Welcome back the the Cavern for more Hajime no Ippo Content. Ippo has 26 matches so far and most of them are beyond action packed so making a top 5 list is interesting and Tough honestly.
This is my own Personal List so it’s sure to be different from yours. feel free to leave your Top 5 Makunouchi Ippo fights in the comments.
In my List I’m not strictly judging the Matches alone but I’m also factoring in the build up, motivation and etc. There are also a big number of anime only so i’ll avoid spoilers.
Number 5.
Makunouchi Ippo Vs. Kojima Hisato
When you disrespect Coach Kamogawa, You’re forcing Ippo to cross the line that separates Both Man and Monster. for us Manga readers especially with more recent chapters we know of Ippo’s Dark Rage.
Number 4.
Date Eiji Vs. Makunouchi Ippo
This was Ippo’s first national Title match against the the Hotblooded Veteran Date Eiji, whom of which was a former contender for the World Title in the past.
Number 3.
Makunouchi Ippo Vs. Sawamura Ryuhei
Sawamura reminded me of Kojima from Ashita no Joe, but that aside if this fight were not on my list you guys would be dumbfounded. Ippo has had run ins with Sadistic men before but Sawamura takes the cake with his ideals and views.
Ippo and Sendo have had 2 incredible Fights but the fight for the Japanese Title Edges it out for me. full of Action, Fighting Spirit, and emotion this fight has it all and the build up for this anticipated rematch was pretty great.
Number 1.
Alfredo Gonzalez Vs. Makunouchi Ippo
Ippo’s 1st World Ranker Match Against the Dangerous Mexican Warrior Alfredo Gonzalez. This build up was beyond epic with Ippo working harder than he’s ever done before! This Fight would launch him closer to challenge the Great Champion Ricardo Martinez for a World Title shot.
We made a recent Top 10 Swordsmen post that was for the most part well received! check out that post down below and feel free to follow our Facebook page.
This List is for the users who haven’t utilized their fruits to their Potentials. fruits where if placed in the hands of an ambitious and skilled person they’d rise quickly in social status or Ranking.
Number 1 On the List Is The Marine Captain Shu
His Devil Fruit The Sabi Sabi No Mi: With this fruit any swordsman who crosses his path would be at serious risk of losing their signature blade. He’s able to rust anything he comes into contact with even a persons physical body would be susceptible to it’s affects.
2. Number 2 on the list is Pirate Captain Foxy
His Devil Fruit Is The Noro Noro no mi: This fruits potential is unquestionable! anyone that ray passes is forced to move in slow Motion. If this fruit were in the hands of one of the supernova/Worst generation, the user would be a very dangerous individual.
3. Number 3 on the list is Former Baroque Agent Mr. 5
His Devil Fruit Is The Bomu Bomu no mi: Mr. 5 truly wasted the potential of the fruit, his body is a living explosive and yet he instead chose to rely on booger flicking as a way to utilize the fruit. He’s immune to explosions and if he were an adept combatant this would be trouble for anyone. think of Bakugou from My Hero academia for a sort of example.
4. Number 4 on the list is the Red Scabbards Kanjuro
His Devil fruit Currently in unnamed within the story: The abilities of this fruit are unrealized by the simple fact that Kanjuro has a lack of actual drawing ability! this fruit allows the user to bring whatever he draws to life and Kanjuro struggles with even the most basic of drawings. He could technically draw Dragons, Giants, or even Demon like monsters if he had any real skill.
5. Number 5 on the List is O-Tama the Kunoichi in training
Her Devil Fruit is currently unnamed within the story: this fruit falling into the hands of a child was an unfortunate occurrence. This Fruit gives her the ability to make any beast subservient to her will. She could potentially tame sea kings, The Powerful beasts of Rusukaina, and there’s seemingly no limit as to how many beast she could tame with this ability.
This was not a long chapter so there isn’t too much to discuss but as the title states I believe from this point onward, Kimura is going to tear through whichever weight division he ends up in. The Victory came to a close when Kimura feinted his Dragon-fish Blow by throwing it backward when Shinoda seemingly mistook the original name.
There were many Fans doubting Kimura but he made a Vow as a man to not experience the regret of failing when he’s so close to accomplishing something great. Aoki and Kimura are both going to become respected and recognized names throughout Japan in the Future. The Kamogawa Boxing gym has a great staple of fighters at this moment in the story.
Morikawa is an excellent writer with over 30 years of experience in just this series alone. In these final crucial moments Kimura began to doubt himself, he had to dig deep and remember the Vow he made in the past. His head/mind spinning seemed to lead to him throwing the Dragon-Fish Blow Feint to end the fight.
Ippo has gotten an even better look into the struggles/challenges of being a head coach in the corner of their fighter. Ippo has been in many dire situations such as this and Kamogawa had steadfast in his corner providing support no matter the circumstance.
Next chapter though I believe that we are going to see a masterclass from Itagaki. He’s going to end this match in spectacular fashion and this will put a further imprint into our minds that he’s going to end up being a real threat to anyone who steps into the ring with him.
The buildup for Itagaki challenging Ippo at some point in the future is undeniable in my opinion. There have been too many moments within the story that would enforce this scenario coming to life. the Facebook post above shows it clearly how Itagaki innately or subconsciously targets Makunoichi.
The tension between the Marines and World Government have been steadily increasing since Sakazuki was given the Title Of Fleet Admiral. With the Revelation of the Secret Marine Organization of “Sword” it’s now apparent of the Distrust the Marines have for the WG.
Cipher Pol has been conducting Serious Operations all without the Marines having a single clue. Because of this distrust it would seem likely that the forming of “Sword” would be to combat these shady acts from the WG.
There has to be something else going on behind the scenes other than the WG purchasing Weapons from Wano. The Great Cleansing that Im-Sama spoke of seems nigh inevitable and When that time comes, whose going to prevent or enact the mass extinction of the World?
Fleet Admiral Sakazuki has proven before that he would exterminate innocents in the name of his Absolute Justice. What about the more good hearted marines, would they all carry out their orders without hesitation? At the end of the Day those same marines also have family who’d be in danger of losing their lives.
The answer would be truly decided if it’s revealed whether or not Sakazuki is in Fact apart of “Sword”. Akainu is very popular and charismatic in the eyes of the common marine soldier and he’d surely be able to amass a following under him if that was his intention.
If Akainu Is not apart of “Sword” then this could potentially lead to a split of the Marines and cause massive in-fighting for those who would Oppose the Great Cleansing and those who would Support it.
A very possible scenario is that The Leader of “Sword” will uncover the World Governments Plot for the Great Cleansing and would openly Challenge them. If Fleet Admiral Sakazuki decides to follow the orders of the WG to kill the millions of innocents, then that would of coarse lead to internal conflict for the Marines.
The most likely Leader of “Sword” would be either Kuzan or Garp The Marine Hero.
If “Swords” leader turns out to be Kuzan, he would not allow another mass murder of innocents as he had allowed in the past by the hands of Akainu. This time he could oppose him with a like minded force of marines.
Welcome back to the Cavern!, this is the first post for the month of February and I hope we continue to have an explosive year. Above you can see our latest post on Facebook and as you will notice it’s showing that Ryuma is a popular character within the series.
So it would seem that during the Conquest of the World by the world Nobles (currently the World Government) Ryuma, a samurai of Wano was able to repel and quell the many invasion attempts made by Pirates and the proclaimed Gods of the world.
At this current moment from what’s been told it’s implied that Ryuma was the significant figure in protecting Wan. his samurai allies were surely powerful as well but unlike Oden he didn’t seem to have had a group similar to the 9 Red Scabbards by his side.
I’m noticing that we’re really overlooking a feat such as this! Devil fruits and powerful men in the past were surely as abundant as they are now currently in the story. Devil fruits were present and it’s extremely likely that Ryuma would have faced off against attackers with Fruit abilities.
Currently within the story the only individuals who could possible fend off an invasion from the WG would be the Emperors of the New World. In the Land of Wano Ryuma had to have been as strong as the current Yonko to keep his country safe while so many other nations either were conquered or destroyed.
The Sword God the impression he left on the World Nobles have lasted for centuries! The WG even hundreds of years later are wary of the Powerful Samurai and have chosen to allow them to stay isolated from the world.
The current Greatest Swordsman in the World is being regarded as the Greatest swordsman in the series but I highly Doubt that Mihawk would be able to accomplish what Ryuma had done many years ago. Ryuma was unparalleled and unrivaled in his time Mihawk currently still has much to prove in regards to combat as a whole not just Swordsmanship.
Swordsmanship and dueling can be seen as Boxing or Muay Thai, sure he’s very vicious in his craft but in a full on fight where anything goes is when his battle prowess comes into question and that’s why Mihawk vs. Shanks is still a toss-up in regards to who would win in an actual fight rather than a Swordsman Duel.
You’ll notice that many fans are expecting Zoro to be a distant descendant of Ryuma and I for one could see that happening as well. Either way it goes I’m hoping we get a flashback of Ryuma Slaying the Dragon over the capital in the actual story soon. Oda based Ryuma off of his manga Monsters! and that Dragon slaying scene is essentially canon in One Piece according to Oda but he’d more than likely add a few changes upon redrawing it if he’s to show us.
Welcome back to the Cavern and I hope the new layout is well received by our visitors old and new. January has been the most productive month for the Cavern by Far! with 6000 views for the month.
It’s a bit overlooked as to the reason why Crocodile accompanied by Daz Bones, would choose to not escape the Marines with the rest of the Baroque Work Operatives. Miss Goldenweek gave us a hint to this by revealing all of the Members secret Dreams, and of coarse we were shown that Crocodile secretly dreams of becoming Pirate King.
Much like Moria Crocodile started his career with a Burning Motivation
Crocodile had shown a lot of animosity towards Luffy in their initial encounter because I’m sure the young rookie reminded him of Himself in his younger years before he clashed with the Whitebeard Pirates. He was trying to force the thought to Luffy that he isn’t the first person to chase after the dream of becoming Pirate king wholehearted and that it’s foolish to expect success when even powerful men like himself who were unable to do so.
His ambitions after being defeated by an unknown rookie who has the same dream as him, awoken his fire and his mental scars were then fully healed after spending time in Impel Down. In Daz Bones Vivre card it was revealed that he’s in the new world working for a secret organization. This New Organization is surely ran By Crocodile himself as we know he’s not he type of man who’d to work under anyone.
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In the past Crocodile was able to run an entire criminal Organization under the noses of the Marines and World Government. He seems to be going along that same route again rather than Openly sailing the New world with a crew.
Saved Luffy’s Life and Interacted on even terms with DoflamingoANIME AND MANGA SHOP
He’s shown the ability to contend with powerful pirates in Marineford, He clashed with Doflamingo, Mihawk, and Battled Akainu alongside the Whitebeard Commanders. His devil fruit mastery has always been top level and now that we’re in the New World I’m very sure that he’s awakened his Devil fruit since he clearly holds devil fruit mastery to the top of his list in terms of combat.
There’s so much going on right now with the Yonko all in action, The marines at war with the Shichibukai and it’s honestly a bit tough as to guess how Crocodile Could make a grand reappearance anytime soon in the story. Some fans expect him to arrive in Wano as a temporary ally to assist in taking down Emperor Kaido. Crocodile would be an amazing addition to their numbers but He’s no fool to put himself in such an uncertain situation where he would have no information on whats going on.
In the New World I’m hoping Crocodile play’s a similar role to Pirates like Eustass Kid, and Blackbeard. He has the experience and etc. so he should be able to capitalize on the current events to get ahead in the Great Pirate race for King. So instead of saying he’ll go to Wano there are 2 other possibilities that could happen in the story.
The first Possibility is that instead of Blackbeard, Crocodile and Daz Bones could be the one’s who infiltrate Whole Cake Island to get hands on the Ponegylph that Big Mom has hidden there. Yes Katakuri would be present but Crocodile and his potentially Awakened Logia abilities should prove a good match for the Mochi man. If he wants to become Pirate King, He’d need to go after the Yonko at some point and this is the perfect time.
Sir. Crocodile and Luffy are bound to cross paths again in the future and it will lead to an epic rematch in the New World for the title of Pirate King.
Crocodile And Doflamingo?
It’s very unlikely I know but I also have a small feeling that Crocodile could Potentially rescue Doflamingo from Impel Down leading to a clash with Magellan. Now it would seem very sudden since Doffy has only recently been locked up but their interaction at Marineford really gave me a feeling of a possible team up in the future.
One Piece as a whole is a very unique and diverse series so you could guess that it’s combat would also match it’s Quirky style.
Santoryu
The Creator for this unique Sword style is our very own Roranoa Zoro. With this Technique and his earned ability he has been able to earn the recognition of Hawk Eye Mihawk and Clash with dangerous foes such as Kaku of Cipher Pol.
Zoro Has challenged many powerful individuals with this technique and earned a famous name throughout the four Blues and the New World.
Strengths
Boasts High Offensive Power
Very Unpredictable due to the 3rd which usually catches opponents off guard mid battle.
Multiple Blades so that if One happens to break he could make due with the other 2.
Okama/Newkama Kenpo
The Strongest User of this technique is none other than the Okama Emporio Ivankov. This technique has been used by the Okama and we’ve seen how it stacks up in battle. Bon Clay a proficient Okama Kenpo user was able to fight on par with Sanji of the “Strawhat” Pirates. furthermore Ivankov boasts high level combat abilities as well when he held off Magellan and participated in the War of the best.
Strengths
Diverse and adaptable attacks
Fast and Fluid attacks usually used in succession or quick flurries
Is Specific to the Okama Followers
Rokushiki
Masters of this art are formidable opponents, It’s used mostly by Marine or world government Operatives. This martial art gave our Strawhats a very hard time at water 7 and Ennies Lobby. This Combat style is Well versatile from Speed to defensive capabilities, mastering these skills gives you a major advantage.
Strengths
Versatility for any situation
Rokushiki Masters are always top class combatants
could be learned by anyone if they train hard enough
Fishman Karate
Fishman Karate is especially effective of the User is near a body of water due to the number of techniques they’re able to implement With the water into their attacks. The style can differ slightly from user to user but most are able to even affect the water in there victims bodies as a way to harm them.
Strengths
Ability to harm nearly any opponent
Highly effective near a body of Water
can be learned by even humans
Ryusoken
Sabo is the Only confirmed user of this Martial art but we can assume Monkey D. Dragon would be a master of this technique as well. This technique is highly offensive oriented with him being able to crush even Metal with ease.
Strengths
Strengthens the users Fingers considerably
The combat style has been used against admirals and a Yonkos top crew member.
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Welcome to the Cavern for One Piece chapter 970 spoilers.
According to the Spoilers we have insight on a few key parts in the chapter.
-In their Clash Oden was gaining the upper-hand against Kaido until an enemy managed to capture Momonosuke and use him as a hostage resulting in Odens Defeat.
-Oden is Captured after the Duel and is imprisoned! execution is set for 3 days after the battle.
Oden Is sentenced to be Executed via Boiling Alive.
Personal expectation: I’m sure we’re going to see a young King, Queen, and Jack in the chapter because who else on Orochi’s side would be able to hold off the scabbards other than them.
We also are shown a young Shinobu and many fans actually are picking her to be the Traitor.
In One Piece Gold, Oda teased us with the clash between Cipher Pols Rob Lucci and Revolutionary Sabo. We know that the movies are non-canon but with certain dialogue and events within the canon story, there can be a potential rivalry brewing between the two Motive Driven men.
It’s Possible that they’ve encountered each other in the past.
The possibility of them clashing in the past is great due to the position of both of the Men. One Works directly under the World Government and is their greatest asset/unit. while The other is the 2nd in command of the Revolutionary force that wishes to overthrow that World ruling Government.
The dialogue in the panels above strongly suggest that they’ve encountered each other at some point in their journey. But with that aside there’s also our known knowledge of Sabo and Rob Lucci both being present during the Reverie. I won’t suggest that they clashed there due to the information Blackbeard Provided us but there’s a possibility of a chase being made by Cipher Pol.
I’m fairly certain Sabo did not lose his life against the admirals but instead he would have been able to escape and elude capture. But this is where I can see Rob Lucci and CP0 giving chase to the revolutionary commanders while they are at their most Vulnerable.
Oda hinted towards this event with both parties mentioning each other and with them later on being present in the very same area/event. Sabo being in danger could easily be interpreted by that he has CP0 on his trail giving chase to him and his allies.
The Biggest problem fans have with Rob Lucci, is their belief of him not becoming stronger during the 2 years that Luffy and the Crew spent apart for training. For a man whose as motivated with a sense of justice as this to not rise in strength after a defeat is truly unlikely. He fought Equally with “strawhat” Luffy in the past and there is no reason why he would not become more threatening especially considering that he’s remained active in the New World.
Before this event we were shown that Rob Lucci and Spandam were following right behind Sabo and the stolen weapons, this strongly implies his presence at Baltigo Island when Blackbeard and Cipher Pol Clashed. If CP0 were as weak as some fans believe then we all know Emperor Blackbeard would have no qualms with taking them out then and there.
Whether it happened in Reverie or not, this showdown is inevitable! there is no way The Revolutionaries are reaching the Celestial Dragons without Cipher Pol Blocking their and the Worlds path to Revolution.
This year we have so much to look for in the series and it’s very exciting to speculate and draw up potential rivalries and clashes between the large number of characters.
To my Hajime No Ippo followers/fans sorry for the long hiatus! One Piece was having a killer year and I had to keep up with the content.
Kimura has always been seen as a boxer who while very well rounded he lacks any qualities/attributes that truly stand out. he’s not especially fast and he doesn’t have one-punch Knockout power but he makes up for it with his boxing ability and the experience he’s gathered from training alongside fighters like Ippo and Takamura.
He’s also in the past juggled with thoughts of retiring due to his inability to become champion but from what we’ve seen of him he does in fact have the ability when he’s motivated to the fullest. I’m sure we’ve at this point have all seen his Bout against Mashiba and that was a very close fight that he nearly won.
All of that aside it’s easy to see that despite his lack of being overly special, Kimura seems like a Dormant monster just waiting to be awoken. If you have forgotten I recommend reading Chapter 1136 when Kimura made his comeback to the Boxing ring.
Much like Ippo, Kimura’s main problem lies in his mental fortitude, he has fear of moving up in weight to face the larger opponents. To fight equally with Mashiba who many fans are picking to to become a World Champion is no small feat in the slightest.
Time and Time again we see Glimpses of Kimura’s true potential where he’s able to completely overwhelm his opponents so much so that he looks unrecognizable to his own team. Just in these last two latest Chapters he’s once again reminding us of this fact. But Kimura has to overcome his doubts and move up in weight to access his full potential.
Most Fans fear or expect that kimura’s going to have a repeat of what had happened in the past due to his tough weight control and with the ending of chapter 1287 their fears are seemingly coming true. for me personally with Ippo in his corner being such a great motivator and great coach I can’t see him Losing or having a draw yet again.
Take away the weight Control issue and You’d see a fighter capable of out-boxing, out-striking, and forcing his will on his opponents. Because of his weight Control, he lacks the stamina to last all 10 or 12 rounds and because of this the second half of the fight becomes an ugly and shameful affair.
I have faith that Kimura will defeat this opponent and Hopefully someone convinces him to move up to the weight class best suited for his body. he has too much innate potential and thankfully because of his motivation to keep up with Aoki he doesn’t plan on giving up his boxing career.
