Cover Story: Marineford Homage Continues
Yamato cover story Vol.38: “A hero’s grave — born in the West Blue, raised in Wano — please pay your respects.” Yamato biting an apple in Wano (a visual pun: “Ringo” means both “apple” and the Wano region). The hero’s grave Ochou guides Yamato to is separate from Ryuma’s shrine — this is a different hero entirely. West Blue born, Wano raised… who could it be?
Last week’s cover was predicted to be a Marineford homage of Luffy & Ace and Luffy & Shanks reuniting — and it turns out both were right. This week continues the sequence: Shanks building gravestones for Whitebeard and Ace after Marineford (Vol.60), followed by traces of Sabo visiting the graves (Vol.68). Following that logic, next week’s cover should show someone who is to Yamato what Sabo is to Luffy — a powerful new ally. A new vassal perhaps? Sasaki? Or a descendant of someone significant?
Loki is Ace
The main story this chapter is a homage to Ace’s childhood flashback. Loki: unloved by his mother, abused by his caretakers, called “the cursed prince” behind his back by the villagers. Classic Ace territory.
Recall the scene where young Ace asked an adult “What would you do if Roger had a child?” The answers: “Behead them!” “Drive in as many needles as there are people in the world who hate Roger!” “Burn them alive — let everyone watch and laugh as they die — let the world mock them!” Ace responded with rage, but a child’s fists can only go so far.
Loki faced the same verdict from birth: his own mother told him he should be killed immediately. The difference is that unlike Ace, Loki was born with massive physical strength — so as a child, he could actually kill who he wanted. Whether Loki killed the regent who abused him… that’s a case of giving as good as he got.
The Porchemy Scene — “Can’t Even Die”
Loki striking Hildulk in this chapter mirrors young Luffy being captured and tortured by Porchemy in Vol.59 — same visual energy, same emotional position of the smaller figure being dominated.
Now compare these two lines: Loki’s “Can’t even die” and Ace’s “Was I even… allowed to be born?” Situationally, they mean the same thing. Crushed by existential dread — unloved, even targeted with murderous intent by his own parent, valued only for his royal title, yet even that has a substitute in his brother — Loki eventually attempted to end his life by throwing himself off a height. He survived because of his unnaturally resilient giant’s body. Hence: “Can’t even die.”
Ace survived because Garp’s love gave him something to hold onto. For Loki, that Garp equivalent might be Yaruru — they seemed close. And there’s a direct structural parallel between Whitebeard’s “Become my son” to Ace and Luffy’s “Become my crewmate” to Loki — both are the first genuine invitation to belong.
Ace found purpose by being needed by Luffy, found love by becoming Whitebeard’s son, and died with a full heart. Could Loki follow the same arc? Luffy’s recruitment offer may genuinely be the first time anyone has wanted Loki for himself — not for his title, not as a symbol, not as a threat. If so, that single moment could be exactly what shifts everything for him.
Luida’s Tavern — Dragon Quest Homage
The bar Shanks was drinking in = the tavern Hildulk’s mother Ida founded. It’s called “Ida’s Tavern.” That name is a Dragon Quest homage — Luida’s Tavern (ルイーダの酒場) in Dragon Quest is where you swap party members and hire temporary helpers. Ergo: Loki is almost certainly a temporary ally, not a permanent Straw Hat. The naming is Oda signaling the structure.
The current owner of the tavern is a woman named “Mato-san.”
The Hammer Fleet (Galley-La Giants)
Introduced this chapter: the Hammer Fleet (ガレイラ) — a formidable clan of giant shipwrights. Remember the Sea Kings saying the broken Ark Noah could be repaired by “that clan”? That clan is the Hammer Fleet (Galley-La). And yes — this is the origin of the name “Galley-La Company” from Water 7. Iceberg must have known the name from mythology. His naming sense is impeccable: Sunny, Galley-La — all callbacks to this giant lore.
Yaruru imagines the Hammer Fleet warriors — their silhouette has a familiar look: the abnormally large-headed type of giant. And there’s a key precedent in One Piece: frozen people always come back to life. Could the frozen giants from Punk Hazard revive and be the ones to repair the Ark Noah?
Rocks D. Xebec Finally Appears!!
The final panel of the chapter: Rocks D. Xebec makes his first on-panel appearance in the entire manga. An enormous moment for One Piece history — and a perfect cliffhanger to close out a chapter packed with reveals.
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