#hirulik

[namisweatheria]

The thing about Chopper's "every disease has a cure!" thing is that he says it while waving Hirulik's flag, his skull and crossbones that he flew as a threat display towards illness. Chopper's goal isn't tangible or grounded, it's the exact same desperate, wild declaration against sickness that he learned from his father, who himself almost died of disease but didn't and was thus shaped by that experience ever after.

In Kureha we see that it's not true that everything can be cured. Hirulik was a quack without real medical training, and Kureha is a deeply experienced genius. Their differences in that matter are presented clearly. She never cedes the point that that the idea everything can be cured isn't true. But she stops actively refuting it, because she sees what it is to Chopper. Not even an idea, but simply an insane determination to never back down from attempting to help people, voiced in the same words as his late dad.

It's more important to her that Chopper actually does dutifully work towards having real knowledge and skill, in a way Hirulik didn't. He's not being irresponsible, he's not pursuing his war on disease by recklessly experimenting cures on people, he does it scientifically and methodically. But behind it, never lost, is that same feral scream against death and for those it takes too early.

[damconcha]

and what if i go through my 3k+ op edits on tiktok, compile a giant list of them and scream about them into the void what then

[one-idea]

In your reverse Strawhats AU, do you plan on writing each characters relationships and dinamics? You mentioned that Kaya will be Dr. Hirulik's apprentice, and of course Ace and Kuina's captain-firstmate relationship will be important. And I guess Kuina and Rejiu will be frienemy rivals like Zoro and Sanji

I’m so glad you asked.

And oh boy did this get away from me. I’m focusing on Ace’s relationship with the with the East Blue crew and will make separate post for everyone else because woo I wrote a lot.

Ace and Kuina

definitely have a captain-first-mate relationship. They both like to pretend they are well respecting and composed people. Ace learned manners and Kuina was raised to be an honorable swordswoman.

However leave the two of them alone together and they devolve into gremlins. (Ace did try to murder Whitebeard on multiple occasions, he’s feral. Kuina was a 100% down with stealing real swords to fight with Zoro as children)

When they first meet Ace hears about the Demon pirate hunter and goes to see who it is. When he sees Kuina tied to the cross, her interaction with the little girl, he knows she’s a good person and a part of him wants her on his crew. But he struggles with letting people in, but he’s learned from Luffy so maybe he’ll ask her.

The two of them talk and he asks her why she’s tied to a cross and what her dream is. “To become the world’s greatest swordsman.” She says with her head raised and her voice defiant. Waiting for the rebut or the laughter. Ace just tilts his head and responds with, “well that’s going to be hard.” “Why! Because I’m a girl!” “No because you’re tied to a pole! Stupid!” And the comment is so genuine and stupid that it snaps Kuina to. It’s the first time since Zoro that her dream hasn’t been out right mocked.

Ace goes and retrieves Wado Ichimonji for her and after they defeat Axe hand Morgan. The two are set to leave the village when Ace finally ask. “Hey if you’re going to be the world greatest swordsman you should join my crew. After all i’m going to surpass the strongest man in the world and become an emperor of the sea. I’m going to need someone as strong as you.” And he’s ready for rejection but Kuina just smiles and agrees because ya this boy is crazy but so was Zoro. And it will be nice to have that manic energy in her corner again.

Kuina can calm Ace and point him back on the right path (or at least direct his firey temper in a constructive direction) when he starts to get a little two riled up. And Ace knows how to get Kuina to take a break from her constant training. The balance each other really well. With Ace keeping a more laid back fun aditude with the crew and Kuina being in the calm but serious energy need to be the right hand of a knucklehead.

But again send them off on their own and there is one to no brain cell between them.

Ace and Nojiko

They had a ruff start. Nojiko’s instant hate of all pirates and Ace’s belief that everyone wants him dead because of his connection to his father, doesn’t really lead to a great start. Nojiko is venting her anger at Arlong and Ace is internalizing it all as anger towards him specifically.

But Nojiko sees Ace and Kuina are different. They obviously care about one another and the other persons goals. They help the villagers, they are just good people. So when they go to leave orange island it s Kuina who asks if Nojiko knows how to get to the next island. (They need a navigator and she can’t tell if it’s pride or hurt but Ace isn’t asking a second time) Nojiko agrees to lead them to the next island and they have a ruff agreement.

Over the next couple of days she sees more of the other two interacting and hears Ace mention Luffy which leads to a “my younger sibling is better then yours debate.” Between the two. And it’s the first conversation the two have when Nojiko’s prejudice and Aces Trauma don’t get in the way.

When they make it to syrup and Nojiko sees how Ace interacts with Kaya she’s sold on this crew and this idiot captain being different, and in another world they could be her’s but not with Arlong in the picture.

After Arlong park is when Bojiko officially joins the crew. I can see her and Ace sitting at Nami’s grave. Nojiko telling him about everything that has happened, her hatred of pirates, her new desire to live her life and see the world and maybe complete Nami’s dream. And then she turns to look at him and apologizes because she knows some of the things she said about pirates hurt him (she doesn’t know why, but she knows it did) and that he and the others aren’t like Arlong and they never will be and that if he will have her, she would love to join his crew.

They sit there in silence for a moment. Nojiko’s request hanging in the air and she’s looking at him but he’s looking at the ground. And in such a quiet voice he asked her. “Do you want me to live?” And Nojiko is horrified by the question because she was mean but did he really take it as her wanting him to just drop dead. She responds without hesitation “of course I want you to live you stupid idiot!” Before she can say anything else he hugs and when he pulls back he’s all smiles like he didn’t just ask her if he should die and welcomes her to the crew.

The two have a great relationship after that. Nojiko tries to keep the crew serious when they need to be but she’s also 17 and it’s the first time in her life she can relax so she defiantly gets swept up in any games that Ace and Kaya are playing. She would do anything for her crew and though she is a weaker member she does start training with Ace, Kuina, and Reiju because she wants to be strong enough to protect her friends, and she also doesn’t want Kaya to feel like she’s the only weak link.

Ace and Kaya.

When they first meet Kaya is a weak rich girl and Ace is ready to write her off like all the rich people he’s met before. But she’s so kind. She’s soft spoken and shy but so kind.

I think they would met at the ship yard. Ace wants a real ship. Kuina agrees that the dingy is too small and though Nojiko hasn’t officially joined she can agree that the two boats is not the best way to travel. (Much closer to Usopp’s opla introduction then his anime introduction)

They meet Kaya at the ship yard while she’s walking the yard with Merry and Kuro. She hears them talking about needing a ship. As she listens to them she realizes they are pirates. Yet they don’t seem scary. Instead they seem funny, and they obviously care for one another. They remind her of Usopp’s stories.

Kuina’s the one who catches her ease dropping on them. She invites them into her home to talk about purchasing a ship.

At first Ace isn’t a fan. She’s a rich girl who’s talking to them because they are entertaining her right now. What happens when they stop being a thing of fascination? He’s got Sabo’s commentary of the celestial dragons in his ear. He doesn’t trust new people easy and rich people are not on his list of potential favorites. But Nojiko thinks she can con them a ship and it is free food.

Throughout the night they get to know Kaya better. She tells them about her parents who just died at sea and how lonely it’s been without them. If it wasn’t for Usopp and Kuro she would be all alone. And Ace is starting to feel for this young girl who is so much like his little brother. She’s not loud or confident or sunshine incarnate, but the way she talks about loneliness and the way she looks at the people she loves is so close to Luffy that he can’t help but be endeared to her.

And then Kuina recognizes Kuro and everything goes to shiz so fast. By the end Kaya is left shaken. The man her family trusted is a pirate who set out to kill them. She can’t stand to be in the house any more. Her parents are gone and their memories are tarnished by Kuro. But where does she go? What does she do now? She has enough money she could start new but where? With who? And she’s crying about this in front of Ace who listening to her talk about how there’s no one else. (There is Merry and Usopp but Usopp is to young to take care of her and Merry was hurt because of her) and he’s getting so many flash backs to Luffy that he just kinda blurts it out. “You can come with us.”

And now she’s stopped crying (thank god) but she’s looking at him with these big eyes. Because she’s not strong. She’s never been to sea. There are so many reason why she would be a bad fit for their crew. And Ace knows all of this but he asks one question. “Are you glad I’m here?” To which she responds with yes, she’s so glad he was here, he just saved her. “Do you want to stay with us?” It’s an offer it’s her choice. And this is hard for Ace. It’s hard to let people in, it will be even harder if she says no. But he tells her to think about it.

The next morning Kaya rolls up with a new boat. Some money for them, and her father’s old weapon (tbd pole here) and says she’s joining them.

From there on out Kaya is basically Ace’s little sister. She’s the little sister of the whole crew but I’ll talk about the others later. But Kaya is definitely the crews princess. She is their youngest and while she still has to carry her weight and she works very hard to build up her strength, the whole crew is weak to her. Ace is so excited to introduce her to Luffy and have both his little siblings being a terror on board.

Kaya finds out Ace was learning manners before he set sail and offered to teach him how to behave in a high class environment. In return Ace helps her loosen up. She’s been a rich girl all her life while Ace grew up in the jungle. He definitely showed her how to live it up in the wild (when they get to Skypia Kaya is so excited to swing from the vines and make the Tarzan cry just like Ace showed her)

Ace and Reiju

Reiju and Ace are different. In this AU Reiju is the oldest of the group at 19 to everyone else 17 and Kaya’s 14. So until Hirikul joins she’s the eldest. She’s used to being an eldest sister but Germa was so different than the rest of the world.

She’s spent so long separating herself from Germa 66. The Baratie was great. Zeff was everything she could have wished for in a dad. And being around all the cooks is so different the training at Germa. The only person she is remembering is Sanji and she doesn’t mind that.

(Side note I have three ideas for what happens to Sanji in this au one is wholesome and the other two are absolutely not. But I’m still figuring it out)

Her new crew being mostly women helps her remember she’s not at Germa. Even if her and Kuina butt heads.

But Ace. Every now and then she will see him in the corner of her eye and for a second she will think Sanji is with her. And it’s not just Sanji she sees in him. When he is being kind and protective she gets flashes of what Sanji could have been.

When he is fighting an enemy and he becomes cold and calculating boarderline cruel. She sees Ichiji.

She see Niji in him when he is angry. So mad he could just about spit fire.

It very rare for her to see Yonji in him but there are times when she sees just how far Ace is willing to go for the crew

But these are just heart stoping glimmers of her brothers. Then she remebers the fundamental difference. Anytime Ace behaves this way it is because someone has treated the crew. He is defending the people he loves. Ace is not cruel for the sake of it. In fact he’s one of the kindest men she knows (he’d be first place if not for Sanji and Zeff) any passing glimpses of her brothers is not who Ace is. Ace would never hurt them. He’d never let other hurt them. And this time she would keep her younger brother safe.

I think Reiju would have a problem other men. Her father and her brothers are monsters. And while Zeff and the cooks at the Baratie have shown her there are good men out there, they are the exception not the rule. It took a while for her to warm up to Ace when they met. But he won her over, his kindness to those around him and his willingness to protect Baratie definitely help. But there are still walls up and it will take time for her to fully trust him.

Which is fair because he has just as many walls. They care for each other and she willingly follows him but I don’t think she starts to trust him until after Arlong park. I don’t think she realizes she trusts him until she almost losses him in lougetown.

There relationship becomes very sweet. As they both start to heal a part of each other. Ace doesn’t understand why Reiju is so uncomfortable around strange men but he’s not going to allow anyone to hurt her. And she recognizes this and trust Ace’s intuition on which people they can trust and who they can’t.

But She can also see that Ace has his own issues. The whole crew can tell he has issues but again she sees Sanji in him. The heartbreaking desire to just have somewhere to belong. And somewhere along the path, probable in Drum kingdom after he hauls her and Nojiko up 5 miles of sheer cliff face, she sits down besides him. It’s just the two of them sitting in silence for a bit. And then with out looking at him she says “I’m glad you were born.” And she doesn’t know if that’s the right thing to say, if she’s reading too much into this. But it feels right.

And Ace just starts silently crying and leans into her as she wraps her arm around him and they sit there for a while content to just be captain and cook and not the son of the devil and the daughter of a monster.

Once Ace’s family history comes out she sits him down in the kitchen and kicks everyone else out and tells him about her family. How she understands the belief that you have devils blood in your veins and maybe the world would be better off with out you. But her world is better with him in it. And they get each other.

I’m going to cut myself off here. I’ll do Ace’s relationship with the grandline members of the crew in another post and maybe make a separate post for Kuina’s relationship with the crew, then Reiju’s and so on and so forth

Master post

Part 1

[namisweatheria]

The way Chopper's backstory starts so stereotypically, and if you don't know how one piece works yet you might worry the narrative is going to back up Hirulik's beliefs, and then Chopper is holding the mushroom. And you are dying.

I love everything about Dr. Kureha. I love the mean and uncaring front she puts up. I love how her existence by itself stands as proof that Hirulik doesn't actually know shit. And! She's hot.