This article contains SPOILERS for One Piece #1058
The official introduction of the two new Yonko was a chance for One Piece to go back to its comedy roots. After the long Wano Arc told a compelling but also dramatic tale of betrayal and revenge, the best-selling manga used two of its most hilarious characters, Luffy and Buggy, to bring back the light-hearted tones that helped make One Piece so popular.
One of the reasons behind the success of the series is that it has a unique blend of comedy and action, which made One Piece similar to Dragon Ball in its earliest parts. Many of the characters, including the most threatening ones such as Kaido or Big Mom, have their idiosyncrasies and odd behaviors that make them look completely ridiculous at times. While this is the tone of the manga that fans grew used to love, the Wano Arc has taken things in a different direction. Despite having its great moments of comedy, Wano is mostly a tale of revenge lasting 20 years, and culminating in the epic raid on Onigashima and the battle between the Straw Hats alliance and Kaido's Beasts Pirates, where the light-hearted moments were few and far in-between.
Chapter #1058 of One Piece is the first one that shows the Straw Hats after they left Wano behind. The story develops in parallel between the Thousand Sunny and the base of Cross Guild, a newly-established organization led by Buggy the Star Clown, Sir Crocodile, and Dracule Mihawk. Both Luffy and Buggy have been recently recognized as Yonko, the Emperors of the Sea, the most powerful pirates in the world, however, the chapter presents them in a flippant way. Luffy has been beaten up and locked in a cage by Nami, who is angry at his decision to leave Wano using the most dangerous route (a free drop from a waterfall). Buggy, instead, has been sliced up by Mihawk and is being harassed by him and Crocodile, who are angry because he took all merit for the establishment of Cross Guild and presented himself as their boss in front of the world.
It's simply hilarious to see the chapter's captions proudly accompany Luffy and Buggy's appearance with their new titles and bounties, while the two are being beaten and harassed by their own companions, and all the while the Marines are discussing how dangerous these pirates are. This is precisely the smart contrast between serious and farcical that makes One Piece unique, and that had been missing from the manga for a while. Sure, fans will always remember the chills they got from the Straw Hat's emotional farewell to Vivi in Alabasta, or Luffy's tears after the death of his brother Ace, but without its moments of sheer, dumb comedy, One Piece would not be itself anymore.
The Wano Arc was without a doubt a masterpiece, but after all that drama and the high-stakes battles it feels incredibly refreshingly to go back to Buggy's shenanigans or to the Straw Hats' amusing interactions. Using the introduction of two Yonko, the most respected and feared pirates in the world, as a way to go back to its comedy roots proves why One Piece's formula keeps working after 25 years.