Dominance Reversal Doesn’t Work
Why doesn’t Dominance Reversal (ドミリバーシ) work on Nika and Loki? Last week, a demonic giant said “I don’t think anything is wrong — I feel liberated.”
So Dominance Reversal flips things so that what you’d normally consider “wrong” becomes something you can do freely — it removes rational restraint and strips away guilt. In which case, maybe Nika and Loki have no inner restraint or guilt to begin with? No hidden side to flip because they’ve always lived without any mask — are they just genuinely unfiltered?
Chopper’s Purification
Continuing from last week, Chopper’s ability to cure the demonic state with just a light tap seems to be no fluke. It’s a lot like how the Thriller Bark zombies were easily purified with a pinch of salt.
And come to think of it, Nika and Loki being immune to Dominance Reversal also feels like a homage to Usopp being immune to Perona’s Negative Hollow.
Just as Usopp — already naturally negative — was unaffected by Perona’s Negative Hollow, Nika and Loki — who have no guilt or rational restraint to begin with — are unaffected by Dominance Reversal.
Zoro and Chopper’s Banter
Cho: “I don’t get it!! But I can cure their demonic state just by hitting them!!” / Zoro: “…Is it because you’re a great doctor?!” / Cho: “Eh~ th-that kind of praise doesn’t make me happy ♡ You jerk.”
There’s a kind of emotional nourishment you can only get from Zoro and Chopper’s banter. Zoro treating the crew’s youngest, Chopper, like his little brother — it’s irresistible.
Self-Homage
This week had quite a few scenes that appear to be self-homages to past arcs. First, the chapter title “The Nightmare Fades” — nightmare calls to mind Nightmare Luffy; the easy purification of the demonic state maps to easily purifying zombies with salt.
Chopper being recognized and celebrated as a doctor —
Robin and Sauro’s treasured books from Ohara were gone from the owl library — mirroring the Thriller Bark vault being completely emptied.
Next: the Punk Hazard arc self-homage. Somers’ exposed beating heart and severed head bring to mind Law’s ability to extract hearts, and the bisected Vergo.
Kirinagum and Somers both ending up as severed heads also matches the Punk Hazard pattern.
And the boss (Im) heading out in person matches the end of the Punk Hazard arc — when Doflamingo flew out alone. After Punk Hazard came Dressrosa, and that’s where Luffy first meets Hajrudin. And at that point — don’t forget the bull.
Cover Page Theory
The cover page bull is probably a reference to Ushi, the bull Luffy befriended at the Corrida Colosseum. And speaking of bull, there’s Kid’s magnetic technique “Punk Corna Dio” (Magnetic Great Mad Bull) from the Wano Big Mom fight.
Elbaf → Hajrudin. Elbaf → young Big Mom. Big Mom growing up. The common thread: being attacked by a bull. The bull that attacked Big Mom = Kid’s technique → Kid reappears.
That’s the kind of word-association game the cover page is playing.
That’s all for today. See you next week.