#sanji??? protecting momo??? about time he arrived also

[hauntingblue]

Franky saving nami and her calling him big brother..... the connotations of this... big day for me especifically

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1109 - Initial Thoughts

Late on arrival but finally we're back to One Piece

The old stella is likely dead, but he's left a big broadcast behind Is he gonna spill all the tea? Let's not wait any longer

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release

We're getting a Wano cover story now too, starting with Onigashima sent underwater (ok but how like it's massive!) atop Old Wano

I wonder what it'll focus on particularly? Yamato? Momo? Tama? Kaido and Big Mom statuses? Drake and Hawkins statuses?

Vegapunk's message however is a bit of a tease because of course it is

Shaka chimes in to mention how such a message will likely be blocked and intercepted, so they discuss piggybacking off of the Navy's comms

Thus, the Navy are unable to stop the transmission, as it spreads across everyone who has a Den Den Mushi

Vegapunk though also wants to provide time for people to set up the Visual snails for a picture, which'd take time for them to set up

Vegapunk gives people an hour, but Shaka advises against that since there will be those looking to censor them, so it's reduced to 10 minutes

Luffy and the crew are aware of this broadcast as well, they are curious about it though

Sanji just take a pulse and give it up

The Gorosei can still converse with Saturn all the way from Marejois!? Is it some telepathy maybe?

Saturn all but confirms that Vegapunk is dead, telling the others that Kizaru dealt a killing blow

But they are quick to realise that the message is as a result of a dead man's switch

Focus looks to turn onto the Labophase, despite being highly protected...nobody tell them that Kizaru can pass through the barrier

Pythagoras also chips in on the message for what they should do during the wait, since having a coffee may not be a good amount of time

The world is preparing for Vegapunk's message, including places we're familiar with

Dressrosa first; Kyros and Rebecca seemed to have been sparring

Leo is alive and well after his incident with Marejois, but true to the Tontatta he bought into the headlines that Luffy kidnapped Vegapunk

Foosha Village are also hearing about it, but they don't have a video screen, because iconic mayor Woop Slap don't have the money

Here's hoping they don't miss something important there, and that Makino is safe, the bar doesn't look damaged at least

The village already think this is gonna be Luffy slander anyway

At Water Seven it's late at night, so Iceberg is tired but amassing screens anyway, conducted mainly by Alice, the child assistant who is way past her own bedtime

But she does have Tyrannosaurus on her head so we'll give it a pass, she's in capable paws

Morgans also has the video up, with Vivi still worried about the crew

Morgans is quick to deduce that it's a pre-recorded message though, but expects that Egghead has already been wiped out

The other seas also prepare for Vegapunk's message, it must be kinda surreal for some of them since this is the first time they're seeing Vegapunk - plus there's 3 of them

Plus all 3 of the Vegapunks in the message are dead

The Revolutionaries also have the message, wondering what it's gonna be about

Dragon thinks back about Shaka's message though, and then continues to not do anything else

At the least there's a Sabo cameo there

Back to Luffy and he notes how Saturn and Kizaru keep coming back for more

He dodges an Eye Laser and a Poison leg, but he doesn't relinquish his hold

He's gonna keep fighting till his crew are safe

Gomu Gomu No Booming Dawn Cymbal squishes Admiral and Gorosei together

And with both flattened he continues the disrespect, spinning them like pizza dough

And then flinging them away like frisbees

Kizaru crashes into a warship, but Saturn pulls some boomerang action to come back at Luffy

Kizaru has had a headache just all day, serves him right too

Luffy avoids the poisonous buzzsaw return that Saturn poses, but the other Gorosei are intent to not let Vegapunk's message go out

Franky, Bonney, Kuma and Atlas make it to the Giants' ship, but still no word on Lucci vs Zoro, or how the Sunny intends to not crash into the barrier

Saturn agrees with his fellow Gorosei 'I shall perform the summoning'

Four cracks of black lightning strike Egghead

And now, there are Five.

Oh god oh jeez oh god oh jeez oh GOD oh jeez ALL THE GOROSEI ARE HERE.

I don't think Luffy can last a 5 on 1 of the Gorosei, Zoro stop dicking around with Lucci, Sanji you gotta drop the old man, Jinbe navigate Zoro and yourself to Luffy and someone else come for support (Robin is injured plus she would be a focus target so probably not her, Usopp? Nami? Brook? Chopper?), or maybe the Giants can back him up? Or the Sleeping Giant?

Things are heating up but now we have more situations to deal with; we can't leave the island too soon or else the Gorosei will stop the message, but if we linger then the Gorosei could do a lot of damage.

There's a break to deal with first of course, but god(a) we need some answers! And we need some things to wrap up, because we still don't have a solution for how those in the Labophase are gonna get out, also I hope Sentomaru got out, bit of a rough day for him; the man he was hired to protect died at the hands of his 'uncle', he betrayed the marines for the former and it was for naught, gotta feel bad for the guy.

We might be seeing all of the Gorosei's powers next chapter though, but it makes you wonder, if all five are here does that mean they won't be in the endgame?

[neverwatchedonepiece]

629: "Violent Shock! Incredible News that Shakes the New World!"

A rocky old place, ain’t it? No white sand beach resorts here. Lots of sunflowers, though. And a Colosseum. Even trattorias and quaint cobbled streets, according to the preview.

This is Italy, isn’t it?

Only had time for one episode but that wasn’t a problem at all. Thankfully, there was a lot to unpack in 629, plus more highlights than 

There was the return of Thriller Bark. Updates on the whereabouts of key OP figures. Luffy yelling down the line at Doflamingo. The reveal of why Law is set on sailing to Dressrosa. Why Kinemon is also keen to go. The arrival of new villains. The reveal of Doflamingo’s cunning plan to snare Luffy. And the reshuffling of the Shichibukai and the appointment of a VERY FAMILIAR CLOWN.

I’m still laughing, btw.

Also have to say I liked the new opening. Seemed spoiler free and it was interesting that they have pitted Luffy so openly against Blackbeard (and Akainu, I suppose. Now there are two Big Bads. Actually beginning to wonder if there ever will be a Final Villain in One Piece).

They Call Him Scoop McGee Absalom

The action picked up with the immediate aftermath of Doflamingo’s resignation from his throne and the post of Shichibukai, which sent ripples through the OPverse. Now the protection conferred by Doflamingo’s Shichibukai status had vanished, his subjects lamented, “Dressrosa is done for!”

Elsewhere, an unwinnable war raged. Unwinnable because the side in question had struck a deal with the Donquixote family. Now Doflamingo is no longer king, the supply chain has dried up.

Various famous faces who had grabbed newspapers were next. Jewelry Bonney was a nice surprise! I thought she’d been arrested by the Marines after that whole thing on the burning island with Teach. She’s obviously in hiding (standard hooded cloak) but still in action. That’s good. There was also a brief shot of Jimbei and Crocodile’s hook.

But who was the mysterious journalist behind the leaking of the Strawhearts alliance? The Kidd/Hawkins/Apoo Alliance? The fact Doflamingo had resigned both throne and warlord role?

He is known only by the name Absa.

I would have struggled to predict who Absa might have been, had they not shown a tiny Thriller Bark satellite ship.

It’s obviously Absalom. Invisibility is his thing. He’s obviously been sneaking about. For what purpose, I have no clue. Maybe Moria is out for revenge? I’m pretty certain he’s still alive as Doflamingo said he disappeared in front of his eyes. I like the thought of Moria getting angry enough to come back into the limelight. (I’m still crossing my fingers he’ll help Luffy and Law with Kaidou. Moria definitely has enough of a grudge to do it.)

We also got hard confirmation that Kidd and co. are after a Yonko. Their target is as much of a mystery to me as Luffy and Law’s is to them. (I still think it might be Shanks.)

I love it when Oda takes time to set his arcs within a wider context. Even more so now. It’s especially relevant here, given the recent emphasis on the interconnected nature of the New World.

And speaking of connections...

Hello. Is it Caesar You’re Lookin For?

Once the contextualisation was out of the way, the action cut back to Sunny. At the end of 628, Doflamingo had finally picked up (after deliberately making Law wait to ramp up the tension. The theme of control is strong with this one).

Of course, Luffy had to formally introduce himself.

“HELLO. I AM LUFFY. I WILL BECOME PIRATE KING. OI, MINGO!” I love Luffy has already given him a nickname. “So you’re that idiot Caesar’s boss? That bastard hurt Brownbeard and the kids! We’ll give Caesar back since we promised but if he ever does anything like that again--” at this point Caesar himself was cringing hard in a corner “-- I’ll beat the crap out of you too!”

To his credit, Doflamingo did not rise to the bait. Sure, a few veins pop and he does questionable things when angered, but in negotiations, he remains cool as a cucumber.

“Strawhat... two years have passed since your brother died and you disappeared from the New World. Where were you and what were you doing?”

At that point, I never realised the significance of Doflamingo’s reference to Ace, so I just thought he was getting a, “Lol, ur brother is ded” dig in.

Of course, Luffy wouldn’t tell.

“I was hoping to run into you,” Doflamingo continued. “I’ve got something here that would make you drool.”

Since Luffy doesn’t do metaphors, he thought Doflamingo was talking about high-quality meats. To be fair, I had no idea what Doflamingo had up his sleeve at that point, so it could have been high-quality meats for all I knew.

Law was annoyed that Luffy had given Doflamingo the chance to control the conversation and snatched the DDM.

“Joker, we will hand over Caesar as promised.”

Doflamingo is not dumb, though. “That’s wise. You know well what would happen to you if you backed out now. First thing’s first, though. I want to confirm that my vital business partner is safe.”

Law held up the receiver. Caesar scooted over.

“JOOOOOOOKEEEEEERRR, I’M SORRYYYYYYYYYYY! YOU LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF ME, BAWWWWWWW--”

And Doflamingo was like, “Yup. Sounds like he’s fine.” 

I lol’d at that. (Was that a lowkey burn from Doflamingo?)

Law continued to keep matters strictly business. “In eight hours we will be on Green Bit. We’ll drop off Caesar there. Pick him up yourself. We will make no further contact.”

“Awwww...” Doflamingo retorted. “And I wanted to have a drink with you now you’re all grown up--”

At that moment, Luffy decided the conversation was at an end.“JUST HANG UP ALREADY!” 

He cut the connection. The Strawhearts were left alone on deck to process what had just happened. Sanji was smart about a loophole Law had left in negotiations. Law had never specified how many people could accompany Doflamingo to pick up Caesar. Theoretically, Doflamingo could arrive with an army at his back.

Law wasn’t worried. The Caesar handover was just a distraction. (Rather bold of him to discuss this in front of Caesar himself, by the way.) Destroying the Smile factory was the real mission. The only issue? Law has no info on the factory. I’m assuming they’ll have to infiltrate Dressrosa and locate the place.

Luffy was like, “You ever been to Dress Roba?” (Lmao, I’m sure he’ll get the name right eventually.)

Interestingly, Law said he had never been! There go my theories of Law growing up in Dressrosa and working for Doflamingo. :(

He definitely hates Doflamingo, though. His reasons for not stepping foot on Dressrosa? “He is king of that land.” Something has gone on between them in the past. Doflamingo has known Law since he was a kid. So did Vergo. What is the connection here??

At any rate, Luffy was blase about the whole affair. Infiltrating hostile territory to find and destroy a factory that will cause shit to hit the fan and draw the ire of the entire New World? Yeah, let’s just make up a plan as we go!

For Law, who is a clever, patient and careful man, this was just too much.

As the Strawhats filed past him into the kitchen for sandwiches, he stared with the vacant expression of a man who has stared into the depths of the abyss and found Luffy’s grinning face staring back.

He snapped.

“I HATE BREAD!!”

Then you have have a gluten free wrap, Law. Chill. Everything’s going to be fine.

At least, I think.

In the kitchen, away from Caesar’s sensitive ears, they discussed where they would dock and other important initial steps of their master plan. Kinemon also revealed why he wanted to travel to Dressrosa.

Apparently, they had set out for a place called Zou but were shipwrecked. Only one of the other samurai reached the shore with Kinemon and Momo. Doflamingo’s people pursued them. Momo tried to slip unnoticed onto a ship but it unfortunately sailed straight for Punk Hazard. Their other companion, Kanjuuro, was taken prisoner.

Law was interested in the whole Zou thing, as he had planned to travel straight there to reunite with his crew (Yay! They’re okay!) after taking care of business in Dressrosa.

Luffy was like, “EXCELLENT! WE’LL GO TO ZOU, THEN TO WANO KINGDOM. I WILL SAVE YOUR COMPANION TOO!”

And Brook randomly farted right in the middle of it, lmao.

There’s a Starman, Waiting in the Sky

And while Luffy and Law were busy making plans for Nigel, an Important Meeting was taking place at Marineford.

A grave Marine called Brannew took the podium in front of a room full of serious-looking, high-rankers (Brannew, get it? He’s a Brannew Marine to the story, ahahaha.) 

“As you all know,” he announced, “there are only seven Shichibukai. They are pirates who have been given permission to plunder by the World Government. In return, they grant us overwhelming power and prestige. Their allegiance to the World Government instills fear in pirates around the world.”

A line up of the more recent Famous Faces flashed across the screen.

Mihawk, Kuma, Hancock, Law, Donquixote Doflamingo, “The Celestial Yaksha” (I have yet to google that to find out what it means) and a newcomer.

Who was this newcomer?

He is the man who rapidly grew strength over the past two years. Commander of the Pirate Dispatchment Org and Living Legend: THE STAR CLOWN BUGGY!!

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!!

Of course it could be no one else that Buggy! Who else would have such INCREDIBLE, BEWILDERING LUCK!

Even Buggy admitted he was totally winging it. “It’s not like I asked for this. The World Government kept bugging me so I had no choice. That said, this is only a rung on the ladder. I’m moving up in the world now. In a few years, I’ll be a Yonko.”

And you know what?

I believe it.

Only Buggy would be able to become a Shichibukai by accident. Why not a Yonko too? The World Government must be pretty desperate to fill spare seats if they asked Buggy. 

The serious Marine also spoke of the grave situation surrounding Doflamingo’s sudden resignation. Law’s activity and alliance with Luffy is under suspicion. Depending on what he does next, Law may be stripped of his title too.

Akainu agreed. “We cannot allow Law and Strawhat to do as they please. Smoker from G5 sent me a rather annoying message yesterday. We should observe the situation for another day. I have dispatched Fujitora.”

A couple of things.

Did Smoker send Akainu a message from Kuzan? Is that why the message was “annoying”? Maybe it’s both inconvenient (bad news) and annoying (it came from his old rival).

Who is Fujitora? A new Marine villain, high on Justice? I can but hope.

At any rate, the Marines are also on the move and are watching events in Dressrosa closely. This is good. The more conflict, the better!

You Magnificent Bastard

Meanwhile, in sunny Dressrosa, Doflamingo was also cooking up plans and future conflicts of his own.

In his palace, Doflamingo sauntered down a long corridor and entered a room with four high-backed chairs carved into card suits. As he is the Joker, I’m guessing Doflamingo has a theme going.

He apologised for keeping the others waiting. We only met two of the suit card squad. Diamante and Trebol. Trebol occupies the Clubs suite chair and is creepy. He does not understand personal space bubbles (even with Doflamingo) and he keeps insisting Baby 5 wants to marry him (creepy). His Devil Fruit power is also slightly gross (he blorts everywhere) and he has a perpetual hang snot. Not my kind of villain.

Diamante is at least funny. Example:

Doffy: “The colosseum is as popular as ever. That is thanks to you, Diamante.” Diamante: “Not at all, Doffy.” (I love that they call him Doffy.) “This is due to your charisma as king.” Doffy: “No, it’s because of your talent.” Diamante: “Oh, stop talking like I’m some hero of the colosseum.” Doffy: “But you are.” Diamante: “You exaggerate!” Doffy: “Fine, you’re not.” Diamante: “OKAY. IF YOU INSIST. I AM INDEED THE HERO RAAAARRR!”

Lmao.

That was weirdly humanizing. I get that Doflamingo is the villain here and he has no qualms over sacrificing his people if it needs to happen, but he knows these guys pretty well and gets on with them. Maybe it’s successfully manipulating them, sure, but the man still has social skillz.

Once the comedy moment with Diamante was over, Doflamingo asked Trebol to bring forth the Important Thing.

Trebol handed Doflamingo a mysterious box. “This is sure to pique Strawhat’s interest,” he said. “Their alliance can very easily become a disadvantage to them. I will entrust this super important box to you, Diamante.”

After some funny reverse psychology back and forth, Diamante agreed.

Then Doflamingo made the Big Reveal. The Big, Glowing, Shiny Reveal.

When he said he had something that interested Luffy, he wasn’t lying.

But it wasn’t high-quality meat.

He has Ace’s fruit.

And he is going to use it as leverage to break up Luffy and Law’s alliance.

What a magnificent bastard.

Law was attacked by a pack of wild loaves in his youth. He’s never been the same since.

[monkeydluffy19920]

SaNami in the New World pt. 4 - Zou

A busy December is over and it’s been a long time since the last part so let’s continue to analyze how the relationship between Sanji and Nami has been made huge steps of developments and how it can be seen in the New World. Some of these points taken out have been shortly introduced in  “Reasons why SaNami could happen part 1 and part 2 as well.  Previous parts of this series are handling happenings in Fishman Island, Punk Hazard and Dressrosa. this Zou/Totland arc is currently running but there are already so many important moments and so much to talk about so it’ll be easier to divide these into smaller pieces. In other words this part will handle the happenings from Zou until the retrieval team is formed. Then the next upcoming part (number 5) Tottoland/Whole Cake Island will start from where they sail towards WCI.  Like the previous parts this is going to be a long post but there might be points that we’ve been missing, feel free to make additions :) !

But before starting this part I want to give a special thanks and credits to my fellow SaNami mate @pernanegra​ who inspired me to do these projects. The posts in this series are based on his awesome thoughts from OJ threads (here are links to part 1, part 2 , part 3,  part 4 and part 5). He has made amazingly splendid job by gathering and doing such detailed analyze about Sanji’s and Nami’s nakamaship and I really recommend you all to read them  !

1. Mugiwara re-union and Sanji’s disappearence

Nami and others have survived from BM and we see them in Zou. We can see that Nami is sleeping at the daytime. This is something that I didn’t first pay attention but thanks to Pernanegra’s sharp eye and discovering now this panel became much more interesting from shipping perspective and in general as well. If we think about it, we haven’t seen her taking daytime naps after leaving her home village in canon at least. Back in Arlong arc we saw Nami taking a nap after having a temper tantrum due her upset of betraying her new friends. Pernanegra stated this very well:  Sleeping can be a way to escape reality, to forget the pain and as he menioned, it’s possible that she has been crying herself into sleep. At least she has fallen asleep after great exhaustion most likely caused by worrying, just like in Cocoyashi. Don’t know if this is just imagination but it looks like she is sleeping in a fetal position and one reason why it’s really popular way to sleep is because I’ve heard it brings safety and brings some health benefits because somehow it makes the blood flow well but not expert in these things so maybe someone knows more?

Then Chopper wakes her up but she seems to be very sleepy in the beginning. Once she is awake she becomes happy to hear that others have arrived so they rush to see them. After a while Mugiwaras are reuniting but that joy didn’t last long, at least for Nami  who bursts into tears when Luffy mentions about Sanji and Momo. 

Oda loves cliffhangers and yes, he made us wait for a while before we finally found out what was going on. First there was a welcome/reunion party with Mink tribe and almost everyone seems to have. We know that Nami usually enjoys partying and having some drinks with her nakama but this time it looks like she is not in mood for the partying. Because I read manga and watch anime I like to compare them and the difference in anime was that she was partying with other like she had no worries. Of course manga usually pictures one moment in panel and it might not show everything but for me it left the feeling that Nami would rather be searching Sanji but that’s just one opinion. 

Meanwhile the others are partying without worries Nami intrudes them and asks about Sanji. However this doesn’t lead her anywhere because her crew mates tell Nami that there is nothing to worry about. Luffy and Zoro  are definitely thinking he’ll manage on his own. Their reaction to her question is something that makes the navigator only upset and angry. It is pretty clearly that Nami really is worried about Sanji and she even tells her crew mates to treat his disappearence as a urgent situation. 

Probably many of us were expecting to see the reason for the disappearence when Robin asked Nami to tell what happened before  but we only managed to see that they fought with Big Mom’s ship. That’s informative indeed but Oda wants to keep the tension by not telling immediately what happened. Franky brings Nami back on earth by making her realize she is the one who is behaving oddly here and she finally admits that she hasn’t been rational and she has overreacted telling that she was impatient. Like Pernanegra said, it’s really interesting that back then when they reunited and they were on their way to welcoming banquet Nami didn’t explain at all what has happened in Zou (that they saved the minks, beat down Kaido’s men and face Capone and BM pirates again there) but it might be that Chopper told something while partying or maybe not (because that would’ve kill the party mood). Anyways, only things mentioned by Nami is the letter Sanji gave and that she has been in hurry to save him. 

2. Saving the Minks

Nami explains in the flashback how Curlyhat Pirates (Sanji’s team) were blasting against BM pirates by doing awesome team work. Nami and Chopper feel flattered when they are praised by rest of the crew. Back to Nami’s story and happenings at Zou: Sanji is now their temporary captain and orders Brook to take care of Nami.  Like pernanegra said, Sanji is now “the boss” and he has now different responsibilities that are showed in the Dressrosa part.   By the way their new captain has been a positive influence to Momo because that little samurai wants to protect the ladies just like Sanji ! Their relationship has evolved after Sanji became the captain and started to take care of him instead of being jealous over Nami. 

After sailing arriving to Zou Curlyhats part for a short moment to explore the places. Sanji later finds out Nami is in trouble so he rushes to help her. Too bad the anime ‘killed’ the moment of reunion by making Nami kick him after he makes a cheery mellorine-greeting to her.  Anyways when they go further they learn that Zou is inhabited by Minks and that their home was ambushed and attacked and inhabitants were left to death. Sanji warns Nami about the risks that are around the corner if they start to save them. It is thanks to incident with kids in Punk Hazard that Sanji acknowledges and senses that Nami would want to save them, even though she doesn’t say a word about it.

After Fishman Island  and Punk Hazard Sanji is now able to understand Nami’s thoughts much better than before and he was really right about his guesses. When Nami was attacked by one of the minks, Wanda the navigator swore that they will help the inhabitants and that they are not going to leave anyone behind. (she was so damn brave for keeping her head cool, even though there was a dynamite waiting to be exploded just in front of her). As said, Sanji predicted it right when it was about her intentions, she wanted to help them. There has been a major change in their nakamaship because now they have achieved a level where they understand each other even without words, it’s like mind reading.

With the help of Curlyhat pirates the residents of Zou gets the help they  need. It’s kind of sad that these are the last moments where we’ll see Sanji’s team happy and smiling together for the last time before the tragic happens. This definitely does strengthen the nakamaships between curlyhat members. Minks are so thankful the Curlyhats are treated like national heroes. 

After helping the Minks Sanji rushes to see Nami and others and he is very pleased to see Nami in her new dress and goes all mellorine like usual. Maybe he could’ve controlled himself if he wasn’t that hyped about Mink women but well he wanted to try the “garchu” on her and this is how he fails his chance to be romantic and gets a punch instead and he flies with hearts : D This is a comical gag of course but it would be interesting to see whether there will be a day when Sanji approaches her without any mellorine-overload and would that change something? In other words would Nami punch him if he approached her more seriously?

Funny fact is that he has now seen Nami twice in a gorgeous dress in canon story, first in Thriller Bark and now here in Zou. What makes it more interesting detail is that, in both situations Sanji’s first thought has been that “is Nami a goddess”. Just like Pernanegra said, Sanji is actually the only character that has reacted to her dresses and who makes compliments out of it.

Then comes the trouble, Big Mom Pirates. Again, Sanji takes instinctively the lead like a captain and decides to go for some negotiations with Brook. By the way it seems like Nami isn’t bothered from Sanji’s company at all (otherwise she would’ve avoided him after the punch but they are close to each other even after the “garchu” tryout). Curlyhat captain tells Nami to stay safe with others. If you take a close look to Nami, you can see that she accepts his will but seems to be a bit unsure about the decision. Maybe she did not want to let him go without the whole crew. (note: in Mangastream verson Nami says “I got worried” instead of “we” and in anime she says also “we” instead of “I”. I might have asked this before but does anyone know what she says is in the original manga?)

That might also be the reason why she got caught with Chopper later. This is really interesting thing because usually Nami does it all to avoid getting into fights but now she tried to sneak against the enemy. Forgot to write about this in reasons to love mugiwaras - Nami”-post but this is definitely a sign of Nami’s character development because just like Pernanegra reminds us in his post, Nami did ditch Zoro and left him all alone against Baroque Work members Mr 1 and Miss Doublefinger back in Alabasta or when she openly said in Fishman Island that she is scared while hiding in Franky’s tank. Things have changed, now she is more ready to face enemies from her own will in order to make sure everything is ok. 

3. Invitation to tea party and Sanji disappeares

Since they got surrounded by Capone and others they are forced to go into his castle (seriously that DF power still is kinda creepy). This is where Oda-sensei finally tells us why Sanji left so suddenly and this is what definitely shook part of the fandom, the invitation for Sanji that came as a surprise for everyone.

After the shocking declaration Nami is the first one to react asking what’s going on but Sanji remains silent. He is probably quiet because they revealed his last name, something what he wanted to forget and knows that his family has something to do with this case. Maybe it’s because of the shock but unlike the expectations Sanji is not mellorine after hearing about  the marriage, instead of that he actually dislikes it a lot, even hates it. 

His reaction might sound odd from the first hand since we know that he is a quite a hopeless romantic who always dreams about ladies but if we think about the post about marriage @namibean wrote a while ago this might make sense because as she said, marriages in One Piece have been represented as a opposite to term freedom and this is excactly what Sanji will lose if he marries Pudding. I don’t know whether he knew it from the very beginning but marriage would tie him down to either BM Pirates or to Germa66 and this would mean bidding a farewell to his dream of finding All Blue with Straw Hats and so on.

This has been pointed out in numerous posts but I still find it a very interesting that Nami is highlighted a lot in this disappearece case maybe even more than usual. She shows lots of interest in first hand and keeps on digging information. When they heard about Sanji’s origin Nami brings up something that has happened more than 2 years ago, before time skip: Remember in Jaya when they tried to find gold from Norland’s territory? Nami told to Chopper to dig out as much as he can but after hearing Sanji mention about his origin she tells Chopper to stop the search. It almost feels like Sanji’s story was more interesting for her at the moment than gold what could indicate also to that fact that she might not be as greedy as she looks. 

Nami’s flashback to Jaya could be another remarkable parallel to Fishman Island where Sanji brought up something Yosaku said linked to Nami’s past. This does not only mean both of them have really detailed memories but also that both have paid a really good attention to the necessary things back then.

Sanji still refuses to take part to this tea party. He makes it very clear that marrying a girl he doesn’t even know is ridiculous. Like Pernanegra said, even though Sanji is known to be a womanizer and “a dirty minded ero kappa” he still have some principles. The response is not ok for Capone who tightens up the situation by threatening Nami. Mangastream version says “As you can see, I won’t need to hurt you for you go to the tea party”  We don’t know how much Capone knows about Sanji but at least he managed to hit the nail on the top. Sanji is reacting immediately to see Nami sinking down by Capone’s DF powers

One of the biggest mysteries in this arc is that what Vito whispered into Sanji’s ear. It’s something we still don’t know for sure but my guess is that it has something to do Nami. Not maybe anything straightly related to her but possible that it’s something that affects her as well. Anyways, she is very curious but confused about it.

After Vito’s words Sanji makes the decision and goes for the tea party. He writes a letter to his captain and rest of the crew. Another interesting detail is that he gives the letter to Nami, not to Brook who is his first mate or to Chopper. Really hard to say the reason but maybe he gave it to her was because she is the one he has known the longest among the Curlyhats or if he thinks she is the closest person he can trust (don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Sanji does not trust Chopper or Brook ! but maybe he feels like Nami could take the best care of the letter). This is a bit out of topic but I love how Oda made that panel so intimate for them, even though they are surrounded by the enemies and in the anime episode  Toei highlighted them in that hugging scene.

After the hug he throws his nakama out of Capone’s castle but they want him to go too. It might be just Nami’s tendency to become highly distressed if someone she likes is in danger but she is really worried and wants him out as well. Not talking about romantic aspect when I used the word ‘like’ because she does not only become stressed about her crew mates but also other people she becomes attached, for example she was very worried when rescuing the kids in PH etc. 

Sanji tries his best to comfort them and he gives them a smile telling there is nothing to be worried about, just before the doors to Capone’s castle closes. Nami reacts with two exclamation marks, Brook is pretty much speechless as well and Chopper is in edge of tears.

In manga Capone with his castle tank disappears into woods and the rest of the Curlyhats are left behind calling for Sanji but animation team decided to make it even more dramatic. Intended or not Toei made Nami run after Capone but unfortunately she has to give up and she collapses to the ground and probably keeps yelling Sanji’s name (or something like “noooo”/”come back” etc.). Pernanegra made another good discover but Sanji’s smile might have reminded her of Bellemere who also flashed a smile before the tragedy. This could be one reason why she reacted so strongly to his farewell and why she wants him back so eagerly. No doubt she does not want to lose another important person from her life and she is aware that Sanji is in danger. 

4. Building up the Retrieval team

Then we move to present where Brook sings about Master Nekomamushi . Lyrics are pretty simple but pernanegra was wondering whether the lyrics could’ve gotten inspiration from Sanji’s farewell. Brook told he does not know Nekomamushi and only imagined how he could be. This is pure guessing but what could link Sanji to lyrics is that he decided to face his problems alone.  

Nami’s reply to Luffy’s question about marriage is surprisingly laconic and I don’t think this is usual for her (mostly she always have a answer to questions but now she seems not to have one). It may also be her posture and the size of the panel why her answer catches the eye easily. Like pernanegra said she might be unsure because of thinking of future and how Sanji’s marriage would change the relationship between him and his crew mates.  Now the Crew acknowledge that Sanji went from his own will.  We’ve been writing how Sanji and Nami has been able to read each others minds and actions during their adventures in New World but this time things are different. Maybe one of the reasons that Nami feels so unsure and has a troubled expression is because no matter how logical she tries to think she can’t find reasonable reasons what could explain why he decided to go. This is the first time she isn’t able to understand him and it bothers her.  

Robin tries to comfort the others by saying they shouldn’t blame themselves. She can relate on Sanji because she has gone through similiar situation when she was about to leave the crew.  Zoro however is having a different opinion. Because he witnessed in Thriller Bark how Sanji does not want to be trouble for his nakama marimo is very upset to find out that Sanji has underestimated his friends who were ready to go after him.  He is also mad because Sanji’s disappearence ‘messed up’ the Kaido plan and he makes his opinion very clear. 

Nami’s reacts very strongly to Zoro’s arguments. She is furiously taking Sanji’s side and telling that accusing him is wrong because Sanji did not intentionally end up in his mess. It’s understandable why Luffy is following their argument from aside and does not intrude. After seeing and realizing how important this seems to be for Nami he decides to go after their cook. 

Nami goes to see Pekoms with Carrot, Luffy and Wanda. She is really curious and wants to know more so she can finally understand his reasons. When they hear about Vinsmokes she seems to overreact when hearing that Sanji is linked to ‘evil’ people. When she finally learns why Sanji was leaving she realizes that there was nothing she could do even though she would’ve wanted because the main reason is that BM is blackmailing him extremely. 

When Luffy tells that he is going alone with Pekoms Nami feels a bit surprised and upset. She always thought that the crew would form a retrieval team and Luffy going alone would mean that she would be counted out from plan and this was something she did not expect, especially when she has been constantly talking what they are going to do with Sanji-kun.

When story keeps on rolling and they find out about raftels.  She shows there few moments of self-confidence and one of them is when telling that she will protect Robin no matter what. Oda made Nami burst in flames swearing that she will do bad things if anyone lays their finger on Robin. Intended or not this fiery detail looks like a nice parallel to Sanji because he is usuall the one who sets in fire (for example hell memories). 

Later Luffy is ready for some parties but Nami tells that there is no time for it.  She acknowledges the fact that every minute counts. Nami also tells that she is coming and gives him another reason to join the retrieval team. Even though they were mainly able to come over of the thoughts of guilt she is still feeling that she is responsible for his disappearence and seeing her already being eager to get him back makes me feel that she definitely is worried about him and why wouldn’t she be worried? 

Remember how distressed she was when Robin disappeared they had only little time to find her? Of course these are different cases with different backgrounds and reasons but there are some similarities and as said, it’s in Nami’s nature to become so stressed when it’s about her nakamas.

Like pernanegra said, this situation about Luffy thinking food and fun before the rescue is by the way really similiar to one that happened in Skypiea and it is another parallel because we can see Sanji telling Luffy that there is no time to waste and they have to find their navigator.

Now the have built the Sanji retrieval team that includes Brook, Chopper, Luffy and Nami and from the Mink tribe Carrot and Pedro joins in as well without to mention Pekoms.  They have now agreed to meet the rest of the Mugiwara crew in Wano, after they get Sanji back. 

Pernanegra summed up this part very well telling that Nami has now done 3 acts or redemption since the New World. First she forgave Jinbei and Fishmen in Fishman Island, then she saved the kids in Punk Hazard  and now she has saved the minks. Most interesting thing is that Sanji has been important part of these missions by standing by her side.

Now that they are dealing with arranged marriage we can see how much Sanji is against the idea and after their ways part Sanji has left his nakamas so many questionmarks about the situation but they learn that he had no other choices. Sanji’s departure has distressed Nami a lot and for many reasons.  Like written above for example she is bothered that she can’t currently understand his motives. However she has been the one who has ‘taken the lead’ and pushing others to focus on finding him and refused to be left out from the retrieval team telling. There is again the theme of responsibility around in this arc. Sanji feels like he is the one who must solve this case “he caused” by himself and Nami has been feeling responsible for letting Sanji go away. 

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1024 - Initial Thoughts

Happy Volume 100 Day! Indeed, Volume 100 officially comes out today, it's a shame we didn't get more of those We Are One segments (just like the Nissin noodle commercials) but it wrapped up nicely

There's also a chapter to deal with though so let's get to it

Spoilers for Chapter 1024, Support the Official Release too!

I forgot to mention the special Popularity Poll colour spreads last time but here's our middle one mainly involving the Straw Hats, Vivi, the remaining Supernovas, Bon, Merry, Woop Slap (seriously how?) and some villains (Crocodile, the rest of Moria and Enel). Sneaky bit of Sabo on the side too who'll be fully displayed in the next spread

Oh Usopp, your braggadocios scamp you. He's spreading Fear of God by claiming some recent KOs are due to his Conqueror's Haki

Also claiming to have defeated 2 of the Tobi Roppo...I mean he contributed at least, maybe word it like 'I fought two of the Tobi Roppo and I'm still standing'

Plus he's riding a very unimpressed Alligator SMILE atrocity XD

Horsealina chan (aka Speed) is back to protect sweet child Tama, as it turns out the KOs are from Big Mom's Conqueror's Haki who's fighting on this floor, which must mean that Law and Kid are taking it to her

Also it's still worth applauding that Nami, Usopp, Speed nor even Tama have succumbed to BM's Conqueror's Haki

Luffy's status is still unknown to the crew though, and Nami does seem a bit nervous about it when asking Franky

Franky's right though, no news is good news because if Luffy was defeated or dead he'd be paraded around by the Yonko

Franky is also making motions to move Nami and Usopp with him to the performance floor, so the crew's gonna be converging soon

Some Heart Pirate action too as they fend off any attempts at enemies intervening on Zoro and Sanji's fight with King and Queen, seems like Law they don't like to be told to do stuff by the Straw Hats either

Everyone's bouncing from the Third Floor too thanks to Maria's arson attempts

Out in a blaze of Yohoho is Brook carrying Robin, but no you're not cremated just yet, need to be ashes for that

Look at Robin so peaceful, as Brook guards over her and also is eager to know how things are going

He calls Jimbei who's on the Fourth Floor with Kid's remaining crew, didn't know Kid has a feral female crewmate

Trust Jimbei to be concerned about the big picture of Kaido, but he also mentions how people are fleeing the castle, is it because of the fight in the Performance Floor or because we've reached mainland?

Showing Kawamatsu defending the line does make me think the former

But back to Yamato vs Kaido now, looks like some parent/child attack tennis

Since we can't avoid it now I know the Vivre Card Databook is saying that Yamato is female but since Yamato is identifying as Oden and was still canonically called Kaido's son I'm gonna continue to use male pronouns for the time being. Don't read too into it okay or leap at me for using the wrong pronoun because it's a can of worms right now and I don't want to be part of it

I mean, come on Yamato it's not like you expected Kaido to take it easy on you when you're trying to stop one of his endgame plans

Flashback time! And that's where the Dragon statue used to be...

Kid Yamato is precious, and also has Conqueror's Haki

Kaido all about not winning any Father of the Year awards, he's been starving Yamato, says if he wants to be Oden then he'd be better off dead, then threw him in a cave for a month

Yamato isn't alone though, there are three master swordsmen samurai in the cave too

And now he entices them, with a serving of food for one and a load of swords to fight over it

And the twisted cherry on the bastard cake: 'But I thought you were Oden', was there ulterior motive though? Oden would be able to inspire the Samurai right? I guess not for his own gain though given how he's treating Yamato

The Samurai grab the swords, but they hand Yamato the food: Samurai don't get hungry...unless they're Kin'emon and Momo, like how Kunoichi don't get hungry unless it's Tama

Full on Tama vibes from Kid Yamato eating their first meal in ages, I see that Oda

Dang then one of the Samurai just cut the chains off of him

Since I was given away on spoilers (like seriously guys use the 'Keep Reading' thing, it's the best way to hide spoilery stuff for those who don't wanna be spoiled) this must be Ushimaru, and he does look like those old Zoro pictures

He also now has an eye injury, but he feels disgraced, probably because he was captured rather than killed

Look at this little baby who is probably 5 foot tall hiding behind Oden's journal and doesn't know how to read yet

Looks like Yamato had 3 Dads, all of them Samurai, who taught him to read Oden's journal so he could fanboy more

10 Days pass and Yamato is weakening, seems like the Samurai feel that Yamato will need to be in the fight

Ushimaru though with the Shimotsuki crest on his back has had enough of prison, the Samurai are busting out and in turn giving Yamato freedom from the cave too

Amanowato, I feel like that's important, but the only thing I can find is a special dance (Amanowato Mai) that's performed on the day of the Annual Festival - October 15th...which is a Friday so maybe...

Back to the present and Yamato asks the tough questions, what right does Kaido have to steal freedom?

But Kaido makes a usual cruel response, there are no easy answers

And then we conclude with a clash of Thunder Bagua

Whooof, lot in that chapter huh?

We've got collective chaos with the Straw Hats as they do as expected begin to converge towards the performance floor, perhaps for the final hold off before Luffy and Momo arrive.

Oda though must've known that we were hoping for a Zoro flashback, because he then gave Yamato one instead XD It was cool to see some supportive people in Yamato's past, but while Yamato4Nakama fans will point that he now has a link to Zoro via Ushimaru we also have to note that Yamato's backstory may not have enough tragedy to be a Straw Hat (I'm joking in this btw, Carrot doesn't either unless the Dukes die but Zoro and Usopp's backstories aren't so tragic either)

Yamato giving me Tama vibes when a child is interesting, I do wonder why we have gone that route other than adorableness, but you can see where his strong admiration for Samurai lies too. Wonder how he got Oden's journal so young though

But yeah, no break which is good, I have a feeling though we'll get one next chapter after the colour spread is finished, 1025 could be setting something up big so Oda can pass out for a few days till giving us fire once again

[neverwatchedonepiece]

630-631: "Explore! A Kingdom of Love and Passion - Dressrosa!" and "Full of Enthusiasm! The Corrida Colosseum!"

Zoro in therapy, thinking about all the times Sanji called him “Moss Head.”

Well, episodes 630 and 631 were a great start to the longest arc in OP history so far. 

Oda has done a good job at creating a sense of place and hinting at the unique culture of the island (toys, anyone?) A new, mysterious and intimidating character has appeared. There is an old, local legend about thieving fairies (I am sure there is more to this than meets the eye). Plus the Temptation of Luffy plot is up and running!

Brook Gently Suggests Assaulting Minors Maybe Isn’t the Best Idea

Sunny has laid anchor! The Strawhats have finally set foot on the island! Well, some of them have.

The first scene in episode 630 was where Oda took time to split up the group. He always does it but in the past it hasn’t been organised with such clinical precision. Usually, something awful happens, or a plot point needs investigated, and they are broken up into teams. This time, Law had a master plan.

Luffy wanted to head straight into town. Law was all for that but warned everyone to remain on guard. If they failed to destroy the SMILE factory, it would ruin their plans. Law tore his vivre card in half and handed a piece to Nami. He warned her if anything happened to them, she had to sail straight for Zou. The vivre card would point there.

He then unveiled a hilarious map that looked like it’d been drawn by a kid with some crayons. One of Law’s crewmates designed it. (I hope it’s not his navigator, lmao.) Courtesy of said map, we now have the lie of the land. Doflamingo’s palace is at the centre of Dressrosa. Law guessed the SMILE factory might be nearby. The Caesar Handover Team - consisting of Law, Robin and Usopp - will travel on foot through Dressrosa and cross the Very Long Bridge north to Green Bit. They cannot travel on foot because Law heard it’s impossible to reach Green Bit by water. (Maybe it’s a rocky cliff coastline all the way round?)

As I have watched other shounen anime before, I have a sneaking suspicion it might take them a Very Long Time to cross the Very Long Bridge. (I am also happy to be proven wrong.)

Staying behind on Sunny to ensure news of whatever happens arrives in Zou are: Nami, Brook, Chopper and Momonosuke. Chopper was not exactly happy about not having Sanji around to protect them. This is it, Chopper! It’s your time to shine. Plus, you have Brook there. You forget how badass he can be.

There was a weird little moment when Luffy got into a funny argument with Momonosuke because Momo wouldn’t fly Luffy into Dressrosa. Luffy (and everyone who watched Punk Hazard) recalled that Momo almost flew out of the garbage dump in a sort of trance. But Momo does not remember that happening at all. And even if he did, he would never do such a dreadful thing again!

Then there was a tiny flashback of a guy with a deep, booming voice reaching out to grab Momonosuke. His only words: “What’s your name?”

I wonder why Momo has a fear of flying? Did this happen to him at Punk Hazard? It can’t have happened in Wano because he wasn’t a dragon then. Who grabbed him? Or who hurt him? Hmmm...

Not sure if it’ll be resolved any time soon because the focus for the rest of 630 and 631 was on the Factory Destroying Team! AKA Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Franky and Kinemon.

BARCEROMA!

Before the plot marched on, the Narrator appeared to give us a handy-dandy summary of Dressrosa: the Kingdom of Love and Passion. 

@meheartonepiece You were right about the Spanish connections here. More specifically, Acacia Port Town gives me Barcelona vibes. The buildings are definitely Gaudi-inspired. There was a ton of seafood dishes on offer. Acoustic guitarists accompanied flamenco dancers in street performances. Even the warren of streets reminded me of the Gothic Quarter. It’s pretty cool. Oda has taken a bit of time to really build a strong sense of place.

And did I mention there is a sizable population of sentient puppets and toys living alongside humans?

Dressrosa: the Kingdom of Love, Passion and Toys.

I get the feeling Perona would love this place. Then again, the toys here can talk back, so maybe not.

Luffy and Franky Don’t Do Dress Codes

Meanwhile, the Factory Destruction Team had made it to Acacia Port Town. Kinemon had come good with extremely sophisticated disguises. Shades, suits and ‘staches. Classic.

They were initially weirded out by the toy population of Dressrosa (a serious-looking teddybear sat reading a newspaper at a pavement cafe, lmao). But Luffy recovered quickly and was like, “Let’s eat!”

As they dived into a nearby bar, Zoro sensed the approach of another. An old, blind dude with wicked facial scars who wore clacky, traditional wooden shoes (geta?) and walked with the aid of a stick. As soon as I saw this guy I thought, “Yup. Here comes a badass.”

Zoro almost drew his sword, but the guy slowly walked past Zoro, then turned and said, “Excuse me, I heard there is a gambling house around here. Do you know where it is?”

Zoro apologised, said this was his first time on the island but that the guy might try the bar across the street.

Inside, the Destruction Team were waiting for their food order. Foxfire was impatient. He did not like all this waiting around! Franky, who is sensible, reminded him they needed intel before making a move. Sanji noticed all the people were oddly calm for a state whose king just abdicated without warning.

“Maybe these people don’t know yet,” Zoro suggested.

Hmm... not sure about that. Maybe they all know he’s up to something. So far, his people are pretty confidence in Doflamingo’s competence as a ruler.

Then the food arrived, along with a strange little local legend. Since it was mentioned twice by Oda, I’m thinking it’ll be important to take note of it.

Sanji asked why one of the dishes was called “Fairy Pumpkin.” The toy waiter who brought it explained that it comes from the Dressrosa legend of the fairy guardians, who used to watch over Dressrosa for years. No one, however, has seen them in years. But that doesn’t stop them pilfering stuff.

Stealing stuff? That is definitely suspicious. Would not be surprised if a real, non-fairy thief is later unmasked in a Scooby Doo moment.

“Y U STEAL MY SWORD??”

“Would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddlin’ Strawhats!”

Or, you know, there is a chance it *could* be fairies.

Might be an Underpants Gnomes type situation.

Step 1: Steal Stuff Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit

But I had no time to dwell on the puzzle of the supposed fairy guardians, as the old guy Zoro encountered swanned back into the action and was the centre of a Really Cool Scene.

This. Guy.

While Luffy and co were tucking into their amazing food (seriously, I am hungry just thinking abouit the lovely food you can buy in Dressrosa), there was a commotion at another table.

The Old Dude had found the gambling table and was running an amazing streak of luck. At roulette, every time he placed a bet, his colour would come up. He had guessed right fourteen times in a row.

Of course, some dodgy characters entered the scene. I knew as soon as I saw them that they existed to have their asses kicked by this guy. A shambling bunch of hype fodders.

They challenged Old Dude to a game and basically cheated him out of the win every single time. If Old Dude guessed white, they’d lie and say it was black. Because Old Dude couldn’t see. So it was alright to cheat him, right?

As Old Dude placed all his chips on a final mega wager, the Fodders were about to cheat. Then a familiar voice piped up, “It’s white.”

Exposed as cheaters, the Fodders snapped, “It’s black, idiot!”

Luffy, monching away on his squid ink spaghetti, repeated himself. “It’s white. Old man, you win!”

Old Dude thanked Luffy for his kindness. Luffy was like, “No bother. I just said what I saw. But why are you even bother with these losers? You look strong.”

When the Fodders attacked, Old Dude tripped one easily. Then a fantastic beatdown commenced.

“It’s no good. Young man, could you stand aside for a moment? I’m going to send these people to hell.”

Ohhhhh, man. 

It was beautiful.

I’m still not entirely sure what actually happened, but Old Dude appeared to slash up the Fodders. Except he didn’t. There wasn’t a mark on them. But as he walked, a mysterious pressure forced them downwards, with such intensity it cracked the floor and they plummeted into a huge hole.

Zoro wondered if Old Dude was a Devil Fruit eater.

I’m wondering if that alone was the power of his haki.

At any rate, Old Dude made a swift exit, handed the maitre-d’ a card to where he could send the repair bills (nice guy). He seems to be Mega Famous, as the maitre-d’ recognised his name instantly. Sanji spotted it too. “Is this guy Extraordinarily Infamous, or something?”

Alas, his name was not revealed. But I have a suspicion Old Dude has seen through Luffy’s disguise, as he said it wouldn’t be a good idea to let slip his identity, “For the sake of both of us.”

Is he friends with Rayleigh, or something? Maybe a pirate? I actually have no idea. Maybe he’s just looking into events on Dressrosa and will be a temporary arc ally (like Vivi in Alabasta).

The Temptation of Luffy

Again, I did not have time to dwell on the mystery of Old Dude, as the Fairies had been hard at work during the chaos of the fight.

Everyone in the place had been robbed blind. Their reactions were quite strange. “Oh, well. If the Fairies did it, we’ll just have to forget about all your valuable stuff.” 

Are you serious? I’d be charging straight after them!

And Zoro agreed with me because Shusui had been taken. Luckily, he spotted it tied to a sack that was halfway out the window. Of course, Zoro took off. Kinemon ran after him, “RETURN THE PRECIOUS NATIONAL TREASURE OF WANO KINGDOM!” and Sanji tore after both of them because they DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO LET ZORO WANDER (lmao).

Within minutes, Kinemon lost Zoro and Sanji but was being watched from a dark alleyway by a guy with a gold, spiky helmet.

Luffy was inches away from joining the chaos, but Franky held him back. He had an idea. I’m not sure if it turned out to be the best one, or not, but it certainly moved the plot along (thanks, Franky!)

Luffy and Franky grabbed one of the Fodders and dragged him down another dark alleyway for an... informational interview.

“You’re working under Doflamingo, yeah?” Franky demanded.

“So what? You think you can mess with the Young Master on Dressrosa and get away with it?”

Franky punched the wall above him with just enough force for the guy’s life to flash before his eyes (probably).

He spilled what he knew. He remembered going after a few Samurai but had no knowledge of SMILE. He’d never even heard of it. Franky and Luffy guessed this guy was such a Fodder he wasn’t high-ranked enough to be in the know. So the next step was finding a few who did occupy such high office.

It turned out the Corrida Colosseum (where Diamante is the local hero) was having a special event. All the high-rankers, the great and the good would be there. Doflamingo had offered up a special prize. Everyone wanted it.

I knew even before the Colosseum commentator revealed it that the prize was Ace’s fruit.

This is cool.

Doflamingo is laying the bait, knowing Luffy won’t be able to resist.

And Law isn’t there to guard Luffy against temptation. 

He’s going straight for that apple in paradise, isn’t he?

We all know that look. That is not a good look.