The Drums of Liberation Ring in One Piece!

A Fan Rant about the Drums of Liberation Moment in One Piece

Tonight, One Piece fans shall witness Monkey D. Luffy achieve his peak form, Gear Fifth, and essentially become a toon-force empowered god. Those who have read the manga know this is more than hyperbole. Luffy is about to unlock a power so ridiculous that it defies reality itself; this will be Popeye’s level of toon force! And it all starts this week with the playing of drums. The drums of liberation.

Say what you want about Episode 1070 of the One Piece anime, but it’s the final moments that make it worth watching. When Gear Fifth debuted in the manga a year ago, fans were told it came with the beating of what Zunesha called “the drums of liberation.” Fans have had to imagine what they sound, but the end to the latest episode brings them to life for the first time.

Whatever we imagined they must be like, the show makes it clear that it wasn’t enough. The drums of liberation are more amazing than almost anyone could hope to imagine. Through the simple power of music, One Piece manages to leave viewers grinning from ear to ear.

A Chaotic Maelstrom of Freedom and Joy

First, we have the beginning. It starts off with Luffy’s heartbeat. It starts off slow and distant, like hearing the beating of a drum from far away. Then, it gets closer, and a little louder. The music starts to ring out, playing something that seems primal in nature as it grows in tempo. Then…the true song begins to play. 

The drums begin to ring out like thunder as they play across the night, almost like they’re defying the gods to stop them. It’s an epic orchestra of rebellious, chaotic freedom that seeks to upturn the world, and it lights a fire in all those who hear it. It connects that inherent part of human nature that yearns for freedom, for liberation! Then the bongo drums can be heard above the noise, and the song takes a different turn. It grows beyond being this serious thing and becomes something enjoyable. It becomes something fun, and by hearing it, you can’t help but start to grin.

As the music hits its crescendo, it briefly subsides before bursting into one, final, chaotic explosion of determination and joy as Luffy begins to take on a new form and starts grinning. Then, the last thing we here is the sound of a rubber-band being played, highlighting the silliness of everything. 

More Beautiful Than I Imagined

I loved this moment in the anime. Through just the simple power of music, One Piece makes us go through so many emotions in the span of a few minutes. From curiosity and apprehension at the beginning, to feeling like the hair on our bodies crackling with anticipation. The feeling of being swept up in a maelstrom of chaotic freedom that leaves us laughing. By the end of it, I couldn’t stop grinning!

This is the moment that fans have waited for decades to witness! If music has the power to influence people’s emotions, then the people who make the anime succeeded, and then some! This was some of the funniest and silliest music I’ve ever heard. Hearing it makes me feel like all the problems in the world mean nothing in the face of joy. If this is what Oda wanted us to feel when he came up with the concept of Joyboy, then he succeeded!

I can’t wait for the new episode tonight!

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