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With the release of One Piece Chapter 1086, fans were made privy to some key information for the coming final saga. Unfortunately, such revelations came at a hefty price, with the issue also announcing that the series would be taking a one-month hiatus due to author and illustrator Eiichiro Oda’s eye surgery for his astigmatism.
While the long break is unfortunate to hear, it’s clearly necessary for Oda to continue his work and push through the final saga. Likewise, fans are equally supportive, preferring the series’ continuation to be delayed rather than permanently shelved.
Despite the plethora of information revealed in this latest issue, however, fans are still left wanting more by how little Oda reveals as he answers age-old questions. It’s a cliche as old as time when it comes to describing the series, but One Piece Chapter 1086 is truly emblematic of Oda’s skills in creating two new questions for each one he answers.
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Oda's answers in One Piece Chapter 1086 introduce even bigger mysteries for the final saga
While One Piece Chapter 1086’s opening pages primarily concern themselves with the direct fallout of the Reverie, the chapter’s second act almost exclusively focuses on a major reveal. Within, fans learn the official names and Warrior God titles of the Gorosei, who are now being called the Five Elder Planets rather than the Five Elder Stars.
In just four short pages, fans learn several key plot points, the most pressing of which is the unveiling of the Gorosei’s names and titles. It’s also revealed that Lulusia was destroyed with a weapon Vegapunk invented called the "Mother Flame." Likewise, Imu confirms that they do indeed have grander plans for Vivi Nefertari, demanding that the Gorosei capture her as a final request.
Through this incredibly dense string of panels and pages, One Piece Chapter 1086 demonstrates what Oda does best. Instead of simply answering a question, the mangaka gives fans only a fragment of information that can be used to force open a whole new world of mysteries and theorizations.
It’s a truly masterful way of building a long-term narrative, continuously furthering reader investment in a set of characters by constantly reshaping the implications of their existence. The Gorosei and Imu have arguably put on the best demonstration of this skill in recent issues, from the apparent tease of their Devil Fruits to the recent reveal of the Gorosei’s names and Imu’s Vivi-centric desires.
The final panels of One Piece Chapter 1086 do something similar as well, with the reveal of the Holy Knights’ leader and former King of God Valley, Saint Figarland Garling. With this simple introduction and establishment of current and past titles, fans have seemingly cracked the case on Shanks’ lineage, finding a wealth of knowledge and possibilities within.
This Figarland family canonization is also emblematic of how much of an expert Oda is at leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. From the release of Film: RED all the way through this latest namedrop, the Figarland family’s existence has been teased thanks to both subtle and more forward confirmations of film material being canon.
While these are the major demonstrations of what Oda excels at within One Piece Chapter 1086, the issue overall is still exceptional and a fantastic conclusion to the Reverie flashback. Also worthy of praise is Oda's decision to describe how Sabo, Bonney, Vivi, and Wapol escaped Mariejois, as well as how Sabo was able to cheat death at Lulusia Kingdom.
Despite not being as exciting as the aforementioned revelations and their implications, it still speaks to Oda’s skill as a writer. No stone is left unturned, and no end is left loose, whether it requires the briefest or longest of explanations and demonstrations.
In summation
While One Piece Chapter 1086 delivers fans the news of an unfortunate but undoubtedly necessary hiatus, it also provides them with much to dissect during the month the series will be away. Explanations, relationships, origins, and more on the Reverie flashback’s reveals will all be the central topic of discussion amongst fans while Oda is away. If nothing else, this proves how skilled he is at temporarily leaving with just the right information at just the right time.
Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
