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One Piece - Episode 849 [Review]
So we've managed to survive long enough in the Big Mom chase to finally board the Thousand Sunny. Things will never be easy, however, and now our heroes' next priority is to actually set sail, which is a real challenge while continuing to deal with Perospero (who this week proudly announces his 700 million berry bounty) and Katakuri (Mister One Billion). Big Mom's rampage is pushing the Straw Hats off the shore, and an entire enemy fleet is arriving to challenge them at sea.
It's hard to call this the official start of the Luffy vs. Katakuri fight, since it's a momentary skirmish so far, but there's a unique air between these two as Luffy tries to plow through his opponent's Mochi-Mochi powers. The real meat and potatoes of this week's episode lies on the shoulders of Pedro's fight with Perospero, since Perospero is adding his candy powers into the mix and locking the Sunny on the shore to block the Straw Hats' ability to use the Coup de Burst and fly away.
Long story short, this is the "death" of Pedro episode. This is yet again about half a chapter's worth of material being covered, but it's a rare instance where I don't mind so much, because the show does such a good job sucking you into the moment and helping you forget how long we've been in Big Mom's territory and how much needs to happen before we're out. The artificial pacing isn't at odds with the sense of power and scale they're trying to convey. This is Pedro's episode through and through, flashing back to his childhood admiration of Gold Roger and connecting that to his mission in favor of the Straw Hats.
The Alice in Wonderland influences in Whole Cake Island feel very appropriate, because there are a number of what I'd call "through the looking glass" moments—turning points where the audience can feel their expectations crumbling to dust in their hands. Pedro's sacrifice (using dynamite to blow himself and Perospero to smithereens) feels like it's been telegraphed for months, and yet it feels so sudden when it actually happens. I think the tragedy is in how much time and effort we've spent trying to save Sanji from throwing his own life away for the benefit of the crew, and then Pedro goes and does exactly that. The rest of the cast doesn't even have time to grieve. If they don't immediately embrace this new opening as a gift, they'll be next.
I have to put "death" in quotes because this is still One Piece, after all. With few exceptions, characters who commit a heroic sacrifice usually get up and dust themselves off in the post-arc or have their survival teased in the story years later. As of the manga, Pedro is still presumed dead, but anything's possible for this series. I think if he was for sure deceased, the story could get a lot more explicit and save the audience a debate, but on the other hand I think the mystery gives us an optional safety net from the arc's more sinister subtext. Whole Cake Island to me is at least partly about the ever-blurring line between noble self-sacrifice and pathological self-destruction. The arc began as a detour from the Kaido storyline, a quick adventure to get Sanji back and see the crew whole again, but now we'll be leaving it with more lost than gained.
This episode is notably strong in execution as well, sporting a lot of great art and indulging in a myriad of legacy OST tracks. I can't think of the last time I heard 'To the Grand Line' in this show, and it cements Pedro's death scene as an instant classic in my mind. This really feels like the anime staff going above and beyond to make something that feels just a little bigger than the source material, and I believe they have succeeded wonderfully.
