“A Tearful Promise! The Kidnapped Momonosuke!”

With Kanjuro swooping in at the last moment in the previous episode, he’s nabbed Momonosuke and is winging his way out of the area now – which is making for an early tense situation here. That gives us the usual slow round of attacks against Kanjuro by everyone that he’s able to deflect as he does have some actual skill and all. It does work well as it’s nice to see moments like Usopp showcasing his skill once again and some of the others as well, but for the most part it’s just that Kanjuro has the edge. Momonosuke, for his part, hasn’t yet made the transition from child to leader but he’s closing in on it here. He’s been exposed to the moments previously, which we see in flashback and with Luffy’s dialogue, but he’s spending most of his time on the back of the bird behind Kanjuro simply crying over everything as they fly away. It takes a bit for him to really start growing up here and to make that push into who he needs to be now, not who he’s been for the last few years.

The back half is basically answering the rallying crying as they start to give chase and have to deal with some of the other ships that are out there, especially as they have some really great weapons on Wano that are far more effective when it comes to cannonballs, especially from a distance. This provides a nice challenge for the Straw Hats and the rest under Kin’emon and for a good sea battle, something that feels like it’s been forever since we really had one. The show is really nicely animated here with some great moments, which the Wano arc has had many a time with its design and look, and that helps to up the ante and tension here with the ship-based fight that leads to a really nice moment at the end that brings Jimbei back into the picture!

In Summary:

Swept away by Kanjuro, Momonosuke remembers his father, tries to rise above his fear, and speak to his allies. Luffy and the others start heading for Onigashima, but Kaido’s army gets in their way again with a formidable weapon. However, a surprising figure comes to help the cornered Straw Hats.

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

乂⍱‿●乂