
Notably, Imu-sama’s expression in Chapter 1190 looks distinctly feminine, doesn’t it?
The Technique That Cast God Into the Underworld: Kamudo
Gaban’s finishing move “Kamudo (神門)” shares its linguistic roots with Roger’s “Kamusari (神避)” — both come from ancient Shinto.
The literal meaning of “Kamudo”: “The sacred pathway that gods use when descending from heaven, or passing between divine realms” — referring to torii gates and shrine entrances.
But in the context of this battle, the technique’s meaning becomes: “Sending Imu-sama — who claims to be a god — down from the upper realm (2nd floor) to the underworld (ground floor).”
Hone-Kui Tōshirō: The Bone-Eating Blade
Another of Imu-sama’s weapons has been revealed — yet another entry among the 19 Legendary Weapons.
Hone-Kui Tōshirō is a real historical Japanese sword.
Hone-Kui Tōshirō passed through the hands of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Ashikaga shogunate, Ōtomo Sōrin, then Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and finally the Tokugawa clan — a sword that symbolized the supreme rulers of Japan across generations.
The origin of the name “Hone-Kui” (骨喰, Bone-Eating):
- A casual practice swing shattered an opponent’s bones
- Being cut by it feels like the blade seeps into the very bones
- A light swing cuts through bone like a daikon radish — it “swallows bones whole”
The name captures just how terrifyingly sharp this blade truly is.
The dragon-like shadow wrapping around Imu-sama’s sword is also based on actual carvings engraved on the real blade.
The front of Hone-Kui Tōshirō’s blade bears a carving of the Kurikara Dragon (a dragon entwining the Kurikara sword), and the back features Fudo Myōō and Sanskrit characters. This means the shadow that severed Gaban’s arm was the Kurikara Dragon King.
Cover Page Theory: One-Armed Characters
The final scene of Chapter 1190 — Gaban loses his left arm.
Since Shanks lost his left arm way back in Chapter 1, the following characters have also lost an arm:
- Chapter 810 — Nekomamushi
- Chapter 928 — Eustass Kid
- Chapter 993 — Izou (Kikunojo)
- Chapter 1029 — Basil Hawkins
And now with Gaban in Chapter 1190 — that’s 6 characters total.
※ Law’s arm was eventually reattached, so he doesn’t count. Characters like Crocodile and Gajiro who had prosthetics from the start are also excluded.
Besides Shanks, 5 characters have lost their left arm…
And the Chapter 1190 cover page features Shanks and 5 cats…
Which suggests that after finishing the main story, Oda-sensei thought:
“Let me count — how many characters did I cut the left arm off of? Shanks, Nekomamushi, and…”
…and drew this cover page while counting them off from memory. A classic Oda move.
That’s all for today — see you next week!
→ Chapter 1191 prediction thread — share your thoughts in the comments