I have been thinking about the All Blue lately. I really, really like the theory that to get to the All Blue we need to destroy the Red Line. But there's just one problem with this. It lacks story reason. It doesn't have the oomph the usual mysteries in One Piece deliver. It's like the fandom discovered this piece of puzzle and left it on display, instead of trying to connect it to other things to make bigger sense of One Piece's world.
Red Line is called, curiously enough, a line.
If we ignore the seabelts, it looks like it seperated the world into two parts, two halves, because that line goes all around the globe. Interestingly enough, it seems like the North-West part is the one that is scientifically more advanced in comparison to the East-South. We have the family of best doctors the Tragalgars and botanists Mont Blancs in the North. Germa Kingdom with it's advanced science also is located in the North. And there are also Ohara's scholars in the West.
Meanwhile, there's no notable locations like that in the South and East, and most places seem to look very primitive there (lots of villages and small towns, not counting Goa Kingdom itself). In South Blue it seems to be similar, though there's one exception: Torino Kingdom. It looks primitive but actually hides lots of advancement. This makes me think that (at least some places in the) East and South might be pretending to be more primitive that they actually are, hiding their inventions. Flevance or Ohara were pretty open about their achievements, knowledge and technology, like it was to be expected that they're advanced and proud of it.
Oda doesn't really expand much on West and South Blues, but we know quite a lot about East and North, so I will focus on them primarily as we move on.
Shakky makes it sound like calm belts are means of protection, not something posing danger, like we were led to believe so far. But now they're not so safe anymore because of scientific inventions. It makes it all seem like calm belts were placed there intentionally somehow and aren't a result of coincidence. Not even Marines could go to the calm belts before using Vegapunk's inventions.
Now the question we should ask is this: what are calm belts protecting? People like the Kuja tribe (personally I think Kuja are just benefitting from it, they weren't the original purpose)?
Or... perhaps to protect the Grand Line itself by seperating it from everything else? And by extension, also from the Marines. Grand Line is the place where all pirates go who seek the One Piece, it can't be a coincidence.
"This is the boundary between justice and evil!" said the Marines as they painted the line and told everyone to respect it. What we know from the Void Century so far is that it was a war between two different ideologies. What if the Red Line is the result of those two fractions seperating from each other, literally dividing the world into two parts? "Don't ever cross that line". Crossing the Red Line is definitely a difficult thing to do for normal people and if anyone crosses it it's either Marines or Pirates. It divided the seas for forever.
Vegapunk also said there are still scars left on the world from the Void Century's war. Not only the world sank by 200 meters, apparently there are literally traces from the war left behind, and normally you would expect to see some ruins. But 800 years passed already and so many nations are so fast at rebuilding their kingdoms, what possible "ruins" or "scars" could be left behind that are still visible? Unless... those scars are the Red Line and the calm belts. It would be indeed very challenging to get rid of those. Coincidentally we have no idea when the Red Line got created. All we know is that Lunarians used to live there at some point. Marco knows that from Whitebeard and I wonder who Whitebeard heard that from? Perhaps Roger, because Roger told him what the D. stands for, so why not that as well.
Unless it's somehow connected to the D.
Because in the "land of gods" this is what welcomes the visitors. Cloaked figures of warrior-guardians (my guess based on their looks alone), those on the left wieldings swords, those on the right spears. This must be a relic of older times, because it has literally nothing to do with Celestial Dragons. And it kinda fits the idea that current Government just stole the older structures for themselves. Impel Down (that bears poneglyph-like writings), Gates of Justice, Marie Geoise, they might have even had different functions long, long time ago. What all those locations have in common is their advancement and heritage that seems not to be used to it's full potential, more like recycled for a different purpose. Impel Down was probably never a prison to begin with. If you want more headbending mysteries, then I can't reccommend enough to play One Piece World Seeker. Just the map alone of the Jail Island raises so many questions. It's also a mining town and has an underwater prison as well...
This looks like there was once an entrance or a passage way, allowing the ships to go through between the North and East Blues. It has been sealed off or something else was done to it.
Curiously enough, doctors were the ones allowed to pass the line between "justice" and "evil". Because doctors save lives. We know Trafalgars were apparently a family of doctors for many generations. It is possible they didn't even originate in the North Blue, but moved there at some point. Because doctors are allowed to cross borders.
Many people speculate that the red figure of Luffy (or is it a statue of Joyboy?) symbolizes the Red Line in the logo of One Piece. The horizontal lines are the calm belts protecting the Grand Line. What's the anchor and skull&bones with the Strawhat then? In the very first chapter of One Piece Luffy wears this shirt:
Is the anchor Luffy, or rather, the East Blue where Luffy comes from? Is the skull and bones with a strawhat the North Blue then perhaps? So then, the idea behind destroying the Red Line would be to finally connect the East and the North Blues together again, seperated for centuries. That might be what the rope symbolizes: connect them together (coincidentally, the "full" name of One Piece treasure includes the word hitotsunagi which might have a second, double meaning: connect the people). The goal of destroying the Red Line is to bring the two seperated seas back together, and by doing that we discover the All Blue. Perhaps, long long time ago, in the ancient times there was only one sea.
Zou is on the back of Zunesha for over thousand of years. That's way before the Void Century even happened. Which means minks have the knowledge about the world that dates back a thousand years. And back then there was only one sea, the All Blue, and 5 islands in the whole world. It's likely the world was not divided yet into two parts with the Red Line either.
Why is the skull munching on the rope, I have no idea.
I have a hunch this is all part of the plan. Roger's plan and Joyboy's plan (yes, I believe Roger did something as well to help Joyboy's plan to succeed). They're waiting for the "right people" to show up, after all. They are stationed in certain places that can't be avoided on the voyage to Laugh Tale, like Twin Capes, Sabaody... all ships have to pass through these locations on the Grand Line.
Maybe they helped fate a little?
But clearly fate isn't all there is to the story.
Merging those symbols together get us a "sun" symbol we have seen in many places before (like Alabasta and Shandora and Kozuki's clan, they're all the guardians of the poneglyphs and had possible ties to Joyboy). Blackbeard has it too, he apparently likes to study history, so maybe he knows some secrets.
My current bet is those two fractions used to be one, then they divided into "crossbones" (later outcasted and villainized, perhaps?) and "crosses" (World Government, the "good" guys or in other words: the winners).
But I bet you anything there will be a twist, or even few twists, here. There's no way the final answer will be that simple ;) And I'm sure Joyboy's plan will be one crazy ride as well :D
NEW THOUGHT what if Zoro and Sanji are - by their own cultural standards, courting the other and that’s why the crew (who is mostly from the east blue) catch on to Zoro’s flirting but not to Sanji’s (North Blue flirting is more structured and discreet maybe?) and that’s why neither of them realise the other is flirting
Raven, holding a huge bowl of noodles in sauce : Alright, let's all eat!
Jaime: Isn't that the bowl that Damian specifically told us not to take or we would cry like faggots in repentance?
Garfield: I don't think he'll hurt us when he finds out Raven took them.
Tara: I second that. Damian's a whipped boy.
Donna, rubbing her hands : Thanks for making dinner for us, Rae!
Kon: Yeah! We really appreciate it!
*some minutes later *
Damian, returning with Jason from buying his favorite soda at the store : Alright, it's time to... *look bewildered as the dining room is in chaos * What the hell happened here? Were we attacked?
Garfield, unconscious on the floor next to the table that is turned upside down : *whole body is crimson and his skin burns with fever while is foaming from his mouth*
Donna: *with the face completely submerged in the full sink *
Damian, rushing to the other side of the table : Raven! RAVEN! WHAT HAPPENED? RESPOND TO ME!
Raven, in demon mode with her eyes rolling and sweating profusely : *intelligible words *
Jaime, unable to speak : *squirms due to an uncontrollable cough *
Tara: *catatonic on the floor with tongue sticking out *
Kon, crawling on the floor to grab Damian by the leg, tears welling in his eyes : Agh... Why?
Damian, dumbfounded : SOMEONE WANTS TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!
Jason, who made Damian's favorite dish for their video game night : I bet my life they ate our harissa noodles.
Damian, shaking Kon off his leg with disdain : Ah... Then perish, you damned thieves.
Fandom rookie here. Could you please walk me through your Zoro/Law and Zoro/Ace HCs? Love your humor btw!
Ahhh! A little fandom greenhorn! So cute!
You have asked the wrong person the wrong question, newbie.
ZoLaw:
Zoro is from the East, and while he isn't use to Winter Island Cold, he naturally runs hot. Law is from the North and while he HATES being stuck on Summer Islands on hot days, he naturally runs cool. They balance each other beautifully when they share a bed.
Up in the North Blue, it's considered weak to admit that you're cold. Weaknesses gets people killed in the North Blue, so having someone imply you need an extra blanket is a direct insult to a person's ability to keep themselves and their loved ones alive. So obviously Law would never need the extra heat.... But he MAY find himself scooting closer to Zoro-ya on the chillier nights.
The handle of a katana isn't the only thing Zoro can talk around.
...
(Cock. He can talk around a mouth full of cock. And Law LOVES it. Its the only time he can stand one of the Strawhats yapping on).
Look, Law is scientifically minded and likes to believe he is very rational (that's open to debate). He's seen Zoro-ya in the sea and knows he doesn't have a devil's fruit. But sometimes it feels like he does. SPECIFICALLY, one that somehow manages to undo every single one of Law's plans. Because the problem certainly isn't in Law! His plans are complex and perfect. But anytime he comes up for one about how to, say, ask Zoro-ya out it always somehow manages to go terribly wrong. It MUST be a devil's fruit ability.
The first time Zoro actually properly asks Torao out, he first bows to and addresses Kikoku. Since it's imperative he has the curse blades permission to touch his master (especially with all the touching Zoro has planned).
Law doesn't get jealous. That's petty and below him
Law has personally threatened at least three shichibukai and one very (also highly annoying) horny yonko. Not because he was jealous, they just need to step off and stop looking at HIS Zoro-ya that way.
If you ask the boys when they started dating, you get VASTLY different answers. Law would argue that while he'd of course taken notices of the other Supernova back on Saboady, the boy then disappeared for two years and besides Law had a lot of plans that he needed to focus on and execute perfectly. They didn't really see each other again until after Punk Hazard and of course Law was very distracted until after Doflamingo..... Then the horrors they saw on Zou, though, admitedly he may have found himself distracted by Zoro-ya once or twice even at the time.... You know, he would say it was Wano. It was Wano when he realized what an idiot the other boy was, and how he absolutely needed Law on the ground watching after him or he would do something amazingly stupid like... Like listening to Law's plan for instance! When Zoro-ya endangering his life was CLEARLY not what Law intended! Yes, that is when Law decided this boy simply couldn't be considered safe unless Law is there to watch after him..... Also, it's sometimes nice when Zoro-ya looks after him as well.... SOMETIMES.
Zoro would say "Did you see Torao cut that island in half?" And that is all he has to say on the subject of when they started dating.
Law has noticed that Zoro-ya doesn't seem to pay much attention to what he wears, just picks up what is nearest and easiest and throws it on. On an unrelated note, Law has been "accidentally" making sure to strip down right by their bed, and leaving his shirts right there. His shirts with his jolly roger.
Nico Robin had to use not just her ability but her most Teacherly voice in order to separate Luffy and Law when Zoro shows up with the Heart Jolly Roger on his shirt. Law's smirking about it (while Zoro remained utterly confused through the entire fight) didn't help.
Zoro is super weak to people playing with his ear. This goes double when it's Torao and his stupid, sexy hands. He already wants to squirm whenever he watches Torao do that stupid switch-switch thing, but once Torao starts to sit closer and, even while reading his fingers seem to find their way to Zoro's earrings..... Twirl twirl twirl, TUG. Its enough to break Zoro's brain.
Historically, Northern denizens tended to have shorter and much more dangerous lifes compared to the relatively safe and stable East Blue, leading to them having a much different view of things like romance and marriage. That's part of why tattoos are so popular among North Blue denizens. However short your inevitably short life is, a tattoo is permanent. You can't change your mind or take it back. It's a way of wearing your loyalty.
Right behind his ear, the same side as his piercings, Zoro has a small black heart tattoo. He got it on their way up to Wano.
Usopp still doesn't understand how Zoro got lost on a submarine. He didn't see him for a whole four days! What's so funny, Robin.....
I actually have a number of HCs for these two that basically boil down to "Each Island should have its own culture, and by extension, each Blue should have its own culture the way each state has its own culture but the USA also has its own general culture." This can range from things like what I mentioned above, about North Blue having historically shorter lives due to the harsher environment or being more technologically advanced. But I also had smaller things like Law kissing Zoro-ya on the nose, since up North that was how you showed affection to family or younger friends and acquaintances. I also went the entire opposite direction of "smaller" and invented an entirely Shinto derived religion that's customs and kami differed based on the Blue.
I even came up with particular weather that happen almost strictly up North (Ice Storms which are incredibly deadly at sea and Black Mist, a yet unexplained phenomena that seems to choke the life out of any one who gets caught outside) and then wrote up an entire "Old North" mythology that explains the two phenomena and why they often follow each other even though one happens strictly on land and the other typically at sea. I pretty much full on created a whole religion and mythology and wrote individual stories just so Law could have a whole culture that belonged to HIS blue. The myth in question involved a human falling for a siren, and just like actual myths I created multiple retellings and versions where the characterization changed depending on the message the storyteller was trying to express. But in most every version the Siren, Isa, had green hair (because of course the North associates green hair with fertility; oh that's another thing, I created a whole sex profession hierarchy for the North Blue with the one common feature among different types of sex workers being they typically dyed their hair green, like that was a way to physically depict that you were fertile and later that you were, you know, open to being fertilized) and regardless of how they are depicted they end up turning into the shards of an Ice Storm either because they accidentally take human captain's life, do so and then regret their hunger, or are told they have killed them and in turn kill themselves. Law was told the latter version as a child and so always felt bad for Isa, who didn't know they were eating the captain's life force but the crew could have just told him and he would have left and instead because he is "different" they think it's better if he simply destroys himself. It's a character Law can both identify with but also see aspects of Zoro in; both his physical appearance which I'm sure to Law he just pictures Zoro now, but also in his loyalty and honor which aren't as important values up North which instead values survival and strength.
As you can see if I presented an accurate list of my HCs for these two, it would be insane and make no Earthly sense. I just really enjoy world building, especially when that world building leads to two hot sword boys pining after one another.
Oh, did I mention the whole "green hair = sex worker" association and just how personally All Hearts Law takes that when applied to his Zoro-ya?
Yeah.....
ZoBurn FistRo PortZoro
ZoAce:
Upon meeting him during Alabaster, every single non Luffy Strawhat was - at least a little -totally into Ace. He just seemed so cool (and also hot.) He's like a sexy Luffy and the whole crew wanted some.
robin being separated by the strawhats AGAIN just hurts so much like in universe water 7 - enies lobby wasn't even a month ago. everything that happened in enies lobby and in the end she lost them again. she just GOT them back and now she has to lose them again!!! that's just so unfair.
Premium Outdoor Experiences at Redwood National Park by Mark Stevens
Via Flickr:
While walking along the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail with a view looking up and to the east at nearby coastal redwoods in Redwood National Park.