#i love the luffy and ace coming out of the fire scene in marineford.... i really do....

[hauntingblue]

Flashbacks and reverie..... well....

[melkyt]

Hero!Luffy and a Villain!Law

Luffy who is new on the scene, saving people left and right cause he feels like it, no concept of the system. No concept of the rules heroes have to follow and that they have to answer to the goverment. Its like if the world goverment tried to make him a warlord instead of an emperor in an attempt to control him and are failing in a spactacular fashion. Still they control the news and twist his actions to be on their side

Law never had a chance to be on the hero payroll. His power is valuable and dangerous, but not in a way where it matters if he is conscious. He has been on the run since childhood, hates heroes, and everything world government.

There is a big catastrophic attack, Luffy is there, probably somehow involved in it. Whoever attacked hurt his friends, got way too close to those he loves and the place he calls home. Luffy absolutely fucking up the man, crashing onto the street right where Law is, who is just there helping people.

Law swearing that he is going to have to deal with a goody two shoes Hero.

Then Luffy speaks, something along the lines of 'i will make you suffer, i will destroy everything you got' Luffy listing threats and smiling all the while.

Law *smitten* at the creative description of violence. He looks into Luffy from the meeting, and every recording on the underground is Luffy being savage to anyone who crosses him. Not killing but destroying them to the core. It only happens to be that he has taken out villains so far, but Law digs far enough to see shit the WG covered.

Luffy taking out officials, and every big hero that try to recruit him. Law is now obsessed. Though wonders if Luffy made some deal with the WG. Thats the only explaination why Luffy is still a 'hero'.

He decides to take that risk anyway, and approach the younger man. Coming up with intricate plans to convince Luffy to join him.

Inviting the 'hero' to get lunch in a public place, using his cover as a doctor, thats not much of a cover if anyone thinks about it for give seconds in the usual Law fashion.

Luffy has no idea who he is, ordering the whole menu.

Law sighing, and explaining that he needs help taking out an asshole.

Luffy says yeah, sure, whatever, before Law even finishes that its Doffy and is in the WG.

Luffy shrugs and says he'll do it on tv if Law wants, he bored with being a hero anyway and was gonna destroy the main WG guy eventually anyway.

Law, already smitten, is gone.

Cute and gunho about anarchy? Yeah, yeah, he is in love.

Luffy, on the other hand, is just chilling, not careing. They split ways. Law leaves with the note that he will get in touch. This conversation is recorded since it's a public place.

Which lands Luffy in hot water, not like he cares. Yet instead of targetting him, they target his family, his brothers.

Ace not having the protection of being a hero, but also not a villain. Vigilante that sometimes causes shit but mostly stays under the radar because of Luffy's status.

They arrest him, and equivalent of marineford follows.

Law is the one who helps Luffy out of the situation, helping Ace hide away, and treating the fire user with his power.

Which is what gets Luffy to really look at Law, something he hasnt done. People give him food and ask him for help all the time but someone giving him the same? Rare.

Luffy crashing in Law's apartment while they have to lay low. Usually he would be bored and itching to go fight and fuck up his enemies, two minutes into staying in one place.

Here he watches Law, all the little things, memorizing what the man likes and who he is. In that intense way Luffy used to study people pre-timeskip to decide if they were worthy of being friends. Its a kind of unblinking stare that radiates power and bothers most people.

Yet Law is unbothered, growing up around villains, with Doffy and dealing with men like Kaido. He is used to it.

Which only gets Luffy more fascinated. Law is different than most people. He has that thing Luffy looks for in friends, with the added bonus of approaching him first.

Law falls first, Luffy falls harder. And ofc immediately acts on it in true Luffy fashion "You're my boyfriend now"

Law no hesitation is just "Okay"

They get caught kissing on camera and that is what makes Luffy a villain lol. Everything else can be covered up, but a third gen hero, colluding with a villain.

With Law, who has been a thorn in the WG since he was born as he is a result of some superpower experiment and his blood holds some big secret, some formula they lost and need. Luffy should be capturing him, not fucking around xd

They ofc dont care, take out Doffy and topple the system and are a menace in general.

[aoi-midori]

Fanfic Recs...

so uh…. I learned the hard way that tumblr has a tagging limit when I reblogged that fanfic post from earlier, meaning ... not all my tags went through AND IT MISSED ONE OF THE FICS I REC’D. so fuck it, I’m making my own post: a more detailed one that has all my fav fics and for sure won’t get eaten by this hellsite! there are eight of em, and as i attempted to note with that reblog, all of them can be found on ao3, but i'll be linking them here for easy access! More under the cut!

Embers and Frost by SolarisLupi

One Piece/Rise of the Guardians Crossover, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: After becoming the new Spirit of Summer, Ace struggles with the knowledge that one day he will be forced to leave everyone he loves behind. Jack questions how far he would go for those he cares about. And Luffy, unaware of Ace’s rebirth, is plagued by visions of his brother’s death and other horrors. But those nightmares may be more than just dreams…

complete fic, with 49 chapters and a 414k word count

so yeah, Jack gets stuck in the op 'verse and ace becomes the new summer spirit after his death in marineford. Pitch winds up there too, and he's far more of a threat here thanks to everyone being able to see him, and if you've seen Rise of the Guardians, well... then you know that CAN'T be good. also this is actually part of a series with a kind of prologue that comes right before it that's called Fire and Ice. I'd probs read that one first if you want the context since that one showcases how Jack gets into op 'verse (and also where he first meets ASL trio).

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As N Approaches Infinity by Corisanna

Puella Magi Madoka Magica/Bleach Crossover, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: Despairing as yet another timeline goes horribly wrong, Homura wanders into Karakura. There she discovers that while the spiritually-aware people of Karakura were distracted by Ichigo Kurosaki and Xcution, Kyubey had managed to contract the Kurosaki sisters as magical girls. Drawing the attention of the shinigami could be just the advantage Homura needs.

Incomplete fic, currently sitting at 84 chapters with a 481k word count (last updated March 2021, might be dead, idk)

yeah, so Homura runs into the Kurosakis at the tail-end of another failed timeline, and if you know Ichigo, you can imagine what happens next. his big-brother instincts go into full-throttle here. also Kyuubey is still a little shit as always and it turns out he got up to even MORE fucked up shit than everyone initially realized! so that's fun... oh yeah, there's also a companion fic called Polynomial Expansion that's basically a bunch of bonus scenes from the main fic!

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There May Be Some Collateral Damage by metisket

Bleach/Harry Potter Crossover, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: Ichigo’s been ordered to go undercover at a magic school to bodyguard a kid named Harry Potter, and this would be fine, except that he’s about as good at bodyguarding as he is at magic. And he considers it a good day, magic-wise, if he hasn’t set anything on fire.

Complete fic, with 3 chapters and a 61k word count

I personally love the author's note for this one: "I wrote this mostly because, despite the surprising number of Bleach/Harry Potter fics out there, none of them seem to address the fact that sending Ichigo to Hogwarts is basically the same as swinging a wrecking ball directly into the side of the castle." this fic honestly changed the way I want to write fics and actually turned me on to present-tense. the narration itself is just so good. made me think, "goddamn i want to write like that." also one of the funniest fics i've read in my life. it's basically bleach characters (mainly Ichigo) looking at the HP 'verse and thinking "what the actual FUCK."

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RWBY/Zero by orphan_account/TheMaster4444

RWBY/Fate Franchise Crossover (mostly Fate/Zero with a bit of /Stay Night and Apocrypha in there too), Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: With the Vytal Festival in full swing, Teams RWBY and JNPR are shocked when an unexpected family member arrives at the school. Elsewhere, Cinder's wild-card teammate proves himself a dangerous enigma, and Arturia tries to prevent a loved one from following her old path while enemies from a past she thought she left behind come for her new world. New players have come to Remnant, and a golden shadow is ready to change the game for everyone.

Complete fic, with 94 chapters and a 574k word count

so as i mentioned in the tags of that reblog, Remnant is literally the remnants of Earth after the fallout from Fate/Zero (so Fuyuki fire affected the entire planet basically). so you've got the surviving characters from Fate/Zero living in present-day Remnant due to the circumstances, and Arturia happens to be Jaune's mom. start of the fic takes place during volume 3 and it starts out a bit slow, but that doesn't last long. once it reaches the volume 3 finale... holy SHIT does it take off. worldbuilding here is absolutely nuts, and the way the author meshes the two series together is downright flawless. also ruby herself gets some really cool and interesting lore here, so that's pretty neat.

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∞:∞ by divisionten

Kingdom Hearts/The World Ends With You Crossover (given this is a KH fic tho, there are other series sprinkled in here too, but I won't say what they are bc spoilers), canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: He got off the pavement, wet, dirty and alone. They left the beach, ready to chase him down. She gripped her Keyblade, twisting it tight enough in her hands to leave marks. It was time to go home.

Complete fic, with 44 chapters and a 201k word count

this one's set directly after the end of KH3, so... Sora's dead! and he's found himself in TWEWY shibuya. but wait, Riku's also dead, but he got sent to TWEWY shinjuku! neither of them are in the reaper's game tho bc of special circumstances... meanwhile just about the entire rest of the kh cast is out there searching different worlds for these two, and let's just say that "getting into hijinks" is a bit of an understatement.

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Infinite Nuisance by Luluwoo

Jujutsu Kaisen, SukuGo Slow-burn, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: When a strange incident leads to Gojo being trapped along with the King of Curses in Sukuna's Innate Domain, what everyone assumes would lead to destruction surprisingly grows into something more.

As Sukuna and Gojo are forced to interact and learn more about each other, they realise that hatred isn't the only tie that binds them.

And, as Sukuna quickly realises, he is far from prepared for the unlikely temptation that is Gojo Satoru.

Ongoing fic, currently sitting at 9 chapters with a 43k word count

AND THEN THEY WERE ROOMMATES. quite literally! so these two have no choice but to interact with each other, and that goes about as well as you'd expect (at least at first). also another thing to note here is that Sukuna's relationship with Yuji is MUCH much better than in canon, so they don't actually hate each other.

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Firehouse 4 by easyontheredeyes

Jujutsu Kaisen, SukuFushi Slow-burn, Modern AU

Rating: Explicit

Synopsis: For years, Megumi worked hard to become an EMT and carve his own path through the Emergency Medical Services world, outside of his father's reputation and Gojo's connections. All he asked was not to be housed at a firehouse, with firefighters. Apparently, that was too much to ask for. Or Megumi can't stand firefighters. His new EMT job leaves him working with a particularly cocky, arrogant, ironically smoking-hot one named Ryomen Sukuna.

Ongoing fic, currently sitting at 15 chapters with a 145k word count

AND THEN THEY WERE ROOMMATES... IN A WORK SETTING. lmao I kid. but yeah, slow-burn at it's finest here. animosity at first followed by one-sided flirtation, then followed by mutual flirtation... while trying to make each other jealous at the same time. smh

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Stars in the Dark by Nshi

Persona 5/Final Fantasy XIV Crossover, Canon Divergence

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: "In spite of… or perhaps because of this, I choose to believe. In mankind's potential. In his ability to find a way forward."

It was supposed to be a proper summer road trip this year. No combat, no god-slaying, no desperate last stand to save the world from certain ruin. But fate has ever had a habit of stringing Joker away from the peaceful and mundane, hasn't it? Not that even he could have ever expected to be hailed as the 'Warrior of Light'. Kind of ironic, really.

Or: a Persona 5 x Final Fantasy XIV crossover fic in which Joker, instead of a much-belated post-Strikers break, gets his ass Isekai'd into The Source and somehow winds up in the role of Eorzea's champion. As one does.

Ongoing fic, currently sitting at 33 chapters with a 415k word count

THIS IS THE ONE THAT GOT EATEN UP IN THE TAGS BY THE GODDAMN HELLSITE. also the fic that I recently just left a MASSIVE comment on to the author, bc holy shit did this one blow my fuckin mind. that word count is no joke, but don't let the long chapters intimidate you. takes place after Royal and Strikers on the P5 side, and at the start of 'A Realm Reborn' (base game) on the XIV side. XIV veterans will know how much of a slog ARR can be compared to the expansions, but the author actually makes it SO much more enjoyable here. THE SCIONS ACTUALLY DO SHIT. not that they don't in canon, but they're actually a lot more involved here, like they join Joker for the dungeon runs! also the camaraderie he has with them all is infectious as hell. oh another thing! Joker can still use personas, but besides Arsene, they work VERY differently in this fic, and it's actually really fucking cool. OH, also there's a side-fic for this one called Among Uncountable Stars that covers scenes and quests that couldn't fit into the main fic. author has also made art for the fic, which they link in the chapters themselves!

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: Paramount War (Part Two)

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

ace’s execution is, in a way, the exception that proves the rule when it comes to one piece’s themes of blood and family. ace is set up to die for the crimes of a father he never knew and never wanted, and he does die here, but in the end he dies for the family he did choose, in the form of luffy, rather than the one he didn’t. 

god do i wish we knew more about ms portgas d. rouge. with ace’s storyline pretty much wrapped it looks unlikely that we’re going to be learning more about her than what we got, which in my opinion is an absolute tragedy, because what little we do know about her is amazing and she’s an absolute badass. oda give us more female ds please.

whitebeard’s power is so cool. it might be one of the visually coolest devil fruits we’ve ever seen, in my opinion. he he causes earthquakes and tsunamis while far past his prime; he pulls the sky apart with his bare hands. this whole arc is world-shaking, and whitebeard’s power is perfectly appropriate for it. 

doflamingo’s speech on justice and rightness is one of the most well-remembered quotes from this whole saga, and rightly so. i’ve always found it fascinating, myself, because he’s right. he dead-on hits how the one piece world works- the world government and the marines rule the world not because of any inherent actual goodness or justice or right, but because they won a war a very long time ago. 

in a way, this reminds me of blackbeard’s line of “people’s dreams never die” from jaya. i like how oda isn’t afraid of letting his villains be right about the themes of the story, sometimes even having better awareness of them than the protagonists. 

man, if i had to pick a single favorite spread out of the whole manga, it might be luffy’s marineford entrance. it’s so epic, and so completely unexpected for everyone else there. absolutely nobody was expecting strawhat luffy to drop out of the sky with a posse including two former warlords. it just makes me grin!! so much!! 

it also gets followed up by a solid two pages of just people’s reactions, from smoker’s “what the HELL is he doing with CROCODILE” to moria’s immediate incoherent rage, and i just love that the world and cast of one piece is so well-established and built up that we know exactly how all of those people know luffy and why they react the way they do. 

going back to what i mentioned in the last post about marineford being luffy’s conflict of interest arc, i’d say it’s also the only time where he isn’t the future king first and foremost. in this arc, before anything else, he’s a little brother.

there are a lot of what-if moments in marineford. moments where you kind of have to ask “what if this specific thing hadn’t happened, had gone differently?” would things have turned out differently? squard’s betrayal is one of them. does this change the outcome? would whitebeard have been able to survive if not for this injury? there’s no way to know. marineford is a lot of little tragedies, and they just pile up and up.

marineford has just so many incredibly striking spreads. all of the momentous moments (and there’s a lot of them, in this arc) are done full justice. this is such an image heavy post just because marineford is such an incredibly visually strong arc. 

conqueror’s haki is so cool and i love the way it’s set up and built up throughout this saga, with luffy’s constant inadvertent uses of it, from duval’s bull to marigold and sandersonia to the wolves in impel down, all leading up to this moment. 

i’ve heard people complain about conqueror’s as kind of a deus ex machina, but i honestly love it, it’s very cool and honestly i think it just seems to fit luffy as a power. if there was ever gonna be a character who turned willpower into a weapon, it would be monkey d. luffy. 

i’m gonna take this chance to talk about garp, because this sequence of panels is heavily implied to be garp’s thoughts just before luffy punches him down, and it hurts. garp is a flawed person who makes some bad choices, and there’s no arguing that, but i think it’s very obvious he really, really cares about his grandsons, even if he never could understand them as people and that they never would have been happy as marines. and that’s just tragic, really. 

the moment ace gets freed and the brief span of time where he and luffy can fight together feel so triumphant, and i think it’s one of the reasons the final tragedy of marineford hits so hard and feels so cruel, because luffy succeeds, here. he saves ace. he gives absolutely everything he had and makes it, and saves ace. the ultimate failure isn’t his. there was nothing more he could have done. 

the first time i was reading one piece, i hit this page (which is also the last in the volume) and had to put the book away, take the bus downtown, wander around for a few hours, and buy myself some candy and some new books before i started feeling okay again.

the thing about ace’s death, i think, is that it’s a tragedy, but it also feels so completely essential to the story going forwards and luffy’s character growth specifically that it’s really, really hard to imagine one piece without it. there are a lot of (really excellent!) fix-fics out there for marineford, and although those are often really good and their authors super talented, i think it’s really hard for them to ever hit the same way canon does with regards to this. 

i always think of this scene specifically in contrast to zoro and mihawk’s fight, back on baratie. zoro and mihawk are both people who believe in honor in battle, true victory or death, and that’s reflected in their fight, in zoro’s refusal to turn and run even in the face of imminent death, and mihawk’s respect for that resolve. whitebeard, too, is an honorable man. he refuses to turn to run, even when facing certain death. 

the blackbeard pirates, however, are not. 

i do enjoy how, just like roger’s, ace’s execution backfires tremendously on the marines. this was entirely a predictable outcome, too! this exact thing happened twenty years ago! the marines don’t learn. they don’t change. they’re so assured of their own rightness and power that they make stupid mistakes like holding a massive public execution after the last one blew up in their faces. 

(this is why they need coby so badly, for the record, and why it’s important that he still decides to become a marine after witnessing their corruption firsthand in shells town. the marines are long overdue for a reformation, one that orients them towards real justice.)

i really, really enjoy crocodile in this saga. mostly because he hasn’t been redeemed at all, he’s still pretty much the exact same kinda awful person he was in alabasta, he’s just on luffy’s side this time, and it lets us see him in a better light, when he gets angry at whitebeard for nearly dying or when he helps luffy and jinbe escape to keep the marines from getting their way. few of one piece’s characters are truly so one-dimensional as they can seem, and i really appreciate that. 

i really really love all the interactions between luffy, ace and sabo as kids. they’re so fun and bounce off of each other so well. even though we only see them together for a brief time, they really feel like siblings. (which of course only makes later events hurt so much more.

i’ve always been a little fascinated by the fact that it takes us this long to get luffy’s full backstory. it’s almost a fakeout, because we get part of his backstory in the very first chapter, and we’re kind of led to believe that’s all there is. it’s not until ace’s introduction nearly two hundred chapters in that we’re given any indication there’s more.

but at the same time, it makes sense. marineford is luffy’s focus arc, as arlong park to nami or thriller bark to brook. he hasn’t had a focal arc that’s really about him before this, while all his other crewmates have. it makes sense that this would be when he finally gets his flashback. 

i think it’s cool that dragon and the revolutionaries show up at the grey terminal fire, because it’s one of the only looks we’ve gotten so far into what their actual regular operations are like. and, of course, they’re saving people. i really like this about the revolutionaries, that helping people in trouble is basically their modus operandi, when pretty much everyone else in one piece’s world mostly does saving on an incidental basis if at all. 

i think a lot about how the last line of sabo’s letter to ace is also both of their last words to the strawhats. 

death in one piece always feels much realer and more impactful to me than in most other series, and i think this is part of the reason why: in one piece, we are always shown the mourning. nami at bellemere’s grave, carrot grieving pedro, ace and whitebeard’s funeral. 

there are fewer deaths, comparatively, than most other series, but they’re given so much room to echo. we’re still feeling the impacts of ace’s life and death in the most recent chapters of wano. it ties into the theme of inherited will and all the way back to hiriluk’s final speech, of men not being dead so long as they’re remembered. 

the picture of luffy at marineford always kind of strikes me. he looks so young and so solemn, and yet much more himself than he did when we last saw him losing his mind on amazon lily. i really like it. 

sometimes i just think about the sheer depth of trust and love the strawhats must have in each other to separate for two years, far longer than they were ever together, to solely dedicate themselves to improving for the sake of crew and captain. none of them even hesitate, and none of them ever doubt that the crew will be reformed at the end of it.

after all, luffy keeps his promises. 

[neverwatchedonepiece]

526-528: "Undersea Volcanic Eruption! Drifting to the Fish-Man Island!", "Landing at the Fish-Man Island! Beautiful Mermaids!" and "Excitement Blow-out! Sanji's Life Under Threat!"

HOORAY! :D:D:D

Will this be one of those arcs that’s filled with sympathetic villains? The kind of characters who... well, you get where they’re coming from because they have a cast-iron reason for their villainy and you feel conflicted about cheering for the heroes? Or will it be more complicated than that? 

I hope I like this arc. Ever since Arlong Park, since I learned about the Sun Pirates from Hachi and the racism Fishmen experience I’ve been hoping Oda might dig deeper into the theme. It’s early days yet, but from what I’ve seen in this episode, I’m quietly confident he’ll deliver.

Cthulhu Is... Friendly?

Must admit the Flying Dutchman action was a bit of a let-down. I thought Captain Vander Decken would be the next villain (or at least the henchman of the next villain). It was built up so well. The creepy “Dead men tell no tales” speech, Brook confirming he was the Real Deal, that the legend told of how the captain lost his mind, killed his crew and cursed the gods (who got their revenge by cursing him to drift forever).

I thought that might make a good plot line (that was before Hammond appeared and the Real Plot kicked in).

The Kraken coming back and sucker punching the Sea Bonze was so worth it. I laughed like a drain and could not believe I was cheering a Kraken like it was Hell in a Cell. Top it all off, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji came paddling back in a single bubble. And Luffy had made the Kraken his pet and named it Surume! Only Luffy can get separated from his crew and return with a pet Kraken. And laugh about the fact that he almost died.

The volcanic eruption action scene was fun. The Flying Dutchman crew and the Kraken would not mess with nature. The water glowed an ominous red and before Luffy gave any orders, Surume the Kraken was already checking out. Nami made the call for them to leap into the deep trench ahead to avoid the pyroclastic flow (is that even possible underwater? I have no idea.)

Usopp got to show off some of his skills by shooting a net-like plant weapon that stopped the debris from the eruption from smashing Sunny to pieces. (Could be good in combat for subduing bad guys.) I liked how Luffy was a good captain and praised Usopp and his cute Kraken pet for doing a good job. There’s that leadership shining through.

This was just before a stray rock bonked Surume on the head and the Strawhats woke up... ten thousand meters under the sea?

But... how? I thought. 

It was bright. There was natural light and vivid colours. How? 

Because it was Fishman Island! :D

Cannot lie. I was excited to finally see it. I wonder how it was for manga readers then to see that place brought to life after so long. I mean, how many chapters was it since it was first mentioned in Arlong Park until now when it was animated. I mean, it was huge! And there were entire massive trees inside the bubble. I still have no idea where the natural light was coming from, but pffft, did I care? It was FISHMAN ISLAND! :D

Then the Border Patrol Arrived?

At least, that’s who I thought they were at first.

And they brought Plot, which, let’s face it, is always good.

Three shady-looking Fishmen rode up on massive Sea Kings. They were so tough, they spoke to Surume the Kraken like it was a disobedient pet. Or... more accurately, as if it was a race traitor. “Why are you obeying such fools as humans, Kraken?” Surume fled the scene (obviously scared of these guys).

They recognised the Straw Hats too. I love how Luffy said, “Who are you? How do you know about us?” Um, Luffy... everyone knows about you now. xD

But these guys went way back. Much further than Alabasta, Enies Lobby, Impel Down or Marineford.

“You are the ones who foiled the Arlong Pirates’ plan. You stood up for Hachi and knocked out a hateful Celestial Dragon, just like Fisher Tiger, the hero of Fishman Island.”

They claimed they were the New Fishman Pirates and demanded the Strawhats enlist under their banner or be sunk.

Hammod did most of the talking but two others tagged along (Hyouzo and Kasagon). 

Nami and Franky knew Luffy would say no (and possibly put them in danger because they couldn’t fight back). They took a huge gamble and spent the last of Sunny’s air crashing through Fishman Island’s protective bubbles.

The dramatic tension when the coating shrank, pinning all the Strawhats to the deck was great. But it really ramped up when the first bubble ripped off the coating and the second one turned out to be full of water. I didn’t expect that twist.

Was that the closest the Strawhats have been yet to almost dying? 

Camie to the Rescue!

Luckily, they have a friend who was sort of expecting them. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji woke up at none other than Camie’s place! (The others were separated. Franky, Nami and Robin are together. I have no idea where Brook is and Zoro is on his own.)

Turns out she works at a Mermaid Cafe on the sea floor of Mermaid Cove. The dorms are more affordable on the sea floor, as opposed to the ones higher up with more natural light. I liked that Oda has imagined an entire class system here. Mermaid Cove seems an okay place. Pappagu the starfish is in the fanciest district: Fishverly Hills (lol!) and is a famous designer. Hachi lives in Fishman District, which Camie said was a ‘rough place’. Luffy still thinks Pappagu is Camie’s pet. I don’t think Luffy completely gets how Fishman Island works yet, but Camie was nice and didn’t say anything. Hammond also hinted at another Fishman Island faction: Neptune’s Army, who were introduced later but I don’t know which side they’re on yet, so they seem like a neutral third party so far. 10/10 world building from Oda there.

Camie showed them around. They took a cute turtle elevator up to the “surface”, where there were clouds, blue sky, trees and rainbows. Luffy mentioned reuniting with Jimbei because “when Ace died two years ago, I didn’t lose heart thanks to him” (yes, Luffy. I’m glad you realise just how much Jimbei did for you!)

But Jimbei was not on the island. Camie seemed to hint the War in Marineford caused a bit of trouble in Fishman Island. She didn’t go into it, damn it.

Then, the royal family’s Fish Boat swam into view, heading straight for them, carrying the Neptune Princes (Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi and Sanboshi). The mermaids hid the Straw Hats, in case they were arrested for illegally entering Fishman Island. One mermaid made the mistake of holding Sanji... let’s just say a little close to her chest.

And Lots of Beautiful Mermaids

You know what, I didn’t want to say but over the past couple of episodes, Sanji’s weakness had been annoying me. Not really badly. Just that the joke was getting a bit thin because it’d been played so many times for laughs.

Now I know why.

Does Oda do nothing without a purpose?

He had to set up all the blood loss stuff because blood transfusions are a central tenet in the hatred a lot of Fishmen have over humans.

When Sanji had his Vesuvius Moment, Dr Chopper bravely came to the rescue. Just as the Princes seemed about to take the Strawhats (though they didn’t want to arrest them. Still not sure what their deal is), Chopper placed himself in harm’s way and shouted, “Stop! I’m a Doctor! Can anyone donate S RH negative blood? If Fishman blood is the same, would anyone be willing to donate?”

Chopper unwittingly referenced an Old, Highly Politicised Grudge.

Fisher Tiger: The Hero of Fishman Island

Hammond, who had been lurking, waiting for an opportune moment to catch the Strawhats, couldn’t stay quiet at that point.

“No one on this island would give blood to lowly humans,” he scoffed. “If anyone did, they’d risk punishment from the Dark Night, from human haters. The Old Law in the kingdom states that donating blood to humans is prohibited.”

When the Strawhats protested, Hammond fired back with some Context.

“You humans set that rule first! You people have a long history of fearing us. Didn’t want your blood mixed up with ours. That’s how the hero, Fisher Tiger, died. He risked his own life to free slaves of all races. But after a bloody war, he died. He could have lived if he had a transfusion. The heartless humans refused to give their blood to him.”

I was gobsmacked by that. Honestly. What a great twist, in terms of both plot and morality! How are the Strawhats going to fight against years of racism, abuse, toxic politics and the veneration of a martyr-like figure who means so much to the people of Fishman Island? 

This is going to be a wild ride.

Usopp dismissed the old law. He begged someone, anyone, to help Sanji. Hammod tried to take Luffy by force but severely underestimated how much stronger he’d become (that Haki, honestly... it is so badass).

Camie hijacked the Royal Fish Boat (the royals here seem pretty laid back because if that was real life, you’d be in your local Impel Down faster than you can say, “But I need a blood transfusion!”)

And it seems something is rotten in the state of Fishman Island. Not only are the Strawhats the first human visitors in a while, the Princes were unable to deliver a message to Jimbei.

I wonder if it’s anything to do with this shady character?

This is the guy who wants to see Luffy. The one Hammond calls “Boss.” Hordy Jones, I think his name was? And here we have a shady face, not entirely revealed, sharp teeth and a good voice actor? This has happened before with Moria and Crocodile. Could this be the villain? Is this Hordy Jones, or is he higher up the chain?

I hope so. Was blue-balled with the Flying Dutchman stuff. Don’t want it happening again, haha.

Also, who or what is Noah? Was confused as to whether it was a location or a person.

*insert Rocky Theme tune*

[kittyface27]

38 Shonen Anime/manga rules (minor spoilers for Naruto, Bleach and OP)

1. you must call out the name of every single attack you do

2. in an action scene, being hit or doing something epic must be repeated three times, each from a different angle and slowed down

3. you can jump really high and stay in the air without the ability to fly

4. if something is surprising, each character’s gasp should be heard and seen separately

5. when talking to someone, you must mutter their names after they say something important, incredible, emotional, etc.

6. instead of generalizing a group, most times you must refer to every single person by their names, even if there are over 7 people in the group

7. sounds for running is not required to be accurate to the actual speed of running

8. fuck the concept of time. Example: a single day and night can last over 100 episodes (Bleach by the way)

9. fuck the concept of distance (Marineford arc- One Piece. Just get to the fucking execution stand already!)

10. being mortally wounded and losing a lot of blood isn’t accurate at all (Ichigo can get impaled multiple times and still walk away fine and fight again) (Ace literally is burned through the heart and can still speak)

11. DEATH IS NOT PERMANENT

12. Hands and bare feet skidding across the ground doesn’t hurt one bit

13. random power-up are imminent (Natsu. Need I say more?)

14. flying into a concrete wall doesn’t hurt one bit

15. ATTACKS DON’T NEED TO MAKE SENSE (One Piece- Zoro can grow 2 more heads and have 6 arm for a fucking sword move)

16. Characters don’t need to stop for sleep or water or food during a fight. Yes they can sleep after both the fight and whole arc is over (One Piece- Impel down, hottest level doesn’t make you dehydrated at all) (One Piece again- only eat and sleep after arc is over- Enies Lobby and Dressrosa) (Naruto Great Shinobi War arc)

17. Attack names are hella weird (Zoro- riceball) (Sanji and Robin’s attacks in languages that don’t really exist in said world)

18. you can bleed from the eye and it’s not alarming at all. Also blood getting in the eye doesn’t interfere (except in ONE FIGHT with Ichigo in Bleach)

19. it is morally wrong to attack your enemy if he/she is in the middle of a monologue

20. get provoked easily into fighting

21. don’t need proper treatment of wounds, just wrap cloth bandages around limbs (even if broken bone) or tape a piece of gauze to it

22. extreme hit to the head or being slammed into hand surface doesn’t cause a concussion OR FUCKING BRAIN DAMAGE

23. A large percentage of women are weak

24. save random people

25. be friends with past enemies (One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, FT, original FMA.)

26. IT ISN’T UNCOMMON FOR AN ARC TO HAVE 100+ EPISODES

27. animation quality doesn’t need to matter (ONE PIECE)

28. character uses powers and then decides after using all of this power, he doesn’t want it (KHR manga) (Bleach sometimes)

29. most filler arcs need to be crap (FT, Naruto, BLEACH FOR SURE)

30. creators can make up scientific facts and only the fans question it (Magma is hotter than fire)

31. “I WON’T FORGIVE YOU!” (what enemy desires your forgiveness?)

32. one arc can last 4 years (Naruto Great Shinobi War arc - manga)

33. lost a tooth? It’ll come back later, don’t worry

34. you can totally see with your eyes closed (Naruto, Luffy)

35. you can hold your breath for a ridiculously long amount of time

36. fuck every sort of law in physics

37. spit up blood easily

38. THE LOVE OF NAKAMA TRUMPS ALL (Naruto, OP, FT)

(I absolutely adore anime, but these are some things I noticed are common in many long running shonen anime)

BONUS (super opinion): make the worst couples cannon (Ichihime, Sasusaku, ALL FT COUPLES EXCEPT 1)

[midnightluck]

Ok so I stumbled upon your blog a few weeks back, and I have to say I love love love your ASL essays. It’s just that your points are all well thought out. I just wanna ask, (or discuss?): Do you think what happened at Marineford could have been changed if Sabo had been there? Obviously this is given that somehow he didn’t lose his memories or regained his memories beforehand, because being honest, the way he recovered is kinda iffy?

Oh boy, I’m glad you like essays because this one’s gonna be long, haha.

The short answer is yes, but how? And the answer to that is it depends, but we’ll get into that in a sec because first we have to talk about amnesia.

Because, as I’ve said before, I was really kinda eh on the whole thing myself. Then Sableu pointed out that there’s a better canon reason, and that makes me happier, tbh.

But here’s the thing: why? Because the more I think about it (and I have been thinking about it, because Reasons) the more I wonder why amnesia was a plot necessity in the first place. We know the boys don’t really keep in touch, and Sabo did leave them a note saying he was going on ahead. He doesn’t know they think he’s dead, and why would he think about it? He wouldn’t risk going back to Dawn Island, but once Ace set sail he could follow the bounties and indulge in as much brotherly stalking as he liked.

Cause it’s not like it’d be hard to justify them never meeting; he’s got a job where he could easily go far away and out of touch at a moment’s notice for indefinite periods of time. He always means to get out that way to visit, maybe for next New Year, but he gets back from a mission and Ace is dead. Keep in mind, from capture to kill, Marineford was probably only two months or so, and the Marines are sitting on that knowledge hard. Even if we assume the fastest, where Garp calls Dragon directly, (which again, why? because Garp probably doesn’t know Sabo’s working with him) there’s travel time and all sorts of handwavy reasons Sabo could either show up just a bit too late or not even know until it was all over.

I’m not saying amnesia doesn’t cover all that too, because of course it does. And then we get Sabo inheriting Ace’s will through spiritual succession (?) and possibly haunting (???) and I love that, truly I do. I’m just saying, as a writer who’s been putting serious time into figuring out how to do an au where Sabo remembers and Ace doesn’t, that it’s really not that much a stretch to avoid it altogether.

So, after that tangent, let me finally get to your question. Would Sabo showing up at Marineford change things? and how?

I mentioned it would depend, and it does. There’s a lot of moving parts in this, so let’s break it down a bit.

When does Sabo find out?

How much time does he have? That will affect how much planning he does, what help he sources, and where/how his interference will happen.

A short amount of time is going to lead to a flat-out sprint across the ocean to get to Marineford in time, whereas a month’s head’s-up could allow for a stealth raid on Impel Down

Sabo will take every advantage he can get in a case like this, so given enough notice, he could feasibly show up with a literal Army

How does he find out/where is he when he hears?

This goes back to time. If he’s halfway across the world and has to run for it, planning on the fly, then he’ll have a solid plan but no resources

If he’s at base when he hears, then he has a massive amount of resources and potential allies

Can he pull any strings at his destination to have things waiting or set up there? Will it be an operation big enough to need a base? Where? Does he have time for this?

How does his amnesia affect this?

If he has to take the time to recover from it, can he afford it?

Is he somewhere safe enough to deal with it?

Given the circumstances, can he keep himself awake and work through the pain until there’s time?

How tf does convenient plot amnesia even work idk

So, as you can see, it depends, haha. But let’s get into some possible options for Sabo:

Impel Down

The Hard Team Option

Pros: No one’s expecting it. It’s supposedly impossible. The RA probably has the most comprehensive floor plan they could make, and likely black den-den mushi as well. Rumor is Ivankov’s in there somewhere, so potential help (oh, I have Thoughts out Ivankov in Impel Down, but that’s for another time). Potential for a large amount of allies, if sprung from cells. Potential for a massive distraction and huge blow against the Marines.

Cons: It’s Impel Down. The place is huge and hostile and nasty, and he wouldn’t know where Ace was until he got in. Everyone’s against him, even the prisoners, and he’d be walking mostly blind into a death trap, securing an exit route the whole way and with no guarantee that Ace is in any shape to walk out under his own power.

Would require: foreknowledge that Ace was there and as much on Impel Down as possible, infiltration tools, stealth tools, preferably a small group, an escape craft, luck.

Transition

The Solo Stealth Option

Pros: Best timing. Least security; no backup available. Stealth option available, and could be done solo. No need to worry about Ace’s condition, because with the seastone off he could set the whole boat on fire, making escape super easy.

Cons: Requires exact timing and knowing when the ship is going to leave and what path it will take. No backup available. The current there puts the ship on rails, so unless you disappeared the whole ship, when it reaches Marineford people will notice.

Would require: A way on to the ship, or a separate ship capable of surviving those currents. Foreknowledge of the ship’s schedule. Improvisation.

Pre-Marineford

The Infiltration Option

Pros: Mass chaos. Lots of Marines doing something out of routine means a loud mess, allowing for infiltration. While moving Ace from the ship to the execution dock, he’s in the open and not chained to anything. No one is expecting it.

Cons: Everyone’s on high alert. You’re running out of time; if you mess up here, there’s no more chances. It’s Marineford; there’s Marines for days. Even those not charged with guarding Ace will be watching him. Easy entry, hard exit.

Would require: Probably a Marine uniform. No visible weaponry. Balls of steel. An escape craft.

Marineford Proper

The Last Resort

Pros: No sneaking.

Cons: Actually declaring war on the Marines while standing directly in front of them.

Would require: As many allies as possible. Desperation.

Well, there’s just what I came up with offhand, anyway. There’s a lot of possibilities, and I’m no strategist, so hit me up with your ideas, too!

Going on the above, the ideal plan would be at least three of four, and probably go something like this:

Hang out around Impel Down until Ace is loaded onto the ship that takes him to Marineford.

Secretly board said ship, either in Marine uniform or by attaching a smaller craft onto the hull somehow.

The former leaves no traces for paranoid guards to stumble over, but the latter guarantees an escape route.

Case the ship quickly. Locate escape routes and dinghys.

Get to Ace, stealth preferred. Get him out of the chains and the seastone.

Get out.

Preferably through the nearest floor or wall instead of going back up. No guards, and cripple pursuit.

If Ace is in really bad shape and can’t risk the water, try sneaking, and when that fails, fight.

Ace is there, so it’ll be fine

Escape

Check for escape craft, but plan for if it’s not there anymore/wasn’t ever there, go for the lifeboats

Have a crew/escape craft standing by some distance away, and make for that, swimming if necessary.

Get Ace to sink the Marine ship

He’d probably be glad to

Contingency 1:

Meanwhile have Koala/whomever wearing Marine uniforms blending in at Marineford

Try to sneak him out during handover

Contingency 2:

During above, try to get at least one plant on the platform with Ace/in Ace’s guard platoon, preferably the guard is made up entirely of plants for the next step, which is

Contingency 3:

Meet up with Whitebeard, because of course he’ll be there.

Scream defiance in the face of the Marines

Rescue Ace

Contingency 4:

Improvise

So, to make a very long answer very short, Sabo would do his damnedest to not let it actually get to Marineford in the first place. But if it did, that’s when logic can go hang because now not only is Ace on the line, so is Luffy. So Sabo’s gonna charge in, pipe swinging, and back Luffy up the whole way.

So you can have a turnabout, where all the guards on the platform are actually RA members. You can have a big battle where the odds are more even. You can have a sneaky circumvention of everything, and it will never ever come close to what it was. But if it does come down to that moment, then it probably plays out the same.

Because Sabo attacks, and Ace defends. Put in that situation, Sabo will go after Akainu and Ace will go to Luffy. So if Sabo is with Ace and they both see him go after Luffy at the same time, then there’s two ways it can go. Sabo attacks from the side, or from the front.

From the side, it plays out the same. From the front, though, where he gets between Ace and Akainu, well, there’s where it can differ. Does he take some of the heat, so they share the attack and are both injured but neither dies? Or is Sabo far enough forward to take the entire attack and die instead, for real this time? Or is the lava hot enough that it can cut through the pipe and Sabo and keep going?

So those are some possibilities for Marineford. Maybe Sabo comes in enough time to make a difference. Maybe he’s there and doesn’t anyway. Honestly, there’s enough going on in the whole arc that you can finesse it pretty much any way that suits a story.

But for me, Marineford will always hurt, and it’s not even only because of Ace. Because when you look at that scene, the one of Ace and Luffy fighting together, you can almost see it, can’t you? The way they don’t stand quite back to back but rather shoulder to shoulder, the way they move in sync but sometimes there’s a beat where they seem to be waiting, the way they fight together but independently.

There’s a brother-shaped hole in their formation where Sabo should be, and it hurts my heart every single time.

[petite-neko]

Boyhood Blues - 10

Fanfiction: Boyhood Blues Story Summary: Actions, and inactions, have their repercussions. It may not be immediate but somewhere down the line, the effect will be seen. Chapter Characters: Law, Luffy, Smoker, Caesar, Monet Pairing: LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, Universe Alteration, canon-typical violence, angst, A/N: TIMESKIP AHOY! So, there will still be a fair bit of things that will remain the same. That begin said, any changes I’ll go into detail about :D

(And please note: I’m going to be writing the next... four or so chapters ahead of schedule, due to the fact that my GF is coming down in TWELVE days for two weeks. So~ In case any of you decide to make suggestions they might not apply until much later/if any of you make comments that might influence my writing. And YES, I’ve had a few comments that made me decide to include a certain line or paragraph or flashback in my stories~)

.xxx. > Time/scene skip

.+++. > PoV change

Read on Ao3

Interlude || Chapter 10: Details || Chapter 11

“Trafalgar Law…”

Law smirked as the other uttered his name in the utmost distain. Smoker. The White Hunter. The man who despised pirates with a passion.

(Just seeing the Marine made him remember a joyful voice laughing about how he had been followed since Loguetown. About how the man despised him, not only because he was a pirate, but particularly because he was a pirate who had betrayed the Marines.)

The man who would most definitely despise him for the very same reasons. (If not more, because his guardian had been the fleet admiral until two years ago…) And that wasn’t including the fact that he had become a Warlord now – something that Smoker was vehemently against.

Of course, out of all of those things, his Warlord status was the only thing that Smoker was privy to.

“The White Hunter.” He greeted neutrally. “Just what brings you to my vacation home?”

Above all however, this was annoying. Utterly annoying. He didn’t need Marines storming in on his plans. Ruining them… He was so close to obtaining his goals he just needed…

At the very least, Smoker’s presence here would be just as incriminating as his, so it wasn’t like the other would report him unless absolutely necessary.

“We have reports that the Strawhats are on this island.”

…Oh damn it all! Those were the pirates that Caesar had captured?

(And damn those Brownbeard pirates! Why did they have to use the damn phone?)

“…you have history with him, don’t you?”

Law looked up at the Marine with an intrigued gaze, and listened as he listed off the events of two years ago. Of the Auction House and the war.

Oh, if only he knew… Law couldn’t help the smug look from gracing his features. If only he knew…

“And, by the way, we never have gotten a straight answer from you. What ever happened to the body of Fire Fist?”

Of course Smoker would inquire about that. Not to mention, if he knew Luffy’s past, he probably knew Ace’s. The guy didn’t trust him. Smart, really.

But Law wasn’t about to go ratting out Ace. He had worked hard to ensure the guy lived after all. And so he sighed, shaking his head, and diverted back to the original topic at hand.

“I’m the only one in this building White Hunter, now if you will please–”

…Fucking Caesar! Incompetent fool! Couldn’t even keep some damn pirates imprisoned while he dealt with the Marines!

Ah, well… he supposed he should clean up this mess unfolding at his feet.

“Room.”

.xxx.

“Torao!”

Law recognised that voice. That name. (It wasn’t like two years ago, no. He hadn’t blocked out the memories this time. He had no reason to, after all.)

“…Luffy-ya.”

He hadn’t exactly expected the other captain to catapult himself over and just… hug him however.

“Get off of me!” Law elbowed the idiot.

But Luffy was clinging to him and laughing and smiling and…

“Looks like we ran into each other after all, shishishi.”

Throughout his squirming, Law managed to free an arm and he pushed Luffy’s too close face away.

“Get off of me!”

Luffy’s crew had begun inquiring about how Luffy knew him, and thankfully Luffy had let him go to explain what had happened two years ago.

Thankfully, the idiot kept his mouth shut about Ace and about their past in the Marines.

“…There’s no need to feel indebted to me Luffy-ya. As pirates, we’re still enemies. Don’t forget that.”

(He didn’t need this right now, damn it!)

But, he wasn’t lying. Because if Luffy got in the way of his plans…

There was a pout on that damn idiot’s face. A pout!

(Right… there was that thing Ace had said. Lovely. Just lovely…)

Then he laughed. “Yeah, I guess, if you’re after the One Piece…”

Thankfully, this time it was his chaos that interrupted their conversation. (Of course, said chaos wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the Strawhats but, alas.)

And so he directed Luffy towards his crew. He had a clown to deal with.

And some chemicals.

.xxx.

“That’s right, you have history with him, don’t you?”

Law glanced at Monet and simply sighed. Again. Again… Why was everybody bringing up his past with the other pirate?

Of course, not very many people knew of the entire history he had with these brothers. Hell, even his crew probably didn’t know the whole story. They only knew what they happened to overhear. Although, they probably had put the pieces together by now.

Most people assumed that he had conspired with the Strawhat in the Auction House before saving Luffy from Marineford and failing to save Ace. And while Law wasn’t exactly pleased to know that people thought he failed to do something, he knew that one day that would be revealed to be false.

(Whether or not he lived to see that day remained to be seen.)

“You rescued him after the war. If it wasn’t for you, Mugiwara no Luffy would be dead, wouldn’t he?” Caesar’s laughter echoed out into the room. “Just like his brother. Such a shame isn’t it? That not even your powers could save that doomed soul as well.”

Sometimes, no… most of the time actually, Law just wonders why he puts up with this…

(Children… didn’t Caesar say something about those children?)

“What did you mean that those children were bound to return?”

…Monster. Yes, that was the accurate term to classify Caesar with, Law decided as he heard what that madman was doing to those children.

“And what about that Strawhat, Law?” He leaned in, a dark expression on his face. “Hmmm? Will your past… relations with him be a hindrance? I mean, you did save his life and all, and wouldn’t that just be wasting your efforts all those years ago?”

Law sighed and shrugged. “It was just a whim. That’s all.”

And in reality, really, that’s all it really was. Sure, he had history with the brothers but, it wasn’t like his history with them played a major influence in his actions. He was far more interested in Mugiwara no Luffy as opposed to Monkey D. Luffy after all.

Then that bastard’s laughter echoed out into the room. “Then I suppose you wouldn’t have any qualms if he required… elimination?”

Honestly? Law was finding Caesar’s presence to be overly irksome at the moment. And so, he stood up, propping Kikou against his shoulder. “I will do whatever is necessary.”

“Oi Law, where are you going?”

Very irksome…

“A walk. If you need me, you know to contact me.”

When he was a far enough distance away, he sighed softly and shook his head at the events unfolding before him.

That damn idiot!

Months, months of prep work! Hell, he even had to ally himself with the government to get to this point. Something he was far from proud of – but he was willing to do anything to get this far. And, it wasn’t like he had any real allegiance to piracy anyway – more that it was a means to an end – so if he had to send a hundred hearts to the Marines in order to obtain a Warlord status so that he could lay low in a particular area for a prolonged period of time? So be it. Sure, it left a bad taste in his mouth – not only because it allied himself with Joker of all people, but also because he allied himself with the very power that allowed Joker to run free for as long as he did.

He left the Marines for that very reason.

But it wasn’t as if he planned to remain with that power for much longer. It was only a temporary measure. He was going to abuse the very system that caused him to initially betray it. Because it betrayed him - him and the citizens of Dressrosa.

(He knew Joker well enough that he wasn’t just calmly sitting on the throne. No, Law knew the man was far too twisted to simply revel in the joys of royalty.)

He was willing to do everything and anything of obtain his goal.

And if he had to ‘eliminate’ Luffy (as Caesar so delicately put it) to do so?

It wouldn’t be something he’d relish in. It wouldn’t be something he’d do if there were other options available. (He spent a lot of time and energy rescuing those brothers from the brink after all. Not to mention Ace would be hot on his heels – and Sabo too if he happened to be the third brother and remember.) Hell, even if he only had to temporarily incapacitate him that would be far more preferable.

(He could still remember that face beaming up at him, waving frantically as he boarded his submarine. Could still remember those eyes widening and watering and all but resembling a wounded puppy when he said he was leaving. Could still remember those very eyes flooding with tears of anger and guilt and sorrow and heartbreak at the thought of losing yet another brother. As if it were yesterday.)

But, if Luffy happened to get in his way, if the boy insisted upon remaining there and a temporary incapacitation wasn’t working…

Yeah. He’d put a stop to Mugiwara no Luffy.

He was too close to his goal to give up now.

(And besides, it wasn’t as if he was planning on living to face the consequences of his actions anyway. That would be a miracle of miracles.)

.xxx.

All in all, it depended on that idiot.

In all honesty, Law was waiting for a moment like this. Well, not exactly like this, (a bit too chaotic and unpredictable) but it was close enough. And, at the very least, Luffy seemed to like him, so convincing him to form an alliance wouldn’t be that difficult.

Or, he hoped so.

He could remember Luffy commenting on when Ace had invited him to join Whitebeard’s crew.

“The pirate king has to be the captain after all!”

Not to mention the little spat the three of them had outside of the Auction House. Luffy wasn’t the man to follow under anybody else. But he seemed to value friendship a great deal. And an alliance was in the middle ground. Two people working together towards a common goal.

(Granted, Law had a few other plans, but… Luffy need not be privy to those details. It was simple hitting two birds with one stone… well more like one bird and a monster, but still.)

Thankfully, it seemed that Luffy was on board with taking down Kaido, so he wouldn’t have to deal with dealing with Luffy. Or Ace, or maybe even Sabo.

In fact, he almost seemed too eager to ally with him.

Because, well, Luffy thought that meant it gave him a free pass to cling to him or his side or his arm or…

“How many times do I have to tell you Luffy-ya! Get your hands off me! Don’t make me cut your limbs off!”

(Unfortunately that threat fell on deaf ears as Luffy asked Law to rearrange him or put his legs on somebody’s backside, or…)

At the very least, however, Luffy seemed to understand that Trafalgar Law did not like physical contact.

(It didn’t mean he refrained from pouting or whining about it however.)

Thankfully, Law didn’t have to spend too much longer with the other captain. Despite more whining about having to separate.

…Just what did he get himself into?

.xxx.

While Law would have loved to have that discussion he thought about earlier with Chopper, it just wasn’t the time.

They had a plan to enact.

(And honestly, a bit of chaos was good. Distraction – just what he needed to get into that room.)

At least Chopper seemed friendly enough. Perhaps once they succeeded in this step, he could have that conversation with the other doctor. He was curious after all. Why shouldn’t he satiate that curiosity in the time before Dressrosa?

All Luffy had to do was handle Caesar and…

–Well… fuck.

(How… Did Caesar realise? He knew it was risky to give him back Monet’s heart, but under the guise that it was Smoker’s was the perfect option… and it wasn’t like Law would go back on his word.)

He glanced back to the woman – only to realise that it wasn’t her that held his heart. Was it in the battlefield then? Was he holding it while Luffy was dealing with him?

“You certainly have grown Law.”

Ice. Ice cold water. That’s what it felt like, and it had nothing to do with the fact that somebody was squeezing his heart. He recognised that voice. (How could he forget?)

Vergo.

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: Water Seven

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

i’ve mentioned several times before that the davy back fight is one of my least favorite arcs, mostly because i found it very dragging and tedious when i was reading it, but there are a couple things i really like in it, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, most of them have to do with zoro. i really like his moment here with chopper, and it also showcases his ability to act as more of an authority figure to the crew, which is something that makes a substantial return after enies lobby with the matter of usopp’s return. 

zoro and sanji’s match in the davy back fight is far and away my favorite part of the entire arc. it’s just really fun.

like i said, this arc isn’t a favorite of mine, but i do definitely understand why it’s important to the saga and greater story in a couple different ways. one of them is that it’s just an easy, lighthearted detour that both gives the audience a chance to breathe and the strawhats a chance to showcase just how much they love each other and work well together- which turns into a fucking sledgehammer to the skull in the next arc when that unity is directly threatened. and the other reason this arc is important...

...is because of aokiji.

aokiji’s introductory scene is a brutal showcase of absolute power, and a very clear reminder that the strawhats are still very much little fish in a very, very big pond. all of the strawhats are impacted by this to some degree- it’s how badly they get curb-stomped here that leads luffy to come up with his gears as a way of closing the huge power gap he’s just learned about.

most important, though, are robin and usopp. for robin, this is a stark reminder of the fact that the government will never stop hunting her down; for usopp, who’s less obvious, it’s the seeds of the full-blown inferiority crisis that will later explode with the news about merry. both of their arcs throughout water 7 and enies lobby, essentially the twin emotional backbones of the saga, start right here.

i really like that the other strawhats all fell asleep waiting for robin and luffy to wake up. it calls back to them doing the same when nami was sick before drum, and also it’s just so fucking sweet. 

water seven is my favorite island, full stop. if i was going to live anywhere in one piece’s world, i’d want to live on water seven. it’s just so creatively designed and visually great, with the canals and the tiered city and the massive fountain in the middle. the supporting cast are still one of my favorites, and the culture feels very real and authentic. i just love water seven a lot.

i just said it but it bears repeating- the water seven supporting cast is really good. iceburg, the galley-la shipwrights, franky and his family, kokoro and chimney are all really memorable, and most of them are really likable, too- and cp9, with all their eccentricities, fit in perfectly. water seven’s cast is very interconnected, as well, and their relationships all feel very believable.

all of which, of course, only makes the later treachery hurt all the more.

the atmosphere of water seven is really, really well done. the bad starts slow, with the news that merry is unfixable, and then continues into an accelerating downwards spiral of hopelessness: usopp and luffy’s fight and usopp leaving the crew, robin’s seeming betrayal, the assassination attempt on iceburg, the city and galley-la turning on them as a result, and the agua laguna- it just gets worse and worse and worse.

and then, after they’ve been stomped down about as far as they can go and come out alive anyways, they pick themselves back up again and go to save their friend, because that’s what the strawhat pirates do.

i just really like getting to see these four going feral on the franky family, it’s one of my favorite scenes in this whole arc. in general, i tend to love the moments where luffy specifically gets properly angry, and we get a lot of them in this arc. 

even though the fight between luffy and usopp is genuinely very tense and  fast-paced and would probably be exciting if it were any other two characters fighting, it never really feels anything other than melancholy. i think that’s a testament to just how good oda is at setting the mood of the scene. it’s made very clear, especially through the reactions of the other characters- merry ‘crying’ is fucking heartbreaking- that this is nothing less than a tragedy. 

:(

i think it’s kind of interesting we aren’t shown franky’s face until about halfway into water seven. prior to this, we’re given pretty much only reasons to hate him, with his theft of the strawhats’ money and the franky family beating usopp to shit. but just after this point is when we start getting our first humanizing and sympathetic moments for him, starting when he gets worried and a little frantic when he hears about the attempt on iceburg’s life.

i just really, really like the way some of these water seven action sequences are depicted. they feel very tense and desperate, which matches the general mood of this part of the arc perfectly.

this panel of usopp working on merry always reminds me of the shots of the klabautermann doing the same during skypiea. i’m not sure if it’s even intentional, honestly, but it’s an extra little bit of heartbreak either way.

one piece has a lot of amazing spreads, but this might be one of my favorites for sheer impact. cp9, watching as the city they’ve lived and worked in for years burns down in a fire they set, satisfied by a job well done. it’s almost all in black and white with very little grey, which creates some fantastic contrast, and their pitch-black silhouettes against the nighttime inferno are just striking. 

this entire scene between usopp and franky, as usopp works on the merry and franky gives him advice and tries to make him see its hopeless and they kind of awkwardly, accidentally bond, is probably my favorite in the whole of water seven. it was also the scene that singlehandedly made me love franky as a character.

they have a really good, really enjoyable dynamic, and at the same time the conflict between them is real and understandable, and brought about because they’re both trying to do the right thing.

tom’s workers are one of my favorite little groups of characters in the whole of one piece’s story, and they deserve more appreciation. they’re family!! a little family of broken pieces who worked together to build something really, really amazing. and they still care about each other in the present, even though they got shattered apart so badly and none of them ever really recovered. 

this is a tremendously under-appreciated chopper moment. not only did he carry two full-grown men out of a fire, he even managed to get zoro’s sword and iceburg’s hamster. extremely cool of him.

this is also the exact moment the strawhats’ collective luck begins to turn: chopper saves the day, and nami learns that robin did what she did to protect them, and sanji gets aboard the sea train, and from there it’s a no-brakes train from their very lowest low straight to the triumph at enies lobby.

i love all the shenanigans sanji gets up to with the sea train, i think the whole sequence is absolutely one of his shining moments. it’s always a delight to see sanji get up to Sneaky Bastard Bullshit, and the whole thing is just so fun, which is a dearly needed breath of fresh air after how relentless this arc has been until this point.

robin’s little smile when thinking of luffy and when she joined the strawhats... :( i’ve noticed it’s a recurring trend for strawhats who try to leave the crew to flash back to when they joined as they do. usopp has it earlier this same arc just before leaving, and sanji does it in whole cake island in the sanji vs. luffy chapter. 

i really like how much everyone comes together at the end of water seven leading into enies lobby. after how fractured and fraught things have been throughout the arc, both within and without the strawhat crew, it’s great to see them not only all united again for a common goal, but with a huge group of allies at their backs. 

these three are SUCH a hilarious team, and i would love to see them work together again like this sometime. they’re literally just clowning on the marines all the way up the train, it’s fantastic. 

factually i understand sanji’s aversion to fighting with his hands and his fighting style is very unique and cool and also meaningful to him because he learned from zeff, and also if i remember right it’s implied he learned how to swordfight from the vinsmokes which makes it very reasonable he would want absolutely nothing to do with that skillset 

but speaking purely in terms of stupid idiot lizard brain i think sanji should fight with knives more

this is another of my absolute favorite spreads, and i think what makes it for me is the casual confidence- luffy tells zoro to cut the train, and zoro does, both of them with no doubts at all about zoro’s ability to do so. it really goes to show how far they’ve come from back in east blue when zoro couldn’t even cut luffy out of a metal cage.

there’s something very impactful about the fact that of all the strawhats, robin gets this speech from usopp. usopp, who’s had the worst falling-out with luffy in the series to date, is the one who tells robin: you haven’t left the crew yet, you can’t leave the crew yet, luffy is coming to get you. believe in him. 

franky’s “existing is not a crime” line is one of the most memorable and iconic lines from this entire saga, and for good reason. it sums up one of the main themes of not just this arc but also the series as a whole- the very same idea will come up again for ace during marineford, and in law’s backstory as well. it’s never a crime to just exist, and people should not never be persecuted for their blood or heritage. one piece doesn’t fuck around with its theming, it really doesn’t. 

to be continued next time, with enies lobby!

[neverwatchedonepiece]

483-484: ‘Looking for the Answer! Fire Fist Ace Dies On the Battlefield!’ and ‘The Navy Headquarters Falls! Whitebeard's Unspeakable Wrath.’

...

Actually watched these on Friday but was too bummed about what had happened to post. Turns out one of the spoilers was real, after all. Joy of joys. One more to go and then all I’ll have floating around my head is that Sanji has a sister.

Annoyed at the spoiler-tastic title, though. Thanks, Toei, for ruining that in advance. I was also unwittingly spoiled by the latest Uniqlo/SJ 50 t-shirt drop (but didn’t know it at the time because I was clueless about the panel’s context).

Yes, I am delaying the inevitable...

Better get on with it.

R.I.P. Fire Fist Ace

I am sad and mad at the waste of life.

Ace had so much to live for, but he had no regrets, so from his perspective, it is okay. I mean, the old cliche is true, right? Death is easy for the dead. Those they leave behind have to deal with the fallout. And Luffy is... beyond distraught. Catatonic with despair, actually, to the point Jimbei had to step in or else he would have been fried by Akainu.

Picking up where 483 left off, despite the Big Damned Spoiler Title, I knew Ace was not in a good way. If that title hadn’t ruined it, I might have thought even then that Ace would make it through. If Whitebeard can fight on with a hole in his chest, why couldn’t Ace? And the Pirate Alliance had Emporio Ivankov on their side, right?

There were a few final twists and turns, a few flashes of drama, before the quiet, sad moment happened. Garp rushing down to Ace, Sengoku having to pin him to stop Garp killing Akainu (I wish he hadn’t. I still want that Garp Monkey D. Family Team to happen). The nightmare fuel scene when Akainu was shot point blank by bazooka fire and walked back through the flames like a zombie with parts missing. The moment when Jimbei stood between Ace and Akainu “You will not touch him again! I have been ready to die since the beginning!” with Akainu retorting, “Looks like I need to execute a traitor.” Marco breaking free courtesy of Mr 3, enabling Luffy to take Ace away...

Damn, I really didn’t think Oda would have the cajones to kill off Ace. The moment was done well, though, so at least there’s that. Weirdly, the scene reminded me of Mufasa’s death (from The Lion King). Just Luffy’s fragile, tentative questions, “Hey. Hey... are you alright?” mixed with the horror of realisation something was terribly wrong when he placed his hand on Ace’s back and it came back thick with blood.

But still, he could deny it then. Ace could be treated. Ace could be cured. Emporio Ivankov was on his side!

Unfortunately, the damage was irreparable. Ace’s organs had been completely burned away. The moment Ivankov had to break that news was horrible. I felt so bad for Luffy. He tried to bargain desperately: “You can’t die! You promised you would never die, no matter what!”

Knowing he didn’t have much time left, Ace took advantage of the quiet moment to have a last talk with his little brother. I liked how Toei froze the battle, cast everything and everyone but Ace and Luffy in greyscale, because for that moment, the only alive people in the world were two brothers. 

“I wouldn't even have had a will to live if it weren't for Sabo and a high maintenance brother like you. If you see Dadan someday, say hello for me. When I face my own death, I even miss a woman like her. There is one thing that makes me wanna stay. That is my desire to see you fulfill your dream. But I'm sure that you can do it. Because you're my brother. Like we promised that day, I have no regrets in life. Something tells me that what I truly wanted was not fame. Did I deserve to be born? What I wanted was the answer to that question.

I can't raise my voice to let anyone hear anymore, Could you tell them what I'm about to say now? Old man, everyone, and you Luffy. Thank you... for loving someone like me: a good for nothing who has such bad blood in his veins... Thank you!”

Yeah, so at that point, I was just staring at the screen, watching Ace die and labouring under the same haze of denial as Luffy. It still wasn’t real. Then Ace’s eyes glazed over, the little flame inside him finally winked out and he slumped to the ground with a smile on his face. Even the vivre card burned to ashes.

Watching Luffy realise his brother was dead was worse than Ace’s last words. Eyes wide, he just stared at his blood-soaked hands and shook. “Ace...? Ace...?”

Then he screamed. The grief was too much and he shut down completely.

This is the second gut-wrenching loss Luffy has suffered in quick succession. As far as he’s concerned, he’s lost his crew. Now, he has lost his only brother. I wonder how this will affect Luffy going forward? I’m assuming Luffy will use Ace’s death to swear vengeance on the Marines and World Government. Take note, Marines: this is how you create a mighty enemy. Luffy does need to be stronger. But, damn, if that is not a harsh way to learn that lesson...

Oh, and I don’t ever want to see Jimbei sobbing again. That was too much on top of everything else. ;_;

Akainu Is Not A Good Person

He’s behind me, isn’t he?

That shot is honestly the only thing that cheered me up over these two episodes. I watched it three times and laughed like a drain every time.

Then it just got better because Oda let Whitebeard loose on Akainu and it was glorious! It’s as if Oda realised, “Yeah, the fans will be grieving and seething, let’s give them an outlet for their feelz.”

Akainu made another swipe at Luffy, but Marco stepped in. Unfortunately, Marco was wearing sandals. (Not the most effective footwear for facing off against Akainu. You’d need steel toe capped boots or special heat-entry PPE for that. Marco, you must update your look. Function over fashion. I know it will sting but it is for a good cause.) He couldn’t hold off Akainu completely. But someone who could rumbled up behind him.

Man... Whitebeard was mad. Beyond mad. “I will hammer you into the ground like a tent peg” mad. “I will punch you to pate” mad. I actually cheered when that first punch connected. The best part was when he grabbed Akainu by the collar, tossed him in the air and broke him with a devastating punch. I’ve never been happy to see someone bleed before. That was new.

But Akainu did get a hit in. Note to All Pirates: Do not let Akainu anywhere near your torso. Reblog to save a life!

It’s maybe too late for Whitebeard, though. I am not going to jump the gun again because Oda has subverted tropes before, but it seems like Whitebeard is intent on Marineford being his last stand. He split the battlefield so the Pirate Allies could escape, trapping himself on the other side with all the Marines. 

It was also satisfying to see Marineford sinking into the sea along with Akainu! I may also have cheered at this and laughed: “YES! BYE, SAKAZUKI! SINK INTO THE OCEAN AND DROWN!” A measured response? Absolutely not. Do I think he will be saved? Hopefully not!

Then Teach appeared.

This is the first time I was not excited to see him and his crew. I thought, “Come on, mate. There’s a time and a place...” 

But clearly, for Blackbeard, this is the perfect time and place.

Not Even In The Mood For Blackbeard

Teach has the chutzpah to turn up at Whitebeard’s last stand and advertise his new crew. I might be going off them. There are now ten Blackbeard pirates, so that’s my Individual Blackbeards vs Individual Strawhats theory up in smoke.  (Unless Luffy recruits another crew member. Then it’s back on!) 

So far, we have:

1. Blackbeard 2. Van Augr 3. Jacques Laffite 4. Jesus Burgess 5. Doc Q 6. San Juan Wolf 7. Catalina Devon 8. Shiryu of the Rain 9. Vasco Shot 10. Guy With Horns I Don’t Remember

Now it makes sense why Teach was sniffing about Impel Down. He was recruiting! Still don’t know what his game is, though. Why is he here now? What’s the point in having a chuckle at Whitebeard’s expense? Why advertise your new crew? I don’t think the Marines will be impressed that you took time off to recruit while there was a big battle going on.

I also have questions about San Juan Wolf.

How does San Juan Wolf fit on any ship? He is so massive he barely fits into shot and suffers from goddamned distance fade. Does he just trail after Teach’s ship like a massive, violent puppy? Where did they keep him in Impel Down? Would Ikea be interested in such space-defying dimensions?

I’ll have to stay tuned, I guess.

No, thank you, Ace. You’ve been great. ;_;

[neverwatchedonepiece]

481-482: “Ace Rescued! Whitebeard's Final Order!” and “The Power That Can Burn Even Fire! Akainu's Ruthless Pursuit”

Ace, I know why you did it but I am sad.

For you, for Luffy, for Whitebeard and everyone who risked their lives to save you. Your pride and loyalty - two of your biggest strengths - were used against you by a slick, clever liar who knew exactly how to take advantage. That is exactly how you got into this situation. Your pride forced you to chase Blackbeard. Now it forced you to square up to Akainu who has a more powerful version of your fruit.

I don’t think Ace is dead (because he’s a logia fruit user and a fist through the chest is a big deal but nothing insurmountable). I won’t believe it, anyway, until I see a body and that vivre card is cinders and ashes.

And Whitebeard, ugh. Oda shows no mercy when he wants to elicit emotion, does he? Goes straight for the jugular. ;_;

Ace and Luffy

It started so well. The morale boost when Ace, Luffy and Mr 3 appeared and the cheers that went up made me grin. (I may also have clapped but I don’t want to admit it.)

It was great seeing them fight seriously together for the first time. Ace’s fruit powers really are awesome, in the old sense of the word, and flashy too. Buggy would love them (remember when they partied together on Buggy’s ship? Ah... memories). I still think Ace’s Firefly has a grace and beauty about it you won’t expect from a rugged, piratical user. Maybe it reflects his inner personality. Ace is a good guy. Even though Luffy has Gear 3rd now, I still think 2nd is the most effective move-set. It gives him speed and power.

What I liked best about this scene was Ace’s happiness and pride at discovering how far Luffy had come. Unlike other shounen characters (like, say, Bakugou from BnHA,  Sasuke from Naruto, or Vegeta from DB) being saved is not a stain on his pride. He was happy Luffy rescued him and commended him on how strong he had become. "Never thought I'd be saved by you one day. Thanks, Luffy. You got stronger!" He gives his little brother the credit for his hard word and bloody-minded determination.

Likewise, Luffy also gives credit where it’s due. He laughed and said, "Whitebeard and the others helped me do it." He recognised the sacrifices everyone made to help him achieve his goal. Hopefully, he’ll be able to pay them back one day. I’m sure he will. :)

There was still brotherly banter, though. Old habits die hard. “I’ll become stronger than you, one day!” Ace did not ridicule Luffy or say, “Yeah, sure. Doubt it but good luck.” When Aokiji jumped in, he knew Luffy wasn’t ready to face him yet but was tactful about Luffy’s pride. “Then let me protect you for now.”

For now. Does Ace acknowledge that one day Luffy might make good on that promise?

Whatever the case, Ace’s clash with Aokiji was great to watch. Was it the prime example of a bad match up (Ace’s fire melted Aokiji’s ice) or is Ace on Aokiji’s level, generally? I cannot decide. Kizaru didn’t step up, so I can’t say either way if he would be a bad match up for Ace. Akainu, who eventually did, was like, “NOPE. AN ESCAPE? NOT HAPPENING. STEP ASIDE, SOLDIERS.”

Then Squard turned up, powering the Moby Dick v.2 across the ice like a tank, ready to use it as a bomb that would blow up himself, his crew and Marineford, so the others could take Ace and go. His crew sure are loyal, willing to die for his mistake. Not sure I agree with that, but hell, it’s their choice.

Whitebeard didn’t agree with it, either, and stopped the ship with one hand (awesome).

Whitebeard

Ugh, Whitebeard. You keep dragging everyone’s heart through the wringer. I am now convinced you have a second fruit power that involves tugging on heart strings. Even while dying (and I am now reconvinced he will sacrifice himself to help Luffy and Ace escape) he still looks out for his sons. Oda must like him because he gives him such powerful, meaningful lines.

"Can't you understand how ungrateful it is for a child to die before his parent, Squard? That little stab wound didn't affect my lifespan. Now, listen all you Whitebeard pirates. I'm gonna give you an order for the last time! You and I will part ways here. Everyone, survive and get to the New World at any cost! I am a remnant from the old times. There is no ship that can bear me into the New Era. Don’t look back. Because the era is changing.”

This got me for a couple of reasons. If you’ve ever talked to old people (like family or friends you get on with), sometimes they begin to say stuff like that near the end of their lives. You don’t want them to say it because it’s acknowledging something you don’t want to happen but you know it will, anyway. And also the notion of obsolescence. I hate it when older people think of themselves as obsolete, as no longer worth anything as the world changes about them. No. You can learn new things. You are worth something. Even if you can’t get out of the house anymore, you can learn to work a tablet and brighten up someone’s life by joining an online community. Like Whitebeard says, you don’t have to be related to be family.

Sorry for the tangent, but that just gets to me.

On a happier note, Oda let us see a young Whitebeard before he was Whitebeard. His design looks familiar. Like he wouldn’t be out of place in an 80s hair metal band.

Don’t Look Back

The rest, with difficulty, obeyed Whitebeard’s orders and began the evacuation.

Ace, however, with his big heart and undying loyalty, just stood there. Luffy tried to tell him, “The old man has made up his mind!” but Ace said, “I know. And it won’t be in vain!” I really hope not.

Then Ace ran to Whitebeard and bowed before him, head touching the floor, to show how grateful he was for everything Whitebeard had given him: family, freedom, and, in the words of Dr Hiluluk, a wonderful life.

“We don’t need words now,” Whitebeard said (and at that point someone was cutting onions, I swear). “But just tell me one thing... are you happy to have me as your father?”

“Of course I am!” Ace shouted.

I still don’t know whether Whitebeard was laughing or crying at Ace’s answer, but I don’t need to know. For better or worse, they are father and son. Ace turned and ran with Luffy, protected by Jimbei who correctly interpreted Whitebeard’s order as: he wants as many survivors as possible. Let’s gtfo out of here now.

Sengoku seems to think Whitebeard intends to do what Squard threatened. To sink Marineford into the sea, sacrificing himself in the process. Garp seems to think along the same lines, but also noticing that Whitebeard wants to change the Era, believing that, yes, it is the right time. I love how Whitebeard is so strong that he dictates when the Era changes.

I suppose he’s leaving it up to the rest to shape the New Era.

BUT AKAINU...

If I thought Kizaru was an accomplished shit-talker, Akainu takes it to the next level. At first, I thought the guy was a just a raging meat-head. Could not have been more wrong. This guy is a Class A Manipulator. He knows just what to say to get under someone’s skin, then take advantage. He did it with Squard and that’s why I’m sad that Ace fell for his lies. But again, I know why Ace did it. Because he has a big heart and is loyal to a fault.

“As soon as you rescue Fire Fist Ace, you cut and run. The Whitebeard pirates must be cowards. Whitebeard is just a loser from the old times. Gol D. Roger conquered the world and ushered in a new Era by sacrificing himself (exactly like WB, now I think of it). But Roger was true to his name as the Pirate King. What has Whitebeard done? He was satisfied by being a big fish in a little, family barrel. Some fools say his name is keeping peace on various islands (uh oh, I smell trouble future). But if you ask me, he’s keeping lightweights in fear of him. Even after Roger’s death, he could never become the Pirate King. He’s a poor man, when you think of it: roamed the sea with his fake family, couldn’t become king, gained nothing and was stabbed by a fool who fell for my line. I don’t care if the others get away, as long as I get you two. So I’ll kill him [Luffy] and make you watch!”

Ace, you shouldn’t have looked back. Whitebeard told you. It’s like that tale of Orpheus and Eurydice: you look back and... doom. You looked back, took the bait and now a guy with a stronger devil fruit has punched you through the chest and your little brother is in danger.

I’m loving the twists and turns but this something else... ;_;

Every single time I see this attack, the 80s-tastic song gets stuck in my head and I will now forever associate it with Ace.