#i just think luffy is like The survival expert

[bluewonderer]

So, Luffy is actually hyper competent when it comes to outdoor survival.

Fire, of course, is so essential to this. He remembers fire on the quiet beaches of Foosha--remembers Makino's slim, calloused hands building a curious stack of wood, remembers the smell of smoke and the spark of warmth and light. The chocolate from the s'mores she made him got all over his cheeks, in his hair. His sticky fingers picked up a coating of sand and Makino washed his hands in the ocean.

That didn't happen too often. Makino was often dead on her feet, running her bar. But, when Luffy got a little older, when he got curious enough to ask "how do you do that?", she guided his little, chubby hands through the steps to build a fire. He was clumsy, and impatient, and in the end, she had to do it.

It was quiet, it was Makino all to himself surrounded by the stars and the sea and the warmth of the fire.

Shanks and the others never showed him how to build a fire, but their fires were different than Makino's quiet, private ones. The bonfires were huge--taller than Luffy! Even when Benn carried him on his shoulders! It was loud, and so bright it hurt his eyes, and so hot his hair would curl with sweat around his forehead and temples. And the men played so much music, and ate SO much food, and drank so much booze until they sloppily danced with each other and the young men and women from Foosha who were attracted by the fire.

Luffy loved those fires so much--he would feel full for days and days.

Grandpa tried to teach Luffy, maybe. Or maybe, Grandpa believes that he tried to teach Luffy. Really, he just said, "you build a fire like this, see? you need this, and you need to do that, make sure you do NOT do this, and done! there! now you know how to build a fire!"

Luffy did not know how to build one. It would have helped him in the ravine Grandpa threw him in afterward.

Ace and Sabo taught Luffy. Ace taught Sabo before Luffy ever met them. And it was good, because Ace taught a lot like Grandpa. "It's simple, Luffy. You just get this, do this, and don't do, no! I said don't do that! Ugh, why are you crying now?" But Sabo was there. And he wasn't more kind than Ace, but he was a competitive little shit. "You can't teach worth a damn, Ace--this is what happened when you tried to show me. I bet I can teach Luffy faster than you." And Ace, of course, had gritted his teeth and said, "you're on."

It took weeks for Luffy to properly build a fire on his own, under their competitive tutelage. He actually figured it out much fast than that. He just liked the attention of his big brothers. Besides, it was really funny whenever Sabo's sharp comments always made Ace lose control and tackle him into a wrestling match. Luffy always, always gleefully joined them.

Years later, Luffy's sort of surprised to find himself being the one to teach his crew how to build a fire and other things to survive out in the wilds. Zoro's shaped himself for survival in the bars and back alleys and the underground of East Blue's bigger towns and cities. He's never had to hunt for food before, but that was no problem. Luffy only had to teach him how to track prey, how to read the signs in the thick brush and camouflage of the wilderness. For someone like Zoro, who had something primal and hungry under his skin, the hunt comes naturally.

...Luffy should have maybe told him to stay away from those mushrooms, though. Zoro threw up for hours, and Luffy kind of felt bad about that. In his defense, he thought everyone knew about them. Like he thought everyone knew how to track an animal and build a fire.

"Oh," Nami says, puzzling over the thick stew Luffy makes one night under a forest's canopy. It's not as wild as Mt. Colubo, which is kind of boring. "This is actually good? I thought you were just pulling random bits of grass and leaves and mushrooms to throw in this. I was so hungry though, I wasn't going to care. Was just going to avoid the mushrooms in case you gave me poisonous ones."

"Yeah," Zoro grouses. "Nice to know about those, huh?"

"I can cook!" Luffy insists, not sure if he should be offended or flattered.

"Well, no," Nami says. "You blew up the last kitchen we were in. And somehow turned curry into a noxious gas."

"Ovens are hard!" Luffy insists, now sure that he's supposed to be offended. "And why were there so many ingredients? You just need meat! It was confusing!"

And so it goes. Gradually, Luffy shows them how to build a fire in the snow, how to build a shelter against the rain. He points out mushrooms that are safe to eat (and the ones that make you laugh and laugh, even if you don't particularly feel like laughing--Chopper hadn't been as amused with those as Luffy thought he would be). Good berry bushes and bad, what to do to make water safer, and how to hunt. He shows them how to trap small game, though that's not something he and his brothers did as often. They were always so hungry, and big game was always so much more fulfilling. But winters were hard, and sometimes trapping was they only way they ate at all.

Luffy likes to think he's a better teacher than Grandpa, but he's not sure by how much. How do you teach someone something that was once as normal as breathing to him? His friends are so smart, though. Smarter than him. (Except Zoro, who can build a sturdy shelter and then be trusted to never be able to find it again.)

He can tell not everyone particularly wanted to learn. But they're outlaws now. And when they're not facing the wilds of the Grand Line, they're pushed to the outskirts of civilization, camping out on beaches and on the outskirts of forests. These skills none of them thought they would need are suddenly essential.

But it's alright. Luffy's their captain. He'll always be with them, and can take care of them in this way.

(His favorite by far, though, are the beach bonfires. He's sure to build them as big as he remembers from his childhood. He insists on food and music and dancing and booze and s'mores each time. They're loud, and they're warm. And it's all his.

And he feels full for days and days.)

[an-au-blog]

Sanon back. White Beard Buggy has 10k words(I'm not sorry, yes you'll get links when they are posted I promise)

White Beard Buggy also became the explosives expert at 11. White Beard has photos in his office of his kids achievements so when Shanks pulls up at 32 ready to start alliance negotiations he's already planning to steal Buggy back he sees the photos of how Buggy absolutely flourished under Roger's rival and White Beard explains it's because Buggy has over sensitive observation haki and his former crew didn't recognize it. Buggy is never present for the meetings even though he's the combat commander.

When Ace joins he thinks Marco and Buggy are dating, they're not. They're just each other's favorites so of course they're touchy. Also Marco keeps setting Buggy on fire with his fruit. Ace is genuinely concerned because of his fruit, everyone assures him it's fine as 15 commanders form a pile to sleep. Everyone also assures Ace this is fine and normal since they all grew up together.

Marineford everyone is there, the former Roger Pirates, Redhair Pirates, Luffy, White Beard and his entire fleet, Impel Down escapees. When Akainu throws his lava punch that's supposed to kill Ace and Luffy, Buggy throws himself in the way of the punch and he only just survives because of his fruit but he's got a foot in both worlds.

When they all meet on an island a couple days later Rayleigh is laying into White Beard for not telling them. Shanks is in the medical tent holding Luffy and talking to Ace as Marco is sleeping with his head on Buggy's legs and healing the guy with his fire. Even Shanks thinks their dating and Ace has to go "they're not, this is just how they always are. He sets Buggy on fire every time they see each other, I have joined the sleep piles. The love of your life runs colder than the North Pole."

Shanks without hesitation as Crocus, Rayleigh, and White Beard comes in "South Pole is colder." Buggy hearing this mumbles "North Pole idiot" and White Beard laughs so hard he shakes Marco awake. When Buggy is better, after having everyone under the sun lay into him for taking that hit or not disclosing his fruit and how powerful he is. Ace and Marco do not let him out of their sight as they set off with Shanks and Luffy to make sure his crew is okay.

Shanks excitedly listens to all of Buggy's stories of being the third commander(moving to first when he and Marco go back so that Marco can take over as Captain) and he shows them some of his safer bombs. Luffy is like "wow shanks you're so in love" and Marco just yells that he called it. As Buggy rolls his eyes and holds Shanks' hand because maybe he's a little in love with the Redhaired idiot, maybe.

Ayooo Whitebeard Buggy is growing!

Wow this is soooo sxdcrftvgbyhnjmk

I'd love to imagine teen Ace being so nervous that he can't control the fire always but then the rest of the crew is so accepting and they act like it's no big deal and it just gives him the air of confidence.

Which reminds me of the bizarre fact that Ace and Buggy IN CANON became friends so easily and effortlessly. Oh, I want to see those two being silly together so bad ;-;

UGH YES! BUGGY TO THE RESCUE! I just want Ace to live, you know? And Buggy may be a bit of a coward, but I think once he's gotten into the Whitebeard pirates and felt the welcome feeling of feeling at home and in his place, he'd do anything for them.

What's a bonus to the "Marco and Buggy" allegations, I think that Buggy is a very touch-starved person in general. So when he finds people he feels comfortable with it feels natural to convey their bond with physical touch.

Shanks being jealous of Marco is so peak to me. He's childish and gets jealous easily, enough so, that he has his nephew - Ace, explain it to him. He's still suspicious of it all but learns that, yes, Buggy just grew up to be more comfortable around people. Yet another side of him that Shanks learns to love...

[tae-rambles]

Well, the ship looks like Elbaf-made (and now that we know how connected to the giants Shanks and his crew are, I think it really IS). And we now know that the giants are really pro-Nika, like that’s THEIR deity (if I remember correctly). So it is also possible that it’s part of their aesthetics and Shanks decided to leave it to not offend them and/or blend in.

Personally tho I HATE the evil!Shanks theory. I love Shanks and turn into putty when reading those parental!Shanks-Luffy fics T.T (also, I’ve always admired his non-confrontational/pacifist ideals).

But that smile in that episode looked somewhere between sleazy and unhinged to me. Idk if it was the animation style, but I think I got similar vibes from the manga too. Idk. But his expression when Kid was attacking and killing his subordinates felt genuine? So maybe he just doesn’t like how handsy they were being. REALLY don’t know. The scene made me smile tho, because this man is so loved! And his subordinates have zero fear. And unlike the other Emperors, he doesn’t do the whole tribute thing at all. There’s also the fact that he seems to be the only pirate that is hella respected on BOTH sides of the law.

Sorry for the rant. I reallly love Shanks :3 (AHHHH I don’t want him to be evil either ;-;)

hmmm... i wouldn't say the Red Force is Elbaf-made... it might look like it at first since it's one of the most realistic-looking ships in One Piece with quite a simple figurehead and Elbaf giants also use realistic-looking Viking longships with a simple figurehead and you could say the swirl markings and their placement on the Red Force are similar to the swirl markings on the ship Dorry and Broggy took to Egghead but that's just that, they are similar, not the same. the ship types are also different. Elbaf giants use longships while the Red Force is a galleon (or looks like it, i'm not an expert and One Piece ships aren't exactly realistic). also, Red Hai Pirates had a similar looking ship but smaller, less detailed and without the sun symbol (a barque, i'd say) but with a very similar figurehead in ch 1 which was before they even went to the New World. and last but not least, none of the Elbaf ships seen so far have the sun symbol on them. so i wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the Red Force was built by the Elbaf giants. i'm not ruling the idea out, it's just there is no airtight evidence to prove it to be correct.

about Shanks' smile ep 1112, i never thought of it as sleazy? more like a combination of mischievous amusement, fluster and drunkenness. those expressions are also anime only and i only accept the manga as canon. and those are these in ch 1079:

you can't really blame him for not being completely happy about being suddenly jumped on

after that he jokes about how his fleet is notoriously weak (btw the fact that his fleet is notoriously week yet still surviving in the New World is a testament to how strong Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates are that they can afford to take weaklings under their wings and yet no one dares to mess with them) etc. but we can't see his expression.

he is mostly calm/neutral discussing Kid and Blackbeard with his crew. but then he gets the vision.

he instantly switches to serious and stressed (you can see him sweating). Shanks just had a vision of those he swore to protect being torn apart in his name and we know how he feels about ppl hurting his friends since ch 1:

no mercy

so yeah, i do believe he genuinely cares about his people and the care is obviously mutual (it warms my heart :D)

[abysscronica]

i’m definitely not an expert on one piece, in fact i’m not even past the water 7 arc BUT, how likely is it that kid is dead? i mean he’s been seen fighting with luffy and law, do you think this means there’s more in store for the both of them? i just think his character is too special to die off like this, and i kind of doubt this will be the way he dies.

ALSO WYM BIRDIE MIGHT NOT LIVE PAST ONIGASHIMA?!

I’m also 80% sure he’s not dead, but in what capacity is going to be back into the story I cannot evaluate. I want to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Birdie might survive Onigashima guys, she may not, i haven’t revealed it yet. But I did decide and I do know the answer.

[punks-never-die205]

What would have happened if Victoria survived the Leadergang attack? 👀

Man, I think that could be a multi-chapter book all on its own. Alternative One Piece where Kid is the protagonist and Victoria is part of the crew.

Ship's probably named something different though. Maybe the Thousand Punk xD

Honestly though I still think they'd end up leaving the island. There'd be constant squabbling between Kid and Victoria about who really is captain, at least in the beginning. V'd be an explosives expert I think, just as loud and destructive as Kid.

Maybe what saves Victoria is the unexpected arrival of the Red Hair pirates. Kid ends up with the Nika fruit and Victoria with the magnetic one.

It'd be a fun re-telling of the O.G story, less PG-13 and maybe a little more R-rated, but still the same at the core of it all. Luffy and company a begrudging ally - Luffy learning about haki cause he doesn't have the fruit's protection, becoming more like Roger in that sense. Eventually inheriting Ace's fruit instead of Sabo.

Kid actually learning about conquerer's haki and using it correctly. Ending up a rival/apprentice to Shanks who realizes what fruit he ate and needs to get the boy up and off the island. (Kid doesn't want the hat though, he's too much of a brat, Shanks still gifts it to Luffy who has an air about him still like that of Roger).

I could go on but I don't want to literally outline an entire novel series in an ask post. But I could see how it could work =3

[frobin]

Hi! Ok, I know it isn't very related to Frobin (except if you decide to mention them in the answer), but I am curious about your opionion on this thing. If the end of One Piece have someone of the Straw Hat crew that can die, who can be? OBVIOUSLY I hope nobody, that this thing doesn't happen, but never say never. There're people who say Luffy to recreate Roger's connection. Someone else Usop (but I miss the reason). Or Jinbe, who has also some problems and enemies from previous experiences?

Hey there anon!

No worries about asking questions. This is a FRobin blog but it's also a One Piece blog so it's fine to ask all kind of questions about One Piece. Even though I wouldn't consider myself much of an *expert* so everything I write is very much influenced by my own impressions.

But you're asking for my opinion anyway so that disclaimer is not necessary in this case. XD

---

Okay, first of all: I'm no fan of death flags. I never see them and when I read about them I feel like people pull them out of nowhere.

So I don't think any of the Strawhats will die before or even while the big end fight. Also it's not like they will reach their goal and then just drop dead (don't forget the dream are very different too but more about that later). Like what kind of life would that be?

Also we can't forget that Oda still believes he is writing this story for 14 year old boys. So, even though death is and will be a theme I don't think he will kill off the main crew.

That would not be very clever story wise and is not how to tell a story about adventure and fulfilling dreams for young boys.

Right now it's very "fashionable" to let characters die for shock value. But the more it's done the more annoying it becomes and less of a shock and Oda won't stoop so low to use this kind of element. Why do I think that?

So far we had three deaths in OP and they all shocked us a lot. But they were also used as motivator for other characters. Whitebeards death was a motivator for a whole new Generation of pirates, as well as his crew to try to save Ace and his little brother. Ace's death was a launch of character development for Luffy, Sabo, Garp and even Sengoku and probably more. Pedros death was a motivator for Carrot and other Minks. (Even the fake death of Pell was a huge motivator for Vivi. Interestingly compared to other deaths his sacrifice did not stop the war, which would have been an adequate impact. So him coming back alive actually makes sense.)

But look how few and far between they are. Of course there was more death but the important ones are kept as those.

Why am I talking about that? Who would benefit from a Strawhats death?

Literally no one. They are all already motivated to go until the end for each other. It's more likely that a death would cause Luffy to just give up, him becoming catatonic again.

Who would Luffy fight for if he even loses one of his crew mates? Or maybe two?

If I were a Marine I would try to make Luffy think that his friends are dead and then catch him but that is beside the point.

But for One Piece, a Strawhat death it would not move the story further. There is no additional motivator needed and that would be the only reason to kill one of the crew.

Killing a Strawhat makes no sense in my opinion.

A death would only make sense after they reached their goal.

So it is possible that we see the Strawhats die but long after the story came to an end, them reaching Laugh Tale (if that is the end). And yes, I think all of them will die of natural causes and/or sickness. Most of them at an old age. I think Luffy, Zoro or Usopp being the firsts because of the trauma their bodies had endured would make most sense.

I hope that answered your question anon... and anyone who does not want to read even more about my nonsense can stop here.

But let me break down why I think that all Strawhats have plot armor against death flags, behind the read-more.

-> It is very important that I think the huge clash with the Blackbeard Pirates, which will be the end fight, will happen right before Laugh Tale. And Laugh Tale is the end-goal and the end of the main story. (I MIGHT BE WRONG!!!)<-

Everyones own story can only end after they reached their goal so let's look why I think that these dreams give the Strawhats Plot Armor.

Luffy: Become the king of the pirates. That means he has to reach Laugh Tale. I often hear that Luffy will die early because of the parallel to Roger. That does not mean he won't reach his 40s or 50s. Even after reaching Laugh Tale Roger lived a bit longer and even had time to "make a child" so, killing off Luffy in the end fight makes no sense. So maybe dying after the fight, on Laugh Tale? That could happen and would be the earliest death of any Strawhat imo.

Zoro: Become the strongest sword fighter. That means he still has to kill Mihawk. I don't think Mihawk will go and look for Zoro. So, Zoro has to survive and then return to Mihawk and have his duel. No sense in killing off Zoro. I am 100% sure that he will survive until then.

Nami: Drawing a world map. For that Nami has to travel the world many times more. After they reached Laugh Tale, Nami has only finished part of her dream. She has to visit all of the Blues, travel the Grand Line and the New world multiple times. Drawing a Map of the world will take a lifetime. Her dream will take the longest to be fulfilled.

Usopp: Become the great warrior of the sea. Now here we have a dream that is not really tangible. Usopp will be a great warrior as soon as he realises that he is one. In my opinion he already managed to become a great warrior. Time and time again he has shown how amazing he is but this is all about his own self image and so hard to grasp. This actually makes Usopp the most likely to have a death flag BUT we can't forget that he still has to return home and tell his stories to Kaya and the Usopp pirates. It's part of a promise that is only secondary but for me it's enough to think Usopp too is safe until he did that.

Sanji: To find the All Blue. Sanji thinks that the All Blue is something physical. We can't know that and if it is physical we can consider that it's maybe a part of the New World near the Red Line where all seas somehow come together. So again, until Sanji found that place he hasn't fulfilled his dream. And since I think that would be BEHIND Laugh Tale, again I think Sanji is safe. Alternatively the All Blue is just a metaphor for something completely different but I can't hink about what.

Chopper: To cure all illness. Here too, this is something that takes time. Chopper is still only at the beginning of his career of being a doctor. Finding a magical cure for every illness that exists is not something that just happens. Logically he would need to talk with many other medical experts and together they might be able to find it. When and how and if that happens is impossible to say but again that would be something that would fit best in the time after reaching Laugh Tale.

Robin: To find the truth of the void century. Right now we figure that she will find that at the end of their travel, on Laugh Tale. Maybe it will happen earlier in case the Strawhats storm the World Government. Either way she will learn the truth. But that will not be the end to her. After learning the truth it's up to Robin to bring it to the world, to write it down, to teach, to make people understand that they can't erase history and that they have to learn from it. Again, that is something that takes time and so, truly fulfilling her dream.

Franky: To travel the world in the ship of his dreams. Again that is a vague dream. But it would mean to at least return to Water Seven, so that Sunny has traveled the world once. But even then it's only been a small part of the world and traveling the world would mean to visit at least every of the seas. So far, Sunny had been in two to four, depending on how much you take the movies into account. But to fulfill Franky's dream he needs to survive a bit longer and so does Sunny.

Brook: To meet Laboon again. This is simple. But for that Brook has to reach the end of the New World and then get over the Red Line again. What he will do after that is hard to tell. But again, the Red Line is behind Laugh Tale and so I'm sure Brook too, has to survive... even though he is already dead YOHOHO!

Jinbe: Equality between merfolk and humans. Again this is something that is no easy feat and will probably take more than one generation. Also it is not only up to him and more to Shirahoshi and the World Government. This dream is about teamwork too, but who could be a better ambassador for the merfolk than him? Losing Jinbe would be a huge backfire for the cause. Jinbe too is safe in my opinion. If you have reached the end of the post, let me tell you again my headcanon about FRobin: After the main adventure Franky and Robin return to Water Seven where Franky helps to turn W7 into a boat and after that is done, they travel to the island where Ohara used to be and there they rebuild the island. More people return and it again becomes a hub for scholars and history.

[husbandograveyard]

Hi!!! Could I get D, K, O for Sabo and Law please? I really love your writing, you are so so so talented :D

Hiyaa! Thank youuu, I am happy you enjoy my little scribbles!~ I usually only do 5 for these so I’d have to drop 1 letter for one guy, but you are in luck! K for Sabo has already been done here! So here are the other five letters for these 2 beans! Enjoy! 

Fluff Alphabet - Law D K O & Sabo D O 

Law 

D - dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Law doesn’t dare to think too much of the future, mostly because there’s so much uncertainty in the pirate life. He’s not sure if he’ll survive all his plans and missions, hell, he doesn’t even know if you will, for all he knows he’s cursed with most of the people he loves suffering a terrible fate. He will do anything to protect you though. Ideally, he reaches his goals and retires somewhere on an island where no one knows either of you. It’s his long term plan/dream. Short term, his dreams are just keeping the relationship and his crew stable, and keeping the lot of you safe and happy. You all knew what you signed up for when you came aboard a pirate ship and yet. As captain, he’d like to make sure you can all achieve your goals while staying as safe as possible, as a boyfriend he wants you to be happy and proud to be by his side.

K - kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Law is rather inexperienced in the affection department -sweaty polar bear hugs from Bepo aside- so the very first kiss is too careful, too calculated as if he was in his head and overthinking the whole time. He is a very fast learner though, and it takes him very little time to become nearly an expert. He easily adjusts to your pace, making nearly all the kisses perfect. They lack a little whenever he is really tired (y’know after a day or 3 without some shuteye) but you’ve got very little to complain. 

In general, his kisses are somewhere in between passionate and lazy. There’s just the right amount of pressure and tenderness. Once he starts, be prepared because Law is actually pretty needy for affection, but only in private. Even the crew does not witness much affection between the two of you, Law respects your privacy and needs you to do the same for him. Staying behind to help him rearrange the infirmary or waking up a little earlier with him sometimes definitely has his benefits. 

O - on Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings? In public, Law is generally the same, sarcastic, deadpan, sleep-deprived captain. He’s gentle towards the rest of the crew and you alike, and you don’t get any special treatment. Maybe he’ll even avoid you more, especially if he’s falling hard but you’re not a couple yet. Law is rather scared to actually start a relationship and hopes that avoiding you will solve the problem. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Even when you’re a couple, things don’t seem that much different on the surface. You still do your usual chores etc, and Law does whatever he always does as a captain. The most anyone will notice is that he will put you in even more safe spots during missions, it’s almost frustrating. In private, that’s where Law becomes a different person. I wouldn’t say touch-deprived, but he’s still rather needy. He didn’t even know he was like that. In the beginning, he wasn’t really that keen on physical love and affection, but once he got a feel for it, it’s over. Sitting on his lap as he does paperwork, reading comics while lying close together on the bed and of course, some intense makeout sessions. As long as the door is locked and Bepo doesn’t need either of you, he’s all yours, and definitely different from what everyone is used to. 

Sabo 

D - dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Right now, the world is in chaos. The revolutionary army is just starting to make a difference, and Sabo will not stop until their goals are reached. So short term, he’d just like to keep you safe and by his side, and he dares not to dream big, there are so many things that could happen still that could impact the whole world, and thus your relationship as well. Eventually, Sabo would like to get married. Sometimes, in the most mellow moments when you’re thinking of the future together, he mentions having kids. Only if you want to, of course, and only if the world is safe enough to bring a little one into. His dreams are pretty standard and romantic, and more than anything else, he would love to grow old together with you, in a world that no longer has the corrupt government sister. He’d retire, visit Luffy here and there as he’s the pirate king - in secret, of course, cannot be associated with that - and just live a quiet life, away from all the troubles.

O - on Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Sabo is not as obvious as you’d think. In general, his behavior is a little more upbeat, his smiles a little bigger and more frequent (as well as his face cramping up from smiling too hard) and he seems to just do his paperwork a little bit faster. This of course, so he can spend more time with you. It is obvious that he’s having something good happen, but unless your relationship is revealed, no one will really know. Whenever he’s around you, it gets way more obvious. You’re one of the few people he doesn’t just hang up on in the middle of a phone conversation, and whenever you’re actually there, he likes to be physically close. Not necessarily a huge display of PDA, but just sitting close, holding your hand, having an arm around you, things like that. Sabo is usually quite the gentleman, and it gets even more obvious when he’s in love. Offering you his arm, holding open doors for you, getting a chair for you, all the little things that always make your heart flutter, and make it pretty obvious to your surroundings what is going on.

[glapplebloom]

While this is in text format, you’re getting at least six comics worth of content per update.

Check the reading order to see how the other sides go as well as Credits.

There are multiple Sonics in this event, but the one dragging Havoc against his will is from Tony's team. With his speed there is no way the pirate from Ristar's team can survive. But in the middle of Sonic's path to the edge is Bubsy. Instead of facing Sans in a battle of puns, the Bobcat is eating a banana. He was done eating and decided to throw the banana peel on the floor. Just as he did, Sonic stepped on it and began to slip out of control. This lost of balance is enough to make him lose his grip on Havoc. And because of his great speed, Sonic ends up slipping out of the Arena.

This caught the attention of his universe's Shadow, who saw the entire thing and decided to confront the Bobcat. He walks up to Bubsy and says “You think you're clever, don't you?” Bubsy, looking like he totally knows what Shadow is talking about, replies “What do you mean?” This angers the Ultimate Lifeform. “You placed that banana peel knowing Sonic wouldn't see it in time.” “As much as I would like to take credit for that, I don't think its very A-peel-ing.” Hearing those words angered the Black Hedgehog as he turns golden. “Stop treating this like a joke!”

Elsewhere in the Arena, the Powerpuff Lantern sees Batman flying in the air by force. She also sees the Strawhat Pirate following up for another attack. “Batman is in trouble again!  I got to go help...” was all she could think of before she was grabbed by another. It was Kenshiro, who saw Buttercup save Batman from the small punching creature from elimination before. Even without the ring, Buttercup could break from his grip but the delay kept her busy long enough. With a follow up blow, Luffy eliminates Batman from the event as Kenshiro begins to fight the Green Lantern.

Kenshiro unleashes a barrage of blows, each one pinpointing a specific pressure point of Buttercup's body. She may have been made differently but she is still human. Even with her Powerpuff powers these techniques would at best cause serious damage. But the Ring's Auto Defense kept a protective barrier between her body and Kenshiro's attacks. The final attack was enough to push her back a little, but overall she is fine. Kenshiro, an expert fighter, can tell his attacks did not work. “I know I targeted your pressure points, but I can tell they didn't connect. That ring of yours is protecting you from my techniques.” Buttercup readys to rush towards him. “You're dang right!”

While that is happening, a robot shaped like a box on a unicycle is being pushed around by another. Mettaton maybe a robot made for hunting humans, but Bass was built with conquest in mind. As he knocks his would be opponent to the ground, Bass berates him. “While the rest of us were fighting, you were just hiding behind those shields. And you decide to finally do something by picking a fight with me?” Bass picks up Mettaton in the closest way he could to lifting him by the neck. “What makes you think a pitiful robot like you can defeat the strongest robot?”

Mettaton responds with a laugh. “I want to shine brighter than any star, but participating in that mess of a brawl would have just left me as a face in the crowd. But now that we're back to one on one, I want all eyes on me!” Mettaton, himself, switches the switch behind his back and begins to violently shake. Bass steps away ready for whatever comes. When the light show ended, Mettaton changed. “Oh.... Yes!” Mettaton was now in his humanoid form. “Gaze in the Marvelousity of my design. The elegance! The beauty!” Bass crosses his arms. “The annoyance. This better be worth all the build up.” Mettaton prepares to attack. “Oh don't worry, its all worth it for the show!”

[opbackgrounds]

Alright, friends, you know the drill by now. Here’s Part III of Sarcasticles’ overblown thoughts on sexism in One Piece. If you haven’t already, go read Part I and Part II before proceeding. 

I promise after this I’ll be done. By hook or by crook, we’re getting through the point of the original question. To the Anon who originally sent the ask, sorry it took this long to get here, I hope it’s helpful.

Also, I allude to some very, very minor Wano spoilers, so if you’re sensitive to that sort of thing here’s your warning. 

Characterization? I Don’t Know Her

What makes a good character?

I’ve spent an awful lot of time talking about character designs, when, funnily enough, it’s one of the aspects I pay the least attention to when it comes to deciding if I like how an author portrays their characters. I personally don’t care for fanservice, never have and never will. But unless it’s particularly egregious, I tend to ignore it because there are other factors I think are more important. 

The secret sauce for building characters is hard to define, because a good writer can take a concept that has no right being any good and turn it into something incredible (Oda does this all the time) where bad writers will seemingly slot all the right information in the right holes and still have their characters come out of the developmental oven flat and under cooked. 

One of the biggest buzzwords floating around these days is agency. Is a character active in their own story, or are they jerked around by the needs of the plot? Is their voice heard? Is their voice unique, or do they blend in with the background?

This is particularly important, because the term Strong Female Protagonist has been warped into shorthand for “girl who fights a lot and looks pretty doing it”. You can have a girl strong enough to lift mountains and still have her be a shit character. You can write a girl who’s main motivation is to get married and have babies with phenomenal depth. What matters is execution. 

The Petition to Call A Group of Rescue Arcs a ‘Damsel’

Both Nami and Robin had to be rescued, their main arcs bearing similarities that are impossible to ignore. But these aren’t copies of one another as much as variations on a theme, and with the existence of Marineford and Whole Cake Island I think anyone would be hard-pressed to say that One Piece’s rescue arcs are a girl’s thing. At this point it’s a feature, not a bug. 

Which makes sense given how fundamental the idea freedom is to the series. Hell, the first thing Luffy does after becoming a pirate is free Coby from Alvida’s tyrannical reign. Then he frees Zoro from an unjust authority that would have killed him had Luffy not intervened.

Notice a pattern here? 

One Piece is written like Pachelbel Canon, in that a very simple core of ideas are repeated over and over with layers of complexity and nuance added over time, examining the same themes from every possible angle. 

And when you look at the Four Big Rescue Arcs -- Nami, Robin, Ace, Sanji -- you’ll see that it’s Ace who’s given the least agency throughout his arc. Nami chose to hijack the Going Merry, repeatedly chose to push away the Straw Hats until she reached her breaking point, at which she chose to ask for help, with Luffy only intervening once she does. 

Robin is a little less obvious, but during the post-Water 7 party chapters, Aokiji makes the interesting observation that Robin could have escaped CP9, but chose not to

Remember that before Robin’s backstory was shown, Luffy specifically said he didn’t care if she wanted to die or not, so long as she was with the Straw Hats when she made her decision. No one bullied her into “I wanna live”. It was a choice she made of her own volition after realizing the depths the Straw Hats would go on her behalf.

I know there are people who disagree with me, but Nami and Robin are well-written characters. I’ve expounded enough on my reasoning both here and on my main that I don’t want to spend the time belaboring the point. What I do want is to note that Luffy wouldn’t be able to attain his dreams without them. Nami keeps them on course while also severing as a sort of moral compass for the crew -- remember she was the one who insisted on saving the giant kids at Punk Hazard -- while Robin’s ability to read the poneglyphs is what’s going to get the crew to Raftel.

Robin admittedly doesn’t have the same presence within the Straw Hat Pirates as Nami, but I would hardly call that sexism. Since Water 7/Enies Lobby she’s been pretty content to go with whatever Luffy says, and the fact that she’s literally quieter than anyone else in the crew means she doesn’t get as much focus. I think there could be more scenes with her using her specific skill set, like her investigations in Wano and the forensic anthropology scene in the pre-Jaya chapters, but I’m okay with her being a supporting character. 

The East Blue Crew have consistently gotten the most focus of any of the Straw Hats. They are the core of the crew, something Oda admits in a roundabout way in the Color Walk where they all appear together for the first time in a color spread

With the main cast as large as it is, not everyone is going to have the same amount of focus or development. Robin is given a unique voice within the story because she doesn’t overreact the way literally everyone else does. Through her silence, she stands out. I find there to be very meaningful character development when she feels comfortable enough with the Straw Hats to start calling them by name in Thriller Bark, relaxed enough with her friends to comitt her first facefaults in a series lousy with them in both Dressrosa and Wano.

In an ideal world, Oda would better rotate through his cast, much like how Brook was the unsung MVP on Whole Cake Island (where Nami was also excellent in a supporting role) but I don’t think people realize how hard it is to juggle almost a dozen different people in a story that’s bloated exponentially over time. To his credit, Oda has handled his expanding crew better than most writers. 

I also find it hard to judge this aspect of the series because the manga’s not done yet. I don’t know how Robin and Nami will be used in the future. I mean, Robin never got a chapter title declaring her “The Seventh” which I find suspicious, so Oda could very well have events in store that completely turn our perceptions upside down. It’s impossible to say.

I will acknowledge that the lack of big fights is somewhat disappointing, but neither Robin nor Nami’s dreams revolve around them getting stronger. Robin doesn’t need to use her power to make people explode from the inside out, Nami doesn’t need to fry end-game bosses with her lightning stick. That’s simply not their narrative purpose. With the exception of Tashigi, I’ve found that the female characters advertised as fighters have lived up to their billing. Hancock came out of Marineford unscathed. Carrot’s sulong form was awesome, in the old-fashioned sense of the word. The whole climax of Whole Cake Island revolved around surviving Big Mom’s wrath. Not beating her, not fighting her, it took all the Straw Hats had to just survive. Once again you’re left with a number’s game where where there just aren’t enough female characters to even pretend things are balanced.

All said, I think if you’re going to complain about the lack of Robin fights then I think you also have to complain about the lack of Brook fights, and that’s just not something you hear about, especially after Whole Cake Island. You can’t have it both ways. Either there needs to be more even distribution of major fights throughout the entire crew, or you have to acknowledge that a character’s worth isn’t dependent on their fighting prowess. 

One Piece is a battle manga, and I do think that it’s fair to criticize when a character isn’t allowed to fight when they’re perfectly capable of kicking ass. But it’s also an adventure story, and that opens up entirely new space for a character to occupy, and that’s where I think Nami and Robin (but especially Nami) really shine

That Moment You Realize Humor Isn’t A Universal Language

I’ve spent so much time defending Oda’s designs and characters that it might seem like I’m perfectly okay with everything that’s portrayed in the manga. To be clear, I’m not. If the messages and comments I’ve gotten over the past several days have taught me anything, it’s that many fans share the same sticking points I do, namely in regards to some of the gags. 

I again want to be careful here, because I’m hardly an expert on Japanese culture and it’s really hard to tell if Oda writes his jokes because he thinks they’re funny, or if he thinks his audience will find them funny. I’m again going to default to somewhere in the middle, because if Oda truly found the perviness distasteful he probably wouldn’t have included it, and I’ve read enough SBS to know the guy likes his dick jokes. 

First and foremost, one must address the culture gap. Japan ranks last among G7 nations on gender equality, In 2004 two-thirds of Tokyo women in their 20-30s reported to being groped while on public transport. There are numerous barriers that make it difficult for a woman to succeed either in the workplace or politics. 

From what I can gather, some of these trends are reversing, albeit slowly and with great resistance. Contrary to what many people seem to believe culture is not always value neutral. And I say that as an American, recognizing there are plenty of things about my culture and country that are really fucked up. 

But who gets to decide who’s right and who’s wrong?

When inside that kind of environment, that kind of culture, it’s a lot easier to understand how a character like Sanji can exist. It’s easy to understand why Momo shoving his face into Nami and Robin’s boobs might be played for laughs. It’s not an excuse, but an explanation. And with Sanji failing more often than not, being the butt of his own joke as he slowly turns into a parody of what he once was, one could almost say Oda is pointing those types of people and saying, “Look how pathetic this guy is. Now go laugh as he gets a nosebleed so bad he needs multiple blood transfusions in order to not die.”

I say almost, because Sanji is never condemned for his actions, nor does he learn from them. Instead you have this character who’s supposed to be one of the kindest characters in the series decide to immediately go peep on a woman’s bath house after gaining the power of invisibility. 

Stay classy, Oda.

As distasteful as I find it, I don’t find fanservice to be an inherently evil thing that must be eradicated at all costs, and with Oda doing things like putting his entire cast, male and female, into skintight leathers you can hardly say that he’s excluding the men. 

Everyone will have their line in the sand, and mine goes back to agency. When Nami did her Happiness Punch way back in Alabasta, that was of her own volition. When Nami and Robin dress in clothes that show everything but the nipple, that’s something they chose and feel comfortable in. 

But when Smoker and Tashigi swapped bodies at Punk Hazard, Tashigi specifically asked Smoker not to strip, and he did anyway, opening her coat and removing her bra. This is especially egregious as Tashigi is one of the very few women in the series who is always shown wearing very conservative clothing. Oda specifically showed Tashigi getting upset at Smoker’s actions, and Smoker repeatedly refusing to listen to her.   

That’s where I draw my line. 

Some Final Thoughts I Couldn’t Fit Anywhere Else 

Thought The First--Oda has an interesting habit of turning his most despicable, scummy pieces of flaming human garbage into the butt of the joke. Villains like Crocodile and Doflamingo are certainly evil, but it’s the idealized, cool type of evil that makes you almost admire them. There aren’t very many real-world Crocodiles, but just about everyone knows a Spandam, or an Absalom, or a Vander Decken. These kinds of villains aren’t scary because of their physical prowess, but their unyielding obsessions and the power they’re able to wring from the system, and -- surprise, surprise -- all three are either actively trying to be creepy sex pests or coded as such with the visual language of the comic.   

And Oda turns them into a mockery. 

While there are some who feel like not treating serious issues like sexual assault seriously are doing a disservice to people who have endured similar experiences I think there’s merit to turning them into a laughingstock. As someone much smarter than me said once, if an opinion cannot withstand mockery it’s revealed to be ridiculous, and these scummy-scum villains are certainly ridiculous.

Thought The Second--It’s hard to say how much sexism is a thing in-universe. Kuina is the only one who is explicitly told her dreams were impossible because of her gender, but with the recent reveal confirming that her family came from Wano, which in turn is based on Feudal Japan, it’s hard to say how widespread these beliefs are. Tashigi brought it up again at Loguetown and Bellemere specifically told her girls that they lived in an era where “girls needed to be strong, too”, but otherwise it’s not a topic that’s been explored in any depth

Thought The Third--The in-universe fetishization of mermaids has some implications that I think are unintended but worth discussing. Shirahoshi has a reputation of being one of the most beautiful women in the world despite not leaving her tower for over 10 years (she’s 16). Mermaids whose tails have split are worth less on the slave market than those whose are intact. Even Zoro erased Kokoro from his memory after meeting the more attractive Caime. It’s one of those odd things that when combined with the more obvious racism themes could have some unfortunate implications, and I think could have been avoided had Oda show a little more restraint with some of his jokes. Unintended consequences are still consequences. 

Thought The Forth--There are many other instances throughout the series that people bring up with talking about sexism in One Piece. I feel like a lot of these can be explained away individually -- for example, both Belo Betty and Rebecca’s stripperific outfits were inspired by other media, the painting Liberty of the People and Red Sonja respectively; Lola chasing after an obviously abusive man makes a whole lot more sense when you meet Big Mom; Hancock’s love sickness could be seen as an emotionally stunted woman experiencing her first crush, etc., etc -- it’s when they’re all put together that they begin to read as “Problematic”. 

It would be impossible to go over all these individually, but I tend to fall on the side of leniency. In the end, everyone has to make their own decisions based on their own values. I’m hardly unbiased, and my enjoyment for the series will undoubtedly make me look the other way when another might call the exact same incident The Worst Thing Ever. The thing is, opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and most are convinced that theirs don’t stink. I include myself in that statement. In the end it’s a comic for kids. It’s supposed to be fun. 

Thought The Last--I have spent entirely too much of my time writing this up, but in the end I guess I have to go back to what I said when I talked about my thoughts on Sanji: Everyone has their own personal line of acceptable bullshit, and for me Oda does more good than bad. Sanji specifically gets very little leniency from me because I don’t like a lot of the gross behavior Oda passes over as a joke. But the female characters themselves, generally speaking? They’re fine. There are other mangaka that have more equal male to female ratios or have women play more active roles in the story, but Oda does a lot better than most other shonen titles I’ve read. 

It’s okay to be critical of media you enjoy. It’s okay to complain. But remember that One Piece is a very long series, and there are some fans who have been a round for literally decades. I myself started reading weekly around the time Duval was introduced, way back in 2008. Every time a new batch of fans comes in the same old arguments get stirred to the top of the pot: Sanji is a creep, Oda can’t draw women, why doesn’t Robin ever get to fight?

It can be exhausting to go through the same hoops time and time again. So if you’re someone who is being critical and feel like no one is listening, or that a bunch of fans are going out of their way to defend Oda, that could be one of the reasons why. They’re tired of having a series they enjoy be shit on. 

There are other fans who legitimately don’t think that Oda’s done anything wrong, that jokes are just jokes. If you happen to fall in that category, remember that not everyone feels that way. Art reflects life, which in turn reflects art. One Piece is a few million copies away from outselling Batman. To say it isn’t influential to young readers, both in Japan and abroad, is beyond asinine. 

I thank everyone who’s taken the time to read this so far. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how civil the discussion and my inbox as stayed. Even if I didn’t respond to your message, I promise that I did read it. 

I wrote as much as I did because I know this is a topic a lot of people care about, and also so I hopefully don’t have to write about it again. A lot of hours has gone into this project, and it’s been exhausting, but in a good way, if that makes any sense. I’m ready to put it to rest. 

I was joking with some friends that I think I’ve hit just about every hot topic issue now, so hopefully I can go back to fun questions like speculating if Wapol can eat a person and poop out a devil fruit. 

Until then, Sarcasticles, out         

[sanjiafsincedayone]

Sanji as a leader P.1 - The Chef

I’ve always felt like Sanji is one of the ones in the crew whom steps into the role of a leader the most and also one who is the most suited to lead. I just wanted to analyze a few of the moments and charactaristics that make me feel this way. However, this is not a competition, I’m simply trying to highlight some of Sanji’s qualities as a leader.

Which is why I decided to make a series of posts that all focus on different sides to Sanji that I think are worth discussing in relation to the leadership skills that I personally see in him.

This is the first part, and I’ll be talking about Sanji’s position as a chef and how it’s one of many things that has contributed to Sanji being good at leading.

This is basically a long character analysis that I had to devide into different parts! Enjoy~

Sanji’s position as a chef Of course Luffy is the captain, but I think everyone can recognize that he’s not always the most suited to make a decision. And from what I’ve seen Sanji and Nami seems to be the ones that challange him the most. I think this is probably because both of their jobs are important for the crew’s survival and they often have to be harsh on Luffy in particular. Of course they trust their captain and they both recognize him as their leader when it comes to the big decisions and beating the strongest opponents. But at the same time we often see them taking command over the crew. Because Luffy is the way he is it’s often nessaccary for them to stop him and to overrule him, or things would probably end very badly. Sanji knows what can happen if you’re not strict with food on the sea and it’s his responsibility to make sure it doesn’t happen to the strawhats.

Even before Sanji joins the strawhats, as a chef he’s the second in command at Baratie. Of course he’s been there the longest and also has incredible skill as a chef, but fact remains that as a sous chef, if it’s anything like in the real world, Sanji would have a lot of responsibilities and would most definitely be the one to make sure the kitchen runs smoothly. I can only imagine how, especially in a place like Baratie, it would require some strong actions to keep the pirate-like chefs in check. We can tell that Sanji has authority just by the way he speaks and how the other chefs listen to him, despite their rather tsundere ways.

Sanji is used to ordering people around, and when he’s introduced he’s actually Luffy’s superior for a short while. Thanks to his job Sanji is already used to ordering people around and this includes Luffy as he definitely act as a boss over him while he “works” at the Baratie. He berates Luffy and Luffy listens.

Basically I’d say that Sanji being the chef in combination with who Luffy is makes it so that Sanji has to challange their captain on a regular basis. Sanji has a responibility over everyones’ well-being and that makes some of his decisions absolute for everyone, including Luffy. Whenever Luffy goes against this Sanji gets incredibly frustrated because in a sense he has the lives of everyone on his shoulders.

Having the position as a chef also puts Sanji in a position where he sometimes deals out jobs and make sure all of the crew follows his instructions. “Obey the chef or starve” might sound harsh, but it’s the truth and the rest of the crew are aware of how important Sanji’s position is. He deals with the other members in different ways, but in the end they all listen to him. They respect him and his knowledge, and therefor takes his orders in the moments he steps up as the chef responsible for the crew’s health.

Being an expert will obviously bring some authority in that particular area, but I think these moments still showcase how well Sanji can lead by showing his leadership skills as he uses his knowledge and confidence in cooking to execute orders. 

Sanji also lead a whole team of chef’s in WCI which really just shows Sanji in his element as a sous chef.

It’s also interesting to note that when he knows he doesn’t have enough knowledge he trusts and listen to someone who has. Basically Sanji is also very adaptable and knows his own limits, even when it comes to knowledge about food. As seen when the desert climate changes the normal rules and he listens to Vivi who knows better what to do.

He has also shown that he is capable of changing people’s minds, while using food as a tool. It’s more about Sanji’s compassion and kindness, but because it was first highlighted through his encounter with Gin I thought I should mention it. So while it’s used in regards to food a lot it’s ultimately is a big part of Sanji’s character that makes him have good leadership skills that I will talk about more in another part of this series.

So what I’m trying to say with this post is that because he’s a chef, not only is Sanji most likely already used to ordering people around, but it is a position that even requires him to take charge from time to time due to the importance of his skills at sea. Maybe especially with a captain like Luffy. We have also seen that since his introduction Sanji has from time to time ordered Luffy around, which isn’t because of disrespect for their captain, but rather because being the expert as well as the one responsible he knows when to put his foot down, and Luffy and the rest of the crew acknowledge this as well (mostly) respecting Sanji’s choices and at time orders.

So this is part one of a series I started making but never finished, and I should say I wrote this years ago but never ended up posting it. So if I didn’t include something more recent that could have fit it’s because I felt I rather post this as it was than not post it at all. If someone has something to add feel free to comment. I hope you had fun reading it. :)

[victorie552onepiecespeedrun]

Reading One Piece pt 167: Spandam Dooms Us All

Chapter 409

Thoughts:

- Fpos/cs: “An abandoned house they found in the wilderness” Don’t tell me BW will live in fanfic dorms, this is GOLD

- Ok, we got a nifty plan of the building showing all battlefields. Two Cp9 are down, three to go. They’re fighting in two rooms. Chopper is climbing the Wall and is generally scary. Franky had enough and decided to take a nap. Robin and Spandam are still going to the Gate of Justice. Lucci and Luffy will deck it out. And Sanji is still a shiny noodle

- Ok, so we’re updated on the situation

- Spandam is mad that no one is answering his phone calls

- WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE

- HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU SCREW UP THAT MUCH SPANDAM

- THEY WILL BE AT ENIES LOBBY IN 30 MINUTES

- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- Ok, in a very abrupt change of atmosphere, Spandam clicked the button on the Golden Den Den Mushi. On accident. Yes, The Buster Call is coming

- (Spandam, HOW)

- Robin is… well, less scared than I would expect. Maybe there was already too much emotions for her today. Or maybe she still can’t believe someone could summon Buster Call on accident. It’s ok, I don’t either

- Huh? It’s broadcasted? How? Nevermind, now everyone on the island knows Buster Call is coming

- Wait, did the marines got Frankies and Galley-ga?

- They did! Our guys are all tied up and stuff

- Oh, Spandam is already ok with Buster Call

- He’s going all evil now. Well, now he can only look evil or stupid, no wonder he went with evil

- “So in case anything does happen here, at least we will certainly slaughter all the pirates!!” I mean, I guess

- Oh, now Robin’s yelling. That’s more what I expected

- “It’ll burn down everything on this “Enies Lobby”! Buildings and humans! Even the island itself!”

- “That’s fine…That just means this is such an important case for the government!!” Really? Spandam, you really think government will be super cool with destruction of one of their main bases?

- “Even if several thousands soldiers die… in the process of burying the idiots who are trying to take you away… We can say that it’s simply an unavoidable sacrifice for the glorious future!” Free reminder that all of this is broadcasted

- “Most of all, my promotion depends on this, too!” Now you went and done it, Spandam

- “Either way, these useless soldiers are better off dead! They couldn’t even stop the intruding pirates, idiot bastards!” you’re digging your own grave, man

- “…That baby den den mushi is off hook” hahaha

- “Everyone heard that conversation just now!!!??? …!!!! …B-B-By the way, this is Straw Hat Luffy…” “LIAR!!!” hahahahaha you had it coming, Spandam :D

- Oh, now’s Robin making an announcement

- “Everyone, please leave this island! “Buster Call” is aimed at Enies Lobby! If you stay on the Island, you won’t survive!” yeah, you go Robin!

- Aaaand Spandam hit her. Bastard.

- Ok, the phone call has ended and we have a time limit again. What now?

- “We’re in deep ****” – thought everybody

- “Don’t worry about us! We’re used to situations like this!” you know what, Nami? You really are. You’re like experts by now

- Ok, at least someone is having a good time here (Kokoro)

- Some marines are already running away. Good

- “Hey, untie us first!” yelled Frankies. Wonder if someone actually will

- Ok, I’m starting to think Robin had enough

- Meanwhile, Luffy is even more determined than before

- Finally, Lucci and Luffy are fighting

The future is looking grim for Enies Lobby. Will Straw Hats save Robin and their allies? What will happen to Enies Lobby?

rOP 166  rOP 168

[gildedmuse]

I was totally going to post about what makes Raizo awesome, answer a question and fill a request but then my phone got destroyed. While I spend the next day or so fixing that. Here. Enjoy this....

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Poor guys, their dreams were crushed...And it was a simple dream. They just wanted mystical shadow assassins to be real. ...And now I'm imagining a crossover between One Piece and Ninja Turtles.

@gildedmuse replied:

Which one does Luffy inevitably ask to join his crew? Cause I feel like the easy answer: Michelangelo. But actually I think it would be Master Splinter.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I can see Luffy and Law fighting to get all five on their crew, and being forced to settle on shared custody. 😂

@gildedmuse replied:

I asked my brother and his expert opinion was, "I don’t know, you're probably right. But Donatello and Franky be bros."

Also, we agreed that Raphael is just an angry Zoro. Which I was like, "You don't think Luffy would ask Law to join his crew?" 

His reply, "Well, he hasn't asked yet. Probably jealous of all that sweet time Law got with Zoro on the way to Wano." 

I HAVE TRAINED THIS BOY SO WELL PEOPLE

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Clearly! 😂 I think Donny would get along well with Law, too, as would Leo, while Raph and Mikey would prefer Luffy if only because he gets into the craziest adventures.

And Master Splinter would just want to listen to his shows.

@gildedmuse replied:

Leo: We need a plan. 

Luffy: Good point, Lion Turtle! 

Law: THAT IS LITERALLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING THE ENTIRE FUCKING TIME!? 

Luffy: Huh. I guess never heard you before because you're not a giant turtle ninja guy.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Oh my god, that's exactly what would happen! 🤣 And Zoro teaming up with Raph to pick on Sanji, while Donny joins up with Usopp and Franky to build some crazy stuff while Mikey rolls around the deck with Chopper like a dork.

@gildedmuse replied: 

Raphael's and Zoro's Sole Interaction: 

Raphael: *Nods to Zoro* Nice swords. 

Zoro: *Nod returned* Nice Sais. 

Small But Morally In The Right Group Of Fans: Oh, well, I would ship the FUCK out of these two.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

That sounds about right!

Poor Master Splinter, I think he'd hide on the Polar Tang for some peace and quiet...

@gildedmuse replied:

Leo suggests all the most Law like shit only Luffy actually acknowledges him and takes it into consideration because he’s a goddamn ninja turtle. Law spends the entire time just over Leo's shoulder in various states of sullenness, outrage and indignation. This is exactly the advice he gave yesterday and Strawhat-ya straight up ignored.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I figure he'd just take advantage of it and work with Leo to get things back on track after a while, still muttering under his breath about how Luffy never listens to him.

@gildedmuse replied: 

For some reason all I see now is Law being like, "Alright, I'm agreeing to leave Leo here because God knows someone should reign in the Strawhat. But goddamnit, Raphael comes with me. You only get one!" 4

Luffy: Okay if we also keep the rat monster! 

Nami: No, Luffy, that doesn't make sense. There are 4 turtles and 2 of you! 

Luffy: Oh, yeah, thank God we have this navigator-

Bepo: That is not what navigation is! 

Luffy: What do you mean we only get one?

Law: -pointing between Zoro and Raphael- You. Only. Get. One.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I can definitely see Luffy just assuming everything Nami does as a 'navigator' thing. And Law trying to barter for Donny so he doesn't get stuck with Mikey. 😂

Oh my gosh, YES. 🤣

@gildedmuse replied:

You know Zoro tries to just stare down his captain as Luffy looks between the two like he isn't secretly nervous. Like... He believes in Luffy and their connection but also.... It's a goddamn ninja that's also a turtle and has goddamn awesome sai. So... You know, could go either way. He understands. It's a fucking ninja turtle.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I would definitely be torn! And there's Sanji, egging Luffy on to keep the turtle. 😂

@gildedmuse replied:

Sanji: come on he's exactly like Zoro only useful! 

Zoro: Oi! 

Sanji: What? At least if we're stuck out at sea we can make turtle soup out of him. 

Chopper: Using food to guide Luffy's logic isn't fair! (Turtle soup does sound yummy though)

And Zoro just standing there like come on, Chopper, you too?

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Mikey asking to go on the Tang because he doesn't want to be made into soup, while Raph grabs him by the mask like, I'm not getting stuck with you!

@gildedmuse replied:

I love that both Raph and Zoro are like well, you know what? I've accepted my date of being forced to go with Law. That is some good sidekick vision. They know who the fucking protagonist is!

Actually, phone, I meant fate but fuck it. I'm sticking with date.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Raph hates it, but he's a natural second-in-command. And he also doesn't want to be stuck with Leo. 😂

There are no accidents.

@gildedmuse replied: 

Raphael: Well, I'm choosing Law. 

Zoro: -At the same time- We'd obviously both like to stay with our actual Captains so- 

Zoro:... 

Zoro: Wait did you just pick Law? 

Zoro: -Eyeing Leo- 

Zoro: Yeah... I'm gonna go ahead and go with Law as well then.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Luffy goes all anaconda on them, like NO! Law only gets one! Zoro's mine!

@gildedmuse replied:

On the sidelines Nami, Chopper and Usopp who do not want to be left without a super strong swordsman are just like WHAT!? 

Zoro can't explain. There's just something about some other dude with blades that he would definitely fight To The Death that he inherently trusts.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Sanji is trying to convince him to let Zoro go while Leo just tries to massage away a headache, and Donny raises a hand, like "I...also want to go with Law now."

Though I could also see Zoro taking Leo as a sparring partner.

And Usopp bartering for Donny, while Brooke quietly hides Master Splinter behind him.

@gildedmuse replied:

But that would be like Zoro taking Law as a sparing partner. Like I see it... I get where you're coming from. But there is sparing partners vs people you want to be on a crew with. Said with all the love in her heart. (Also, let's face it, it's Zoro. He can argue about it but whoever Luffy says they're taking... Those are now the people he would die for.)

@dragonprincess18 replied:

True...Zoro would do pretty much anything for Luffy. Except be nice to Sanji. There are lines.

@gildedmuse replied:

Also, for the record, Bepo considers them all minks and try to treat them as such and the turtles just like, "Well, no bro." And Bepo continuously shocked by this. Continuously.

I mean there are lines than there are fucking impassable mountains forever separating two spots.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Yeah, Bepo would be so confused. 

Exactly, there are some things that can't be done.

@gildedmuse replied:

Luffy: Zoro, I need you to die for this crew

Zoro: I have already accepted this sacrifice and moved to make it so. Just as long as you become pirate king and my crew lives.

Luffy: Zoro, legitimately the only way the crew will survive is if you are nice to Sanji for like an hour... At most.

Zoro: Well, Captain, you and the crew can go fuck yourselves cuz that ain't happening.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Yup. That's a canon conversation they've had in their minds. No need to voice it, Luffy knows. It's hard enough when Zoro has to work with Sanji for two straight minutes!

In comparison, Leo and Raph are best friends!

@gildedmuse replied:

For the record, if you were writing some weird NT/OP fanfic that was also ZoLaw friendly that is right there how you would get Zoro on the Polar Tang. 

Law: Actually, we'd have to take the turtle bladesman. Obviously yours is too invested in staying here with you... And black leg-ya who will also be on this ship. 

Zoro: FUCK IT, HAVE THE TURTLE I’M GOING WITH NOTSA... WITH LAW.

Law: -I got your swordman. Whatcha gonna do Strawhat? But nonverbal cuz Law-

I mean yeah because Raphael clearly a second. I know this because I have an unfortunate love of seconds. Like just love a main character or at least the fucking leader goddamnit. But still... You always love your captain, even if he has a stick up his ass.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Luffy pouting, but letting Zoro go... Because he plans on never letting Law leave, either. 😝 Neighbors!

 It's an unfortunate truth. Especially when you're the second-oldest.

@gildedmuse replied:

Oh well you've broken me. That's too cute. Just Luffy pouting like fine... But NAMI NEVER LET THAT SHIP OUT OF YOUR SIGHT! 

Zoro just like "I'm an adult and also.... Two years."

Luffy: I will never. Let you. Leave me. 

Zoro: I am in no way trying to. 

Luffy: -Dark eyes of Determination- Never.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Law standing there like, I'm never getting away from this, this is my life now, what did I do to deserve this? While the turtles are mostly relieved they're all staying together.

@gildedmuse replied:

Law: -Despair- 

Bepo: There there captain. At least you got a Swordsman now. 

Law: I AM A SWORDSMAN! Leo-ya is a swordsman! Why does no one think of us!? 

Penguin: Well no one actually forgot about Leo, we just accepted him as staying with the Strawhats so.... 

Meanwhile, Across The Ship

Zoro: Alright, so Kid and Drake are out. Why not the Bonney Pirates? 

Nami: Again,not physically here. 

Chopper: AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO ABANDONED US!?

Law: -DESPAIR-

The only argument regarding Law being all, "You know what? Fine take him back" is regarding if it's Zoro's destructiveness or Luffy's stubbornness that drives him to the edge.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Zoro: It's me or the shitty cook. 

Sanji: I'm not going anywhere, mosshead! 

Zoro: See? 

Chopper and Usopp: 😭

Or both. Both is possible. And Luffy will still follow him everywhere because "We're allies, Torao! That means we're friends, and friends don't run from friends!" "THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!"

@gildedmuse replied:

Law: GET OUT! 

Nami: Now would you say it was Zoro or Luffy's behavior that finally broke you? 

Law: Excuse me? 

Nami: Look, there is actual money on the line here, Law, so I will not hesitate to kill you.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Law: ...Luffy. 

Nami: I knew it! Pay up! 

Usopp: Aw man, I swore it'd be Zoro's sense of direction...

@gildedmuse replied: 

 "JUST BECAUSE WE'RE ALLIES DOESN'T MAKE US FRIENDLY, STRAWHAT-YA! YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE YOUR SWORDSMAN BACK BECAUSE YOU MISS HIM! 

Luffy: I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT I’M GONNA JUST KEEP ON ASSUMING YOU KNOW THE RIGHT WAY BECAUSE WE BESTIES! 

Law: I DO NOT LIKE YOU! 

Luffy: LOVE YOU TOO!

Bepo is just like "Usopp is not wrong it's pretty bad you guys " No one pays him any attention. Maybe if he was a fucking ninja turtle....

When a Kung Fu polar bear just isn't enough

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Law is a grumpy panda teddy, and Luffy knows it. There's no denying it now. They've all seen it. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he and Mikey both read Sora: Warrior of the sea.

Poor Bepo, he's still cute enough for me! *hugs Bepo*

@gildedmuse replied:

I mean you know Raphael reads that shit but doesn't openly tell anyone right? Because I feel that is definitely true.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Raphael has a reputation to uphold. And a baby brother to annoy. 😂

[misc-headcanons]

(The Straw Hats and Scabbards at the castle ruins, as well as Katakuri's children and O-Tama are eating dinner. The large dining room in the castle has been mostly cleaned of dust and cobwebs, but it's clear that it's been abandoned like the rest of the area for years. Vanilla is talking excitedly with O-Tama, Fritter is keeping to himself, Dochi and Ube are eagerly listening to Luffy talk about his previous adventures, and Maple is expertly eavesdropping on every conversation at once while she eats.)

Vanilla: Wow, you're a ninja-in-training, O-Tama? I'm a witch-in-training! Or, well, I dunno if "witch" is the right word. My momma always says that not everyone who uses magic's a witch, but I like saying it. Papa says I'm too cute to be a witch, but I think witches can be cute. Ninjas can be cute too, right?

O-Tama: I guess so. But I wanna be strong and stealthy as a kunoichi, not cute. I'm training to be a force to be reckoned with!

Vanilla: Yeah, but I think you can be a great fighter AND cute. I mean look at Mr. Chopper! He's a member of Luffy's crew so he can fight really well, but he's super fluffy and sweet too.

Chopper: Awww, who're ya calling a good fighter and cute? How dare you, hehehe~

Vanilla: See? Cool AND cute, just like you, O-Tama!

(Sanji notices Fritter's silence so far and gently puts a hand on his shoulder.)

Sanji: How do you like the soup, Fritter?

Fritter: Oh! Um, it's...it's really good. I'm happy I finally got to eat something you made, even if it wasn't at the castle. You really are a good cook, Uncl--Um, Not-Uncle Sanji.

Sanji: I think I remember Pudding saying you wanted to be a chef one day when you grew up, right?

Fritter: Uh-huh. Dochi and Ube wanna be fighters, and Maple's gonna be in charge of communi--um...comm-you...

Maple, offhandedly: Communications. What Uncle Monty does, remember?

Fritter: Yeah, that. So everyone in the family can talk to each other easy and not get messages wrong. And she's probably gonna be a really important Minister too, since she's so smart and good with magic. But I just wanna cook and bake in the kitchen with the chefs. They like to let me watch while they work, and I have my own chair where I sit and watch and everything!

Sanji: I bet you'll be a great chef, just like your Aunt Chiffon with cake and your Aunt Pudding with chocolate.

(Fritter smiles up at Sanji.)

Fritter: Thanks. I'm gonna make people happy whenever I cook something, just like you!

(Dochi and Ube are seated next to each other, practically bouncing in their seats as they hear more and more about the Straw Hats and the Scabbards)

Dochi: Wait, Miss Nami, you managed to make Zeus YOUR familiar!? Holy crap, that's so cool! I mean, Grandma probably doesn't think it is, but still...wow! Do you use magic like mom?

Nami: Well, I dunno if it's how your mom does things, haha. I mean the people I learned from were called "weather wizards", but it's more about science and learning about climate and stuff than spells.

Maple: Mom always says that "magic is just science turned sideways." Both have solid theories on how they work, and experimenting with both makes you more knowledgeable and powerful. Plus, even if it isn't powered by magic specifically, your staff seems like it has similar functions to mom's.

Ube: And Luffy, I still can't believe you fought Papa and didn't like...die! He's never fought anyone like you before. And the way you two weaponized your softer powers with rubber and Mochi with Armament Haki!? That was so cool!

Dochi: Yeah! Me and Ube were going nuts the whole fight while we watched through one of Auntie Brulee's mirrors. If Mama hadn't held us back, we woulda definitely tried to watch in-person.

Ube: And WE wouldn't ruin it the way Flampe tried to, either. I can't believe she thought Papa needed her help. OOOH, and when she started making fun of Papa's face--

Dochi: Yeah, that was WAY out of line... Mama had to put me and Ube into our own bubbles so we couldn't hop in there to kick her ass!

Vanilla, in a scandalized tone: Dochi! Don't say that! Auntie Flampe was really mean, but still...

Ube: You're right, 'Nilla. We were ready to kick Flampe's butt. And with that dress she wears all the time, it woulda been easy to kick that big, stupid, floating BUTT of hers!

(Fritter, Vanilla, and O-Tama snicker and try to hide how much they're smiling and giggling behind their hands.)

Luffy: How is Katakuri, anyway? I didn't really get to see if he got taken care of or anything before I had to get to my ship. That Mirror Lady probably got to him, right?

Ube: He had to stay in bed for a few weeks, but Mama and Auntie Brulee worked hard to make him better.

Vanilla: And me and Fritter, too! I helped with healing magic on his little cuts and scrapes, and Fritter always fluffed his pillows and stuff.

Fritter: Yeah, and I helped the chefs make donuts for his Meriendas too!

Ube: Oh. Uh yeah, they helped too. But most of it was Brulee being a good nurse and Mom being good with her magic. The day we fell through the portal here, he was taking walks and stuff every day.

Dochi: Heh, and practicing with his trident whenever he knew Mom wasn't around to scold him for getting too carried away.

Luffy: Aw, I get that. Chopper's always saying I'm not healed up enough to do stuff sometimes after a big fight, but I just do it anyway. I bet Katakuri's the same way with your mom.

(Maple's attention is turned to Law.)

Maple: So, I imagine that if you and Luffy are allies, you're the one with a plan to take Kaido on. You seem more...um, strategic than him.

Law: That's one way of putting it...Yes, I do have a plan.

Maple: Hm. You know, now that I know you two were planning to target him, some of the news about you makes a bit more sense. Destroying the main resources for SMILE production in Punk Hazard; kidnapping that idiot scientist to use as leverage in Dressrosa; defeating Doflamingo, Kaido's most powerful ally outside of his own crew and a major source of intel, manpower, and influence...I had a feeling that there was something tying it together.

Law: You're pretty sharp for someone your age. I'm not surprised your Uncle Mont-d'or would want you as the head of communication and intel for the Big Mom Pirates after he's gone.

Maple: Thanks. I'm just glad that there's some explanation for why you and Luffy's crew were seen traveling and fighting together so often. Though to be honest, I was surprised to hear that Doflamingo was sent to prison; if what I'd heard and seen about your history was true, I was expecting you to kill Doflamingo in Dressrosa. But Luffy doesn't seem to support killing your enemies if you can help it.

Law: How do you--

Maple: Don't worry, the Big Mom pirates don't know about that. Not even Uncle Monty does.

Law: And how do you?

Maple: The same way I know the Scabbards over there got sent through time and how they're the surviving retainers of Lord Oden, and that they're trying to defeat Kaido and this Orochi guy so Momonosuke can take his rightful place on the throne. Keeping secrets from me is a pretty hard thing to do.

Ube: Yeesh, quit acting so mysterious. You know everyone's business because you know Mom's spells on reading someone's memories and the All-Seeing Eye and--mmpgh!

(Maple's uses a quick spell to make Ube's tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. She narrows her eyes and frowns at him.)

Maple: And how to stop brothers from sharing too much with strangers. For someone who wants to be a leader within Big Mom's pirate crew, you'd think you'd remember that loose lips sink ships, Ube.

Vanilla: I thought most of Gramma's ships sank after people shot a bunch of cannons and bombs at 'em...

(After she stops giggling, Dochi uses some of her own magic to free Ube's tongue. Ube glares at Maple before turning to ask Zoro about what it's like to fight with a sword in your mouth.)

Maple: Look, I know you're a smart man and you clearly have a talent for strategy. But I just want to make what the backup is in case things go wrong.

Law: You're a newcomer, you don't even know the full extent of the plan, and you're demanding to know more? Just because you're a clever kid with magic, that doesn't mean I'm going to reveal every step of this to you. Your uncle had to have taught you that only one person should ever know the full strategy plan, and that's the one who planned it out.

Maple: Yeah, he did. I'm not asking you to trust me that much; if I were in your position, I certainly wouldn't. All I want to know is what my siblings and I can do to help and ensure that when things go wrong, we can be useful and get things back on track. You've just been handed a very valuable wild card, and I want to make sure you use us wisely.

Dochi: Whaddya mean 'when things go wrong', Maple? With Law's crew, the Straw Hats, the Scabbards, and all the allies they've got here, we're all super strong and you said that Law's really good with strategy.

Maple: True. But when it comes to HIM...(Maple gestures to Luffy, who's gulping down the last of his soup) you have the wildest card of all. And he seems to blow through any well-laid plan without any second thought. (She leans back in her chair a bit and crosses her arms) Whatever plan you have in mind, Mr. Law, it's pointless if you really haven't got a backup in mind for whenever he manages to completely ruin it.

Kin'emon: Do you really think someone as young and inexperienced as yourself could come up with a better idea?

Maple: I'm young, not inexperienced. Believe me, as the eldest in a family of five siblings imbued with magic and various forms of Haki, I'm an expert in making plans that are bound to be thrown off course by the chaotic whims of someone close to you. So, Mr. Law...what have you got in mind?

[gigakes]

📂 x infinity. GIMME ALL THE SPIKE HEADCANONS !

Send “📂“ for a random yet completely useless headcanon I have

— The only real reason why she hates Killer is simply because she is jealous of him, in many ways. But mostly because he gets Kidd’s attention more than her.— She is fully aware that she is not smart.— She would NEVER dare to contradict Kidd. She believes in whatever shit he says and trusts him blindly.— Spike will furiously deny being a giant, even if she ends up contradicting herself right away.— She is super competitive, and most times is purely one-sided. — Luffy has ride privileges.— There’s a big chance that she might end up liking Killer. And start being nice. Or at least less angry.— She doesn’t have much appetite. Even as a giant, she doesn’t eat much.— Spike is, what experts calls, a brute. — She is definitely more heart over mind. — Has never ever considered love nor falling in love. So far, she just wants to be noticed and have friends that won’t look down on her.— Doesn’t like thinking about complicated stuff because her head will start hurting.— Sometimes, she throws very emotional and hearty speeches.— She is the pet of the crew. Now shares title with Bepo and Chopper.— I swear she has no tops other than plain black shirts with dumb shit written on it.— Curiously, she hasn’t ever killed or gravely injured anyone yet. — Spike is in the crew the one most likely to survive in an abandoned island, but the least one to be able to make simple math. — She is now very happy with her crew and no longer feels lonely.

[one-piece-dumpster-fire]

Hey there! Your blog is amazing! I'd would like to ask what Sanji looks for in a s/o, and some NSFW Headcanons of him as well, please? I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Thank you for all that you do! :D

Hi there my dearies and thank you very much

And now, onto the request~

Qualities the Monster Trio looks for in a potential s/o

Luffy

you’ll have to bring a looooooooooot of patience if you want tosurvive a relationship with this boo

he hasn’t fully developed a grasp for anything ‘romantic’ yet sohe’d appreciate a partner who can introduce him to stuff and help himunderstand

but even then, it will take Luffy AGES to do anything that comes near aconfession- even if he’d catch feelings for you soon he would onlynotice after quite a while

“What is this feeling… I… I think I wanna share my meatwith (Y/N)… Is this what Sanji would call… ‘romantic'“?

okay but onto the qualities he’d like his s/o to have

physically speaking, you could look whatever you want (but atleast remotely human, sorry dinos) he really doesn’t care

and personality wise- someone who encourages him to think and use his creativity, evenif he once again only comes up with stupid things

„It’s okay Luffy. The effort counts.“

Luffy doesn’t pay much care to the past, so it’s also okay ifyou don’t wanna spill all of your secrets and your tragic backstory to him

important: you should be able to like- or at least accept- his crew andtheir quirks. They’re his family after all

and please don’t pressure him about his initial disinterest inromance. This bean is still evolving and wouldn’t want to getpressured or screamed at because he thought capturing a giant squid for youas a present was a good idea

Zoro

he’s not as oblivious as Luffy but also no expert when it comesto romance

he used to view it as a waste of time, and it’ll take a lot to convincehim otherwise, so, as with Luffy- have patience with the man

his way of realizing his feelings is by wanting to have youaround him more than others, he wouldn’t even mind if you’d watch himand his smokin’ bod during training

„I saved some booze for ya, (Y/N). Come on over and let’s have adrink.“

okay now onto qualities:

much like Luffy, he isn’t picky when it comes to looks. But he’dappreciate someone who takes care of themselves and the way theylook/smell a bit

he likes people who aren’t weak, but you don’t necessarily haveto be the strongest fighter in the world either

Zoro doesn’t mind saving you every now and then but when you callfor his help every two seconds his patience will thin down eventually

he wouldn’t mind you being quirky, as long as you don’t annoy him24/7 (he can be a grumpy cat sometimes)

also, not necessarily required by him, but please have a sensefor direction- don’t let him wander off on his own, or at least get lost with him lol

bonus points if you appreciate the art of swordsfight, but againnot a must

he also likes to laugh every now and then so being funny wouldalso get you closer to him

Sanji

boobies

this guy seems like he has studied romance alongside cooking atfirst, but don’t let that fool you- dear Sanji has little to noexperience when it comes to someone returning his affection

so if he notices that you seem interested in him, he actuallygets more nervous than confident- even if it may seem the other wayaround to you and others

he’s just scared of messing up his big chance but at the sametime he also doesn’t wanna miss it

„(Y/N), my mademoiselle, I prepared this starlit dinner just for you and I. There is an important matter I’d like to discusswith you…“

out of the three he is probably the most picky when it comes toappearances- but that definitely doesn’t mean that you need to besome kind of beauty queen with perfect proportions to get Sanji to swoon over you

he values honesty and trust, so Sanji really wants to be withsomeone who not only confides in him, but also vice versa

someone he can show his weak and vulnerable side to as well-knowing that if he ever has a breakdown (either because the pastcatches up with him again or something else) you’ll be there for him

he also dreams of being your knight in shining armor, so please feelfree to ask him for help whenever you need it

and get ready for some really cliché dates and him acting allstarstruck whenever you do literally anything- that’s just who he isand you gotta bear with it (he tries to tone it down a bit though if youcan’t stand it)

Sanji LOVES showing his affections, no matter where you two are. Butif you’re really against anything of that sort then it’s likely forhim to start feeling unwanted after a while (and that breaks hisheart)

just be you and let him accept you for who you are. Don’t change toappeal more to him or his liking, because this bean will love you nomatter what

[frobin]

Hello! It's me! Your home-grown FRobin historian/expert.

And first of all: Your observation is correct. Robin called the Strawhats by nicknames when she joined. Along the lines of Captain-kun, Longnose-kun, Swordsman-kun, Cook-kun, Navigator-san, Doktor-kun? I might not remember it correctly. But I'm 100% sure she did not use their names.

That changed SLOWLY because of Enies Lobby. You can see the change in Thriller Bark and Sabaody.

The change is sublte because Robin is not using the names very often. And she starts with Luffy.

It is probably because she uses nicknames to put distance between herself and other people. As long as she is not friends with them, she won't call them by their real names.

Meanwhile she immediatly started to call Franky by his name if she has to use it. I skimmed through Enies Lobby/Thriller Bark rather fast but if I got it right, the first time she uses his name is while they run back to the ship. But before that she also hasn't used any other name.

Franky uses a lot of nicknames. I guess for him it's a way to befriend people. He has a lot of compassion and wants to bond with people. That is just how he is, a dude who is bro with everyon and will call them nicknames.

Like in the beginning he is not calling Luffy by his name but calls him "Straw hat". It's almost an honorific and a nickname.

It also took Franky some time to call everyone at their names but he still calls them "Bro" and "Sis" again, that is just how he is.

But, the way Robin immediately called Franky by his name, Franky never used a nickname for Robin. He used her full name.

And he continued that quite some time. I think it was after the timeskip he dropped the Nico.

Their relationship was special anyway, he knew about her for so long and after the way she made him join the crew, they were already close. But not once has Franky called Robin "sis", like Nami for example (he called her jerk once, lmao - and he survived so that says something).

So, it is absolutely correct that the way they talk to each other is special and there is no argument against that and it's unique.

That being said, it used to be common knowledge back in the day. I can't find any postings right now but yeah. It's been known.

BUT not everyone has been as long in the FRobin fandom as I have so some things are rediscovered all the time.

People still learn about the first Strawhats-as-family SBS or the Strawhats-real-world-job SBS. They still have to see all the little hints.

And while an old fart like myself might sit in front of her notebook and think "ah, those youngins learing about the old scripts..." the excitement is still real and very valid.

this is probably a thing that people are aware of and I just haven't seen it discussed. but why have I never seen anybody point out that franky and robin were the 2 strawhats to join and not refer to the crew by their real names for a time? but they both referred to each other by their real names immediately after meeting, unlike how they talked to the rest of the crew.

obv they both eventually started calling the rest of the crew by name but they were each other's first (I believe) to start calling by name.