Koby Stocks Just Went Up in ‘One Piece’

One Piece Chapter 1088 Review/Recap

Last week, I said that Garp might be “that guy” for the Marines, but I was mistaken. He was “that guy” for them, but that title might have gone to someone else now: Koby. One of the first people that Luffy met while on his journey, we’ve seen Koby go from a scrawny, scared kid into a hero of the Marines. And this week, he shows everyone how he has the potential to become his generation’s Garp. However, the rise of a new generation means the old one might soon fade away, and it does so in a manner that will leave the Marines heartbroken…

Recap

In a flashback, Garp’s asking the class a question: if you had a boat that could only it two people and had to choose between saving an old man and a baby, who do you go with? Koby answers that he would sacrifice himself for both, but Garp says to save the baby. According to him, the young have more to offer than an old man. Then, at Amazon Lily, Koby traded himself for the Marines captured by Blackbeard, saving their lives. 

In the present day, the rescue force is about to be crushed by Pizarro’s massive hands. As everyone begins to panic, Garp gives them marching orders: Koby will destroy the hand! The Marines don’t have time to second-guess anything, and they spring into action! Koby and Grus head straight for the hand while Helmeppo holds off any attacking pirates. Meanwhile, Garp keeps Kuzan and the rest busy before using his strength to deal a massive blow to Pizarro’s head!

With the way now clear, Koby manages to close in on the massive hand. Remembering how he trained hundreds of times harder than anyone to get as strong as he is, Koby unleashes his full power. The resulting Honesty Impact shatters Pizarro’s deadly hand, saving everyone! However, as they wait for Garp to return, they get a final message from him, telling them to retreat. They’re the future of the Marines, and they can’t afford to die to help one old man like him.

The next day, Garp would be reported MIA at Hachinsou Island.

Review

I thought that Garp was strong, but Koby might end up becoming stronger than him! He’s only Luffy’s age, and he’s already able to pull off the same kind of feat that Garp could! The fact that he had to train hundreds of times harder than anyone to get to that level because he had no combat skill makes that even more impressive! Koby truly earned his strength. He’s going to be the next generation of Marines’ Garp. 

Alas, the rise of a new hero of the Marines may mean the sunset on the old one. My worries about Garp’s safety proved to be well-founded, but I don’t believe he’s dead. The hero of the Marines that fought Gold Roger is too valuable a hostage to kill. Blackbeard will use him as a bargaining chip in the future. Ironically, it’s a reversal of what happened to Ace two years ago.

With the Reverie flashback over, and the business on Hachinsou done, there’s nothing to stop us from focusing on Egghead Island again. Sadly, we have to wait another two weeks, which is fine. So long as Oda gets it out, I’m fine with waiting. Also, we have this to look forward to around the same time.

It’s a good time to be a fan of One Piece!

I Give “The Final Lesson” a 4/5

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