One Piece (2026-)

Episode 1164

Episode 1164 of One Piece moves at a snail's pace, but the payoff is more than worth it.

You could call this entire episode a celebration of Nico Robin, so it's no wonder that I'm positive on it. Saul and Robin's reunion is full of pure joy. She has been through so much and endured all manner of trials and tribulations. Now, at last, she has returned a survivor - yet perhaps most importantly, someone who is loved. Robin knows what it means to love others and be loved in return. She is no longer a loner hounded by those who want to kill her; rather, she is someone others would die to protect. We might find it normal, passe even, to discuss how beloved Robin is, seeing as how she has been a part of the crew since its earliest days. Yet in the span of her life, she has mostly known violence, fear, and constant threats looming over her shoulder. That power of friendship stuff really is quite special.

The rest of the episode moseys along in no real hurry. There are a few jokes on the beach before we make it to the village and start meeting the various giants living in Elbaph. Once there, it's a pretty extended sequence of the Straw Hats talking to the giants, young and old. Most of this is necessary setup and exposition, though it's in no rush to wrap things up. Most of the character interactions are worthwhile, so it doesn't drag out the proceedings in any excessive way. Plus, there are a few jokes thrown in for good measure, some just wholesome shenanigans with the giant children (jumbo shrimps?). There's also the bit with the crew bouncing on Ms. Ripley's Bodacious Ma'amdanavians, which is not the first (nor likely the last) time that Luffy has gone a-bouncing across a bust.

The finale of the episode in the magical owl library is the scene that shoots right past the breasts and straight into the softest body part of all: the heart. It turns out that Saul managed to save or recover all of the books from Ohara. Eventually, he rebuilt the library here on Elbaph, saving the great legacy that the World Government tried to destroy. It's a whimsical, fantastical location, too, with book-sizing magic and a big, fluffy professor owl, too. Even the most emotional scenes have that cartoon silliness that I, for one, enjoy.

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