#Zoro's opinion on sacrifice is closer to Luffy's

[sillypiratelife]

When Sanji sacrifices himself he's aware of what he's doing. He knows exactly what is at stake and how much he's given and why his act is bad to others or himself, why it must be done either way. From what I see, it's a reflection of his self-esteem and his desire to put others first, it's guilt and it's self-punishment and he knows, okay?

When Zoro sacrifices himself he's insane, batshit crazy. He doesn't want to die per se, he doesn't hate himself and doesn't do it out of punishment. His dreams are bigger than his life, they are more valuable, so he's never afraid to put his life at risk when it comes to fulfilling what he thinks his duty is. You could say it's his honor or his code of life— Zoro can survive the deadliest wounds, the worst circumstances, 'cause he doesn't seek death, it's just that he won't avoid it either.

I love that contrast and how clear it is during the encounter of Zoro and Mihawk in Baratie.

[sanjiafsincedayone]

My top 25 favorite SaNami moments – Part 2

This post only includes manga moments, and though it was supposed to only be a top 10 I ended up having many more moments. This is the second part which is the actual top 10, so if you haven’t read the first one you can go HERE to read about number 11-25.

Also I’m not saying all of these are romantic, or proof for SaNa, but simply even as nakama these are some of the moments I’ve really liked between them. Some might be big, some might be small, it’s simply my own preference after all.

I’ve put my favorite ones in this post, but I am not completely sure of the order, and I might have forgotten some. It’s up until chapter 892, so spoilers for Whole Cake Island.

Long post following under the cut.

10. Nami’s concern and I’m coming with you

Nami’s constant worrying in Zou and Whole Cake Island as she pushes the others to go after Sanji. It’s not really one particular moment, so I’m just mentioning it in general. Particularly I also really like that she went with Luffy to learn about Sanji’s family and that she cries thinking of Sanji’s situation. When Nami demands to go with Luffy to WCI and says she feels responsible for Sanji leaving her worry is obvious, and Oda’s insistent use of Nami in this type of moments always make me love her more.

9. Sanji’s sacrifice at Drum Island

This is where Sanji’s love for Nami steps up its game from casual flirting and differentiates her from other women. He’s ready to die for her and puts her above everything else. He reminds Luffy of how he has to be careful and protects her with all means he has. It’s also quite cute how Nami worries about him later and even lets him rest his head on her lap.

8. Sanji talking about Nami’s past with Jinbei

A moment that marks how involved and strongly Sanji feels about Nami. It shows how he remembers details about her past and how he is affected by the pain Nami has been through. Nami also steps in and shares her own thoughts, making them both closer due to their shared experience. It’s a moment that logically perhaps should revolve only around Nami, but Oda still decided to include Sanji.

7. When Nami gets a fever

I know the sacrifice in Drum Island is a pretty big deal, but if I have to choose I personally love the scenes when they’re all still on Merry and Nami gets sick just a little bit more. We get focus on Sanji worrying about Nami and Oda lets us see his reaction before anyone else’s. I also really like his reactions when Nami comes out to talk about the fastest way of getting to Alabasta. It’s a small moment, but I think it truly show’s how well Sanji knows Nami by this point. It also gave us a SaNa piggyback, which was really sweet.

6. Nami fighting with Zoro

Nami is almost desperate to have the crew go after Sanji and her fight with Zoro where she actively defends him is just a really great moment. It shows how much Nami worries and cares about Sanji and is in the end the trigger for the crew going to get him back. It’s not a gag moment like many of Nami’s “fights” with the crew, but rather a serious feeling coming from her because of the things Zoro says about Sanji.

5. Sanji’s sacrifice in Skypiea

I think what I like the most about this moment is the fact that Nami was actually there to see it. We got a reaction from her that finally proved how much she also cared about Sanji. People have always tried to downplay the relationship between Sanji and Nami by saying that Nami is annoyed by him, and that she doesn’t like him but rather simply tolerates him. This moment definitely proves otherwise.

4. The hug in Whole Cake Island

When I started this list this moment didn’t exist yet, but how could I not include it? It’s the first hug they share since in Baratie, and it’s initiated by Nami. It shows how happy she is to have him back and her gratefulness to be saved. It’s a grouphug with all the Guru-wara so it’s a really nice moment between nakama. But I like that Oda focused on Nami and also added Sanji’s comment about “I love you too Nami-san!” This feels to me like Oda is adding more to SaNami that might point to them actually becoming canon some day.

3. Bridal carry at Thriller Bark

This is the most romantically thematic moment between any of the strawhats in my opinion, and I remember the almost shock when I read it for the first time. What truly makes this one of my favorite moments is also the buildup to it. How Sanji consistently strived to find Nami and worried about her throughout the whole arc. The scene in itself also once again proves what Sanji is ready to sacrifice for Nami as he takes a knife in the back for her. It has Albsalom taunting Sanji with Nami and the whole arc had interesting romantic undertones.

2. The slap

Another scene that is a lot about the buildup to it. Nami has by that point been worried sick about Sanji since he left them on Zou, and she is so happy when she finally gets to see him again. Only to have the rug get pulled out from under her feet, as Sanji acts cold towards her for the first time ever. It marks a shift in the way she views Sanji as it’s the first time he isn’t kind and loving towards her. Not to mention his behavior towards their captain. It’s a shock and hurt that Nami wasn’t at all prepared for and it added a tension in their relationship that is interesting.

1. Nami compliments Sanji’s chivalry

She finds it stupid that he won’t fight women, but in the end still gives him credit for it, even though she acts very tsundere about it later. It’s just something really quiet and nice about the understanding Nami shows for Sanji in this scene. And when she also steps in to take over his fight for him that’s another bonus. “I won’t let you get away with this” has a rather nice ring to it. I still think this is a really important scene that in a simple way shows that the bond Nami and Sanji shares is more than just two people on the same ship. It also shows that Nami has no problem with Sanji being soft towards women, but is still frustrated that he would get hurt or even die because of it.

And those were my favorite SaNami moments from the manga so far. It wasn’t easy trying to pick and rank these moments, and since it’s been a while since I read the whole manga I know I have missed quite a few that maybe deserves their own place on this list. What did you think, do you agree? 

I hope you had fun reading and that we will get plenty of more good Sanji x Nami moments as the story continues. <3

[sanjiafsincedayone]

Luffy – A “Brief” look

Now, I’m going to be posting a series of short discussions on my own personal thoughts about each strawhat. I will start with Luffy and work my way towards Brook. These posts will just explain some of my thoughts regarding each character. The posts will vary in length though, because for some characters I will find more things to talk about.

Luffy – A Brief (yet not so brief) look

Luffy is my third favorite strawhat and in my opinion the perfect main character for One Piece. He’s funny and uniquely written and you can’t help but love his carefree nature. He’s stupid in the most adorable way without it ever feeling old or forced, and I think Oda has done an excellent job with balancing Luffy’s goofiness with seriousness properly showing that Luffy definitely deserves to be the captain.

Much more on Luffy and his relationships with his nakama under the cut.

I think Luffy’s dream and his endless love for adventure makes everyone love him, both fans of the manga and within the manga itself. The way Luffy just lives his life the way he wants while being straightforward about both his likes and dislikes makes him such an honest character and also a character that is very easy to understand. This is one of the main reasons for Luffy being such a good main character, at least that’s how I feel. I’m not saying he doesn’t have complexity at all, but the fact that he is so easy to understand makes him approachable by all types of readers.

Oda has also done so well with how he’s showcased Luffy’s relationships with both his nakama and with characters outside of the crew. In particular (besides with his crew) I liked how Oda portrayed his relationships with Vivi, Jinbei and Law. And his backstory with Shank but in particular with Ace and Sabo makes Luffy such a well-developed character. I love Oda’s story of Ace and Luffy and it had such an emotional impact because we got to know their relationship so well. We understand where Luffy comes from perfectly and can see how a lot of his reactions and actions stem from his past.

My wish is for Oda to keep developing Luffy’s mature side (without letting his natural personality suffer of course) and also for him to showcase more of Luffy’s strong bonds with all of his nakama. In general I think Oda has focused less on the strawhats’ bonding and more on gags after the time-skip, but I also think he’s done this much less with Luffy compared to the rest. But I guess I just want even more development of Luffy’s relationships to his nakama, some more than others. I don’t really have that much to complain about so this is just nit-picking.

Luffy’s relationships with the crew:

Zoro – Zoro and Luffy have a strong bond of trust between each other that I really admire, but Zoro is also there as a support and as someone that can push Luffy in the right direction. It’s really noticeable that Luffy is much younger and less mature than Zoro, but in the end Luffy definitely has what it takes to be a captain that Zoro can respect. I really like their interactions, though I feel like they haven’t really had that many good ones after the time-skip.

However, Zoro’s sacrifice for Luffy in Thriller Bark will forever be one of the greatest scenes and most emotional moments in the manga. Zoro putting Luffy’s dream above his own was a great showcase of Zoro’s belief in Luffy as well as their strong bond. I also think that Zoro understands Luffy pretty well, even though they both definitely view and deal with a lot of things very differently. I also love how Luffy seems to see Zoro as really stupid, and that is such a funny joke when considering Luffy’s character.

Zoro of course also falls victim to a lot of Luffy’s shenanigans and personally one of my favorite gags is Zoro accidentally getting hurt because of Luffy, and then Zoro wanting to kill Luffy because of it. Too bad this hasn’t really happened in a long time. I feel like Oda should take a look back and perhaps remember how funny Zoro and Luffy can be together, because even though I love the strong bond they have I really miss their less serious interactions a lot.

Nami – Luffy is Nami’s saviour and this too is a strong bond built on trust. That is their foundation, but they also see things very differently which causes Nami a lot of worry and trouble. Nami nagging Luffy and trying her best to control him but failing has slowly turned into her just simply giving up in trying to talk her captain out of things. They bicker a lot and despite Luffy being so out of control it’s Nami who seems to be able to at least somewhat keep him from going too far at times. Basically her fists are one of few things that can actually tame Luffy.

I really like their relationship and think that Nami and Luffy together can be pretty funny, but I prefer their serious moments together. Arlong Park and Nami getting saved is the best arc of the East Blue Saga in my opinion. The way Luffy managed to get under Nami’s skin and show her that pirates can be good was such an emotional storyline to follow. I like that Oda keeps showing this even after Arlong Park, instead of just leaving it at that. But sometimes I feel like their bond won’t be able to develop properly because of how very different they are. They pretty much view everything differently, and even though they interact a lot they don’t actually seem to have that many normal conversations, which is a shame. There is so much trust and caring between them, but definitely a lot less of understanding on a general level compared to between Zoro and Luffy for example.

Nami and Luffy have a great bond and many good moments between them, I just wish their dynamics (mostly the gags) wouldn’t feel so repetitive sometimes. But this is actually more of a general problem after the time-skip and doesn’t only apply to Luffy and Nami.

Usopp – Putting Usopp and Luffy together will always be hilarious. But I also love the focus Oda gave these two during Water 7 and Enies Lobby. It’s one of the best mutual developments I’ve seen in the whole manga. Putting a strain on their relationship and showing how their insecurities and stubbornness made them clash but also grow closer was such good writing on Oda’s part. It showed both of theirs weaknesses and flaws, but they also really grew as characters because of their fight.

Usopp almost idolizes Luffy at times, and probably felt very lacking in comparison, but they also have a very easy-going type of relationship. They are like brothers who have tons of fun together and the gags that come out of their differences – aka Usopp being scared vs Luffy being reckless – are some of the best in the manga.

I’m a little bit sad that we haven’t seen that much between them since after Enies Lobby, and I definitely want Oda to write more of the simple moments in between adventures with the crew because I feel like those are the times that Usopp and Luffy’s close bond and love for each other really shows. They’re like best friends and brothers and because Luffy is such a carefree person I think that the worry-wart Usopp can overcome a lot of things just by having Luffy by his side. One of my personal favorite duos in the crew and definitely both a well-developed and fun to watch relationship.

Sanji – Another strong bond and a relationship that also has gotten a lot of development in the recent arc. There is a mutual trust and respect there, but unlike Zoro I’d say that Sanji is quicker to tell Luffy off. He sees Luffy as his captain and looks up to him a lot, but he also seems to be the one in the crew that controls Luffy the most (besides perhaps Nami). I guess I could say that while Luffy is Sanji’s captain, Sanji is Luffy’s boss, does that make any sense? Either way I find the moments of Sanji reprimanding Luffy really funny, but I again really love when they show the trust they have for each other.

I find it so interesting that many of Luffy’s moments with Sanji have been strictly between the two of them. The fact that the Baratie arc and Sanji’s introduction was mostly just between him and Luffy, and now the big scenes in Whole Cake Island between them are also mostly just between them. It makes their development almost seem private, and in a way it is, because Luffy is definitely the person that Sanji has allowed to get the closest to him. They are both dreamers and I think these two in particular have been connected because of their dreams, which is something Oda focused a lot on in the Baratie arc.

In a way Luffy is also Sanji’s saviour and someone I think Sanji feels grateful but also indebted to. Luffy knows Sanji really well and I think the way he more than anything wants Sanji to see his own worth is really great. I also love the fact that Sanji is the one Luffy compliments the most and how well Oda showed in this arc how important Sanji really is to him. It’s a really unique type of bond, and I think Oda has put a lot of thought into their dynamics based on their backgrounds. I love it, and I wouldn’t mind getting even more of it.

Chopper – Luffy’s immediate interest (after deciding not to eat him) in a talking cool transforming reindeer is of course funny, but including Chopper in the crew for me was a really good chance to see Luffy actually acting like an older brother from time to time. The way he manages to get past Choppers protective walls and truly show Chopper that there is a place for him together with the strawhats is probably my favorite introduction arc out of the whole crew.

The two of them having fun together and the way Luffy teases Chopper is really just cute to watch. They share a lot of similarities because of their younger age and fun-loving nature, and also how they both like food and sweets so much. I just kind of wish that they got more development in their relationship. I suppose it’s comfortable the way things are right now, but sadly I have not seen many deep moments between the two of them after Drum Island.

Still, Chopper admires Luffy a lot, and the naive nature of Chopper in combination with Luffy’s unorthodox ways leads to a lot of small but funny gags. Luffy and Chopper are together the clueless combo, and I think those jokes are pretty funny but I really feel like I haven’t seen that many moments between Chopper and Luffy recently, though the Whole Cake Island arc has done a pretty good job of bringing back their interactions. In particular I love the two of them just running off and eating everything, I just feel like I haven’t seen any real moments between them in a long time. They still interact of course, but I feel like it’s a lot less after the time-skip which is a shame.

Robin – Luffy and Robin don’t really interact all that much, but there are plenty of more quiet moments from both of them that show how much they care and treasure each other. They are completely different people, but Robin mostly just find Luffy amusing and is simply happy to be his nakama.

I find Robin’s introduction very interesting, and I love how Luffy completely disregards her wish to die in Arabasta. I don’t think that scene in particular made Robin and Luffy’s bond grow, but rather it was just the start and slowly over time Robin came to think of Luffy as someone important, almost without her realizing it. Her story in Water7 and Enies Lobby is also a great show of Luffy’s character and I think that once again Luffy’s accepting nature and ability to understand others was showcased wonderfully as Robin finally realized she’s also allowed to be happy and there are people she can trust.

But other than that I fail to come up with many things to say about their bond. I know it’s there and I know it’s strong. I loved Robin’s obvious change after Luffy finally got through to her and made her realize her own worth, but because of their lack of interactions we rarely get to actually see it. If we compare it to how Luffy has dealt with Sanji in the current arc the differences are pretty huge and in my opinion the bond between Luffy and Robin lacks a lot of personal bonding. It’s difficult to explain, and of course the dynamics are very different but to some extent I still feel that Robin hasn’t really let Luffy in on a personal level even if the trust, respect and love is all there.

Franky – To Luffy Franky seems to be that cool uncle that is hilarious just being himself. But I also think that out of all of his nakama, Luffy’s relationship with Franky is the least developed. It’s almost odd, because Franky didn’t really have many interactions with Luffy before he joined, and I think that shows. If anything Luffy got a better development with Iceburg and that always struck me as quite odd. Their relationship is of course still good and has definitely grown stronger over time, but initially Luffy and Franky didn’t really get to know each other that intimately before Franky joined.

Their interactions can be quite funny with how Luffy just finds Franky cool and kind of unsuspectingly hilarious sometimes, but I really wish that Oda would put some more focus on developing their bond. It almost feels like it’s a bond that’s just supposed to be there, but we don’t really know how it actually developed except by fighting for the same cause and Franky being moved by Luffy’s dedication to Robin and his crew. I don’t really know what to think, but I really think Oda should at least add a few more meaningful moments between them.

Brook – I love Brook and I love Luffy and these two seem to feel the same way about each other. Meaning that just like me they find each other hilarious. It’s not so much that their interactions are funny as it is how they each find the other one really funny. They think the other one is hilarious and in that way without really interacting much I just think their reactions to each other are funny.

However I still think that there is a profound relationship and mutual understanding between them. Brook really admires Luffy and acknowledge him as his new captain and a true friend who instantly showed Brook he was welcome. Luffy of course is just overjoyed with getting someone as strange as Brook as nakama, but quickly also realizes both Brook’s strength and his kindness.

Both of them also share strong bonds with Laboon which connects them even more, and I also love how Luffy and Brook are both so carefree in certain ways. I feel these two are truly similar in a wear-their-heart-on-their-sleeves kind of way. I also love how we can see Brook’s love for Luffy and how he returned to the strawhats after the time-skip so excitedly despite not having known them for very long. Still, similarly to Franky, sadly Brook has not yet had much opportunity to further develop his bond with Luffy through deeper interactions after his initial introduction.

All in all Luffy has a strong bond and great trust between him and all of his nakama, but because of the story’s structure Oda has definitely focused more on the original five from East Blue. I understand this decision, but I still hope that Oda will use a little less time on gags and fighting and more time for Luffy to deepen his bonds with at least some of his crew-members in future arcs.

I love Luffy a lot and it’s obvious that Oda does too, I think he’s a great main character for a shonen manga and his charm definitely has gotten to me. I could go on, but this is supposed to be brief after all. 

I hope you all enjoyed this little piece on Luffy. Of course this is all based on my own personal opinion, but please feel free to discuss this with me and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading. :)