The thing is, we don't know about the Heart Pirates but we do know about Bepo and Law (at least in passing).
What we know is that both are alive, as shown from the frame above from chapter 1117. Bepo is patched up, which means someone's seen to his wounds. Bepo was calling to Law about Vegapunk's discussion of the holders of the initial D. (Bepo, therefore knowing that Law holds it).
I'd like to think that Law fixed him up. I also think Law's just off camera (maybe hanging out with the crew!), but I know that others have more pessimistic points of view. Anyhoo, these two are alive and kicking, and I think if Bepo was devastated (as he would be, if the crew was gone), he'd look it.
The thing is that we don't know about Kid and the Kid Pirates, but we do know about the Fake Kid Pirates! (picture below).
And as we know, they stepped in as the Fake Straw Hats when the Straw Hats were presumed dead, but were not. I'm taking it as a sign.
Ok so now we know that fishmen we’re treated the way they were bc the WG didn’t want them to talk to people on land. I mean the WG didn’t want anyone to know abt the land below the water and who can easily see what is underneath? Fishmen.
We find out there was a clash between two opposing ideologies in the past, but what it was about is still unknown. Rayleigh’s words also seem to suggest there might not be a clear cut answer.
If it’s about two clashing ideologies, I can see Shanks and Buggy playing a role in representing a similar kind of conflict. Just like how Luffy and Blackbeard clash in so many ways. The current four Emperors will be part of this ideological war that’ll continue in the future, along with the World Government and Revolutionaries.
Maybe these petty quarrels were to show the origin of the past war was also over something petty? Luffy and Blackbeard fought over their personal preferences, while Shanks and Buggy fought over which Pole was colder. And while Shanks was technically correct, this whole argument was framed as a pointless argument they couldn’t solve unless they went to check themselves.
These scenes between Luffy&Blackbeard and Shanks&Buggy could foreshadow that they’ll be on opposing sides of this battle of ideology that will continue in the future. They might even represent the same ideals of the two differing sides of the past.
When I think about Buggy’s coming role in this ideological war and the sunken Ancient Kingdom, I think Buggy would obviously want to unsink the world. Since the beginning, he’s been angry about not being able to get all the treasure on the ocean floor because he’s a devil fruit user. It’s terrible for him not being able to swim, so he wouldn’t want the world to flood even more.
Surely he’ll want to go against Imu and unsink the world so he can get to the treasure at the bottom.
I wonder then, if Shanks and Buggy are set up to have contrasting ideals, will it result in them fighting on opposite sides of the war? I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I think it’s possible Shanks’ goal isn’t to unsink the world for whatever reason, maybe there’s some truth behind the One Piece we don’t know about yet.
If Shanks’ goal was truly to save the world, why doesn’t he team up with Nika/Luffy? Why does he keep acting alone/with the Five Elders? Imu and the Elders want the world to stay sunk and raise the sea levels even higher, would they be so okay with him if he was actively trying to stop their plans? With his actions, the way he doesn’t have any devil fruit users, befriending the giants, inspiring people to be pirates and set out to sea and his fleet being comprised of ‘weaklings’ in order to save and protect them…it seems like he’s preparing for a world that will be underwater.
It would tie back to Shanks’ ‘cowardly’ behavior and his tendency of wanting to avoid conflict. While Shanks might not be a bad guy, maybe he’s just enough of a coward to stand back and watch the world sink.
Also, this is the cutest thing ever, gosh I love Vivi so much:
And omfg Oda snapped so fucking hard with this:
So what is the One Piece? I wonder if it isn't a reclamation of this idea. That people could go wherever they wanted. Except instead of draining the sea or something, maybe everyone gets the ability to breathe and swim underwater. Cause Big Moms experiments on Giant Children makes me wonder, what if minks and all these other species aren't native to the world but rather experiments set on it to see how they adapt? Maybe Ancient Kingdom experiments to counteract the rising ocean? And the Devil Fruits are a world government invention alongside sea kings and what not. To divide and keep people out of the sea and far away from each other. Maybe they have a reason for it like the Anti Spirals from TTGL did, but at the cost of freedom. Anyways that's just spitballing. But I do love that line about not questioning the morality of the two factions. It brings to mind that Rayliegh quote again about how the Strawhats might come to a different conclusion. All's that to say, somethings fucky...
Also also! Stussy is going to be really important! Idk if y'all remember but a while back(i dont have the energy to go find it rn) but there was a pretty tucked away panel/dialogue about how Vegapunk had created a clone of Bakkin and he basically argued for her value as a human life iirc. There is anguish and deep emotion there and Oda's lowkey given her a really unique focus.
Wanooo! :D so glad they get to hear the message too
Beautiful! The flag fits so well :D
Demalo Black jumpscare lmao didnt expect them to show up
The Elders are seething lol
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA its just a silhouette but OMG
Even Zou can hear it! yay! :D Happy Birthday Carrot :D
Foxy!? :o
Zoro cosplaying a grumpy bag of potatoes lol
Nami's so beautiful
Nooo Stussy! you have to live to have a chance to find a new purpose! dont give up so soon! i cant handle any more deaths this arc! let Edison be the last sacrifice ToT (not that i want him to die but i dont see a way for him to get out)
YEAH fuck that old fart up!
oh no it didnt seem to land ToT
lol
Franky to the rescue! :D
That was close
I feel so bad for them. im sure they must have a lot of regrets :(
Holy shit what power in that cut
Its rai~ning men! HALLELUJAH
Where is this? do we know this place?
So beautiful! i know a lot of people already theorized this to be the case and now we finally have a confirmation
Sabo my beloved hi! :D good to see the RA again
Good to see you but cant the orchard wait a few minutes? curious
Damn thats fuck shit ton of water! where did it all come from? it couldnt have been just from melting glaciers, could it?
Everyones laughing except for this one guy...
Dalton! Kureha!!
Even Ms Goldenweek?
My queen! :D
I wonder which side used those weapons to cause all that... im guessing the ancient kingdom? since they were said to be the most technologically advanced so they must have been the ones who made them and used them thereafter?
I wish we could see what face Imu's making so bad! he must be pissed lol
I really hate to sound like that that "Can we talk about Quackity expressing emotions with his face?" post but man....
It drives me insane when Oda does this thing where he will have one character saying something gut wrenching and the other character that is listening to them will make that face and it just tells you so fucking much. Especially when it comes from characters we didn't knew that much about until now.
Almost all of the CP0 members were orphans who were trained to become agents since early childhood and that they're only purpose in life was to serve the government they work for and that they would be discarded if they failed to do so. It is impossible for members of CP9/CP0 to form close bounds with anyone, as it can potentially interfere with their jobs as secret agents/assassins. With every single relationships they form are only a means to an end, either meant to be broken or discarded after they're no longer needed. The only people they can trust is each other.
Stussy is a clone who's just as devoted to her creator the same way the CP0 are devoted to their government and like them she believes she has no purpose in life without them. But the difference is that unlike them, she was actually loved by her creators, she had the chance to be able to form relationships and strong bounds.
That's why Kaku's face is destroying me here...
Even tho the CP0 can't love anyone, they do care about each other to some extent (as seen with Lucci asking to the Elders to not kill his comrades in the process)
He actually sympathizes with her because like her he would be nothing if the thing he was taught to protect were to no longer exist. But he also knows that unlike him and the rest of the members, she has the one thing they could never have : the freedom to love and having string bounds.