In One Piece, there are few things sadder than seeing a character pass, but a recent chapter proved their final words can be the most upsetting part of all. Over the weekend, the manga stepped out with a long-awaited chapter which brought a flashback to a close. For some time now, the manga has followed Kozuki Oden through his youth, but this most recent chapter dove into his final moments and the parting words he left with his dear wife.
As fans found in the final pages of chapter 972, One Piece did not hold back with Oden’s final words. The pirate sailed the seas and fell in love with Toki easily, but there was no way he was prepared to say goodbye to her. In the end, Oden did not get to see his wife just before dying, but he did leave a letter with Toki before he left home.
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Of course, the letter contained his final words, and it seems Oden knew he would die at Kaido’s hands. His letter isn’t anything mushy, and its message is direct. Oden confirms he has one more request for Toki even in death, and it has to do with saving Wano’s future.
“Toki, I have reached my limit. If I fail to defeat him, there will be no others who can stop Kaido for a long time. Over 20 years ahead of us, there will likely be a massive war terrible enough to split the seas themselves. In other words, in another 20 years, the primary figures of the Great War will muscle their way into the New World,” Oden wrote.
Continuing, the rightful ruler of Wano tells Toki she must do one last thing for him. “I want you to use your power, Toki. If I should die.”
The message ends there, leaving fans to put all of the pieces together. When they learned of Wano so long ago, they had no idea of Oden’s legacy, but they know his lineage lives on through Momonosuke. The young boy was sent twenty years into the future by Toki, and that decision was made between both parents. Now, it is up to Momonosuke to finish his father’s plans, and he will have Monkey D. Luffy backing him every step of the way.
Did this One Piece death hit you a certain type of way? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!