#sanji also sees love as bravery because that's what his whole character is about but tbh we're seeing it from a 'love for women' pov here

[beanghostprincess]

Sanji sees love as a weakness and Usopp sees it as bravery. It might seem like it doesn't make any sense, saying it like this, so let me rephrase it:

When Sanji falls in love with Usopp like- When he realizes he's truly in love with him, his first reaction isn't good. His love for others has never brought him anything good back. Honestly, the only thing true love does is leave him exposed and dangerously close to breaking the facade he uses every day to pretend he's fine. Falling for Usopp only scares him (because he's a man. Because he could ruin their relationship. Because he deserves better. Etc) and being scared only means being weak, as far as Judge has taught him.

On the other hand, for Usopp, falling for Sanji is the bravest thing he could do. The impossibility of Sanji loving him back gives him the confidence to do whatever he wants because being rejected is literally the worst that could happen, and he's already used to rejection and failure, so he doesn't care much about it. Besides, loving people has always helped him when he needed it the most (his love for his mom. For Kaya. For Merry) and his love for Sanji only makes him feel strong.

Perfect balance, right? That's what their whole relationship is about. "I'll do what you can't". Usopp teaches Sanji that loving somebody is the bravest thing you can do. That it can take you as far as you want. That love is something worth fighting for. And Sanji teaches Usopp to value himself more and keep his heart close to his chest so he doesn't get so easily rejected and hurt by others.

[deateath]

Ykno what I’m thinking about on this fine day? Sanji. Who is surprised. BUT I was rereading this post by @demonzoro and got to thinking specifically about the “started smoking to make himself seem more mature” thing and how pretending (or being forced by circumstance) to be mature as a child can lead to emotional underdevelopment as an adult.

As an oldest sibling and a former Little Girl with Undiagnosed ADHD™, I was always told I was mature for my age, talked well with adults, was very responsible and self-sufficient, etc. I was by no means forced to be like this, but I understood this was praised behavior so I kept up with it and now look at me lol. So I find myself coming across this problem of emotional maturity occasionally. Emotional maturity is influenced by both your adult mentors and younger peers. And who out of the crew had older siblings, other children as friends, or actual adult figures around who loved them? Most everyone EXCEPT Sanji and Usopp, whose mothers died when they were very young and had almost no other children their age in their life.

BUT TIME OUT: by this logic, am I saying that Luffy is emotionally mature? I guess I am. He’s a goofball and impulsive, sure, but he is the one to bring so many people to these significant moments that realize emotional maturity. He makes Nami ask for help in Arlong Park. He makes Robin say she wants to live. He helps Chopper realize he’s not a monster, and to take a step towards achieving his dream by coming with them. He makes Sanji say what he truly wants and ask for help in Whole Cake AND yells at him at the Baratie (which I mentioned here talking about Sanji’s martyrdom). Not to mention the countless side characters who are inspired by him. OKAY TIME IN.

We clearly see Usopp’s emotional immaturity with his pathological lying and inability to take full responsibility for his mistakes. Though, he wasn’t necessarily robbed of a childhood, he didn’t have figures in his life to teach him about becoming an adult, and his childhood is extended when he didn’t want it to be. He’s not fooling himself, he knows he’s a chicken. And his dream is to become a brave warrior! Usopp’s dream is to leave behind his primary hallmark of emotional immaturity.

Sanji, on the other hand, thinks he’s the epitome of sophisticated manhood, but he is clinging to a childhood he never got to have. We see it when he talks about the All Blue and the way he treats women. Sanji’s dream is to find this fairytale place. And unlike Usopp who as a child lacked adult figures and had plenty of (younger, granted) kids on the island, Sanji lacked other children to be around. His siblings were not normal children, and he spent the whole rest of his youth with grown-ass pirates. To fit in and survive, he had to act mature. But he never learns true maturity. Everything Sanji does is him mimicking how he thinks mature people behave. But he hasn’t learned boundary setting, he hasn’t learned to ask for help, he hasn’t learned to be vulnerable.

(((Also I know Robin had to be mature at a young age as well, but she is 8 years older than the east blue crew so we don’t see her moments of emotional immaturity in the canon storyline. In fact she is likely regarded as the most mature before Jinbe joins. Though one could argue water 7/enies lobby is a demonstration of emotional immaturity from Robin, I think it’s specifically trauma-informed due to the whole Devil Child thing bringing ruin to everyone she ever met until that point. Also Spandam is there and his connection to Ohara/threat of buster call is a bfd. Fic ideas for Robin in her late teens/early twenties struggling with emotions anyone…?)))

————————

Anyway. There’s a point in here somewhere. Sanji is prepared to spend his entire adult life to find this childish fantasy. It could be said that both Usopp and Sanji’s dreams are to obtain what they never had. But the key difference is Usopp is searching for emotional maturity, bravery, because he knows he needs it. Sanji is searching for the childhood he never got and he doesn’t realize he’s missing it.

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: East Blue (Part Two)

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

this is one of my favorite little character beats in east blue. sanji and zeff have an entire conversation and then zeff mentions, “by the way, that kid can’t swim” and sanji is like “WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER!!” and is in the water in like three seconds flat. 

and, of course, zeff’s fond expression once sanji isn’t around to see.

we don’t see sanji smile like this too often- and when we do, it’s most often related to food in some way (like when he feeds gin, or in his wci flashback when sora says his food is good). it does things to my heart.

kind of reiterating myself from the last post, here, but usopp really does do a lot of cool things well before his water 7/enies lobby character development, just not as many when compared to his crewmates. which is his problem, really- he can’t stop comparing himself to them long enough to recognize he’s pretty cool by any reasonable metric, he just happens to be on a ship with nine of the most badass people on the planet and so his metric is completely skewed. 

anyways he shoots a fucking bomb into arlong’s face and that’s completely sick as hell.

zoro left alone in arlong park is so funny. he got nearly cut in half like two days ago, and instead of just leaving like a normal person when nami gives him the chance, he chooses to wipe the floor with all the fishmen around and then hang out on arlong’s throne. also, that shirt isn’t his. he stole it. presumably off one of the guys whose asses he just kicked. 

there’s really something to be said about nami’s expressions in arlong park. she’s clearly acting to an extent in most of her scenes prior to her breakdown, but at the same time, god, it really doesn’t look like it. nami in this arc is a really great example of reread value- on a reread, all her coldness and cruelty becomes barely-restrained pain and desperation. 

i really, really love one piece’s sibling relationships. and there might be a little bit of bias here, because i’m a big sister myself, but i love how varied they are, how real they feel, both adopted and biological. nami and nojiko don’t agree on everything, and they come into conflict more than once, but at the same time it’s plain they love each other so so much. 

bellemere is up there as one of my favorite flashback characters, together with corazon and roger. i love her a lot. 

i’m not even doing a thorough reread for this post, just skimming through volumes and picking out moments, and genzo telling nami that she’s fought well and there’s nothing more she can do still made me cry. 

nami has been fighting on her own for eight years, with the lives of her entire village and her only remaining family resting on her shoulders, with them unable to do anything but watch as she runs herself into the ground for them. this is where they decide they’d rather all die than have to see her start all over from scratch for them. 

arlong park is an amazingly written arc, and it pummels my heart in a new and different way every time. 

i really like that zoro, sanji and usopp all follow luffy’s lead in how he chooses to handle the arlong park situation. luffy waits for nami to ask for help, and as soon as she finally does, it cuts around to show that it’s not just luffy there- all four of them were just waiting for her word. it’s the first time the crew is entirely united for a common goal, and it feels really good. 

i really am never gonna shut up about usopp’s character development, huh. 

i really like the way the scene of him getting up the nerve to face down chuu is constructed- him rehearsing excuses and explanations cut together with memories of his crewmates (and on the next page, later the cocoyashi villagers as well), moments of theirs that he obviously admires. the one that hits me the hardest is him thinking of nami, in the moment she stabbed herself to save his life. that’s how he gets up his courage- from his admiration and respect for his crewmates’ bravery.

i think about this moment a lot. it’s one of my favorite luffy moments, and also one of the ones i think is most representative of him as a character. he’s such a delightful, laid-back person most of the time, but he loves the people he’s decided are his so much, and god help you if you hurt them. 

i think about this a lot, too. 

luffy is dumb as rocks in a lot of ways, but he’s pretty damn intuitive when it comes to people. he handles nami’s situation in exactly the right way, by waiting for her to ask for help instead of just barging unasked into the war she’s been fighting alone for years, and he handles this exactly right, too- by destroying what’s effectively her prison cell in a permanent, visible way, where she can see and know that she’ll never have to sit at that desk ever, ever again.

i just- i love luffy, so much. 

i talked about oda’s use of negative space to emphasize heavy, impactful moments in the last post, and this is maybe the best example of it yet in the story. look at this panel: the future pirate king, the stand where the last one died, and absolutely nothing else but empty space and luffy’s words: this is where the great pirate era began.

the theming of beginnings and endings in loguetown is so, so good, and it could almost be summed up with this panel alone. it’s at once the ending of the story’s east blue prologue and a new beginning- the beginning of the crew’s infamous reputations, of the quest for the one piece proper, of the entire wider story that opens up with the entry into the grand line. the end of roger’s era, and the start of luffy’s.

i love the atmosphere of loguetown so dearly. the thunder strike at the last moment, maybe a rescue and maybe sheer luck; the raging storm, the vow over the barrel, the declaration of dreams. i’ve said this before- there’s something so romantic about it, in the old-fashioned arthurian sense one piece uses the word. 

and we’re off for the grand line!

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

NO CHAPTER, USOPP RANT

Ok, so after reading that disaster of a “discussion” in the last chapter again, I see a few things. First, the catalysator to the whole mess was, of course, Usopp’s grief over Merry. Everybody knew Usopp loves Merry (probably the most of them all, I mean, it was a gift from his friend Kaya!), he always repaired her, he would take the news badly, probably the worst of all of them. Heck, everyone expected it!

But nobody could expect the kidnapping, robbery and beating that Usopp experienced in this arc so far. Separately, these things would be bad but we all know Usopp would handle them with little problem. Together, we got an admittedly pathetic sight of weakness and humiliation. (And bravery, as Usopp went ALONE to retrieve the money! That plan failed but it still is a great feat of character! But Usopp doesn’t see it that way I’m afraid.) Really, it doesn’t look good.

That of course isn’t a problem for Straw Hats. They love Usopp. Things happen. Let’s make the best of what we have, right? I mean, come on! In the Skypiea Arc their ship was destroyed and Chopper was so scared they would be mad at him for not guarding Merry properly! And Usopp HIMSELF told him it’s not a big deal (it was a big deal, even if manga magicked it away for the time being. WHO REPAIRED MERRY). Like, show yourself the courtesy you show others, Usopp!

BUT NO. Usopp is a person who lives with extraordinary people, who are either strong as Heck and show it (Luffy, Zoro, Sanji) or smart as heck (Nami, Robin, Chopper). Sometimes they are both, darn it (Robin, where are you). Usopp, as a genius, clearly belongs to the second category but because (I assume here but come on) he’s a MAN and a WARRIOR, he should be strong and never screw up, I guess (Chopper is the baby of the crew so he doesn’t count I GUESS). I mean, Nami is a weak crew member too, and practically proud of it at this point (you made her a magic OP weather stick, Usopp. Do you remember it? Who will maintenance it if you’re gone)! Does she experience this kind of thing, even though she went away for a moment and made them face Arlong? NO!!! She’s confident! She trust her friends! Damn, the whole Arlong Park Arc was about her learning to rely on someone else! The point is, you DON’T HAVE to be super strong to be helpful to your crew, Usopp, so get rid of that toxic masculinity stuff!

(MERRY IS NOT YOUR FAULT. YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD.)

(He challenged Luffy to a duel because of some Warrior’s Honor reasons. I admit I don’t really get it, so I’ll leave it here)

The last and biggest thing is, Usopp loves and believes in his friends, his nakama. Usopp also has CRIPPLING low self-esteem issues at this point, so he thinks he’s not that much. So, in the sight of his recent screw-ups (they pilled up in this arc, you planned it, Oda), he sees the future Pirate King, The Greatest Swordsman in The World, The Great Chief, The Great Doctor, Navigator… and he doesn’t fit. He doesn’t belong there. So he quits. So his friends won’t have to slow down in their pursuits to wait for him. So he won’t screw them over, or disappoint them, when in the future they’ll look at him and find him lacking, just as he finds himself lacking right now.

All in all, this is a very relatable stuff we all feel sometimes. Still, I want to SHAKE USOPP TILL HE GETS HIS COMMON SENSE BACK and see how great he really is. But it doesn’t work like that. Usopp has some soul-searching to do and Straw Hats have to pull out all stops with their Friendship. Add this manga’s general craziness to that, and we get GREATNESS.

(ALSO: If you feel weak, you TRAIN, Usopp. All ZORO does is nap and train. Take a page of his book, Usopp.)

I can’t wait to see how Oda will resolve that issue. But I trust the man – he will do well by Usopp.

That was meta on rOP 104

[whirlybirdwhat]

Hey, I read your headcanon about all the Strawhats being in Slytherin because they are extremely ambitious and don't care about the rules, and I love it! But what do you think about Hufflepuff? It's the house of the dedicated, hard-working and honest, so I can definitely see Zoro going there (loyal to his promise, extremely hard-working and always tells the truth) or Sanji (so loyal to his principles that it gets him injured, hard-working, kind even if he pretends he doesn't care..)

Okay, so I’m going to take this and run with it, because I have been waiting forever to speak about this - so I apologize for the long answer lol.

Anyway, first things first! To clarify, the All Slytherins head canon was more of an AU, because there’s definitely the possibility that the Straw Hats could fit into other houses.

Personally - I love Zoro in Hufflepuff!!! This man is the definition of loyalty, just watch the end of Thriller Bark. I can never view him in a house such as Gryffindor or whatever.  Sanji would be great in Hufflepuff as well!!! When his character is not being destroyed, his main spectacular trait is his kindness, which definitely fits into being a Hufflepuff.

(Honestly, most of the Straw Hats could get into Hufflepuff by loyalty alone. However, few of them have that kindness to them, and have more traits.)

But let’s talk about this in terms of this au (Oh boy, this is going to be long lol) and the actual Sorting hat, and the age at which they are sorted.

In Harry Potter Canon, the Sorting Hat actually isn’t that great. It sorts you into a house based on your characteristics as an 11-year-child and puts you into place with more of the people with the same characteristics as you.

You are a child. You are going to grow. But… doing that kind of stunts that growth. Give you a category of who you are suppose to be.

Ugh. I have problems with it. MOVING ON! So the sorting hat summarizes your entire character into basic traits.

The following is taken from the Wiki

Gryffindor - Bravery, Nerve, Athletic,Courage,Chivalry, Daring.

Slytherin - Resourcefulness,Cunning, Ambition,Determination,Leadership, Self-Preservation, Fraternity, Cleverness

Ravenclaw - Intelligence Wit Wisdom Creativity Originality Individuality Sharpness Acceptance

Hufflepuff - Dedication, Hardworking, Fairness Patience Kindness Tolerance Modesty Loyalty

(End stuff taken from Wiki)

These are the defining traits. Half of them are synonyms. So, basically, G = Brave and Bold, S = Ambitious and Cunning, R= Smart and Independence H = Good Person, Loyal, and Hardworking.

So, seeing how that is how the Sorting Hat works…. lets look at the Straw Hats as 11 year old children. And also how the theme of OP (dreams) translates very well into the word ‘ambitition’

Luffy, 11 years old - basically a tiny delinquent, beating up people in the streets, not paying for food, and shouting his dream every three seconds for the world to hear. This boy is made up of nothing but ambition to be a pirate (every fight. he has is training to be one) and he isn’t just going to be a pirate - he’s going to be the Pirate King! Essentially, while he does develop his character more later, all he has going for him is Ambition right now. So? I’d say Slytherin. 

Zoro, 11 years old - …. he swore an oath to a girl who died that he would become the greatest swordsman in the world and he has not stopped working towards that goal since. He doesn’t have anyone to be loyal to right now, as a child all he has is his dream, his ambition. Slytherin.

Nami, 11 years old - working for Arlong, probably crying every time she makes a map because its not the map she wants to be making, using every trick in the book to get money, and already knows her dream to draw a map of the world. I’d say the textbook definition of a Slytherin honestly.

Usopp, 11 years old - Trickery and deception by every resource is his game, and we know he wants to find his dad already, though he doesn’t want to be a brave warrior of the sea yet. Slytherin, half-textbook definition again.

Sanji 11 years old- This kid was saved from starvation because he had the same, impossible dream as an old man. but he’s also tricky because even young, Sanji was unbearably kind. But to this I’d say,  Germa 66 was probably Gryffindor because of the whole ‘hero’ thing, and Sanji might want to go the opposite. For this au at least, Slytherin!

Robin, 11 years old, - on the run from the government because she became an archeologist at 8 years old so she could study the poneglyphs. This girl has ambition, and we see in flashbacks that she’s still trying to find them while on the run. Slytherin!

Franky, 11 years old - I think it was actually at 11 years old that Franky said that he was going to work to create his ship of dreams, so ambition for sure. I would say Slytherin.

Brook, 11 years old - hey, WTF was Brook doing when he was 11. Oda tell us. Ugh. So honestly no concrete reason here but let’s just put him in Slytherin just because lol.

So there’s the reasoning - at a young age, each and every Straw Hat (barring Brook) has a dream, an ambition so big that any normal person wouldn’t even be able to think about it. Slytherins are ambitious - but not only that - they aim for the top and I’m pretty sure all the ones that got into Slytherin outside of their blood line were able to reach their goal. 

The Straw Hats aim for the top - and that was their defining trait, even as children, which is what the Sorting hat would have picked up on. Maybe down the road it would have changed - with the characterization now, definitely some of them would be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor.

tl;dr While the Strawhats do have characteristics of other houses, especially Hufflepuff, these traits didn’t reveal themselves in full until they were Adults, and if they were children the sorting hat would have sorted them into Slytherin based on their one, defining characteristic - their ambition, or in the one piece world ‘dream’

Wow, okay I apologize this is a very long post lol, and I definitely went over what I was intending to answer. But yeah! Thanks for the ask! Im sorry if this long answer annoyed you, but I just had so much to say!!! 

[neverwatchedonepiece]

617: "Caesar's Defeat! The Powerful Grizzly Magnum!"

Basically Caesar: “REEEEEEEEEEEEE, SCIENCE!!!”

Only had time for one episode today but caught a snippet of the preview and it seems like posting for one episode here will fit in terms of the story arc. 

Caesar is down and out, Law has done what he came to do, and Luffy has executed step one of his plan to kick ass and kidnap! Now all he needs is the fantastically badass Usopp to come through with the cuffs and step two will be on the cards!

It’s all a matter of escaping Punk Hazard with Caesar in tow, plus Law, the Strawhats, a bunch of kids and maybe some surviving Minions and the G5 and Smoker and Tashigi and Foxfire and Momonosuke and Brownbeard.

Yeah, I hope Franky has some extra bed rolls hidden away in storage because that is a lot of extra bodies on Sunny.

Sanji will be fine. He worked at Baratie. He’s used to mass catering.

Law Tries Out His Stand Up Material On Vergo

In other news, Vergo is still alive. I kind of hoped Law might have taken him out but this is One Piece and you guys have always said that Oda sees a future for most of his characters. (Even Wapol. Yes, I am still salty about Wapol.) Smoker was on the ground, breathing hard. Getting fresh air for once, instead of dat tasty tobacco.

Vergo is also still shit-talking. “You broke the gear? There’s no turning back? That’s hysterical.” 

Brave for a guy who was (at that point) in two pieces with a building crumbling rapidly around him. Not to mention the noxious clouds of gas.

Then he used his hands to spring from the ground and attack Law. He was Roomed and doomed in two seconds, chopped into fractions and hung on the railings. (Approaching Nightmare Fuel territory if you think too much about it.)

Vergo totally reminds me of the Black Knight from Monty Python’s Life of Brian. If you’ve never heard of it, he’s basically this dude who keeps getting up and shit-talking his opponents even after the removal of all his limbs. It’s funny. Vergo even made a joke about it. “How will I eat breakfast tomorrow?” Yeah, he almost went full Black Knight there.

Except for the little serious turn when he threatened Law with Doflamingo’s past.

“How dare you, Law? This is an upset. But I know you’re going to regret it. Keep that in mind. You don’t know Joker’s past and that will cost you your life. Upstarts like you can’t hope to take over the world. It’s filled with those who are much stronger. Tell him, Smoker!”

First of all, why was he appealing to Smoker to back him up like a kid in a playground? The brazen cheek of it. As if. I’m glad Smoker blanked him and sparked up a fat Cuban cigar.

Secondly, what is all this about Doflamingo’s past? Why would that matter to Law? I’m trying to think what could possibly affect Law as much as Vergo says and I’m drawing a blank.The only thing that might be a bit meh is if Doflamingo was once a Marine. We already had that twist with Vergo.

At any rate, Law had had enough with Vergo running his mouth, and chopped his head into two pieces.

“Don’t worry about me. Just worry about yourself. This room will explode soon. Goodbye, Vergo the pirate.”

I ain’t bothered about Vergo. That guy is too arrogant for his own good and Law gave him a well-deserved taste of defeat. I just hope Law took Smoker with him.(It’d be hilarious if Law carried Smoker over his shoulder and they ran into Zoro carrying Tashigi over his shoulder. xD)

Speaking of Well-Deserved Tastes of Defeat...

This guy...

I love a charismatic, melodramatic, total piece of crap villain, but Oda did a great job of making me loathe Caesar here. I think Luffy lamping him square on the chops unhinged him a little. Law destroying the SAD factory and the labs as a result probably finished Caesar off. His arrogance and cruelty was off the charts! I thought Spandam was bad. Caesar makes Spanda look like a playground bully.

I loved how when he realised Law had unleashed merry hell, Caesar’s reaction was, “Damn! Who caused that? I bet it was Law. What is Vergo doing? You Strawhats RUINED MY PARADISE!”

His paradise. Wow, that sure does give you a little peek into this dude’s mind. 

And it gets better. 

Caesar had a last-ditch plan to defeat Luffy. He called his Minions in the Secret Room. “R-Building, can you hear me? Secret Room, come in! Open the air vents now! Let Shinokuni flow into this room.”

The Minions, understandably, were reticent to do this because they are the kind of people who, like the Strawhats, look after their own. They asked, “but wouldn’t it kill our guys?”

Caesar was like, “Well, I’m a gas man. I’m not gonna die. You’re just guinea pigs. No one would care if hundreds of you died. You are just the dregs of society! What are you doing? Hurry up. I can find replacements for you fools so easily.”

Uh oh. 

The mask came off. Caesar must have been so riled that he didn’t care if everyone saw his true nature. The poor, deluded Minions still clung to their vision of Caesar as their benevolent Master, their saviour.

“Oh, the Master is trying to fool the enemies. He must have a plan to do with the gas. It would hurt him to know we suspected him.”

Hurt him? Mate, Caesar has no feelings to be hurt. He has an ego the size of Laboon. That’s not the same thing.

So, of course the Minions pulled the lever. Shinokuni flowed into the room. And I had a facepalm moment at those poor, brainwashed Minions.

Caesar Does A Moria

“Yes! About time,” Caesar shouted. “Dregs shouldn’t think. Now, become my power, Shinokuni. Look, Strawhat! Look at his amazing appearance. This is my scientific power. Through this experiment, two countries have already expressed interest in the weapon. They are both quite peaceful but when humans get serious about defending themselves, they’ll look for any way possible to kill their enemies. Everybody needs me! I’ll spread weapons all over the world and become King of the Land of Death.”

There are a couple of things to unpack here.

First of all, Caesar is completely demented. I mean, that was always obvious. But that ambition of his is twisted and terrifying. Worse, that Doflamingo gave him the traction to actually make it happen.

Secondly, he’s insane but he’s not stupid. Caesar has an eye for business and is, weirdly, able to charm people into believing his bullshit. He also knows the darker side of human nature and how to exploit it, like he has done with those peaceful islands. He is also smug in the knowledge that big shots in governments everywhere will always want him in their corner, so there will always be a place for someone like him. That was a definite Art Mirroring Life moment right there. Harsh but true, I guess. The guy who first split the atom and invented the atomic bomb was a hot commodity, right?

Third, Caesar basically did a Gekko Moria. Caesar took it a step further because he actually gleefully killed all his Minions. Moria just took the shadows back from already dead bodies. This was the logical conclusion of Caesar seeing other people as objects or commodities to be manipulated, used or destroyed as he sees fit. The way he happily killed them all was just nasty.  “It’s amazing, if I do say so myself. Look at how fast it acts on their nerves. It’s almost an art!” And when they begged him to stop, “I am your saviour and I can make efficient use of you good-for-nothings. You are just crumbs. You should not stand against your Master. Die like dogs!”

Crumbs. Dogs. Guinea pigs. Caesar always uses dehumanising language on his poor Minions. And everyone else for that matter. He really is a psychotic, nasty piece of work. If this guy is working for Doflamingo, I cannot wait to see what a horrible bastard Doflamingo turns out to be. xD

Caesar’s Off The Deep End Behaviour and his treatment of his own people caused Luffy to have the veiniest, super frown I have seen on his face so far. Luffy does not like people who betray and used their own crew/soldiers/comrades. 

Luffy said to Momo, “Look after Brownbeard.” Then ran in the opposite direction. Of course, I knew Luffy was just looking to gain some distance. Caesar, of course, mistook it for Luffy chickening out all of a sudden.

There was one person who knew with absolute certainty that this was not the case.

Usopp Was Awesome Here

Can I just talk for a moment about how awesome Usopp was here?

All through this arc, he’s been ridiculously brave. He volunteered to split up with Brook and Foxfire so he could work on his own to find the Sea Prism Stone cuffs for Luffy. He was creeping round the labs on his own and when he found the Secret Room, he did not run upon being confronted with a full squad of Minions. He simply used his smarts to evade capture. Because he knew there was something in there of value and Luffy needed his help. 

When the Minions saw Caesar’s true nature over the DDM feed and were finally like, “OMG this guy is awful.” Usopp just walked up to them and said, “I know you’re all broken hearted here but could I sit in that control seat for a second? I wanna save my friends from the gas.”

See that? Usopp’s loyalty to his friends trumps all sense of fear. 

When the Minions tried to shake Usopp by saying, “Yeah, you’ll never escape because your Captain just cut and run. He left you guys behind.“ Usopp was Not Having One Bit Of It. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa... Are you dissing our captain right in front of me? If he were the kind of person who’d betray us, this whole thing would’ve been much easier for me. I would’ve just run away with my tail between my legs. But he never, ever stops believing in us. So we have no choice but to support him. We pledged to live up to his expectations as long as we can breathe!”

There you have it. Right from the horse’s mouth. Luffy’s faith in his crew inspires them to greater heights. And in Usopp, this is bravery. Absolutely beautiful. 

And when the Minions said, “But what can we do? We can’t beat such a powerful man?” (Referring to Caesar) Usopp replied, “Yes, you can. You guys should just believe in our Captain. Caesar is the type of person that Luffy hates the most. Luffy won’t forgive Caesar.”

Usopp knows Luffy pretty well.

That Grizzly Magnum was really something else. I was expecting it to take out Caesar straight awayt but I liked that it didn’t. Caesar is the kind of villain who needs to have his pride thoroughly broken and to taste bitter, bitter defeat. If not, he’ll just tank the hit, pick himself up again and it’s back to his same old tricks.

The best portrayal of that was when Caesar was wrestling with Luffy, the Shinokuni slowly turning his hands to white powder, and he screamed, “Kneel before my power!”

Luffy will never kneel to anyone. Now, I’m not sure what those pulses of power were that drove Caesar back (Conqueror’s Haki?) but Luffy’s hit finally landed and, in a perfect moment of symbolism, Caesar’s self-made crown shattered.

He is no longer the tyrannical ruler of Punk Hazard. Caesar’s reign has come to an end.

And I can’t wait to see what happens next, because Doflamingo sent one of his lackeys to help him out. 

The plot chickens.

Well, you’re gonna kidnap him, so that might be a tough one to get round.

[jollyinha]

Soooo... I saw an One Piece tag in Reddit, and for some reason I really like doing tags, even though no one gives a fuck about it. Since I have nothing better to do, LET’S ANSWER IT!

1 - Who is your favorite character and why? (Additionally, who is you fav Straw Hat?)

Most people would guess that it’s Sanji, since I’m crazy for this boy literally since I put my eyes on him... But my favorite character is Luffy, because without him, I wouldn’t stay interested in One Piece for much time. I kept watching the anime because I thought he was a funny and interesting protagonist, and it changed my life.

Besides, he is everything I love in a character (Especially in a protagonist): Dreamer, determinated, funny loyal and dumb. He inspired/inspires me in many, many ways, and I just love this strawhat boy.

2 - Who is your favorite villain and why?

That’s a tough one... Arlong impacted me the most (I hate, haaaaate his guts!) and Lucci akuma-no-mi is pretty cool. But I’m saying Crocodile. I mean, c’mon, the guy tricked an entire kingdom, defeated Luffy TWICE (I think it was twice, correct me if I’m saying shit), had an entire organization... And had banana crocodiles and a cool casino. And his akuma-no-mi is badass too. I kind of hope that he appears again in these recents arcs, even if it’s very unlikely!

3 - What is your favorite quote or statement? 

Oh man, there’s so many of them... Screw that, I’m making a small list.

-  "When does a man die? Does he die when he's been shot? No. Does he die when he's ravaged with disease? No. Does he die when he's been poisoned? NO! A man dies when, and only when, he is FORGOTTEN! “

-  "A man's dream will never die!"

- “The government says your existence is a crime, but no matter what kind of weapons you may hold, just being alive isn't a sin! THERE'S NO CRIME IN LIVING!!!''

-  “Don't start a fight you can't finish.”

4 - Who is your favorite female character?

Urgh, I love all my girls! I love Robin, Vivi and Nami nearly equally, but I’m saying Nami. Her backstory was the first one that actually made me cry. It’s amazing to think that he was stealing from pirates that could kill her, even though that she was just a child! That moment when she asked for help... Damn, it brings me chills. 

And I also love how even though she was already extremely important for the crew while being only the navigator, she still wanted to become stronger, and asked for Usopp to create the Clima Tact. She uses her intelligence to fight, fights for her friends when it’s necessary and still saves everyone’s butts by being the amazing navigator we know!

5 - What is your favorite fight? 

I gotta say the fight against Lucci. Not only was a very intense battle and it was the first time Luffy used a Gear, but I love its meaning. If he needs to kick the World Government’s ass to save a crewmate, he will absolutely do it. Nothing shall stand in his and his nakama’s way!

6 - What is your favorite episode? 

Well, I don’t ACTUALLY watch the anime since Alabasta. After that, I’ve only watched a few loose episodes, so I don’t know a lot about the anime. But I’m saying the episode that Brook joined the crew. The expressions and the voice acting are just on point!

7 - What is your favorite One Piece opening?

We Are!, of freaking course. It’s the only opening that I never skipped while I watched the anime. Although We Go! comes in a close second. Believe in Wonderland is good too.

8 - What is your favorite movie, special or "episode of"?

I did enjoyed Strong World and 3D2Y a lot, but Gold was amazeballs, starting with that freaking catchy song in the beginning. The animation is GORGEOUS, Tesoro is very interesting in my opinion, the outfits are amazing, and the final battles were pretty cool too. I didn’t liked Carina very much, tho

9 - What is your favorite arc in One Piece?

Alabasta, without any doubt. Baroque Works was freaking charismatic, the scenarios were interesting as hell, Vivi was an amazing character in general, the battles were intense and fun, and it’s such a funny arc! I really like the filler were Ace spends a while with the Strawhats too. Water 7 comes in a close second place.

10 - What is your favorite One Piece videogame? 

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3. It’s so much fun to play with characters like Hancock, Ace, Law and Tashigi! The story log is very nostalgic and the dream log is addicting as hell.

11 - If you were in the One Piece universe, who's crew would you join and why?

What kind of question is that? Strawhat Crew, of course! They all have this sense of one for all and all for one, and they really look like a family, and this is very heart-warming to me.

12 - What is the saddest One Piece moment?

Weeeeeeell... I’ve been stuck in Dressrosa for a while, and the saddest moment in my opinion is at Whole Cake. I took EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE SPOILER of this arc, though. Without hesitation, it’s Sanji’s backstory. I feel like crying when I only see PICTURES of his backstory... I don’t even want to think what I’m going to feel when I actually get in Whole Cake. Sanji occupies a very special place in my heart, so it hurts a lot to see that this was his past. Congratulations, Oda, you completely broke my heart once again. Also, Pudding can stick her finger in her third eye and go to hell

13 - What is the most shocking moment? 

The third scene that made me cry in One Piece: Usopp VS Luffy in Water 7. These two are such good friends! That’s why I remember that I was freaking out when they began to fight. 

14 - What is the funniest One Piece moment and who is the funniest character?

There are plenty of funny moments in this beautiful story, so I’m going to say more than one. Zoro getting lost, Luffy’s impressions, Robin’s imagination and all the “Can you poop?” moments. And of course that Luffy is the funniest character.

15 - What is the most memorable moment? 

That moment when Luffy gets Zoro’s swords, and he defends his captain for the first time. C’mon, it’s the beginning of the crew!

“Nice, Zoro!”

“It was no trouble, Captain.” 

16 - What is your favorite ability in One Piece?

Hana-Hana No Mi. It’s elegant, has many uses and it can be powerful as heck. I totally want it! Emperor’s Haki is a close second, tho... 

17 - Do you own any One Piece merchandise? (Official or not)

Many of them! All the mangas that were/are being released on Brazil, the special editions (Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Wanted!) an giant wallpaper, plenty of posters, many figure actions, an Sanji cosplay, a flag, a strawhat, a keychain and a notepad (The last two actually came from Japan!), a necklace and a shirt.

18 - Do you prefer watching One Piece in sub or dub?

As I said up there, I’m brazilian... So I never actually had acess to the english dub, and the portuguese dub (It’s a very good dub, btw) came out before I knew One Piece. So, it’s sub.

19 - What is the #1 thing you love the most about One Piece?

I’m a sucker for this kind of thing: The whole dreams, freedom, friendship and bravery message that it passes. I keep the lessons that One Piece gave me deep in my heart. They give me hope and happiness in hard moments.

20 - What is the #1 thing you hate the most about One Piece? 

There’s two of them: The brazilian fandom and what they did to Sanji after the timeskip. Brazil’s fandom is full of toxicity, arguing, homophobia and sexism. And Sanji was so smooth and serious before the timeskip, but I feel like he became a gag after the timeskip. Where’s the suave Sanji, goddamnit?!

21 - Does One Piece take your number 1 spot in your top 10 animes? (If not, where?)

Absolutely yes. One Piece saved me from dispair countless times. Its jokes, its lessons, its characters... And if it weren’t for One Piece, I wouldn’t have known half of my friends, and honestly, I don’t know where I was going to be nowdays if I didn’t had them. In many aspects, One Piece saved my life. I’m eternally grateful to Oda. One Piece is a huge inspiration to me in both emotional aspects and in a writer’s point of view. Watching One Piece was the best choice I ever made, because that silly strawhat boy changed my life and took me out of the darkness many times. I love this masterpiece with all my soul.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Why Usopp Should Always Remain Scared

  Each member of the Straw Hat crew has a different dream. Luffy wants to be King of the Pirates. Zoro wants to be the world's greatest swordsman. Nami wants to make a map of the entire world. Sanji wants to find the All Blue. And Usopp wants to be a brave warrior of the sea. Of course, there are other members, but I think it's important to stop there and compare. Those first few crew members want a specific title or to accomplish a specific thing. But Usopp? Usopp simply wants to be brave.

  Now, the reasoning for this is pretty simple: Usopp is afraid of a lot of things in the One Piece universe. Most things, actually. He gets nervous about new islands, often feels weak in comparison to new foes, and when a challenge arises his first instinct is usually to find a way around it rather than to tackle it head-on. So of course just being a "brave warrior" would be a big deal. Considering his history, it's just as much of a leap as being Pirate King.

    That said, I think he's already accomplished that goal. Usopp is already a brave warrior of the sea, whether he recognizes it or not.

  I often see complaints about Usopp's character, saying that if he was truly making growth in his personal arc, he'd be way more confident by now. He'd have shed most of his fearful tendencies and would've developed into more of a hero. But not only do I think that this is kind of a dull interpretation, but I also think it misunderstands what bravery is. Because in my opinion, bravery isn't 100 percent courage in all situations. Bravery is showing courage even in the face of fear. Or at least it means a whole lot more that way. 

    Usopp, from his introduction going forward, is the closest thing One Piece fans have to a consistent audience surrogate. He's by far the most relatable person on the crew as he lacks Devil Fruit powers and is usually forced to rely on his own ingenuity and trained skills to survive when there's trouble. When Usopp is stunned or amazed by something huge or magnificent, we often have the same reaction. Usopp is us.

  And fear is super relatable. Fear and stress and indecisiveness and worry are remarkably common feelings for average people to have and I've yet to meet a person in my entire life who hasn't experienced at least one of those things at some point. Fear is something that's more than okay to admit, too, especially since bravery is courage in spite of fear, rather than a complete lack of it.

      And by that definition, Usopp is full of brave moments, moments that solidify him as a "brave warrior of the sea." Deciding to stop running from the Fishman Pirates and facing down Choo. Deciding to save Luffy from Miss Goldenweek rather than flee from Mr. 5. Refusing to let Luffy's dreams be laughed at and helping Chopper take down Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas. Standing up to his Captain because he still believed in the Going Merry. Burning the World Government flag. Rescuing Robin from Spandam and his men. Taking on Perona as he knew he was the only one who stood a chance. Fighting past his nerves to land the knockout shot on Sugar before she could get to Law and Luffy. Even recently, in order to save Tonoyasu, Usopp rushed forward with his allies, taking down Orochi's men along the way.

  None of these moments were examples of absolute fearlessness and they were all surrounded by scenes of Usopp shaking in his boots. But they were brave. And because of that, they were inspiring.

    Usopp is anyone that has mustered the courage to fight for what they believe in, all while understanding that their times are tough and their obstacles are huge. Usopp is anyone that has decided to look at what scares them and stare it down, despite a little voice in their head telling them they should probably go in the opposite direction. One Piece is full of moments like these, as the Straw Hat Crew dismantles corrupt organizations, takes down tyrants, and brings justice to people who have lost all hope. And Usopp is at the forefront of this, as a little crew from the East Blue becomes legend.

    Usopp should always be scared because Usopp should always be brave.

  What is your favorite Usopp moment? Let me know in the comments!

      Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

    By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com