As the name suggests, this volume is the main battle for the arc. I believe this is also the first time Oda shows how he can layer exciting battles--this is the main battle for everyone BUT Luffy and the main main bad guy. In essence, while we have an epic battle with virtually every character, we also have the build up to the main main battle. Broad-battle, then intimate battle, I would say is another way to look at it. I was most impressed. Still am. ( )

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Title: Showdown at Alubarna
Series: One Piece #20
Arc: Baroque Works #9
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 9K

Synopsis:

From Wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_One_Piece_chapters_(1_186)

"30 Million vs. 81 Million"

"Grand Line Level"

"Showdown at Alubarna"

"Alabasta Animal Land"

"Supersonic Duck Quiz"

"Roar"

"Squadron Leader Karoo"

"Moletown Block Four"

"Oh... Is That So?"

"4"

Luffy fights Crocodile; despite many hits, his opponent is unfazed. Crocodile, using his devil-fruit ability to dissolve and reintegrate whatever part of his body Luffy attacks, toys with him until he impales him through the chest with his prosthetic hook and buries him in the sand. The rest of the Straw Hats hurry to intercept the rebel army. They cross the desert on a giant crab, cross the river Sandora and are picked up on the other side by Karoo and his squad of spot-billed ducks. In front of the capital, the high-ranking Baroque Works agents try to intercept Vivi and are lured into the city by disguised Straw Hats. Vivi tries to stop the rebels, but the enraged army storms past her. She flees from Mr. 2, who chases her into the city (where Sanji comes to her rescue). On the other side of the city, Usopp and Chopper battle the agents Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas.

My Thoughts:

This was just ok. Vivi is front and center as somehow she is the only one who can stop the rebels and get the country back on track. Her father, the king, appears to be a puling idiot and the advisors to the king are as dumb as him. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why everyone does what they do. Imagine Luffy without the charisma and twice as stupid.

We do get to see Team Luffy coming into their own. While I wasn't a huge fan of the various fights presented (half the time I couldn't tell what I was looking at), it was obvious that they had gelled as a team and had begun their own climb up the power ladder.

Even Usopp impressed me. I didn't think that was possible.

★★★☆☆ ( )

The Battle of Alubarna, where we learn that Usop can survive a bat to the head. Awesome. ( )