'One Piece' 973 Recap; 974 Spoilers: Is Toki Really Dead?

“One Piece” Chapter 973 is arriving on Mar. 9 after a week of hiatus due to Oda’s health issue. From the scans, fans learned Kyoshiro’s real identity and the events that happened at the Kuri Castle following Oden’s death. The upcoming “One Piece” chapter will also show Lady Toki reciting her ode to Wano with the Kuri Castle burning in the background, but is she really dead?

Lady Toki’s Character

Scattered all over the chapters of “One Piece” Land of Wano Arc are several proofs that Lady Toki is already dead. In “One Piece” Chapter 973 Lady Toki told Kinemon and the other scabbards when they were urging her to escape that she has reached the end. It appears as though she was telling them that Oden is dead, and she has no more reason to live.

But, in the early part of “One Piece” Chapter 972, one of the panels showed Oden and Lady Toki’s conversation that confirmed she has traveled from 800 years, which is the Time of Void. One of the central points of “One Piece” is the mysterious Time of Void, where Joy Boy and “One Piece” originated. It is safe to assume that Lady Toki is an end game character that possesses great knowledge about many critical elements in the story.

If she is dead, Oda might have better a plot in mind on how to piece the Time of Void and all its mysteries in the current timeline of the Manga. If Lady Toki is alive, “One Piece” Chapter 973 vividly but indirectly hinted that Kaido and Orochis men were there to make sure all of the Kozuki clan will die on that fated night, so how she escaped would be very interesting but also disappointing.

“One Piece” Chapter 973 Recap

The chapter begins with Oden with Roger’s crew descending from Skypea through the giant octopus. In the pirate ship were Hiyori, Momonusuke, and lady Toki. The next scenes show Oden spending time with his family, which answers some questions like why Komurasaki cries when she plays a particular piece.

Oden also talked about the ties between Wano and the Minks and even suggested when the time comes for them to go to Zou. “One Piece” Chapter 973 also shows the events following Oden’s execution and how the scabbards valiantly defended and tried to save the remaining Kozuki family. The chapter also reveals how Kaido caused the heir to the Kozuki throne to be traumatized and to fear heights.

“One Piece” Chapter 974 is scheduled to arrive on Mar.15.