‘One Piece’s next episode kicks off some riveting detours

One Piece‘s Egghead arc takes many different twists and turns. As the first act of Egghead draws to a close, the narrative zooms out from the Straw Hats for a while. The result is a slew of quick, punchy, intense side stories so impactful that it feels cheap to call them side stories.

I’ve been looking forward to this chain of episodes ever since I read them in the manga. One of One Piece‘s many notable qualities is its rich (and gigantic) palette of characters, so seeing what the heavy hitters who aren’t the Straw Hats are up at the outset of the final saga to feels deserved.

So far, we’ve checked in with Trafalgar Law v. Blackbeard, Shanks v. Kid, and Koby and Garp v. Kuzan and Blackbeard’s auxiliary crew. But this next episode. It’s going to be real good. Because it’s going to focus on Buggy—and Buggy is probably going to make you cry.

Buggy’s big moment

Spoilers for One Piece up through episode 1115 ahead.

The results have been jaw-dropping. We finally see Shanks wield his sword in earnest, and he essentially kills two main characters in one swing. Maybe even more shockingly, we see Garp launch a series attack for the first time in the whole series, and he destroys an entire town with a single punch.

We also get a little bit of insight as to why the hell Kuzan joined the Blackbeard Pirates after losing his duel with Akainu for the right to become Navy Fleet Admiral. And, like—yeah, I wouldn’t want to serve under that guy and push forward his fascist version of justice, either. He sucks. But I still feel there’s more to Kuzan joining Blackbeard’s crew than guilt, regret, and a rebellious desire to do whatever the hell he wants.

Next week, for episode 1116, we’ll cut across the New World and check in with Buggy and his new accomplices/overlords, Crocodile and Mihawk. Remember all the complicated, confused emotions you felt three episodes ago, when Shanks utterly annihilated a main character—ruthlessly, but for justifiable reasons? Keep those emotions in your brain. Buggy’s about to poke at that open wound with a stick.

After Buggy made me tear up over the course of this chapter of the manga, I wondered if I had been converted to Team Buggy. I’m so excited for this episode.

Episode 1116 of One Piece will drop on the night of Saturday, August 17, 2024. New episodes appear on Crunchyroll at 8:30PM ET/5:30PM Pacific, with a one-week delay on Netflix.