#found out oda was probably dead was just. well just that. that he’s probably dead. I feel like he should’ve gotten to be more shook by that

[designernishiki]

hot take but. oda is honestly one of the most interesting prominent side characters in y0 to me. like. don’t get me wrong obviously i don’t condone his actions, but speaking as a character design guy, i think he’s got a whole lot of complexity to think about in his story and identity that people tend to ignore/overlook because he’s not a black and white “good” person. like no shit he’s morally fucked, that doesn’t mean his intense pining and crazed level of dedication to tachibana and the lengths all his guilt and repressed love for the man he saw as the best thing to ever grace his life drove him to aren’t interesting to think about– if anything it makes him more interesting. he was. really something

[moongothic]

The more I think about it, the more fucking sus the exclusion of Crocodile in the "Luffy is Dragon's son" scene becomes in my mind

Because like. No look at it, look a the double-page spread again

(Chapter 558)

Now keep in mind, this is the entire scene, these are all the reactions we get to the revelation. Next page we're moving on to the next scene, and we don't come back to this subject aside from Akainu being like "grrrr Dragon's son >(" (but he already knew appearently)

And like, really, look at whose reactions to the news we get to see

There's Koby, Helmeppo and Garp reacting to the news being revealed to the whole world (makes sense; these are familiar characters to us and their reaction to this huge revelation going public is fair to show)

Smoker (makes sense; he must've been confused about what happened at Loguetown, so his reaction is interesting)

Random ass marines and Sabaody's news reporters (makes sense for plot reasons)

Random ass Whitebeard pirates ?????????

Buggy The Fucking Clown (arguably makes sense; Buggy has """hanged out""" with Luffy, so it is an interesting, shocking revelation to him too)

All of the original Shichibukai except Crocodile

And even with the Shichibukai, there's like. Levels of interest here. Like Kuma is interesting because we already knew that he knew Luffy was Dragon's son, and after what he did at Thriller Bark and Sabaody, and for the incoming "Kuma is Dead"-revelation, showing his non-reaction is interesting. Doflamingo has the most thoughtful reaction as he's putting things together out loud, Jinbei may not be adding much but he's taking the news in anyways, and Hancock's reaction is a wonderful reflection of her character. Moria and Mihawk have nothing to really add here, but they sure are there, reacting anyways.

But indeed. Considdering Oda went out of his fucking way to include all the other six of the OG Shichibukai, so the fact that he left Crocodile out and instead gave those Marines, Coby and Helmeppo such massive panels, AND preferred to include Buggy and Random Whitebeard Pirates over Sir Fucking Crocodile feels incredibly suspicious man

And just to re-iterate, although we have nothing to confirm Crocodile would personally have known/met Dragon at any point in his life, again, between: 1) Dragon being The Most Famous Criminal In The Whole World That Every Fucking One Knows About, and 2) Crocodile having Beef with one of the Revolutionary Army's Founding Members (in other words; if he knew one high ranking Rev Army Member, it is entirely plausible he could know more). Yeah, Crocodile should at least fucking KNOW who Dragon is, like that name should ring a fucking bell. And surely, finding out the little brat who beat his ass turned out to be that Dragon's son would be an interesting revelation, even to Sir "I don't give a fuck" Crocodile

And yet we don't get to see his reaction

And yeah, to be fair, we don't get to see the reactions from any of Whitebeard's other crew members either. But also, those crew members don't really know or care about Luffy, and neither do we the readers particularly care about them at this point in the story. Like sure seeing Marco's reaction over the smaller pirates would've been more interesting, but again, the relationship between us readers and Marco, as well as Marco and Luffy would not be much different if switched out for the random pirates. If anything, the random pirates are more probably there to counter balance the random marines

But then there's also the fact that we don't get to see Whitebeard's reaction either. Which also feels a tiny bit sus considdering how he just had a big ol' conversation with Luffy just moments before. And considdering how important of a character he would become in this arc, not including Whitebeard's reaction does feel a little odd.

But then I have to remind us all; Crocodile came to Marineford because he wanted to fight Whitebeard. With Luffy out of the way, he could be at this point trying to resume his attack on Whitebeard if he wanted to. And he does seem to do that at some point (after getting pushed off Moby Dick off-screen). But what is he doing, at this moment, when the revelation is happening? 'Cause, as you might notice, the Big Reveal Panel is cut off perfectly so even Whitebeard's partially cut off, and last we saw Croc he was behind Whitebeard Like for all we know Crocodile could've been in the middle of flinging himself at Whitebeard again, or in the middle of a spar with some of Whitebeard's commanders, or in a yelling match with Whitebeard

We're not allowed to see either of the two men, not what they were in the middle of doing, and not what they thought about the news. Despite how important the characters would become, despite how arguably either's opinion on the news could have been more insightful than like. What Moria had to say with his "!!!"

IDK man this shit is so sus

[the-gayest-sky-kid]

what's your take on odasaku and dazai's idealization of him?

also any takes you want to share about bsd/bsd in general?

(If you don't mind, I'm also interested in your thoughts about verlaine if thats ok 😭) tyty

who's your fave bsd character and whose the character from bsd you want to have more screen time?

i think its another case of projecting onto someone and it fucking things up. like notably how kouyou projects her own feelings abt light & dark onto kyouka. we just dont often see it that way because what oda does is like. stereotypically good? he uses his dying words to push a friend out of the dark. a death motivating others to act and furthering their character development is classic storytelling. you go into bsd knowing dazai is on the "good guys" side (not that the ada are "bad" but obviously reading bsd as a good guys vs bad guys story is. wrong), so clearly it worked out. so you kind of overlook the surrounding events yk? plus dazais own idolization of oda hammers that in. dazai tells atsushi that "He was a friend of mine (...) He’s the reason I quit the Port Mafia and joined the agency. I’d probably still be killing people for the mafia if it wasn’t for him" in dead apple (the lightnovel. im not going to go through pulling up the movie for this fhfhtndj). and so aside from previous bias people are going to take what dazai says at face value. hes thankful oda showed him the "side that saves people" and of course we're going to agree with that. the thing is. again. projection. now i havent actually finished dark era (i am working through it) but a lot of the time it feels like oda is just shoveling off all his feelings about being "someone meant for the darkness" onto dazai when thats something thats not going to be true for. well. anyone really? and his final conversation with dazai is very influenced by that. he says "You told me if you put yourself in a world of violence and bloodshed, you might be able to find a reason to live... (...) You won’t find it (...) You should know that. Whether you’re on the side that takes lives or the side that saves them, nothing beyond your own expectations will happen. Nothing in this world can fill the hole that is your loneliness. You will wander the darkness for eternity". now the thing is this is kind of a fucked up thing to say to an 18 year old with suicidal tendencies, but odas view of dazai makes it seem like a well needed wake up call. he obviously had good intentions. hes trying to "step into that solitude" but because of his flawed view of dazai he kind of. stumbles. dazai up to this point has been clinging onto the hope that he'd find a reason to live by observing the entire human experience. now oda comes along and dazai thinks hes found someone who understands him better than anyone, and oda tells him hes not going to find that. ever. so he should become a better person and make the world a good place. and also he's dying. so dazai, as we've seen, takes these words to heart. so hes not going to find a reason to live but he should also make the world a better place. good cool got that. so i think he gets a bit too comfortable being collateral for a good cause. and hes already convinced hes not going to find anything here, so of course hes not going to find anything. does that make sense.

i dont think ive phrased anything correctly here but like anyway i think with all his other friends around he'll be able to sort things out there. i cant see bsd ending without any sort of resolution for him in this regard yk.

[mytragedyperson]

Ok so not sure if this is a conspiracy theory or a headcanon but it's time to discuss Dazai and how he planned pretty much everything from at least the dragon head conflict, maybe to kill Fyodor, maybe to stop the decay of angels, or maybe because hic power secretly allows him to see the future, or multiple futures, and he wanted to stop things he didn't like.

Okay so, before we begin, this is from someone who hasn't read the manga or light novels so any information I have is coming from the anime and fanfiction, specifically YunaYamiMouto's BSD fics on AO3. I hope i've spelled that correctly. so my knowledge of these events is limited. As a result I'm not really gonna discuss these events except to say, if my information is correct, he's known about Fyodor since at least the Dragon Head conflict. There was something said in either season 4 or season 5 that i can't remember now. What I do remember is thinking, did this bitch literally have a however many year plan for this? Also I after Dead Apple, I imagine Dazai has known about Atsushi since the last time Shibasauwa was around. I feel like that was confirmed but I don't know.

So Dragon Head conflict has just ended, he's just found out about Atsushi and Fyodor and possibly the decay of Angels and he's already planning. Then he meets the Akutagawa siblings, now Ryu, as we all now, has a very destructive Abilty, and this is probably why Dazai took them in. It wasn't because he cared about them or wanted to help them, he just knew they could be used. So he the Akutagawas to the mafia, trains Ryuu, everything's going well. What I don't think he counted on was Oda and how much he'd grow to care about him. But Oda dies and with his last words asks him to help people. Dazai leaves the mafia, joins the Armed Detactive Agency, stays there for two years until rumors of a tiger terrorising Yokohama appear.

Pause, this is where my own personal headcanon comes in. In my headcanon, Dazai brought the Guild to Yokohama to make the ADA and PM work together and even the Special Abilities Division, so the tripartite system are more likely to work together when the Decay of Angels comes in. This is not canon as far as i know, but if I'm saying Dazai planned everything, you bet I mean everything. Do i care if this is wrong? No, it's just fun to consider.

So a tiger is in Yokohama, Dazai knows this is Atsushi due to previous discussions with Shibusawa. This is when he first reaches out to the Guild, telling them the weretiger can help them find the book. This causes the Guild to put the bounty on the weretiger, and thus the PM to go after Atsushi.

Now what does this accomplish? First, it brings Akutagawa and Atsushi, two people he has plans for and his two proteges together. Second, it allows the ADA and PM to actually meet and get a feel for each other's abilities. Is this a rivalry? Yes, but it allows them to grow to respect each other for their abilities. Think about it. One of the first times the PM goes after the ADA, the Black Lizard is defeated by 2 or 3 members. even if they don't like to admit it or like it in general, that's quite impressive and surely caused some respect from the PM towards the ADA to grow. Now, Dazai's plan for Akutagagwa and Atsushi. He knows his rivalry with Chuuya lead to a strong partnership between them, and hopes the same will work here, which makes sense. To have a rivalry, there has to be some level of mutual respect at least for each other's abilties even if you don't like them. And really, that's kinda what Dazai hopes will happne with the PM and ADA as well. This strong rivalry will turn into an even stronger partnership when they do have to work together. So that's season 1

All I'm saying is the Guild knew the weretiger could lead them to the book. How did they know that? How did anyone know that? So yeah, Dazai told them to start the rivalry between ADA and PM, knowing Atsushi would be able to avoid being captured and brought to them, especially if he's in the ADA.

So the Guild then comes to Yokohame to take it over and find the book. Also, I'm not saying they knew it was Dazai. If Dazai was doing this, I imagine he did it anonymously. So now, PM and ADA have a common enemy, so he goes with Fukuzawa to make the deal with Mori and, as we know, plans everything with the Moby Dick. So the ADA and PM have a temporary alliance and have successfully worked together just in time for Fyodor to turn up, and everything proceeds with canon

Dazai then goes to the newly repaired guild for the eyes of god. what deal did they make? i don't know, but with my headcanon, Dazai reveals he was the one who told them about the book, and reminds them they agreed to do him a favour in the future when he asked. Fyodor is arrested, season 4 and 5 happen. Fyodor supposedly dies, and Dazai's plan works.

I say supposedly because people in this show suck at dying and staying dead and I won't believe he's dead.

Anyway this was dumb but i can't stop thinking about it but yeah. This show has me by the throat and Fukuchi can still choke.

[c-h-pictures]

I gave the abridged plot of Dead Apple to someone who had never heard of Bungo Stray Dogs during Explorers tonight.

Here are the highlights.

Me: We start with Dazai and Chuuya killing people, then finding Shibusawa, then Chuuya's "I want my friends back" and shibusawa's like "too bad, bitch they're dead" so Chuuya goes "fuck you, i'ma activate corruption" and Dazai's like "are you sure this is a good idea?" And Chuuya's like "fuck you, my friends are dead" and then we see Fyodor stood on top of a roof and he just laughs.

-

Me: Them we meet the agency in a meeting and Kunikida's like "people are killing themselves and we think this man is why" and it's Shibusawa from the opening, surprise bitch, he's not dead. And Ranpo's just like "I don't care, I'm just going to put my snacks in a fucking safe"

-

Me: [Name of person in team] come here, [other person] finished her laces. Picks him up from the river lock with one hand and carries him down to the path

[Guy I'm explaining the plot to]: Holy shit, you did that with one arm?

Me: That's not important - then Atsushi goes to the cemetery and finds Dazai at a grave stone asks if it was someone he loved and Dazai's like "of course not, if I was, I would've died with them" and then we see that it's Odasaku's grave stone and everyone's like "oh no, Odasaku" and some people actually ship Dazai and Oda but I never understood why because when I first watched Dark Era, I thought Dazai was sixteen, then found out he was actually older but still had all of the interactions in my head as a 16 year old probable orphan and an adult that adopted every orphan he met.

-

Me: And then Atsushi and Kyoka find Kunikida and Kunikida's like "so, turns out we were all wrong as shit."

-

Me: Then Akutagawa turns up and is just like "Weretiger, you're dumb and that's why you didn't get your ability back"

The guy: Who are akutagawa and Weretiger?

Me: Atsushi's equivalent of Dazai's Chuuya and Atsushi himself.

-

Me: And then it turns out that Shibusawa actually died and didn't realize, but I don't know when he died because it feels like it was set a decade ago, but Atsushi only looks a year younger, so I don't know.

-

Me: And then it turns out that A5158 is Chuuya and everyone's like "oh my god, Chuuya!" And he goes all i'ma activate corruption again and ango's like "you fucking dumbass we don't know where Dazai and he's most likely dead" and Chuuya's like "yeah, well I'm gay, so I know he's a live, fuck you!"

The guy: He says fuck you a lot, eh?

Me: That is the one sentence he has never said in canon.

-

Me: And then there's a fucking dragon that came from Shibusawa, who is, need I remind you, a fucking skull with a horn.

-

Me: And the dragon's the style of a Chinese dragon, so it might be some sort of reference because the author Nakajima did some stuff with Chinese stuff but even the author doesn't know what's going on at this point.

-

Me: And then Dazai and Chuuya disappear off to be gay and lazy.

The guy: Really?

Me: You have no idea how hard the animators tried to not have Chuuya faceplant into Dazai's crotch and they should've just gone with it because now, when Chuuya passes out, his chin goes up.

-

Me: And then at the end Akutagawa comes up and sees Chuuya and is like "where's Dazai" and Chuuya's like "fuck if I know, he just abandoned me. Look, I can't move, carry me. I'm short and tiny and you can lift me" and that's the plot.

[ninhaoma-ya]

Chapter 1048 — 20 years

Getting back into it, slowly and surely.

So the people in Chocolate Town seem to be Reiju and Ichiji, after all. Or at least someone who looks like them.

Momo still has some growing up to do (doing things because you want to, not because of dead people telling you to), but it’s nice to see his growth from an Alvida-Coby-esque “No, no, no, it’s totally impossible!” to a more “No— but wait, I might be able to…”

Looks like we get to see Kaido’s awakened powers as well.

And look how tiny Luffy is in comparison!

I really like how Oda draws this type of fire. If anyone has a good English word for it, let me know — in Swedish I’d call Kaido here ‘glödgande’, which is that beating heat of coals at the heart of a fire. Not merely glowing, but almost alive in their burn, igniting all that comes near.

Also, not sure what to make of the symbolism of Onigashima losing both horns.

Here I see a potential physics problem. However, since I know nothing (-1000) about physics, please correct me on this one.

Luffy was using his anchoring to Kaido to direct his hit. The tension in his stretched body was what was making the hit hit even harder. But now the other end of the tether is cut loose — all that power has to disappear somewhere, which should make Luffy flap around like a rubber band.

Maybe the current shenanigans will hit differently on a reread and when we see more of Luffy’s awakened powers, but for now they seem too deus ex machina. Too much power, all relying on his stubbornness. I’m sure we’ll see A Drawback once Kaido is down (mini-Luffy? Aged-Luffy? Mummy-Luffy?), but for now there isn’t any tension in the story. With Bound Man there was the stress of him running out of haki-stamina and having to wait before he could counterattack, and with Gear Third there was the problem of getting smol. We’ve seen a withering in chapter 1045 but then Luffy just thought of his friends and got well again.

It’s all just too convenient.

I do like the reminder of Wano’s decades of horror. This has been a long fight and people forget. It also packs an emotional punch before the sweet, sweet resolution which should come any day now. Maybe.

It’s also nice how Oda goes out of his way to show the differences between Kaido and Orochi. On one hand, the only thing Kaido is explicitly shown to say relates to the Kozuki clan and Momo, otherwise he’s just rampaging and fighting to his hearts content. Orochi, on the other hand, is shown speaking and smirking and simpering and sneering — but never fighting, never with a weapon in hand, only a fan.

And Orochi’s orochi-form is also glowing…

…although not for long.

All right, I’m not sure what to think of this turnout. Is it expected? Yes. But overall, I’m more all right with Hiyori being rescued than I ever was, am, or will be with the total letdown that was Rebecca’s development in the Dressrosa arc.

Hiyori has so far always been shown as a scheming, manipulative, lying, deceitful, double-faced, utterly proud and most vindictive and deceptive. She has always used her brains and her beauty to outwit her foes, from the sad tale of the tripple Bs to her masterful handling of Orochi (until he attacked her only friend and her pride rose).

But she hasn’t been shown to have any sort of inkling or will to fight. She says she wishes she could kill Orochi herself in chapter 950, but the way she does it implies resignation – she says it to Zoro with tears in her eyes after he has defeated a bunch of ninja that would have found and captured/killed her if not for him. She seems to accept that she is no match in a physical battle. She and Denjiro even devised the plan of the bloodied kimono to fake her death, as they probably both realised that she wouldn’t be able to fight. She gives Zoro Enma and says she’ll keep away from Onigashima – probably partly due to her knowing that Denjiro (and probably the other Akazaya as well) would protect her if he/they saw her in danger there. Here, she used her cunning to disarm Orochi and, lacking the resources to kill him, appears to accept her fate in a crumbling castle, watching him die.

In another way, this end lets Denjiro keep his promise to her. In chapter 973 he promises to protect her, and that he does.

I also like how their kimonos mirror patterns; her light cloudflowers and his striking targets.

And the floating lights, proclaiming his demise.

.

I give the chapter glowing hot resolution and probable physics problems.

[doctorweebmd]

ok now for a brief list of examples of manipulate mansplain malewife characters that are compelling because they suck for a specific reason and how Dazai could have used said motivation logically in canon to be more engaging as a character:

1.) Goro Akechi - pretty-boy genius liar and master manipulator. Their physical resemblance is the reason I actually started watching BSD. Akechi's motivation is extremely clear and so beautifully simple. He wants revenge. And he will go to whatever lengths it takes to get it. In the end, his motivation is to be in charge of his own destiny. To break chains or manipulation, be it from his father, Maruki or God Himself.

Revenge would have been an extremely easy pathway for Dazai. Mimic killed Oda. Mori purposefully got Mimic into Japan to stir up trouble and its heavily hinted that he informed them of curry shop and where the orphans live. If Dazai said: the reason my friend is dead is Mori and the Port Mafia. I will now do everything in my power to destroy/dismantle/ruin them to ease my own grief - that would be such an easy reason to explain away why he abandoned Akutagawa and Chuuya with no contact for four years, as well as add significant tension to all these 'team-ups' as well as willingly 'working with Mori.'

2.) Gen Asigiri - king of being two-faced and manipulation - knows always what to say, how to present himself, and what to capitalize on to get on top. He's an expert in human nature and, by that front, the 'negotiator.' Gen's motivation is also very simple - at first, it was so survive, meaning he gets to be on the winning side where he gets more pleasures from life. The second is simply believing in Senku and the world he wants to bring; using his manipulative qualities over and over again to save his friends and create new allies. But, per Gen, its super simple: his motive? Be on the winning side so he can end up powerful and spoiled. WE, as the audience, can see he also just like... loves and wants to help his friends.

Power and money and being on the winning side are also huge motivators. Again, if Dazai showed an interest of dismantling or at least hurting the Port Mafia somehow, that would also make a lot of sense with his backstory. Caring about his friends or wanting to see a better future are also REALLY easy motivators and probably the one where a lot of people would say 'but that IS his motivator! He cares about the agency!'

...Does he? When exactly has he shown that? If that was the case and if he was driven to look out for these people, it again would add a significant richness to his character. But every time he seemingly does something 'kind' for any of the characters, its a means to an end. He's trying to manipulate them into doing or saying something for him. Pep-talk to Kyoka during the Guild Arc? Sure, you could call it a point of connection and a kindness to reassure her that a 'murderer' can become a good person. But this was all to motivate her to fly said plane into the Moby Dick, thus preventing Moby Dick from destroying Yokohama. How about Ango? How about Chuuya? What about any of the people that love him, that go above and beyond for him when he does what seems like nothing in return? The strongest argument you can make here is for Atsushi.

So lets talk about that. Lets talk about our MC and who Dazai is supposed to be for him.

Dazai is supposed to be the mentor-figure. The all-knowing, experienced guiding hand to help Atsushi grow.

Hm. What other mentor figures do we know with that personality?

3.) Reigen Arataka - Reigen's character act is frankly fantastic and powerful. He is proof that an utterly unserious loserboy scam artist can have a meaningful development and huge impact on the story without losing that core aspect of his personality. Reigen ran lots of scams until he found the paranormal investigator role and, when Mob got involved, you could say that he lied to him, manipulated him and used him to make money and grow a successful business. BUT. Its been quite natural. We see the way Reigen starts to change himself and bad habits because of and for Mob. He runs into danger without a second thought for Mob. In the very end, he confesses, with shame and so so much love for this kid, that he'd been lying to him this whole time. Despite not being able to train him in a 'psychic' way, Reigen looked out for Mob, motivated him, treated him like a person when no one else did, and taught him the things that he wasn't naturally good at - like having self-confidence and talking to girls and being a leader. And he continued as such - with Tome and Serizawa, he continued to use his skills to help others and created a safe haven for people that don't feel like they belong anywhere else.

It would have been so, so easy to demonstrate Dazai slowly starting to care for Atsushi. Training him. Teaching him. Motivating him. Watching out for him. Finding joy and meaning in 'helping out some orphans.' Seeing the world through Atsushi's eyes, his joy, his fear, and becoming more human for it. And yet... the only times we see something vaguely along these lines is: Dazai getting 'captured' by the Port Mafia to see who put out a bounty on him (hm,) Dazai slapping Atsushi out of his hallucination when Q got him (hm........) Dazai ''''comforting'''' Atsushi when he realized the headmaster died (hmmmmmmmm.....). One can argue that instructing Akutagawa to save Atsushi is, outside actually recruiting him into the agency, the biggest thing he's really done FOR Atsushi - but, listen. It took NOTHING from Dazai to do that. He sacrificed SOMEONE ELSE who would do anything for him, someone he seems to not care for at all, to save Atsushi. Cool. That's a point for Akutagawa, not Dazai, because in the end Akutagawa made that choice himself. In all honesty, Akutagawa has a LOT more impact on Atsushi's development than Dazai does.

He does not train Atsushi (thats Kunikida.) He doesn't really teach him anything (thats also Kunikida.) He doesn't change as a person because of how much he cares about Atsushi. (Thats Akutagawa and Kyouka.) In the entire series, Dazai shows minimal, if any, growth or development.

4.) Satoru Gojo - look I'm not trying to kick the hornets nest here. Out of all of the above, Gojo is probably the closest person that one can parallel to Dazai (and not only because they have the same English VA.) Gojo plays the 'classic' shounen mentor role. He's extremely powerful and is highly motivated to protect the jujutsu sorcerer way of life. His motivators include being the strongest (classic) as well as raising a generation of jujutsu sorcerers who are hella powerful. His whole thing is getting the kids in and out of jams. He practically raised Megumi (after killing his dad. but. you know.) and defended Yuuji while personally showing him how to develop and control his power. He also has a dramatic and very engaging backstory (Hidden Inventory you will always be famous.) He has a clear motivation to change the entire system that he is a part of, and dies doing it.

Dazai has no interest in changing the system he is a part of. The tri-party system for protecting the city works just fine for him. As mentioned above, Dazai doesn't do shit to ACTUALLY put himself in danger for the sake of his 'mentees.' It might be because Dazai wears the world's thickest plot armor, but him being ''''captured'''' by the Port Mafia or even being ''''arrested'''' and put in jail would be a lot more meaningful if, you know, Dazai actually had to risk or sacrifice anything. The only time he actually risks himself to save someone physically is with Sigma in the elevator, but even THAT is muddled by Dazai barely knowing Sigma but being aware that the way to beat Fyodor is via Sigma's ability. So its not because he's a good person or that Sigma is important, but because preserving his ability takes priority for this 12-dimension game of chess him and Fyodor seem to be playing.

look. i dont think there's anything wrong with a 'coolest hottest smartest undefeatable genius character who can manipulate literally everyone in the world and is also god's favorite.' But there have to be stakes. There have to be risks. There have to be repercussions. Dazai doesn't even feel like a character - just a plot device to keep the other characters moving.

Now. Listen. Here is how we can fix Dazai. What if he, at some young age, got a hold of The Book and read it. Or even wrote in it. What if that is what makes him so nihilistic and uninterested in existing in his own universe. What if he read about the way he dies (way in the future, preferably brutally and horribly) and it made him obsessed with his own death and trying to make it happen on his own terms, not the unfeeling hands of the universe? And that no matter how hard he tries, no matter what insane scenarios he gets himself into, he cannot die? Because he spends all this time in existential dread, hoping that the Book was some kind of cosmic joke, trying to rebel against it but the outcome is still the same. That would explain how he seems to know everything about everyone and never makes the wrong move. How he can treat everyone around him like nothing and they're still dedicated to him. How he can just be an empty shell and still somehow the most important person in the plot.

Kafka Asagiri. Listen to me. THIS IS HOW WE CAN STILL SAVE BUNGO STRAY DOGS.

[heliarosewrites]

Chapter 6 - Family

Three months had passed before you first left your chambers. Every letter (not that there were many) and every meal had been delivered at your door. Not that you had eaten much of the food. You knew you should, but you either threw it up again or couldn’t even swallow it. It had consequences of course. Your fingers had become so thin your ring was falling off. Fortunately you had managed to get hold of a slim chain which you had looped through the ring and you wore it like some sort of necklace. It didn’t look very nice, but you didn't care as long you had some part of you with him. You needed to wear the ring and as long as it slipped off your finger you had no other option. Your health had also dropped. Standing up was tiring, reading was tiring, even during small conversation you would completely zone out. The only thing that gave you energy was practicing small spells you had discovered in one of the books on the bookshelf. It was nothing much, but it made the time pass quickly. 

Most days you spent in bed just staring at the ceiling. Falling asleep was hard as well, you never knew when you would dream of Loki (which you did most times you fell asleep). It all varied from him laying in bed beside you stroking your hair and giving you small kisses, to him marrying other, more beautiful girls and the worst one: him falling off the bifrost as his hand released from his fathers scepter. The last one would usually end with you waking up screaming. You hadn’t seen what had happened the day, but the nightmare was always the same, which made you believe it was fairly similar to your dream. 

Guards had been placed outside your door to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself. Hurting yourself was never an option. Loki would have hated it, you knew that. However, the pain you had felt was so bad that it now felt as though you were already dead. Sure, your body worked (somewhat). But your mind was elsewhere, and you felt nothing. Perhaps it had been a good thing. You had managed to eat food and your ring fit your finger again. But you had a hard timing actually believing Loki was gone. Some part of you knew he had to be, there was no possible way he had survived it. He had fallen into space, into nothingness. He couldn’t be alive. It was impossible. Yet some part of you hoped and believed that every time there was a knock on the door he would enter your chambers as if nothing had happened. 

The King and Queen had asked for your attendance during meals, and you finally had managed to get out of bed and get ready with help from Oda. She had been the one to deliver your meals and had been lovely to you. She had been easy to talk to and she somehow seemed to understand what you were going through and showed immense empathy. It made you wonder what the young girl had been through herself. 

You now found yourself sitting in the dining hall. You had showed up early so you would have plenty of time to leave if you changed your mind. Hopefully you had chosen the right seat. You didn’t want to make any scenes, and hoped there wouldn’t be too many questions for you. 

You were staring at your fingers which were fiddling with the skirts of your dress, when Thor entered. He looked good, better than you at least. He had a better network, friends and he had to get over the loss of his brother. 

He didn’t seem to notice you were sitting there until he sat down himself. 

“Oh, hello” he greeted as he sat down. “Didn’t see you there” he said as he poured himself some wine. “You’ve gotten so small,” he said. It wasn’t meant as an insult. Thor was kind, he just seemed to not think of his words before he said them. 

He poured you some wine as well. “That’s what happens when you stop eating” you said and you grabbed the goblet and sipped some wine. Not much though. The alcohol would probably go straight to your head considering you hadn’t eaten at all today. Thor gave you a weak smile and you could see he was clearly uncomfortable. “Sorry. It’s just…” you apologized. “I know” he said as he leaned back. You looked to the roof as you filled your lungs with air and breathed out through your mouth. You blinked before you returned your attention to Thor. 

The King and Queen entered and the Queen smiled bright as she noticed your presence. Neither of them addressed you directly, and you felt grateful. You didn’t have anything to say, and you didn’t like being the centre of attention either. You ate in silence and followed their conversation. They were mainly talking about the plans for rebuilding the Bifrost. 

You had just been served dessert when Thor turned his head to look at his mother. Your eyes fixed on a piece of raven black hair twinned into one of his braids. Your heart stopped. 

He had a piece of Loki’s hair. Of course he had. It was tradition. A way to honour the passed. A simple yet powerful way to honor his brother. Your love. 

“Excuse me” you said as you stood up and silently scooted your chair back against the table. You could feel the too familiar tears press against the corner of your eyes. The conversation died once you stood up and you silently walked out of the dinding hall while you fiddled with your ring. Once you had gotten past the doorway you could hear another chair rasp against the floor. 

Suddenly Thor was walking beside you. “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean to offend you or” he started. “I wasn’t offended at all, Thor. I appreciated your… form of concern” you said as your eyes fixed on the end of the corridor. “It’s just…” you started. You took a deep breath. “I don’t think I’ll ever be the same” you looked at Thor and stopped. His eyes were filled with sorrow and concern. Your hand reached up and you gently touched the strands of Loki’s hair. A lump formed in your chest. “I think he will be right around the corner, when I know damn well he isn’t” you started. “When I close my eyes, he is there. When I stare at the same spot for too long I think I see him in the corner of my eye. My heart breaks every time I turn and he isn’t there” you added. Your voice cracked at the end and you had to fight to stop the tears from falling. 

“Sorry, I should get back” you said as you looked to the floor. “Don’t be. Do you want me to come? Talking could do good for us both” he offered. It would be nice to talk to someone who actually knew Loki. That had been one of your realization you had had over the weeks: You didn’t really know Loki. All you shared were the intense feeling of belonging with each other and the small facts he had given you at dinner the night before he fell… 

“Okay” you answered and the two of you started walking down the corridor. “I don’t mean to barge in on your privacy, just tell me when you want me to leave and I will” he said as he opened the door to your chambers. The guards usually guarding your door had gone. They probably had better things to attend to than guarding an empty room. 

Your bed had been made and the room looked cleaner than it was when you left. It was a bit odd how you noticed it, however you had spent a long time studying every creek of the room, changes would catch your eye quickly. 

“Make yourself comfortable” you said as you went to close the window that was open. When you turned though, Thor stood right in front of you and he reached out his arms and he hugged you tight. You were taken aback but you quickly softened under his grip. “I am so sorry” he said as his hand started to make circles on your back. It was like he had turned on your emotional switch. The whole gesture overwhelmed you and you immediately started sobbing (once again) into Thor’s chest. He pressed you closer and you sobbed your heart out. 

You stood there for what felt like an eternity before you stopped crying. Thor let go of you once you had calmed. “I am sorry… I didn't mean to…” you said and shook your head. You didn’t need to apologize for being sad. Your fiance had died. Guilt still roamed your being, as if you had overreacted. Here you stood sobbing into the shoulder of your fiance’s brother. He had known Loki for most of his life, you had known him for not even three days. The logic and rational part of your brain had switched off when you had been with him. You felt ashamed of your actions. There were probably rumors about Loki and your relationship, but you didn’t care about that for now, because right now you could just hide. 

Your feelings towards Loki was nothing you could change. It wasn’t your fault you had fallen so madly in love with him. You never had a choice, it was just meant to happen. The nornes and their sick games and tricks. 

“You don’t need to apologize, y/n” Thor said and his hand moved to cup your face. “I am just so tired of it” you started. “The pain, the guilt, everything it’s just so…” you said and tilted your head slightly. “It’s just… I knew him for three days, yet it seemed as if I knew him for my whole life, but when I think about him... I don’t know anything about him. How can I feel this way about someone I don’t even know” you said and your voice cracked. You fiddled with the inside of your ring to try and distract yourself.

“I don’t feel anything anymore. I’m just an empty shell” you admitted before Thor could say anything. You needed to get it out of your system. Thor looked at you with concern. Your arms crossed over your stomach. Thor stepped closer to you. His hand reached up and put some of your hair behind your ear. You swallowed as you looked up at him, into his eyes. “If you want, we can talk about him,” Thor offered. “He wouldn’t want you to live like this. He might have been misunderstood by others, but he never would want harm on you” Thor said and your heart ached again. But this time it was better. Better than feeling nothing. “He really liked you, you know. He couldn’t shut up about you after you left last time” Thor started.

The two of you had made your way to the sofa in front of your fireplace. When you had made a fire, Thor had somehow managed to get a bottle of wine and two goblets. “I never saw him act like he did when he was around you” Thor said. “At the dinner I mean. I wasn’t here for long” he smiled awkwardly. You sipped your wine as you remembered when he had dried the wine off your cheek. And the way he had choked on his wine when he learned you were in fact not married and pregnant. “I hoped no one noticed” you admitted a little concerned. “He practically seduced me right there” you confessed. “It wouldn’t be hard for him anyways” you admitted. The alcohol had gotten you talking. Thor grinned slightly to himself. “You were his first you know” Thor admitted. “He didn’t say you had done things, but he wasn’t very good at hiding it” Thor laughed lightly. You blushed slightly before you furrowed your brows. “He said there had been two?” you stated. “What?” he said before he realized. “Oh, well no, that doesn’t really count. It was an attempt from our mother actually, she thought it best if he knew what he was doing so he wouldn’t scare away any potential suitors” Thor explained. “I don’t think he didanything, at least that was what the women said. He thought it so embarrassing he never spoke of it” Thor added. You found this to be strange. It wasn’t normal for a mother to do things like that, was it? Somehow everything that happened at court seemed strange to you. The way everything was a secret, yet everyone knew them.

“How was Midgard anyways?” you asked, trying to direct the attention away from yourself. “It’s different,” he started. “Their technology has certainly improved,” he said. “I heard you met someone” you said and smirked at him. Thor smiled to himself. “Jane” he muttered. “How is she?” you asked. Thor looked at you. “She is the most amazing person I have ever met” Thor started. His expression changed slightly, somehow similar to the expression your sister wore when she talked about her husband. “She is smart, and so beautiful,” he added. “Sounds like quite the woman” you said before you sipped your wine. “She is” he smiled to himself. A thought struck your mind and you cursed yourself for even thinking about it: Thor was going to see Jane again, once the Bifrost was repaired he could go back to Midgard and see her. You on the other hand would never see him again. 

A single tear travelled down your cheek in your zoned-out state. You were starting to feel the alcohol kicking in as prickling started to erupt from your fingers. “Can I show you something?” you asked Thor. He looked at you and nodded. “Of course” he said as he sat up straight. “Did you hear what Loki did?” you asked. “The day before your return” you added. Thor shook his head and looked slightly confused. “He slit his wrist right in front of me” Thor’s eyes widened. “He what?” he exclaimed. “I… Well… I healed him. He was just testing me I think” you tried calming Thor. “He shouldn’t have-” he started but you broke him off. “It’s beside the point. I have always known I could do magic, but not like this” you said. “Loki saw it, and tried to convince me, but I was too stubborn. Once I threw the guards against the walls though…” you explained. “I haven’t gotten it perfect yet, but… I think it helps me from not losing my mind completely…” you said as you started to fold your hands. You squeezed them tight together before you concentrated. You straightened out your fingers and you could feel the heat from your magic radiate from in between your hands. Your hands moved and a small illusion of Loki’s face appeared. “It’s not much but…-” you started. “You learned that by yourself?” Thor asked, amazed. “Well… yes” you answered. “But I don’t think it’s very complicated. I just needed a way to see him once more” you admitted. The illusion faded and your hands fell into your lap. 

“It’s just… a part of me denies he is gone. It’s so surreal. I think i ever will think he is gone. I won’t find anyone else. I would have to be forced” you said as you straightened out your legs. Thor said nothing. 

Tiredness mixed with your drunkenness and you closed your eyes. A pair of arms grabbed you and lifted you up and carried you. You leaned against his chest. Something about his scent reminds you of Loki. Something soft pressed against your back. Thor’s arms slipped from under you. “Please, stay…” you whispered. Your eyes were closed and you weren’t sure if you had fallen asleep or not but the bed bulged and you turned around and hugged Thor. “Thank you” you whispered as his arm came around your shoulder. The room spinned slightly as you Laid down atop his chest. 

☾

When you woke up the next day you felt a bit nauseous, probably from the wine you had yesterday. Thor had left after you had fallen asleep. It was probably for the best. Him walking out of your chambers in the morning would most likely spark rumors you didn’t want going around. Not for your own sake but for your family’s sake. You had showered and gotten dressed before Oda entered with your breakfast.

“Good morning” she smiled at you and you greeted her and smiled back. “I see you have gotten yourself ready for the day” she said as she put the tray down in front of you. “Yes, I thought I might walk around today” you said as you motioned for her to sit down as well. During the last weeks you had offered her to eat with you, and she did. Now she poured the two of you some tea and and you took one of the sandwitches. You noticed there was a letter addressed for you under the tray. You lifted it and opened it. You recognised your sister’s handwriting right away.

‘My dearest sister, y/n. 

I hope you are doing well. And I hope the court life is treating you well. I thought you wanted to know though, that everything back home is fine. I am, of course, quite tired from Thorbjörn waking up at all hours of the day, but Knut is helping in every way he can. Speaking of, I hope you’ll come to visit us soon. Mother and father are worried about you, and so are we. 

I also need to mention that Jörn has been asking an awful lot about you lately… Anyways, all the best wishes 

Love Idunn’ 

Your heart jumped slightly when you read Jörn’s name. He had been one of your closest friends, and you hadn’t written to him at all. Oda noticed your slight reaction. “Is everything okay?” she asked. “Yes” you smiled. “I just need to write some letters” you said before you put the one away. You returned your attention to your food again. You probably hadn’t eaten this much since before Loki. Somehow things felt more ‘normal’ than it had before. Maybe it had helped talking to Thor? 

“Oda?” you asked. She looked up at you as she sipped the tea. “Can you help me get a private audience with the queen today or tomorrow perhaps? I know she’s busy, but I have something I need her advice on” you explained. “Of course. I will see to it at once actually” she said as she put down the tea cup and headed for the door. “Thank you” you said as she opened the door. 

You needed to ask the Queen if you should leave. Go home and stay with your parents. Staying here had been good for you, but you felt out of place and as if you had overstayed your stay. Which you objectively had. If Loki still was around, it wouldn’t be a problem, but right now you were back to being a nobody. Like you had always been. 

You finished the sandwich before you stood up and stretched slightly. You removed your ring and placed it in your palm before you let the other one hover over it. You concentrated and suddenly the ring floated between your hands as gold light like ribbons delicately flew around it. You smiled slightly to yourself. You had found a couple of books on the bookshelf that had taught you a few tricks. It was only for fun and you knew you would never use them. 

The door creaked open and the ring fell back in your hand and you quickly placed it on your finger where it belonged. 

“What did she say?” you asked as you turned around to face Oda, whom you thought entered. However it was not and you were taken aback slightly as Frigga entered your room. “Oh, I didn’t expect- I meant to visit you. Not to cause you much trouble” you tried to excuse yourself. It did help much though. “Don’t be” the Queen smiled. “Oda told me you wanted my advice, and I needed a little break from the paperwork” she admitted before she walked over and sat down by the couch. 

“So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” Frigga asked. She smiled warm at you, the way she always did. “I think I should travel home” you said. Frigga’s eyebrows tugged slightly together. “I feel as though I have overstayed my stay, and I don’t want to bother you anymore” the words poured out of you. It wasn’t what you had meant to say, but you couldn’t lie to her. “Of course you can go back home. It would probably do you good” the Queen smiled. “However, I don’t want you to feel as though you have been a burden during your stay, because you definitely have not. And I would very much like for your return once you feel ready. You need magic training, and from my knowledge you won’t get that back home” she said. You tilted your head so you could see her better. “Magic training?” you asked. Of course you knew what she talked about. You had told her about your healing, but that wouldn’t be enough for you to be in training. Perhaps she had been watching you in your room? “Thor told me about your little illusion” she said. “And I must say I am quite impressed by what he told me,” she smiled. “But-” you tried to object, but she cut you off. “I can basically smell the magic off you. It’s much greater than you think” she said before she stood up. 

Her eyes fell on your ring. “He would want you to be loved. To find love again” Frigga said before she cleared her throat. “I will make sure there’s a horse ready for you as soon as possible” she smiled before she excitedly entered your room. She had left you speechless at her words. You stood there staring at the door before you turned around and started bringing out your old clothes to pack them back into your small linen bag. 

☾

You jumped off the horse in front of your sister’s new home before you tied the horse to one of the trees nearby. The sun had just set and you hoped she was still awake. You walked up to the door and knocked. You heard some rambling from the inside before the door opened. “Well, hello” he said smiling. “Who is it?” you heard your sister yell from the inside, and at that moment you realized how much you had missed her. You pushed past Knut and entered their home. Idunn sat lulling a bundle of blankets and you felt tears press against the corner of your eyes. This time, though, they were from joy. 

“Y/n!” she exclaimed. ��I thought you weren’t coming back for a while” she said as she turned her chair towards you. “I couldn’t wait too long to say hi to our newest family member” you smiled. You moved over and peaked over your sister’s shoulder. Her head turned and scanned over you. She said nothing. You looked down on Thorbjörn. “Hello there little one” you said as your finger moved down and gently bopped his nose. 

“Can I hold him?” you asked and your sister chuckled. “Of course” she said and she stood up and gave him to you. He looked so much like his father, there was no doubt, but there was something about his eyes that reminded you of Idunn. You walked around with the little babe in your arms. You stroked his cheek and made funny faces at him making him laugh. “I haven’t seen him like this with people he hasn't met,” Idunn said. You looked at her. She looked tired, but in a healthy way. “I have a tendency to charm all the boys, you know” you joked. 

Your mind however went to a place, a place that dwelled how this could have been your life if Loki hadn’t died. Holding the product of your love in your arms and them becoming someone, a person for themselves. 

“How thin you’ve gotten” Idunn snapped you out of thoughts. Your head snapped towards her. “Huh?” you furrowed your brows. “Aren’t they feeding you properly at court?” she asked. Of course… She didn’t know what really had happened. They all knew of course that the prince was dead. He had fallen off the Bifrost in a failed attempt to save his brother and ended up sacrificing himself. That was how the story was told to the people, but you knew the truth. That he had tried to destroy Jotunheim and Thor had stopped him. As Odin had reached them hanging off the cliff Loki had let go. Why, you couldn’t fathom. He had left you all alone in an unfamiliar world. You only had one memory from the whole thing, that being his words ringing through your head ‘I’m sorry my love’ you weren’t even sure it was real or not. Your family however, thought you had simply been offered a position at court which you of course had accepted. 

“Well of course they do,” you answered before you turned your attention to Thorbjörn again. He was almost asleep. “Is he supposed to sleep?” you asked not really knowing anything about how to bring up children. “It’s fine” she said as she came and took him from you. Her motion stopped slightly as her hand graced above yours. She looked from Thorjörn to you. She had touched your ring. Your eyes met and she took the baby before she gave him to Knut. Knut disappeared with the baby. 

“Y/n, what’s that?” she said and pointed to your hands. She strolled towards you and grabbed your hands and studied the ring. “It’s a ring,” you answered. You knew it wasn’t the answer she wanted. “Don’t think me a fool, y/n” she said as she looked up at you. “It’s just not a ring is it?” she suggested. And you shook your head. Your chest started to tense. “I didn’t want to write to you about it… it was too personal,” you admitted. “What? Has someone at court knocked you up or something?” she joked. You didn’t laugh. “Not exactly” you said and you looked to the floor. You weren’t ready to talk about this. You didn’t want to be judged by your own sister. “I don’t know if I should… I should head for mom and dad’s” you said and you turned around wanting to leave. You shouldn’t burden your sister with your problems either, she had enough to think about on her own. 

“Y/n? What’s wrong?” Idunn asked. A tear rolled down your cheek and you quickly reached up to wipe it away with the back of your hand. “You know about the Prince right?” your voice shook slightly. “Of course I do” she said as her eyes scanned yours. “Well, he… Or we… I…” you started. Idunn’s eyes grew wide. You had to wipe another tear away. “I fell so hard” you said. “He--“ you couldn’t really finish your sentence as the sobs started taking over. Idunn grabbed hold of you and led you to the dark red sofa. Once you sat down she held around your shoulder. She squeezed your arm slightly, probably feeling exactly how thin you had gotten. “I’m sorry” you said as you shook your head slightly and you had gotten control of your low sobs. “Don’t be sorry” Idunn said. Your eyes met hers. “I didn’t think it would be possible. To feel the way I did for Loki” you said as your breathing became more controlled. “I would have…” you started as your hands were rubbing up and down your thighs. You stopped yourself. What you were about to say could sound suicidal and you weren’t. But you would change places with Loki if you could. “He initially tricked me into it... but I did say yes out of my own free will. I wanted to. It was all just too good to last” you said. “What are you on about?” you sister asked. You looked up at her again and her brows furrowed. 

“We were engaged”

[fireflykaizoku]

I know you already wrote 2 soulmate body switch fics. And this isn’t really a request unless you want it to be. But I was thinking about a version of this that I think you’d appreciate.

I’m imagining it for Ace or Sabo, where the reader is a member of the Revolutionary Army or Whitebeard pirates respectively, so when they switch bodies, Ace and Sabo are reunited 🥺😭 that’s all i really have to say, but I’m gonna keep day dreaming about it because I’ll never forgive oda for not letting them meet again 😩

That idea is amazingg omg i needed to write before i went to bed 😩 and yes, i'll never forgive oda for killing ace, and for killing ace before he could meet sabo again (or at least know he's alive ugh) oda, pay for our therapy!

You were part of the Revolutionary Army since you were young, around the same time Sabo joined too. Ever since then, you, Koala and him where very close friends. It was hard having free time being part of the RA, but it was New Year’s Eve, the three of you were docked at an island, so you decided it’d be a good idea to relax and celebrate the holiday.

— And maybe next year I’ll finally meet my soulmate. — you said, before the toast with your best friends. — I’m sure it will happen next year.

— Don’t rush it, I didn’t meet mine yet, and it’s alright. Koala didn’t met hers either yet either. — Sabo giggled. — There’s still time.

— I know, but feels like it will never happen... — you sighed, then you heard the people at the bar starting the countdown. — It’s almost midnight!

You forgot about the soulmate subject, and just decided to party, drink a bit, and rest a little during the two days off. You waited long enough to meet this person, you were sure you could wait more.

The first day of the year was already over, and you went to bed early this time not just because of your hangover, but also because you’d sail first thing in the morning.

You opened your eyes feeling a lot better, but instead of waking up at the hotel room you were sharing with Koala, you were alone in a bed you don’t remember seeing before. Feeling freaked out thinking some enemy took you while you were asleep, your first thought was to get up and get a weapon before leaving the room and explore. But as soon as you jumped out of the bed, you noticed the body was different than yours, the shorts weren’t yours, and that belt with the letter “A” for sure wasn’t yours.

Then it hit you. You finally switched bodies with your soulmate! After waiting for so long and almost losing hope! You just needed to find out who this man is, and you also needed to contact Sabo somehow. What if this man was someone dangerous? If he found out you were part of the RA, it wouldn’t be good.

You left the room and there was also lots of noises outside, with men laughing and talking. Some man greeted you, calling you “second commander”; you just smiled back, trying not to raise any suspicions.

When you finally found a bathroom with a mirror, you notice how handsome your soulmate was, with dark hair, freckles, and a tattoo on his arm. You kept looking at the reflection, just appreciating how cute he was. He wasn’t just a good looking man, but you remembered the wanted poster you saw once, that man was Portgas D. Ace, also known as Fire Fist Ace, part of the Whitebeard Pirates. Now the “second commander” made sense.

— Ace, are you okay yoi? You’ve been here for a long time. Is it hangover? — someone knocked on the door.

— I’m fine. — you replied quickly. — Just give me a minute.

When the footsteps were far, you took a deep breath. Whitebeard was indeed a powerful man, he probably could help you somehow.

You walked towards the deck, only to find Edward Newgate sitting outside. That man was huge and intimidating, way more intimidating than any other pirate you ever met so far. You were nervous, but approached him anyway.

— Good morning, son! — he smile. — So, any luck with your soulmate yet? If not, don’t worry. I told you, it will happen eventually and there’s no rush.

It was not the interaction you were expecting, and when the man noticed your eyes wide open in surprise and the cheeks getting red, he just knew.

— You’re not Ace, are you? — he asked, you shook your head as a “no”. He didn’t seem angry, he seemed quite curious. — Then tell me more about yourself, let’s find a way for you two to switch back soon.

You said you were part of the Revolutionary Army, the island you were before you woke up in Ace’s body, and also that by now, your friends would be on their way to the next mission.

While the Moby Dick rushed trying to find the RA ship, you had the opportunity to talk to Whitebeard and his crew. The men were very curious, asking questions about your life, how you looked like, and then started telling everything about Ace. The crew told you how your soulmate fell asleep out of the blue, how he ate a lot, was very kind, hot headed with no pun intended, and little things they knew about his life. Some of the men said you were very lucky to have him as your other half.

It was the middle of the night when you spotted the ship docked at the same island. As you got closer, you were able to see three people talking.

— There! They’re still there! — you said excitedly, not just so you could switch back to your body, but also because you couldn’t wait to finally meet your soulmate.

When the Moby Dick docked, you ran towards the ship as fast as you could.

— I told you I'm not saying my name, I don’t even know who you are. — you heard a familiar voice say. — I’ll call Dragon and see what he can do about it. What a bad timing for (Y/N) to find their soulmate.

— I already told you, my name is Ace! — someone replied. — I need to find my crew! Look, we can stay here the whole night, but make it simple and just let’s try to solve this! I know they're with the Whitebeard Pirates!

You followed the voice, smiling.

When Sabo first laid his eyes on your, or well, on Ace, his eyes widened, jaw dropped and he went silent for what felt like ages. You, Ace and Koala got worried, and started shaking the blonde, expecting a reaction from him. What made him act so strange?

— Sabo… — you asked, holding him by his shoulder and gently shaking the man. — Are you okay? What happened?

— It’s you… It’s Ace. You’re Ace. — he said, not even blinking while looking at you, and feeling the teardrops fall down his cheeks. — I remember now. I remember everything! You’re my brother!

You looked at the raven haired boy, who seemed to be just as surprised, while you just wanted to know what is going on. Sabo had a brother and never told you about him?

— Wait, your name is Sabo? My brother Sabo? — he bit his lip to avoid crying, approaching the blonde. — You’re… You’re Alive!

They hugged each other so tight and let the tears fall. It felt like nothing around them existed. You and Koala just heard the sobs, not knowing what was happening, but you didn’t have the heart to interrupt this moment. It probably meant something very important to them.

— Luffy and I, we thought you were dead. — Ace said, trying to breathe between the sobs. — I can’t believe you’re alive.

— I forgot so many things for years, I didn’t remember anything from our childhood. — he took a deep breath. — But now I saw you and remembered everything.

They had this moment for a long time, crying and laughing, laughing and crying again. When they finally explained everything, it felt like a story out of some movie, and all you could say was “wow”.

— Wait, we need to switch back… — Ace said. — We need to kiss!

— Do you think this is going to work? We just met… What if… — he interrupted you.

— Don’t worry, we can try anyway. And if it doesn’t work, we just try again as many times we need.

You looked at Sabo and Koala, who were standing looking at both of you, also curious if this was going to work or not.

— Oh, okay. — the blonde broke the silence, starting to walk to get in the ship. — We’ll leave you two alone. See you guys later.

When you and Ace were finally alone, you two moved closer, just looking at each other for a while, feeling his breath so close. Your hands were cold, your heart was beating fast and your mouth was getting dry. Before you could think much, he stole the kiss, softly and gently at first as if he was simply asking for permission, but then it became so intense and passionate. It felt like the man wanted to hold you so tight and savor every second of it, afraid it was just a dream.

— I spent so many years of my life feeling like I wasn’t worth of love, so it wasn’t hard to fall for you. — he whispered. — You’re my soulmate, I guess I loved you before we even met.

[asturlavi]

oh boy, do i have wonderful beast oda/odazai info for you all since this may just be my favorite chapter in all of beast. it clarified a lot about oda's state in this au, and how sad it truly is, especially with all that dazai has done to ensure that oda's safety is certain

before i start, this was initially intended to be a quirky little twitter thread that’s supposed to be kicked off with a badly drawn doodle of something meme. the thread was supposed to be about how wonderfully dumb odasaku can be and how annoyingly frustrating dazai is in the latest beast chapter... and then it slowly devolved into a crudely written essay about small discoveries i’ve made that most likely haven’t been pointed out before, so i recommend that anyone interested in either oda or odazai to check this out 

so i finally got around to reading the new beast chapter and seeing how odasaku constantly devalues himself and finds that he's lesser than the average person is… sad. its been said that him and ranpo are the stars of the ada, every mission trivial with their cooperation, and yet he doesn't see any of that. thinks he struck luck when it came to his entrance exam, which he specifies that it wasn't as a result of his own skills. his inferiority complex is embedded so deep that despite his achievements, he doesn't at all believe he has any worth as a human.

i'm just a tired, ordinary man like you could find anywhere. a third-rate detective, as unexceptional as a fallen cigarette butt on the road.

and his entrance exam was just like dazai's: the azure messenger case, which we all know wasn't at all a walk in the park. one mistake, and it would spell disaster for the city that the ada was trying to protect. no--not just the city, it would also mean the end of the ada as we know it. despite it all, he resolved it much to his own surprise, and it was all thanks to an "unexpected" gift. and that gift? who would it be other than from dazai himself? 

beast light novel ch. 3

(also, this is a shaky claim at best but I feel as if oda fully holds the capabilities to solve the case alone, but dazai knew that with odasaku's persistent feelings of self-doubt, along with his lack of some of the vivacity that dazai held to weasel his way through to information, the outcome of success wouldn’t be guaranteed. and so, dazai lent him something to ensure his success)

and yet, oda is blind to see truly how much intellect and skill he possesses. he doesn't realize how integral he was to the quest of the azure messenger, doesn't acknowledge that without him these orphans would have either slipped into a life of crime, gone to a downtrodden orphanage, or simply passed away, and he doesn't know that despite it all, he's one of the purest characters in the story, even with the darkness that will forever cling to him, a reminder of the violence that marred his past.

not to mention that oda, in one way or another, effectively analyzed the current situation that they're stuck in. he noted that if things currently go the way they're going, no matter what akutagawa achieves, him and his sister are doomed. so, oda brilliantly decided to go after the port mafia itself to prepare for this possibility, and it's nothing short of genius. and dazai plays along with this… because it is oda, after all. 

and everything dazai did, everything he sacrificed, it was all for oda.

now to the underlying tragedy of this chapter. take a look at this panel: 

ever since then, i've been making a living by solving requests that come to the detective agency.

i provide for the orphans

i drink coffee.

i gamble a bit on days off.

at night, i write a novel in the kitchen. 

that's my life.

nothing unusual, right? you'd think that odasaku was satisfied with life, since he has everything he had ever wished for. but in all actuality, he still lacks one important thing.

and that's friendship.

his words sounded so… empty. achieving ones dreams is but one aspect of life that brings one gratification, but doesn't necessarily mean it would guarantee lasting happiness. (think of famous actors or celebrities that spiral into depression even after they've achieved their dreams).

in that panel, he says he cares for the orphans, gambles, and writes alone in his spare time, but not a word of spending time with friends… something he had in the root universe, something that was lost to him in this one.

and he says this all with his face blacked out, as if he's somewhat implicitly dissatisfied (while the kid's faces are present, not at all concealed).

with dazai, he found peace in a place where peace is rare to find. They both completely put their guard down with each other around, and dazai can relax his overly speculative mind with oda. and they understood each other, a level of understanding rare to come by. dazai with his dark jokes easily flies past oda's ears because that's what they are, harmless jokes. and oda with his blunt honesty, which dazai cherishes and never prods him for it.

dazai also saw things in oda that oda was blind to. dazai saw a world of beauty in oda, the ray of light beneath a cloudy sky. he saw both intelligence and wisdom, kindness and generosity. and most of all, he trusted oda, despite dazai’s natural inclination to distrust.

and what oda saw in dazai was vulnerability. despite the front that dazai puts, he can be kind, even empathetic, when the situation calls for it. dazai once gave akutagawa a decision to turn his back against dazai’s offer to join the port mafia, when logic points to the fact that he didn't have to, but wanted to.

dazai also consistently gives atsushi words of advice and shows understanding when dazai was under no obligation to, such as atsushi facing the loss of his previous caretaker. dazai gave atsushi genuine advice, not laced with any malice or ill intent. dazai had even left atsushi to grieve alone, fully understanding that atsushi needed to pour his emotions out in private. there’s more than enough instances of dazai showing this side of himself in both the light novels and manga, but it seems to sometimes be brushed aside. even though the main cast of characters always dismissed this side of dazai, oda has always known that this side of dazai was his truest self.

oda and dazai also talked endlessly about trivial things, calling each other daily for two hours for no reason other than that they each enjoy one another's company. it's pure, wholesome love. they had a mutual trust and understanding between one another, which ango, another friend of theirs, severely lacked in his friendship with them.

oda's dream was to write, gone unfulfilled in the root universe, but he died happily knowing that the one he cares for is living in the path of light. dazai's was to find a reason to live, which he found in oda, and continues to use this as motivation long after oda passed.

in beast, dazai's dream was cut short, ultimately leading to his demise at the end. after all, his one reason to live is now robbed from him. however, oda's dreams have become a reality, but can one really say he achieved happiness? he has the orphans, his children, but they will never understand him like dazai had. he has peace, but is it the form of peace he wanted? spending time alone, on things like gambling, while endlessly mulling how he has no one to spend this time with?

and writing, his one true wish that dazai made absolutely sure to make a reality. but was it worth it, at the cost of a friend who brought happiness and reprieve when everyone else failed to?

i thought of this tale as a matter of equivalent exchange, you lose one life in exchange for another. the scales do remain somewhat balanced, but not over a matter of lives. it's over a matter of personal sacrifices, ones only known to us readers.

and i say "somewhat" because in the root universe, dazai remembered oda when he was alive, so well that dazai can recall memories to near perfection. but oda had completely forgotten dazai in beast, chasing after absent memories and deluding himself into thinking his life is perfect, while numbing himself from the aching hole of loneliness that consumes him inside.

also, oda is surely happy spending time with the children, but what about his lonesome hours? who is he going to spend that time with, in a world without dazai, the only person who understood him and his oddities?

ah, and remember this moment in the root universe? 

now, take a look at this again. no, look closer 

odasaku wasn’t merely gambling for the sake of it, he was gambling on a horse race. and before dazai was arrested in the root universe, he was seen doing just that. 

now, why would odasaku do this? he surely doesn’t seem the type to gamble away his money on something as silly as horse races, because what does someone gain while they pour their money into something so senseless? 

and the only reason i could arrive to is that dazai must have dragged him along to one. dazai is a port mafia executive, with more money than he knows what to do with and a boatload of depression. money probably disinterests him as much as life does, and he used gambling to kill two birds with one stone: ridding of money he doesn’t need, and distracting him from his boredom (and depression). 

and it doesn’t end there. remember when dazai in dead apple had visited bar lupin to pay his regards to odasaku, while reliving a pleasant memory dazai had with him? and he did this because he was preparing for a quest that may result in with the loss of his life, psyching himself up for what’s to come. this is probably bordering on speculation, but i believe that that’s precisely what he did once again in the horse races. dazai paid a visit to a place that oda and him had frequented, to prepare for another dangerous quest. 

also, note that immediately after exiting bar lupin in dead apple, dazai was confronted by ango, which kicked off the start of dazai’s plans. a similar thing happens in the manga, dazai spending time in a place that he and oda had gone to, this time the horse races, and his plan whirls into motion as jono arrests him. i think these similarities are deliberate, in order to establish their significance to dazai and oda. 

this long winded explanation’s purpose was only for me to go back to this panel once again, and say that everything oda spoke about doing, from spending time with his kids, to brewing coffee, to betting on horse races, and to writing in the kitchen, were all moments he had with dazai. 

and see that he has an extra chair that sits unused in the kitchen? at first, i thought it was there for the sake of being there. then, it slowly dawned on me that odasaku and dazai had noted in the dark era light novel that they made a habit of visiting each other, so it wouldn’t be illogical to conclude that it was a chair meant for dazai. a place where he can spend some private moments together with oda underneath the dimly lit kitchen, drinking in the scent of odasaku’s coffee and talking about things that distracts them from their troubles while odasaku whittles away at his manuscript. 

and one last thing before i end this out of sheer laziness, take a look at this photograph of oda from the final moments of the beast light novel.

as oda stated in the manga and light novel, he worked on his manuscript alone in the kitchen... but in the photograph, he wasn’t alone. he’s posing for a picture. relaxed, poised, as if entertaining the one taking the photo. and besides, wasn’t it dazai who insisted on taking photographs in bar lupin with ango and oda in dark era? he must have done the same in that very moment in the beast universe, but this time in anticipation of oda forgetting him. 

in the end, it seems oda and dazai left each other in similar ways, foolishly believing they've sacrificed their lives for each other to better the other's life, but all they did was create worlds where the feeling of happiness will be lost to both respective parties, while also resigning each other to a life of loneliness.

they've forgotten about their one happiness that stems from just being around one another, listening to the soothing tune of jazz playing softly as they talk into the night, the world lost to them as they're absorbed in one another's presence.

it seems like their story is a tragedy of what happens when you love someone too much, to the point that you delude yourself into thinking you're but a tool for their happiness, and with you gone, nothing will change.

but things did change, didn't they?

[infjsnightmare]

How You Met: Port Mafia Style

Before I start, thank you @jadegreenimmortality for sharing and liking my first one! It gave me the confidence to actually write this one! 💕 This is similar to the How You Met: ADA Style, except this one has spoilers via Gin's and a TW for human trafficking and blood via Aku's, so not as fluffy as before either. Those are the first two under the read more, so if you don't want to see spoilers or read about above mentioned TW, then please skip them. Characters like Ace, Oda, and Ango will be included in a later edition of this series. With that out if the way, here you go!

Gin: You were taking a back alley home to avoid the usual foot traffic around lunch time. You saw a small-framed man walking opposite you in the darkened street, his lower face covered in bandages with a black cloak wrapped around himself. You clutched your bag tightly and moved to give more space between you as you bumped into a dumpster. Locking eyes, you bolted for the corner. After a few minutes, you felt safely alone, relaxing until you heard the quick pitter-patter of footsteps. You turned to see the most beautiful woman dressed in a gray shirt and slacks, face red as if she'd been hurrying, her long hair messy and framing her face. In her hand you saw your wallet.

"I saw you running from someone back there and I think you dropped this."

Ryunosuke: The ocean breeze felt nice against your skin as you sat up against the warehouse by the docks. You were in the middle of unwrapping your lunch when you felt multiple hands grab at you, yanking out your earphones. A hand covered your mouth as you heard foreign words being exchanged among the traffickers. Tears filled your eyes wetting your face until you felt warm liquid covering your arms. The traffickers lay dead before you as a man whose face you'd seen many times on wanted posters walked rigidly towards you, his black trench coat fanning outwards in the wind.

"They were conducting business on Port Mafia grounds. Speak nothing of what you've seen here, understood?"

Chuuya: Sighing, you pushed open the door to dimly lit nightclub while the sound of jazz filled your ears. You were tired from work and needed a drink to help unwind. You skimmed the bar and sat yourself on a barstool next to a short red-head who was lazily swirling red wine in his glass. You stared at the menu bewildered by all the options while the bartender eyed you expectantly. Your brows furrowed, unsure of what to order until the man next you straightened up in his seat looking at you with piercing blue eyes.

"They'll have a glass of 2009 Vega Sicilia Unico. Put it on my tab."

Hirotsu: You were silently admiring the many different pieces at the latest art exhibit to come to town. The well lit gallery looked like perfection in your eyes. The droves of people coming and going couldn't even detract from its beauty. You came across a lonely corner of the exhibit and sat on a bench to observe the painting before you. The darker colors had muddled into the lighter pastels as if to taint them. You pondered various interpretations of the piece as an older gentleman took a seat next to you, eyes appraising the painting.

"As with all things in this world, light becomes tainted with darkness. You must have a keen eye to enjoy a piece like this."

Tachihara: The sun was shining, there was a light breeze and the trees provided just enough shade. It was the perfect atmosphere for your afternoon jog. You laced up your shoes and were off on your merry way. As you were jogging you noticed a young man with ruddy red hair run ahead of you. Trying to remain inconspicuous, you upped your pace to pull ahead of him. That was until he easily began running faster. After a few minutes of back and forth you had both broken into a full on sprint until you reached the end of the trail you were on, with him reaching the end just before you. You wiped your brow and looked up seeing the cheesiest grin.

"Best two out of three?"

Mori: You were honestly too old to be running around in the park and climbing on the playground equipment, but it was a quiet time where there were no children around. This was probably the only chance you were going to get to relive your youth. You felt the familiar rush of excitement as you climbed up the large set and jumped, grasping for the handle of a monkey bar. Only you didn't grasp it. You fell to the ground, bracing the full weight of your body on one forearm, hearing a loud "pop". Your shoulder was in excruciating pain and you could feel the heat building as it began to swell. You felt a gentle hand firmly holding your body still as a man with long dark hair and tired eyes examined you. He placed his other hand towards your injured shoulder, looking you in the eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor. But, this is going to hurt."

Higuchi: Your friend had been helping to push you along the trails, since the uneven ground was sometimes difficult to navigate alone in your wheelchair. But, lunch had finally caught up with your friend and they needed to make an emergency pit stop to the restroom. They engaged the brakes because of the incline and headed off to do their business. You were enjoying the chirping of the birds and the Ray's of sunlight streaming between the trees. Until your brakes broke. You felt your stomach sink as you rolled backwards, unable to see where you were going. You were about to use your hands to stop yourself when the chair stopped and began moving forward. You looked up to see a soft-featured blonde woman with her brows knit with worry.

"Are you alright? That could have been a nasty spill."

Kouyou: When you found the clearing in the forest, it felt like heaven. Your own personal sanctuary. You'd been coming here to practice guitar for a while now. Softly, you began adding in vocals as the breeze carried your voice away. The music entered your eardrums and you slowly lost yourself in it. So much so, that you didn't even notice the light and swift footsteps that began dancing as you played. That is until a flash of pink blurred your vision. You stopped playing to see an angelic woman twirling about and glancing at you with her cherry eyes. Her giggle twinkled like chimes.

"Please, do go on. It sounded lovely."

Kajii: The stars in the sky were absolutely gorgeous tonight. Winding down with a beer after the festival, you sat down on the soft grass at the bank of the river. You had hoped to see more of the fireworks, but it was so crowded, you could barely have seen in a foot in front of you. You then spotted bright, colorful lights not far off down the river from where you sat. Your curiosity got the better of you as you wandered down to where you saw a man with goggles and a lab coat furiously arranging various powders. He lit the first one, creating a small firework. The sound of your shoes kicking up some pebbles in the ground caught his attention. He grinned maniacally as he met eyes with you.

"You're going to want to stand back. This next one should be huge."

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1023 - Initial Thoughts

15 Minutes is on the clock

Onigashima reaches the mainland and the fights continue on. Including the Wings of the King vs the Disasters of the Beast

Without further ado, let's get into it

Spoilers for Chapter 1023, Support the Official Release too

Vivi cover page is nice, proper Disney Princess action with Karoo being jealous birb again, but now I have worries because last we heard something went down with Alabasta...all those post-Reverie questions

Back to where we left off with the boys being back in town

Miyagi can you not ominously foreshadow Zoro's future pain please?

Kawamatsu's here to save Zoro from interference, and Hyou's telling the Yakuza not to get in the way of this fight

Marco though is a pensive Pineapple, taking a good long look at King as he recalls Whitebeard telling him about King's race living on the Red Line before the world nobles, Void Century and before stuff

Mention of Gods does fuel one of my old post fan theories, but also fuels that the WG kicked King's race out of the Red Line

Izo though out here saving Marco from being an easy target, tbh Marineford did show he was prone to a surprise attack

Asking Izo if they believe in God though in a raid that may lead to their deaths is kinda irreverent right now though huh?

Queen back to hyping themselves up though

Hm? Is there a limitation to Sanji's raid suit? Sanji's saying he feels weird

Zoro wasting no time to banter with it though, saving Sanji from King as Sanji returns the favour with Queen

Queen does make a valid point though, as much as Sanji expresses that he is unenhanced by Germa he can also set himself on fire, I do wonder if it is just part of that enhancement in there that he expresses as his 'fiery hot passion'

Lunarian though, that must be King's species' name: moon people again I bet which feeds my fan theories

Also since we mentioned Germa again what happened to them? Jimbei made it out after all and I wanna see me some alive and well Baeju

I would issue doubt on Queen's claim that their enhancements are beyond Vegapunk's, given how little we know of Vegapunk after all

King's got a special sword too, it can change its edge to be teethy which he used to ensnare Zoro's swords

Wado saves Zoro's face from eating King's spiked fist though

King does make a fair point though, traditional weapons are romanticized but a fight's about getting every advantage you can, Zoro at least respects that since King never claimed to be a Swordsman, while also reminding King that he could be a feral bastard too

Kinda gave me mini Mr. 1 fight vibes there

Oh here we go, potential Zoro lineage time

Kawamatsu and Hyou muse over how Zoro was like Ushimaru when he was young, even down to his style (though that could be more Shimotsuki Koushiro's doing since he's Zoro's master)

Also Ushimaru was Ryuma's direct descendant, which means that 1. Ryuma banged, 2. Swordsmanship runs in the blood and 3. Ryuma banged

Also Ryuma also had the one eye, and it does seem pretty mythical that a swordsman of similar skill and stature returns Shusui back to Wano (even though this should mean that Shusui would be Zoro's birthright and he was kinda forced into relinquishing it)

Also worth reminding that Kozaburo was Kuina's grandpa so there may only be loose relations if Zoro is a Shimotsuki too, we don't exactly know how Kozaburo and Ushimaru are related if it's by blood or clan, plus I still wonder about Tashigi

Over to Jack vs Inu though, and Jack's hybrid form is just...weird

I did not need to see an Elephant head with abs you know Oda!

Both are pretty tired, as Jack mocks Inu saying he has forgiven Zou for the Raizo stuff, since he already destroyed most of it

Inu though with the shoulder toss, reminding Jack that they had to make these sacrifices to get to here

But we're getting the epic speech, and the hole in the roof caused by Ashura's sacrifice is changing Inu back into Su Long

Same thing is happening with Neko, turning Su Long in front of Carrot and Wanda (who I guess are covering from the moon) as he stares down Perospero

And I'm glad Neko's pointing out that Pedro's sacrifice is valid. I truthfully always felt a bit iffy about people saying that Carrot's desire to avenge Pedro was ill-found because 'Pedro killed himself'. Had Pedro not sacrificed himself then Brook and Chopper would've been dead by candy and Big Mom would've obliterated the rest on the ship

Raizo and Megaforehead though prelude with the mention of maturity, that everyone - even the Akazaya - needed time to mature into who they wanted to be

Down to the surface though and the Heart Pirates are on high alert/panic, they think Kaido's here

But it's Momo, and he looks magnificent

Shinobu's aged him up to 28, the age he'd be had he not been leapt through time, but now she's upset he looks like Kaido

There's new fire in Momo's eyes though, the return ascent begins!

Can you feel that? It feels like the last stretch before the ultimate battle of Wano

Sanji and Zoro vs King and Queen hopefully will remain a tag bout, but I am curious as to King's abilities and what's affecting Sanji in terms of the raid suit. It's not bad to have a limitation but this is the first we've heard of it after seeing him use it 4 times. I don't hate Zoro being a Shimotsuki, though I do feel like we could've built to this, plus we're still lacking in the how.

One wonders what role Marco will now play, and whether Tiny Tiny Chopper is due to recover. We haven't heard from the others for a bit, nor CP0 nor Yamato. Our Pineapple does have unfinished business with Edward Weevil tbf so he could make it out, Izo may be a variable in that, they've yet to learn of Kiku's fate.

Also we never did see who that mystery person was did we? Still could be Hiyori

Marco's musing about gods does feel like we're gonna get more about King, and more lore of the world that Robin will love to soak up like a sponge, Oda have been leaving these seeds since Skypeia, and where there are Gods, there are Devils.

We are however getting major death flags from the minks, one last turn to Su Long to enable their efforts. I like how Ashura's sacrifice is not in vain because of this though, it makes me wonder if there's a slither of hope for Kin and Kiku. If anything though the minks will die from exhaustion rather than being defeated, Su Long eats away at you after all, it's probably gonna be traumatizing for Carrot a little but I hope we see some resolve out of her more like when she was in Zou and WCI, I still want her for Nakama.

And then the final coup de grace, giant dragon Momo, it's one hell of a panel and it means we're bringing Luffy back into the fight. But the extent of Momo's ripening is only in body remember, in mind he's still young. But now we have the setup for the final fight between Luffy and Kaido, I'll expect in that time we'll have to try and finish off everything else with the Akazaya, reconvening the Straw Hats, King, Queen, Big Mom, Kid, Law, Killer, Hawkins, Apoo and Drake.

Act's not over yet, less than 15 minutes until Onigashima Falls.

[frobin]

Hi! Ok, I know it isn't very related to Frobin (except if you decide to mention them in the answer), but I am curious about your opionion on this thing. If the end of One Piece have someone of the Straw Hat crew that can die, who can be? OBVIOUSLY I hope nobody, that this thing doesn't happen, but never say never. There're people who say Luffy to recreate Roger's connection. Someone else Usop (but I miss the reason). Or Jinbe, who has also some problems and enemies from previous experiences?

Hey there anon!

No worries about asking questions. This is a FRobin blog but it's also a One Piece blog so it's fine to ask all kind of questions about One Piece. Even though I wouldn't consider myself much of an *expert* so everything I write is very much influenced by my own impressions.

But you're asking for my opinion anyway so that disclaimer is not necessary in this case. XD

---

Okay, first of all: I'm no fan of death flags. I never see them and when I read about them I feel like people pull them out of nowhere.

So I don't think any of the Strawhats will die before or even while the big end fight. Also it's not like they will reach their goal and then just drop dead (don't forget the dream are very different too but more about that later). Like what kind of life would that be?

Also we can't forget that Oda still believes he is writing this story for 14 year old boys. So, even though death is and will be a theme I don't think he will kill off the main crew.

That would not be very clever story wise and is not how to tell a story about adventure and fulfilling dreams for young boys.

Right now it's very "fashionable" to let characters die for shock value. But the more it's done the more annoying it becomes and less of a shock and Oda won't stoop so low to use this kind of element. Why do I think that?

So far we had three deaths in OP and they all shocked us a lot. But they were also used as motivator for other characters. Whitebeards death was a motivator for a whole new Generation of pirates, as well as his crew to try to save Ace and his little brother. Ace's death was a launch of character development for Luffy, Sabo, Garp and even Sengoku and probably more. Pedros death was a motivator for Carrot and other Minks. (Even the fake death of Pell was a huge motivator for Vivi. Interestingly compared to other deaths his sacrifice did not stop the war, which would have been an adequate impact. So him coming back alive actually makes sense.)

But look how few and far between they are. Of course there was more death but the important ones are kept as those.

Why am I talking about that? Who would benefit from a Strawhats death?

Literally no one. They are all already motivated to go until the end for each other. It's more likely that a death would cause Luffy to just give up, him becoming catatonic again.

Who would Luffy fight for if he even loses one of his crew mates? Or maybe two?

If I were a Marine I would try to make Luffy think that his friends are dead and then catch him but that is beside the point.

But for One Piece, a Strawhat death it would not move the story further. There is no additional motivator needed and that would be the only reason to kill one of the crew.

Killing a Strawhat makes no sense in my opinion.

A death would only make sense after they reached their goal.

So it is possible that we see the Strawhats die but long after the story came to an end, them reaching Laugh Tale (if that is the end). And yes, I think all of them will die of natural causes and/or sickness. Most of them at an old age. I think Luffy, Zoro or Usopp being the firsts because of the trauma their bodies had endured would make most sense.

I hope that answered your question anon... and anyone who does not want to read even more about my nonsense can stop here.

But let me break down why I think that all Strawhats have plot armor against death flags, behind the read-more.

-> It is very important that I think the huge clash with the Blackbeard Pirates, which will be the end fight, will happen right before Laugh Tale. And Laugh Tale is the end-goal and the end of the main story. (I MIGHT BE WRONG!!!)<-

Everyones own story can only end after they reached their goal so let's look why I think that these dreams give the Strawhats Plot Armor.

Luffy: Become the king of the pirates. That means he has to reach Laugh Tale. I often hear that Luffy will die early because of the parallel to Roger. That does not mean he won't reach his 40s or 50s. Even after reaching Laugh Tale Roger lived a bit longer and even had time to "make a child" so, killing off Luffy in the end fight makes no sense. So maybe dying after the fight, on Laugh Tale? That could happen and would be the earliest death of any Strawhat imo.

Zoro: Become the strongest sword fighter. That means he still has to kill Mihawk. I don't think Mihawk will go and look for Zoro. So, Zoro has to survive and then return to Mihawk and have his duel. No sense in killing off Zoro. I am 100% sure that he will survive until then.

Nami: Drawing a world map. For that Nami has to travel the world many times more. After they reached Laugh Tale, Nami has only finished part of her dream. She has to visit all of the Blues, travel the Grand Line and the New world multiple times. Drawing a Map of the world will take a lifetime. Her dream will take the longest to be fulfilled.

Usopp: Become the great warrior of the sea. Now here we have a dream that is not really tangible. Usopp will be a great warrior as soon as he realises that he is one. In my opinion he already managed to become a great warrior. Time and time again he has shown how amazing he is but this is all about his own self image and so hard to grasp. This actually makes Usopp the most likely to have a death flag BUT we can't forget that he still has to return home and tell his stories to Kaya and the Usopp pirates. It's part of a promise that is only secondary but for me it's enough to think Usopp too is safe until he did that.

Sanji: To find the All Blue. Sanji thinks that the All Blue is something physical. We can't know that and if it is physical we can consider that it's maybe a part of the New World near the Red Line where all seas somehow come together. So again, until Sanji found that place he hasn't fulfilled his dream. And since I think that would be BEHIND Laugh Tale, again I think Sanji is safe. Alternatively the All Blue is just a metaphor for something completely different but I can't hink about what.

Chopper: To cure all illness. Here too, this is something that takes time. Chopper is still only at the beginning of his career of being a doctor. Finding a magical cure for every illness that exists is not something that just happens. Logically he would need to talk with many other medical experts and together they might be able to find it. When and how and if that happens is impossible to say but again that would be something that would fit best in the time after reaching Laugh Tale.

Robin: To find the truth of the void century. Right now we figure that she will find that at the end of their travel, on Laugh Tale. Maybe it will happen earlier in case the Strawhats storm the World Government. Either way she will learn the truth. But that will not be the end to her. After learning the truth it's up to Robin to bring it to the world, to write it down, to teach, to make people understand that they can't erase history and that they have to learn from it. Again, that is something that takes time and so, truly fulfilling her dream.

Franky: To travel the world in the ship of his dreams. Again that is a vague dream. But it would mean to at least return to Water Seven, so that Sunny has traveled the world once. But even then it's only been a small part of the world and traveling the world would mean to visit at least every of the seas. So far, Sunny had been in two to four, depending on how much you take the movies into account. But to fulfill Franky's dream he needs to survive a bit longer and so does Sunny.

Brook: To meet Laboon again. This is simple. But for that Brook has to reach the end of the New World and then get over the Red Line again. What he will do after that is hard to tell. But again, the Red Line is behind Laugh Tale and so I'm sure Brook too, has to survive... even though he is already dead YOHOHO!

Jinbe: Equality between merfolk and humans. Again this is something that is no easy feat and will probably take more than one generation. Also it is not only up to him and more to Shirahoshi and the World Government. This dream is about teamwork too, but who could be a better ambassador for the merfolk than him? Losing Jinbe would be a huge backfire for the cause. Jinbe too is safe in my opinion. If you have reached the end of the post, let me tell you again my headcanon about FRobin: After the main adventure Franky and Robin return to Water Seven where Franky helps to turn W7 into a boat and after that is done, they travel to the island where Ohara used to be and there they rebuild the island. More people return and it again becomes a hub for scholars and history.

[hanazou]

idk if the chuuya request was me but i think it was lmao- anyway the ask was a request for chuuya on an s/o who plays bass guitar i hope thats not too random ty xx

dating chuuya as a bass guitarist.

having chuuya as your boyfriend while playing a bass guitar will be as appealing as playing the bass.

Word count : 1K

Shelf : Hardback

Genre : Romance

Note : Don’t sweat it, anon! I like doing headcanons of character x musician!reader because i’m a musician myself (Thank God I finished this quick because when I found out Chuuya called Oda a "third-rate" in Dead Apple i was too angry at this man to write about him LOL) Anon, let me know your thoughts about this! Don't hesitate to tell me if there are any inaccuracies!

Enjoy your book! 💛

Charisma. A special charisma is the first thing Chuuya sees in you.

Chuuya's style (aesthetic wise) is a combination of subtle rock, street wear, a little bit of chic, with good colour combinations, and your skill playing bass guitar fit the picture if you get what I'm talking about. You and Chuuya correspond each other's vibes perfectly.

So if you play the bass guitar or any similar instruments, he’ll find it pretty attractive of you.

Chuuya admires your fluency and attention to detail, the way you seem to know every inch of your beloved instrument. He loves to see the way your fingers pluck the strings while the other hand moves from fret to fret—how do you even reach that far? He wonders how you know which cord one to press when they seem all the same to him.

Sometimes Chuuya gets inside your practice room without you noticing because you're so focused on playing. Next thing you know when you're finished, he has been sitting next to you, his chin propped on his hand, elbow on his crossed leg.

"So focused that you didn't hear me come in, huh?" He teases with his signature crooked smirk. "Picking that bass over me?"

Will definitely use his ability to levitate your bass guitar sometimes just to watch you get on top of tables or chairs to reach for it.

If there's a song he likes, sometimes he'll ask you to play it on your bass if the genre fits.

10/10 will remind you to take a break once in a while, like giving you water or takeout food. Also 10/10 will softly karate chop your head, surprising you, and show you he has food for you to eat.

"Do you want to faint from exhaustion?" He nags. "I got this for us to eat—" The food jiggles from hanging from his hand. You can smell it, it's your favourite dish. "—so take a break first, dummy."

If Chuuya knows you're busy preparing for a performance soon while he's busy himself, he'll find a way to attend to you regardless of his schedule, like asking a subordinate to deliver you lunch (paid by him, of course). He'll ask the restaurant to write a little "Remember to eat" note on top of the packaging.

If you're the type of bassist to wear gloves to make your notes brighter and "more staccato", gosh Chuuya will find that so hot. The way the gloves stand out against the bass and your skin? Perfection. Plus, you get to match his own gloves too (bonus points if your gloves are also black).

If you’re the type of bassist to use picks for plucking, Chuuya is going to take advantage of that. Sometimes, just when he wants to be pampered by you, he’ll hide your pick in his pocket and watch you look everywhere for it. He promises to help you find it after you let him sleep on your lap just because he’s quite tired that day. You have no reason to refuse, so after he’s had his time with you, he’ll take out the pick from his pocket with that so damn sexy half-smile.

Chuuya isn’t completely blind to music, so he’ll drop some comments sometimes--feedback if necessary, and most of them are casual compliments on different aspects of your play like “Oh, I like that riff, it sounded nice” and “Did you improvise that part? It suits the song”.

He loves to watch you set up your bass guitar; expanding and plugging the cables, preparing the speaker, testing the volume and the speaker buttons, tuning the strings, and especially when you pluck the strings to test it. He finds your familiarity with your instrument so pretty, he’ll throw random compliments while watching you prepare sometimes.

We know how good Chuuya's voice range is, especially when he shouts during combats. You'll be secretly intrigued to know how his voice will go with your bass guitar, and the question is how you will ask him to try singing to your music. If you really want to have him as your vocalist, even just once, you have to take out all of your cards to convince him. Puppy eyes, bribes gifts, tricking him by asking him to hum to some songs, anything, because it’s going to be one hell of a challenge.

((Assuming, I repeat, assuming you get Chuuya to sing by melting his heart with your antics, even just once, he will be such a blushing mess. He’ll probably accidentally use his ability and make a fracture on the floor. Please pat his back and tell him he did well. Please cherish and compliment this man I beg of you he’s a sucker for praises))

If you perform concerts, Chuuya will try his best to manage his schedule as an executive so he can attend, as a VIP guest too at that. I urge you to wear an accessory or a piece of clothing he once gifted you to earn a better reaction out of him, like him blinking and smirking with pride.

If Chuuya makes it, you'll spot him right away. His good fashion sense and that handsome face makes him stick out like a sore thumb anywhere. You'll be instantly more fired up in your performance, knowing Chuuya is watching you play the piece you've been practicing.

If there’s any idiot who dares to mock your performance, Chuuya will immediately square up with his iconic "Eh?!" and confront them right there and then, pulling their collars.

“Oi, you better watch your mouth,” He will growl. “cause you won’t be saying anything like that again after your mouth meets my fist.”

After your concert, Chuuya will see you at the backstage with a bouquet of flowers you didn't spot when he stood in the crowd.

"Uh, you did well." He tries hard to control his blush. "Here," He shoves the flowers in front your face. "Picked this up on the way here."

A classic move. He's so easily flustered, it's cute.

In the case if Chuuya is too preoccupied beating up people as a mafioso to attend your concert, he'll apologise with gifts; flowers (if you're not into flowers, he'll get you something else you like) and a bottle of rené rostaing because his love language is showering you with gifts, and maybe a romantic candlelit dinner at your favourite restaurant.

📜 ; like what you read? visit my bookshop!

[popi-the-fatui]

The Night Demon

Akutagawa (BSD) x GN! Reader

Warnings: past injuries, blood, a wee bit of angst. No beta we die like Oda. Akutagawa supremacy you all.

Authors Note: This is the first time I write for a show, and also the first time since highschool that I write something of this length in english (yes, it’s not my first language and it shows). Anyways, of course my first one-shot would be for the angry anemic gremlin as I love him very very much. Also, @theodora3022 you fuel my Akutagawa obssession so if this sucks I’m blaming you (jk... unless?)

The path of your recovery had not been an easy one, to no one’s surprise: taking a sucker-punch (worth the considerable sum of 1 million yen) to the head from an extravagant multi-millionaire really can take a toll on the body. Not that Akutagawa didn’t know that, given the fact that he also had faced the wrath of the Guild’s leader, but still he couldn’t help the one-hour-long reprimand he gave you once you finally woke up in a Port Mafia’s hospital bed after being out for almost a month.

Was his ​concerned angry scolding helping with your throbbing headache (that, by the way, was getting worse with every word he said)? Nope.

Would you jump in front of your boyfriend to block a glowing fist using your face just to see the adorable angry pout he made after finishing his speech all over again? Most definitely.

Now, it’s been two months since you left the hospital, and though half of your face is still purple and touch sensitive, you're in way better shape than before (not that you know how you looked like, but the face Akun made when you asked if he had any photos of your face while you were unconscious gave you the hint that it wasn’t a pretty picture and that you probably shouldn’t touch that topic again. There goes your morbid curiosity).

Of course, your boyfriend has been attached to the hip with you all through your recovery, partly because he is afraid that you’ll pull out some borderline suicidal thing like that again (Dazai-san would be proud, though), and partly because THE one time he left you alone to go on a mission he came back to your body collapsed on the floor. Apparently bending down to pick the remote is considered “sudden movement” when you have been punched in the face.

But you’re not complaining: Akun’s company is always quality company, and though he has a ​bizarre unique way of showing how much he cares and longs for you (Exhibit A: all of the pictures he has of you in his phone are actually group pictures he has cropped out so they only have you in them (except for that one picture you have with Dazai, but we don’t talk about that)), you know that this man ADORES you and would go to the ends of earth for you, even if that means sacrificing that magnificent and sublime time of the day when he gets to dote on you after dealing with whatever task the Port Mafia asked him to do, a.k.a. bedtime. Why? Because with you sleeping face up and passed out in painkillers, cuddles and pillow talk are the equivalent of hugging a dead amoeba, and though Ryunosuke Akutagawa is awkward, he is not THAT awkward.

But that night you hadn’t taken your painkillers, given the fact that you’d had a doctor’s check-up earlier that day, and you have been cleared from the meds to see how well you were doing without those happy little pills. And though the pain was tolerable, it was still there, so you went to sleep earlier than your usual hour (also, Akun was on a mission and the remote had fallen to the floor and you really didn’t want to scare him again but there was also a limit to how many murder documentaries you could watch without having the power to change the channel).

You woke up later in the early hours of the night to the feeling of pure dread that you have when you know someone is watching you.

Of course, you didn’t open your eyes: you didn’t want to face whatever entity you know was looming over your supposedly sleeping body. Or at least you tried not to open them until you felt a long, cold finger reaching the underside of your... nose?

You slowly opened your eyes, afraid that if you made any sudden movements you would disturb the eerie calm that surrounded the mannerisms of the creature (?), and once your pupils finally got used to the gloom of the room, you had to suppress your laugh, because right above you, supported by Rashoumon and holding a finger under your nose, was none other than your boyfriend.

“Akun?” you whispered.

“Yes, dove?” he said back just as low, still not breaking his composure.

“What, and I cannot stretch this enough, in the everloving hell are you doing?”

“I’m checking your vitals”

“Oh, cool. Wait, what?” you asked dumbfounded, finally breaking whatever trance you both were in.

“I was making sure you were still breathing, dove” Akun said as it was the most obvious thing in the world to check if your significant other was not dead in their sleep. And they say romance is dead.

“...”

“...”

“Akun?”

“Yes, dove?”

“Why were you making sure I was still breathing?”

He didn’t give you an answer. Instead, you could see his face darken (thank you, moonlight) while he turned his face to the side with a pout.

“Akun, look at me, please”

With a sigh, he turned his face to you, and the worry in his eyes broke your heart a little. “Does this have anything to do with my accident?” you asked him, voice laced with a sweetness fueled by his concern, because even though he will never say it outloud, you knew that not that deep inside he blamed himself for what had happened to you. “Love, you know that what happened was 100% my decision, right? And I would do it again and again and again if it means you leave the fight safe and sound”.

“But I can take it! I’ve had way worse! And I know that you’re not weak, please don’t take me wrong, but I know pain, I’ve been through that before! For God’s sake, my job is literally being the Port Mafia’s dog!” Akutagawa was getting agitated by the minute. “And I was the one who had to see and HEAR your face break. I was the one who had to carry your limp body out of the fight. I was the one who had to see your face covered in your own blood. I was the one who had to hear the doctors talk about how you were unresponsive to their tests” Akutagawa was not holding back now, and you were able to see the track his tears were leaving in his pale cheeks. “And I was the one who had to see your face so beaten up that, even though the doctors had already finished their jobs, it was unrecognizable” he ended with a choked sob and that’s when it hit you: why he wouldn’t show you any pictures of the time you were in the hospital, or why he had accidentally unleashed Rashoumon when he found you passed out in the floor, or why he had taken only a few missions ever since you left the hospital.

You were his favourite person, he had almost lost you and what’s even worse, he had to watch.

“Akun, I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry” you managed to choke out through your sobs, tears of your own falling through your face. But he knew what you meant:

Sorry for worrying you like that. Sorry for scaring you. Sorry for almost leaving you alone.

“Promise me you’ll never pull something like that again. I can’t afford to lose you, dove. You don’t get to make me fall in love with you and then disappearing from my life just like that”

And if those words didn’t get to you, then his eyes sure did: even through the tears, you could see the desperation and fear in them that would get loose if something bad should happen to you, the person he loves the most. Your heart broke a little bit more.

“I promise” you could see how Akutagawa’s body relaxed at your statement. “But if there’s no stopping you from taking the blows for me, then you at least have to let me take care of you, and you also need to start taking better care of yourself, Akun. Don’t you think you have suffered enough, my love?” You added tenderly, using both hands to wipe out the remnants of his tears carefully.

“You know I can’t promise you that, and I can take it. I can be strong for both of us”

“Then at least try, for me. And are you calling me weak?” you teased, as the mood was much lighter than before after your promise.

“No, and I’ll think about it” You had to give it to the guy: he must really love you if he was willing to compromise with you over this.

“Why is it that I have to promise you something but you have to think about it?”

“I’m your superior”

“Are we not going to address the fact that you still have your finger in my nose even though the way I’m arguing with you right now should be enough proof that not only I’m breathing but alive?”

“...”

“...”

“Ok, I’ll try”

BONUS 1:

“Akun?”

“Yes, dove?”

“Why check up on me now? The accident was 3 months ago... Did something happen that made you worry?”

“...”

“This isn’t the first time you check on me while I’m sleeping”

“This isn’t the first time I check on you while you’re sleeping”

“You really need to work on your love language, my dear”

BONUS 2:

“Akun?”

“Yes, dove?”

“Did you know that at first I thought you were my sleep paralysis demon?”

“What?”

“What?”

“Shut up and go to sleep” he scolded you, hugging your arm so he would not accidentally hurt your face. Not the best cuddle replacement but at least it didn’t feel like a dead amoeba anymore.

[zorobae]

Okay, so after not reading One Piece for more than a year, I caught up on all the chapters I missed by now and just wanted to write down my thoughts~ I also intend to make edits again. It’s been a while, though, I hope I still remember how lol. First and foremost, I’m really glad to be reading Oda-sensei’s great writing and to be in this world again, so to say. I missed this consistently-good quality of writing, the blend of action+emotion+humor and of course, I missed my adorkable Strawhat crew ^-^ I stopped reading where the second Wano Act ended so I picked up from there until chapter 1009. A lot of the chapters in Act Three are flashbacks from Kozuki Oden's life. He is an interesting and well-thought-out character, to say the least. I found it quite hard to wrap my head around his demise, though. That was just too... unfair. But then, if the point of that incident is to make us readers despise Kaido more; mission accomplished. I gotta say, for me, the highlight of those flashbacks was to see the Whitebeard pirates. The way that crew treated each other like family and they all called Whitebeard "pops" will never not be endearing to me. I lk hate that Oda indirectly brought up Ace in Oden's flashback (when Roger talked about his unborn son). Maybe I'm just overly emotional but I think it's a testament to Oda-sensei's writing that any reminder of Ace still makes me sad. I think that Toki and her relationship with Oden was also quite sweet. Oda-sensei never spends too much time on romance but he still manages to give those relationships weight. I was moved by how perfect Oden and Toki were together, how understanding and supportive of each other. When Toki said "we are not your weakness", right after she lost her husband... that was a powerful moment imo.

Coming back to present time; it's actually stupid how happy it made me to see Jimbei finally catching up with Luffy and all now ten Strawhats reunited! Didn't last long of course but hey, at least they're all still on the same island this time xD I’m so glad that Jimbei joined the crew for good now - the traditional toast to a new crew member has yet to come, though. And I wonder if maybe Yamato, even if just temporarily, might also join. Yamato is a badass character so far. I think her weird pretense as Oden is a bit off-putting but I still like her. I am actually confused about her gender identity now, though. Does he actually identify as male himself or is that solely because he’s pretending to be Oden? What she’s doing seems to be “identity theft” rather than being genderqueer. But either way, it hasn’t been confirmed yet. I really hope Oda-sensei will confirm her gender soon. For now and until we get any confirmation, I’ll still headcanon her as genderfluid. I definitely think it’s easy to tell that she’s genuine in her support for the Kozukis and the Strawhats. Also, there were some flashbacks with Ace... I both hated and loved those. Yamato, having to tell Ace he mentioned his brother too often was not okay TT-TT Speaking of Ace’s brother, Oda-sensei hinted that Sabo got announced dead but as is the rule with OP; if there is no corpse, he ain’t dead.

I haven’t checked how far the anime is but the rest of my thoughts might be spoilery so I’ll put them under a cut~

Luffy and Zoro are my faves but Is2G, I love all ten of the Strawhats with all of my heart. And yet, there’s one Strawhat who I always hope will do better but .... /sigh/ They are outnumbered 6:1 and somehow, Sanji still lets himself be distracted by women. And not even friendly ones but women who are also his enemies. Luffy and Jimbei assumed that Sanji stayed back to clear distractions for them - which was really sweet but not exactly true. I can’t believe there are fans who are arguing about who’s the #2 among the Strawhats. I mean, Zoro is fighting against Kaido and Big Mom and protecting his Captain as best as he can while Sanji got caught in Black Maria’s net cuz he’s a huge perv. And some fans still feel the need to debate who’s better.... Okay then. It’s not unexpected but it’s just disappointing cuz we all know how strong, protective and determined Sanji is. He can be better than this. I hope that he, and all Strawhats, will get their moments to shine at some point during the rest of this arc. Well, actually Chopper might have already gotten his moment when he cured the Ice Onis. That was pretty badass, and got even better when he punched Queen and reminded everyone he ain’t a racoon-dog teehee

Right now, at the end of chapter 1009, it looked like Big Mom would fall off of Onigashima. If she really does, it’ll probably take a while before she can fly back up somehow and anything like that would obviously help Luffy, Zoro, Law and Kidd. I wonder how tf Kaido can both keep the island floating and also fight at the same time. If they should defeat him while it’s still floating, is the whole island gonna crash down? Anyway, I can’t wait for Luffy to kick Kaido’s ass. I’m kinda hoping Momonosuke or one of the Akazaya or maybe Yamato will deliver the final blow or something. I also hope Oda-sensei won’t give us ten or so chapters of Kaido’s tragic past cuz I really don’t care lol. I’d rather see Oden’s dream of an open and peaceful Wano fulfilled~