#during timeskip - post-Enies-Lobby

[beanghostprincess]

Something I adore when it comes to Sanuso is that their relationship canonically has a type of development we don't pay much attention to. We do talk about their remarkable scenes together but not the differences between them and the time they take place.

When they meet they do not get along. Like. At all. They start yelling at each other and arguing and honestly? It makes so much sense keeping in mind their personalities and differences. They just don't click.

Then Alabasta comes and Sanji returns Usopp his goggles. It's not a grand gesture, but it's intimate and nice and they are crewmates, after all, so of course he would do it. Sanji is just kind like that and he cares so much for each of them, so he gives. And I don't think Usopp is used to being taken care of like this, so he takes. Also, we already see them interact as friends, so we can say they are a family.

Now this is when the huge development starts taking place. Because even if their dynamic of constantly arguing and personalities clashing, Sanji sacrifices himself for Usopp (and Nami <3) when the fight against Enel happens. In fact, Sanji and Usopp spend all of Skypiea together, basically, and despite the comedic banter, Sanji seems to be keeping an eye on Usopp constantly. Worrying. And it's not only from Sanji's POV, because Usopp also keeps clinging onto Sanji and looking after him so he doesn't do anything stupid (like almost killing himself getting electrocuted, thank you).

So we've established not only a friendship, but a bond strong enough for Sanji to protect him in instinct. Although it's not like Sanji cares much about his own well-being for self-sacrifice to be considered a privilege, he would do it for anyone, but!! The way in which they show it on screen and portray their relationship and how Usopp is actively worried about him too makes it seem like they want you to focus on them.

We see a bit of them throughout the show but my favorite thing is how they go from not being able to stand each other to Sanji kicking their captain so he doesn't tell Usopp to leave the crew. He doesn't take any sides because the fight isn't his anyway and he is aware of what they need to do in the end, but Sanji also understands Usopp better than anybody else and his favoritism at this point is so damn obvious it hurts. He doesn't only hit Luffy but is obviously more affected than the rest of them by Usopp leaving. He stays with him during all of Enies Lobby and supports him constantly. He gives him what he needs, space, but being close enough to watch how he's doing. He offers him some type of alliance. It's not only "I'll do what you can't and you'll do what I can't" but "You trust me and I trust you". And we know he means it in a way for Usopp to trust in his abilities and to also trust the crew in general, but it feels so... Intimate that it's more of an "I get you. I understand" than anything else.

Then it becomes even more painful but horribly obvious how close they are, because Sanji loses Usopp during Sabaody and the scene is just so damn focused on them only (ft Brook at first. I love him). Sanji's desperation to protect Usopp and sacrifice himself for him and Usopp refusing to let him do it because he won't escape without him...

It's the little things that make their relationship so well-written. It's not only the constant parallels but also the subtle development they have. Their relationship goes through so much.

And then they barely have any scenes together post-timeskip but at least we got a picture of them stargazing together during the Marineford arc so that's something--

Although we can never forget how Usopp still trusts Sanji to protect him because during Punk Hazard he is always relieved when he sees Sanji's face (even though it's Nami) and because during Wano Usopp just assumes Sanji is going to be the one protecting him. So we might not have much of them now, but their development hasn't been for nothing.

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Grand Finale!

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Franky x Robin:

Do I really need to explain?

The old married couple who's healthy, Enies Lobby (and all their appearances) are their propaganda really.

It’s all about the maturity!

Their dynamic is perfect and their pasts are so similar. I love the chemistry between them as well as their introduction that helped build the connection and shared history they already have.

they are THE t4t bi4bi ship | franky telling robin "existing is not a crime" immediately puts this at number one for me | they are opposites (bright and loud + quiet and goth) but also they're both so eccentric and silly <3 | THEY WEAR MATCHING OUTFITS

Mom and dad Straw Hat

They are STILL the Mom and the Dad of the Straw Hats, this is the one thing I don't care what Oda says <3 Also their interactions in Enies Lobby and Thriller Bark are amazing.

In my eyes, they are married. Some of my favorite character interactions in the manga/anime and in official art.

Oda had Franky call Robin his wife at least once

Your honor they’re married

I'M GOING TO PUT LINKS IN MY EXAMPLES (Mod note: I linked to the whole post, the propaganda was going to get too long otherwise. But I will copy this line:...) They immediatly clicked in Enies Lobby, Franky saved Robin with both words and actions ("Your existence is not a sin!"), and then she grabbed his balls.

The duality of two kids who were just trying to chase their dream and having circumstances outside their control (the government) take everything they love away from them, but one choosing solitude and the other adopting every other person in a bad circumstance??? I love them. Plus they literally had couple moments from the first interaction.

The ultimate t4t couple idk what else you need theyre iconic

A wholesome ship of a woman who feels the need to be constantly on edge trying to relax and a man who is a 110% himself from the moment we see him. the joy of frobin is the causal domesticity, in many color spreads and especially post timeskip we can see them casually enjoying the others company.

Remember when Franky was in Chopper's body in Punk Hazard and every time he spoke Robin was like "Franky. Stop talking. Do not talk while you're in Chopper's body."

idk like. he's obsessed with her. she's his weird Goth gf and he's her himbo. they have matching outfits. I love them.

Look. It's Franky and Robin. Literally the only two characters that make sense to ship on the Sunny. Their arcs are inextricably intertwined (water7/enies lobby). Also LOOK AT THEM interacting, both during their arcs, but also thriller bark, or post time skip. I love them. Also robin crushed frankys balls.

funny big robot man & analytical smart research lady power couple... silly x smart... himbo x researcher... augh... so good

They are the ship for taxpaying adults your honor I LOVE them they’re literally freak4freak and they share such a fucking powerful arc together (Water 7).

that moment she let him sleep on her lap in punk hazard was sooo cute <3 -- The matching thigh highs and bottoms in film z can NOT be understated. -- Strawhat mom and dad -- Let's not forget the way robin convinced franky to join ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -- she also indirectly called his balls "treasure" so,,, -- the way their stories are so closely intertwined...they were both keys to destroy the world...the way they instantly connected over that...the soulmate-ism of it all...

they . them. girlboss and malewife. that's it.

She grabbed his balls. He totally liked it.

He's so silly and she loves it. She's so scary and he loves it. She grabbed his balls in public.

They will be endgame trust me. Franky doesn't treat any other girl like he treats Robin. There dynamic in Water 7 and Thriller Bark was and always will be one of the best in all of OP.

Propaganda for Nami x Vivi:

Yes, Nami has a new girlfriend on every island, but her heart belongs to Vivi. Vivi in turn refuses to marry, because her heart belongs with a pirate ❤

THEY’RE LESBIANS! IN LOVE! another point: my friends who are watching OP for the first time came to me and asked “so Nami and Vivi… they’re gay right?” So it’s pretty apparent to even newcomers

I just think they’re neat! And in love. Nami gave up money for Vivi that’s True Love

Anyone who saw them can just tell they’re gay. Like Nami gave up money for her

They're one of the rare lesbian ships in op, they care for each other so much !!

Lesbians

Lesbians

They were so gay that Luffy offered to share food to cheer Nami up when they were separated.

i dare you to read Baroque Works through Alabasta without shipping them. the way Vivi and Nami are so affectionate with each other, and Vivi putting saving her nation on hold to get Nami healthy again ???

Lesbians

Let’s go lesbians!!!!! Ok but actually, I think Nami saw a lot of herself in Vivi (ha) especially when Igaram “died” and then throughout their journey together Nami really encouraged her to open up to the crew. Nami showed Vivi it was ok to ask for help just like Luffy showed her.

Vivi was Nami's gay awakening and you cant change my mind. Nami was in love with Vivi and Vivi def had some kind of feeling for Nami. They were so close and they were more then just 'gal pals'

Lesbian Pirate Supremacy! they clearly care a lot about each other and considering when nami meets vivi she is probably one of the first close female friends she gets to have.

[moongothic]

You know I was wondering if Crocodile ever did have any kind of involvement with the Revolutionary Army in secret (lest the Government finds out and revokes his Shichibukai status), what kind of involvement would that even have been

And now, with both the Vegapunk/Ohara flashback and Kuma's flashback, it's being made very clear to us that the Revolutionary Army was broke as hell 22 years ago. Like the fact that this has been brought up twice now in a relatively short span of time is interesting to me, that's usually a sign it's not an unimportant plotpoint

But you know who would have had money to help fund the Army

A funny little warlord who would eventually go and build a fucking casino to run for funsies. A warlord who had to give the Government some of his Pirating Income to keep his warlord-status

Like Crocodile hated the Government anyways so why not help fund the Revolutionary Army in secret, out of spite if for no other reason

Vaguely related, but I keep on remembering this scene (post-Enies Lobby), which at first glance just seems like a basic Lore Dump

But then there's the

"Yet..."

(Or "however", she says "no ni" in Japanese and you could translate that in many ways, I would probably have gone with "however" but that wouldn't have fit into the speechbubble)

Mind you, the conversation just kind of ends there, next we see Garp realize he probably shouldn't have mentioned Dragon infront of such a massive audience, so wherever that "yet" was going to lead to we will never find out, because Oda conveniently changed the subject before we got to it

And you know. Like yes, Robin could be just expressing her shock over finding out that the leader of the Revolutionary Army had a child with someone

But also, Robin was a part of an organization that was trying to overthrow one of the founding countries of the World Government in an explicit attempt to go against said Government (compared to like, Blackbeard, who currently wants to make Fullalead into a "pirate country" that's a part OF the World Government)

Like you don't have to be a genius to look at Crocodile's ultimate goals and compare that to what Dragon is doing and find a few similarities here and there maybe

(Also like, Crocodile's equivalent in Romancing SaGa 2 is meant to be Wagnas, the queer-coded leader of the Seven Heroes (whom the OG Shichibukai are based on) who "hoped to help the world". You know, an interesting detail and all.)

Not to mention, during the time Robin spent with Baroque Works, if Crocodile was ever in contact with the Revolutionary Army at all, considdering she has the ability to easily spy on people and that she didn't trust Crocodile one bit, it wouldn't be unsurprising if she ever spied on Crocodile and/or just overheard a phone call or knew about Crocodile having secret spending habits or something

(Mind you, I'm not saying "she knew" Crocodile was involved with the Revolutionaries, more that she might've been Suspecting Things, that "yet" being about her connecting the dots while unsure if her conclusion was right or not)

Of course Crocodile's plans can't have been Dragon Approved by any means, especially considdering the Army had been looking for Robin for over 10 years (pre-timeskip)

Four years of which were with Crocodile. Like if he was FULLY allied with the Army and KNEW they were looking for Robin, surely he would've called Dragon and been like "hey I found the kid from Ohara, wanna come hang out" or something. But no, he had bigger plans and kept Robin a secret from the Revolutionaries and the Government alike

Also like, I have seen people question why the Revolutionaries weren't involved with Alabasta's rebellion at all, and "Oda hadn't come up with the Revolutionaries yet at the time of writing" (/"OP was meant to end at Alabasta at one point so there would've been no reason to introduce the subplot at that point") aside Between Baroque Works being a secret organization working undercover (thus the Army might not have been aware of the civil war being manufactured), the framing of the King making him look bad and very much the type of monarch that deserved to be overthrown in the Army's eyes, and Crocodile maybe lying through his teeth about what was happening in the country... Yeah, the Army's lack of involvement with Alabasta suddenly makes sense

EDIT Minor addition: Just realized that because Crocodile was technically working for the Government, if the Revs ever did send forces to participate in Alabasta's civil army and taking down the throne, the Government could've easily ordered Crocodile to step in to stop the rebellion and take down the Revolutionaries, right? Because he was supposed to be on the Government's side, right? And surely the Army wouldn't have wanted to fight against Crocodile if they were secretly allied (Croc's secret betrayal aside), and if Crocodile refused to fight the Revs the Government could've seen that as a reason to revoke his Shichibukai rights (which wouldn't be great if they wanted to keep Crocodile in a position where he could fund the Army?). So it could've also been a case of it being for the best for everyone's sake to let this one play out "naturally"

But my point is

I'm just deeply intriqued by these little details and wonder if I'm Actually Masterfully Connecting The Dots Like a True Genius or just seeing a pattern where there's none. Like this is far from confirming the theory, I'm just saying, the pieces do kinda fit together do they not

[possessionisamyth]

fic idea notes i wont write a full story of because yall are not getting me back into writing for one piece BUT

Pre-timeskip/post thousand sunny acquisition where Sanji gets injured and he's in a coma for a few weeks. Everyone visits him but Usopp visits him the most because he can finally talk to sanji without feeling like he's going to say the wrong thing. Sure they ended on a good note getting back together but even after thriller bark that doubt remains.

Anyway, he proceeds to talk to Sanji about anything and everything. He feels as relaxed as he did talking to Sanji before the whole Enies Lobby, and it's nice. Usopp gets bolder as the days go by. He starts making little requests about food adjustments like "maybe an extra pepper or two because he loves spicy food" and saying Sanji looks good in his patterned shirts and maybe they should match. And there's no "haha just kidding just a joke" follow up comment because it's not like Sanji can hear him.

Usopp then gets even bolder and whispers very quietly in Sanji's ear that he loves him before dashing out. At the lack of Sanji waking up the next day, him saying "I love you" to Sanji as he leaves becomes routine. No, practice actually. Just in case he ever gets the courage to say it to Sanji's face when he's awake. "Fat chance of that," Usopp tells himself. The love declarations get a little more dramatic or silly or painfully sincere like "I love you more than grilled pike," or "I love you as much as you love getting nosebleeds over nothing," or ""I love you so much sometimes it hurts," and Usopp doesn't really stop.

Then the next day Sanji wakes up. And Usopp visits him. And they talk, Usopp acting completely carefree and Sanji kind of subdued just retelling Chopper's orders. Sanji can be back on his feet in the kitchen tomorrow and Usopp praises him for it. As their conversation comes to a close, Usopp gets ready to leave and Sanji asks him to wait. So it goes:

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Sanji asks, hands folded in his blanket covered lap.

Usopp is reasonably confused. He was pretty sure he hadn't brought anything with him except his sketchbook. Which was tucked under his arm. "Forgot what?"

Sanji looks wounded for a split second before he turns his head away and says, "Nevermind."

"Oh, okay." Usopp wondered if Sanji was going to be like that for a while. He hoped his friend's time asleep didn't leave any negative effects.

So Usopp leaves. And Sanji gets back to work. But Sanji's heart doesn't seem to be in it as much? Even Nami says he seems kind of mopey. Everyone initially blames it on the head injury. Maybe it mellowed him out? The love cook nonsense sort of stopped so isn't that an improvement? Not really. It's Sanji, but it's not Sanji. Nami even lays it on extra thick when it comes to her drink or dessert requests, and she gets him to smile briefly before he's agreeing and walking away with his hands in his pockets. No heart eyes. Not a twirl. Something is very deeply wrong.

There are other crew members who are paying attention to the subtle bids happening during this. Like the long looks Sanji gives Usopp when he's sure no one's looking. Or how with snack requests Usopp's treats look, well, nicer.

Usopp does not notice this. At all!!!!! He thanks Sanji with the same levels of enthusiasm he always has, but his smile falters when Sanji looks at him as if waiting for something. It's then that Sanji tends to retreat to a chore or something that needed to be done in the kitchen. Usopp begins wondering how true the sudden reason for fleeing is, but not enough to say anything. He's still thinking the head injury had some small lasting effect. Couldn't be anything else.

Until they're eating dinner, and Usopp's perfect meal is perfect, but Luffy snags some and makes a face. Luffy claims it's way spicier than what he got. Usopp is confused. Robin asks to taste a bit which he lets her and she agrees that Usopp's plate, which looks like the other men's plates, is spicier in comparison. Luffy whines to Sanji about so it goes:

"How come Usopp's food is so hot?!" Luffy said with ice cubes stuffed in his cheeks.

Sanji looked annoyed at being interrupted during his conversation with Brook. "Because he made a request."

"What? No fair! I want to request more meat on my plate!"

"Request denied," he replied and returned to his conversation which Franky had decided to join.

Usopp was left pondering with his fork ready to deter Luffy's hand from taking another sample off his plate. When had he requested spicier food? He never bothered asking for adjustments to his meals. He liked how Sanji made everything, and usually if there was room for adjustments Sanji would ask him. Not the other way around.

Of course, this is when it hits Usopp that he made that request when Sanji was unconscious. When Sanji was unconscious and shouldn't have heard anything at all he was saying. What else did he hear? WHAT ELSE DID HE HEAR???!?? Usopp being one of the most reasonable members of the crew does the mature thing and runs away to his workshop after finishing his meal. Yes, he finished his food first. No, that had nothing to do with his realization. He just had something he needed to attend to in his shop before it exploded. Yeah, that's his excuse, er, reason! His reason!

He doesn't catch the look on Sanji's face as he leaves going from distraught to frustrated. He puddles over his huge gigantic irreparable mistake in his workshop. Clearly, he needed to apologize to Sanji. He needed to say Sanji had no obligation to be nicer to him while he tried to figure out how to deny Usopp's feelings gently. It all made sense. That's why Sanji was so subdued the last week post recovery. He wanted to let Usopp down gently without jeopardizing their friendship, but he was struggling with what words to use or when to tell him.

He settles for biting the bullet himself. He's used to disappointment. It wasn't fair putting all that pressure on Sanji while he recovered. He'd sweep up some of that bravado, joke off his feelings, and everything would get back to normal. Simple. Yet, putting on that bravado was more difficult than getting up at the ass crack of dawn to catch Sanji alone in the kitchen. It's a small mercy he was too anxious to get any real sleep. He would've missed his window other wise.

Usopp catches Sanji in the kitchen making bread dough, and it's awkward. The dough hits the counter with heavy thuds, and Usopp feels like his heart is about to beat out of his chest to the same rhythm. So he thanks Sanji about his request and then he jokes. He jokes and denies all the things he said unless they were funny, then he makes them funnier. He almost gets to the point of telling Sanji not to worry and that he understands but the beating of the dough stops. All of Usopp's instincts are telling him to run, but his legs will not move. Sanji purposefully moves to stand by Usopp in a way that blocks the exit. So it goes:

"Say it." Sanji's arms are crossed under his chest. His apron is dusted with flour as is the skin above his wrists. Although there wasn't a hair out of place, the stare he leveled on Usopp told the sniper he'd reached his patience quota.

Yet, Usopp still tested the waters because he could be a little stupid. "S-s-say what?"

Sanji's eye narrowed, but he didn't frown. Then he did frown. Then he looked away and his arms dropped to his sides like he'd given up.

A ridiculous thing right? Sanji didn't really give up on anything, and seeing him like that...

"I love you," Usopp said despite the lurch of all his insides feeling like they were going to become outsides. Wow. Horrible anxiety on two hours of sleep was not a great combination.

And Sanji looks at him so fast his bangs reveal his other eye for a split second. He looks hopeful. Like he's lit up, which emboldens Usopp to say it again. Suddenly he's being hugged. Sanji is hugging him very tightly and pressing his face into Usopp's shoulder and saying the endearment back with such sincerity Usopp is sure he's dreaming. But he's not dreaming, because he's crying and hugging Sanji back. And oh yeah, those are the ugly tears and he should really carry his not work handkerchief with him more often.

To everyone's misfortune relief, Sanji is no longer moping. Love Cook mode is back times 100, and a new shift of Usopp also being subjected to the treatment is both extremely embarrassing and endearing for their resident sniper. With the development comes Usopp being shooed out of the kitchen almost as much as he's invited in because "you're too kissable! ill burn the food with you around" being said as often as "how am I supposed to cook without my angel nearby". One of these days Nami is going to toss them both overboard for being too mushy.

[gumpistol]

   ***trigger warning:  discussion of major character death and mentions of terminal illness and chronic heart disease under the cut

— 𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐘'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 - 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐍 —

   Luffy lives his life to the fullest and recklessly. he pushes himself to the limit, even learning how to manipulate his devil fruit ability to push his body to do things it shouldn't be able to do. he is a living miracle, having survived Magellan's poison, his wound suffered at marineford, his heart literally stopping and restarting during his fight with Kaido, and other countless, near-death moments. so while in the current manga timeline, at the young age of nineteen, Luffy makes miracle recoveries from injuries and exhaustion, it is highly unlikely that he will live a long life. but of course, he hardly cares about that and all the stress placed on his body if it means protecting his friend and achieving his dream. 

   pre-timeskip alone, Luffy puts extreme strain on his body, especially his cardiovascular system.his unchecked use of gear 2 and 3 during enies lobby and thriller bark were noted to be damaging to his health as a whole and chipping away at his life, with Chopper even fearing the worst in the moment of both their use.

   and when treated by Iva's healing hormone during impel down, it’s made known that the energy level required to activate his immune system and fight off the poison is ten years-worth of his life.

   these are just a couple points in which it is directly mentioned how Luffy’s life is periodically being shortened. and while it’s not directly mentioned how it affects his overall health after recovering, the massive damage from the chest trauma wound he received at marineford ( which i plan on outlining the details of soon ), has likely left behind lasting effects that aren’t yet visible or known. so at only 17-years-old, Luffy's body has taken a lot. and this doesn't even begin to touch on the various physical traumas he dealt with while growing up. 

   post-timeskip, he hardly slows down. despite training and technique improvements for gears 2 and 3, Luffy’s new transformations put just as much strain on his body as before, if not more. gear 4 is incredibly exhaustive and nutrient taxing, and leaves Luffy immobile after its use.

   the same goes for a gear 5 transformation. besides the fact that Luffy had to physically die for several minutes before his devil fruit awakened, the use of gear 5 escalates the rate at which energy and nutrients are depleted even more, showing to even physically age Luffy's body temporarily in the aftermath. in addition, Luffy has to consciously change the rhythm of his heartbeat to match the drums of liberation in order to transform, effectively giving himself an irregular heartbeat. i’m sure you might see where i’m going with this, as i mention his heart repeatedly.

   being the intentional spitting image of Roger, and following in his footsteps to become king of the pirates, it's my belief that Luffy won't live to be much older than Roger was at the day of his execution ( 53-years-old ). maybe he'll live a few years longer, but i really don't see Luffy ever reaching the age of 60, especially if there's no point in which an older version of him slows down. it will definitely be a challenge to get him to do so, even if it's recommended.

   i've spoken in part about this with a couple others, but due to the type of internal damage that Luffy has endured, i headcanon that he will develop some sort of heart condition ( which i will go into more detail on a later post ). but whether Luffy ends up slowing and eventually picking an island to settle/retire to, or if he continues his reckless adventuring to the end, has yet to be decided. regardless of how the story goes though, Luffy will die relatively young, and it will likely be from premature heart failure.

[themattress]

Unpopular Opinion Re:One Piece

The Water 7 Saga is not as good as everyone says it is.

It's among the most famous arcs in One Piece, right up there with Arlong Park, Alabasta and the Marineford War. It is frequently listed as peoples' number 1 favorite. And while I certainly like it as well (Franky is an awesome new addition to the crew, Spandam and Rob Lucci are fantastic villains, and the worldbuilding, action and emotional drama are all on point), I can't say I share the same fondness for it. In many ways, I kind of think it semi-ruined the series (only semi, though - the timeskip ruined it full-on!). Why? Well, there are three big reasons.

-1. Nico Robin's Backstory. For the first time, a backstory in One Piece left me incredibly disappointed. Nico Robin is such a great and interesting character that I was expecting a lot from her backstory, only for it to be the most laughably contrived set of circumstances there could possibly be to shape her into who she is now. The worst part by far is the reasoning behind her dream to uncover the truth behind the Void Century. Every prior Straw Hat pirate chose their dream. Others usually served as inspiration, but the characters still made the conscious decision as to what goal they would pursue. But Robin was born from a pair of scholars dedicated to uncovering the world's history and brought up in a super special scholar community dedicated to uncovering the world's history, which inevitably made uncovering the world's history her life's purpose since she could walk and talk! Also, through all the contrivances he puts her through, Oda totally forgets to show when and how Robin even ate the damn Devil Fruit that caused her so much trouble! The only explanations that are possible, when paired with leaving her child in the care of her spineless brother and his over-the-top abusive monster of a wife, paints Olvia in a terrible light that makes it difficult to care for her passing. Jaguar D. Saul is the only bright spot in this whole backstory for me.

-2. The Pacing. This is the first time things really began to drag in One Piece. Beforehand, we had two lengthy arcs in Alabasta and Skypiea, but the epic nature of those arcs justified it: the former was the culmination of several prior arcs and the latter was an entire new frontier for the Straw Hat pirates to explore. Neither are the case with the Water 7 Saga, so the way things are drawn out, especially when we hit Enies Lobby, become far more noticeable. It's to the point where Oda actually had to ax Rob Lucci's backstory because he was aware that would only increase the arc's already ridiculous length! While you were still emotionally invested enough to push on through reading/watching this arc regardless, it planted the seeds for all the drawn out arcs post timeskip, where not even such investment remains.

-3. The Consequences. Before this saga, One Piece was an adventure series. There were worldbuilding lore and government politics and military operations as a backdrop, but the primary focus was on the Straw Hat crew's adventures during their voyage to find the One Piece. But then Luffy shoots down the World Government's flag, and as great as that is in context, outside of context it signals a huge shift in narrative focus that fully materializes post timeskip. One Piece is now a series about worldbuilding lore and government politics and military operations, with the Straw Hat pirates often feeling lost in the shuffle or else focused on fighting the forces of the World Government rather than trying to find the One Piece. While obviously the World Government's corruption that was due a reckoning was always planned to be part of the story, Oda didn't seem like he intended on it being the primary thread until making the Water 7 Saga and releasing it to great acclaim. As a result, One Piece has ironically gone the way of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels where it's now all about overcomplicated mythology and a full-on war between powerful pirates and a corrupt government navy, all while the main character who works best out looking for treasure barely seems to have a clue as to what's going on. The thing I cared about in this series was the main characters working to achieve their dreams, not the liberation of the world from a corrupt government. Well, we're now in the final saga and said liberation is the narrative drive, while the main characters seem no closer to their dreams since when they started.

I still respect One Piece. But I don't like it so much anymore. And Water 7 is really when that started happening. In hindsight, maybe the World Government's flag should've stayed up.

[justscrolling765]

Bank holiday finally!!! So...this is a what if I'm wondering about what if Ann and Kuzan were married before Ohara imagine the drama to come from that!!!

…Okay that is an interesting au…them being married before I don’t really know what it’d change. I mean I could see Garp being so happy being properly hopeful of Ann being supposedly redeemed into being on the good side…I could see him nagging Ann about wanting grandkids. I could see Garp treating Kuzan as his son in law…the main thing I see is them keeping it down low. Ann not wanting to become just Kuzan’s wife she’s her own person. Kuzan would respect that and would keep it down low as well…

I could see Ann wearing the wedding band beneath a glove Kuzan maybe as a necklace? I could see no one knowing their married but are still shipping them as a couple. No one knows only people that do…I could see Cora that’s cause Ann needed a witness…or maybe that would be Garp…I mean I could also see Kuzan and Ann living together rather than Kuzan having his own place. Maybe Smoker knows? He’s the only person Kuzan told…

I imagine the wedding to be low key oh my god…she got hitched without her brother’s knowing….Buggy and Shanks would be fuming…

You got married!?

…Yeeeah

And you didn’t tell us?

You never asked

That isn’t something you ask!!

I could see them demanding to know who was her best man, them fuming at her bitter as heck…

Ohara happens…

I could see Ann hiding her ring under her glove or putting it away for a while…Kuzan…he keeps the ring I could see him being even more depressed…Garp would try to cheer him up but I could see him loitering around at their own place, him trying to find what he could find left from Ann any secrets she left. I could see him wonder who he married…maybe he’d start drinking? Smoker would try to stop him, help him move out but he kept the apartment…maybe he’d linger in that room during his sad days…?

I feel like everything would stay the same even when they meet up again at Enies lobby…

Oh my gosh Marineford…when he finally finds out who he really did marry…and he may have helped kill his brother in law…

Oh my gosh Ace finding out Ann got married I could see him as a kid with Luffy and Sabo spotting the ring asking about it. Maybe Makino told him about it…he’d ask and she said someone important gave it to her…maybe confirm she is married…? I could see her having the habit of fidgeting with the ring not quite sure to keep it or not…

Maybe Ace never really knew cause she never really told him by the point he’s out at sea Ohara happened so she herself has no clue what to really say or make of her husband…like I said she’d either hide the ring under a glove or put it in a draw…maybe she’d wear it as a necklace? I’m unsure…all I know is that Ace probably didn’t know she was married. Sabo and Luffy don’t know either. I could see Makino knowing, Shanks too…maybe Buggy? I could see Rayleigh finding out with Shakki….not sure on their reactions though…I could see Ann saying she got too caught up in the fantasy to consider the reality of the situation.

I could see Kuzan post timeskip still keeping the ring, maybe fiddling with it now and again either as a necklace or using his gloves to hide the ring…like I said nothing much had really changed…I definitely do not see Ann telling Mihawk she got married oh boy…maybe after the end of the story they’d get remarried if it all worked out like they redo their vows and everyone’s there. Shanks and Buggy both being her best men arguing who’s best while Makino is standing in front of the two…Robin and Law I could see jokingly being flower girl and ring boy…

Oh…my gosh…Momo would be crushed…also bit awkward with Kaido at that…

You will be my bride

Yeah…legally can’t do that…

Also the I miss my wife tails meme would fit Kuzan more. Yes I have had those asks and they are hilarious! But yeah that’s my answer…I hope that was a good enough response…

[frobin]

round 2 - violet - poll 2

Listen to "Talking Heads -This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"

Propaganda:

"Did I find you, or you find me?" The perfect line for these two.

Further Further propaganda for This must be the place.

The first part of the song is about the start of their relationship. Robin convincing Franky to join the Straw Hats when he wanted to stay "home". They spend time together, standing by each other's side, slowly developing feelings for each other and maybe even covering them up.

The second part is post-timeskip, when they meet again at the Sunny. They both are home again. Again, "Did I find you or you find me" line hits. They found home in each other. PS: "you've got a face with a view" is something Franky would say.

----

Listen to "The Revivalists - Wish I knew you"

Propaganda: This is put in the brackets by me!

To me this is very FRobin coded. I might be wrong but to me it's two strangers meeting and sharing a night and experiencing time together. But under all this, is that wish of wishing to having met earlier and so having had more time togehter.

But in the context of Franky and Robin, considering their background and how Robin is literally on the run and how nice it would have been if she had found her way to Water Seven just a bit earlier. Then Franky meeting her still on the run and him being her pillar of strenght during Enies Lobby?

I can't even tell why I love this song so much but it is pure FRobin to me.

[thekingofwinterblog]

Favorite anime?

Anime? Well, i shouldn probably note i dont watch anime in general, with few exceptions. Generally i stick to the manga if there is one, with a few exceptions.

Soul eater, trigun, etc. Or if there is not an original, previous manga like kill la kill.

With that said, i do know which series i consider my favorite Anime overall.

That being the original Naruto Anime. The manga and shippuden both turned into absolute garbage at a very specific point, and never really recovered, but the original Naruto anime, unlike the manga, can be viewed in the context of a separate series rather than just pre and post timeskip.

Looking back at it, knowing how it all turned out, it's actually astonishing how GOOD the original Naruto was.

Naruto might be THE example i would point to, of how you can present your protagonist, their goal, and why it mattera in one episode.

And it only kept on trucking from there.

One piece at it's peak during water seven and Enies lobby might be overall better, but as a consistent bit of work, i regard the Original Naruto as the gold standard for Shonen storytelling, and just anime in general.

Ive seen some people who make compelling arguments that the Sabuza arc, naruto's first arc, ita east blue as it was, was the single best one it ever had... And its great.

And it only got better from there.

It had a great world that managed to combine brutal but perfectly logical and interesting politics rooted in war, ninja clans and economics, a relatively low level magic system that made for logical and strategic yet spectacular fights, and best of all, characters that made this world feel alive.

Barring filler arcs, i can point to every single arc, as having some of my favorite moments in fiction period.

Naruto's interaction with Haku wheter as a passing interaction, their fight, naruto beating him to a pulp, then stopping once seeing his face, Zabuza addmitting he did love Haku, orochimaru's introduction and him beating sasuke around like a punk and marking him, hinata standing against Neji, gaara vs lee, Naruto defeating Neji then breaking his entire world view by confessing that his absolute worst point used to be Bushins of any kind(ive seen so many people miss the forest for the trees with that one by focusing on the fox chakra), pretty much Tsunade's entire arc, sasuke lashing out at Kakashi, only for Kakashi telling sasuke that everyone Kakashi ever loved had died a long time ago, every fight in the sasuke retrieval arc, and the list goes on and on.

Frankly speaking, if the original Naruto had just done a good job adapting it, it would probably be my favorite anime, but the fact is that in so many aspect, they knocked it out of the park. Amazing fight scenes, glorious and iconic music, and capturing every important scene pretty much perfectly.

The only bad thing i have to say about the original naruto anime, is it's filler arcs... But by virtue of them being arcs and episodes, you can very easily skip them, unlike some series who plops down filler wherever, or drags out every single moment again and again tos tretch the run time(one piece, im looking at you).

[naytile]

Crazytrain - 5

[beanghostprincess]

Me: Sanji's protectiveness and favoritism with Usopp is extremely clear and painfully obvious from the beginning. They're always paired together and the second they're done with the character presentations (post-arlong park) and starts the actual plot like, idk, Alabasta, Sanji instantly feels the sudden need to look after Usopp. He gets his stolen goggles back and right in the next arc we see Usopp reciprocating the dynamic by running to Sanji when there's danger near. It's like they just get each other. Not to mention Skypiea, Water 7, Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark and Sabaody, which are the Sanuso arcs but is it really the Sanuso arcs if it's every damn arc? It's not a thing that happens once! It's a continuous dynamic of mutual protection and understanding of each other's abilities and so much care... Did you know Sanji's quite obviously the most affected by Usopp's breakdown during Water 7? And he's crucial for Usopp's character development and I think he's the one Usopp thought the most about during their time apart in the timeskip! Talking about timeskip, during Sabaody-

My best friend: Happy birthday to you happy birthday to youu-

Me: Haha thanks! Well, what I was saying, during Sabaody-

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Round 2 Side A

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Franky x Robin:

Do I really need to explain?

The old married couple who's healthy, Enies Lobby (and all their appearances) are their propaganda really.

It’s all about the maturity!

Their dynamic is perfect and their pasts are so similar. I love the chemistry between them as well as their introduction that helped build the connection and shared history they already have.

they are THE t4t bi4bi ship | franky telling robin "existing is not a crime" immediately puts this at number one for me | they are opposites (bright and loud + quiet and goth) but also they're both so eccentric and silly <3 | THEY WEAR MATCHING OUTFITS

Mom and dad Straw Hat

They are STILL the Mom and the Dad of the Straw Hats, this is the one thing I don't care what Oda says <3 Also their interactions in Enies Lobby and Thriller Bark are amazing.

In my eyes, they are married. Some of my favorite character interactions in the manga/anime and in official art.

Oda had Franky call Robin his wife at least once

Your honor they’re married

I'M GOING TO PUT LINKS IN MY EXAMPLES (Mod note: I linked to the whole post, the propaganda was going to get too long otherwise. But I will copy this line:...) They immediatly clicked in Enies Lobby, Franky saved Robin with both words and actions ("Your existence is not a sin!"), and then she grabbed his balls.

The duality of two kids who were just trying to chase their dream and having circumstances outside their control (the government) take everything they love away from them, but one choosing solitude and the other adopting every other person in a bad circumstance??? I love them. Plus they literally had couple moments from the first interaction.

The ultimate t4t couple idk what else you need theyre iconic

A wholesome ship of a woman who feels the need to be constantly on edge trying to relax and a man who is a 110% himself from the moment we see him. the joy of frobin is the causal domesticity, in many color spreads and especially post timeskip we can see them casually enjoying the others company.

Remember when Franky was in Chopper's body in Punk Hazard and every time he spoke Robin was like "Franky. Stop talking. Do not talk while you're in Chopper's body."

idk like. he's obsessed with her. she's his weird Goth gf and he's her himbo. they have matching outfits. I love them.

Look. It's Franky and Robin. Literally the only two characters that make sense to ship on the Sunny. Their arcs are inextricably intertwined (water7/enies lobby). Also LOOK AT THEM interacting, both during their arcs, but also thriller bark, or post time skip. I love them. Also robin crushed frankys balls.

funny big robot man & analytical smart research lady power couple... silly x smart... himbo x researcher... augh... so good

They are the ship for taxpaying adults your honor I LOVE them they’re literally freak4freak and they share such a fucking powerful arc together (Water 7).

that moment she let him sleep on her lap in punk hazard was sooo cute <3 -- The matching thigh highs and bottoms in film z can NOT be understated. -- Strawhat mom and dad -- Let's not forget the way robin convinced franky to join ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -- she also indirectly called his balls "treasure" so,,, -- the way their stories are so closely intertwined...they were both keys to destroy the world...the way they instantly connected over that...the soulmate-ism of it all...

they . them. girlboss and malewife. that's it.

She grabbed his balls. He totally liked it.

He's so silly and she loves it. She's so scary and he loves it. She grabbed his balls in public.

They will be endgame trust me. Franky doesn't treat any other girl like he treats Robin. There dynamic in Water 7 and Thriller Bark was and always will be one of the best in all of OP.

Propaganda for Rayleigh x Shakky:

They’re canon and very hot. These are facts.

[moongothic]

It's so funny to rewatch pre-timeskip OP now that I have Terminal Crocodile Brainrot, because like. I don't think I ever really realized how the man just HAUNTS the narrative after Alabasta all the way until he's "reunited" with Luffy in Impel Down. How he keeps on being mentioned time and time again, the story never letting us forget about him like so many other villians Luffy had defeated thus far

Aokiji mentioning part of the reason he let Luffy escape with his life was because Luffy had dealt with Crocodile

That revolutionary explaining to Dragon how Luffy had gained a large bounty after causing not just an incident in Enies Lobby but also was the one who took down Crocodile

Blackbeard targetting Luffy and then bringing in Ace because he wanted the vacant Shichibukai seat from Crocodile

Kuma arriving at Thriller Bark to talk to Moria about the incoming war and how the Government was concerned about him fighting Luffy when Luffy had been the one who took down Crocodile

And let's not forget Miss Goldenweek's cover story during the CP9 Saga, letting us know ahead of time where Crocodile was heading

Not to mention the whole build-up to the reunion during Impel Down. Like the way we cut to Ace and Jinbei a few times and get to see Crocodile('s hook, primarily) as a little tease, and then there's also the few times he gets name dropped by other characters, constantly reminding us that He's Here (like Domino, who mentioned Crocodile taking the traditional 200 Celcius Bath at the prison's entrance like all new prisoners do without batting an eye, or Iva-chan who mentions to Bon-chan that their former boss was being held at Level 6 with Ace). But then there's my favorite, more subtle thing, where Impel Down essentially does a Baroque Works Countdown to reuniting with Crocodile. At Level 2 we reunite with Mr 3, Level 3 we reunite with Mr 2, Level 4 we get to see Mr 1. Skip ahead to the final level and there he is, Mr 0 himself. Like that's a fucking countdown, and it's so cute to me lmao

I dunno man, the way Crocodile haunts the narrative pre-timeskip is so cool in hindsight to me, the way Oda never truly let us forget about the man. And it really makes the way he kind of disappears from the narrative after the Summit War until the Final Fucking Saga so interesting. Like yes, we do get Two Whole Glimpses at the man in total during Dressrosa and Whole Cake (and there's minor stuff like in Punk Hazard when Luffy, Smoker and co are captured Luffy compares it to the time they were "held captive in Alabasta"). So he did keep on haunting the narrative. But it got far more quieter, those regular reminders that Crocodile exists are almost gone. And that's facinating, 'cause during pre-timeskip he was in fucking prison. Like he wasn't up to anything, nefarious or otherwise, 'cause he was behind bars, and yet the story would not let us forget about him and his impact on the story. Post-timeskip the guy's a free man, and yet we heard nothing about what the fuck he had been up to UNTIL Cross Guild happened.

I dunno man, it feels like a lot of weight to put on a character if he's not meant to become actually important to the plot

[bipherpol]

kay the manga isn’t anywhere near as bad from what i’ve seen (though that might be just bc it’s black and white)

but like

can the animators lay off the bleach please

usopp, robin and zoro shouldn’t be as pale as sanji is

[onepieceheadcannons]

So this wasn't requested but I wanted to give some random Headcanons

Now this post definitely isn't for everyone's taste,

Now I know quite a bit about ABO dynamics and I haven't seen any headcanons on what each strawhat would be. Now if you do not like ABO, do not worry this will be my only post with it that isn't requested and I won't be offended if you skip this.

This definitely isn't the most detailed it can go but it's like 3 am for me and I just want these HC's outta my mind.

The Strawhats

Luffy;

This man is an Alpha, I mean how else could he become Pirate King.

Now I mean no hate to omegas, I think they should be highly respected. But based on what a society in ABO is like, it makes the most sense for Luffy to be an Alpha.

He is protective and strong, plus conquerors Haki is very similar to pheromones. He would do anything for his crew and he wants them safe.

He wouldn't be appealed to have an Omega, it wouldn't be on his agenda and he'd handle a rut very privately.

He would fight his way to the top fairly and wouldn't discriminate against betas and omegas.

I'm also down to hear anyone's different opinions on any of these.

Zoro;

I can see him in many different ways, I can see him as an Alpha but I can see Omega with insecurities about it, but my most confident answer is Beta.

The reason why is because his undying loyalty to Luffy. He would fulfill the role as a Beta quite well. He would be able to avoid the hormones of others and be quite unbothered by all of it. He would work slightly harder to be the greatest swordsman especially if Mihawk is an Alpha. He wouldn't of presented before his best friend died but if she began showing signs of an Alpha, he would probably feel the extra competitive edge to be better.

He wouldn't care if someone is an Alpha or Omega, why should that shit matter to him.

And he wouldn't really care about what his partner was.

If he was an Omega, he would use suppressants and be damned if anyone knew. He would probably beat himself up over it and would build a high tolerance to pheromones. He would NEVER let someone help through a heat unless a long term relationship. And he would never be caught in an Mpreg situation.

And if he was an Alpha, he would accept Luffy as overall Alpha. He wouldn't feel like fighting it and he has the serious demeanor. He would protect any omegas but refuse to participate in a heat. He would fight himself a shit ton and never let his guard down.

Usopp;

Beta man, there's no way he'd be an Alpha. I mean he would always feel sad about it most likely, wanting to be brave and strong. He would probably have some lingering thoughts about the system, he wouldn't see Omegas as less than but he would probably assume that Omegas and Alphas are meant together and he has to find a Beta.

Until his crush on Kaya, the caring Omega. He would fight himself internally over it but she wouldn't care if he was a Beta. She probably was told she had to find a nice Alpha but that wouldn't affect her, she really cares about Usopp. She even goes to medical school to fix him up.

He would be disturbed by Ruts and Heats, he would get flustered and stay away from whoever was having one at the time.

Sanji;

Just like Zoro I can see any of them,

But I'm leaning Beta/Omega. No offense if you are like 😡 I want an Alpha Sanji don't disrespect my man's like that

Reason why I can see Omega, he is quite loving and I think he'd make a great dad. He loves ladies so much and being an Omega wouldn't stop him. I mean hey, look how much he likes fiesty women. He definitely wouldn't be against a female alpha, as long as he doesn't know about the extra appendage during a rut.

His family storyline would play into this, his dad would've been pissed if all Sanjis siblings are an Alpha but Sanji was a "weak" omega son. He would definitely be an angry and powerful Omega, training his tolerance to pheromones. And oh my god he'd be so angry if Zoro is a Beta/Alpha.

He would avoid Alpha men, I don't see him ever wanting to date one. I think he may be a little fruity but it's so internalized he would never be okay dating any male. He would probably hope for any female, but preferring an Omega/Beta.

If Sanji is a Beta, he'd be right up there with being a supporter of Luffy. He would definitely offer to help Omegas through a heat (and promptly get turned down) . He would be frustrated anytime an Alpha was in a rut and avoid being near them at all costs. It would piss him off especially if they wanted one of the crew.

His preferences would stay the same as if he were an omega.

And as an Alpha, oh my this man would be the most respectful ever. He would be damned before he let himself with an Omega without consent said before the heat was even close. He would protect his Omega at all costs. And he would let them bite his neck back. And he would defend any omegas in a vulnerable position. He definitely has a savior complex about it though. But he definitely would believe he could only have an Omega.

Brook;

He is a skeleton, this wouldn't even affect him.

As a human tho, I could see an Omega with his love of the arts and his love for Laboon and his crew. But I don't have much of detailed one for him. Beta, possibly but that's the easiest to presume someone as.

Chopper;

He is a damn reindeer. I just wanted to include my besties name but yeah he is a reindeer no way in hell would this affect him and he'd just make suppressants for everyone. Even with the human human fruit, that wouldn't add abo to his form.

Franky;

Now there's a chance that now as a cyborg this doesn't affect him. But pre cyborg or if it did, I see him as an Omega.

This man cries his heart out (which I love dearly about him) and he is such a big bro/dad figure.

He wouldn't care what anyone was but as a kid he may have had some trouble with the concept until Tom taught him better. Esp with Ice for Brains, who I could see as an Alpha/Beta so Franky may have felt less than.

Robin;

Alpha or Beta, but she isn't an Omega.

She holds herself up with an air of stoic and dark humor/themes. She would be quite a helpful Beta and she'd protect any Omega friends. She would feel very strongly about Omegas being seen as the same as everyone else. And she would feel very insecure if she was made to submit to anyone unwillingly.

I can see Alpha tho, (esp Frobin <3), she lets Franky let his tears out and she is such a good friend. She would struggle to let her feelings out which would make her line in Enies lobby even more important. She would be experienced and she would probably offer to help an omega she was very close to but she wouldn't settle down unless you are Franky or a very solid partner to her. She wouldn't care if you were another Alpha or Beta though, she'd love you for you.

Jinbe/Jimbei;

Now I don't know if Fish people/men would even be affected but if they were.. he would be...

Alpha, but in a very nonchalant way. He was a warlord, and not just anyone would get that. He wouldn't ever make someone submit and he would fight for rights for everyone esp Omegas in his community. If he did settle down, it wouldn't matter to him. Just as long as he can share his feelings in a safe place.

But beta would work as well, he is quite devoted to his crews and is a loyal person in general and shows alot of care to Luffy during the timeskip.

I also haven't finished Fish man Island yet so I have little to work with.

Nami;

I did save her for last, this is probably the most biased one. I mean as you guys will learn, she's my girlfriend/wife, so I may see her slightly different than someone else would.

Now I feel like as many of the others, she can fit in all three. I mean everyone is going to show traits to each kind which is why I try to explain myself for each.

Alpha, i can see this. She's very fiesty and she sure as hell wouldn't want to submit to anyone. She would be a little embarrassed during a Rut and she would use suppressants. She would be fine with not being top dog but she definitely wants her respect, she's the entire reason they get anywhere.

She isn't looking for romance but she'd be fine with anyone as long as they were worth it. I think an Alpha male would be her least likely pair though, that person would have to be quite honorable and prove themselves to her as good enough.

If she's an Omega, she would be quite angry about it. She wouldn't want to be perceived as weak and sure as hell would use suppressants and she'd be damned if an alpha helped her through a heat. The only way she would, would be after a super solid relationship where there's extreme trust. She would slap the crap out of Sanji if he tried anything or suggested anything, she wouldn't have any patience especially after she had to deal with the bullshit she heard her entire time with Arlong and other crews stealing treasure.

If she was a beta, she'd probably go after another Beta. Keep thing simple. She would eyeroll at any alphas and she would be over the whole alpha/omega bullshit.

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: Whole Cake Island

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano

sanji is such a self-sacrificial idiot. and i know that’s not exactly a ground-breaking statement, but it does define the entire first half of whole cake island, so it may as well be reiterated here: sanji does not value his own life as much as he should, and fails to grasp that other people care about him outside of what he can offer them, which is why he’s so surprised when luffy later comes charging headlong into big mom’s territory.

zou is a really good little arc, and it also mirrors the themes of whole cake island in miniature. the minks collectively make a massive sacrifice and risk absolutely everything to protect raizou, and wci is essentially all about loyalty and sacrifice, whether its sanji giving himself up to protect the strawhats and zeff or luffy and the strawhats facing impossible odds to rescue him to pedro giving up his life to get them all out of there safe.

huge fan of this panel partly just because it’s cute and partly because it’s a great visualization of just how dysfunctional the heights are in one piece.

zou is one of my favorite settings in one piece just for the sheer creativity of it. zunesha is so massive and so mysterious and so strange. and she really looks unspeakably old just from how she’s drawn, looming over everyone and everything, eyes hollow and empty, an entire forest and an entire people growing on her back that have been there for thousands of years. it’s just so neat and so wildly inventive.

this applies to zou as a whole, but i think it’s really cool how all the little threads that will become important during wano are set up so effectively even before whole cake island starts. we get this shot here of kidd beat to shit and then forget it because so much happens between here and when he shows up again in wano, but then oda punks us into caring about him and killer so much and this retroactively becomes very important.

ever since his introduction sanji’s always been a character basically defined by his adherence to his principles: always feeding the hungry, never wasting food, never hurting women, never using his hands in combat. he’s probably the most firmly principled person on the crew, and that’s more obvious in whole cake island than in any other arc except maybe baratie.

sanji is very stubbornly good, which puts him in acute contrast to his siblings and their general cruel apathy. it’s something i really like about him.

i’m a huge fan of big mom’s introduction, which is also our introduction to tottoland in general. it’s cutesy and colorful and musical while simultaneously being deeply creepy, with lyrics about killing people for ingredients and making jam out of blood, which is a great summary of the core of big mom’s character. she’s an old lady all in pink who lives in a cartoon fairy-tale land- but she’s also a deranged cannibal, and all those singing trees and flowers are animated by the life she steals from her citizens as tax.

whole cake island draws on a lot of fairy tale motifs (especially with brulee), and the contrast that saccharine appearance creates with how fucked up the actual content is is super effective and memorable, i think.

honestly i find most of the content of sanji with the vinsmokes just plain upsetting, which i’m sure is intentional, so i’m not going to go into it a lot here, but i am including this panel of him kicking niji in the face.

sad as this scene turns out, luffy’s absolute thrill at finding sanji and the corresponding bafflement of the vinsmokes as to how the fuck he even got there always kinda makes me grin.

i always love seeing people’s underestimations about luffy get thrown right the hell out the window- because let’s be honest, he’s easy to underestimate, he’s like a five and a half foot tall rubber teenager and not very physically intimidating and all, and then he goes and pulls off the impossible without blinking.

the thing that makes luffy unique as a captain has always been his willingness to rely on his crew, and his willingness to openly admit that reliance, like he did all the way back in arlong park. most of the other contenders for the pirate king’s crown we’ve seen- big mom, kaidou, crocodile once upon a time- have been stubbornly individualistic people who explicitly shown not to care for their crew and allies, generally seeing them as disposable.

luffy is the opposite of all of them, because his crew are everything to him, to the point of being willing to sacrifice his dream for them. and the loyalty he wins from them in return is unmatched, as opposed to big mom and kaidou, who both get cheerfully betrayed not just by their own crewmates but by their own children.

brook is really cool in whole cake island, and honestly it comes at just the right time for him as a character. ever since his introductory arc in thriller bark until this point he hasn’t gotten a ton of focus, so it’s great that he gets to be the mvp here and demonstrate exactly why he’s a strawhat pirate and how much he’s grown over the timeskip.

oda is generally really good at introducing and handling characters contained to a single arc/saga, but i do think he absolutely knocked it out of the park with pedro. he has an interesting backstory, compelling motivations, and basically an entire sub-arc ending in his death that never distracts from the main plot, but only ever adds to it.

pedro really feels like a fully realized character who’s had a whole life offscreen, who we just happened to catch at the very end of his story. i think that’s super impressive.

i really love this moment, because for me, this is the moment where whole cake island becomes a tremendous arc, and where the tides begin to turn and the dominoes begin to fall, one after the other. this is sanji hitting absolute rock bottom. the one ray of light he pinned all his hopes on was a lie, and he can’t even light a fucking cigarette.

but one piece is, very often, a story about picking yourself up even when you feel like you can’t.

i think there’s something lovely about how much one piece emphasizes the value of honestly asking for help. luffy waits for nami to ask for help, and for robin to say she wants to live, and for sanji to admit he just wants to go home, and then says, “okay, i’ll make that happen.”

it just makes me so happy how happy the stawhats are to know sanji’s back with them. it reminds me a lot of how they all brush off robin’s thanks after enies lobby. sure, they’re going to have to crash the wedding and confront big mom directly and might all die, but who cares? they’ve got sanji back. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, i love how much they love each other.

i think the gangster outfits are super fun, and i love that oda is committed enough to his aesthetics to come up with an excuse to put them all in formalwear. it pays off, they all look extremely snappy.

i know i just said it in the dressrosa posts but i’m reiterating it here because this is my favorite example of it by far: i love when oda does this split-screen thing with his panels. the contrast between the two halves of pudding is so severe and yet they’re so clearly the same person i honestly just find this pair of panels fascinating to look at.

this panel also kind of gets at my favorite thing about pudding as a character, really. i know she’s a little controversial in fandom, but i’ve always found her entertaining (at least post-reveal), especially in the contrast between her unhinged evil side and her genuinely sweet romantic side and her post-wedding tendency to randomly ping-pong between the two.

i just always like reminding people that sanji is fast enough and his observation haki good enough to dodge a surprise attack, while thoroughly distracted, from katakuri.

sanji in this arc tends to get shit from a certain side of fandom for being ‘useless’ since he doesn’t have a big climactic fight despite being the focus of the arc, which i think is thoroughly missing the point. sanji is still plenty capable in combat, as demonstrated both here and later, with chiffon and oven. it just happens that his strength isn’t what saves the day ultimately, because combat ability isn’t everything, which is the entire point of the vinsmoke backstory/subplot. sanji saves the day just by being kind.

i’ll admit big mom’s flashback isn’t one of my favorites, taken in isolation- there are some parts of it that kind of unresolved (at least as of now- i still suspect they’ll be followed up eventually), and in general, although there is a tragedy to it, it doesn’t quite hit the way many of the other more effective flashbacks do. that said, i do think it does a really good job of succinctly explaining why big mom is the way she is in the present: she’s a child who was never told no, who never grew or matured past the disappearance of her adopted mother. that’s it, and that’s enough.

i’ve always been a little bit in love with how seriously and consistently one piece handles its themes of found family, and sanji outright disowning judge in whole cake island is maybe the most outright they ever get: family is found, not made. you owe nothing to your blood and are never beholden to your abusers.

and i just like that a whole lot.

i do think the tamatebako is one of the best uses of chekov’s gun i’ve ever seen. we’re first shown it at the end of fishman island, it’s revealed it got sent off to big mom rigged with explosives which is a minor “oh fuck” moment, and then it gets forgotten about, because the entirety of punk hazard and dressrosa happens in between! which is a lot!

i remember when i reached the moment in whole cake island where we’re reminded that that bomb still exists and is still waiting to explode, i just started laughing hysterically out loud, because i’d completely forgotten, and now that i remembered i was just delighted to know it was going to definitely go off at some point, almost certainly in a very satisfying way.

pedro is, if i remember right, the first time the imagery of the coming dawn that will become quite important in wano really has attention drawn to it in-text- the recurring motif is there before this, of course, dating all the way back to the names of the first chapter (romance dawn) and first island (dawn island), but this is the first time it’s actively addressed in-story.

in doing so, oda essentially presents a fresh mystery for us, but one that has been set up so consistently ever since chapter one that it feels like it fits perfectly into the world and story.

luffy’s been punching way above his weight class ever since crocodile all the way back in alabasta, fighting enemies who clearly outmatch him but always managing to win anyways, but his fight with katakuri is maybe the clearest the sheer differential in strength ever gets, because katakuri’s powers are similar enough to luffy’s that he can pull off pretty much all of luffy’s techniques, but better. so luffy has to fall back on the two things that have always been his greatest strengths, again all the way back to crocodile in alabasta: innovation and sheer fucking stubbornness.

one thing i love about one piece is how no character is immune to being clowned on. absolutely nobody. everybody looks like an idiot sometimes, and it makes everything so much more fun than if the series took itself more seriously. katakuri basically actively tries to avert this by building up a fearsome, flawless, and utterly no-nonsense persona, but it winds up failing hard because it actually only makes the contrast and surprise of his actual personality and vices that much funnier.

i’ve always loved this one panel of carrot going sulong, because she just looks so monstrous, like a true werewolf. the same goes for the shift in big mom’s design when she starts going truly mad with starvation and gets even more threatening-looking (below). i just think oda should let women be monstrously scary more often.

i do really love that the entire climax of whole cake island hinges on the degree of trust and faith the strawhats, and sanji and luffy specifically, have in each other. they’re all facing massive challenges that would seem insurmountable to an outsider- luffy facing down a yonkou’s commander with a bounty of over a billion and sanji remaking a massive cake that took months to plan and make in just a few hours, the others evading big mom’s full forces and big mom herself for a full night- but none of them have even a shred of doubt that the others can manage it.

i wrote a meta post awhile back about one piece’s concept of ‘honor in a pirates’ fight, and what it came down to is this: honor can never be expected between pirates, but the best of them will show it anyways, and it can be a very telling judge of character. nobody would expect katakuri to do this, and luffy even calls him an idiot for it, but he has enough respect for luffy as a strong opponent to do it anyways, and that’s how we know for absolute certain that even though he’s an antagonist, he’s also a good, honorable person.

i really like the gesture of luffy leaving his hat over katakuri’s mouth, especially because until this point, we’re never even given any indication that he’s really noticed it, let alone that katakuri is insecure about it. he never reacts to or comments on it (which is in itself kind of unusual from someone who tends to nickname opponents by their appearances as often as luffy does) one way or another.

and then he does this, confirming all at once that he did fully notice and understand, he just doesn’t care. which i think sums up one of the more under-appreciated aspects of luffy’s character- he’s generally way more observant than people give him credit for, especially when it comes to people, it’s just that he has a very different sense of what’s important and what’s not than your average person.

i love the sheer contrast between big mom’s delighted, rapturous singing as she devours the wedding cake against the violence taking place on screen as her army rains fire and hell down on the thousand sunny. it parallels her initial introduction at the start of the arc perfectly, and is just an excellent way to close out the arc with a bang.

i said it earlier but it bears repeating here, for a different reason: luffy is not very physically intimidating. he’s shorter than most of the other main characters, he’s a lanky teenager, he dresses casually and his most identifiable accessory is a farm hat.

but then there are times when he looks like a captain, like a future pirate king, and it just looks so natural on him. i can never get over it.

i really like that, after spending a whole arc demonstrating just how different (and how much better) sanji is than the vinsmokes, it ends like this- showing us just how similar he’s grown up to the man he’s chosen as his real family, and just how proud zeff would be of him.