One Piece Harkens to Marineford with Latest Wano Update

One Piece fans were warned about the Wano Country arc years before it arrived in the manga. The epic tale was teased time and again as one of the best to take on One Piece, and it has delivered so far. In fact, there are plenty of fans wondering whether the Wano arc can live up to the Marineford arc, and it seems a small throwback in the latest chapter of One Piece wants fans to think that is the case.

The situation unraveled when One Piece chapter 983 went live. The update followed various rebel groups as they ran from their own enemies while trying to rendezvous for a bit battle. The stage has been set for the big showdown as Orochi and Kaido promise they will kill the last surviving Kozuki heir before the crowd.

In fact, the panel in question shows Momonosuke tied to an x-shaped crucifix as his hands are bound by chains. The poor boy is hardly conscious following the beating he got earlier, and there are hundreds if not at least a thousand pirates watching from below.

Orochi proceeds to tell the warriors below that they have caught the Kozuki heir and are intending to make a show of his execution. Of course, this spectacle will immediately draw comparisons to the execution of Portgas D. Ace. The former Whitebeard pirate was a beloved hero in the series, and his brotherly bond with Luffy made him a quick favorite. When he was captured by the Marines, the group wanted to make a show of things.

One Piece fans will remember how Ace was trudged up to a stage high above soldiers where he executioners waited for him. The humiliating display was meant to weaken his reign as Gol D. Roger's son while making the Marines look powerful. This is mirrored exactly with Momonosuke and his captors. Orochi is trying to build himself up in spite of the Kozuki heir's legitimacy, so fans are hoping the upcoming battle is on par with that seen at Marineford years ago.

Do you think Wano will live up to the expectations set by Marineford? Or fall short? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!