#moments like the end of enies lobby where he tries to thank her and she covers his mouth

[wigglesdtuff]

My arms around his neck My fingers laced a crown I was a heavy heart to carry But he never let me down

[moondane-lovers]

Palette, Rainbow, and Comet for Pluto! (OP s/i)

*rubs hands together* HOOOOHHH WEEE!! I'm on fire tonight, someone stop me good god. There's a LOT of text here.

🎨 Palette: Paint a picture with your words! What is a scene featuring yourself/self-insert that would fit into the source of your f/o? It can be anything!

Have some classic Enies Lobby antics!

"Holy shit, I did not expect that. You okay?" Pluto was pleased to know that their arms had gotten even stronger since settling in here, because if they weren't, there would be a dead body at the bottom of the stairs. Instead, she was holding onto the back of the security chief's collar with an iron grip with one hand, the other hooked tightly around the railing. Spandam's brain was still catching up with his near death experience, one minute he was walking along without issue and then he was flying down the stairs. Now, he was motionless, held in place by the... "Oh you've gotta be kidding me, that's the funniest shit i've ever seen! Did you get rescued by his bleach scented guardian angel again?" Jabra howled, unable to contain his laughter from the top of the staircase. "S-shut up! Unhand me at once, you foul Janitor!" Spandam yelped, skittering down the remainder of the stairs and catching his breath, legs trembling and heart pounding from the fall, absolutely, definitely the fall. "Glad you're okay sir." Pluto rolled her eyes, ignoring Jabra as he passed by. It didn't work, as he leaned in to annoy her, jabbing their shoulder with little regard to personal space. "Sir? You gotta stop that brown nosing crap if you want to-" Pluto casually held up a spray bottle of bleach in his general direction with their finger on the trigger. "No thanks, actually!" He gulped, then quickly made his way down the rest of the stairs and promptly fled. "He has no manners... um, I appreciate the er..." Spandam stuttered, attempting to compose himself as Jabra flew on by like a dog with it's tail between it's legs. He tried to make eye contact and then broke all over again. "I-I have a meeting to attend, you'd best not slack in my absence!" He pointed an accusatory finger at her before absconding after the agent, too flustered to think. Pluto just sighed and carried on cleaning, he really needed to watch where he was going.

🌈Rainbow: What was the happiest moment in your lore for you/your self-insert? Who all shared that happiness with you in canon?

Being able to retire early and build an in-house art studio! It was true liberation for them. (Thanks Luffy! Refer to comet btw)

☄️Comet: What was a moment where you/your self-insert really shined? This can be a badass moment, a moment where you felt important to the overall lore, or just a really cool and important moment!

Mentions of abuse and self defense-murder below, so move by if needed.

So, the biggest lore drop/well kept secret by them was that they were actively abused by a vice admiral for the majority of the time they worked at HQ-someone she looked up to as a guide up until it started. Being sent to Enies lobby was his way of trying to break her and make her beg for his help to get sent back. That didn't happen and by the time she was transferred back to HQ a week before the Straw Hats hit Enies Lobby, said vice admiral had quickly lost control over the situation, got super pissed and proceeded to get caught doing a lot of shady shit in the meanwhile. She only had to deal with him for a few weeks before he fled and became a wanted criminal, seemingly ending that era.

Except about two years later on a mandatory vacation from work, she ran into both the Straw hats AND Cp0 on a neutral island (insert funny "this is the movie that would happen if they were canon) and shit gets REALLY crazy really fast with said ex vice admiral and his crew being the main threat. The big moment? She kills him through wit. It's the final act and everyone is separated and fighting the good fight, then Spandam tries to protect her and gets the shit beat out of him. She goes in and stabs the fucker with Funkfreed and he just laughs at her for thinking that would do anything at all.

It turns out having an elephant reform inside of an open wound DOES do something called tearing you apart. That was the moment she'd been waiting for her entire adult life, and it was the most horrifying yet cathartic moment for her. She was able to retire after that with the bounty money as well, which helped her really start her life for real. Also her and Spandam began talking again after all this as they hadn't since she left Enies Lobby, and they eventually sloooooowly got together officially in the aftermath.

[opbackgrounds]

So there’s a couple of things from last night’s Sanji post that I want to clear up a bit, and I don’t want to clog up the blog by individually responding to all the asks, comments, etc.  This got quite a bit longer than I originally intended, so sorry about that, but I hope it ends up clarifying where I’m coming from going forward. And if you think I’m wrong, that’s fine! Just please be civil about it; Sanji Discourse(tm) is polarizing enough as it is, and after being in the One Piece fandom for as long as I have, it can be very tiring. Please remember Sanji isn’t real, and I’m not personally attacking anyone who disagrees with me, nor anyone who ends up liking him more than I do.

1. Firstly, thank you to everyone who sent in/responded with a more accurate translation, or who even mentioned the translations from other languages (I saw French and Norwegian, if there are others I’m sorry I missed them). It’s really helpful making what seemed like an out of character moment for Luffy seem much less out of character. 

2. As I’ve said before, Sanji is by no means my favorite character. There is a chance I’m misremembering things about his arc or simply choose to interpret his actions differently than other people to make him more palatable to me. He’s a guy who is open to a lot of interpretation, and I look at him through the lens I find most interesting. I may need to reevaluate my opinion as we get to other more Sanji-centric scenes. We will get there when we get there, and until then I don’t feel like arguing about it

3. That being said, yes, I am very much aware that Sanji also boasted about his future amazingness to Kuma, but he only did so after Zoro did it first. He saw what direction the conversation was going, didn’t like it, and tried to stop Zoro from getting himself killed. More important, I think, is the scene afterword with Brook where Sanji is very self-deprecating about his own resolve to die for the crew.

4. Sanji was very much willing to die on the Baratie for a boat. He considered the physical planks and sails to be more important than his life, never once considering that a boat could be replaced. He literally had no idea how much me meant to Zeff, and there are other parts of the series where he’s very quick to jump on the self-sacrifice train (hello Skypiea!) when a character like Zoro is more likely to try to fight himself out of a similar situation. He was also an active participant in Nami and Robin’s rescue arcs, and still thought he could get away with the stunt he pulled on WCI. The difference, to him, was that Nami and Robin were important, and he was not

5. I don’t think Sanji could have managed the pep talk he gave Usopp during Enies Lobby unless he had a deeper understanding of Usopp’s feelings and has had to try to dig himself out of the same hole. 

This is where my preconceived interpretation muddies things a bit, but as far as circumstantial evidence goes I think it fits pretty well. Sanji has always been a character you have to read between the lines with because very rarely is he going to be emotionally honest with himself and others in the same way, say, Luffy is. I made entire posts on this point back during the Baratie arc and hold by tham today. Even his way of dealing with problems — with sneakiness, going behind the scenes, using guile — points to a very different mindset from some of the more literal-minded characters in the crew. What is more difficult is deciding which words and actions are him being honest, and deciding when he’s putting up a front for others. Hence multiple character interpretations that I think can equally be supported by canon. 

Further complicating matters is that Sanji doesn’t really have a confidant within the crew to express himself to. Nami, who also puts on a brave front, goes to Usopp for a weapon because she knows he’ll understand her feelings of weakness and help her get stronger. Sanji doesn’t have that, partly because his manly pride doesn’t  allow him to be vulnerable. But just because he has his idea of chivalry and a picture of what an ideal man should be doesn’t mean he thinks he meets those ideals. 

So that leaves us with a man who thinks very little himself following a moral code that encourages self-sacrifice. Sanji sacrifices his emotional vulnerability for appearing tough. He sacrifices his time to feed a crew that includes Luffy as his captain. He sacrifices effort that could have gone toward training or personal pleasure for making the people he loves happy. Because making other people happy — especially through cooking — is what gives Sanji the most joy, even if he doesn’t get a lot of credit for it. 

And if those people he loves are in danger, you bet your ass he’s 100% ready to throw down his life to save them. Because he’s just the cook. Luffy can always recruit someone else in his place. 

[neverwatchedonepiece]

One Piece: Episode Zero

Thanks for recommending Episode 0. Glad I watched it after the movie, as there were horrendous spoilers at the start. They showed the scene when the Strawhats were suited up with guns and the moment of Luffy’s final, winning move against Shiki. His disbelief that another man from East Blue was his undoing was the launchpad into Episode 0, though, so it made sense.

It was short but sweet. And really good fun because holy crap those cameos. I tried to keep track of them all but honestly, I think I’ve missed some as I realised looking at screenshots that even more were in the background!

THOSE CAMEOS

The next scenes were flashbacks to the time not long before Gol D. Roger became Pirate King. Sirens blared. A young Garp strode purposefully towards a ship with Tsuru-chan (I cannot believe she lets him call her Tsuru-chan) and Aokiji in tow. At least, I think that’s Aokiji. He looks different when he smiles. That must have been before his promotion and the stress of job hit him.

The ship he was heading for was Sengoku’s. The way they bickered over the Shiki case was like a cop drama. “Don’t mind me. I’ll let you take all the credit!” “That’s not what I mean!” Nice to see that Garp and Sengoku have always bickered like that.

Also interesting to see that Kizaru has worn that same suit for around seventeen years. He must have an excellent dry cleaner.

As they set out to pursue Roger, the action cut to a confrontation in the New World between Shiki and Roger.

Wait Now, The What??

The amount of cameos here was tremendous.

I kept having to pause so I could do a double take then cheer whenever I recognised a favourite character. Of course, there was Buggy, wailing because Captain Roger was facing off against the vast fleet of Shiki the Golden Lion. Then there was a baby-faced young Shanks, who was like, “Buggy, you can be cut into loads of pieces and you won’t die. Calm down.” Crocus (Laboon’s caretaker) was the ship’s doctor! This was news to me. Did I forget this or have I never known that?  And Rayleigh. He was blonde! Who knew? (Well, you guys, probably.)

Then there was Roger. You see him in action so rarely, it’s hard not to be hyped when you see him. Now the relationship between him and Ace is revealed, I keep looking for Ace in Roger. Honestly, I still see Luffy. Less in looks, more in attitude. Though Ace’s tendency to never back down is definitely there.

It was all fun seeing all the characters in their younger days, the confrontation with Shiki caught me off guard. Mainly when Shiki said: “We’ll use that apocalyptic weapon you found. Become my right hand man and we’ll conquer the world with your weapon and my military might.” 

WAIT, WHAT?? Was Shiki talking about Pluton? The one Spandam was afraid of and the one Franky burned the blueprints for? Did Roger really find it via the poneglyphs he’d been tracking down? (I remember he scrawled “ROGER WUZ HERE” on the Skypiea one, didn’t he?) 

Well, at any rate, Roger wasn’t interested. “If you can’t do as you please, there’s no point in being a pirate, is there? Shiki, I refuse your offer!” He said this while the Oro Jackson was absolutely surrounded by Shiki’s fleet. The subsequent battle was known as the Great Battle of Edd War. A change in weather sunk half of Shiki’s ships and an accident forced Shiki to flee the battlefield.

I say accident. He ended up with half a steering wheel stuck in his head.

“Happens all the time,” Shiki said.

“Um no. It’s actually unheard of,” his physician replied. Ha. That was good. Made me warm to Shiki more as a character.

While Shiki recovered from his steering wheel accident, Roger found the One Piece, became Pirate King, mysteriously disappeared, then was captured by these suave specimens.

Marine Cut Suits: For When You Always Skip Leg Day

Shiki did not take the news well. He literally shot the messenger who delivered it (Chill, Shiki. It’s not his fault!) He took his rage out on Marineford, destroying half of it in a fit of denial. How could Roger be captured? 

“There’s no way he could be caught by trash like you! We might have been enemies but we are part of the same era. I respected his strength. If anyone’s killing him, it’s me!” That’s such a Vegeta-ish attitude. Love it.

Garp and Sengoku brought more bad news. Not only was Roger’s execution scheduled for a week hence, it was to take place in Roger’s home, Loguetown, in East Blue.

“WTF? That weaksauce place?” Shiki yelled. He was in major denial. He has serious problems with that place.  “That’s just your last insult to Roger!”

“Nope,” Garp said. “East Blue is a symbol of peace. That’s why we’re doing it.” (See, the Marine are all about Dat Symbolism. Even then, they were at it. Execute the disrupting influence in the place of peace to show it has been restored.)

Then Garp and Sengoku threw off their cloaks. That’s fighting talk. Shiki got his ass kicked and was locked up in Impel Down.

More Cameos than Word Up

Shiki missed the party, but the cameos at the famous speech were multitude. I spotted Moria, Crocodile, a young upset Shanks, Buggy, Dragon, Mihawk (wearing a Hawaiian shirt - obviously before he turned goth), and... was that Doflamingo? There was a resemblance, but I’m not sure...

Then, when the news got out, there was Cricket of Skypiea fame, Portgas D. Rouge, Nefertari Cobra, the two giants from Enies Lobby, Tonjit the Stilt guy, Dory and Broggy, CP9 and the Hancock sisters. Plus a worrying shot of who I’m certain is little Sanji. He looked like exactly his bounty poster. I hope the stuff about him being a cursed child is just a joke because if not, poor Sanji.

The Mightiest of Cameos in His Giant Bean Chair

For two years, Shiki languished in Impel Down. I remember hearing that the last person to break out of there was Shiki the Golden Lion way back just as the war arc was starting (or maybe before. Can’t remember exactly when). So it was great to finally see how he did it.

Got to admit, it was badass. Shiki pulled a Zeff and hacked off his own legs. He floated about Impel Down, dripping blood, before escaping Magellan and Hannyaball, who were still trainee wardens at the time. 

Garp was notified of the break out during his vacation. I like he always used his vacation time to visit Ace and Luffy. At least he did visit from time to time.

When news of the break out hit, Toei hit me with even more cameos. Bellmere, Zeff, my old favourites Dr Hiluluk and Kureha, Dalton and the Old King (before Wapol), Tom-san, Franky and Iceberg, little Hatchi, Shakky and Rayleigh, and even the random guy who got stuck in a barrel.  Robin was a tiny fugitive on the run. Laboon was still sad. Brook was still lonely.

And then there was Whitebeard. I loved how dismissive he was of Shiki’s plan. Where did Shiki get off on calling Whitebeard a geezer? He looks way older than Whitebeard. (And look who’s lurking in the back? Teach. Smh. What a skeevy traitor. Hanging in the back, thinking of Devil Fruits, probably.)

Still not sure why Shiki went with Dr Fart Clown’s mad plan to breed mutated animals over twenty years when he could have concentrated on rebuilding power and armada, but oh well!

Guess that’s what happens when you employ fart clowns.

WAIT A MINUTE, IS THAT DUVAL?? XD

[creative-type]

Confidentiality

Word count: ~4000 AO3 Summary:  He was the youngest, most naive Straw Hat, but Chopper was also a doctor, and doctors keep their patient's secrets. 

"Any dizziness, lightheadedness, or blurred vision?" Chopper asked as he listened to Nami's heart.

"No, no, and no."

The newest Straw Hat was learning quickly that hearty constitutions were the norm for this strange little crew. For someone who had been deathly ill less than a week prior, Nami seemed to be in remarkably good spirits. But the fact remained that she had nearly been killed by a prehistoric disease, and that regular checkups were a must until Chopper was certain she would not relapse.

Lub dub, lub dub, lub dub. The steady, even rhythm was soothing. It really did seem like she was fully recovered. It was the closest thing to a miracle Chopper had seen in his short medical career.

"Hey, there's something I wanted to ask you earlier, but I forgot," Chopper said.

"Sure," Nami said with a soft smile that made him want to squirm in delight.

"Who's Arlong?"

Lub dub, lubdub, lubdublubdub…The room went deathly silent as Nami's heart began to race, and Chopper realized he had asked something very bad without even meaning to.

"Where did you hear that name?"

The sharp, almost panicked tone in her voice made him cringe. Hiding his face with his hat, Chopper tried not to see that his indomitable navigator (his new friend) was scared.

"Y-you did. When you were sick." Nami paled, and the scared look was replaced with one of horror. "Y-you were delirious. You said something about maps, and that…and that you'd have them finished on time."

Nami's arms went limp by her side, and she stared blankly ahead without seeing.

"You asked him not to hurt you."

The statement snapped her back into reality. Nami grabbed the front of Chopper's lab coat, her gaze burning with anger. "Don't you dare tell anyone. I'll deny it till I'm blue in the face. I'll call you a liar and make you wish you were never born."

"I-I wasn't going to!" Chopper stammered.

"You said it yourself, I was delirious. No one would believe you anyway."

"Nami, I'm your doctor! I would never tell anyone what happened when you were sick!"

"I—you wouldn't?" Nami seemed to remember herself, letting go of his clothes as if they were on fire.

"No, I wouldn't!" Chopper exclaimed as he took a step backward.

"Oh." Nami looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Then her hand moved to her shoulder, tracing her tattoo with one finger. "I'm sorry. It's just that Arlong…Arlong wasn't a very nice man."

Chopper nodded his understanding. "Neither was Wapol, but he's gone now. Arlong's not here either, so you're safe." His spirits lifted when he saw a small smile on the navigator's face. "But if you want to talk about it, I'm here."

Nami reached out and touched his cheek tenderly. "Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it."

With a metal nose, blue hair, and forearms bigger than a normal man's thigh, Franky could never be described as normal. Add in cola-fueled energy systems, air cannons that shot out of his hands, and the ability to turn into a reverse centaur, Franky was downright freakish.

Chopper didn't mind. There were monsters aplenty aboard the Thousand Sunny. Franky and his cyborg body fit right in with the rest.

Besides, the shipwright was proud of his handiwork. Hardly a day went by where he didn't demonstrate some insane feature he had installed into himself all those years ago. He and Usopp would often joke with one another about what upgrades he would attempt next, each more ridiculous than the last.

Seriously, who else besides Franky would think that nipple lights were a good idea?

There was, however, one sore spot, one not-so-insignificant part of himself that Franky deemed less than super.

"Promise not to laugh?" he asked nervously the first time Chopper examined him.

"I never laugh at my patients," Chopper answered solemnly.

"I can't…I can't have kids."

Chopper blinked, unsure of what he was supposed to say. Franky rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "When the sea train hit me, it did a lot of damage, er, down there." His cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment. "I made sure it looks normal, and there's still feeling, but I can't…"

"Have kids," Chopper answered for him.

"Yeah."

"Is that something you want?"

"No! Not now, but in the future, yeah…maybe, I dunno. It's not…manly."

Chopper nodded his understanding, although he was still amazed he was having this conversation with Franky, who seemed more interested in mechanics and robotics than romance and children.

He put a hoof on Franky's knee and gave him an encouraging smile. "If something, or someone, makes you change your mind in the future, talk to me. There are some treatment options we can try."

"Really? That's…that's super. Thanks, bro. And…if you don't mind keeping this to yourself…"

"Of course."

"What happened?!" Chopper shrieked, resisting the urge to punch Zoro right in his big, fat chin. The bleeding had stopped, but the wounds would reopen with the slightest provocation. He had seen Zoro beaten and bloody before, but the mysterious altercation at Thriller Bark had left him shredded. In places it had been difficult to find enough healthy tissue to stitch back together.

"Nothing," the swordsman replied with the same unnatural calmness he had exhibited since regaining consciousness. Normally when injured he was rushing to resume his training, wanting to excise the weakness that had led to him being hurt. This time was different. Zoro had accepted the outcome of this particular altercation with surprising grace.

It was infuriating, and Chopper was at his wits end. It was moments like this that led him to believe that Doctorine was right to throw scalpels at her patients.

"I. Am. Your doctor!" Chopper exclaimed. "I need to know what happened!"

"No you don't."

Without thinking, Chopper transformed into his full human form, looming over the swordsman as he poked a finger at the one unbandaged part of his torso. "And if you bleed to death because I didn't know the proper means of treatment?"

"Then that's as far down the path I could make it," Zoro said with a lopsided shrug.

"No, you selfish asshole!" Chopper yelled. He had never talked to one of his crewmates like this before, and he hated it. He hated it, because it wasn't even necessary. Sometimes Zoro's pride was as bad as Sanji's chivalry, but at least Sanji had the decency to admit his deference to the fairer sex would someday be the death of him.

"If I can't heal you that means…that means I failed. That I'm n-not good enough for my dream…" Chopper's vision blurred, and he couldn't keep the tears from falling. "I d-don't want you t-to die. I c-can't help you if I don't kn-know what's wr-wrong."

With one piteous sniff, Chopper reverted to his normal hybrid form and sat in the middle of the floor of his infirmary. He cried, not because he was frustrated (that happened all the time with Zoro as a patient) but because he was exhausted. The Straw Hat Pirates had been in so many life and death situations in such a short amount of time, Chopper wasn't sure how much more he could take.

He heard Zoro sigh, and the swordsman joined him on the ground. Leaning back with a small wince, Zoro looked at the ceiling in thought.

"I'm through the worst of it now," he said. "I'm not gonna die."

"B-but it doesn't make sense. Your injuries, I've never seen a-anything like it before. I'm s-scared, b-because….because I don't know what could do that to you, or if it'll happen again." Chopper wiped his eyes with his hooves. "It's as if…as if something was pushing from the inside out. All your muscles and major blood vessels had damage in their innermost layers. Like…like…"

"Like they'd been stretched," Zoro supplied.

"Yes, like if Luffy stretched his whole body too far all at once." Chopper shook his head when he thought of their captain. For once, Luffy had managed to come out of an adventure unharmed. If anything, it was the opposite.

"Exactly like Luffy," Zoro repeated, before falling silent and letting him put the pieces together.

"…You didn't," Chopper whispered when it dawned on him. "How…?"

"That doesn't matter," Zoro said, this time his tone indicating the subject was closed for good. "I'm not going to die. You did your job, Chopper, just like I had to do mine."

"O-okay."

"Luffy can never know," Zoro said. "I only told you so you'd stop worrying."

It seemed impossible, but in that moment Chopper's respect for Zoro grew even more. And to be trusted with a secret this huge meant that Zoro respected him back. Chopper nodded, brushing away the last of his tears.

"Okay."

"Hey, Chopper, is it normal when people talk to themselves?"

Chopper roused himself, blinking sleepily at Usopp. It was a quiet, warm afternoon, and the crew was all worn out from a recent skirmish with the marines. "That depends, I guess."

"Oh." Usopp leaned back on his haunches.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Usopp said quickly. "It's just…I know this guy…"

"Sogeking?" Chopper asked excitedly. Since Enies Lobby, Usopp had kept in touch with his superhero friend, and was more than happy to regale to anyone who would listen with stories of his heroic exploits.

Usopp thought about it for a moment. "Actually, it is. It's not him, per say, but his, er, sidekick. Yeah. Sogeking's sidekick, Sniper Lad, has been, well, talking to himself. He—that is Sogeking—is concerned. Because that's not normal, right?"

"What's he saying?" Chopper asked.

"Nothing bad. Pep talks, mostly."

"Hmm. It's hard to say. I don't want to make a premature judgment when I've never seen the patient."

"I understand."

"But…" Chopper tapped his chin. "Mental health is a spectrum. Health in general is a spectrum. A lot of people like to have black and white definitions of 'sane' and 'insane', but it doesn't work like that, just like there isn't a clear-cut way to say someone is 'healthy' or 'unhealthy'.

"As the sidekick to a successful hero, Sniper Lad has a very stressful and demanding job. If he's not contemplating doing harm to himself or others and uses it simply as a means to cope...Did Sogeking say if these 'pep talks' helped or not?"

"They've gotten the job done," Usopp said.

"Okay. Without knowing more information, I'd say there's nothing to worry about. People deal with stress in different ways, and if that's what works for Sniper Lad…" Chopper looked back up towards the sky. "Who is anyone else to judge?"

"That's good. I, er, Sogeking was getting really worried there for a second."

Chopper closed his eyes, ready to resume his nap. "I'd like to meet Sniper Lad someday. It's a shame Sogeking had to leave so quickly after Enies Lobby. He would have been a real help against Oars. But I guess he's busy with hero stuff."

"Yeah," Usopp said quietly. "I guess he is."

It wasn't often post-battle checkups made Chopper feel sad. Angry, incredulous, or frustrated, yes, maybe even awed if a wound was spectacular enough. But never sad.

His assessment of Robin after her rescue made Chopper sad.

A single, massive contusion covered her abdomen, the bruises a harsh bluish-purple. An abrasion started at the crest of her hip, disappearing beneath her pants. Worst was the bruising on her shoulders. Chopper could still see the individual finger prints from where she had been grabbed.

"Elephant sword, mostly," Robin said, answering the question he was too scared to ask.

Chopper made a distressed noise and tenderly touched a mark by her kidney. It was uncomfortably similar to the shape of a boot, and he was grateful he had already run the tests that ruled out internal bleeding. "Robin, how long have you had suicidal thoughts?"

"Excuse me?" Robin asked, shying away from his touch for the first time.

"You said you wanted to die," Chopper said, eyes misting at the terrible memory. "H-how long have you thought that?" And how long have I missed clinical depression in one of my patients?

Instead of avoiding the question as he half-feared she might, Robin tilted her head in thought. "I don't know exactly how long it's been, Doctor. Archeologists think about death a great deal simply by the nature of their work, and when I started doing more…unsavory deeds to ensure survival, my awareness of my mortality only increased. But actually wanting to die?" A tiny frown appeared on her face, and her eyes grew distant. "Fifteen years, maybe? It's not constant, but during low moments I've at least entertained the notion."

Chopper's stomach twisted into knots. Fifteen years was as long as he'd been alive, humanly-speaking. "Have you ever tried to…to…"

"Not directly, no. I owe too much to too many people to take my life with my own hand, no matter how badly I may have wanted to in the past." Robin looked down at Chopper intently. "Doctor, I'm asking for your discretion in this matter. The others can't know, not after all that's happened."

"A doctor never tells his patient's secrets."

They were silent as Chopper continued his assessment. Robin probably had a few cracked ribs, but there was little he could do for those other than pain control. As he examined her skull, he found several tender areas and a scab where a chunk of hair had been ripped from her scalp. One of her teeth had a large chip in it.

Sensing his mounting distress, Robin touched Chopper's shoulder reassuringly. Her eyes were tired, but her smile was warm. "I left because I didn't have those thoughts here. From the time I joined Straw Hats until Aokiji's attack…I was happy. After digging out of the pit and tasting the sunlight, I didn't want to go back to the darkness. I thought the betrayal was inevitable, and I had no choice but to go back. I was wrong, and I will fight with every fiber of my being to stay with this crew for as long as I can."

Her battered body was evidence enough of that. "Good. But, Robin, if anything happens and there's another low moment…I'm here for you."

Robin's smile widened, and she squeezed his shoulder. "I know."

One of the most exciting things about reuniting after two years was discovering what new things the Straw Hats had learned during their separation. Usopp had his new arsenal of plants, Sanji could set things on fire under water, and Brook…

Brook's new abilities were totally awesome.

"I can't believe it!" Chopper exclaimed. "You got your head cut off and lived!"

Brook took a sip of tea, obviously pleased with himself. "Well, yes. I suppose I did, didn't I?"

"That's amazing!"

"I would have thought you would be more impressed with Mr. Franky's new machines," Brook chuckled. "All I did was improve my control over my Devil Fruit."

"That's cool, but do you know what that means for me as a doctor?" Chopper nearly burst with excitement at the thought. "I have a patient who can get his head cut off and not die. That makes my job so much easier."

"Well, technically, I've already died…"

"Think of the possibilities!"

Brook set his tea down. "I have, actually, and I'd rather not do it again," he said quietly.

"Huh? Why not?" Chopper asked.

"My body was already somewhat durable. A skeleton does not truly need to eat or drink, nor does it have fleshly parts that can fall prey to disease or decay. I've lived this second life for over fifty years, and I am no different than the day my soul returned to my body."

The crux of Brook's problem dawned on Chopper, and some of his elation deflated.

"My body is held together with the energy of the Underworld. You will all age and will eventually pass on, and even when I'm reunited with Laboon, he will not live forever. I've lost those closest to me once before, and I don't want to experience that ever again."

"Oh."

"But," Brook said sadly, "I'm not certain I can die. Perhaps if what is left of me was destroyed completely, maybe, but I've learned how to project my soul outside my body. And obviously it's not something I want to go around testing, on the off-chance I'm wrong. Not yet, at least."

Chopper was quiet for a moment. "You know, Doctorine told me stories of dying people remaining in an unconscious state for over a week until family could arrive to say goodbye, and others who hold on long enough to see their children married or to hold the grandchildren for the first time and only to pass a few hours later. She always thought that people had some control over when they died. You've got a lot to live for, but when your time comes I think you'll be able to let go."

"Yohohoho, I had never thought of it that way. Thank you, Chopper. Of course, there's quite a lot I wish to accomplish before that happens." A grin spread across his skull, and Brook patted the top of Chopper's hat. "Let's not talk of such unpleasant matters any longer. It's been too long since I've seen you…though I don't have eyes…and I want to know how you've managed to develop such wonderful new transformations."

Sanji claimed he never got sick, and technically that was true.

He did, however, get short of breath.

Chopper shook his head as he pulled his stethoscope away from Sanji's chest. The symptoms were subtle, but to Chopper's sensitive ears they were as plain as day. "I know you don't want to hear it, but I think all those cigarettes are catching up with you."

"You 'think'?" Sanji said.

"It's polite doctor-speak for 'smoking two packs of cigarettes a day is going to kill you'. But I'm sure you knew that already."

"Hey, no need to be hostile," Sanji said crossly. His fingers twitched, and Chopper knew he was fighting the urge to pull out a cigarette at that moment. Chopper was very flexible when it came to doctoring, but he absolutely refused to let Sanji smoke in his infirmary.

"We've been through this before. I guess I'm just frustrated," Chopper said. "You know the risks."

"I do, and that doesn't change the fact I'm going to light up just as soon as I go through that door."

"Can't you at least cut back a little?" Chopper pleaded. "No girl's going to want to kiss you if your breath smells like tobacco."

Sanji threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, you poor, ignorant bastard. Why do you think I started in the first place? It gives me an aura of mystery that matches perfectly with my handsome charm. Look up debonair in the dictionary, and there's probably a picture of me with a cigarette."

"That same picture would also be listed under lung cancer," Chopper said.

"Well, if I live long enough to get to that point, I give you permission to laugh at my sorry ass."

"No. I'll be too busy trying to keep you alive, despite your terminal case of hopeless idiocy," Chopper said, managing a smile.

Sanji snorted. "That's something, I guess. How bad is it, Chopper?"

"You're in the early stages of lung disease. I'll make up some treatments, but as far as I can tell none of your abilities have been compromised yet."

"That's good," Sanji said, and the relief in his visible eye was nearly palpable. "No reason to give Moss Head another reason to exercise his superiority complex."

"And there's no reason to worry the rest of the crew," Chopper agreed. "All the symptoms are reversible. For now."

"Okay." Sanji stood to leave. "I'm sure there will be plenty of I-told-you-sos later, but I really need a smoke."

"Good doctors don't say I told you so," Chopper said quietly. "They stick with their patients, through thick and thin."

Sanji stared at him in surprise, unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. "Then I'm glad you're my doctor, 'cause you're the best there is."

Burns were tricky. Really, having a large amount of scar tissue regardless of cause was tricky. The new skin wasn't as flexible or strong, and if the wound went deep enough the underlying areas were affected as well. No matter how cool looking, Chopper was glad when his patents didn't scar. It was healthier that way.

It was, of course, impossible to avoid all of the time. The Straw Hats were pirates, with all of the danger that entailed. But Chopper considered it a matter of pride that he was able to treat his friend's wounds without leaving behind long-term complications.

Which, in a way, explained why he felt so guilty when he saw Luffy's chest. The X-shaped scar showed how he had been unable to be there in his captain's time of need, not just during the battle, but during the time of recovery as well. Whoever had done the initial treatment had done a serviceable job, though Chopper believed he could have done better, had he been there to try.

"Does it hurt?" Chopper asked softly, palpating the edges of the wound.

"Every day," Luffy said in his normal, simple way, as if it were no problem at all.

"I could help with that," Chopper said. "It's the least I could do after I wasn't there to help…"

"That wasn't your fault, Chopper. I don't want you to say it was ever again, captain's orders," Luffy said, with a seriousness that was usually absent from his voice. "I was the one who wasn't strong enough. Me, and no one else."

"But…" Chopper faltered when Luffy glared at him. "It's not your fault, either."

Luffy leaned back, a sullen expression on his face. "Maybe not, but I'm still gonna make sure it never happens again. I'm strong enough now, I swear."

"I know."

Slowly, Luffy's normal grin returned. "I'm not good at very many things. I can't be the Pirate King without you."

"That doesn't make me happy at all, asshole," Chopper said, delighted.

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed quietly. Then he looked down at his scar, and the serious expression came back. He blinked a few times, very rapidly as if he were trying not to cry, and when he looked at Chopper again his eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

There was a second reason Chopper did not like scars, one that was more psychological than medical. He did not like his patients to be reminded of their trauma every time they looked in a mirror. When Chopper was able to heal someone without leaving a visible mark, he liked to think he had helped heal them on the emotional level as well. He would never pretend that the pain had never happened, but he did think that it made it easier to move on.

Luffy didn't have that opportunity. Every day he would be faced with the evidence of his brother's death.

"And we've gotten stronger, too," Chopper said. "We'll be right behind you, no matter where you go."

A look of pure relief coursed through Luffy's body. He wiped his eyes and gave Chopper a wobbly smile. Maybe two years wasn't enough to completely heal him from the events that took place during the Marineford War, but that was okay. Luffy was well on his way, and Chopper would see to it that his broken heart was made whole again.

[aion-rsa]

One Piece: The 10 Best Episodes

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Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has become one of the most popular anime and manga series of all time. The series has been running for over two decades and accumulated a staggering amount of episodes that puts it nearly at the 1000-episode mark. One Piece joyfully indulges in many of the aspects that make action shounen anime series so addictive and fun. 

Despite the series’ influence on the rest of anime, it’s hard to maintain consistent quality after so much time. The One Piece anime is notorious for exhaustive spans of “filler,” and the vast amount of content can easily intimidate some from ever checking out the series. Funimation recently announced that their dub of One Piece has resumed and so there’s never been a better time to jump into the series. To help make the anime feel a little less impenetrable, here are some of the very best episodes that One Piece has to offer.

“Thank You, Merry! Snow Falls over the Parting Sea!”

“Thank You, Merry!” is easily the emotional apex of One Piece and you don’t have to even be a fan of the series to break down into tears over this touching, genuine story. The Straw Hat Pirates are off on another journey, when they notice that their ship, the Going Merry, begins to crack and fall into disrepair. This prompts Luffy and company to realize that it’s time to say goodbye to their first vessel and they hold a cathartic Viking funeral for the ship. This is such a beautiful example of what the strength of One Piece’s characters can accomplish. The final moment where the spirit of Merry apologizes to the pirates for not being able to take them further on their journey—as if she did something wrong—is just heart wrenching. 

“Eliminated Friends – The Final Day of the Straw Hat Crew”

It’s very easy for anime to fall into ruts or become repetitive, especially when it comes to how the battles play out. One Piece is guilty of this too, but “Eliminated Friends” is an excellent example of defying expectations. The Straw Pirates find themselves up against the Shichibukai and one of their members, Kuma, has an overpowered ability to slap people away into the sky to an undetermined fate. 

“Eliminated Friends” has Luffy slowly watch all of his team members get flung away. Not only is there a real sense of dread, but Luffy also has a breakdown over how he’s not able to save anyone. It’s the kind of vulnerable moment that shounen anime heroes typically don’t show. It also ends on a fantastic cliffhanger that really messes with the audience.

“Everything Is to Protect My Friends! Second Gear Activated!”

One Piece is an anime that features plenty of over the top abilities and techniques, but much like how the initial appearance of Super Saiyans is pivotal for Dragon Ball Z, it’s a very significant moment when Luffy first activates Second Gear mode. Technically, Second Gear is achieved at the end of the previous episode, but “Second Gear Activated!” is pure action as Luffy’s enhanced skills and strength are put to the test. Luffy’s powered up fight against Blueno is extremely satisfying and looks amazing. The juxtaposition of all of this with the other pirates’ fight with the Franky Family just works so well.

“A Fist of Divine Speed! Another Gear Four Application Activated!”

The later episodes of One Piece are steeped in a number of issues, but they’re still able to tap into greatness on occasion and remind audiences how exciting the action and characters can be. Luffy faces a difficult opponent with Katakuri and he pushes Luffy to show off an intense new form, Fourth Gear: Snakeman. The whole Snakeman transformation and its rapid fight style against Katakuri is a sight to behold. It’s a great battle and it’s particularly satisfying due to how evenly matched they are, which is perfectly illustrated with the explosive conclusion of the episode.

“Say You Want to Live! We Are Your Friends!”

“Say You Want to Live!” is a fantastic example of how far the Straw Hats are willing to go for each other. Robin begins to panic that Luffy and his crew will abandon her due to the baggage that she brings along with her. Luffy in fact does the contrary and declares war against the World Government in defense of Robin. The Straw Hats are willing to ruin their reputation to the whole world, just to help out one of their own.”We Are Your Friends!” also contains another one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire series when Robin goes into her grueling “I want to live,” speech. It’s a great reminder of how strong the development of these characters is during the show’s start. It’s a beautiful ending.

“A Heartbreaking Duel! Luffy vs Sanji! – Part 2”

Episodes 807 and 808 are packaged together as a one-hour special, but it’s the second half that really stands out. Luffy and company have faced off against many horrendous villains, but one of the most difficult fights involves a clash between Luffy and one of his own, Sanji. Sanji gets pulled in two directions and decides to embrace his royal heritage and leave the Straw Hats’ grubby existence for a more luxurious and respectful tenure with the Big Mom Pirates. 

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The battle between Sanji and Luffy is one-sided, but what hits the most here is Luffy’s dedication to his teammate. Luffy’s speech at the end about how he’ll starve himself and remain immobile until Sanji rejoins him because he needs him to become the Pirate King is just a brutal scene. Sanji’s eventual breakdown shows that he also cares and that this situation isn’t pleasurable for anyone. The use of the song “Memories” turns it into even more of an emotional onslaught.

“Fists Full of Emotion! Luffy Unleashes Gatling with All His Might!”

The Enies Lobby Arc in One Piece is easily one of the most captivating saga of episodes that the anime pulls off. “Fists Full of Emotion!” acts as a major climax of that chaos as all of the Straw Hat Pirates have their hands full. Most of the crew have to contend with Marines, who also have Devil Fruit powers, but Luffy meets his match against Lucci. Luffy is on the outs and it’s not until Usopp delivers some inspiring words that help him get back on his feet. It’s an important moment between Luffy and Usopp, but it results in the unveiling of Luffy’s Gum-Gum Jet Gatling technique, which finally gives him the necessary advantage to beat Lucci.

“End of the Fishman Empire! Nami’s My Friend!”

The earliest episodes of One Piece have a real charm as the anime is still finding its footing and establishing many things that become staples of the series. “Nami’s My Friend” is just an excellent episode of One Piece that delivers on the action and finds a powerful emotional core to ground it all. Luffy’s battle against Arlong takes an unexpected turn when he learns that the fishman has been abusing Nami to produce maps for his team. The evidence of the pain that Nami’s experienced throws Luffy into such a rage that he demolishes Arlong Park. It’s an episode that shows what drives Luffy and it also marks Nami’s re-entry into the Straw Hats, which sets the pirates off into the next dangerous stage of their journey. 

“Luffy Vs. Usopp! Collision of Two Men’s Pride!”

Episodes 235 and 236 tell the same story of the dangerous rift between Luffy and Usopp, but it’s the latter of the two that features the fallout and consequences over all of this. Usopp shares a deep connection with the Going Merry, so Luffy’s announcement that they can’t repair the vessel and need to get a new one is viewed as a personal affront by Usopp. The fight that follows feels like the first real schism between Luffy and his friends and it teaches him the burden that a captain has to bear. This is a battle that neither friend wants to engage in and it messes both of them up for a while as a result.

“I Will Surpass You! Rain Falls in Alabasta”

One Piece has devoted hundreds of episodes to battles between Luffy and some new threat, but “I Will Surpass You!” is just a good episode that cuts to the chase and features impressive fights and attractive animation. Luffy currently has to contend against Crocodile and their battle is set within some ruins, which add plenty of ambiance to the altercation. Luffy gets very creative with his various abilities to help overpower Crocodile, which makes for a fun fight. Amidst the carnage, there’s also a deeper message present in this one as Vivi repeatedly tries to emphasize that violence is not the solution to problems.

One Piece can currently be streamed on Funimation.com, Hulu, and Netflix, in various capacities

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