It’s here! It’s finally here! Getting a new One Piece arc right along with the new year is like having back-to-back Christmas, and Egghead is off to a fantastic start. The new animation style, opening, and ending mean that the Egghead Arc is now officially underway, and Episode 1089 was the perfect way to kick it off. This whimsical, seemingly bright arc belies just how dark things are going to get, so time to dive into episode 1089!
Warning that this contains spoilers for One Piece through episode 1089. Catch up with the anime on Crunchyroll or manga on Viz before continuing further!
What Happens in One Piece Episode 1089?
Wow, considering the pacing for the past couple of arcs, Egghead is really off on the right foot. While the pacing for Wano and Whole Cake Island was often drawn out with multiple repeated scenes, this episode was smooth, with next to no repeated frames. Beginning with the Straw Hats sailing toward their next destination, while following up with Sabo’s call, barely even felt like a whole episode. By the time the Straw Hats save Jewelry Bonney from the water trap, it’s obvious that we’re seeing a whole new era of One Piece. An era that aims to be all killer, no filler for the arc to come.
Seeing the Straw Hats work together to keep Sunny sailing was fantastic. Putting the destruction of Lulusia Kingdom right in the middle of the episode was a stroke of genius though. Everything is so bright with the new animation, next to nobody was expecting such a dark scene at the start of an arc. Showing Imu’s brutality right off the bat was an amazing decision to set up the true evil the Straw Hats will face down this arc.
New Intro
The Egghead Island arc opening goes HARD. Like, really hard, and the art improvements only add to it. The biggest thing about the intro though is the insane amount of anime-only spoilers that are present. Seeing the fates of Law and Kid, as well as some of Koby’s big battles, are massive reveals of just some events to happen during Egghead. It’s even more than that though, because it goes on to briefly show the fight between Luffy and Rob Lucci, with full Zoan Awakenings for both.
Other spoilers are scattered throughout too, like Jewelry Bonney running toward the massive Paw-Paw Bubble. Anime-only viewers probably weren’t expecting Bonney to show up for an arc, but rest assured she’s one of the best characters in this storyline. The bright, flashy colors of the opening leading into the destruction of Lulusia were also a nice touch. It lends itself to the zany brightness of Egghead Island before the story itself goes incredibly dark.
Art Style Changes
Speaking of the zany brightness, the art style of One Piece has gone through a major shift for this arc. That’s typical, as the animation usually evolves with every new arc that is released. This time is really impressive though, with near-movie quality animation belying the bright colors and smooth movements. The brief scenes of the Straw Hats working around the Thousand Sunny were fantastic, with everyone showing weight in the wind and notable red cheeks from the cold. Zoro’s hair got lighter again too, no longer the dark green from Wano but now a return to the lighter shades of early One Piece.
The brighter tone makes sense though, because Egghead Island itself is an island of technology, innovation, and bright lights. The machinery is meant to be whimsical, like a scientific fantasy land, and the bright colors atop it perfectly betray the sinister undertones that the arc is going to employ. Egghead Island is hiding a lot of secrets, some of that will make the Straw Hats even more determined to take down the World Government after they’re done here.
Straw Hats in the Storm
Straw Hat camaraderie is one of the best things that One Piece relies on, and it’s been a while since we’ve gotten to see them all in action. The little bickering between Sanji and Zoro is fantastic as always, with Sanji freezing from the cold while Zoro is totally fine shirtless. Then Chopper goes flying off thanks to the hat that Otama made him, only to be caught by Luffy who flies off himself, is just comedy gold of the best sort in this series.
It’s also great seeing Jimbei get to take his place among the crew. Before his addition, no doubt the Sunny would have tanked hit after hit from those ice floes out in the ocean. Instead, using his knowledge of the ocean’s currents and tides, Jimbei sails them smoothly through with no damage. It’s always awesome just seeing the Straw Hats doing their part as members of a ship crew, instead of just running around islands.
Also, a lot of people are taking notice of Franky’s Japanese VA. He’s getting older, and it seems that the voice for Franky isn’t as easy as it used to be. Here’s hoping his health is still doing super and it’s not a permanent thing.
Sabo’s Fate
The last episode ended with Sabo’s call into the Kamabakka Kingdom from Lulusia. Everyone just wants to know if he was the one to kill Nefertari Cobra though, seeing as that’s what the newspaper says. Sabo assures them that he didn’t do it, but that he saw something at the top of the world in Mary Geoise. What exactly he saw remains a mystery for now, but he does mention that the throne atop the world, supposed to stay empty, was actually not vacant as everyone is led to believe.
Unfortunately, his call is cut off just as he’s about to give some very crucial information to the Revolutionaries. In the meantime though, it looks like Iva, Morley, and most of the others are satisfied with his answers. Though he goes quiet, it’s not lost on Koala that he could be in more danger, especially with the huge events that they’re soon to find out about far away in the Grand Line. Turns out, Sabo’s emergency call was being listened to.
Lulusia Kingdom Was Never There
Holy crap, this scene was probably some of the best horror One Piece has ever pulled off. The mounting music, glitching animation, and images of a butterfly landing on Imu along with the red, staring eye were fantastic. Intercutting the Gorosei telling the Marines that they never intercepted the call, while also seeing Lulusia meet their fate, is masterful. The manga was a fairly quick scene of destruction, only noting that Lulusia had just gone through their own revolution alongside seven others after the Reverie.
To see the people there before they’re erased by beams from the sky though, is something else. It truly encompasses the terror of the World Government, and just how far they’re willing to go. It might not be quite as gory as the Rumbling from Attack on Titan, but it accomplishes the same purpose. To show the incredible destructive powers the enemy possesses, and just how quickly they can wipe entire family lines off the map with a wave of their hand.
Warm Eddy Trap
Strange weather is nothing new in the Grand Line, much less this far into the New World. To see a massive orb of swirling water floating above the waves filled with ice is definitely something new though. It’s not a normal feature of the Grand Line for sure, and the glowing light coming from the middle of it just makes it even more obvious. Things get even worse when Luffy notices there’s someone inside the massive, swirling ball of water. Only upon confirmation by Sanji does anyone believe it though.
Instead of sending in their Fishman who could navigate the current though, Zoro elects to cut the massive orb in half. He absolutely does it too, in just one instance of the fantastic animation in this episode. The entire swirl of water is sliced clean in half, with a small person suddenly bursting out of the waves to fly straight up into the air. Thankfully Luffy is already in the air holding onto Chopper, so he’s able to wrangle their newfound acquaintance as they exit the water.
Jewelry Bonney Returns
Turns out it’s another member of the Worst Generation who’s been stuck in the massive water trap. Jewelry Bonney, one of the Supernovas with a huge bounty alongside Luffy, Law, and Kid, is the one who’s been trapped until the Straw Hats come along. Except now she’s a small child instead of the grown woman who rescued Zoro back on Sabaody Archipelago. Then again she’s also been seen as an old lady in Mary Geoise when she was sneaking around, so there are some powers at play here.
Just as other members of the Worst Generation have shown up in previous arcs like Bege and Kid, now it’s Bonney’s turn. For any manga readers, we’ve just gotten a whole lot of her backstory, but the anime-only watchers will have to wait quite a while. Rest assured it’s totally worth it though, with Jewelry Bonney having one of the best, most tragic stories in the history of One Piece. She’s quickly going to become a fan favorite for many.
What’s Next for One Piece?
Well, the first episode for the Egghead Island arc set up two of the central narratives we’ll be following. Luffy’s adventures alongside Bonney on Egghead are just beginning, while Sabo’s journey back to Kamabakka has hit a wall. The Lulusia Kingdom’s destruction will just be the beginning of this arc. Manga readers will agree it exposes a LOT about the World Government’s awfulness, and the Gorosei will definitely earn their main villain role before the midpoint.
One Piece is set for another arc that’s going to get fans in a clamor once more. Old characters will emerge in a new light, and long-spoken of characters will finally show themselves. Egghead Island is going to bring out a huge new status quo with a ton of big reveals, and nobody is prepared for some of the things to come. One Piece ends episode 1089 with a bang, leaving the Straw Hats in trouble as some massive Neptunian comes up under the Sunny. Things are only going to get better from here too!
