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My favorite parts of One Piece is when it dives deeper into the world building, and it was no different in this volume. It was interesting to meet some of the other Warlords, the Blackbeard Pirates, the World Government, and even a glimpse of Shanks (I'm intrigued at the hints that everyone seems to be very familiar with Shanks and vice versa). Now that we've gotten into the Sky Islands, I'm interested to see how that storyline plays out, especially with the added aspect of the social commentary. 

Sad to say goodbye to Vivi, but excited to have more adventures with Nico Robin.

The ending of this novella is what brought it all together for me. For the majority of the story I had been enjoying it fine, but I really liked how the conclusion came together (and how the magic became more of focus with that conclusion). After finishing the story, I was able to appreciate how it started even more.

Honestly, this finale felt slightly underwhelming, mainly because it felt like the author hadn't completely planned how the series was going to conclude. This kept taking me out of the story as up until now, the previous books had all felt like they were building up to something, which made some of the plot choices in this book feel even more out of the blue. There were attempts at plot twist that failed to make invested completely because they involved characters that hadn't been given the time to develop. In the end, my attachment to the characters that have been at the center of this series from the beginning is what kept my interest going until the end.

I really liked the earnest examination of a premise that could have just become an excuse to kick off the story. Instead, the author takes the time to unpack how harmful the systems that are backing the world-building of this world can be. It is possible that you might find the parallels too on the nose or going way too much into detail, but those aspects of the book appealed to me. Mostly, I was rooting really hard for the main character to find their footing and confidence in all parts of their self-identity. 

I think this is my favorite omnibus volume that takes place within the Alabasta arc. You can really feel the stakes as Luffy faces off against Crocodile, as Vivi tries to get to the palace, and as the rest of the Straw Hats duel their respective Baroque Works member.