'One Piece' chapter 896 release date, spoilers: Luffy vs. Katakuri battle nearing its end

Official image for Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece" featuring the characters of the anime. Toei Animation USA Website

The previous chapter of the "One Piece" manga introduced yet another breakthrough of Monkey D. Luffy. The Straw Hat pirate leader was able to unlock his new Gear 4th Snakeman form, which he had used successfully against Big Mom's Sweet Commander, Charlotte Katakuri. With this latest development, it is speculated that the seemingly endless battle between Luffy and Katakuri will finally end in chapter 896.

Luffy's decision to re-enter the Mirror World and fight Katakuri the second time around might be worth it, after all. Aside from testing his own Observation Haki, the Straw Hat pirate has discovered a new form of his Gear 4th technique. His latest Gear 4th form, Snakeman, has made Luffy a lot faster than when he is using his Boundman form. Thankfully, in "One Piece" chapter 896, Luffy now has a good chance of winning the battle as Katakuri has already been dominating in the earlier part of their match.

While the power of his punches while using the Snakeman form is not that strong, his movements are very quick and hard to predict. Even Katakuri himself, who already mastered the Observation Haki that allows him to take a few seconds peek into the future, had a hard time in exchanging blows with Luffy in Snakeman form.

There are speculations that the Luffy vs. Katakuri battle will come to an end in "One Piece" chapter 896, but much to the fans' dismay, the outcome of the fight is still not clear even as Luffy already found a way to defeat his opponent. The Gear 4th Snakeman form looks to be very efficient. but it is still not enough to outclass Katakuri's power. If anything, Luffy's Snakeman form only allowed him to direct punches to Katakuri, but the latter could still handle all of those.

"One Piece" chapter 896 will arrive after a one-week hiatus that was announced by manga creator Eiichiro Oda previously. If ever the fight between Luffy and Katakuri will end in the next chapter, there are more threats waiting for the Straw Hat pirates outside the Mirror World, with Big Mom and the rest of her troop determined to catch every single one of them. Sanji is also expected to enter the picture as he tries to save Luffy from Big Mom's children. However, in the process, Sanji will need to fight his own family, particularly Ichiji Vinsmoke.

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