Ever since episode 1005, fans have been waiting for a big Chopper battle. Oda hasn’t really given Chopper a chance to shine yet – although it looks like the recent episodes are definitely building up to something grand.
In 1006, “I Won’t Forgive Him! Chopper’s Determination!” despite the title being about him, Chopper hardly gets 2 minutes of screentime. But Queen’s virus-inducing Excite Bullets cause a major hype.
1007 laid it on thicker – Queen reveals the true purpose of the virus, Ice Oni: he wishes to transform the disposable Pleasures and Waiters into ice zombies to battle the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance.
Chopper says that he needs the antidote to prepare a cure. Does he succeed in procuring the only vial of antidote from Queen? Will he be able to defeat him?
In episode 1010, “Eliminate the Ice Oni – Chopper’s Fire Trick”, we will see the beginning of Chopper’s win against Queen’s Ice Oni.
According to chapter 1007 of the manga, Chopper creates a countervirus called Chopperphage using Ice Oni antibodies that eliminates Queen’s virus from those infected.
How Does Chopper Get The Ice Oni Antibodies? Does He Use It On Himself?
Queen, confident of the devastating impact of the Ice Oni, decides to play a game. He passes Scratchmen Apoo the antidote and tells him to defend it against Zoro and Drake; if he failed, he would kill him.
Zoro manages to slam Apoo and retrieves the antibodies for Chopper.
Meanwhile, Chopper himself has contracted the virus. Robin tells him that his right hand had been infected and was already beginning to freeze.
The Ice Oni virus causes people to lose their minds and become ice-brained killing machines. They become so strong and endurant that they cannot be defeated through conventional means.
When Hyogoro is infected, he regains the physical strength of his youth, his muscles swelling, his size increasing. He can instantly get back up after being knocked down, attaining a certain zombie-like durability.
Victims who are infected are able to spread the virus to others through physical contact like biting.
Brook of course doesn’t have a human body so he remains uninfected, but unfortunately the doctor himself gets infected and begins turning into an ice oni.
When Zoro gives Chopper the antibodies, we see how tiny the vial is; now, at this point, I know for a fact that some readers thought Chopper would use it to heal himself.
There are two possible reasons for this:
1) Readers believed Queen when Queen tells the samurai that there is no way that Chopper would help cure them because he was a pirate.
2) Victims can last only an hour after initial contact to the virus – convinced Chopper couldn’t die yet, some fans probably thought Oda would let Chopper take the antibodies, and then cook up something else later to redeem his character.
But this is Doctor Chopper we’re talking about – there is no way that he would save himself and let all the others die from the virus.
Oda gives us the best of the best and makes sure that Chopper emerges a victorious hero. Instead of using the antibodies for himself, Chopper uses it to make the Chopperphage countervirus.
How Does Chopper Create The Chopperphage?
Chopper realizes that there are too many people infected to be cured with antibody-injections. He tries to multiply the antibodies but to no avail.
He therefore decides to create a virus of his own that could fight against the Ice Oni and eliminate it altogether. He takes the liquid antibodies and converts them into a benign artificial virus which he calls Chopperphage.
Chopperphage is a gaseous virus that can spread through air and doesn’t require physical contact unlike the Ice Oni.
Chopper tells Miyagi and Tristan to fire the gas out of a cannon so it can disseminate the cure to everyone that was infected at the same time.
Upon firing, the cloud of Chopperphage resembles Chopper’s face and then cures the entire island, allies and enemies alike. Could Chopper get any more shine?
Does Hyogoro Die After Becoming An Ice Oni?
In chapter 1006, Hyogoro, the former Yakuza boss of the Flower Capital, demands Yatappe to kill him after his infection worsens.
Just as the blade is about the strike him, Chopper comes through and administers the Chopperphage in the form of a pill to save him.
The countervirus heats Hyogoro’s frozen body and eliminates the virus from his system in the matter of seconds.
After seeing the effect of the cure on Hyogoro, the Mink Tribe wheels out the cannon and disperses the Chopperphage to everyone present in the Performance Hall.
It doesn’t have any effect on the people who hadn’t been infected, but those who were ice onis, begin to thaw and regain their senses.
In this way, Chopper was able to counteract Queen’s fatal plague, and cured thousands, including the crew of the Beasts Pirates, who had been destined to die.
It’s because of this act that the cured members of the Beasts Pirates turn against Queen himself.
Is Queen Defeated By Chopper?
Chopper doesn’t defeat Queen but does destroy his icy plague. Queen’s subordinates rise against him, and Marco, who had previously used his Phoenix form to temporarily reverse the oni transformations, holds Queen down.
Chopper uses his Rumble Balls to change into his Monster Point form. He strikes Queen on his neck, but unfortunately his blows are merely superficial.
But nobody expected Chopper to take down an All-Star. All we wanted was to see him get his moment – and he does.
The One Piece anime has really risen above my expectations by giving us extra scenes that weren’t even in the manga. I can’t wait to see chapter 1007 animated and see my boy Chopper get his due.
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.
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