#Dragon is very much canon and so is Garp

[beaulesbian]

One Piece Live action season 1 + hints or similarities to future One Piece moments (specifically after East Blue saga) - part 1: episodes 1-3

This wasn't meant to be a comparison between the live action and the animanga, but more so seeing these added/modified scenes that differ from the manga, yet with some of the acting/writing includes clues and hints to different and future canon material, or even characterization that necessary doesn't fit East Blue yet, but fits well enough into later arcs.

Luffy not knowing his world directions both in Opla (ep 1) /// Skypiea arc, in anime ep 168. But it could be for honestly any other arc (Funny thing is, in Opla he rang the bell that unfortunately alerted Alvida's crew, and only when I was rewatching that scene it made me connect it with the great Luffy moment at the end of Skypiea.)

The matches that Zoro has on the Island of Sixis in Opla ep 1, possibly manufactured on Baldimore (?), with a name Beast of Baldimore. /// After Sabaody Archipelago Franky was sent to Baldimore by Kuma, finding Vegapunk's homeland and laboratory, and also developing more of his science projects, as well as causing funny incidents, such as the Burning Beast. (It has probably nothing to do with the matches, except for the 'tiger on fire' motif and the name of Baldimore, but the details of Opla are just so fun!)

Zoro's first meeting with Luffy in Opla episode 1 is really different but fun nonetheless, especially with wording of the line that he doesn't want to 'play pirates' with Luffy. It's such a great setup line for his development to truly be one of the very first to understand how much Luffy means everything he's doing /// Zoro in ep. 323 Post Enies Lobby arc, making sure both his crew and the audience know how seriously he takes being part of Luffy's crew and what it means for future arcs.

Opla ep 2, Luffy mentioning Shanks' way of thinking about fighting (or not fighting someone who's not worth it) /// ep. 146 Jaya arc, Luffy saying to Zoro not to fight Bellamy's crew, which was direct influence from Shanks not fighting the Mountain bandits in the first chapters of the manga. It's interesting that for both of these scenes both Zoro and Nami are there to hear this.

This is just a fun bit, but seeing Nami excited about having a bath was cute. Opla ep 3 /// anime ep. 326, just after they get Sunny and everyone was finding out what space there is for them.

Garp and Koby playing the game of Go, Opla ep 3 /// CP0 agents playing Go while discussing the outcome of Strawhats & Oden's crew's raid on Onigashima against Kaido. It seems like a game that maybe Marines play more/enjoy (?) & above, up to CP ranks.

Usopp 'retelling' a story about eating a dragon, Opla ep 3 /// Punk Hazard ep 580, Zoro killing the dragon and planning with Luffy what's the best way to cook and eat it. Lol. In next chapters Luffy was carrying a big chunk of it, seemingly ate a bit part of the dragon already.

This one is self explanatory. Zoro is so gone for Luffy in Opla it's insane. Every time I remember that I get emo. ep 3. /// One of the first really fond smiles that Zoro keeps smiling at Luffy, a mixture of proud and understanding how Luffy works. ep 63, but it's just so much better in the manga, just look at it. Smitten™ (ch. 104)

[beanghostprincess]

TW // Suicidal behavior/tendencies

The ASL brothers deal with suicidal tendencies constantly in different ways and I find it so interesting how little the three of them value their lives for completely different reasons.

Ace is obvious from the very beginning. He has been constantly told that he shouldn't have existed. That he should die. That he is not worthy of living. His whole identity was a secret from the rest of the world because if they knew, they would want him dead. But he knows already that people want him dead, so, whatever. He can't take love from others. And it is not he is actively trying to kill himself but he doesn't value his life at all. At least not until he meets Sabo and Luffy. And he still doesn't value his life much, but he realizes there are people who want him alive. And it is hard for him to believe it, but they do. Ace's journey is a tragedy because he keeps asking himself if he should be alive, constantly fighting against it because he genuinely thinks he shouldn't have existed, and then dying in the arms of his little brother and thanking him for loving him. And he dies because he is too proud and stubborn and it was just obvious that his recklessness would end up killing him somehow. It was not a conscious action but-- Ace knew he was dying that day. Which is extremely sad because he realized he wanted to live seconds before he was killed.

Sabo is just too focused on saving the world. He puts the greater good before him constantly because he quite literally has never known any better. He joined the revs with no memories and no purpose and only hatred for the ones with power. He was raised with love and friends there but-- There is only so much you can do in a place where they teach kids specific ideals and what they should do. And Sabo is happy there and more than glad to be of service, but he doesn't value his life at all. He constantly puts himself in danger, ever since he was a kid, to fight for others. And not even others as 'specific people' but just society and his ideals as a whole. Like he would rather die and kill if that spreads the revolution around. He genuinely doesn't care about dying if he is able to help the cause. I mean-- I think it does change when he meets Luffy again (he is canonically still reckless af okay this is self-indulgent) and realizes he can't let his brother lose him again. But still, he keeps on not valuing his life at all and acting without thinking things through.

Luffy is quite obvious, isn't it? It's not that he doesn't value his life, but he values his life around others. He is a person whose core need is to be with people. He was left alone at a very young age. Dragon left him with Garp and Garp, aside from being an awful role model, wasn't even there much and left the kid alone. The only role model he had was Shanks and he was going away constantly too. Uta basically disappeared from his life out of the blue without explanation. So when he finds Sabo and Ace it is normal that he gets heavily attached to them right away. When he is kidnapped and tortured he doesn't say a word about their treasure because he doesn't want to get in between their dream which-- Is another story. He values people's dreams even above his own life too. But there is also this layer of "If I break the promise of not telling people they will not want me" and it is just-- Pretty fucking sad. Like. Luffy's need to be around people and not lose the ones he loves comes from abandonment issues. Plain and crystal clear. He puts his life in danger constantly to not lose people and when he is alone he doesn't see any reason to keep going. He always finds something, of course, but being alone for him is quite obviously worse than death and he has had those types of thoughts/tendencies before. That is why I love the Baron Omatsuri movie so damn much. It is basically this whole thing.

Ace and Sabo are pretty similar when it comes to not valuing their lives and acting recklessly, but Ace is more on the 'I should not be alive' side of suicidal thoughts and Sabo is more on the 'I don't care if I die' side of self-destructive tendencies. While Luffy is on the 'There is no point in living if I am alone' side of abandonment issues.

I don't mean to go anywhere with this, btw. I just find it interesting how the three of them value their lives so little and end up forming a little family together. They found comfort and love in each other and I think their damaging tendencies keep existing because they are not together anymore. Like. Genuinely. In a Modern AU where the three of them are together their mental health would be so much better because of being next to each other. Ace would struggle with his self-worth but would be constantly reminded every day that he is loved, Sabo would overwork himself but they'd keep him from it being actually damaging, and Luffy would just not be alone at all.

[zombie-eats-world]

So I’ve been thinking about the widespread belief that Luffy wouldn’t give a single fuck about a reveal of his mother. (And I’m a crocodad fanatic so I’ll be treating that like it’s canon but this all should apply to any reveal, Crocodile or not)

This isn’t me trying to hard argue against Luffy not caring about his mother, it’s a huge possibility but I just feel like people say it with a lot of unearned confidence. The belief seems to come from how Luffy reacted to the reveal of Dragon being his dad. And Luffy not caring about a father makes a lot of sense when you consider his experiences. I mean just look at the male role models in his life!

Garp comes and goes as he pleases, just showing up to knock him in the head, share a meal, and then disappears. Shanks was much the same until he left for literally the last time Luffy would ever see him to date. His male figures leave him to follow their own passions, even Ace did the second he came of age. And Luffy isn’t upset by this, he accepts this as a normal part of life. Men go off and find their adventure, that’s just what men do.

(Btw Im not trying to make this a claim that Luffy doesn’t think girls shouldn’t go off on their adventures, just that this is Luffy’s experience with his male role models and how he’d justify it)

So this is why I think it makes sense that Luffy was so uncaring about his father being revealed to him. Dragon did what Luffy would expect a father figure to do, he showed up for a minute to help, and then left unceremoniously. Luffy doesn’t need to give anymore thought to it or to Dragon.

But, this is where I begin to question the assumptions that Luffy also wouldn’t care about his mother.

Luffy has a very different relationship with the female role models in his life.

Makino was a constant in his young life, providing a safe space for him to hang around. Makino from the little we see of her was incredibly caring and maternal to a young Luffy. Even after Luffy got moved to the mountains, she’d make the effort to visit and bring him new clothes. Her kindness and motherly care extended to Luffy’s new brothers too!

Then there is Dadan who, while not proactively or overtly caring, shows how much she cares for her boys by actively protecting them when a real threat appears and always making sure to check in on them. Her contribution to raising Luffy can’t be understated.

And probably the biggest influence on Luffy, Ace himself. The man who loves and deified his mother. I have zero doubts that Ace talked about his mother to Luffy at least once. I don’t think I’m crazy for believing this could have had an influence on Luffy.

This has been my long winded way of saying I think Luffy might care about a reveal of his mother. I think he’d be curious about why his mother didn’t stick around, where they’d been, and what adventure had kept them away.

Anyway, I’d love to hear any thoughts anyone else has on this subject.

[majestick-posts-op]

My personal rating and ranking of Luffy's father figures from worst to best

7) Garp (-100000/10)

Yeah, I don't even need to elaborate on this at all. Cause like... we all know how much Garp sucks. We all know how he valued his job and loyalty to the marines more than the actual safety of his family. How he says that he cares... but he truly doesn't do anything at all. AND THAT'S BARELY SCRATCHING THE SURFACE!!! Because in all of Luffy's childhood... I don't think there was a single moment where he was just... kind? Canonically at least. It was always launching your 3 year old in the jungle, in a ravine, in the fucking air tied to baloons just so you can fuck off and do what YOU want. It was awlays ignoring every single one of his dreams. And not only that because while thinking that a life as a pirate isn't ideal is fair, forcing your own phisosophies on your kid and forcefully msking them choose the carrer YOU want isn't. No wonder Dragon is the way he is! And he made Luffy's abbandonment issues WORSE by leaving him in another random place with other random people. And this is only the stuff we saw about Garp... we never saw a house where he lived in any flashback. Did Garp stay in the marine's headquarters? Did Luffy fucking sleep outside in the forest? Luffy looked so exited when Makino got him a shirt. Did Garp never get Luffy clothes? Did he just used random rags he had laying around? When Luffy only got a bowl of rice and a cup of water to eat he said that it was better than what Garp gave him. Did he fucking starve Luffy by making him hunt for all he ever ate since he was a fucking toddler? IS THAT WHY LUFFY IS HALF OF GARP'S SIZE???

But worst of all... he was never there! Not when he got kidnapped, not when they almost burned him alive, not when Ace died, and he never will.

Garp truly did not care enough. And that is what hurts the most.

I'm removing all of his ppint and shoving him into the void.

6) Shanks (6.5/10)

Okay so I'm a little conflicted about Shanks. He has many good things about him. He inspired Luffy and supported his dream, and has shown to be very caring and affectionate. He taught him that some fights are not worth it and that he shouldn't be too hung up on certain things. That's good. But he also indirectely caused him to commit self harm, took a crying bleeding 7 year old in a bar full of alchool, lied to him about what happenned to his best friend, and then he just... dissappeared. I don't fully blame him since he isn't Luffy's primary caretaker, that was GARP and Shanks is already infinitely better since he supported his dream. But Shanks does have this theme where he is bad at communication and doesn't fully commit to certain things. We saw it with Buggy. But hey, at least he gave Luffy that really good advice that its okay to cry but you have to move on. Expect that he never said it directely to his face (or out loud for what matters) and he was only at marineford for 30 seconds.

I'm removing one ppint for him being an idiot, another for abbandonment, and another and a half points for general flaws.

5) Dragon (7/10)

I think people tend to be a bit too hard on Dragon. He was starting a revolution, of course he couldn't have taken care of him for his own safety. And he sadly had no other choice so sadly GARP raised Luffy. I can't rate him any higher tho because we just never really saw him parent Luffy... apart from that one time when he saved him, but then he dissappeared. Still can't believe he raised Sabo instead of him honestly.

I'll remove one point for abbandonment, another point for giving him to his father and a last one for bad eyebrows and bigass forehead genes.

4) Crocodile (adding him because I said so) (7.5/10)

All things considered, Croc didn't exatcly have the best starting point. (He arguably had the worst) But he was 100% one of the most helpful people to Luffy during marineford.

Not only did he save Ace despide hating Whitebeard, but he also blocked Doflamingo's attack and helped him break out. HE WAS MORE HELPFUL THAT GARP GODDAMMIT!!! So maybe Croc's heart isn't exatcly in the right place... but he seems to do much better now.

I'm removing one point for abbandonment and one and a half points for almost killing him.

3) Franky (8.5/10)

Much like croc, Franky didn't have the best start with Luffy, and we don't really see much of just the two of them since he is closer with Usopp, but the few scenes they have togheter paint a pretty good picture. Firstly both Luffy and Franky share an interents in stuff like beams and robots, and Franky is willing to show off for him so in return Luffy does admire this side of him. Franky also tries to avoid toxic masculinity, and never forces Luffy into anything while supporting him unlike GARP. In Dressrosa Franky really looked after and accompanied Luffy to assist him in retrieving Ace's fruit, which Franky understands was very hard for him. He is rensponsable and doesn't let Luffy do anything stupid (like revealing his name) and later that arc there's that one super cute scene where Luffy is just sleeping and Franky is there looking at him while smiling/crying and...

Look at him!!! He's so dad material!!!

Removing one point for hurting Usopp and half a point for mildly enabaling him.

2) Rayleigh (9/10)

Like many others, Rayleigh was also very helpful during the summit war saga, specifically the post war arc. He was with Luffy during his worst time and helped him get through them. Not only that, but he also trained him. Execpt that unlike GARP who would just launch Luffy into a ravine and exept him to get out by himself so he can leave and fuck off where he wants, Rayleigh stuck around and not only gave him useful advice and lessons, but also prevented him from doing things that would have hurt his body like using to much haki. It didn't work but still, he mastered the art of being hard but still very much caring and being present. Plus it was so heart warming seeing him helping Luffy and how much he reminds him of Roger.... Uncle Rayray I love you!!! Give me your wife!!!

Removing one point for... lack of screentime? I guess, I'm not sure.

1) Jimbei (15/10)

We all know that fishdad is the best period, but I really wanna analize him. Jimbei was possibly the one who helped Luffy the most when he came to... everything? I mean he saved him from Akainu, stood by his side when he was still unconscious from his operation, stopped him from committing self harm or worse, comforted him trough his grief and tears, gave him his blood thus saving his life and showing just how much he loved him, offrred to guide him in accomplishing his dream, came back each and every time he was needed, because Luffy needs somebody like him that can ground him and make him reflect but also respect and love him, he believed in Luffy so much to go againsts a Yonko TWICE, and one of these times it was literally a face to face with the scariest person on Earth.

But the best part? Jimbei truly cares about all the young. The new generation that should be hate free and happy. The new generation he fought for multiple times. He knows Luffy can be a major figure in that, but he also just cares for him. He loves Luffy. Unconditionally. I know I may be repeating myself but he is 100% what Luffy needed when he needed it. And I will not shut up about this. Ever.

Bonus:

Trademark dad hawaian shirt.

Adding 5 point for being handsome.

[aeligsido]

I can't remember if it's canon or not but like, it has always been evident for me that in the incident of God Valley, Garp and Roger didn't fight to protect the Celestial Dragons, but to protect their slaves.

Considering that two of said slaves are very much not slaves anymore right now (or weren't for a good chunk of time in the middle I'm so sorry Kuma), I wonder if they "mysteriously" disappeared after the incident 👀

(I just have this silly image of Garp whistling and looking elsewhere while Roger is helping the slaves get free in the background lmao)

[diminuel]

Do you think crocodile ever seriously wonders how the hell him, the mob boss and mr dour dragon himself produced sunshine child luffy because as a parent who bore me and my husbands complete opposite sometimes I even wonder if this tiny clone is really mine

Haha!

Maybe, yes!! I mean it depends on what kind of setting we're working with, but in a canon compliant one (someone gave Luffy to Garp, Garp decided to drop him off with Dadan, Crocodile never (?) looked back, Dragon always looks back but never contacted him), certainly!

Though of course, Crocodile has mostly seen Luffy in the context of battles with very high (emotional) stakes, so he hasn't seen too much of his more sunny disposition. He's seen him careless (both in terms of not having any plans, knowledge, appropriate apprehension etc), which might annoy someone who likes to plan meticulously.

But there are elements of both of them in Luffy, for sure! Or maybe I'm just projecting elements of Luffy onto his parents. (I certainly do for my fluffier stuff *lol*)

(And I like to imagine that Crocodile and Dragon have their more light-hearted silly moments too, but they kind of had to discard those to chase their ambitions/ protect their child.)

[moongothic]

So you know your post where you discussed the possibility of Dragon being the one to give Croc one of his signature injuries? Well, I was reading another post about Luffy's haki being the final flag for Crocodile to realize the boy was his. And then I had a thought.

Let's indulge in a little angst, shall we?

Crocodile immediately recognizing Luffy's haki from the time Dragon attacked him with it. He'd recognize it anywhere. He saw it up close and personal, after all...

I'm so sorry I am going to go on a side tangent but. The brainworms must be released

So it's never been really discussed in canon whether or not family members can have like... similar Haki Vibes, or if (Conqueror's) Haki can even be inherited from family members. Like all we know is that very few people in the world are born with Conqueror's Haki in particular. Garp wasn't particularly surprised to find out Luffy had been "born with it too", and Luffy seemed to recognize Shanks' Haki at the end of Wano-- meaning Haki can have a unique vibe to it?? That allows people to tell whose Haki it is??

Garp's comment is interesting though because like. Was Garp unsurprised because he himself has Conqueror's? Or was it because Ace had also Conqueror's?? Does Dragon have Conqueror's??? Or because all of them have Conqueror's????? We don't know as of yet, point is, we don't even know if Dragon has Conqueror's. Like if Garp has it and Luffy has it then sure, you could assume Dragon also has Conqueror's, but to be fair, for all we know the Conqueror's could've skipped a generation and Dragon might NOT have it. As I mentioned, we don't actually know if you can inherit Conqueror's at all, like I'm sure having family members with it might make it more likely for you to get it too (epigenetics and all) but it might not be a quarantee, just an increased chance?? And it might be worth considdering that... what if Luffy didn't inherit Conqueror's from the Monkey family at all, but from Crocodile? Because there is an argument to be made for Croc having Conqueror's mayhaps (speculation starts right before the manga pages)

Regardless of who has Conqueror's and who doesn't, if a person's Overall Haki Vibes can be inherited from their parents, shouldn't Luffy's Haki be a mixture of both Dragon AND Crocodile's Haki, together?

Point being; if Luffy inherited his Conqueror's Haki Vibes from Dragon and Dragon alone (and if the Dragodile Divorce was (accidentally) violent), then yeah, experiencing That Haki Blast in Marineford could've been quite emotionally painful for Crocodile. Very much a Blast from The Past that would confirm the twerp was Dragon's kid. And that's just some great angst right there. (You know, on top of the pre-existing angst of "what do you mean the idiot I stabbed is my child") But. If Luffy's Haki Vibes came from Crocodile (either partially or fully)... Wouldn't that be kind of... nice? Precious? Because who cares if Luffy is Dragon's or not, what really matters is if Luffy is Crocodile's. And while I'm sure there'd be no doubt about it (surely Dragon wouldnt be the type to sleep around etc) in his mind, having that confirmed without a fraction of a doubt could be so important for Crocodile, emotionally speaking. Because that changes everything.

Regardless, Luffy's Haki Blast does seem to be The Thing that caused Crocodile to spring into action and actively help Luffy (buying some extra time for Ace aside) by defending him from Mihawk. And indeed, no average rookie pirate would just HAVE Conqueror's like that. Luffy displaying his would make him having some insane heritage far more plausible and not just some mistake on Sengoku's part. And yeah. That would confirm that the idiot in flipflops Crocodile stabbed through the gut and left bleeding in the desert, mummified and poisoned was in fact his own son. Really does explain why he's in such a sour mood when defending Luffy from Mihawk, doesn't it.

[oswaldthatendswald]

for the ask game! :] 11. 13. 24. 40.

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

Couldn't pick three. You get four instead. (I did try to be more varied in who they were about, but Cora is my favourite guy and Law is a close second so all my top favourite stuff is about them. I did try to pick writers who have a body of work I really admire, so it's totally worth checking more of their stuff out.)

"A Crown of Flowers" by HyperbolicReverie : If I'd had to pick one, it would be this one. It took me forever to start reading it, actually, but oh my god it's so good. It takes the canon of One Piece and uses it to build a gorgeous, lush world that really appeals to my love of fantasy. (Also, part of the reason I had so much trouble picking fics is because my top three-- probably top five-- fics in the fandom are all by HyperbolicReverie but I didn't want to repeat authors. Bonus answer for this question is "The Man Born of No Sea", actually.)

"The Benefits of Drinking with Strangers" by Cherry_Sundae : When I say this fic made me have to take a break and lie down, I mean it. It's tense. It's hilarious. It's awkward. It's a little heartbreaking but in a good way. Catharsis. It has the line "Law wonders if he is professionally qualified to diagnose his own psychotic break" (not a spoiler, that's in the teaser for the fic). It's a 10/10 from me.

Needle and Threat by flying_sky_neon_bread : This fic and a couple others by the same writer really shaped how I see Doflamingo, back before I'd ever written anything about him, and it's definitely stuck with me. I think my affection for hurt/comfort as a trope is pretty well documented, and this really fulfills that desire. Evil hurt/comfort. Doflamingo flavoured hurt/comfort.

Adventures in Babysitting by Origamidragons : Have you ever wondered why I'm so attached to the headcanon that Dragon was Rocinante's babysitter back in the day? Wonder no more, gentle reader! It's this fic! It's so good! Very funny, very charming. Baby Rocinante is so cute. Garp should never be put in charge of a child.

This is really a tiny selection of my favourites. I had to cut it down from 20+. I have 418 One Pieces fanfics bookmarked, and so many of them are absolutely incredible. I love this fandom's writing so much.

The rest is under the cut!

13. what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

The thing is, I've read a lot of books on creative writing and taken one university course on it (which was honestly pretty useless, but that's another story), so there's probably a lot of writing advice that I've incorporated into my practice and now do without having to think about it? I think maybe the best, most widely applicable advice I can think of is to write every day. Not to set yourself a word count to hit (I certainly don't) but to write at least one sentence every day. The longer you go in between writing, the harder it becomes to start again. This is advice I understand some people find very irritating, but I'm quite insistent that it's the best way to improve, so I do apologize.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

Ah, so much. So much terrible writing advice out there. Generally speaking, writing is so subjective that advice that can be quite valuable for someone will be not only useless but damaging to someone else. I think for me, the advice to never let anyone see my work before it was finished was the one that held me back the most. It's probably fine advice for someone, but for me, chronic perfectionist, it only encouraged me to hoard my work preciously and never let it see the light of day.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I think I've answered this before actually! But it's a fun question! My default answer is always Cora's bounty poster, because I had so much fun describing it. I think my bonus answer is probably Cora's new outfit for Cry Havoc! (There's also a bit coming up in Lying to the Government for Fun and Profit that I would Love to see drawn, but shhhh. Secret.)

Thank you very much for the ask!!! Great questions!

[mega-ringsandthings-world]

Just a quick ask-

If the Red Force in the JT AU ever decides to lay low on Dawn Island (while looking for the Gomu fruit) with Luffy tagging along because, of course, he is lol, how does the whole mountain bandit debacle go down? Number one, Shanks is well-known at this point; years go by, and all, but still, his face was plastered into every single person's face at least once for the last six years. He's probably almost Emperor level at this point, and the pirate/marine world still says his name with awe, sympathy, and fear.

So, are they undercover? Shanks and crew dress down, hide the red hair and straw hat, row to shore just far enough out so the inhabitants can't see his ship properly? Also, I don't know if this version of Shanks would just shrug his shoulders and take the bandits' taunts. I mean, he could; it could be a "I've eaten scarier things for lunch, and this is barely a fly of an inconvenience." Or maybe it's because they're undercover he can't do anything? That would absolutely grind his patients and when he can finally just stab the guy na break his face in it’s gonna be so cathartic. Is this why he won’t loose his arm this way here but later? Because he just beats the bandit into an inch of his life before he can capture Luffy?

Also is Mihawk here? Just hanging around or is he off doing secret war lord stuff.

Also, is this how Garp finds out about Luffy? Or I’m completely off base with all of this but hypothetically if this all happened what the out come?

Anyways, this AU has brought me so much joy through such a hard semester and general few months. It really made my year; thank you.

Ohhh we're diving into the good parts here. Yessssss. To start, yeah, Shanks' face has been cemented into the public collective, and he's peaking. Already wildly powerful, but still a ways off from emperor status. At this point in the timeline he's gone into a period of 'calm', he's overcome the initial hurdles he faced after Loguetown, and is now taking a more protracted approach to climbing the ladder, i.e, stuff like the Gomu fruit. There's only so much that brute force and violence can bring at any given time, and he's instilled enough awe, sympathy, and fear in people that he can afford to dip down a bit. All that is to say that, yes, AU Shanks does in fact lay low at Dawn island for a year like in canon. Which brings us to the actual laying low part. Luffy is at the ripe age of six now, is fully glued to Shanks, and Shanks has free time on his hands. So he decides he wants to begin training Luffy in the ways of pirating, but he also does not want anything to threaten his well-being in any way, shape, or form. The compromise is to take Luffy along with him on this clandestine mission for the Gomu Gomu. (that Dragon agreed to let Luffy go was due greatly to Luffy's incessant whining getting in the way of him writing his political treatises) They do have to go undercover, or at least proceed very cautiously and secretively. (this is the part were Shanks dyes his hair) What helps them is that the inhabitants of Dawn Island, minus the nobles, are sympathetic towards pirates and their cause against the WG, and actively work to conceal Shanks' presence on the island/his ship. And Shanks has visited the island briefly once before, when Luffy was born on it. He's known to the inhabitants. Shanks would disregard the bandits in much the same way he does in canon, and never engages with them for the sake of the mission, up until the point when they try to lay a hand on Luffy, and that in particular does grind on him, because of Luffy having to witness everything and not understanding why Shanks doesn't fight back, they way Shanks has been teaching him to. So there's some pent-up unconscious rage at play when he finally lets loose on the bandits. The bandits come after Luffy because Shanks has been found out and the bandits were sent to retrieve Luffy, and while Shanks kills the others, one still does take Luffy. But the chase after him goes on for days instead of Luffy being found at once, so technically Shanks loses his arm much later than he does in canon. Garp already knows about Luffy at this point, but he's never had any concrete leads/opportunities to make a grab at him. When he finds out Shanks is on the island with Luffy, he decides to make a move and kidnap Luffy and stow him away with Dadan, where unbeknownst to anyone else, Garp is also hiding Ace with. Which leads into a whole other mess for a later date. Mihawk is in the middle of the formation of the Warlords, but he visits Shanks regularly on the island, which makes this period one of their hardest so far, as they have to be separated. Their individual tasks distract them, though, Shanks has a handful dealing with Luffy and searching for the Gomu Gomu, and Mihawk likewise has a handful with the new Warlords, so they stay busy enough to withstand the other's absence. Right back at you! I'm so glad you like it so much! It's really making my year too, it's so much fun!

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1096 - Initial Thoughts

And we are back

Had a feeling this one would come early though. The Kuma flashback is in swing and we are in a very historically point of intrigue

However it is also 8 weeks since we last saw Nico Robin and it'll likely end up being double digits at this rate

Still, let's not rush this flashback, let's see what it has to offer

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release Also

The trend of monkeys on the cover is ended by Chihuahuas beating Zoro at musical chairs XD Still though top 3

We're back into hunger games as the Celestial Dragons explain how all the inhabitants are 'rabbits' all worth points; 1 hit kills get you a bonus but there are also 150 rare kills worth more, and 13 super rare worth 10,000 points, the same amount Garling was deducted

There's also prizes apparently, sickening stuff

Garling looked a bit like Zoro and Shanks there as he talks big game

Mannmeyer family woman might be interesting, face is obscured, same for gas mask dude

The last one looks kinda like that Whitebeard Commander too

Of course, the natives of God Valley are confused and panicked by the situation, and are offered no mercy by the dragons who simply tell them to give them a good chase

At the Navy, Garp is being called for support, but he's not biting

Rare appearance from Fleet Admiral Kong too

Young Garp is lapping it up by the pool, but he thinks he's being called because of what the Navy did to the Rocks pirates

Seems they stole something, a 'crown jewel' they say

Ironic though that Garp is all 'you can't shake the hive' and then over 30 years later showing up to shake the hive

Seems like the intel was supposed to be kept on the down low though

Garp won't protect the Dragons from Rocks, but he's leapt out of his deck chair for Roger

So much Luffy energy when he's relaxing too, though I guess God Valley was when he started getting more serious

The Rocks pirates are already on the move too, having left Fullalead without the rest of their inhabitants

Ivankov narrates something more true than they realise, this will be a big moment made forgotten history

10,000 civilians hunted for sport, and Oda's not holding back despite current events

Urgh and the slaves all have target marks on their back

Ivankov has to drill home that nobody is going to survive, the idea that they'll be let go if they survive 3 weeks is just a way to satisfy the dragons

Garling has been chasing the bigger prizes and has thus broke even already

All in front of an audience in Marejois via Den Den Mushi too

Ivankov's chains are bitten off by a Shark Fishman, who Ivankov praises, I wonder if that was Arlong and Shyarly's father?

Ginny (they're sticking with the G) is a bit of a thief and an wiretapper it seems, leaking information to the world 2 weeks prior to create chaos while they escape

The plan requires the prizes; Devil Fruits, the Paw-Paw Fruit and the Fish Fish Fruit: Model Azure Dragon, which are at the center of the island

She makes a point in saying that Kaido's is classed among the strongest of Devil Fruits, and that the Paw-Paw Fruit is a secondary plan because it can blast things away

Kuma also volunteers to be a decoy, his strength and bulkiness being cited as increasing his chances to survive

His resolve does impress Ivankov and Ginny too

Rocks are heeeeeere!

Alas we don't see Rocks D. Xebec, but we do see all the youthful members of the crew

Whitebeard reprimands Rocks for running ahead, with Buckingham Stussy hanging off his shoulder

Seemed Stussy had competition from a Kuja, so the big surprise here: Elder Nyon (Gloriosa) was a Rocks Pirate member, not Shakky like the theories

Canon Manga Debut for Shiki as well, as Big Mom and Kaido argue with the group, also Captain John is there drinking much like he did as a Zombie

No sign of who Ochoku was though, could be the guy to Whitebeard's left (our right)

Seems Rocks wasn't here for the Celestial Dragons though, the pirates were looking for something, and they're all gonna fight even each other to get it

Ochoku could also be the 2 people underneath Gloriosa in the 3 way panel, helmet dude or the very shaded hat man

But from the other side: the Roger Pirates!

Tacheless Roger with the Straw Hat, and prime Rayleigh and Gaban, but there's also a big dude, a Viking Dude and someone in a snug coat

God look how much Roger looks like Ace, and he's been itching for a fight all year

We see a couple more God's Knights too, there's a woman and a tall dude? I dunno every time I look it looks like he's beheaded, he doesn't have the armour, but we have the woman

The chaos has earned a reprieve for the inhabitants, the farmers look a tiny bit like the Milk girl Moda from Lulusia

The younger marines don't like their chances

Until Garp arrives!

Gotta have a good reputation if Garp reassures you against Rocks AND Roger

Bogard my man is still there, the others I don't recognize though

Even more carnage leads to Kuma and Ivankov getting the fruits they want

But alas, Child Abuse, Big Mom getting that in early to knock away Ivankov and get the Fish Fruit which she will use on Kaido

Through Ivankov's encouragement, Kuma eats the fruit before Linlin can get to him

But as Ivankov rallies that saving at least 1 person will be a victory, more child abuse! This time Saturn comes to deck Kuma

Man headshots marines, Bonney and Sanji but he went for ol' fashioned fisticuffs with Kuma

There has been a lot of touching tha child here, DON'T TOUCHA THA CHILD!

"I don't understand how someone can be born to be more or less important" god what a line that is

Stood before Saturn, Kuma notes that now that he has power, he's gonna save as many as he can, just like Nika

And Saturn doesn't like that, seems that the idolization of Nika is what led to the genocide of the Buccaneers

ACOC lightning hums around God Valley as Roger and Rocks fight, it seems Rocks was trying to get to something while Roger was trying to interact

But Oda, brilliant but awful as he is, decides that's it, no more God Valley content...

Sir we needed more, we didn't even see Rocks, or why Kaido needed the fruit to survive, or Ochoku, or why it's made out that Garp and Roger were teaming up to protect the Celestial Dragons because clearly they were not

But alas, back at the Sorbet kingdom we have the aftermath

Ivankov laments that Morgans only lapped up Garp's heroics, and that he's a WG kissass

Kuma however is praying in a church, lamenting that he could've saved more

Turns out he saved 500 people though, which is a lot given how many big names were there, and that last we saw he was staring down a Gorosei

Ginny has now nicknamed Kuma the chapter's title, Kumachi, which could be written the same way as Perona's bear Kumacy not entirely sure

But Ivankov adds praise to Kuma's efforts, calling his paws the Hands of Liberation

Ivankov doesn't stick around though, heading off to sea to enjoy their freedom

"I'll never forget your face for as long as I live" oof right in the Marineford

Ginny however opts to stay in Sorbet living in a church with Kuma

Make no mistake though, Ginny's the boss, despite being a third his size she has the age factor

Chopping wood like the SBS artwork of young Kuma as they seek to feed themselves on hard work

Ginny also beats up bullies that throw stones at Kuma thinking he's lying about being 9

But Kuma as a gentle soul uses his fruit to remove the pain

Ginny is a glutton, much like her potential children/clone maybe? As Kuma offers her more of his food

They've both spent at least 5 years as a slave (since both became slaves at 4, and Kuma is 9 while Ginny is somehow 13)

But the sensation of finally feeling full makes Ginny tear up with joy, which of course makes Kuma cry too

So sweet, it's all gonna go to shit ain't it?

Well it was definitely an inviting chapter

Though I am a bit sore that we got blueballed a lot with God Valley, so many questions still left unanswered as Oda teases us. The Devil Fruits as prizes make sense though, wonder if there were more, Rocks was after something after all. Wonder if the Ope Ope no Mi was considered a prize? I doubt the Gomu Gomu no Mi was a prize though think the Gorosei would've wanted that under lock and key, maybe Doffy's fruit? or the Yami Yami no Mi? or Marco's fruit? or that Egg on Roger's Ship during the Oden flashback? Did Garling throw his son up as a prize? Answers Oda you're supposed to give Answers! We got a lot of teases though; God's Knights, other Rocks crewmates, Stussy potentially indeed being a thing with Whitebeard but atm it seems more like she was dangling off him (she was listed as a 'freeloader' in MADS, wonder if clone Stussy will have a larger role too in present because she did get sidelined quickly), also seems like Gloriosa was interested was Whitebeard the man she had love sickness for? Also got potential ancestors who were God Valley slaves. Kuma saving 500 is still super impressive too, how did he get away from Saturn? How many generations of that 500 still exist today?

But we do seem to have the blooming of Kuma and maybe a relationship with him and Ginny. It's unclear but I think the Luffy's mom bit is even lower a possibility now, still thinking that Bonney is a clone of Ginny though, wouldn't mind if she was a biological daughter it'd just make the wording of Kuma being the last Buccaneer a bit weird.

It does further fuel the idea that Kuma is gonna show up in Egghead too, but the flashback only further fuels the layer of tragedy that has befell Kuma, man has suffered so much and he continues to lose so much, this flashback has the capacity to break us.

At the least there's no break, but the wait will be long and painful regardless.

[supermarine-silvally]

portada roles reversed au?

Oooooh this is SO INTERESTING lol I kinda went off with this!!

I switched around their parentage/upbringings/ages/roles in the story but tried to keep their original personalities intact to see how that would potentially change things or not. Big ol' One Piece spoilers below the cut!

So Portgas D. Yara is the daughter of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge, and Dracule Ace is the son of Dracule Mihawk and Shimotsuki Akiko. In this AU, she is one year older than him (Yara was born January 1, 1502, and Ace December 31, 1502). 

After she was born, Garp took Yara to Mt. Corvo to be raised by the Dadan family. Yara is a lot less troublesome than Ace and Dadan is thankful to be raising a daughter (lol). In spite of this, she still grows up as a lonely child until she meets her best friend, Sabo. He sparks her interest in literature and history and knowledge and ends up teaching her a lot that he learned in his fancy noble education. They decide to become pirates one day and start a treasure fund for that purpose. Besides Sabo, Yara generally prefers to keep to herself, knowing how people would treat her if they found out she was the daughter of Gol D. Roger. She tends to push people away because of this. 

When Yara is 10, Garp brings his grandson Luffy to live with the bandits. Yara treats him coldly at first (mostly ignoring him) but Luffy’s persistence wins her over. She, Sabo, and Luffy become sworn siblings. Yara isn’t very sociable and has trouble expressing her emotions other than anger, but when Sabo dies, she, like Ace in canon, realizes she has to be a lot kinder and warmer, for Luffy’s sake. As a result of Sabo’s death, she swears to destroy the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. 

When she is 17, she sets sail and finds herself stranded on Sixis Island, where she meets Masked Deuce and comes across the Mera Mera no Mi, gaining its powers. From there, she forms the Dawn Pirates and sets off to achieve her goal of becoming strong enough to bring down the World Government. 

Unlike Ace in canon, Yara is uninterested in fame. Hell, she’s not terribly interested in being a captain, but she feels responsible for the people who chose to follow her, so she takes the burden on herself to do it. Her end goal is to avenge Sabo and bring down the world that hates her for existing so much. The offer for her to join the Warlords is a firm ‘hell no’. Eventually, she sets her sights on defeating the Four Emperors and decides to take on Whitebeard, thinking him the oldest and weakest, laying an ambush for him at a supply island that she estimated he would land on next. 

Meanwhile, Ace’s mother Shimotsuki Akiko died when Ace was only three months old, and his grandfather Ushimaru begged Ace’s father Mihawk to take him out of Wano. Mihawk, feeling unprepared for the burden of raising a child, leaves Ace at a monastery. He grows up angry and alone, resenting his father for abandoning him, and swears to become a great swordsman so that his father will be forced to acknowledge him and he’ll become so great that he will wipe his father’s name from history (similar to how Ace feels about Roger’s legacy in canon). He frequently got into fights with the other orphans and with people in the surrounding town who were unlucky enough to cross his path. 

When Cipher Pol comes calling, 13-year-old Ace fights them off and discovers the Tōka Tōka no Mi in the process. He kills CP5 commander Thalamo Gustus and escapes the monastery. Eventually, he ends up stowing away on the Moby Dick, where Whitebeard’s crew discovers him. Ace is mean and suspicious towards them at first (unlike Yara in her canon who took to them immediately), but eventually warms up to the crew and becomes fiercely loyal to the man he calls ‘Pops’. He joins Fifth Division and trains his swordplay under Vista. 

Ace and Yara’s fated first meeting happens when the Whitebeard Pirates take on the Dawn Pirates, defeating them and bringing the crew aboard. Ace was not expecting the dangerous rookie he had vaguely heard about to be such a cute girl. When Yara wakes up and tries attacking Whitebeard in her fury, he can’t help but find her the prettiest fireball of feral rage he’s ever seen. 

Yara doesn’t try to outright assassinate Whitebeard; her attempts on his life are a lot more subtle. She tries poisons and traps and other convoluted plans that always end in failure Wile E. Coyote-style. Ace thinks it’s cute and tries to speak/lowkey flirt with her, but she wants nothing to do with him. 

Eventually, his kindness wins her over, and she accepts defeat at Whitebeard’s hands, disbanding the Dawn Pirates and officially joining Whitebeard’s crew. Ace and Yara become closer and eventually Yara admits who her father is. She is worried that Ace wouldn’t accept her, but Ace assures her that it doesn’t matter to him and that he adores her regardless.  

Yara studied every account she could possibly find about Gold/Gol D. Roger, so she has a much more nuanced view of him than Ace does in canon. She knows from personal experience that people would hate her just for being Roger’s daughter, but she doesn’t see Roger himself as being an evil monster and thinks that a lot of it is World Government propaganda. Plus her darling little brother Luffy thinks Roger is cool. 

Ace definitely feels like Mihawk threw him away but he never tried to conceal his relation to Mihawk the way Yara did in her canon, so he still goes by Dracule Ace and doesn’t cover up his left eye (assuming he has Yara’s heterochromia in this role reversal). 

Yara’s incredible powers lead to her promotion to Second Division Commander, and she appoints Ace Vice-Commander. It’s around this time that the two are no longer able to hold back their feelings for each other, and end up getting together. 

When Teach murders Thatch, Yara is enraged. She doesn’t immediately storm out, though, but bides her time and sneaks away on the striker in the middle of the night, only saying goodbye to Ace. She aims to track Teach down, and briefly runs into her little brother Luffy in Alabasta, stepping in when Smoker attempts to capture Luffy, to which Luffy proudly tells his crew “That’s my big sister!”

Yara is defeated and captured by Teach on Banaro Island, and brought to the World Government, who recognise her as Roger’s daughter and decide to publicly execute her. Luffy tries to rescue her in Impel Down but fails, and she is shipped off to Marineford to face execution. 

The Whitebeard Pirates go to rescue Yara, as do their many allies and Luffy and the Impel Down crew. Sengoku reveals her parentage to the world before the battle. Yara doesn’t have the same self-hate issues Ace does so she isn’t surprised when everyone shows up-- in fact, she hopes that they will so that they can destroy Marineford and lay waste to the World Government. 

Ace gets his chance to square off with his father at Marineford, and uses his skills to keep Luffy safe as they head for the execution platform. 

Luffy succeeds in freeing Yara, and she and Ace reunite. Whitebeard gives the orders for his crew to retreat. However, when Akainu tries taunting Yara, she either ignores him because while she does have a fierce temper, she isn’t a total hothead, or Ace just picks her up before she can even respond (he’s 6’1, she’s 5’6 and easy to manhandle lol) and gets the hell outta there. I can see Ace rushing out of there with Luffy under one arm and Yara under the other.

Yara and Ace both survive Marineford in this AU. Yara is able to convince Luffy to go train with Rayleigh since he needs to become stronger and he sends a message to his crew that they will meet again in two years’ time. 

They would reappear in Wano to help Luffy and his other allies defeat Kaido. Ace learns about his mother and discovers that he is in fact heir to become daimyō of Ringo (which Yara couldn’t be in her canon because she’s female). They’re married at this point (funnily enough, Yara takes her husband’s name to become Dracule D. Yara), and they left their infant son in Mihawk’s care so they could lend Luffy their assistance.

[beanghostprincess]

Don't know if you've ever read about this ship but: Portgas D. Rouge x Sora.

Garp helps Rouge run away to the East Blue and lives in Dawn Island and Ace is born here. She lives on a small house on the jungle, between Foosha and Dadan's house and Garp sends money (Rouge doesn't like to depend on him but until her boy is a little older it will have to be this way). Sora kills Judge poisoning him and runs away, stoping at Dawn Island while still pregnant. She has some money to live until she's able to get a work.

Both women meet at some months after Sora gives birth to the quadruplets. They discover they houses are near and, well, they have kids and maybe they can meet each other and play, even. Rouge and Sora get really along. At time pass they start to go together buy things for their houses, talk a lot, falling in love. Rouge think the only one she would be in love with was Roger, but oh well, she was wrong. Sora never was in love with Judge and this was a arranged marriage, so she's discovering just now she is a lesbian and in love with this beautiful woman.

When Ace is 3, the quadruplets 2 and Reiju 5, Garp arrives asking Rouge to raise Luffy. It's... chaotic. But at the end Rouge stays with baby Luffy, because PLEASE, she knows better than let a baby in the man's hands. Garp leaves sure Rouge is having "something" with Sora.

Ace and Luffy grow up together as brothers since the beggining, with Reiju + 1234ji as friends. They don't start dating until Ace is 8 yo, Luffy 5 yo, the quadruplets 7 yo and Reiju 10 yo. Since Ace and Sabo meet at the age of 5 or 6 (if I am right), I can see Ace taking Sabo to meet his 2/3 years old baby brother and his friends. Rouge asks were his parents are to Sabo and he says he doesn't have none. Rouge adopts him after less than a month.

ASL love their mother and they like Sora a lot! She is kind and likes them all very much! Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, Sanji and Yonji also love Rouge, their mommy is happier around her! The 8 kids have a a strong friendship and they all get along a lot. Sabo and Sanji get close and along quick. (Can't let the chance to put childhood friend to lovers Sabosan in this)

(I am really thinking about if Sabo stays with them and Dragon take him to Rouge and if Ace lives on Marineford but- things will stop before the angst, 'kay?)

I HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT AND I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! (I have a weak spot for sapphic rareships/crackships they're my favorite thing ever)

I'm loving the whole thing about them raising the kids on their own (even if Rouge has some help) because I genuinely think they would've done such an amazing job as moms if they had the chance :(( Also, Sora finally being able to take care of her kids the way she wants to (with real love) and Rouge showing Ace that he deserves to live and be happy.

The headcanon of Sora being a lesbian has always been one of my favorite things because I adore stories about queens/princesses being forced to marry men and then realizing they didn't want that at all in the first place and their real happiness isn't with a man... Sora and Rouge falling in love and Sora realizing that she can be so much more than just a wife and being appreciated by someone who will treat her right and make her feel both loved and valued. While Rouge, even if still obviously loving Roger, has the power to move on and love again.

So this story about the kids being raised with love by these two sweet and powerful women is just beautiful to me. They would've been so happy... Rouge would've taken care of ASL so well and they would've been able to grow up without the need to survive on their own (I mean, I believe they would do the exact same things they do in canon. Ace and Luffy are the typical "we need to be strong to protect mom too", but this time they have a cozier place to call home and Ace has his mom with him). In this world, Ace would still resent his father a bit, honestly, because the comments about him wouldn't cease, but Rouge would tell him stories about Roger anyway and would try to make him see that he is loved despite the rest of the world hating the idea of him. Sabo's fate is basically the same even if he's being taken care of by Rouge, but in the meantime, being so loved by a mom and having more friends would have helped him in so many ways. Same thing with Luffy, honestly, his abandonment issues would still be there even if there's just a bit more of a peaceful environment around him. I need to mention that I'd like Dadan to be here too helping Rouge more than Garp does and being also kind of like a caretaker for ASL because I believe that she deserves that too. She loves them so much that I don't want to take that away from her even in this world.

On the other hand, Sora raising the kids and them turning out... Normal (as normal as these kids can be) is just so sweet to me. They'd be so loved. And even if they were born with these abilities, there wouldn't be more experiments after that, so perhaps Sora can help them deal with it. Sanji would have a decent dynamic with his siblings... Imagine the Vinsmokes actually being sweet to him. Going insane with this one. And Sora would probably hide that they're royalty, honestly, I don't think she would want them to know. But they would be raised with so much care and love... If you wanna add some angst you can always say they find out about Judge, but I'm focusing on fluff mostly here.

And please please please!!!!!! Childhood best friends to lovers Sabosan mentioned??!!?!?!?!??!? It's one of my favorite things ever. I just know they'd be the ones to get along the most. I have talked about this before but there is no way ASL isn't fighting for Sanji's attention since he probably learns to cook at a very young age and the three of them adore his cooking. Although Sabo is actually down bad for him for other reasons that aren't just that-- I would talk about this more, but I think I have mentioned this AU too many times already to come up with something new that isn't "They fall in love and Sabo dies and then they reunite etc etc".

What you say in the end makes sense. I mean- Perhaps this is just a good timeline where nobody actually dies and there's no Marineford and no Whole Cake Island, buuut I love angst and I believe Ace's death to be one of those things you cannot change no matter the plot. So there would be angst, but let's not talk about it (mentioning the Vinsmokes going to help Ace too tho. That'd be great). And as per WCI...... Idk how this could even happen but I swear that you just need imagination and you can come up with something. No amount of love can fix Sanji's mental stability imo he's always a bit messed up and I love him for that.

Anyway!!!!!!!! This is a wonderful concept. I just love the idea of these two women taking care of the kids on their own and giving them the love they deserve despite the world constantly going against them. Perhaps what these kids actually needed were two sapphic moms and a bit of a better childhood to be less depressed and fucked in the head... I would love to see this, honestly. Sora and Rouge also deserve the world and I hope they're happy in this timeline (when the kids grow up and go in their own separate ways, they stay living together in their house and grow old together as cottage-core sapphics) (maybe Rouge takes Sora and they go sailing together for a little while) (pirate x ex-queen my beloved).

[sugarpsalms]

Who would Rosaline say is their best friend?

Who has Rosaline made cry?

Which canon character does Rosaline not respect at all and why?

Roz's best friend

If she had to pick (hard for her, as she's a very social and makes friends quickly+easily) Roz would probably say her best friend is Brook. She adores all of the Straw Hats, but Brook is particularly dear to her as he helped foster her early interest in and guide her through her experimentation with music. I picture him as the person who got Roz her very first instrument - nothing fancy, probably just a cheap little student's violin. But from there, it became their bonding point. She would always go to him to talk about what she wanted to learn or work on; and later, when she was more proficient, what she wanted to write. He's always the first to hear the tunes she's crafting, and the person she goes to when she needs inspiration. He's very encouraging and interested in her process, and loves to help out with it. I have a fun little head canon about them co-writing a new musical every couple of years, it debuting at some obscure island's theatre and being an absolute hit. But of course, these are small productions that never run long, so their reputations as composers don't get much traction. Still, they have a good time! Roz loves him to death.

2. Who's made Roz cry

Oh this is a toughie! Roz doesn't cry easily, so it would have to be someone she's very close to. Probably just her parents, and between the two of them, she has a more turbulent relationship with Law. Not because they don't love each other dearly, but because she favors Doflamingo (personality-wise) a lot. That means they've had a lot of clashes over the years, unfortunately. While as Roz aged she and Law both got better at regulating their responses to one another, and the arguments tapered off and get less severe, as a kid, she got under Law's skin a ton. And that on at least one of those occasions (probably more, he's only human), he reacted more strongly than he meant to. I picture him just losing his cool, yelling too loudly and saying something he immediately regrets but can't take back, and then having to deal with both the guilt and poor little Roz's sobbing.

3. Canon character Roz doesn't respect

Apart from "every marine, on principle", she's very critical of Dragon. Not because she's had many (if any) opportunities to meet him and form a personal opinion, but because of how much she admires Luffy and wishes he'd gotten to have a present father. She's very much a daddy's girl, and doesn't like to think about others (particularly people she likes) not having the same sort of relationship with theirs. Even though she's never heard Luffy speak in a way that makes her think he'd have been happier with a dad, she kind of...projects, I guess? And assumes that he would've been, therefore thinks Dragon is one of the world's biggest dicks. Similarly, because of stories she's heard over the years, she doesn't think very highly of Garp either.

[vannahfanfics]

One Piece Live Action: Review

Well, I came home after work yesterday and immediately binged the entirety of the live-action One Piece adaptation. Now that it's morning, I thought I would collect my thoughts (which I rambled to several friends and also into my handy-dandy phone notepad app) and write a review, for anyone who's interested. I'll be honest, it's mostly for me; I have so many feelings as someone who actually loves cinematography and the artistic analysis of film with regard to storytelling—because we all know how much I love my stories—that I just have to rave about this honest-to-goodness masterpiece of a show. Obviously, it will be very spoiler-heavy, so read at your own discretion!

So, I'll start with a blanket statement and reiterate that, again, I thought this show was a masterpiece. Given the history of live-action anime adaptations, I was cautious in not having terribly high expectations, even after learning that Oda was intimately involved in the production; I also went in looking to respect it as its own entity, though, and willing to look past certain things provided there were no egregious insults to the source material. And y'all, when I say I was blown away—I damn near had a smile on my face the whole night watching it. It wasn't just the nostalgia; it was the overbearing feeling that so much love was poured into this show, which I find to be unfortunately lacking in a lot of Hollywood films these days. I found myself thinking of the Peter Jackson adaptations of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Though there were changes, some of them large, none of them felt averse to the source material; in fact, the changes felt like they came from an admiration of the source material and a strong desire to bring them justice. I dunno, I was just amazed by the pervading feeling that each and every person involved in making this show had a dream to bring One Piece to life, and they poured every ounce of effort into bringing that dream to fruition—which is what One Piece is all about. This has set the standard for live-action anime adaptations, and I finished this show so desperately hungry for more, to see how they could go bigger and better when bringing the subsequent arcs to life in a nostalgic but refreshingly new way. Goda has delivered yet again, and honestly, I will never be the same. Words aren't going to be able to capture the depth of my feelings about this show, but I must ramble on nonetheless because I am just so awed and inspired and emotional about it.

Episode 1: Romance Dawn

First of all, it's a no-brainer to have the first episode of the series titled "Romance Dawn," but it still made me giddy. The opening sequence was sick. Michael Dorman absolutely sells it as Gol D. Roger; his absolute blitheness in the face of his impending death is so spot-on, and his rendition of the "Wealth, Fame, Power" speech was so rousing. I loved that they kept the fact that Dracule, Shanks, Smoker, and Dragon were in attendance, too, and though they were the briefest of blips, their appearances hinted at the personalities and relationships with Roger that manga/anime followers already know well: Dracule, simply intrigued and stoic; little Shanks, distraught at the looming death of his captain; young Smoker, mystified at the downfall of such a legend but not necessarily sad; and Dragon, who is shown only in his green cloak, shrouded in mystery as he is. I liked the inclusion of Garp at the execution, especially given his expanded role in this adaptation of the series, but also because of his close relationship with Roger in canon; it only makes sense that he would be there at the end. I was also pleasantly surprised that they showed Roger's death on-screen. It immediately established that the tone of this version of One Piece would be darker, with the stakes higher, and I honestly love that. Finally, the overhead scene of all the people rushing out of the square to take to the seas was so breathtaking; it really drove home the impact that this one man and his words had on the world, to the point that his legacy is still going strong twenty years later.

I loved the way we are introduced to Luffy, with this new scene of him rambling to the mail pelican while shoveling water out of his sinking dinghy. It was very Jack Sparrow-esque, which was a nice nod to another defining powerhouse of the pirate adventure genre, but also so Luffy. And I maintained that feeling throughout the show. I mean, even down to the little things, like Luffy smiling every time he was in a fight, him holding onto his hat while fighting to keep it from falling off, him cheering and screaming and crowing with glee—all the little nuances were just so Luffy! I'll probably say it a thousand times throughout this, but every single member of the cast is astounding in their roles and how they embody the characters. Iñaki is no exception; he is Luffy, through and through, even if not exactly the same as the anime/manga Luffy that we all know and love. Also, the CGI effects of his rubber abilities are really cool! I imagine that was so hard to pull off, but they really do a good job of trying to make it as believable as possible.

I will scream from the rooftops about how much I love the treatment of Alvida's character. There was not even one single quip of her being "fat" or "ugly"; everything pertaining to how she is "bad" was geared to her cruelty, and I love that we've broken away from that stereotype in this show. Also, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino slayed as Alvida. She was every ounce of strong, brutal, and callous as canon Alvida, and honestly, she looks gorgeous doing it.

Also, I lived for Koby and Luffy's friendship in this series. Morgan Davies did such a fantastic job portraying Koby and his growth, and his chemistry with Iñaki was just so... yes. Every time they are on screen together, I have the biggest, stupidest smile on my face because you can just see how deep their friendship is despite not knowing each other for very long. Their goodbye scene was so, so, so touching; with the lighting, and the music, and the expression on Koby and Luffy's faces... I got misty-eyed in a way I didn't reading the manga. Given how Koby's friendship with Luffy is such a defining part of his character in the manga, the fact that they evolved it after this initial arc made me incredibly happy. If this show goes on, I'd love to see how they continue to show Koby's growth alongside the Straw Hat's adventures, given the pivotal roles he goes on to play in the narrative.

Another thing I love is the fact that the Straw Hat's backgrounds are shown in pieces throughout the narrative at key moments in the present, such that past and present parallel. It's so good and so much more impactful than just having it shown as one big chunk. Since this is largely Luffy and Shanks' background, I'll focus on it. Peter Gadiot did such a compelling job as Shanks. His portrayal of Shanks carried a tenderness and care for Luffy that just tugged at all my heartstrings. Like, his expression when he realized that Luffy ate the Devil Fruit was just so amazingly haunting... The guilt, the horror, the realization that Luffy's life will never be the same, and there's nothing he can do... Simply spectacular. Also, I will comment again on just how amazing the casting was. Even the background characters, such as Shanks' crew, just shined in their brief moments. Like, even Makino—her minimal reactions with Luffy and Shanks were just so her! She and Shanks really had that "husband and wife" energy, and I lived for it. I also have to give a round of applause to the dialogue in the series. The small changes from the manga/anime defined these portrayals of the characters as distinct from those we've come to love, but in the best way. I was on the FLOOR when little Luffy yelled "Why didn't you get his ass?!" at Shanks because it came out of left field yet was so believable and so Luffy with what we'd been shown so far. Iconic.

I loved the introduction to Zoro's character! It was so him, but also, I was amazed by the inclusion of Baroque Works so early on! His fight with the previous Number 7 was badass, and the fact that, again, the show didn't shy away from on-screen death really highlighted how dangerous this world really is. And it contradicts so well with Nami's introduction, which is so playful, with her jaunty little theme in the background. It's just so One Piece, adrenaline-pumping action and high stakes balanced with lighthearted energy and fun. Then, the bar sequence was just... chef's kiss. I love that the original three came together in the first episode; I was so excited to see what it meant as far as changes to the story and how their dynamic develops. The way they wove in scenes from the manga/anime into this new narrative was so clever; we still got Zoro eating the little girl's rice ball off the ground, establishing how good of a character he is despite seeming so ruthless. But also, can we talk about the choreography of Zoro's fight scene against all those Marines? Just... The fact that he didn't even draw his sword once because he didn't even feel them worthy opponents, the languid nonchalance of his movements when he stepped away from the bar interspersed with his crisp agility in cutting them down, the guy he took out with the cup?! Amazing. Mackenyu read the goddamn assignment. Also, Nami using her wiles to flirt with a Marine, then knocking him out to steal his uniform as soon as he's distracted... Classic Nami. And then Luffy, getting super excited at seeing Zoro fight... while Koby immediately crawls under the table to hide, LOL.

Also, props to Aidan Scott for his portrayal of Helmeppo, like, he perfectly captured the whiny bitch energy. Crawling on his hands and knees away as soon as Zoro gets one hit in on him is classic Helmeppo lmao. I also liked that they didn't shy away from hinting at how terribly Morgan treats him, though I do wish we could have seen a little more of it, if only for the sake of rounding out Helmeppo's character to make his growth throughout the show more impactful (and I will rant and rave about his growth because, my gosh, I love what they did with his character!). I died at the infamous naked sword-practicing scene, but like, it was also so perfect? Like, it just gave even more depth to his character, showing that he does desire to be strong and taken seriously, and how much his mistreatment by his father affects him. The fact that Zoro is the one who gave him his curly-bob haircut sends me, though, just... so hysterical. I screamed.

Langley Kirkwood did a great job at playing Axe-Hand Morgan, too; he totally captured his swagger, self-confidence, and tendency to exaggerate his own accomplishments. I liked that they changed the narrative a bit to where Zoro ended up in the yard because he refused to join Morgan rather than just him beating up Helmeppo; like, it just added such a neat spin to his character, showing that he is devoted to being a bounty hunter simply because he is searching for strong opponents for the pursuit of his dream and nothing else.

I also loved the changes to how Zoro, and Nami, end up joining up with Luffy. My heart swelled when Luffy untied Zoro simply because he wanted him to be able to follow his dream, and that's all, not as a means of pressuring Zoro to join him. Then Nami, sneaking around the Marine Base and stumbling upon Luffy, who almost gets them caught time and time again. It's just so them. I was so overjoyed to see Nami get some action with her Climatact, too! It was so nice to not see her overshadowed by the guys, but right there in the thick of it with them. And, speaking of in the thick of it, the fight with Axe-Hand Morgan was so good! The choreography was amazing, and the music accompanying it just made it that much more heart-pumping. I literally starting pumping my fist and whooping when the bandana and third sword came out, like, iconic Zoro moment brought to life.

Finally, Buggy's introduction at the end was so spot-on. The drama. The excessiveness. The madness. It made me so pumped, alongside seeing that Garp going after Luffy was going to be put at the beginning of the series. Some people didn't like the change, but honestly, it made more sense to me that he would go after Luffy immediately, seeing as he was intent on testing Luffy to see if he was ready to take on the world. It's evident that Garp deeply cares for Luffy, and it just makes sense to me that he wouldn't wait.

Episode 2: The Man in the Straw Hat

Honestly, this is one of my favorite episodes, and all because of Jeff Ward's portrayal of Buggy. It was so amazing. But, I also like the beginning segment showing Zoro, Nami, and Luffy's dynamic. There really is tension among them; they are not a crew yet, and seeing them come together over adversities and genuinely beginning to see each other as a crew and a family just gives me the warm and fuzzies. Because trust isn't just immediately given; it's earned, and it takes time, and seeing them slowly realize how special Luffy is and become compelled and inspired to follow him is so special.

Okay, but onto the main act: Buggy. Buggy. BUGGY! I loved the changes they made to this whole thing, honestly. Setting it in a whole circus tent where the audience is kidnapped town members rather than just... a concrete slab in a ruined town, was so smart. Like, as silly as Buggy is, he is still a menacing pirate, and the way they set up this encounter really reminded us of that. And y'all, I cannot praise enough Jeff Ward's Buggy. So amazing. Like, he's so demented yet pathetic in that Buggy way that it blows my mind, and yet, he still brought his own spin to it by really leaning into the fact that Buggy is the way he is because of his insecurities, to the point that he is totally delusional about what really happened between him and Shanks. Like, the personality switch when he realizes that Luffy knows Shanks, and he full-heartedly believes that Luffy was abandoned by Shanks, too, and is an outcast like him, and offers to have him join his crew, but being so spine-chillingly twisted the whole time is just so, so, so good. Also, again, the CGI for his Devil Fruit abilities was so cool and slick. It captured that perfect balance between horrifying and comical that's so Buggy. Finally, again, I love the changes to the dialogue that came with the show. Buggy's "Surprise, shitheads!" is just so him but still had me rolling because I didn't expect it.

And, in true One Piece fashion, Luffy's perilous plight is countered with the relative light-heartedness of Nami and Zoro escaping to rescue him. Seriously, I love the sass that Mackenyu brings to Zoro. The "Yeah, that does sound like me" was just so perfect.

The water tank scene was... oh my gosh. I will say it again and again throughout my review, but it was so clever and symbolic of them to put the flashbacks in places in the present that parallel each other. I knew it was coming, but the scene where Shanks saves Luffy was just so emotional and raw. Again, Peter Gadiot brings such a softness to Shanks that I love; the tenderness when he hugs Luffy and tells him that he doesn't care about his arm, that he's just glad he's okay, looks like it really comes from the heart. I was in tears at the end of the flashback when Shanks bequeathed his hat to Luffy; it was so emotional, and the choice to have Shanks tell Luffy to "Be good" almost killed me. Because it isn't just him telling him to behave... It's telling him to be a good person, and that's the core of Luffy's character: he's just, he's compassionate, he's truly good in a world so corrupt. Literally, that one small moment took my breath away. Finally, just a small note, but God, did I love the way that they showed Conqueror's Haki! I was interested as to how they were going to do it, and it delivered.

Finally, Iñaki has Luffy's "Don't mess with my friend or I'll kick your ass" glare down pat. When he looked at Buggy, I lost my mind with excitement because I knew shit was about to get real!

Episode 3: Tell No Tales

I really like the title of this episode, too. Not only is it clever because it's Usopp's episode, but it foreshadows the horror movie-esque vibe that Kuro's personage brings to the show by bringing to mind the saying "dead men tell no tales."

I love that the episode starts off with another scene of Luffy, Zoro, and Nami on the boat to show how they are coming together. The banter is different, somehow, with an undercurrent of growing care and trust. Also, of course, I love that they kept the janky Jolly Roger and the details of paint splatter on Luffy's face. It was just a classic cute, funny Straw Hats moment. I also loved all their interactions in the mansion, especially the changing room scene. Like, I love that they kept Luffy's acespec overtones by having him totally not react to Nami asking for opinions on how she looks at all.

I love the changes they brought to Syrup Village! Like, it was so clever to make it a shipwright's town with Usopp having a job in the shipyard, which gives more weight to his abilities as a shipwright and inventor plus the deep bond he develops with the Going Merry. Also, I adore Jacob Romero Gibson's rendition of Usopp! He makes his character so funny, so charming, so lighthearted like the comic-relief Usopp we know, but with some slight changes that really define him as a distinct Usopp. His chemistry with Kaya is so good; I loved the treatment they got in this adaptation. You could truly feel the love and deep bond between them.

Again, the side character casting is amazing. Celeste Loots makes the sweetest, most adorable Kaya. Her look of inspired wonder when Luffy was talking about a pirate's love for their ship and how it's a home was so simple, yet so defining for both her and Luffy's characters. I also loved that she and Nami bonded! It was a clever way to give insight into both of their characters. Alexander Maniatis played such a great Kuro; like, the instant I saw him, I got chills down my spine because he seemed such a prim and proper butler yet had such an edge of malice about him. Also, he nailed the Kuro glasses gesture. Also, Sham and Rika were so well done; they really nailed that whimsical horror vibe going on. Finally, Merry was done well, too! Though I adore him, I was glad that they chose to actually kill him this go-around. First of all, from a medical perspective, it's hard to survive that kind of wound LOL; but also, it again showed just how high the stakes are and how frighteningly ruthless and cold Kuro is.

I was fascinated to see the addition of the Marines to this arc, but honestly, I loved it. The scene of Usopp running through the streets screaming for help was so heartbreaking; Jacob killed it, especially with the expression of disbelief, terror, and desperation on his face as he slowly sat down whispering "Why won't anyone believe me?" Again, so clever to superimpose this with the crux of his backstory, with the reveal that his chronic lying stems from the trauma of his mother's illness and believing that if he just kept up this ritual every day, his father would come home and everything would be right again in the world; sympathy for Usopp hit me more than it ever had. Then, for it to pan to Koby leaning over him earnestly saying, "I believe you," I got chills. Absolutely stupendous way to end the episode.

Episode 4: The Pirates Are Coming

This one is also one of my favorite episodes, for multiple reasons, all pertaining to character development.

The scenes of Zoro in the well will haunt me forever in the best way. It was just such an amazing choice, symbolically, to parallel his scenes of backstory with Kuina with him struggling to get out of this well, a deep, dark hole from which he seemingly cannot escape, just like the deep, dark hole of insecurity he struggled to climb out of with Kuina, and the deep, dark hole of trying to honor Kuina's memory that he struggles with early on. Him slipping each time he is defeated by Kuina or something happens to knock him down... Him climbing higher as his childhood self grows and bonds with Kuina... It was just so artistic, so beautiful, that I still get chills thinking about it. The amazing score that accompanies the scenes also has a lot to do with it. I haven't touched on the score much, but honestly, it's so amazing too. Also, shoutout to the actor who played Kuina's dad. Like, the way he delivered the news of Kuina's death to Zoro was so powerful; him trying to be the stoic sensei, but still crying a tear, and them embracing at the end... My heart hurted.

There is a lot of good Koby growth in this episode as well! This is where we really see him struggle with his sense of "justice" that he gains and grows throughout the anime/manga... Wanting to follow orders, but wanting to follow his heart, but not yet having the courage to stand up to authority, all foiled by Helmeppo, who is jaded by the reality of the Marines and lacks empathy for others secondary to his own self-hatred... It's so good, and a wonderful addition, in my opinion, because I hate that a lot of the growth of the other characters in One Piece happens behind the scenes sometimes.

Again, I love the changes to Usopp in this adaptation, and it peaks with him choosing to stay with Kaya in the mansion. It just gives a glimmer of the Usopp we come to see, the one who refuses to run away when the things he cares about are truly threatened, and drives home the fact that Usopp loves Kaya enough to face certain death for her, despite his cowardly tendencies. Just amazing.

But again, I have to give props to the actors of the Kuro crew, and the whole team behind this sequence. It was so creepy! Like, it had such a maliciousness and element of horror that the anime/manga just couldn't capture. I knew what happened in the end, but I was still on pins and needles the whole time because there was just so much tension! I did laugh at the Zoro and Luffy moment out in the woods, though, referencing Zoro's nonexistent sense of direction. And Zoro's fight with the lackeys was amazingly choreographed, as always, with Mackenyu really nailing Zoro getting enraged when Kuina's sword was stolen.

The ending scenes! What a way to end such a tense episode! I screamed at the UsoKaya kiss; it was so unexpected yet delightful! But also, the Straw Hats' reactions were so them. And then, the bliss and exhilaration as they sailed away on the Going Merry, while notes of "We Are" played in the background. Even the small details hit me, like Zoro finding a place to sleep and sleeping with Kuina's sword, and Luffy and Usopp arguing over who's captain, and all of them laughing together... just really captured the world I love. Then, an amazing cliffhanger with them being attacked by Garp and Luffy dropping the "Grandpa?" bomb. Perfect.

Episode 5: Eat At Baratie!

I was so hype for this episode because Sanji was my first One Piece love, and I was so excited to see the takes on his character and arc. I was not disappointed.

I liked howGarp's relationship with Luffy was given slowly over the course of the series. The flashback of him destroying Luffy's boat and hauling him off, with no regard to his dreams, really hit home because of how much value had been placed on dreams up until then. Garp as a character really started to shine here, with him hurling a cannonball with his bare hand, then laughing when Luffy bested him (because we all know how intertwined laughter is to the One Piece narrative, especially with regards to Luffy). The simple bit of Koby saving Helmeppo's life, too, and the look of bewilderment he gives him that heralds the change in his character and impending growth, was just so good, too! And of course, the interactions of the Straw Hats were great; they are coming together, but they still have a long way to go, and that just makes what follows in the Baratie arc that much more meaningful. They aren't a crew yet, but they will be.

So appropriate that Luffy's nose and gullet leads him to the Baratie. And, oh, I love what they did with this set! It's the most magnificent, in my opinion. I love the addition of a lighthouse, since the Baratie is supposed to be a refuge for hungry sailors of all kinds. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the crew and how they interacted in the restaurant, too; it had so many good moments of them bonding. However, I have to take a moment to acknowledge Usopp, who just killed it throughout this episode; like, strutting into the restaurant tits-out? "I can't eat anymore, but it's so good?" The fishbowl? The dancing? The blabbing to a complete stranger only for it to turn out to be a legendary badass here for his captain? Iconic behavior. But, seriously, so many good character moments here. Luffy ordering milk like the innocent cutie he is. Zoro struggling to sit in the booth with his swords but refusing to check them. Nami being totally unimpressed with Sanji's flirting. The boys teasing Nami for Sanji's flirting. 10/10. And Zoro and Nami bonding by trying to learn more about one another! The shift in her character really is fantastic; Emily Rudd did a bang-up job of showing that Nami truly is a good person, but is so damaged by her childhood and is scared to get close to anyone because she inevitably hurts them. I loved that she called Zoro her friend while trying to dissuade him from fighting Mihawk, and the switch that happens in her debating on betraying them in secret comes from him rebuking her by throwing her own words back in her face.

Also, speaking of Sanji, I adore Taz Skylar's Sanji with all my heart. Like, first of all, I love that they toned down his flirtatiousness. It's still there, but it is at such a more tolerable level because it isn't overbearing or uncomfortable. Then there is his smile. My God, every time he smiles, my heart sings. Like, he just captured the essence of Sanji that is part dapper gentleman badass, part snarky, foul-mouthed asshole, and part pathetic wet beast of a man. I have fallen in love with Sanji all over again. I also loved his relationship with Zeff. It was so them; bickering incessantly, antagonism belying the genuine love they have for each other. Finally, I adore the relationship he gains with the crew. Like, it is so obvious how much he comes to care about Luffy after them talking about dreams and later while helping Luffy process what it really means to be a captain. Also, it's so badass that he did all his own stunts. Him fighting so screams Sanji! I just cherish this Sanji, I really do.

I knew going in that they condensed this arc, and honestly, I'm pleased with how they did it. I thought it was so clever to introduce Mihawk differently, with him absolutely decimating Don Krieg's crew single-handedly and calling it "Killing time." Also, he's so hot, it's honestly unfair. Again, the amazing casting shines through, because Steven Ward made such a spectacular Mihawk, totally encapsulating that devil-may-care attitude of his and his interest in powerful people. Phenomenal. And to pair this with more Koby growth, with him being appalled by Garp using pirates to do his business and that the World Government has the Warlord system. I had to laugh at Helmeppo's "You don't know shit about how the world works" because it was just a funny line in general, but funnier coming from him, who also doesn't know shit about how the world works in a different way. It was sad not to see Sanji shine in combat against the Don Krieg crew (though I loved the Gin appearance and that he lives this time!), I think it was a smart narrative choice to have this episode center around Mihawk vs. Zoro, given what follows. Speaking of, that fight was amazing. It was a dead ringer to how it goes down into the manga, down to the pose at the end when Zoro points his sword at the sky and vows never to lose again. I also love that Nami didn't flee in secret like she did in the manga; she stayed, and there was that tender moment of her holding Usopp's hand for comfort. I just think it does so well to illustrate how Nami is changing, but also, the sheer power that Luffy holds in making people who have given up all hope believe again. Nami stays because, deep down, she has hope that she can be a part of this crew, that she can have the courage to tell Luffy the truth and have him help her save her home, that she can be free of Arlong, and that is so powerful in a way that is different and new than the way things originally go.

Episode 6: The Chef and The Chore Boy

I love that there is so much weight in this episode on Zoro's injury. It was glossed over in the manga, honestly, but this adaptation goes into how grievous it is and uses that as the crux of Luffy's growth as a captain and how they come together. It's amazing, narrative-wise, enough for me to be content with the large plot changes they made to the Baratie arc.

The Mihawk and Garp interaction is so gold, honestly. It really captures Mihawk's thing about doing whatever he wants despite being a dog of the World Government, and the keen interest he takes in Luffy. Also, again, Garp laughing while losing his shit at the fact that his grandson is out there tearing up the East Blue as a pirate is so awesome.

Sanji's backstory is the only one told as a full, uninterrupted narrative, and the fact that it's different because of the circumstances and the fact that Sanji is telling it to show Luffy, who is obviously doubting himself, what it means to be a captain is again so clever. Again, Sanji is one of my all-time favorite characters, and his backstory was always the most gut-wrenching to me; seeing it come to life was so heartbreakingly beautiful and sad and inspiring. Props to the kid that played him, like, he did a stellar job. The way he attacked Zeff with unhinged rage over his food; the way he slowly unraveled throughout the time on the rock, starting out as determined to survive and having the optimism that only a child can have and slowly transitioning into the terrified little boy he is, curled up and sniffling as the days drag on; the look of shock, guilt, and disbelief when he realizes that Zeff gave him all the food and ate his own leg (especially with knowledge from the manga, knowing the way Sanji grew up and how he has never known any sort of love, so the idea that someone would sacrifice for him, especially as a stranger, just shatters his entire world view)... It's simply spectacular. And comparing that to the present Sanji, who is so full of energy and life and hope for finding the All Blue, is just so impactful.

But, seriously, I love the whole thing of the characters' growth revolving around Zoro and his recovery. I was touched by Nami reading the story of Noland to him (and also excited by another crumb for potential sequel seasons), and Luffy struggling with what to say because he is struggling with himself and his ability to captain.

Again, I really enjoyed how they handled the transition from Baratie to Arlong Park. First of all, I loved that they kept Buggy a part of the narrative. It encapsulates that spirit of One Piece in which events and characters hundreds of chapters back can still return to have profound effects on the narrative. Also, Buggy is just downright hysterical in this show, and I enjoy his presence. The fishmen are so intimidating, and I like how they used the Baratie to set that and Arlong's motivations up. Getting to see Sanji really fight was great, and when he lost his shit because Zeff got hurt... Yes, just yes. Finally, I love that Nami just "betrayed" them in person. The fact that it went down like it did made Luffy emotional intelligence and his belief that Nami isn't just a traitor that much more impactful to me. Emily Rudd did such a good job of showing Nami as someone who is callous on the surface but clearly has that undertone of hesitation and guilt about what she is doing, though she knows she is doing it to save their lives. Also, Sanji being shirtless while saving Luffy? Like, I will take the fanservice, but it was just so funny to me LOL

But the end of the episode was so hopeful! After everything going wrong, Luffy finally finds the words he needs to say because he knows now what it means to be a captain; he needs his crew as much as they need him. And Zoro waking up at that moment, and Luffy being so excited to see him that he crawls all over him and flings his arm around LOL, it's so Luffy. And I loved that we got official acknowledgement of Zoro as his first mate! It was so good! And finally, Sanji and Zeff's goodbye. It was so emotional, Taz's voice breaking as he thanked Zeff for everything and putting up with all his shit over the years... I cried. TT.TT And of course, ending it with the twist that Buggy will lead them to Arlong is just so exciting LOL

Chapter 7: The Girl With The Sawfish Tattoo

I was so ready for this episode because some of the scenes in the Arlong Park arc are still some of my favorites. I'll admit that this is the arc that had a few changes that I wish weren't there, but overall, I still like how it was handled, and it kept the spirit of the manga.

Again, I like how Nami's backstory is interspersed with key moments of the present narrative. The initial scene of childhood innocence with her and Nojiko and Belle-mere, so light and happy, and coming to a jarring end as she snaps to reality in Arlong Park... Perfect. Also, I thought it was cool that they turned Arlong Park into an amusement park; it's a clever nod to Arlong's twisted notion of making the world a "paradise" for fishmen. Again, I have to commend the casting. Arlong is so savage in this. He practically radiates bloodlust, and it's so good, even though I know what happens, I was worrying for Nami the whole time because he could so easily turn on her on a whim. Then, pairing the conflict of Nami having to go collect money from her village with the conflict with Belle-mere, her hating that she's poor and weaponizing the fact that they aren't a "real" family, as a frustrated child would... So clever. I will admit that this is where the changes that I don't like come in. I really don't like that they made it to where the town had no clue about the fact that she was trying to buy back the village the whole time, and they pretended not to know to try and keep Nami safe. Like, they kept the idea that Nami felt sh deserved to be hated because she felt guilty for not cherishing Belle-mere as she should have and somehow responsible for what happened to the town, but still, what was special about Nami's arc is that she believed that she hurt everyone around her and that she didn't deserve to be loved, but she had been loved the whole time, and this show completely abolished that. In the same vein, I hated the cuts they made to Genzo's character. Belle-mere was her mother figure, and Genzo was her father figure, and that was largely unseen here. They had the nods to the pinwheels (it was cute that they used the tangerine skills), but, again, I felt it was a disservice to Nami's story and character to make changes like this, and I honestly don't know why they felt the need to do it at all, aside from maybe driving home the fact that Nami felt she deserved to be hated and so let the village hate her.

Again, very interesting how they wove in the Marines here. I honestly loved the dinner with Garp and Zeff; them talking about the old days, and Zeff hinting at the times changing and the upcoming generation that becomes a crux to the overall One Piece narrative, is so good. Also, love the Helmeppo and Koby bonding. Their friendship has become so important to me.

But, seriously, props to Iñaki, and the scriptwriters, for just perfectly capturing Luffy's emotional intelligence. Because Nojiko has no idea that Nami is trying to buy back the town, the cast is left believing that Nami genuinely betrayed them, but Luffy just refuses to abandon his gut feeling that there is something more, and he won't stop until he hears it directly from Nami, whom he knows is not being honest with him. Though I don't like the changes to the story, I do like the scene of Nami and Nojiko's reconciliation. It's very heartfelt and heartbreaking, especially when followed by Nezumi arriving to take Nami's money away; everything finally seems to be going right for Nami, and then it all falls apart. I loved the cinematography of her running through the tangerine fields; it truly captured the desperation, all the way up until her falling to her knees at the sight of her village being razed to the ground. Emily Rudd and Iñaki truly nailed the next sequence, which is my favorite in all the manga; Nami's screaming with rage as she stabs her tattoo, Luffy standing there, waiting for the ask for help that he instinctively knows will come, Nami turning around and whispering a broken "Help me," and then, in a perfect parallel to the manga panel, the rest of the crew, despite still not knowing the full context, all immediately being there for her... It will live in my head rent-free until I die.

Chapter 8: The Worst in the East

A good conclusion to the masterpiece that is the adaptation, but again, I am starving for more. Despite my problems with the changes in the previous episode, I thought the condensation in this episode was pretty all right.

The battle of Arlong Park was much shorter, obviously, but I still enjoyed it a lot! I like that they kept Usopp's first solo fight, and all-in-all, it lined up well with the manga. I am, however, so deeply disappointed at the omission of Usopp Hammer and Rubber Band of Doom. Like, I remember the first time I watched this episode of the anime in dub, and I had to pause it for five minutes because hearing Usopp trill "Rubber Band of Dooooooooom!" had me in hysterics, on the floor, laughing until I cried. They kept him pretending to be dead with hot sauce "blood," but not that? How could they do my boy like that? I did laugh at the whole, "I did it! ... Aaaaaaaaaand there was no one there to see it." That aside, the Zoro and Sanji team-up fight was awesome. The ZoSan banter really begins, and it was gratifying to really get to see Sanji shine in a fight since he didn't get to in the Baratie arc as much, as well as Zoro clutching at his wound throughout the fight! Also, I love that the singular "fuck" in the show went to Zoro, and it was directed at Buggy, "that fuckin' clown." Like, so iconic, so perfect, 100/10 moment right there. And, of course, Luffy's fight with Arlong. The teeth-shedding thing was so horrifying and gross, but again drove home the savagery behind Arlong's character. Obviously, they made some alterations to the fight because it would be hard to replicate in live action, but I was more concerned with them keeping the core of the fight: Luffy bringing down Arlong Park because it was all built upon Nami's pain and sacrifice, and that was rendered beautifully. I loved the shot of Arlong Park collapsing. It was so devastating and destructive in a way the anime wasn't, so the horror of the crew looking on as it came crumbling to the ground, wondering if Luffy was okay, and Luffy emerging from the rubble to validate Nami as their friend and a member of their crew gave me goosebumps.

Of course, it won't be a Straw Hat story without a party. I love that they used it as a way to tie the loose ends of the story together. Koby not only reaches the crux of his character arc by finally standing up to Garp and what he believes in, but Helmeppo begins to, too, but joining him, really cementing their friendship. We finally get to the meat of the tension between Garp and Luffy, and I loved the scene where Luffy grins and laughs, and Garp sees Roger in his head. It's a recurring theme in the manga/anime, and to see it here was gratifying. Also, the fact that Luffy got totally bodied by Garp was a good reminder that Luffy still has a long way to go; he will encounter stronger and stronger enemies henceforth, but will face them with a smile and unshakeable confidence and determination.

I loved the ending. I cried tears of joy at Koby bringing Luffy his wanted poster and them hugging and saying their true goodbyes... Luffy telling Koby to be a good marine, and Koby telling Luffy to be a good pirate. It was just so satisfying, so powerful, so solidifying of the friendship that will persist throughout the manga. Then, of course, it was exciting to see all the little scenes with the poster: Makino reading it, Kayagushing over Usopp in the backgriund, Zeff hanging it on the "Employee of the Month" board, Buggy seeing it and voicing that he'll kill Luffy and Alvida chiming in, hinting their team-up... And of course, the scene where Mihawk brings it to Shanks and they all celebrate. So nostalgic, but also so dripping with the overtone that the adventure doesn't end here; that the Straw Hats are only beginning. And that's paralleled by Koby and Helmeppo, too, beginning their training under Garp. And all of it topped off with the crew sailing forth on the Going Merry, with their sail unfurling to reveal the Jolly Roger, them making their vows on the barrel with it flashing back to their childhood selves... I truly felt like I had been a part of something special and was setting out on a new journey with the Straw Hats, and I can't wait to see where they're taken next, even if that never makes it to the screen.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Speaking of buggy related surprises, I came across a fanon theory recently that buggy is actually Rocks D Xebec's son based on some loose similarities and the timelines possibly matching up. Any thoughts on that as a potential revelation down the line? Or buggy being a D in general? He doesn't tick all the boxes, but blackbeard doesn't either and he's a d.

(Also, I'm loving your buggy insights and your fics so far! Can't wait to see more in the future!)

ah, i bet that’s because we got a bit of god valley incident lore recently, right? i haven’t been keeping a close eye on the manga—i don’t have the patience for week-to-week reading these days, i prefer to binge arcs after they’re complete—but i heard we saw a bit of the incident.

and, well.

we know (from a movie red tie-in story? i think?) that roger found shanks at god valley, a year old in a treasure chest

shanks and buggy are the same age

we have no idea how or when buggy joined the roger crew*

who brings a kid to god valley? maybe the guy planning to wreck it**

so i guess it makes as much sense as the rocks d shanks theory.

i find “buggy d clown” theories a little silly, conceptually, but i don’t think i understand what it means to be a d well enough to reject it out of hand. because you’re right, blackbeard doesn’t seem to fit the mold of luffy, ace, garp, roger, dragon, and law—but i think sometimes we forget, rouge was also a d. unless she was only a d in order to pass it on to her son, which tbh is the kind of bullshit i wouldn’t put past oda. there’s still more to the ‘will of d’ than we know at this point.

*i have assumed, and i don’t think i’m the only one, that buggy joined the crew years after shanks; his distrusting, paranoid nature makes more sense to me if he had a “life on the streets” for a while before roger picked him up. but there’s no canon basis for this, it’s just vibes.

**i am honestly very skeptical of this. sure, a desperate pirate might stick their kid in a treasure chest for safekeeping. but why bring a one year old to a battle in the first place?? i think the more likely reason for a treasure chest baby, given what we know of the god valley incident, is either a slave baby who was hidden away from the hunt, or a noble’s baby who was hidden away from the rocks pirates.

[phoenixkaizen]

Yeah I have decided to rewrite They Don't Know About Us. I'm going to be adding in Uta and then probably a bunch of stuff will change and would go by the original storyline of the fic before the reader vote. Pretty much, it's just going to be an entirely new fic of it's own, but does have a similar family dynamic.

So what I now have in mind:

Family Dynamic Changes: Rouge is still the daughter of Garp. I f'd up the ages in TDKAU so Rouge is actually OLDER than Dragon. Uta will be added into the mix of the kids of Shanks and Mihawk.

It won't follow any of the spin off one shots of We Are (Family)

Rouge isn't a WBP as long as she was before. She starts of as a Roger Pirate until later on around God Valley.

Shanks will be born on the Oro Jackson instead and raised on the ship. There will also be a certain event that will happen. He was still born in the West Blue.

The WBP do not form until after God Valley.

the backstories won't be individual like TDKAU but they are being rewritten and events will be changed from the original.

Rouge does NOT become the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates (This is up for debate, I might end up changing my mind again xD)

Rouge will remain alive like in TDKAU, and eventually goes into hiding following Roger's execution.

The HUGE debate of wanting to add Shakky/Rayleigh having Mihawk as their son is there because why not xD highly unlikely I will do this.

Ace, Uta, and Luffy are all going to be biological siblings (Angel xD thank you for talking me into that xD)

Sabo will end up a member of the Revolutionary Army and the adoptive son of Dragon since well, Luffy isn't his son.

Ace and Luffy will still go by canon names.

Because of Garp, Shanks is believed to be an orphan that Roger and his nakama found.

Unlike TDKAU, pretty much everything following Marineford in the fic is going to be scraped and will not happen in this fic. Marineford will eventually happen in the fic as their get back together for the very very powerful family xD

Ace, Luffy, and Uta are all known for being on Shanks' ship but no one knows the biological connection.

I can't have an Ace fic without the Daddy Issues. Those still exist.

Rouge was born in the South Blue before her mother and father moved her to the East Blue where Dragon was eventually born. Ace is also once again born in the South Blue, Luffy in the East Blue, and Uta in the North Blue.

Unlike Film Red and the filler episodes, Uta is not left by Shanks or the Red Hair Pirates on Elegia. She does eventually leave the ship in pursuit of learning more about music. She is the only one of them to not have a bounty until much later.

The siblings are pretty close together in bonds. With the "death" of Sabo, it sparks Ace and Luffy getting closer.

more to come but I probably won't reveal it until the fic.

The fic's title: The World's Continuation