#<- for the part about sabo

[namisweatheria]

I started this young asl fic the other day and immediately had to exit because of how ooc I thought young Luffy was. Or rather, maybe, how I felt the author doesn't know what it's like to have older brothers.

It was just... okay I don't want to give any identifiable details so just suffice to say. There was a moment were Luffy was afraid of something, and his older brothers being there, saying they'll protect him, sleeping right next to him, wasn't enough to put his mind completely at ease.

And just... There's this moment, in canon, where, I think it was after Sabo died, Luffy was looking up at Ace's back. And despite being so small, still a child, Luffy was even smaller, so from his perspective, Ace looked tall and reliable and strong. it made me tear up immediately, because I recognized that feeling so deeply.

Maybe I'm just projecting, but for me, when I was young, I felt like my older brothers could do anything. Could protect me from anything, even when that didn't make any sense. How can you, when you're just a kid, with all the frustration that entails, not idolize the kid who is confidently paving the way for you, who seems to know everything, to always be the coolest, and the smartest, and the strongest? When you're so little and you feel like you can't do anything, and they're everything you wanna be?

I got so many nightmares when I was little. I was scared of the dark. I was scared of things I saw that weren't there. But my room was at the end of the hall, and to get to it, you had to go past both my big brothers' rooms. Focusing on that, that they were between me and the world, made me feel safer than anything.

I don't know, when he looks up at Ace, I'm just reminded of all that. The way he loves his older brothers, even when they wouldn't give him the time of day, even when they brushed him off meanly, it reminds me of me. The way he's such a youngest sibling in so many ways, the way he changes when they're around, it reminds me of me!

So yeah, I think if Ace and Sabo told him they were gonna protect him, and he could see and hear them sleeping right next to him, Luffy wouldn't be afraid of anything.

[mochiajclayne]

I get it. Gear 5th is fun, whimsical, and the breathing epitome of freedom. He's ridiculous and fights with an infectious smile. But the thing is, Gear 5th visuals look so unsettling. Luffy's red eyes are glowing in the dark and trust me, you don't want a pair staring at you in the middle of the night. Moreover, Luffy doesn't blink in that form (what I observed, at least) so it's like a glowing pair of red eyes staring at you intently while smiling and occasionally laughs in between. It's powerful, too, and it's even an understatement--if you're not gutsy enough, the haki will knock you unconscious. It's strong to the point that it could change the topography where Luffy fights. It's so ridiculous to the point that the ultimate factor of maximizing Gear 5th lies on whimsy. And boy, was it eaten by the perfect person.

[buff-muffin]

I always personally thought that Sabo was a child that was actually rather academically gifted, he had a thirst for knowledge and was a genius at retaining information. The problem was he was never allowed to explore topics of his own interest, so when he ran away and started living on his own he started reading any and all books on whatever topic he could find in the Grey Terminal. And when he, Ace and Luffy teamed up they would steal from bookstores. (idk I feel like Goa wouldn't have libraries. I mean free knowledge?? in GOA??? nahh)

Of course this was a lot of books on sailing, making boats, wilderness survival in the Grandline and the sorts of things they would need to know as pirates. But he would also try snag books Ace and Luffy would love.

Getting Luffy to actually read a book willingly was impossible but Luffy being a bug boy, would point to every bug he finds and looked at Sabo like "WHATS THAT ONE!?" And Sabo having stolen a huge book of East Blue bugs will flip through and read to Luffy facts about the bug. and its the most excited they have ever seen him about a book. When Sabo got all his memories back he became a walking bug encyclopaedia. I think Ace would be against reading no matter how hard Sabo tried to pitch the stories to him. But Once Sabo was gone and there was a pile of books left in the treehouse to rot, he picked them up as a way of staying connected to his brother.

I think Ace would read a lot of fiction books but keep it rather secret, reading in the evening when Luffy already fell asleep. He wasn't at all very fast at reading at first having to sound out words like he was six, but as he finished one book, a favourite of Sabo's, he read another and another. He got better at spelling, grammar even his handwriting got a little neater. He grew out of fiction when he got older. but leaving reality for a moment to be someone else was something he really savoured when he was a teen. This also ended up saving him as a commander considering all the paperwork he would have to do and thank god his handwriting was at least legible.

[ryumeww]

Thinking thinking about how each of the ASL brothers had such a simple thank you for the others that held so much weight

Luffy thanking Ace and Sabo for saving him from the blue jam pirates, never having doubts in them helping him regardless of how they treated him. Them not understanding why he didn't rat them out to save his own skin and Luffy simply stating that they're friends.

Ace thanking Luffy for loving him after getting in the middle of a fatal attack aimed at him. Finally getting to recognize the love that surrounded him after so long, something that Ace was never able to see up until he was on deaths door for the crime of being alive. Getting to tell the person he swore to live for thank you as his last words.

Sabo meeting his little brother for the first time in twelve years after getting ripped away from him. Luffy essentially breaking down for the first time in two years with someone he thought he lost and apologizing for not being able to save their older brother. Apologizing for being too weak to get him out of the cluster fuck that was Marineford and having him die right in front of him. Luffy bearing his regrets out just for Sabo to thank him for being alive. Like, yes, our brother is gone and that devastated us both. We might never fully heal from the loss but at least you made it out alive and thats all that matters. Telling him that loosing his two brothers without being able to do anything and ending up alone would be the end of the world for him. Thanking him for SURVIVING the hell he went through.

Gosh I'm unwell

[lulu-the-bugaboo]

Ok hear me out

For the longest time I have been against Ace coming back in any way because I thought it would ruin how well-written ASL's tragedy is. But ever since Oda answered that seemingly insignificant question about Sabo a little while ago some false hope has taken over me (and part of me really wants it to come true)

Here is the question for those who haven't seen it:

Seems pretty much like no new information, right? But these questions were supposed to be important and Oda didn't really joke around while answering them. That last line? Imo it has little significance to the main question. I think at the very least this could mean that Sabo inherited Ace's memories (I think it would make sense if it's caused by the fruit but the answer is kinda weird so I'm not really sure. Maybe he doesn't want to make it too clear?)

What I just said seems like the most logical and probable case scenario.

BUT

I have been rethinking about the scenes of Sabo talking about his fire/the fruit like it's sentient. It could just be a coping mechanism like we have always thought (and if the memory thing I just mentioned is true thatvwould make extra sense.) Part of me wonders if he really is seeing Ace now that he has the fruit? Like maybe as some sort of ghost? In the omake after Sabo wakes up from his dream where he managed to save his brothers he does so crying and Koala points out that he's been having that same dream and crying about it for everyday these last two years. And theeen after he gets mad at her he calms down and says that Ace is angry at him. Wouldn't it make sense if he still has the dream since he's been having it for so long but now that Ace is (in some way) there he wouldn't like that?

At first I saw this as a sign that the ghost thing logically can't be true since if Sabo is still crying about Ace after dressrosa then surely he isn't seeing him in any shape or form. However me rethinking it led to what I said above.

I don't ever want Ace to fully come back because that would just be straight up bad writing. But hell if I wouldn't love him just being a ghost that only Sabo can see. We can finally get that Sabo/Ace interaction and it wouldn't really undo the stuff with Luffy either. And it would also be really interesting lore wise.

I mainly think I'm just delusional and bored tbh lol

Edit: tpThe only oart of this post I still strongly believe in is the memory thing but I'll keep it just in case lol.

[pippin-pippout]

I just watched MelonTeee's video on Ace and Worth and man the internal debate I have with myself on whether I agree with the choice or not...

Her video explains the fandom's love for the character so well, as well as why the tragedy hit so hard. For me personally I have not been that affected by a character death in a LONG time.

And I understand it from a certain narrative perspective – mainly how Ace's past continues to feature in the story a decade later, and Whitebeard's line that someone would carry Ace's flame, because that clearly describing Luffy. He goes after the mera mera no mi and finishes what Ace started in Wano.

But there are two major narrative reasons given for Ace's death that I disagree with. And are largely why I think it shouldn't have happened, and also why the death has hit me so hard.

This is going to get long, but I would really love to hear everyone's thoughts on it if you choose to read!

To give Luffy the push he needed to be stronger: I am pretty confident this is Oda's stated reason (in addition to Oda wanting to prove he could kill characters which I guess he said at one point and which is bleh given the level of injury a character sustains seems to have nothing to do with whether they die or not lol it's just what the author wants to happen). Anyway. That push already happened on Sabaody when Luffy lost everyone to Duma. He was HELPLESS. More helpless than he was through most of marineford. And when Rayleigh convinces Luffy to do the 2 years training, Rayleigh only brings up their epic defeat on Sabaody. He does not bring up marineford or Ace's death as a reason Luffy needs to get stronger. Because Luffy did not need that reason. The only argument I can think of is that maybe once he landed on Amazon Lily, and he realized the strawhats were likely alive, the terror he felt on Sabaody abated slightly. And therefore maybe he needed a reminder of what "loss" truly is to re-motivate him. However, I don't think that is really fitting with his character or the story.

Ace's dream was fulfilled: Oda has talked about the reason he doesn't kill villains is because not having your dream fulfilled is a worse fate than death. I think part of the tragedy of Ace's death was that his dream wasn't fulfilled. Even for those who accept his last words - that he had only one regret which was not seeing Luffy accomplish his dream - the amount of time he got to live with that dream was literally the last moments of his life. But I don't think just because you die with no regrets, does not mean your dream is fulfilled. Especially when Ace never truly internalized what his dream was. His final choice to turn around showed HOW MUCH he still was that lonely, scared little kid he was at 10 despite his warm smile and his growing family. The most heartbreaking part of the flashback was not Sabo's death. It was watching Ace asking the question "do I deserve to exist?" and giving all his devotion to those who said yes. It was him making the exact same decision he would make 10 years later, to refuse to run, because he felt like if he ran he would lose everything and Luffy was standing behind him. Ace's final words do more than state he has no regrets. He also gives the answer to the question he'd asked Garp, and that Garp had said only his actions could decide. Ace died thanking Luffy and his family for loving him despite the "worthless" or "good for nothing" person he was. Ace was moved to tears to hear his family emphatically saying "YES. You do deserve to live! We want you to live!" But Ace never actually believed it. His last words were a reflection of gratitude for the love he was given that he didn't feel he deserved. And thus his final answer to the question "Do I deserve to exist?" was no.

That he was too "good" This is kind of the most upsetting one I've heard (thankfully not a lot) and also the one easiest to dismiss. Ace, being the actual son of the pirate king, being super powerful, growing in strength and reputation faster than Luffy (debatable), put him narratively in competition with Luffy. What I mean by that is it positions him as too much the golden character, the mary sue, the typical protagonist, when One Piece is about Luffy's story, not Ace's. I disagree with the premise of seeing Ace's character that way. But also even he was "that" character, it's pretty clear Ace's dream would have taken him to becoming Whitebeard's heir - whose dream it was to build a family - while Luffy is Gol D Roger's heir. So Ace's journey would have supported the main story of One Piece and also be narratively satisfying.

---

What Was Ace's Dream?

The dreams Ace stated out loud were more reflections of his actual, deeper dream. "I want to be the king of the pirates" - because he wanted to prove his existence and his worth to the world. Which switched to "I want to make whitebeard the king of the pirates" - because Whitebeard loved him despite his blood, and so even if that wasn't what Whitebeard wanted, it was how Ace understood he could repay Whitebeard.

Both of those stated dreams get back to this question he'd been asking his whole life - that of worth. Worth and Love, which, for Ace's character, are inseparable.

For Ace's dream to truly be fulfilled, it's not enough for him to accept he was loved – which he did on the scaffolds, crying from happiness – he had to believe he was worth that love. He had to love himself.

Ace died with that dream tragically unfulfilled.

---

The Purpose of One Piece

Of course the decision to kill Ace makes the story more realistic and of course it is heartbreaking, tragic, moving, and obviously inspires deeper discussion.

However, what rankled me from when I first learned about his death, which was way before I was even introduced to the character in Alabasta, was that he is the only character of the younger generation (outside of flashbacks) to die.

Honestly when I first heard Ace was one of the only characters to die, I was just worried it would make him seem weaker or stupider than every other character, which is a personal pet peeve of mine. Luckily for most fans, it didn't do that.

Instead, what wound up upsetting me was how it seemed to contradict the purpose of the story that is One Piece (at least what I think the purpose is). In doing so, it opposes the meaning that many fans find in this absurd, ridiculous, inspiring, heartfelt, heroic tale about a boy made of rubber.

One Piece is an escapist story about a boy named Luffy who inspires every good guy he meets to pursue and achieve their dream. It's also about Luffy beating up every bad guy who punishments are that they cannot fulfill their morally reprehensible dreams.

Because of Ace's premature death, he is the only good guy character in the main timeline who does not get to pursue his dream. And what's extra tragic is that he is also one of the most deserving of seeing his dream fulfilled.

[mooneln0ne]

Here is the 2nd part!! Ty for being sooo patient :]

[beanghostprincess]

I've been thinking for a while about why I like Sabosan so much as a ship (even though I don't talk much about them. My mistake, honestly. I should do it more). Because we all know that out of the ASL brothers, Ace and Luffy are the ones who seem to make more sense when it comes to shipping them with Sanji. But there's just something about Sabosan that makes me go insane...

(Long post)

Lusan is quite obvious: Captain x His cook. Cook who starves as a metaphor for selflessness and who's always giving instead of taking x Captain who devours the whole world because he appreciates selfishness and freedom but is willing to starve to save his cook. Careless x Anxious. Sun x Ocean. Both are always sacrificing themselves but Luffy is at least aware of the value of his own life while Sanji sees himself as dispensable. They both work so well together because Luffy sees Sanji as kindness itself and what a cook truly needs to be (keep in mind that food is crucial for OP's story and it represents happiness most of the time) and he makes him want to seek freedom and his own desires. Sanji is a dreamer and he's hopeful yet extremely pessimistic when it comes to his persona, and Luffy is equally as hopeful but he despises his nakama seeing himself as unworthy of being in his crew. They both get each other's weaknesses and strengths and, okay, Luffy might not truly get Sanji completely but he doesn't need to as long as he sees the kindness in him and realizes everything he does, he does it for others. While Sanji sees Luffy as an escape from the prison he's always been locked in. My beloveds. Perfect dynamic (not going to make a whole analysis because I already talk about them enough here).

The thing is, Ace is also a perfect match for Sanji for a lot of reasons: You see, I think we can see a lot of similarities between them, especially the ones Luffy can't understand by himself but can link to both. Ace's way of dealing with depression and self-deprecation is to lean on his brothers and find a reason to live on them. If they love him, then at least it will have been worth it being alive. The same thing goes for Sanji, I think. It's not that he's actively suicidal. I don't think either of them seeks death, but they do think about it a lot and what the world would be like without them. Sanji sees himself as dispensable while Luffy can't believe a word he's saying, but Ace? Ace understands. He's been years thinking he shouldn't be alive. That he was a mistake. And the same thing goes for Sanji, growing up in a family that constantly told him he shouldn't exist and even faked his death. Once again, same thing with Ace and hiding his identity from the world. Ace knows he's loved, even if he has a hard time admitting why people like Sabo and Luffy would love him. But they do. It's a fact, even if it's hard to believe. And he keeps going thanks to their love and to protect them. Ace, although his personality might seem cocky and selfish and careless at first (which it is, but you know), he's extremely selfless when it comes to the people he loves. He literally lives thanks to them. Sanji basically does the same thing. Both of them cope with sabotaging themselves and they don't really value their lives unless it's someone else (cof cof Luffy cof cof) the one giving them a reason to keep going. I think Acesan works great as a ship because, from a more psychological point of view, like- Ace was born to be a brother. His whole character is created and introduced as Luffy's brother. Of course, he's more than that, but his chill and laid-back personality with sprinkles of emotional maturity only comes from growing up too fast because he desperately needed to take care of his little brother. Sanji desperately needs that type of connection with somebody and instantly feels attracted to protective people because he has never been protected before. Sanji has only been hurt by his brothers, so of course it's natural that he's astonished when he sees Ace for the first time being oh so kind and loving to Luffy. That's what he wanted. And it makes his heart melt instantly. Besides, going for a more personality thing here, Sanji is pretty repressed (when it comes to his memories. His gender. His sexuality. His feelings) while Ace (although he hides a lot of issues) is wayyy more proactive when it comes to what he wants. Sanji is scared to walk on earth, and Ace takes the world as his personal playground because he wants to be something that people remember that won't include mentioning his father. He wants to do something for himself. And talking about fathers, even if their daddy issues aren't the same, they both have grudges. And you know what else they have in common? Their gorgeous, blonde, dead mothers who died for them. Instant bond. They fit perfectly.

Now, about Sabosan:

If we're starting with the things they have in common, this is gonna be a wild ride. Both are nobles born in a family that absolutely did not love them but wanted them anyway for different (failed) purposes. They both escaped from those families but people thought they were dead for a long time, and their parents easily just found a substitute for them without caring much about what happened. Saying they have trauma is an understatement. They both escape from those lives completely, form new bonds with new people, and start a family somewhere else. And then they have to deal with that again and, not only that but suffer from the beautiful survivor's guilt that comes from not being able to save their siblings. I know Sabo's survivor's guilt is even worse because his bond with Ace was way stronger, but I think there's a part of Sanji who feels awful for Reiju and what she chooses to be a part of when she's actively different from their brothers too. Once again mentioning the self-sabotaging behavior and self-sacrificing acts because they're extremely selfless and have strong morals that lead them to these things. It's fundamentally different because I think Sanji is way more of a feeler than Sabo, but-- But the core of their personalities really is being extremely protective of the things they love and their ideals. It's not only the fact that they could bond over their pasts (and could easily be the only people understanding each other completely) but also the fact that their personalities fit perfectly. They balance each other. They're not the most mentally stable people in the world, but I think Sanji's issues are more similar to Ace's, and Sabo would know how to handle them. While Sanji is a natural caretaker and would not hesitate to take care of Sabo's breakdowns and episodes (because, sue me for being realistic, I think this guy has a personality disorder and depressive episodes and a bunch of other stuff. Just like Sanji, really. I mean- To me they're a very people pleaser BPD haver who has probably an eating disorder and anxiety x very overprotective Bipolar insomniac with memory issues. Maybe that's just me and my headcanons).

I am not going to be a nerd about them. But I am going to be a nerd about them. *pulls out MBTI profiles*

Sanji prioritizes connecting with other people. He's extremely empathetic and his core needs are to be liked and to help others. His ideals are focused on the suffering of others and how to help them. He's very structured when it comes to what he wants to achieve, but he often puts others before his own needs instead of actually taking what he wants, and that affects him negatively. Not to mention his sense of depersonalization and hatred towards himself and where he comes from. And how that makes him sabotage himself and think he's not worthy of the love people offer him. This is kind of exactly what Ace goes through too and that's why I think Sabo would be able to help him. He's loyal and trustworthy and he would do anything for his loved ones and morals. Something that, again, matches Sabo completely. His sense of ethics is very intense and focuses mainly on empathy. He seeks love, attention, and praise from others. And he's also extremely hopeful for his dreams. He never stops believing in the All Blue or Luffy, just in himself. Which shows his sense of trust and loyalty but also his low appreciation towards himself.

Sabo, on the other hand, is a more meticulous person. I know he seems like he loses control often, but he doesn't follow his feelings as much as it looks. He's more logical and he doesn't follow what he wants but what he thinks it's right for others and society. That being said, he also will do whatever the fuck he wants if he feels like it because he's chaotic like that. He has very strong morals and focuses on finding solutions to the world's problems. Instead of focusing on one thing, he sees the whole picture and specializes in many things at once and chooses what to fight for instead of following his feelings. He often has to make difficult choices regarding his loved ones, and even if he would do anything if Luffy was in trouble when it comes to the greater good, he doesn't hesitate to do what's more reasonable regarding his ethics. However, he has a strong sense of protection and his anxiety also is a huge part of his personality, so that's pretty much when he loses control. He feels mostly responsible for what happens around him and always wants to be the one in control and fears losing the ones he loves.

The main difference between them, I'd say, is that Sabo is pretty much revengeful and his personality has a strong part of hatred towards humanity and the ones who have hurt him and society. His whole thing is fighting against them, too. Unlike Sanji, who even if he is able to hate people, he doesn't seem to be able to actually hurt them in a meaningful way because his kind personality makes him unable to do so (unless the people he's fighting go against his morals. Like having hurt a woman or wasting food or whatever). Not that Sabo isn't kind, but he knows how to stand up for himself and his morality and he can tell perfectly between right and wrong in a very black-and-white sense, while Sanji (even if he goes to extremes quite a lot) lets himself be used and he doesn't harm others the way they harm him (not to confuse with "played with" because Sanji is not that easily manipulated. He knows what's going on all the time. He just lets himself be used if it will protect the ones he loves or if it goes against his kindness and morality).

So I think (and this is the part where I explain how this relationship would work) that Sabo would be able to protect Sanji. It's not that Sanji needs protecting because at the end of the day, he can fight back and he can stand up for himself, but that's only when it comes to fights that don't have to do with him personally and only with his morals. Sabo has a very calm facade. A very gentleman-like personality, even if he's still as chaotic as his brothers. But he's more gentle. He's softer, too, in a way, because he analyzes what people need. He approaches things in a very protective but soothing way. Like, he could burn disgusting men alive for Sanji, turn around at him and say everything's fine and Sanji would straight-up believe him and then blush uncontrollably and then hit him for being reckless. In that order. I don't think Sanji likes feeling weak, because he has this thing in common with Sabo in which he doesn't like not being in control. But I think he needs this. He needs to be held and taken care of sometimes. He needs to let himself be weak around others. And Sabo wants somebody to protect because he couldn't do it with his siblings. I think Sabo would be gentle and patient with Sanji while also bringing silliness and the typical brightness the ASL brothers have in common. He'd be chaotic with him and Sanji would definitely get mad at him for stealing food or wanting to do the deed (keeping it safe for work my pals, but yeah, Sabo would be horny 24/7 and would not let Sanji cook. He wants to fuc-) while he's busy. But! But also Sabo would take care of him and would analyze the patterns. He would notice when he eats. What he eats. If he eats at all. He would worry about his sleep schedule and whether he's overworking himself or not (because surprise! He does the same thing). And Sabo would also love every part of him and have such deep hatred for the ones who have hurt him. I think Sabo would want to take revenge but Sanji would strongly refuse and Sabo would absolutely love that about him. "You're better than me, I would've set your family on fire. But this is what makes you so kind" type of thing. Basically, Sabo is fucking batshit crazy but he's silly and kind and talks like a revolutionary French man in the 18th century and Sanji loves him. Also, Sanji has a history with craycray people because Pudding is not okay mentally either and look at him, being down bad. Sabo loves Sanji for the same reasons Luffy does, he's just kindness itself and Sabo is so full of hatred that he truly, really needs somebody like him.

And Sanji? Sanji just absolutely loves how protective Sabo is. When it comes to his family and his friends and his morals and beliefs. After being surrounded by people who did not care about anything during his childhood and also being extremely scared of ending up being like them, Sanji appreciates that strong sense of protectiveness and the humanity that comes with loving something/somebody so much. That's what Sanji needs, basically. Sanji likes that Sabo is caring and gentle and always keeps an eye on literally everyone and everything. He likes the brightness and joy that comes with Sabo too, because he might be calculative but he's also impulsive when it comes to his needs and likes. Luffy might be the representation of liberation in a godly way, but Sabo is the realistic personification of freedom. And as much as I love Lusan and making religious imagery metaphors, I think those fit Zolu way more because Sanji needs to be realistic with this and Sabo is the one who can make him see life this way. He would also care a bit too much about Sabo's health because everyone knows it's fucked up and he's willing to die if it's for the revolution. It's not like he doesn't appreciate his life, in fact, he does. He knows he is crucial to society and can't die. But if it's for the greater good he would leave Sanji and Koala and Luffy behind and die. He doesn't want to do that to them and he'd desperately try not to because he values his worth, but... Y'know. It's not that he doesn't care about living, but he cares too much that he ends up hurting himself and overworking. And Sanji does that too, but seeing it from the outside with an empathetic personality like his is just... Painful.

So while Sabo shows Sanji how to be free and feels hatred for the both of them, Sanji is the kindness in the world Sabo is looking for and gives him something to put his mind at ease when it's filled with demons. And also, they get each other's pasts and trauma on a fundamental level that not a lot of people do.

I don't know how their relationship could start, really, but it could happen in a simple way such as: Sabo pays a visit to the crew (fuck the timeline btw, choose whichever arc you like or just ignore canon) and meets Sanji. Offers to help him cook (fails because he fucking sucks at cooking and he just wanted to help and actually he just ends up flirting with him and eating the ingredients) and stays with him to clean the dishes (something he can't do either because he won't stop talking and being overly distracted). And Sanji just- He's just so similar to both Ace and Luffy but in a more mature and gentle way, somehow? He brings peace to him but there's just something wrong with him deep inside Sanji can't quite catch, but feels connected to. Like they both just get each other, pretending they're fine but knowing they're not and also just enjoying each other's presence. Sabo feels captivated by the cook because he feels like there's just so much more he's hiding from him, and Sabo has always liked analyzing every little thing (<- writer behavior. We as a society need to talk more about how Sabo wants to be a writer canonically). Maybe Sabo starts visiting more often or stays for a while, but the thing is they grow closer because they keep wanting to know each other more. Perhaps a fight against some marines happens and Sabo goes full protective of him or Luffy and Sanji is extremely turned on by that (who wouldn't after seeing Sabo break skulls like eggs). And maybe they end up fucking, and it's not rough, but it's not extremely soft either? It's the perfect mix of possessiveness and care and somehow Sanji still feels in control all the way through. And I don't want to mention the cigarette of doom but Sabo lighting up Sanji's cigarette for him would be extremely intimate but also would make Sanji worry because every time this happens, he ends up creating a strong bond with that someone and something goes wrong. So they like each other a lot but there's always this layer of anxiety? Like they care too much for the other to say what they are but they refuse to lose each other. And Luffy either keeps telling Sabo to not still his cook or teasing Sabo for liking his cook, no in between. But yeah, let's make them go into a relationship:

Clingiest mfs on planet earth. Can't stand them. Sanji is down bad and is turned on by every little thing Sabo does but also can't stand him when he gets annoying and ends up yelling at him like an angry housewife. Sabo often takes that as flirting and starts teasing him more, being really into PDA and also being extremely soft. Sabo says the most romantic things in the world and expects Sanji not to fall for him??? Okay. But it's not only Sanji who blushes because then he keeps feeding Sabo his favorite food and smiling at him and Sabo suddenly feels dumb and weak in the knees and has the need to laugh like a high school girl in a rom-com. Sabo is extremely possessive and I think as a fandom we all agree on that, but it's not even in a toxic way. Sanji likes it. Let them be like that. And as I said, they'd take care of each other when one is overworking himself or having nightmares or not being able to sleep or function properly. They'd be each other's anchors and they would completely understand the other.

I don't know, I just think they fit perfectly <3 Killer Queen and Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy? Yes. Anti-Hero and Mastermind? Yes. Sky x Ocean? Of course, fuck other dynamics, this one hits different. They mean the world to me 🩵💙🩵💙🩵

To end this, I gotta say that they also look extremely hot together. I think the post would've been shorter if I just said I want both of them to kiss because it would look good, but I love analyzing the shit out of my favorite characters.

Tagging my awesome mootie @tinukis because he gave me the idea for a Sabosan analysis!!!! Thought you might be interested <3 Also, here's the post that made me think about it !!!!

[eustasskiddsprosthetic]

Here's a thought. I'm not sure if this is considered a mafia au or whatever but this is the best thing I've thought of.

One day, Doflamingo brings his gang family to a beachside resort, partly to have a vacation and mostly to encourage Law to network.

It's a diplomatic move to pacify Law after killing Corázon. He expects Law to try to murder him just like Corázon but he would rather Law not try anything so soon. Though, Doffy would rather have that than whatever this was. Doffy swore he taught Law better.

Law refuses to look and be nice. He wears the ugliest merchandise tee shirts and hoodies. He plays his horrible rock music out loud. He dances to upbeat girl group pop songs off beat and wears polar bear floaties to the pool without batting an eye.

And to top it all off, all that attracts the attention of this blond young man called Sabo. Sabo looks like those pretty young boys Greeks back in the day idolise for their beauty and Doffy had seen those before. However, there's something about Sabo...

Doffy is aware that Sabo wants to kill him but there's just something so damned wrong about him. It was not his scars or anything like that... It's his eyes...

He observes them from a distance at first, not wanting to get too close because he doesn't want to offend Law's... delicate, asocial sensibilities. He does not like that he cannot control Law more personally but he must tolerate it.

That said, maybe he need not be so worried. Their first meeting went so disastrously Doffy was sure that Blondie would kill Law first.

The blondie is very obviously into Law. Sexually, yes but also because Blondie wants to get into Law's pants to learn more about Doffy's schemes and kill him.

This is your chance, Law, Doffy thinks with some dread... Blondie really was quite handsome. If Doffy were a bit younger he would've gone for him. Damn you, Law! You don't deserve this.

Blondie swam up to the edge of the pool where Law was sitting. Law dipped his legs in the pool and was kicking it around like a child. He was tapping at his phone. He looked busy, but Doffy knew better. The brat was playing Candy Crush to spite him.

"Hey, handsome," Blondie says, tapping on Law's knee. Law glanced up and blinked. "How are you? It's nice today, isn't it?"

Law learned how to read lips from Corázon. He nodded with a polite enough smile that did not mean anything.

"Do you want to get away for a minute?" Blondie said. "We can do something else."

Do what? Law signed. Corázon taught him that too. Blondie was caught off guard but signed back, albeit awkwardly, Whatever you want. Law frowned. Surely, Law was silly but not stupid.

Law must have seen the way Blondie's eyes twinkle. He must have seen the way Blondie delicately used his index and middle finger to tuck some hair behind his ear to look coy and delicate. Blondie gave him a sultry smile, where he only showed one row of teeth.

His lips were so nice, so plump and shiny. Nice figure too, toned and clearly a fun-loving person both in life and in bed. His chest was broad, smooth abs and quite tall too. He probably looked good in a suit too... Or lingerie... Law really was a lucky man.

Doffy and Corázon too, actually, taught Law to be disciplined. Theoretically, to prove his loyalty, Law should reject Blondie and move on but Doffy would not blame Law if he accepted.

To his surprise then, Law does... neither?

He leans forward and Blondie thought they would make out. Instead, Law sings, "dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb" while tapping his head. He then stands up, dances off-beat for thirty seconds, apologises for not knowing more and then walks away while humming the rest of the song like that interaction never happened.

Blondie was absolutely flabbergasted, to the point of being offended. Doffy laughed at the murderous look he gave Law. They made eye contact and Doffy laughs harder.

Good fucking luck, young man!

Doffy taught Law well, didn't he!

[skygemspeaks]

Who's gonna write me a one piece au where after everything he sees at marineford, koby deserts the marines and joins up with the revolutionaries and helmeppo follows him like a lovestruck puppy

[bookwyrminspiration]

How did you become a language fanatic?

I've always had a lot of shame and insecurity around linguistic identity being a no sabo kid (spanish heritage speaker who didn't grow up with it), so I tried to compensate via throwing myself into it

In doing so, I started going...hey...holy shit...there are so many different quirks and frameworks to every language...it's like constructing a puzzle (i love puzzles) aligning every piece to communicate something are y'all fucking seeing this?!?

Every language is unique and I want in to all the secret clubs (sans closed languages, of course). So I started studying more languages, and with each one was exposed to more of the vast breadth of intricacies and nuances.

Which made me want to learn more languages and also about language as a whole (linguistics). and talk about language and read about language and and and

So essentially, language has always been very important to me, they interest me, and I'm also pretty good at learning them. from there it snowballed because dude they are so fascinating i can't hear a language I don't know without wanting to dissect it and understand every piece let me in let me innnnn

[stage-39]

when i see you, i really see you upside down

but my brain knows better, it picks you up and turns you around

[moongothic]

Do wanna say, I am actually really curious how Iva-chan would feel if the Dragodile Divorce went REAL BAD

'Cause they didn't know the two were in a relationship at all, right. (Otherwise, like, if Iva-chan knows about Crocodile having a kid then surely they'd realize that would've also been Dragon's kid and like. Understands that's Luffy etc) So as far as Iva-chan understands the situation, Crocodile may have been secretly slightly involved with the Revolutionaries for a period of time, had a kid out of the blue, transitioned, and either immidiately broke ties with the Revs entirely and fucked off to Alabasta, or kept on assisting the Revs in secret (possibly monetarily, being a sugar daddy and all 💰🐊💰) for however long in secret, only to pretty much betray them out of nowhere by attempting to take over Alabasta 17 years later Either way, surely Ivankov would've been deeply confused by this turn of events, right? Like what happened to him, why would Crocodile do any of this?

But if the straw that broke the camel's back and shattered Crocodile's psyche was the Dragodile Divorce going really bad, either from Dragon not being that accepting OR due to things going violent over a miscommunication... How would Ivankov feel about that?

Keep in mind, we've only ever heard Iva-chan talk about Dragon with nothing but adoration and respect. They sincerely hold Dragon in such high regard, can you imagine how badly either revelation could change how Iva-chan's views Dragon? 'Cause like, sure if Dragon's straight then that's one thing, but lashing out at his loved one? When he came out? At what might've been the most emotionally vunerable time of Crocodile's life (between the transing and the baby and having to leave his son forever. Y'know. Heavy shit)? Yeah, frankly speaking, Iva-chan would be completely justified in slapping the shit out of Dragon and giving him some choise words. Perhaps even some 💉 Karmic Punishment 💉 to teach a lesson Feeling disappointed in Dragon would be an understatement. But even if The Divorce happened due to a tragic accident (of Dragon attacking the strange man he has never seen before out of instinct when going to see his wife and child), it's been nearly two whole decades. Have the two even spoken since then? Like presumably not considdering Crocodile didn't even know who Luffy was. So if they haven't spoken at all-- did Dragon ever apologize? Or was he that much of a coward he couldn't face Croc and take responsibility for what he did? If so, that is absolutely pathetic and frankly irresponsible considdering the feelings he would've left Crocodile festering with.

Like either way, I'm deeply facinated how Iva-chan would take the news. How that could impact their relationship with Dragon, as well as how they've viewed Crocoboy for the past few years as well.

Because suddenly Crocoboy didn't just go bonkers out of nowhere, abandon and betray the Revolutionaries to try to do something monstrous for selfish gain. Suddenly, it was Dragon who abandoned Crocodile and left him all alone for nearly two decades, believing obtaining an Ancient Weapon was the only way to take down the World Government. Countless innocent lives that perhaps could've been spared in Alabasta had Dragon just fucking talked to his ex--

Yeah. I'm curious how Iva-chan would feel

[drowning-moonlight]

so Ace specifically learned good manners for the sole purpose of thanking Shanks for saving Luffy??

he's such a sweet brother omg

[sabo-torao]

HELLO??? SABO'S NEW VIVRE CARD GOT RELEASED!!! i don't know what's up with today and all the new content but i won't complain!!!

even if i always feel iffy about vivre cards since their "canonicity" is veeeeery up to debate, i do enjoy finally knowing that sabo's least favorite food is truffle <3 it also makes a lot of sense since it's considered a luxury food and always served at fancy meals... god i love him.

i'm also THRILLED to know that his bounty is currently "unknown". can't wait for that 3+ billion beri bounty hehe

anyway, what striked me the most are the very last lines of the tweet.

"is this checkered fate a coincidence? or perhaps..."

that. if you follow me/know my blog/read my url once you should know exactly what thought process that single sentence prompted.

but putting my rose-colored goggles aside...

i've been thinking about the will of D. often ever since i've started reading one piece, and i have lots of thoughts and theories about it that i don't think i'll ever have the courage to elaborate and share with a wider public outside my own circle of friends. one of those silly thoughts though, i'm willing to share for this particular case.

i think there could be the possibility of the D. being not only connected to bloodlines, but inherited through strong bonds and twists of fate. i know ace and luffy put the D. in sabo's name for fun when they were kids, but how the three's bond is always described to be everlasting, a true example of family and brotherhood...

that "or perhaps" could then signify that sabo is indeed a D., too. which would open up a lot more roads, and prompt a lot more questions about what is the will and how do you inherit it and why.

it's just so interesting! i really hope more will be revealed about it soon!!! especially in relation to sabo!

[embarasseddragon234]

*shaking the narrative*

hey hey heyheyheyheyhey

Hey.

HEY!

My insane theory about Luffy I had at like- the beginning of One Piece isn't TRUE, RIGHT??

we've SEEN his family now!

There is NO WAY he's some sort of Gold Roger clone!

I tossed that crazy theory aside AGES AGO! Before we even met Gaarp! Because there was no evidence cloning existed! I was only half serious about it to begin with!!

*Shakes the narrative harder*

YOU CAN'T JUST INTRODUCE CLONING THIS LATE AND EXPECT ME TO BE NORMAL ABOUT IT!