The communication between Xie and Zhao through the parasitic mouth is a clever way to keep the sidekick active. Zhao can complain, instruct, and joke without having a physical body. The limitation of only one mouth at a time, and needing to retract it, adds a sense of practicality. Also, the scarecrow form being a backup body — clumsy, mobile but not human — allows for visual gags like rolling on the bed laughing. The fact that Zhao can also possess Xie fully, and his “parasitic” method is not explained further, teases a more invasive bond. I wonder if there are risks. Does this arrangement reduce Xie’s lifespan? Can Zhao take over against his will? The story hints at deeper consequences when Zhao slapped Xie’s face (figuratively) but also when the mouth bit his sleeve. It’s a physical and emotional dependency that makes their friendship complicated. I want more exploration of this bond.
I’m really curious about how Hinami’s skills will work. “God’s Garden” creating a safe zone is useful, but “Violet Light Rhapsody” — summoning a Light Spirit through singing — that’s unusual. It feels like it ties back to her piano and singing lessons from childhood, which is a nice personal touch. It’s not just a random skill, it’s connected to her past. But I’m worried about the lack of attack skills. She’s going to a world with monsters and she has zero offensive abilities? That seems like a recipe for trouble unless she can rely on the shield spirit completely. I wonder if she’ll learn magic later or if this is a purely defensive build. Also, her stats are super low even after the level reset. She’s going to struggle.
The introduction of Peter Mu as the ship's sniper was brief but gave Beo a mentor for marksmanship. When Peter Mu sees Beo copying Shanks' sword technique, his comment "This Observation Haki is monstrous" reveals that he is observant and has great Haki himself. He might become a key teacher for Beo's shooting skills. But we haven't seen any actual shooting training yet—just one line about "helping the ship's sniper correct his trajectory deviations." I want to see a dedicated marksmanship lesson with Peter Mu, maybe even a competition between Beo and the sniper. The weapon choice (gun) needs more screen time. Currently Beo is shown using his Observation Haki more for dodging and replicating sword moves than for shooting.