The One Piece fanbase has been busy with a big debate about Kaido and the fact that he didn’t show his awakening during the fight against Luffy.
Part of the A play the fanbase has been busy lately with a big debate about Kaido, the powerful villain who was defeated by Luffy after a long and fierce battle. The discussion, which took on vitriolic tones at times, focused on how, according to some fans, Kaido didn’t show his “awakening,” a powerful ultimate form tied to his Devil Fruit powers. However, the debate makes little sense in the context of A play and how the manga’s story developed.
Many fans believe that someone as strong as Kaido, who was one of the Yonko, the four most powerful pirates in the world, should have awakened his Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit a long time ago, which led to speculation and debate as to why he didn’t use this power against Luffy. The most popular explanations are two in number: either Eiichiro Oda, A play‘s, rushed through the finale of the Wano Arc, leaving out some important moments, or Kaido is not actually dead, and he will soon make an unexpected return, showing his awakened form. The community became divided on this subject, as is often the case with these kinds of debates, which led to toxic behavior among fans. However, fans who argue that the manga should have shown Kaido’s awakened form, or that it will in the near future, avoid looking at the big picture.
The recent A play special Laughing Road Tale flight. 2 begins with a page stating loud and clear that “two emperors have fallen“, and that “Kaido and Big Mom were defeated“, which should dispel any doubts about a possible return. Part of the special is dedicated to the new generation of pirates and describes how the balance of the world has changed forever, so it’s safe to assume that Kaido played his role in the story.
Kaido was the mountain to climb before the heroes could begin the final part of their journey, and also a symbol of the status quo that needed to be destroyed to usher in a new era. For these reasons, Kaido will not return to A play. Fans claiming that Oda had to rush the Wano Arc finale, and thus “cut off” Kaido’s awakening, should remember that he is a master of the craft, and no one can tell him how to tell his story, not even its publisher. He showed readers exactly what he wanted, meaning Kaido’s awakened form, if he ever existed, just wasn’t important to the story.
Fans still talking about this issue focus on one small, insignificant detail in one of the best and most epic sagas to appear in manga in recent years. Wano was one of the best arcs of A play, and the fight that ended the battle was more than a way to show who was stronger. It was a clash between different ways of looking at freedom: Kaido wanted freedom through violence and war; Luffy by peace and friendship. It’s a powerful message, and it’s definitely more important to A play that the “mystery” of Kaidowakes up.
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