#I love when sanji internalizes it into anger

[nightcat-png]

Bitches love gay yearning.... I'm bitches

[lockes-woods]

Kinktober '24 Day 3

Request: Hmmm how about dom Nico Robin x sub afab reader? Over stimulation, toys, bondage, praise kink and body worship. (Jealous robin fucks reader in front of Sanji)

Requested by: @nocturnalrorobin / Author's Choice

WARNINGS: Warnings: Exhibition, Mistress kink, fingering, strap-ons, nipple clamps, improper use of devil fruit powers, jealousy, bondage, sex toys, questionable consent

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You bit your lip to contain a gasp, as Robin sprouted an arm from the floor right below your chair and began stroking your inner thigh. You tried your hardest to regulate your breath and continue to eat your breakfast, hoping none of your fellow crew mates would notice. You cursed internally as she made her way closer and closer to your core.

“What about you?” Nami asked, snapping you out of your sole focus on the hand between your legs.

“Sorry, I’m a little out of it; what was the question?” You asked with a smile.

“Since we’re docking this afternoon, we’re talking about who’s going to stay behind on the ship.” Usopp answered, “So far only Robin’s volunteered.”

You pushed around your food for a moment before answering, attempting to contain your excitement at the prospect of being alone with Robin. While initially you were just crew mates with benefits, things had bloomed into a genuine loving relationship. You’d only been part of the crew for the last six months; in four of those months, you and Robin had become an item. So far only Chopper and Nami knew. You weren’t ashamed of it by any means, it just felt nice to have something for yourselves.

“I don’t mind staying,” you answered as casually as possible. Despite your efforts, Nami gave you a knowing glance, a smirk forming on her lips.

“I-I actually might stay as well.” Sanji rushed out.

“Huh, didn’t you just finish saying that you’d be Intown to work on the food restock?” Usopp questioned.

“Um, actually, I think it’d be best for me to stay and double-check our inventory. Just to make sure it’s accurate and I’m not overspending. I can always put in the order tomorrow.” He blurted out before taking a sip of his water, glancing at you in passing over the rim. You tried your best to keep your face neutral in your disappointment. You just wanted some alone time with your partner, was that too much to ask for? It also didn’t help that it was Sanji, Robin had been pretty short with him recently. You didn’t get why. While he was super nice to you since you joined, he’d only ever playfully flirted with you in a way you deemed harmless. You rationalized it as such because he gave Nami the same attention and she was an out lesbian.

On the bright side, Nami wouldn’t be in the women’s quarters tonight, meaning you and Robin could be as loud as you like. Well, you were always loud; you couldn’t remember the last time Robin didn’t have to manifest an arm next to your head when you came so that its hand could muffle your cries. You could feel your face begin to warm as you remembered the sex toys she had bought when you were last docked. It was a mixture of ropes, vibrators, nipple clamps, and a new vibrating dildo for her strap-on. The dildo was different because it had a backside that would be in Robin when she fucked you.

“Alright it’s settled then,” Luffy called out in his normal joy-filled voice, turning to look at you, “You, Sanji, and Robin will stay here, while the rest of us explore the island.”

You couldn’t help but smile back in return. Luffy always brought a smile to your face. That only ever added to your confusion over why Robin was always so quick to anger with Sanji, but never Luffy. The two of you were way closer and touchier with each other than you had ever been with the cook. You bit your lip to contain your emotions as the hand pinched your thigh mere centimeters from where you wanted it most. Robin’s hand stayed perched on your upper thigh until you were done with breakfast. You helped Usopp and Sanji clear the dishes. The hand gone from between your legs as quickly as it came. You thanked Sanji as you always did for another sustaining meal before you wandered to the cartography room/library to work for a bit. You and Nami shared the space. In your addition there were now two bookshelves with relevant texts; with cages built in to prevent the books from falling. You were the crew’s chronicler. While you were new, you had already worked on gaining all the history of the crew before your time and now focused on what was to come.

Outside of your fighting abilities, you were also a great conversationalist and listener which made interviewing each member of the straw hats of their memories easy. Your position is actually the reason you and Robin hit it off. You spent long hours talking in the crow’s nest at night about not only her life but your own, which is a rarity for someone in your position. When you confessed your feelings to one another four months ago she said she had never felt so safe and heard, by anyone else. While in turn, you confessed how you could never not be in awe of her intelligence and strength.

“Darling,” Robin said softly, attempting to not sneak up on you. It was only half effective as you still jumped slightly, your train of thought ripped out of your mind by the beauty leaning against the nearest bookshelf.

“Ye-yes,” you answered, clearing your throat. She smiled down at you, amused. She often remarked on how endearing it was that you still got nervous under her attention.

“I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a bath later? And then I was thinking we could read for a bit before I tuck you in.”

‘tuck you in’ was her subtle code for fucking you til you were so far gone you couldn’t even put yourself to bed.

“I’d love to miss.” You answer, a desperate look already carving into your face causing Robin to smirk.

“Good,” she said leaning down to peck your lips.

“Wait, what about Sanji?” you asked, as she pulled away.

“What about him?” She asked, with a slight tilt of her head and ever so slight furrowing of her brows. She only ever made that face when she was irritated.

“W-Well we have to pass the male quarters from the bathroom to our room.” You started, “Plus what if he hears us? The ship is docked and deserted so there’ll be no sound coverage.”

Robin hummed for a moment before easing your pen from your hand and grabbing a scrap piece of map paper Nami had trashed. She leaned down for a moment writing something down that you missed; definitely from her arm being in the way and not at all because you could see down her shirt perfectly from where you sat.

“Don’t worry about the cook, I’ll take care of him.” She answered, folding up the paper she had just written on.

“Okay, b-but be nice please.” You said as she raised to her full height. She hummed once again.

“Oh, my sweet little flower. What will I ever do with your big heart?” she asked rhetorically, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“What are you going to do?” you asked, as she stood up once again to make her way out, back to the deck.

“Nothing bad, just a quick reminder who is and isn’t allowed to drink your nectar.” She answered vaguely, giving you a coy smile, before leaving.  

You sat still for a moment questioning if she’d actually ever do something to harm Sanji. If she did someone would stop her right? Right? You tried to rationalize. You turned back to your book to check over any discrepancies and the flow of what you had already completed. While you were calm in your practice the possibility of a fight between Sanji and Robin ate at the back of your mind.

You loss track of time as you almost always did when working. You sat straight up from your hunched position as one of Robin’s arms caressed your side before cupping your breast. You let out a stuttered breath as the hand reached for the hem of your shirt. You moved to stand, the arm staying solitaire for a second before disappearing. You quickly sealed up the ink and rebound your book before you unlocked the cage and placed it in for safekeeping. You were surprised to find that the sun was setting. Have you really been in the study that long? You shook your head and stretched lightly before heading in the direction of the baths. You were delighted to find that Robin had not only set up a hot bath but also had some snacks and your favorite drink. She greeted you with a chaste kiss, before lightly grabbing your hand in hers and leading you over to the area where you rinse off before the bath. She made quick work of your clothing, an extra hand here and there, before undoing the knot keeping her robe together. You couldn’t help but gaze lovingly at her as her full form came into view.

She caught you by the bicep as you started to go down on your knees for her. Both of you love any time you spent between her thighs.

“Miss-” you began before she gently shushed you.

“It’s alright darling, I want tonight to be about you. You’ve been such a good girl lately and working overtime to represent the crew as they are past the surface level. Will you be kind enough to let me show you how much I appreciate you?”

“Yes, Mistress,” you answered breathlessly,

“And your color?” she asked stroking your jaw, looking down at you lovingly.

“Green, Mistress,”

“And your safe word?” she inquired; despite the countless times you’ve been together.

“Marines,” you answered, beginning to get antsy.

“Good girl, now why don’t you take a seat and let me prepare you for all that you deserve.” She prompted you.

You dropped down to the short stool as Robin did next to you. Your face felt like it was on fire as she took her time washing and rinsing you from head to toe; occasionally sneaking a bite or two of the snacks she supplied. When she was done, she easily picked you up like a bride, extra arms sprouting from her body to better distribute your weight. She took a slow step into the hot water, before sitting down and taking you down with her. She gently positioned you between her long legs. Her real arm gently pressed down on your stomach so that you would fully recline against her. You couldn’t help but let out a content sigh as you laid back in your lover’s embrace.

“Thank you, Mistress,” you said turning your head to peck her on the lips. She caught your jaw as you pulled back to garner your focus.

“I would pace yourself, love, the night is still young, and I have plans for you.” She said a small coy smile spreading across her lips. She pulled you into a kiss again, this time more desperate. The hot water loosens your taught muscles from days of hard work. You gasped into the kiss Robin was dominating as you felt a set of hands gliding up and down the sides of your body. You full-on whined as the hands lightly cupped your chest, softly caressing them, before they began to work at your sensitive nipples. You pulled back and rested your forehead against hers. Your unabashed moans echoed through the room as another set of arms sprouted between your legs. The pair between your legs started by simply rubbing up and down your inner thigh, before stroking your slit, to finally breaching your lips. One hand eased into your opening while the other gave light touches and pets to your clit. You almost snapped your thighs closed out of habit; before you were able Robin hooked her legs around yours forcing you to open wide.

“Fuck, Mistress,” you moaned, hips humping forward to chase after her fingers before another hand held your hips down firmly. At this point, you had lost track of how many arms had sprouted around you. You threw your head back against her shoulder overwhelmed by the feeling of your love cocooning around you.

“Fuck, Mistress I’m gonna-I’m gonna” you panted having a hard time completing your thought.

“Go ahead darling, tonight you can cum as many times as you like.” She encouraged, speeding up her fingers filling your tight cunt. You came with a shout rather than a moan, thighs trembling against hers as your first orgasm of the night shot through you like a bullet. She continued fingering you through your orgasm to the point right before overstimulation. You fell slack against your lover, arms gone, now only surrounded by her real arms as they embraced you, gently rubbing up and down your back soothingly. You sat sideways so that you could rest your head against her chest; the steady rhythm of her beating heart bringing you back to reality.

“Ready for bed?” she asked, as the water cooled around you.

“Yes, Mistress,” you answered, face tucked into her neck. She let out a chuckle as she slowly removed you from her chest and eased you out of the bathtub. You sat, sipping on your favorite drink as your lover slid her forgotten robe back on. She had already lovingly patted you dry, spreading kisses around your body as she went.

“Ready love?” she asked going to pick you up again.

“M-mistress, I can walk.” You said, on the off-chance, Sanji did see you.

“Do you not want Mistress to carry you?” she prompted, bending down so you were eye to eye,

“Well, no, but what if San-” She cut you off before you could even finish his name.

“Darling that’s the last time I’d like you to say his name, at least for tonight,” she started in a serious tone, “Now may I carry you back to our room?”

“Yes, Mistress,” you answer with a nod. You placed the drink aside before she gathered you in her arms and made way back to your shared cabin. Your eyes widened as you took in the setup. On a table, she had cleared and set up next to your shared bed were now holding her strap-on, ropes, nipple clamps, and vibrators. Robin smirked down at your reaction. Along with the table, your bed had been moved so that the foot now faced the entrance to your cabin.

“New interior design?” you joked,

“Oh, it serves a purpose, don’t worry about it, love.” Robin brushed off, laying you down so that your head was facing the door.

“I’m going to bind you now is that okay, flower?” Robin asked, picking up the rope.

“Yes, Mistress,” you answer, breathlessly.

“Good girl,” Robin praised, pecking you on your lips before going to tie your limbs to each post of your shared bed. Once she was done she straddled you now holding a ridged vibrator. She pulled you into a deep loving kiss before dragging the vibrator up and down your sternum, before moving onto your nipples. You whined into the kiss, trying to lean into the stimulation, but not being able to quite reach in your restraints. You were too distracted by the kiss you didn’t realize how low she had dragged it until it buzzed against your clit, causing you to hump forward and struggle against your bindings.

“Mistress,” you whined, as she playfully ran it up and down your slit.

“Yes, darling?” she asked, amused.

“Please,” You begged looking up at her through your eyelashes. It was a dirty move; you knew how weak she was to your puppy dog eyes.

“Oh? Already desperate enough to pull that look,” She laughed, turning up the frequency, and placing it against your clit before pulling it back suddenly.

You whined in response.

“Hmm you have been a good girl lately,” she started, putting the vibrator back against your clit, “but you have been humoring that boy again,” she finished, pulling it away again.

You let out another whine, getting desperate.

“Please Mistress please,” you start wiggling against your restraints, “I’ll be a good girl, I promise, please let me cum.” You begged.

“Promise you won’t let him flirt with you again,” she said seriously

“I promise, I promise,” you answered hysterically, as she finally pushed it in. You let out a pornographic moan head snapping back, immediately cumming hard after the inadvertent edging. She left it in well past your initial orgasm as you trembled against the overstimulation. It didn’t help with the feeling overwhelmed when you suddenly felt two, boarding on painful, pinches to your nipples. You looked up at her with glassy eyes, silently begging for her to remove it. She pecked your forehead running her hand down your throat, past your clavicle, before she gave the clamps a light tug. You moaned desperately as she continued to trail her fingers down to your cunt. She located and removed the vibrator with ease, placing it to the side as she pulled back and rolled off the bed.

You moaned at the sight of the mess of slick she left on your lower abdomen.

“Color?” she asked as she grabbed and began to pull on the strap-on.

“Fuck, green, please Mistress I want you inside,” you begged, for your lover’s attention. You didn’t care how overstimulated you felt, there was nothing more satisfying to you than sharing an orgasm with your partner. You couldn’t look away as she crawled up the bed, nudging your knees apart before settling between your thighs.

“Well, I guess we don’t need any lube this time do we darling?” Robin points out smirking down at you as she collects your slick by rubbing the dildo up and down your seem.

“No, we don’t Mistress,” you agreed breathlessly, too tired to be able to handle any further discipline from not responding.

“Ready?” she asked hovering over your mouth, her jet-black hair forming a curtain around your face.

“Yes,” you nodded, helpless against her will.

“Yes?” she asked

“Yes, Mistr-eeess” you stumble as she thrusted in without warning.

“Fuck,” you shouted as the vibrator turned on, and her speed gained up. It quickly became too much to handle as you fell back writhing against the restraints. You couldn’t help, but keep your eyes shut as pleasure pulsed through you. You heard a faint thump behind you, before you got the chance to look Robin was forcefully kissing you as you fell apart on her member. Both of you called out each other’s names as you came. Robin slumped against you after turning off the vibrating feature. You pressed a kiss to her forehead allowing her all the time she needed to recover. After a moment she was up untying you and applied cooling gel to the rope burns on your wrist. There were only two spots of irritated skin. But for Robin it was two too many as she promptly threw out the ropes. She then wiped you down the best she could with baby wipes; no running water in your room. She pulled you into a sweet kiss, before joining you back in bed, cocooning around you.

“Robin?” you asked sleepily.

“Yes baby?” she replied,

“Did you hear something before we came, the last time?” you asked slowly forming your thoughts as you went.

“I can’t say I did baby,” she answered, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Kay” you responded, snuggling closer into her chest. You let out a content sigh as you allowed sleep to take you.

What you had heard but not seen was Sanji entering the women’s quarters at the time dictated to him on a note he presumed you left him. He stood shocked for a moment at your naked form struggling against your restraints as Robin mercilessly fucked you. He made brief eye contact with your lover’s smirking face, before promptly passing out from a nosebleed. As quietly and quickly as she could she formed arms to pull Sanji out of your room and back out to the hallway. Leaving you none the wiser.  

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MASTERLIST

A/N: This fic kinda got away from me lol. It ended up being so long cuz I added another layer on top of the initial request. Anyway, I hope you like it ^-^ stay tuned for Shanks x FTM! Reader tomorrow.

[penn-dragon]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

This is such a sweet question I would love to!

These are in no particular order because my level of passion for them changes depending on my current hyperfixation, and I’m limiting myself to one character per media but giving honorable mentions because I tend to love two or three characters almost equally

1. Monkey D. Luffy!!! (Honorable mention: Zoro and Sanji)

One Piece holds a special place in my heart. I watched it on 4kids when I was growing up and it was the first anime I watched as a teenager. Luffy is so so so important to me as a character. I got myself through the worst parts of teendom by imagining that if he was real Luffy would love me. He’s such a warm, loving, and joyous character. He’s Joyboy!!! He came into the world without a family and so he made his own and that’s so special, the message that no one in this world is born to be alone and somewhere out there someone or ones will love you and fight for you. And on top of all this he’s an aroace king!!!

2. Mogami Kyoko -Skip Beat!

Kyoko was my Girl Crush™️ in high school. I remember telling my best friend “yeah if I was gay I’d date Kyoko” LMAO. Beyond that there’s just something so special to me about reading this manga over and over, watching this girl—who only knew how to live to make her existence as palatable to other people as possible—grow into herself and find her own passions and loves as she heals from the abuses she’s dealt with her whole life. (Just looking up images of her made me want to reread the whole manga)

3. Peter Parker (Honorable mention: Harry Osborn)

Spider-Man is an OG, a forever love. No matter how many years go by I’ll always circle back around to Spider-Man. I love him and his pain and his Anger Issues™️ and his iron-clad morality. The people’s hero, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He’s also responsible for coding my brain to always gravitate towards the comic relief characters. I love a jokester who quips through dangerous situations.

4. Yosuke Hanamura - Persona 4

So I always joke that a majority of my favorite characters fall into one of two categories. 1. Hides their insecurities behind jokes/false bravado, and 2. Internalized homophobia/in love with best friend. And the characters I go FERAL for have both. Yosuke Hanamura is one of the both. I love a comic relief character!!! I love a man that’s hopelessly in love with his best friend but won’t admit it because he’s terrified of the implications!!! When I played this game for the first time, like most people, I was SO MAD THAT I COULDN’T DATE YOSUKE. 90% of the time when I play I don’t end up dating anyone because I refuse to deny the protag his one true love lmao. Yosuke and Yu also have the bonus of being my first ever gay ship. Their love is so powerful it pierced through my own internalized homophobia lol!!

5. Din Djarin -The Mandalorian (Honorable mention: Luke Skywalker)

I’m out here projecting so much onto this man!!!! He’s autistic, he’s asexual, he’s Traumatized. My other category of favorite characters is “Stoic Dad who learns to love again through a pseudo child figure” so he’s right up that alley. The man responsible for finally getting me into Star Wars after 27 years of having absolutely no interest.

6. Virgil Hawkins!! - Static Shock (Honorable mention: Richie Foley)

The way I waited with baited breath for every Static Shock episode as a child. It’s still one of my favorite shows, I own all 4 seasons on DvD and cherish them. I love Virgil so much!! He taught me about diversity! He’s such a lovable character and it makes the show an absolute delight to watch no matter how dated some parts of it get. The show does such a wonderful job balancing Virgil’s super heroics as Static with the heroics of every day life and it’s so endearing.

7. Oliver -Space Boy (Honorable mention: Amy)

Oliver is definitely the most niche character on this list (which is a crying shame please PLEASE read Space Boy on Webtoon it will chemically change your brain.) I’m just so attached to him. I feel so much for him and his story. If I could give him the biggest hug I would in an instant. “Take away his humanity and you can ignore his pain. Define him as a tool and you can justify using him.”

9. Rex Salazar - Generator Rex

Oh maaaaaan I love this asshole teenager!! I’m soooo obsessed with characters who get dehumanized for the sake of using their abilities like a tool and not a person. Re: the above Space Boy quote. The aesthetic of this show is so cool! (Also hello character who hides their insecurity behind false bravado.)

8. Aang - Avatar the Last Airbender (Honorable mention: Zuko)

Oh Aang… My sweet boy… my beloved… He imparted so much wisdom to me growing up… and also taught me it’s okay to have fun. I’ll always love him so much. There’s so much to rant about Avatar but it would take three hours.

10. Yugi Mutou - Yu-Gi-Oh! (Honorable mention: Atem)

I related to Yugi SO MUCH as a kid. He���s just a little weirdo who loves games and craves friendship more than anything. Honestly Yugi might have been the character I most strongly related to when I was young. I remember feeling swells of happiness when people would say nice things about Yugi as a character because it felt like they were saying nice things about me too.

[king-and-his-consorts]

An attention to detail was never one of Luffy's strongest attributes. There were many blatant actions, emotions, and items in the world that simply never found their way into his awareness. These things were meaningless to the young captain. They did not effect him in a meaningful way. This did not mean that Luffy's eyes were unaware.

Luffy was watching, always watching. In the quiet hours of the day when the captain grew silent, his knack for observation would pass over the ship. Even in his greatest exhaustion as he lay helpless on the lawn broken and beaten, he watched. What crew he had with him were all accounted for in the back of his mind. But one life was a flickering ball of light in his mind's eye for well over an hour now. Simply viewing, noting, the flickers of emotion in Sanji's aura until the man came over to share this space with him.

Now Luffy observed with his eyes. Wide and unblinking, looking to the side as his head faced the sky. The weight that draped over Sanji like a water-logged blanket was practically visible. Luffy didn't appreciate that. He wanted things to return to the way that they had been. But he was not the fool everyone saw him as. There was a dark feeling in Sanji (regret?) that clung to the cook's insides like tar. There was a tar-like feeling in Luffy's own chest to match. He didn't have the words to describe it. Perhaps something as plain and blatant as "hurt".

Anger? Regret of his own...?

How many times had Luffy told Sanji, specifically, to stop making stupid decisions without asking his captain's permission?

Disobedience should be punished. Everyone told him that. But there was nothing on this earth that Luffy could do that would punish Sanji more than what the cook was already doing to himself. Not that it mattered. Luffy did not become a captain so he could punish his crew. He became a captain so that his crew could thrive in the truest freedom and to experience love that could only be felt between nakama.

If there was one lesson that Luffy had internalized from his childhood, it was that hard punishments only incited a deeper hunger for rebellion. Had seen the cruel punishing hand of society drive his brothers to the brink of madness and fury at such a young age. An everlasting hunger clawing at Luffy's own belly taught him that once there was a deep hunger, it was never ending, so it was best to stop the craving before it started.

Sanji's cool palm still pressed to his, Luffy secured his cook to him. Hand strong enough to crush stone tightened in a grip that was firm yet oh so gentle. Great care taken to never bring harm to his friend's greatest treasure. He rubbed a coarse thumb over the other man's knuckles. "Lamb and leek soup sounds amazing! Eating on that island was delicious but there was like no meat, anywhere. I really, really missed Sanji's cooking."

Luffy took a breath. Pain was nothing new. He knew how to process and ignore it. Except for papercuts, those were the worse! But what he needed now was strength. Strength to move the parts of him that were still able to respond to him. He held his breath, counted to five, and let it go before enacting his plan.

The hand not resting between them pressed to the grass. What energy he had left was focused into that arm, using it to leverage himself up slightly. The momentum allowed him to swing that arm over his chest until he was rolling over onto his side. From there, it was a much easier to drape his arm across his friend's chest. Exhaustion weighing down on Luffy twice as hard now, he used what energy he had left to rest his head on Sanji's shoulder.

"Only bad captains don't worry about their injured crew." The captain gave a yawn, now fully drained. He gently poked his finger the muscle near the bandaged injury on Sanji's upper arm. He could feel the exhaustion begin pull him into slumber's undertow. "Do you think I'm a bad captain, Sanji?"

ㅤㅤLuffy always made it a point to be in high spirits regardless of their circumstances, a notion that both buoyed and saddened Sanji in this instance, the scant semblance of a smile faltering as he peers down at his captain in his fatigued and wounded state. Blue eyes trace over the binding bandages and a bizarre sensation overcomes his bearing, the blond still able to feel the weight of the other in his arms from carrying him, a journey that had consequently been airborne with Reiju's poignant words echoing at the back of his mind ( ne le laisse jamais partir ). And despite an amalgam of inwardly aimed contempt, the cook's resolve pointedly concludes that he won't, a thankfulness embedded at his core that wouldn't see him depart so quickly. And yet the man's own weariness is scarcely hidden from his features, a small nod extended in supposed agreement, blinking aside the fact that the last few days had been utterly sleepless in persistent distress.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ"After everything, a nap's starting to sound kind of nice." There's a shift in the blond's position with legs extending forwards, shoulders inching back to lie down on the grass besides the other, line of vision casting upwards to take in a confined segment of the expanse of the night sky while maintaining the gentle grip of Luffy's hand. Constellations and elements of the cosmos would understandably always alter dependent on where their ship roamed, and while the blond didn't necessarily have the time to keep track, there's a tattered leather bound book tucked away among his belongings that held the promise of such knowledge to be tapped into, romanticised profound meanings behind each twinkling cluster of stars available at the tip of his fingers ( un jour, peut-être... ). "Focus on getting some rest. There's no need to apologise." It feels perverse to even acknowledge the sentiment, several occasions where Sanji had physically carried his crewmates having been during times of immense strain, emergencies that necessitated such assistance that had grown expectant between them all ( ils veillaient tous les uns sur les autres ).

ㅤㅤThere's a prolonged moment of silence as Luffy enquiries after the blond, silent contemplation setting in as a despondent gaze averts a touch, drifting across to an alternative patch of the sky in the opposite direction of the other's hopeful smile ( est-ce que je vais bien..? ). The question begs a level of introspection that he isn't entirely ready to tackle, a subtle flutter of motion upon stoic features as Sanji's lips press into a thin line, thoughts flitting about the formation of the offending trigger. "A lot happened. Some of it I..." There are pieces of the entire ordeal that feel a little skewed and incomplete ( images d'une bobine coupées et éditées ), a discomfort at the pit of the man's stomach as he considers Pudding, the shift in their dynamic from cordial to antagonistic and then back again creating a level of immense pity that he couldn't entirely convey ( un prince et une princesse qui étaient les deux faces d'une même médaille ).

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Please don't worry about me. You've done more than enough." A pause, the cook not-so-subtly attempting to alter the line of conversation, a hint of forced irritation entering his voice. "Our provisions look like hell since I left." It's quick to disappear, a breath expelled as if to shake it off entirely. "Might not have enough, but I was thinking of lamb and leek soup tomorrow. It's good recovery food."

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: How Usopp the Liar Became a True Hero in One Piece

  Hello everyone, and welcome to Why It Works. Over the past couple months, I’ve been powering through One Piece at breakneck speed, journeying from the early crew recruitment through the end of Enies’ Lobby. After my earlier attempts at breaking into the series sputtered out, I’m finally learning what so many fans already know: One Piece improves at an absurd rate over its first several arcs, polishing and expanding in basically every way a narrative can. Nowhere is that evolution more clear than in the journey of the Straw Hats’ most unlikely crewmate: Usopp the Liar.

    When Usopp first entered the crew, I frankly found him pretty obnoxious. He appeared to be an icon of the kind of loud, slapstick comedy you frequently find in battle anime, which doesn’t have much appeal to me. Additionally, it was clear from the start that he couldn’t measure up to titans like Luffy or Zoro in terms of physical strength, and given his clownish disposition, I feared he was destined to be relegated to the peanut gallery — one of those characters who can only stand on the sidelines, cheering for the actual heroes to succeed.

  As it turns out, while Usopp is a bit of a clown, he ultimately proved to more often play the opposite role. While Luffy, Zoro, or Sanji might happily engage in some ludicrous, death-defying shenanigans, Usopp could generally be found on Nami’s side, playing the straight man to their ridiculous ideas. The reason for that would neatly resolve my second concern — both One Piece and Usopp himself are perfectly aware of his own fragility. While many of the Straw Hats are superhumans enjoying a superhuman adventure, Usopp is a normal human on a superhuman adventure, with all the incessant peril that would involve.

    The wildly uneven strengths of the Straw Hats is actually one of the more interesting things about One Piece. Not all of the Straw Hats are fighters; they’re first and foremost a ship’s crew, with several members more suited to maintenance or navigation than combat. Because of this, the non-combat-oriented crew members frequently have to find ways to contribute that avoid direct fighting. Over the first several arcs, Usopp offers sharpshooting, basic engineering, misdirection, and a profound talent for making friends with strange, dangerous creatures.

  Rather than being a dramatic drawback, this uneven power distribution actually becomes one of One Piece’s signature strengths. With this need for dramatic flexibility baked into the very fundamentals of its cast dynamics, One Piece is essentially required to come up with conflicts more complicated than “all of our guys fight all of their guys,” offering far more narrative creativity and complexity than your average action property. At the same time, this imbalance also helps emphasize the scale of a world like One Piece, wherein a character like Usopp will perpetually be staring up at giants he could never hope to face. 

    Eventually, Usopp’s persistent efforts to prove his worth as a crewmate fall short, and he begins to internalize the futility of his situation. By the time the Straw Hats reach Water 7, their journeys have long since lost their original playfulness and even mightier monsters are looming on the horizon. His journey echoes that of the Going Merry itself; beaten and bruised, he no longer has the strength to match up with their challenges or the hope of ever being a “great warrior” like them. His ultimate goal is the point they’re starting from, as they gaze toward challenges he could never even imagine. And thus, when Luffy makes his well-intended but deeply misguided speech about abandoning the Merry, Usopp explodes.

  Usopp clearly loves the Merry, even more so than any other member of the Straw Hats. They essentially “joined the crew” at the same time, and the ship had been not just his friend, but also perhaps his most essential role within the crew. Though Usopp was not a shipwright, he took maintaining the ship as a clear point of pride, something that was usually all too rare on their journeys.

    But more than his feelings about the Merry itself, Usopp personally relates to the Merry. He sees himself in their ship — a creaky, amusing companion who’s journeyed with them this far, but simply doesn’t possess the strength to help them any longer. Luffy’s dismissal of the Merry feels like a dismissal of him, and the anger of his own response reflects his understanding that Luffy is right. Usopp isn’t really strong enough for this journey anymore and doesn’t really have any skills they could not replace. He’s not an indispensable member of the Straw Hats, he’s just Usopp — and he suspects, if Luffy were willing to be as pragmatic about his crewmates as his ship, Luffy would likely toss him off too.

  It’s a hard thing to come face to face with your own limitations like that, and harder still when the verdict comes from the person you respect the most. Usopp does not accept this situation with dignity; he rages against it, blaming Luffy for his callousness, and literally fighting his captain to prove he can measure up in this world. Given his admitted understanding of both his and the Going Merry’s limits, you could perhaps consider this his way of saying goodbye — of giving the crew an excuse to leave him by leaving first and thus taking the blame upon himself. So certain of his inadequacy, perhaps this is the only way he thinks he can still help the Straw Hats.

    But ultimately, fate intervenes. Captured first by Franky’s family, and then by the World Government, Usopp finds himself taking part in the Straw Hats’ next adventure in spite of himself. Though he truly believes he is not strong or brave enough to be a Straw Hat anymore, he no longer has the choice to abandon their adventure. And so, Usopp defends himself the only way he can, by employing a power he’s been cultivating since his very first episode.

  Usopp lies. He has always been a teller of tall tales, bragging of the foes he’s bested and giants he’s befriended — but now, surging across the tempestuous seas of the grand line, he is in a world of true giants. In order to believe he belongs here, he lies — both to his crewmates and to himself. He puts on a pointed mask and dons the mantle of Sniper King, the hero of countless battles, whose brave feats on Sniper Island and legions of followers mark him as a clear equal of the Straw Hats.

    Usopp might not be strong enough to be a Straw Hat, but Sniper King can be. After all, Sniper King is as strong as Usopp says he is. Usopp uses his signature talent to ultimately fool himself, proclaiming himself strong and brave, and through doing so forcing himself to embody those qualities. If his conflict is a crisis of faith, then he just needs a new symbol to believe in. Usopp might not truly be on par with the other Straw Hats, but if he can force himself to believe he is, then perhaps the difference is negligible.

  Having given himself permission to believe he is Straw Hat material, Sniper King goes on to prove that he really is Straw Hat material. Not with his combat strengths — among the Straw Hats, he alone doesn’t defeat a member of CP9. Instead, he chips in with all the strengths he’s been cultivating so far, the various oddball strengths that nonetheless add up to an essential teammate. His upgrades to Nami’s weapon allow her to win multiple battles. His kind and courageous heart win him the friendship of the Lobby’s own giant protectors. His genuinely formidable sniping abilities keep Robin safe. In the end, his passionate faith in his captain and ability to boast of greatness even in the face of certain death gives Luffy the last, vital push to secure victory.

    Usopp demonstrates that whatever our natural talents, we are as indispensable as we choose to be. Through his journey, he not only expands One Piece’s dramatic horizons but also illustrates something essential about the nature of bravery and how we construct our self-image. I could easily relate to that sharp terror of not measuring up to my peers and the ways that optimistic lies can help us through impossible circumstances. Usopp embodies the difficulty of believing in yourself, and his journey feels all the more meaningful for just how difficult it was and how great the distance between him and his friends. He’s a remarkably compelling hero and my favorite Straw Hat so far.

      Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

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

By: Nick Creamer

[allblueblues]

Zoro and Sanji at Baratie

Hello, hello, hello! Long time no analysis! Or One Piece in general…. I don’t really know if or when I’ll be picking this blog up again for regular updates, but I do know that such a day will never come if I don’t get over this last thing I need to handle before finishing up Baratie – namely Zoro and Sanji’s relationship, and what I think the Baratie arc says about/brings to it. 

The fact is, I kind of froze here, not least because their relationship seems to be a touchy subject in this fandom, with a pretty extreme variety of opinions. On top of that, Zoro is also a touchy subject. Lots of interpretations of his character out there, too. Another reason is that putting my thoughts (and feelings) into words proved much more difficult than I anticipated. In fact, I’m still not sure I can do them justice. There was also the fact that we didn’t have all the information about Sanji’s more distant past at the time, and I wanted to know if any of it would influence my opinions. But enough about reasons. Let’s get this show on the road.

The first thing that struck me as I re-read this arc was how long it takes for Zoro and Sanji to interact at all. The next was that their interactions aren’t exactly volatile. Neither picks a fight with the other, and despite Sanji calling Zoro an idiot and referring to his dream as stupid, Zoro is respectful and calm talking to Sanji. I also found it funny that the one to pick a fight with Sanji is Usopp of all people, and when he tries to enlist Zoro to fight Sanji on his behalf, Zoro’s just like, “Fight him yourself.” On the topic of Sanji’s flirtatiousness, Zoro seems totally disinterested in his side of things, instead asking Nami if she bewitched him, though that was more of a quip (probably).

Their first and only conversation during this arc happens while Don Krieg is off feeding his remaining crew, and the story of what befell them on the Grand Line – and at whose hands – has come out:

It’s just common sense at this point that those panels where a character is just going “……..” aren’t there for no reason, though obviously what that reason may be is left up to interpretation. Here, I think it basically means that what Zoro said struck Sanji in some way, and this leads to the conclusion that what Sanji says next isn’t how he really feels/what he really thinks. Bolstering this belief is what follows:

Sanji’s clearly trying to brush these kids off as idiots, maybe even trying to convince himself that he definitely doesn’t want to go with them or anything!!, but the fact that there’s a panel focused on Zeff, who knows Sanji better than anyone, leads me to believe that he, at least, already knows that Sanji wants to go. And since this moment comes after Zoro spoke (pretty eloquently and poignantly), I can’t help but believe that Luffy isn’t the only reason/inspiration for Sanji ultimately leaving the Baratie despite his dedication and supposed debt to Zeff.

Words alone wouldn’t have had a big enough impact – action was necessary, and the first part of that was absolutely Zoro fighting Mihawk. The first thing I want to comment on is Sanji’s reaction to the revelation that Zoro is the infamous “Pirate Hunter” Zoro. Is he confused? Surprised? He has reason to be, considering Luffy has already introduced Zoro as part of his crew, so the Pirate Hunter is a pirate. Has Sanji, like Coby, heard rumours about this so-called demon? I’d say that’s pretty likely, and being surprised that he’s basically a kid like him makes sense. Especially since Sanji totally saw him try to force Luffy to drink booger water. I mean, come on.

No one can look away while Zoro and Mihawk fight, but we don’t get a glimpse of Sanji until Mihawk delivers the final blow and Zoro plunges into the ocean. At this point, Sanji is sweating even more than before, looking horrified, and perhaps even angry:

This is where I tend to get stuck, because I think there’s a lot going on internally with Sanji, and that’s hard to put into words. Let’s start with the easy part: he’s horrified. Easy enough to see why. The same man they all know just sliced a galleon in two without so much as breaking a sweat basically just cut this kid in two. If Mihawk can do that to a ship, killing some teenager would be simple. I also think there’s a kind of clash of values going on. As I’ve stated before, Sanji clearly has an immense will to survive. It becomes abundantly clear by the end of this arc that there is something (or rather, someone) Sanji is willing to die for, but it isn’t himself. Maybe he sees Zoro’s actions as not only foolish, because he’s obviously going to lose against Mihawk, but also selfish, since he doesn’t know Zoro’s story and could very well just see an arrogant guy with an unreachable dream rushing to his death. Either way, I think Zoro’s mentality of “I will strive for my dream with everything I have and then some, and if I die on the way, so be it” and Sanji’s “I will fight tooth and nail to live, except when the man who saved my life is threatened” are clashing here.

But what about the anger? Why would Sanji be mad?

Have you ever seen someone you care about deliberately do something really stupid and even potentially harmful, and reacted with anger? I certainly have, and while I’m not suggesting Sanji cares about Zoro with the same intensity as, say, a mother loving a child (and responding angrily to them, y’know, running across the street without looking, or getting drunk underage), I do believe Sanji cares strongly about people in general, and seeing  even a random stranger rush towards certain death set him off. I also think it’s possible he subconsciously drew some kind of vague parallel between Zoro and Judge’s soldiers, even though the situation is very different. Finally, I think part of his anger is rooted in a kind of envy, because at the end of the day, Sanji has a dream, too, but he is keeping himself from chasing it. He may even be angry at himself for doing exactly what he is now telling Zoro to do – abandoning his dream.

By the time Zoro makes his oath to Luffy, Sanji looks straight-up worried, and still a little confused:

Again, nothing odd about that, Zoro being half-dead and all. I think he’s probably somewhat overwhelmed, too. It would be easy to pin that on the fight, the near-dead moss man, and even just Mihawk’s presence. I don’t doubt that those are factors, but I also don’t think Zoro’s actions or words should be ignored.

We as readers are certainly moved by Zoro’s vow. It’s true that we have more background, both about Zoro himself, and his relationship with Luffy, but try to put yourself in Sanji’s shoes. I think he’d be moved, too, just not for all the same reasons. First, Zoro has suffered what can be seen as a humiliating defeat, yet he’s come out of it even more determined to achieve his dream. That would amaze, even inspire anyone – not least of all someone like Sanji, who is holding back and knows it, whether consciously or not. Second, in case I haven’t made it clear enough, Zoro is making this determined declaration while half-dead, bloody, and crying. Finally, he’s not only proclaiming that he will become the world’s greatest swordsman, he’s also saying that Luffy will become the Pirate King. I’m certain that sent shivers down the spines of every person present, except maybe Kreig, who clearly doesn’t value hard work and determination, but I digress.

So, what’s my point with all of this? Well, it’s obvious that scenes like the one discussed here, and Luffy’s fight against Krieg in general were instrumental in convincing Sanji to join the Straw Hats. However, I think Zoro’s clash with Mihawk and his oath to Luffy afterwards laid some solid groundwork. I also think that some kind of respect for Zoro was born in Sanji during this arc, and it has not gone away, no matter how either of them may behave. Finally, I think Sanji admires Zoro, and even strives to be more like him, though he would probably never admit it, and that began at Baratie. I doubt I can point to anything in the text to prove that last idea, feel free to take it as nothing more than my personal opinion.

EDIT: The real clincher for me was the fact that Sanji reflected on both Zoro and Luffy after the fighting was done:

Based on this, I think that if we accept that Luffy’s actions have made Sanji respect him and have an impact on Sanji’s ultimate decision to leave Baratie and join the Straw Hats, we have to accept that the same applies to Zoro.