One Piece: Luffy Corrects Whitebeard and Roger’s Mistake in Chapter 1057

Chapter 1057 of One Piece has been getting mixed reactions. Some people find the Wano finale to be a bit of a let-down while some are excited about particular aspects of the chapter – like the scenes concerning Yamato or Hiyori.

The latest chapter has a lot of things worth discussing, but today, I want to talk about something that doesn’t seem to be getting the attention it deserves.

Towards the end of the chapter, Momonosuke bawls about being left behind by Luffy and the gang. In response, Luffy does something that essentially corrects the mistake Whitebeard and Roger made in their time with Momo’s dad, Kozuki Oden.

Luffy calls Momo his little brother, just as Whitebeard called Oden. He gives Momo a huge Jolly Roger flag to hang in Wano, basically marking Wano as a Straw Hat territory. Had Whitebeard or Roger done this when Oden was part of their crews, Kaido wouldn’t have been in Wano.

The symbolism and parallelism are rife here, which is totally fitting for such a monumental moment, seeing as we’re leaving the land of Wano behind after 10 full years. Luffy’s goodbye gesture to Wano’s shogun has more meaning than most people realize. Let’s break it down.

What does Luffy tell Momo before leaving Wano?

Luffy tells Momo that he thinks of him as his little brother, and that even though Momo is grown up on the outside and is playing the “tough shogun”, Luffy knows exactly what he’s like on the inside.

Momo confesses that he’s scared about what will happen next and that he was only able to survive because Luffy was present in Wano.

In response, Luffy gifts him a Mugiwara/Straw Hat flag.

When times are tough, look at it and remember your seafaring adventures! Hang it up somewhere in Wano! If any major bad news comes knockin’, just point ‘em to it! It’ll let them know that screwing with our friends is the same as screwing with us!

He also tells Momo, Kinemon, and Yamato that if any of them want to become pirates, he would come for them right away.

What is the significance of Luffy giving Momo the Jolly Roger?

Giving Momo the Jolly Roger flag symbolizes that Wano is under the Straw Hat Pirates’ protection. As Luffy says, messing with Wano, is messing with them.

This might seem like a really Yonko-esque decision for Luffy to have made; putting up his flag in Wano means proclaiming his territory over the country that houses the Ancient Weapon, Pluton.

But this is Luffy we’re talking about – giving the flag to Momo, he simply meant that he’d stand by Momo as his nakama. Of course, his intention doesn’t change the fact that Wano has become the first Straw Hat territory.

Even though Luffy would never want to rule Wano, the country will never forget what he did for them and will do whatever it takes to help him and the Straw Hats.

This is especially important as Pluton is in Wano; Yamato, who recently joined the crew as an offboard member, will roam and explore the secrets of Wano as Oden did, and probably find Pluton.

Momo will also finally open the borders of Wano when the time comes. In the Straw Hats’ inevitable fight with the Blackbeard Pirates and/or the Marines, Wano – including its shogun, his retainers, Yamato, and the Ancient Weapon Pluton, will enter the battle flying the Straw Hats’ flag.

Does Luffy and Momo’s relationship mirror that of Whitebeard and Oden? Is it different?

In chapter 964, Whitebeard welcomes Oden as part of his crew. He calls him his “little brother”, just how Luffy calls Momo in chapter 1057.

Whitebeard knew from the first instant how mentally and physically strong Oden was. In fact, this was one of the reasons he didn’t want Oden to join his crew – he didn’t see him as a person capable of listening to orders.

Momo, on the other hand, was just a kid when Luffy met him. An inherent crybaby, but adamant about wanting to defeat Kaido. Even though Momo was nowhere near as strong as his dad, Luffy offered to form an alliance with him to beat Kaido.

In the flashback in chapter 1057, Oda makes sure that we remember how Luffy had Momo’s back since the very beginning. Luffy thought of Momo as a “cowardly jumped-up top-knotted brat” but assured him that they were pals and would save Wano together.

Whitebeard sure loved Oden, but their relationship was nowhere as deep and strong as Luffy and Momo.

Whitebeard got mad when Roger wanted to borrow Oden to take to Laugh Tale; he seemed possessive of him, and also kept his position as second division commander empty when Oden left to join the Roger Pirates.

But Whitebeard didn’t ever try and help Oden and Wano after Kaido came to rule it; he never even contacted him in 20 years – possibly because he was still angry that Oden left him for Roger.

Luffy, as we know, will do anything for his nakama. Calling Momo his brother means that Luffy considers him as part of his family, part of his crew, his nakama. Just as Wano will aid Luffy in upcoming battle, Luffy will aid Wano and its people from any future invaders.

Wano is an important country, and there’s a possibility that Blackbeard or the World Government try to enter it to steal Pluton. But with the Jolly Roger in Wano, any enemy of Wano is an enemy of the Straw Hats. This kind of alliance was not something Whitebeard and Oden ever had.

Why didn’t Whitebeard or Roger make Wano their Territory?

Whitebeard and Roger had vested interests in Oden, not Wano. While Whitebeard accepted Oden’s request to join his crew for his strength, determination, and bravery, Roger needed Oden to help him decipher to Road Poneglyphs to reach the One Piece.

Neither of them thought of making Wano their territory, or even forming an alliance with the country. Had they done this, Kaido would never have been able to invade Wano.

Luffy remedies this grave error – not by claiming Wano as his after defeating its former tyrant Kaido, but by declaring his official alliance with the country in the form of a gift to its shogun.

The Straw Hats’ Jolly Roger now hangs in Wano, its people indebted to captain Luffy for freeing them from slavery. With Momo vowing to surpass Oden, Luffy’s connection to Wano and the two-way protection that they offer each other, this alliance is sure gonna be hard to beat.

About One Piece

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the Pirate King, is Gol D. Roger. The final words he said at the execution tower were “My treasures? If you want it, I’ll let you have it. Look for it; I left all of it at that place.” These words sent many to the seas, chasing their dreams, headed toward the Grand Line, in search of One Piece. Thus began a new age!

Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy also heads toward the Grand Line in search of One Piece. His diverse crew is joining him along the way, consisting of a swordsman, marksman, navigator, cook, doctor, archaeologist, and cyborg-shipwright, this will be one memorable adventure.