Dart Board
Yamato’s cover story Vol.26: “Ulti: ‘If anything happens to Pee-tan, I’ll track you to the ends of hell!’” Last week’s silhouette was indeed Ulti and Page One. The question now: will Yamato save this sibling pair and recruit them, just as Oden saved Izou and Kikunojo?
The complications: Ulti hurt Otama and beat Nami and Usopp badly during Wano. Being rescued by Otama would be a significant pride swallowing for Ulti. And if she joins Yamato’s crew eventually, running into the Straw Hats later could be deeply awkward. But the structural pull is strong, and the story is exciting regardless of how the character dynamics resolve.
Water Seven Arc Self-Homage: Full List
Once the Loki = Franky parallel was established, Water Seven keywords started following automatically. A quick recap of why Loki maps to Franky:
- Initially hostile, picks a fight with Luffy
- Bound in chains
- Responsible (directly or indirectly) for his father figure’s death
- Has a temperamental opposite as a brother figure
- Commands an army of beasts
- Attacked by a Devil Fruit-eating weapon
And this week, the Water Seven callbacks are explicit.
Darts in the Cover Art
Ulti being used as a human dart board. “Darts” in One Piece: that’s the insult Zoro used for Sanji — “dart eyebrows.” It was said in Chapter 322, “Puffing Tom” — the opening chapter of the Water Seven arc. The cover art callback is precise.
“Give Me the Key”
The current situation: to free Loki, someone needs to obtain a key. This is structurally identical to Enies Lobby, where the crew had to defeat CP9 agents one by one and collect five keys to free Robin. The parallel isn’t subtle — Oda is running the same mechanical setup with the same emotional stakes.
Old Man in Underwear on the Sofa
Sommers Saint (of the God’s Knights / Shepherd family), summoned by Gunko, appears sitting on a sofa in his underwear. The visual is an almost exact match for Franky sitting under the bridge when Usopp came to find him in Water Seven. Different context, identical body language and state of dress.
A Giraffe / Kirin User
Kiringam Saint (God’s Knights / Rimoshifu family), appearing alongside Sommers, has a feathered cape suggesting an awakened Mythical Zoan — almost certainly the Ushi Ushi no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Model “Kirin” (the Chinese qilin). A Kirin user as a key antagonist connects directly to Kaku from Water Seven, whose Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model Giraffe is etymologically linked to the kirin (the Chinese name for giraffe literally is “kirin”).
Hates Lewdness
Gunko blushes and turns away from Sommers’ underpants — despite herself being dressed in something barely more covered. Gunko’s reaction is a direct callback to Paulie from Water Seven, whose defining character trait was his extreme intolerance for indecent clothing. Same energy, opposite situation.
Falls Asleep Mid-Conversation
Kiringam Saint abruptly falls asleep while talking. This scene is familiar: Garp falling asleep in the middle of his emotional reunion with Luffy in Water Seven. Same comedic beat, same structural position in the story (early in an arc, before the real battle begins).
The Pentagram (Abyss)
The mark Kiringam muttered about while asleep appears to be the condition for using the teleportation system. Most likely: the tattoo visible on Sommers’ left arm. Do all members of the Five Elders and God’s Knights share this tattoo? Notably, Shamrock and Gunko didn’t need to be summoned — they just broke into the castle directly, suggesting some people can bypass the system.
Then there’s Sommers’ line: “Non-member nations’ people have no human rights” — yet the Celestial Dragons are visiting Elbaf to pay respects at a grave. That implies Harald was engaged in some kind of alliance negotiation with the Celestial Dragons, or was about to sell out Elbaf’s sovereignty. If Loki found out about his father’s plan to betray their homeland, that changes the entire moral calculus of Harald’s murder. Was Loki a villain — or a prince protecting his people?
