#one piece analysis

[tae-rambles]

being alone hurts Luffy more than physical pain so Luffy demanding to be left alone is the most painful kind of self harm for him

[no1onepiecefan]

something that breaks my heart is how easily thatch died. thatch, the fourth division commander of the whitebeard pirates, must’ve been incredibly powerful. the whitebeard commanders we know in detail: marco, oden, ace, izou, jozu, vista, etc, are renown as some of the most powerful characters in their respective fortes each. the whitebeard pirates were titans of the pirate world, and to hold a position of power in their ranks is placing you easily among some of the most powerful in one piece almost inherently.

but thatch died without a fight to our knowledge, thatch died quietly, found in a pool of his own blood, body already cold. thatch died very literally stabbed in the back, in the middle of the night without last words that would reach anyone’s ears. it’s brutal and more than anything, it’s so unpleasantly bitter.

i think how he died is very symbolic of the whitebeard pirates as a crew. a man who, while we don’t know in combat, is at least comparable to the commanders we do know. his faith and family-orientated love was so unwavering it caused a man like that to die swiftly and silently. while blackbeard’s power pre-devil fruit is nothing to undermine, especially given the wound he gave shanks, i refuse to believe thatch wouldn’t of at least been able to defend himself briefly; long enough to be heard. thatch died with unquestioning love in his heart, not for one second was his guard up, and only in teach’s gross abuse of that trust did thatch succumb. thatch died so easily, and nothing hurts more than that.

all the whitebeard pirates died for love. oden died, tortured and shot, after holding his loved ones above his head for an hour so they wouldn’t boil alive alongside him. thatch died with unquestioning adoration, stabbed in the back by a member of his cherished family. ace died indirectly as a result of trying to avenge thatch, and directly by defending luffy in the pinnacle of marineford, protecting his little brother until his last breath. whitebeard died attempting to rescue ace, falling victim to hundreds of wounds in his path as he clambered to save his son. ultimately, the bullet that would kill him was from the gun of the son that betrayed him. izou died in sacrifice, telling his younger sister to live. he died fighting against enemies who intended to hurt ace’s little brother and who would’ve doomed his homeland if they succeeded. whitebeard pirates are so kind, love is as natural to them as breathing. i am hoping, in some way, there will be a resting conclusion to all the suffering they have been dealt so horribly. they are so full of love, and that makes their story so tragic.

[somnas-writes]

Another thing that makes the straw hats stand out as a crew is that they have snack time.

From what I’ve seen about other pirate crew, they’re usually tight on food. Whether it be rationing or straight up starving, they always have a limit on how much they eat.

But not the straw hats. They have a huge kitchen and dining area. Their cook has specialized menus for each and every person he meets. It’s seen in the way he adapts to feed zoro, who doesn’t eat overly sweet things and which chopper, who does like sweet things. He does all that while also doing his job and making sure they’re all healthy.

A testament to his skills as a cook is just how much the straw hats grew as he began feeding them. Luffy got taller, Usopp and Zoro got more muscle, Namis body began actually filling out, because they all had likely been underweight before or borderline malnourished before.

As a crew, they’re different. They have snack time, everyone gets something catered to them. Even for how much sanji puts in a facade of only doing it for the girls, he still feeds the boys and modifies each serving for them.

Another thing, each crewmate has an area designed for them. Franky specifically designed the ship with them in mind. People he met like, 46 hours before. He synced up to their wave length right on away.

Zoro has the crows nest, Nami has her own office, Robin has a seat on the deck and the library, Usopp has two separate workshops dedicated to him, and of course, Luffy has his special seat on the the figure head of The Thousand Sunny.

They’re a special crew because they know how the others work, they know each other so well that it’s like they’re operating on a higher frequency.

compared to a lot of other crews we see? They’re special, because they have snacktime

[kacievvbbbb]

Something about Vegapunk using the dna and blood of a caged and experimented on child to create more caged child experiments and the cycles we perpetuate.

Because what does it mean that all that King has left as proof, that the lunarians were real, that they existed as a tribe, as a people, are seven manufactured children he doesn’t even know about, enslaved as weapons to the government that wiped out the culture they’ll never get to be a part of, and Alber himself another enslaved child lost to something he’ll never fully know.

And what of the warlords? Already young once and hurt by their government, young again and slaves to it. Boa looking at a version of her practically pulled out of time stuck in her worst nightmare or Jimbei looking at a version of himself living out a past he escaped by the skin of his teeth but so many he loved didn’t, even Doffy once again at the mercy of the people that already abandoned him, has Kuma not suffered enough? Given enough, is this child version of him doomed to repeat the same path he already could not escape from . Property of the world government, beholden to the celestial dragons, this version of me that cannot go free?

It’s interesting that Vegapunk joined the government so that he could do the most good, but look at the long line of people right infront of him that he’s hurt with his own hands.

[soft-niku-and-sake]

Zoro's eye scar theory:

x

Someone on Twitter has this theory that Zoro's eye scar is self-inflicted just like Luffy's and I genuinely can see that happening. It's more interesting and a better theory than Zoro having some hidden power under his eye or the baboons are the ones responsible for it LOL.

I mean Zoro doesn't really have a problem with handicapping himself just to prove a point. 

As you can see...

Zoro is like "You find it fun to poke my wound. I'll do you one better." *BAM! cuts himself*

But instead of "gaining his sense of honor" like what the original poster thought of, I kinda imagine Zoro doing this during his observation haki training with Mihawk. Compared to Rayleigh's training, wherein he's a tough but a gentler instructor, I can see Mihawk being stricter and would mock Zoro whenever he makes mistakes, and Zoro, being stubborn and arrogant, would slash his eye to prove to his teacher/rival he can master observation even with just one eye. (Well, this is also the same guy who would cut his legs during Little Garden and his hand when he was handcuffed with Usopp just to fight lol. Who says he won't blind himself. What a freak)

Moreover, people have been speculating that Zoro's potential enemy among the Blackbeard pirates would be Shiryu, who currently has the Clear Clear Fruit. If he were to fight someone who is a strong swordsman and can literally turn invisible, Zoro must have one hell of observational skill to defeat him. If we are going to see a flashback of him stabbing his eye, perhaps it will be during his battle with Shiryu.

I mean Oda could just give him a scar just to make him look cool (which is more likely lmao), but if it were to reveal what happened to his eye, I think this headcanon really makes sense, judging by the way Oda also likes to parallel Luffy and Zoro very much.

Luffy: Stabbing under his eye to prove a point to Shanks

Zoro: Slashing his eye to prove a point to Mihawk.

[sunandflame]

💭 headcanons | 🔍 analysis/theory | ✨ fluff | 💥 angst | 💦 suggestive | 🔥 smut | 👑 long

Alber (King)

Threaded in Fire; King x Female Lunarian!Reader 👑✨💥💦🔥(coming soon)

The Quiet Burn; King x Reader 👑✨��

Alber/King Modern AU: Government Experiment Survivor | Underground Fighter 💭💥

Donquixote Doflamingo

Analysis: Doflamingo as a Lover 🔍

Donquixote Doflamingo NSFW Headcanons 💭💦🔥

Donquixote Rosinante 'Corazon'

Corazon Fluff Headcanons 💭 ✨

Captain Mom and Dad Corazon; Corazon x Captain!Reader ✨️

Full of You; Corazon x AFAB!Reader ✨🔥

Dracule Mihawk

Analysis: Mihawk as a Lover 🔍

Dracule Mihawk NSFW Headcanons 💭💦🔥

What Made Mihawk the Marine Hunter? An Untold Theory 🔍

Sub!Mihawk Headcanons: Obedience in Shadows 💭💦🔥

The Taste of Dawn; Vampire!Mihawk x Reader ✨

Hoist the Colours; Mihawk x Reader

Obedience in Crimson; Sub!Mihawk x Reader 💦

NSFW Alphabet - Dracule Mihawk 💭💦🔥

Sleep Assault; Mihawk x F!Reader ✨

Soft Scene with Mihawk Series:

A collection of interconnected yet standalone drabbles centered around Dracule Mihawk and the reader. Each piece offers a glimpse into quiet moments, subtle emotions, and the evolving bond between two souls. While they can be read independently, together they form a slow-burning tapestry of intimacy, presence, and the unspoken language shared in silence

Rest Now ✨

Safe. Silent. Steady✨

The Rarest Sound ✨

The Expectation ✨

Untouched ✨

Without Asking Permission ✨

Fascinated ✨

The Coat Thief ✨

Sun-Warmed ✨

If You'll Have Me ✨💥

Quiet Gestures ✨

Let Me ✨

Toward the Sun ✨

Tomatoes and Rosemary ✨

Measured Silence ✨💥

Tangled in the Vines 💦 (coming soon)

Keep Talking ✨(coming soon)

An Unexpected Guest ✨ (coming soon)

Eustass Kid

Eustass Kid Kink Headcanons 💭💦

Welded, not Broken; Eustass Kid x Reader 💥

Kuzan (Aokiji)

Analysis: Aokiji, Kizaru and Akainu as Lovers 🔍

NSFW Alphabet - Kuzan (Aokiji) 💭💦🔥

Lazy Circles; Kuzan x AFAB!Reader 💦🔥

Ice Inside; Kuzan x Fem!Reader 💦🔥

Drift; Kuzan x Reader 💥

Paulie

Analysis: Paulie as a Lover 🔍

Paulie NSFW/Kink Headcanons 💭💦

Don't Pull Away; Paulie x Reader 💥

Trafalgar D. Law

Drowned Dreams; Trafalgar D. Law x Reader 💥

You Weren't The Only One; Trafalgar D. Law x Reader

Surgeon and Sorceress; Trafalgar D. Law x Witch!Reader

The Wanting; Trafalgar D. Law x AFAB!Reader ✨💥🔥

Confirmation; Trafalgar D. Law x Pregnant!Reader

Rob Lucci

Analysis: Rob Lucci as a Lover 🔍

NSFW Alphabet - Rob Lucci 💭💦

Rob Lucci Kink Headcanons 💭💦

Rob Lucci Kink Headcanons Part 2 💭💦🔥

The Leopard's Den; Dad!Rob Lucci ✨

Weightless; Rob Lucci x Chubby!Reader ✨

Don't Touch the Ears; Rob Lucci x Reader ✨

Heat of the Beast; Rob Lucci x AFAB!Reader 👑🔥

A Quiet Hunger; Rob Lucci x AFAB!Reader 🔥

Full of Me; Rob Lucci x Pregnant!Reader ✨🔥

The Thrill in your Veins; Rob Lucci x AFAB!Reader 🔥

Wined and Watched; Rob Lucci x AFAB!Reader 💦

Meet Justice; Rob Lucci x Reader ✨

Built to be Caught; Rob Lucci x AFAB!Reader 👑💦🔥

Marked by Hunger; Vampire!Rob Lucci x Witchi!Reader 💦🔥

Disarmed; Rob!Lucci x Reader 🔥

Reflex; Rob!Lucci x AFAB!Reader 🔥

Sir Crocodile

Analysis: Sir Crocodile as a Lover 🔍

Sir Crocodile Kink Headcanons 💭💦🔥

Sir Crocodile x Chubby!Reader Headcanons 💭💦

Sir Crocodile is the type of man to... 💦

Other:

Analysis: Iceburg as a Lover 🔍

Analysis: Belo Betty as a Lover 🔍

Wrapped Around You; Zoro x Reader ✨

☀︎ All works can be found on my AO3 ☀︎

[patientwasabi]

I was thinking about Luffy not wanting to be a hero when I realized something.

His very simple yet insightful line, "heroes share their meat, I want all the meat", very clearly shows that heroes make sacrifices. He doesn't want to make sacrifices. Perhaps it's because he's been the sacrifice himself.

Garp is a hero. He's cool too. But he was hardly present in Luffy's childhood. No matter how much he'd get beaten by his grandpa, I bet he'd still rather have him around than not ("being alone is worse than being hurt."). Yet Garp very clearly makes a sacrifice here. Being a marine being a priority over his grandson in the absence of the child's father.

Later, after Enies Lobby, he finds out that Dragon is a revolutionary. Literally a hero of the people. What's he done? The cost he paid for a greater good? He sacrificed Luffy.

So, while Luffy loves really deeply and fights for this love, he would rather have a death grip on his precious ones by being a pirate than let go and sacrifice and become a hero.

This may very well just be me looking too deeply into it, but the idea of Luffy being the sacrifice just did something to my insides that is hard to explain.

[namisweatheria]

One Piece means a lot to me as a disabled person, which I think would be pretty surprising to anyone who only has a surface understanding of it. The supposed central theme of "follow your dreams" would be pretty alienating to someone like me, right? It really, really would be, if that's what it was actually about.

However, that ignores that Luffy's dream is to be the most free person in the world. And to attain that goal, the first thing he does is find friends to live life with. Over and over again, from the very beginning, he takes on their burdens, all in the name of being the most free.

Do you see what that would mean to me, as someone who needs more help to get by than is considered culturally normal, to the point that it puts me in a whole socially manufactured category of "other"? Not to mention, because of the infantilization of me due to that category, because of being forced so squarely into the "cared for" role, taking care of other people is deeply meaningful and empowering for me. However, the myths of independence and universal natural ability often make it emotionally difficult for my loved ones to accept that care.

The fear of asking for help, the guilt of being cared for, the weight of someone you loved who could not be as free as you, the insecurity of not contributing enough, the fear that you were born wrong, the self-hatred that says you are not worth the effort, Nami Sanji Zoro Usopp Robin Chopper Franky Ace they all explore the painful obstacles to free connection. Through deeply impactful stories that weave beautifully into the larger one.

All centered around this one person who views loving them and living with them and carrying them as essential to his freedom. Who cannot, for countless reasons, live a normalized life of Structured Relations. Who views exploring and bickering and suffering and laughing with them as the ideal way to live. Who repeatedly puts his life and limbs on the line to do so.

To me, it is an ultimate privilege and freedom to carry other people's burdens. To care for them and live with them. This is central to my whole perspective, and is completely informed by my life experience as a disabled person. I rarely see it reflected back to me. Let alone as powerfully and beautifully as Luffy does.

Nor the other half of it, of wanting to create this life with people in ways that aren't socially normal or approved. Of creating many varied lifelong intimate relations among equals, rather than conforming to the expectation of choosing One Person to live life with and then Creating More.

The utter lack of roles and norms is just as integral and powerful to the exploration of freedom and connection! It is meaningful to me as a queer person, yes, but even this is deeply influenced by my disability. I could never be that One Person, despite everything I have to offer, there is logistically far too much that I cannot do to be someone's equal partner in this society that demands so much from all of us. However, even if I could, I wouldn't want to! It doesn't make any sense to me to only have two people navigate life together on such intimate terms. Can't the demands of society be more comfortably met in a group? Isn't life more fun that way?

We are taught that we can and must do everything ourselves, I just happen to be one of the people that never had a chance to buy into that lie. To learn very early not just the necessity of interdependence, but the joy in it. To learn that it is most comfortably lived with more people involved. To me, close relationships are, love is, a natural extension of that understanding. One Piece celebrates interdependence constantly from the start, while never pretending that it is always easy.

The obstacles to free connection that I mentioned before, they are interspersed throughout the story, and they are always met with "I do the things you can't do, and you do the things I can't do." With, "Of course I can't use swords you dumbass! And I can't cook either! I don't know a damn thing about navigation! And I can't lie! I know I can't live without help from a lot of people!"

These are intentionally impactful moments, and they define the series. I found it very fitting that the Fan Letter focused on a character who was empowered by Nami to feel free and live adventurously despite not being the most physically capable. The character is able by our definition, but the story is very affirming in a disability way, and it was extremely One Piece. I loved how it acknowledged this deep connection between One Piece and the lived reality of disability and celebrated it as integral as it is.

I also believe that absolutely none of this is intentional. It is simply an earnest exploration of human relationships, emotions, and behavior, and it naturally arrives at a radical and disability-affirming viewpoint. Because we are the monkey wrench in the deeply unhealthy (lol) and dominant line of thinking that independence is all. So naturally anything that also disputes that thinking has a disabled-perspective feel to it. The best part is how much it doesn't give a fuck! One Piece is aggressively against conformity in human relationships, in a way that is hard to find in our new world of self-conscious authors.

It's also, you know, the worst part, in terms of all the outrageous bigotry and offensive character design, but god damn it if it doesn't elevate the good parts to unbearable heights. Even the bad character designs can sometimes be more impactful for their intentional "ugliness", when those characters are inevitably taken seriously despite their appearance and the stereotypes they play on, it hits hard every time. I do have a simple hatred for many choices, there is no pay-off for much of the awful problems in numerous character designs and dialogue. But no matter how upset I can be by those things, in the end they can't succeed in pulling me away from One Piece. It's just so crazy and unique and great and terrible and beautiful and I LOVE IT.

[sapphicfandompirate]

Did any of the Strawhat's even go to school?

Chapter 1134 has sparked discussions on the state of the Strawhat's education, so I figured I would do a little analysis on my thoughts on it based on canon.

Luffy- Feral jungle child. Makino probably taught him to read and write, and attempted to teach him manners. Jury is out on whether or not Garp actually taught him anything. Doesn't seem to know much history. Does know beetles, and probably a lot of survival skills, including hunting.

Zoro- Ok this is the real reason why I made this post.

A dōjō (道場, Japanese pronunciation: [doꜜː(d)ʑoː]) is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Way" in Japanese. -Wikipedia

Isshin Dojo (一心道場, Isshin Dōjō?) is a kenjutsu school, a school of Japanese swordsmanship. Its owner is Koushirou, who is a skilled swordsman and father of the deceased Kuina. It is the place where Zoro trained his Three Sword Style and in the anime is the only dojo Zoro did not take down the sign of. -One Piece Wiki, Emphasis added by me

As a member of the Isshin Dojo Zoro has attended school! Koshiro taught him primarily swordsmanship and meditation, but someone taught him reading, writing, and math and I'm just going to guess it's Koshiro as well. Seems to know a bit of sword-related history, but not much world or local history.

Nami-Stole education books. Not formally educated. Everything was probably taught by Bellemere and the rest was learned on the fly. Probably knows the basics of mainstream world history. Is capable of formulating advanced equations, and has vast sailing, navigation, cartography and weather knowledge. Studied at Weatheria during the timeskip, but it doesn't seem like a formal institution.

Usopp - Orphaned street rat. Unknown who taught him to read, write, and do math. Possibly Banchina before she passed away. Somehow he knows chemistry and engineering? Might have borrowed books from Kaya? Mostly self-taught it seems.

Sanji- Definitely has a formal education, up until he ran away. Noble child who had a variety of tutors. Learned whatever noble children learn plus a variety of fighting techniques and fields of science. Then was taught cooking by Zeff. Boy definitely knows how to do math. Anyone who cooks for a large group of people can at least multiply on the fly, or has a calculator taped to the wall. One Piece appears to use the metric system, so at least he doesn't have to figure out how to quadruple a recipe that originally called for 1 2/3 cups of flour.

Chopper - Professionally taught by Dr. Kureha (and Dr. Hililuk). They are both referred to as Doctors, but it is unknown what sort of medical knowledge is actually needed for that title, or if there is like a degree or anything. Assumably one of them taught him reading, writing, math, and chemistry in addition to medical stuff. Also read all of the books in the Torino Kingdom during the timeskip. According to the wiki, Kureha established an academy during the timeskip.

After establishing a medical academy, she taught and trained at least eighty students who became skilled enough to join the Isshi-20, expanding their members to a hundred under her leadership.

Robin- Got a degree in archaeology at the age of 8. Has all of the reading, writing, and history skills, including dead languages. While she taught herself how to read the poneglyphs, I think it's safe to say that Professor Clover taught her regular history, math, science, reading, and writing. Robin went to school!

Franky - Apprenticeship under the shipwright Tom. His state of education was unknown before meeting Tom at age 10. Should know all of the basic skills (reading, writing, math) in addition to carpentry, and shipbuilding. Tom's Workers is referred to as a shipbuilding company, so I don't think it counts as a school? Knows at least enough medical knowledge to turn himself into a cyborg with scraps from a ghost ship after being runover by a train. And Survive. Somehow.

Brook- APPARENTLY??? Stated that school makes him nostalgic, which implies he attended. Also knows a variety of things usually nobility would, namely various musical instruments and fencing. He also knows sailing, and various other things to be a battle convoy leader and pirate captain. I have questions for this man.

Jinbe - Dojo again, this time the Fish-Man Karate Dojo. Later joined the Neptune Army. So, since a dojo counts as a type of specialized school, he's attended a school as well as had military training! Knows basic historical stuff, especially that pertaining to fishmen and human-fishman relations. Seems to know other basic life skills (reading, writing, math, ect)

So, in conclusion:

Went to school: Zoro, Robin, Brook, Jinbe

Private Tutors: Sanji

Vocational Training under a Professional: Sanji, Chopper. Franky, Nami,

Self Taught with some instruction by a parent or other adult (non-professional): Luffy, Nami, Usopp

Out of the ten members, 4 of them attended a school of some sort and several others had some sort of professional training or supervision of study.

Feel free to add on if I missed anything!

[lesbianloser69]

It’s such a simple thing really, but “do you want me to be alive?” is one of, if not the saddest, things written in the entire world of one piece. Although, maybe thats just because of my soft spot for found family tropes (especially siblings lol)

Ace is just a small little boy here, a fragile thing compared to the character we all know. This is a harsh contrast compared to Ace in his adulthood, where he’s fueled by his ache to prove himself and prove that he’s more than his father. You never would have guessed the reality of his childhood, considering the cheery and almost comedic relief he can be at times.

I guess I kind of expected this, though. Aces hatred for himself and feeling that he doesn’t deserve to be alive was first hinted through his self deprecative jokes, before we ever knew about his past or who he was. I noticed this myself, that through the facade of sarcasm and cockiness there’s just a guy who feels like his life is a burden to all those around him. And what does it all come down to? His blood, the last name that he refuses to bear out of his hatred for the man who gave it its meaning.

Ace going by his mothers last name isn’t just a testimony for his respect and love for her, but also an act of defiance against his father. I don’t blame him lol, but it’s honestly heartbreaking that Ace has no idea that Roger did love him, and Ace died not knowing this.

The result of Rogers actions on the world though basically fucked Ace over for his entire life, and that was what made Roger selfish.. to go and cause a war and then have a son? It’s no surprise that Ace is seen as the child of the devil, because that’s exactly what Roger was seen as.. the devil.

So for all of Aces childhood he’s taught one thing: that his father was the devil, and that he is the child of that monster. That he doesn’t deserve to live, and what’s worse is he has to listen to strangers talk about murdering Rogers son, if he ever had one. He’s barely even lived to know anything, he’s just a baby, and he already believes what the ENTIRE world thinks of him, he’s hated and worthless and a burden. That’s so much for a 10 year old to have to carry alone, and it’s even sadder to see how this causes Ace to be shut off and cold to everyone he meets.

But of course he is.. hearing people talk about murdering him if he did exist (not directly him because no one knows Ace is Rogers son, except Garp and the mountain bandits. Besides, the world believed Roger having a son was a rumor anyway.) doesn’t make his hatred for anyone he meets that unsurprising. For all he knows, they want him dead too.

When Ace meets Luffy, he’s completely baffled that this boy he’s never met before wants to be his friend! How can someone WANT to be his friend? No ones ever been like that to Ace before, except for Sabo. Even after Ace pushes Luffy away, and makes it extremely obvious he hates him and doesn’t want Luffy near him, Luffy doesn’t give up. He’s urgently insistent on being Aces friend.

So…

“You feel better when you’re around me?”

“You need me?”

Ace is almost at a loss for words here. Luffy feels better around him, Luffy needs him. He’s wanted, he’s loved and he’s cared for, someone notices him for more than just a mistake, that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. And back to this panel:

The way ace nervously fidgets with his hands here (I believe he is, anyway) and his head is tilted downwards.. he’s clearly asking something that means everything to him.

“Do you want me to be alive?”

And little Luffy just instantly, without hesitation, says of course is soooo fucking cute and sweet and UGHHHH!!! Luffy is the first person to EVER say he WANTS (fr gotta emphasize on the want) Ace to be alive. This changed the trajectory of Aces life forever.

I guess I’ll stop here but there’s so much more I could talk about and say.. but Ace and Luffy are very special to me

my small babies☹️

[brookstolemybrand]

Not to get all anarchist about it (blatant lies) but I really think a huge part of the conflict between Luffy and Usopp in Water Seven comes down to Luffy feeling the pressure to take a position of authority over the crew, rather than just leadership

The Merry was technically Luffy's ship, since Kaya gave her to Luffy, but it's undeniable that she was a home and a crewmate to all of the crewmembers and had a particularly close bond with Usopp, and even though it was the right decision, Luffy had no right to make that call on his own. And to be fair I don't think he would have under normal circumstances. Luffy doesn't want to be some kind of a big boss to his crew, he wants to be friends, but basically everything went wrong in Water Seven and he felt like it was his responsibility to take charge, and then he fucked it up

The fact that the situation was resolved by forcing Usopp to show submission in order to be accepted back does not help the case. It always feels gross to me

This is my biggest problem with Water Seven. Luffy and Usopp both fucked up, but only Usopp has to apologise, and in fact the narrative reinforces that Luffy has to stay adamant about it even though he clearly doesn't want to and it goes against his nature. The narrative sides with Zoro, but in my opinion Zoro is just wrong

The Straw Hat crew works so well because they're so good at sharing responsibility and leadership and listening to each other and being primarily comrades. The crew regularly criticises and confronts and straight up overrules Luffy when he's being a dumbass, and he accepts that because he respects them, and because being a captain doesn't mean authority to him; it's a leadership of purpose

[no1onepiecefan]

luffy’s memory issues are one of my favourite parts to his character. apologies for the personal anecdote, i promise it’s relevant to the analysis, but i have memory issues too. and while i’ll never truly be able to articulate the experience, it’s a scary thing to not remember. people know who i was in the past better than i do, and i live each moment understanding that the present is all i have in guarantee.

i’ll never know the exact reason behind this, but i know at least some stems from what i have unconsciously done to soothe myself from past pains and loneliness. some part of me thinks that luffy has done that too.

luffy’s childhood was horrific. while not morbid and unimaginable like law or robin’s for example. and it wasn’t framed by specific moments of catastrophic tragedy like franky or chopper’s either. instead, it was continuously difficult in an everyday way.

from as young as we have seen luffy, garp has either been absent or cruel; his one family member. he lived in a jungle at age ten, thrown into the fire all but literally by his grandfather. it is inhumane and unjustifiable from garp. he was raised by mountain bandits, and yes, mountain bandits who did their best and were better, constant figures in luffy’s life, more than anyone who had inherent responsibility towards him; mountain bandits nonetheless.

dadan & co never asked to be guardians, and never quite learned to orientate their behaviours to be so. luffy was in less than ideal conditions, treated in less than ideal ways at times, and was never truly, gently cared for other than brief, fleeting moments with makino and shanks.

his brothers, while they grew to lean on and love each other, were initially so against even the idea of him. sometimes isolation is bearable until it is obvious. and luffy, who must’ve been so alone, was now also being pushed away. his one haven, ace, someone near his age in the exact same situation as himself, wanted nothing to do with him. and that jungle must’ve felt a lot bigger despite his situation not having changed.

luffy’s life has been a battle of constant, small problems. he has larger traumas like shanks losing his arm and losing sabo, and that all adds. if luffy sat and dwelled in his past memories, what would he find? not countless searing horrors but a day to day existence that was synonymous with tinging unhappiness.

it’s not far fetched to theorise that luffy’s unending clamber to simply live resulted in a memory filled with gaps, and a memory that will never adhere to names that well, or remember what happened that week. losing ace no doubt didn��t help, in fact it may have resigned luffy’s memory to its fate. a life of loneliness and constant struggle, united with an incomprehensible trauma.

it means a lot to me, and i see a lot of myself in him, as he forgets things which are important to him; as sombre as that is. like marco’s name, who he only remembered to thank and couldn’t remember anything more. it aches to not know, the fear of not remembering loved ones, losing what little i have. i wonder if luffy fears losing his memories of ace? i wonder if he curses never being able to forget the sound ace made as he fell to the ground, but not being able to remember how his smile reached his eyes.

[kacievvbbbb]

You do get the sense that the fallout of Roger's death and the Roger pirates disbanding not so much traumatized Buggy and Shanks indifferent ways but instead generated such drastically different reactions to the trauma.

While the trauma of everything seemed to push Shanks into the future, always constantly waiting for something, putting plans on hold and then later in place, for this great moment, this great coming that he sees on the Horizon. For Buggy it rooted him firmly in the past keeping him trapped in this grief masquerading as anger.

While Roger's death forced Shanks to grow up fast, it kind of arrested Buggy's development keeping him stuck in those same feelings, rooted int that same place.

You get the sense that Buggy's whole east blue schtick is just one long overdue rebellious phase one big fuck you to Roger and his ideals. He's rebelling against Roger's principles. One of their rules was don't steal from innocent people and Buggy was keeping a whole town in poverty. If Roger and Luffy's pirating styles are diametrically opposed to someone like Blackbeard, who might be the most literal pirate in the entire series, then buggy is the parody of that Blackbeard piratism. He is playing up cruelty, being the most piratey pirate possible, hell he's literally a clown on a stage. It's all a show! It's his own special way of trying to "get back at Roger" of trying to discard everything Roger taught him for this overacted, over exaggerated clownish cruelty. Mentally he never left that execution square. He is still 15, alone and scared.

Hell he literally never left either, while I'm pretty sure Shanks' booked it out of the east blue as fast as he could, Buggy never lef, might have never left, if not for Luffy. It's part of why Luffy bothers him so much, he's just like Roger everything that Buggy is trying hard to forget and here comes this kid, whose never even met the Captain but is wearing his hat, shoving it right back in his face.

It makes sense that he never leaves the east blue till Luffy literally forces him out of it (fucking with Luffy gets him captured and imprisoned) and it makes sense that it's Luffy that literally breaks him out of prison, literally sets him free, and on the path to greatness that maybe he was always meant to achieve (even if he trips his way into it). This boy that is tragically so much like his old captain but so beautifully unabashedly himself, is what Buggy needs to start letting go off the past, to start trying to move forward.

Maybe that's why Buggy, at what could arguably be described as his lowest moment, gets the strength to free himself from his own self imprisonment, realizing that even back then he was locking himself away and pinning his own dreams on Shanks. And, maybe for the first time ever, Buggy really own his dream. He declares to his tormentors and his crew and the entire world that; actually He wants to find the one piece, him, as captain of his own crew, this crew, not just a part of someone else's. That's his dream and he's willing to turn the world upside down to do it.

[beaulesbian]

Every once in a while I think again about the end of Thriller Bark and feel completely insane and ill about Zoro's sacrifice, FOR LUFFY, specifically (you know, the character Kuma's threat was directed at). It wasn't even that long into traveling together, a few months maybe, yet Zoro was ready to give up everything in that moment - in the chapter with Kuma appearing being titled The End of the Dream ! - to protect his crew and Luffy, so he could continue in his journey.

Since Luffy and Zoro met, they always understand how words and promises were imporant to them - with Luffy punching Helmeppo in ch. 3 for lying to Zoro. Zoro learnt how serious Luffy was about his dream, and soon he realized he backed up his words with actions as well - untiying Zoro and giving him his swords back - his biggest treasures. It meant that Zoro could be honest and honor-bound in the same way to Luffy, to gain this mutual respect and trust between them since day 1. To wield his swords to protect both Luffy and later their whole crew, and to step in a way between Luffy and danger.

He was being actually more upset that Sanji got up from the previous Kuma's attack and interrupted their fight - Zoro was trying to keep the whole crew safe by this exchange for Luffy's head - if Sanji was offering his life for Luffy half dead and without much strength left to fight for himself (he started the offering of his own life already believing he woudn't survive, with a "you should find a new cook"), then this very specific sacrifice would be meaningless to the crew (- if this arc was taking place post WCI, then it would turn out very differently, with the strength of Sanji believing in Luffy, but it wasn't his moment during this scene) - it would hurt them more than help them, because as much as Zoro was prepared to die as well, he was prepared to keep fighting until the last breath.

Zoro was thinking he might die - Kuma's words were pretty certain he WOULD die - but he still had the willingness and strength to take on the deal for Luffy, for his captain and his crew. ("if i die here, it just means I wasn't worth much to begin with" this line he says times and times again during the overall story, like in Rogue Town throwing Kitetsu and waiting if it would cut off his arm, up until standing against King in Wano "it's my power that was lacking", and all the other times he was questioning his worth - it's something he tempts the fates he doesn't believe in, to actually harm him, to take his strength away if he doesn't deserve to survive. and it's him saying he knows and accepts his own weaknesses - of not being strong enough (in comparison to Sanji in this example), and always fights through them.)

He threw away his swords, including Wado Ichimonji - literally throwing aside his and Kuina's dream, to compell Kuma into a duel (with the anime playing 'The Very Very Very Strongest' when Zoro bowed down and pleaded Kuma, offering him his head instead of Luffy's) so Kuma wouldn't go after the crew and specifically Luffy later - no matter the outcome if Zoro would surive or not.

And then, he was actually strong enough to survive taking his captain's fatigue, agony and pain! Possibly being the only one who could survive taking Luffy's pain.

Zoro could have back out when Kuma offered him the 'taste' of the pain, with the realization of the scale of the hurt with the very possibility of dying from it. But that wouldn't be Zoro now, would it? He accepted and took all of Luffy's pain so his captain wouldn't have to suffer or die, and when they found him afterwards, he still kept standing, tense with the fatigue but alive! (again, with anime adding the music of 'Luffy's Fierce Attack' to underline the importance between these two).

He was training for this since the beginning - to become stronger to shoulder the pain of his crew if necessary. (And not only that - he was preparing for that so another Kuina incident didn't have to happen). He was the first one to fight one of the Warlords before anything really began: his fight with Mihawk at Baratie really set the tone and his own goals to overcome - a glimpse to see on how much different levels the Warlords actually were in comparison to Zoro, Luffy and the others, and if they were supposed to beat them so Luffy could become the Pirate King, that always meant to be ready and to get even stronger than them.

(small spoiler for egghead, ch. 1102: seeing Kuma (a Warlord at that time) remembering this Thriller Bark event later, during Egghead arc, and thinking that even he might have passed out from the pain, makes it all the more meaningful that it was Zoro who took the pain and withstood it - establishing how high was the strength of his willpower, already before timeskip.)

There could be so many other nuances and details from these last few chapters of this arc, and even what this deal meant for the following arcs! Zoro was still in pain on Sabaody, and because of that the crew wasn't as strong as it could have been (not to say they would have a chance anyway, knowing what all was in the motion).

The next is the tragedy and beauty of LUFFY never finding out about this. Half of the crew knew: Sanji, Brook and Robin knew the details, but would never tell Luffy - and that shows their loyalty to both Luffy and Zoro (and Zoro's decision). Luffy woke up and first thing he did was to jump up and down, excited not to be weighted down by his injuries, and only seeing his swordsman being down with injuries so severe he was out more days afterwards, knowing that something else attacked them (him = Zoro), after he was passed out from the fight against Moria, brought down his mood (even if it's not much noticable, but the change into subtle worry is there in the few next chapters).

"I can't explain it either!" - meaning he was thinking about it too, possibly how weird it was for him to move normally after such long fight. We don't really ever hear/see Luffy thinking about something, except when it's mentioned how he came up with a solution or idea, telling us there's more to Luffy than just being straightforward in his goals and speech. With Luffy being sometimes very emotionally intelligent when he wants to be, he could have figured it out from all these other people in the room asking similar questions and deducing. Even Usopp was putting two and two togehter. We might never find out if Luffy actuallly knows or not. Luffy probably wouldn't ask Zoro directly, especially if Zoro wouldn't tell first and didn't want to talk about it

- because for Zoro, nothing happened! Nothing, that would compromise his and Luffy's first promise. For Zoro to become the Strongest he couldn't back down from the duel with Kuma (just like before with his duel with Mihawk at Baratie. When he's faced with something he swore to overcome, he can't back down or evade. Even back then Luffy understood that as he held back Johnny and Yosaku, but Sanji was perplexed how far Zoro (and Luffy) would go to reach their dreams). When Sanji was asking him in front of Kuma "What about your dream?" Zoro was still thinking about his dream- it was just that the context has changed, it changed into a journey. His dream is the most important thing, but it wouldn't mean much, if, when on his way to accomplish that, he would betray his other words and promises.

[sunandflame]

Analysis: Sir Crocodile as a Lover

Warnings: none

Word Count: 692

Pairing: Sir Crocodile x GN!Reader

crossposted on AO3

Surface-Level Behavior: The Cold Gentleman

Aloof at First, Deep BeneathCrocodile doesn’t do casual affection. He’d likely come off as distant, unreadable, maybe even cold in the early stages of a relationship. But it’s not because he lacks feeling—it’s because he guards it with his life. He’s not the type to fall easily. He calculates trust the way others calculate numbers.

Protective in Subtle WaysHe won't say "be careful" or "I love you" in words. But he’ll make sure your room is the most secure on the ship. He’ll walk on the outside edge of the road. He’ll slip you the better cut of steak without saying a word. His affection is woven into actions.

Powerfully Loyal, Once You're InIf you manage to crack that iron shell, Crocodile will protect you with the same ferocity he protects his empire. You're not just his lover—you're someone he's allowed into his most vulnerable territory. That means something monumental to a man like him.

Emotional Intimacy: The Inner Walls

High Walls, But a Sensitive CoreCrocodile’s greatest fear in love isn’t rejection—it’s exposure. He’s the type who once had hope or softness and was burned for it. So if he lets you see him off-guard—post-battle injuries, scars (emotional or physical), his regrets—that’s a kind of intimacy even deeper than sex for him.

Possessive, But Not Controlling He doesn’t micromanage your life, but he watches. Anyone who looks at you the wrong way? He’s already clocked it. Another pirate gets too close? His sand just happens to “accidentally” trip them. He doesn’t declare territory with words—he radiates it.

Terrible at Apologies, Excellent at Making It UpHe’s not one to say “I’m sorry” after an argument. But you’ll find that bottle of rare wine you liked sitting by your window the next day. Or he’ll leave you a note, curt but sincere: “I was wrong. Don’t get used to it.”

Physical & Domestic Affection

Sensual in a Controlled WayCrocodile is a dominant, composed lover. Everything he does is precise. His kisses? Intentional and intense. His touch? Measured, teasing, and slow. He knows the value of control and enjoys unraveling both himself and you only when he chooses to.

Private Touches, Public DistanceHe’s not into PDA. But in private, he’ll rest his hook on the back of your chair, lean in close when he talks to you, or brush your hair behind your ear while you read. If you’re hurting, he’ll sit beside you in silence, maybe put a hand on your thigh—silent grounding.

Surprisingly DomesticHe enjoys his cigar and wine, yes—but don’t be shocked if he reads the paper while you cook and occasionally lifts a brow in amusement when you hum. He’s the kind of man who won’t ask for a cup of tea but will drink it every time you make one for him, silently appreciating it.

Jealousy & Trust

Jealousy: Yes. Rage? No.He won’t throw a fit—but the second someone tests boundaries with you, he’ll make it clear why people used to fear him. He’s silent, menacing, and tactical about it.

Trust is Hard-Earned, But UnshakableIf he trusts you, he’ll tell you secrets no one else knows. If he doesn’t, you'll feel the distance like a desert wind. Once that trust is broken, however…he doesn’t lash out. He just becomes ice. Gone. You’ll never see the warmth again.

If You’re a Soft/Nurturing Partner…

He’d be both frustrated and captivated. You might see through him too easily. You’d infuriate him by offering kindness he doesn’t think he deserves—but part of him will crave it more than he’d ever admit. He might grow addicted to your warmth the way one craves sunlight after a sandstorm.

Bottom Line

Sir Crocodile as a lover is intense, calculating, and quietly devoted. He won’t shout his love from the rooftops—but he’ll raze an entire navy base if they hurt you. His romance isn’t flashy—it’s power wrapped in restraint. You’ll feel his love in the spaces between words, in the protective silence, in the way he softens his gaze when you speak and thinks you’re too distracted to notice.

[shanksxbuggy]

Shanks has a connection to each of the other current Four Emperors, and he also happens to have received a permanent scar from each of his interactions with them.

In that single conversation between Whitebeard and Shanks, they mention every future Emperor and reference the ways Shanks was wounded in some way based on his relationships with each of them.

Blackbeard gave Shanks the scars across his eyes.

Shanks lost his arm saving Luffy.

And Buggy? Well, Buggy left scars on Shanks’ heart that he still hasn’t forgotten.

I saw this in a fan art, Shanks thinking about Luffy makes his arm throb (that’s why he touches the stump of his arm), Shanks thinking about Blackbeard makes the scar over his eye throb, but Shanks thinking about Buggy makes his heart throb 🥺❤️

(“So your arm - “So your scar -“ “So your, uh…ex-situationship -“)

Was it really just a coincidence this one interaction had all these references to the future Emperors and the way they caused hurt to Shanks? Also the scars encapsulate his relationship with each of them. Blackbeard is a crafty adversary, Luffy is his hope for the future and someone he wants to watch out for, and Buggy is someone close to his heart.

All of the current Emperors have unfinished business to settle with Shanks. It’s worth noticing that out of all of them, Buggy is the only one who dealt emotional damage to Shanks.

Blackbeard vs Shanks and Luffy vs Shanks haven been built up to be these grand physical clashes and battles to prove who’s stronger. Buggy and Shanks’ confrontation has also been built up, but it’s surely to be more of an emotional understanding and reconciliation than a genuine test of strength.

Shanks and Buggy’s narrative resolution of the conflict in their relationship will rely on them finding the One Piece. As it’s been revealed, they actually did want to be with each other, but they wanted different things and didn’t understand that and were hurt by each other because of it. In order for them to reconcile, they will have to reach a satisfying end to their own goals (finding the One Piece) and make up for the misunderstandings and failures of when they broke up.

Finding the One Piece is about discovering the world’s secrets and changing the fate of the world…but sometimes it’s also about resolving the personal issues of two men and getting them back together.