One Piece chapter 1102 spoilers: Kuma, Dragon, Sabo, and Ace appear in flashbacks

Fans have eagerly been awaiting One Piece chapter 1102, especially since the manga took a one-week break after the release of chapter 1101. The next installment, which will also be the final one for 2023, is to drop on Monday, December 25, 2023, at 12 am JST. Meanwhile, a spoiler from the series is already available for fans.

Unfortunately, the readers, who have grown weary of the extended flashback sequence about Kuma and Bonney, will find that these flashbacks are set to continue. This growing impatience could be attributed to the uncertainty surrounding the purpose of these flashbacks. They have left fans wondering if the flashbacks are intended to unravel the numerous mysteries of the One Piece universe or to narrate Kuma’s side of the story. It remains to be seen.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga.

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One Piece chapter 1102 revisits Luffy's first bounty

Dragon as seen in One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Last year, at the Jump Festa 2023 stage, fans were treated to a glimpse of the then-upcoming chapter. In this panel, Luffy, in his Gear 5 form, was shown delivering a powerful blow to Lucci, whose body had transformed into a rubber.

While the story, at the end of this year, is still at Egghead, Luffy has triumphed over Lucci and Kizaru, and it appears that a showdown with Saturn is imminent. However, the plot has gone into a flashback, tracing Kuma's life from being a slave in God Valley to serving as a Warlord for the World Government.

In One Piece chapter 1102, it seems that the flashback will continue. A page displayed at Jump Festa 2024 shows Sabo questioning Dragon’s decision to go to Loguetown, which is under Captain Smoker’s jurisdiction. Fans may recall that Dragon saved Luffy from Smoker, a move that left the latter puzzled as it was not common knowledge then that Dragon was Luffy’s father.

Luffy's first wanted poster as seen in One Piece episode 1086 (Image via Toei Animation)

Next, in One Piece chapter 1102, Ace is seen enthusiastically telling Jinbe about his brother’s accomplishment. After all, Luffy had received his first wanted poster after defeating Arlong and earning a bounty of 30 million berries, the highest in East Blue.

Following this, in One Piece chapter 1102, Kuma appears to be disappointed that Bonney is now a pirate. Bonney, on the other hand, is seen celebrating with her pirate crew and looking forward to making a name for herself to get Kuma's attention.

It is still unclear why Oda is dragging the flashback sequence to the present timeline as it already feels like Kuma’s backstory and his relationship with Bonney have been explored adequately. While the narrative could potentially continue up to the recent Reverie, the necessity of this is questionable. Fans have been wondering if there would be a startling revelation at the end of the flashback.

Saturn as seen in One Piece anime (Image via Toei)

It is the nature of serial publications that makes fans restless, particularly when the main characters’ lives are on the line and a major battle seems to be on the horizon. Surely, however, reading these chapters in one sitting when one revisits the series might offer a more enjoyable experience.

That being said, there is a lot to look forward to in the next year as Oda has made significant announcements about the manga’s future trajectory. His announcements have seemingly suggested that the Straw Hats will journey to Elbaf after their escape from Egghead. He also hinted at an impending major battle but did not disclose the details.

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More spoilers for One Piece chapter 1102 will drop in a day or two, then fans can get a fuller picture.