One Piece Chapter 1119 has a lot going on, and you may have missed the tiny but hilarious Pokemon anime reference amid the chaos.
No shonen anime embraces goofiness quite like One Piece. This is especially true whenever Luffy transforms into Gear 5. This is seen once again in Chapter 1119 when we get a hilarious scene in the middle of a raging battle.
During the new chapter, the Gorosei have divided their force to take down every enemy on the island. While Nusjuro is fighting Zoro and Warcury is facing the Iron Giant (aka Emeth), Mars and Ju Peter are focused on destroying the Elbaf ships.
As previously seen, Luffy can’t defeat a Gorosei alone, even in Gear 5. So, he asks for help from Sanji, Franky, and Bonney. Thanks to their combined force, he uses a new technique: Gomu Gomu no Dawn Balloon, where he becomes huge like a balloon.
He then uses all their forces to blow Mars away across the ocean. The manga shows this as a flash in the sky, similar to how Pokemon’s Team Rocket finds themselves flying in every single episode of the anime.
As every Pokemon anime fan knows, Team Rocket flying away in the sky after their plan fails is a staple of the long-running series. They’re usually done by Pikachu (or Ash’s other Pokemon), and in One Piece, this role is taken by its rubbery protagonist.
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It’s an unexpected reference, yet it goes perfectly with One Piece’s usual goofiness. No matter how tense the situation is, Luffy’s Nika form will always find joy and hilarity out of it.
Things are currently very serious in One Piece, with our heroes fighting for their lives in back-to-back chapters. So, this funny reference is just what readers need as a palette cleanser.
However, we must also remember that Team Rocket always comes back even after their epic fails. So, we can expect Mars to come back with renewed vigor to kill Bonney and stop the Elbaf ship. But now that Emeth has reawakened, it may not be so easy for him or his fellow Gorosei.
Learn more about the world of One Piece with our guides on the Void Century, Vegapunk’s message, Joyboy’s history, and Bonney’s new transformation.