#pre timeskip sanji has my whole heart

[chibibunnis]

trying out csp with zoro and sanji doodles

[deecotan]

🌱 Deeco's ZoSan Fic Rec List 🐥

Hello hello! This is going to be a slight rework for my zosan fic rec list, because I wanted to re-organize it and add some new fics while I'm at it, so this is going to be longer than the first. Feel free to check it out!

Latest update: November 2023

Because I started making this list long before August 2023, I won't add any fics that specifically take place in live-action setting because I haven't read much of them yet. I might consider updating this list to add fics with live-action setting in the future.

—GEN/T FICS

Sketches of Life (and Love) by Fledgling (Teen, 2.9k)

An exploration of a headcanon where Sanji likes to draw in his free time. This fic always leaves me with a warm feeling every time I read it because how endearingly sweet it is. It’s basically a domestic fluff story about both ZoSan and the Strawhats crew in general.

green with envy blues by adietxt (Gen, 1.5k)

A cute fic about Zoro being jealous. Jealous!Zoro has been one of those tropes that make me screech like a feral animal every time I come across it and this fic does exactly that. It’s pretty short and simple but it captures the characters very well. It’s set during pre-timeskip which makes it even better to me because pre-TS Zoro possesses that boyish quality that post-TS Zoro doesn’t necessarily have anymore.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Fuck, Marry, Kill (or, how Usopp becomes the best matchmaker of the sea without really trying) (Teen, 4.8k) — Usopp introduces the Strawhats to a game that ends up causing Sanji to overthink things - a lot of things.

Old Men Blues by postmoderne (Gen, 2k)

Quoting directly from the fic’s summary, “Sanji and Zoro: two ancient fucks (in love).” because this is exactly that, a story about old men ZoSan. Old Zoro and old Sanji are both still as stubborn as ever and it’s endearing. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Something Golden (Teen, 1.6k) — Canon reimagining where Zoro met Sanji at the Baratie pre-series.

Meet me under the orange tree by candelina (Gen, 3.9k)

A canon divergence AU where Zoro and Sanji met as kids, as Zeff opened up Baratie in Zoro’s hometown. It’s an adorable and heartwarming story of little Zoro and little Sanji’s friendship. There’s also a part two which is also worth reading. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The whole world will know (2.3k) — Old men ZoSan fic, this one involves Zoro deliberately showing himself to the Marines for god knows what. It’s sweet, it’s beautiful, and it shows that Zoro is as reckless and idiotic as he is a loving, devoted husband.

Zoro’s Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee (Gen, 2.6k)

Modern AU, where Zoro’s friends try to stop him from believing that his imaginary, totally made-up boyfriend actually exists. Of course Zoro’s boyfriend doesn’t actually exist, because with the way Zoro describes him he’s way too perfect to exist and how can anyone so perfect actually exist? A hilarious story of misunderstandings.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Prison Blues (Teen, 2.8k) and it’s a long way forward (Teen, 5k) — serve as both a ZoSan story and a great Sanji character study. 

The Three of Swords by 8ball (Teen, 30k, multi-chapters & completed)

A medieval AU with knight Zoro and prince Sanji, a concept that starts to really grow on me after I begin to read this fic. In this story, Zoro is a cursed knight appointed to serve Sanji, a kind-hearted prince whom Zoro eventually pines over. It’s a beautiful take of prince and knight AU; devoted knight Zoro is something that I didn’t know I need. It also has a sequel.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Ocean's Child series — a canon-divergence mermaid!Sanji AU

(I Want) Someone to Love Me by three_days_late (Teen, 7.9k)

Sanji is about to turn 17, so he hopes that he can get his first kiss before that. A cute high school AU that involves everyone wanting to kiss Sanji (honestly, who doesn’t) but only one person gets to actually do it.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Blood Red (Teen, 400 words) — this might be a little biased because this fic is inspired by my comic, but it’s also a perfectly good reason why I must add it here; this fic is able to capture the spirit of the comic perfectly. If you want to read a short exposition of Zoro showing his darker, yet protective side, then this fic is worth the read. Warning for blood & hints of violence. The Christmas Swap (Teen, 37k, multi-chapters & completed) — a modern AU in which Sanji and Reiju switch partners during Christmas so they can attend their family gathering without having to come out as queer. It’s a wonderful story about family, relationships, and the struggles of maintaining those things as a queer person. The Only Way Out (Is Through) (Teen, 4.8k) — a beautiful Prince Sanji and Knight Zoro story, where circumstances forced them to separate & unable to be together. It also has a side Nami/Vivi. I Have Loved You for 1000 Years (I'll Love You for 1000 More) (Teen, 8.9k) — Another Prince Sanji & Knight Zoro AU involving time travel & the sacrifices you go through for the ones you love.

Curly Angel by APTX & translated to English by NMTD (Teen, 9.4k, two chapters & completed)

In this alternative canon universe, everyone has a guardian angel, and Zoro’s just happened to be Sanji. Hilarity ensues.

Let me be your Inspiration by TheWanderers (Teen, 19.8k)

College AU where Sanji is an artist/painter - another fic that explores Sanji as someone with an artistic streak, but also so much more. It’s a beautiful story that starts out with Zoro having to model for Sanji’s painting but ends up falling in love with him. I love the way the author adapts the characters’ canon backstory into this universe.

Retrogade by Hazel_Athena (Teen, 21.9k, two-chapters & completed)

Sanji got badly injured after a fight, and ends up losing a big chunk of memories - it doesn’t bother him too much until he notices how weird Zoro starts to act around him. A really good temporary amnesia fic with some really delicious pining!Zoro material. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Medieval ZoSan series — a medieval arranged marriage AU. Renegade Queen (Teen, 76k, multi-chapters & completed) — a canon divergent AU where Sora lives and takes all her children with her - it's more of a Vinsmoke family story with ZoSan on the side.

Nothing Happened (Gen, 16k, multi-chapters & completed)

An angsty survival story where the Strawhats get stranded in a middle of the seas with no means to escape and rapidly declining food stock. This fic does a really good job at keeping you in suspense, and the way it handles Zoro and Sanji's relationship destroyed me emotionally. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: Each A Love Song (Gen, 8.6k) — Sanji is frustrated because Zoro’s surprisingly popular with women when he doesn’t even like them back. A story of a confused Sanji trying to find love and being the World’s Most Oblivious Man. Three Blades (Gen, 5k) — a Western AU where Sanji is a saloon owner and Zoro is a bounty hunter.

The Melody of Missing You by BleuReivers (Teen, 11k)

Zoro is forced to confront his feelings in the aftermath of Sanji's departure during the Whole Cake Island arc. I love the way this story examines Zoro's softer, more vulnerable side in a painfully beautiful way, and the whole fic has this hazy, dream-like vibe that really fits with the plot.

Sick Day by Styx_in_the_mud (Teen, 1.3k)

Zoro gets sick, and Sanji takes care of him. A short sick!fic with a simple premise but very cute nonetheless.

—MATURE/EXPLICIT FICS

Deep by CharlieNozaki (Mature, 171k, multi-chapters & completed)

This is There Are Many Benefits to Being A Marine Biologist: The Fic. Okay jokes aside, this is a modern fantasy AU fic where merpeople exist and it mainly tells about marine biologist Sanji and merman Zoro. It has an interesting premise and deals with some heavy subjects in later chapters, hence the Mature tag. It has a sequel, though it's currently ongoing. OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Game — a Modern AU with slight fantasy-ish element, where Zoro and Sanji are young orphans who find a mysterious game that might be able to change their lives.

Delphinium by toastie_bread (Mature, 39k, multi-chapters & completed)

Set in modern AU, stylist Sanji meets with police detective Zoro after his beauty salon got robbed; a cute rom-com story. There's also a side LawLu.

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien (Explicit, 155k, multi-chapters & completed)

I’ve always loved auspizien’s fics and this is the one fic that made me fall in love with their writing. This is a modern AU story where Zoro is an ex-agent with PTSD who meets and befriends Sanji, a paramedic. It’s a multi-chapter fic filled with humor, angst, pining, action, and good ol’ slow-burn.  OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Android Acquaintance (Explicit, 10k) — dystopian cyberpunk AU with android Sanji and bounty hunter Zoro. This fic partly inspires me to make the Blade Runner 2049 ZoSan art!

The Tribulations of Temptation by SweetyGreeny (Explicit, 18.5k)

Zoro accidentally sees Ace and Sanji doing… the do, and then spends days after that feeling shocked, confused, angry, and disappointed.  A delicious story of pining and jealous Zoro. There’s a slight AceSan in the beginning but the endgame is still ZoSan.   OTHER FICS FROM THIS AUTHOR: A Siren’s Sinking Song (Teen, 12k) — a canon-divergent AU where Sanji is a siren who one day meets a peculiar swordsman from a wandering ship; this story is beautiful and I love the idea of siren!Sanji, but please note the major character death TW.  The Burden of Blondes (Explicit, 11k) — Sanji finds out that Zoro has a thing for blondes, and for some reason he feels uneasy. A fun story with some good smut, and inspired me to make an art loosely based on it.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by Harubo (Explicit, 14.3k)

A modern AU where Sanji is a tourist visiting a tiger reserve during a family vacation and Zoro is a detective investigating a poaching ring. All of Harubo’s fics are godsend but I particularly love this one because the setting reads like a perfect rom-com drama movie about a stressed, overworked chef meeting a handsome detective. There’s also a nice tidbit where the Vinsmoke siblings are trying to get along with each other.

Done Dirt Cheap by Balderdashfromafool (Explicit, 99.7k, multi-chapters & completed)

A Western ZoSan AU, where Zoro is an outlaw and Sanji is a small town chef. This one is fun and lovely, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of Western-themed stories, I love the way the author describes the Western setting in this fic. 

The Fox's Heart by Shadowcatxx (Explicit, 32k, multi-chapters & completed)

Historical/mythological AU where fox spirit Sanji falls in love with human samurai Zoro. A pretty heavy story about forbidden romance but ends with a happy ending. The fic deals with some period-typical issues like homophobia, misogyny, sexism, and transphobia, as well as some depictions of violence and (slight) animal abuse, so please be aware of that.

Mine by burnwaywardbird (Explicit, 4k)

A pure PWP fic of Zoro “punishing” Sanji for flirting with strangers. Super kinky and involves slight dom/sub undertones. Also, while this is mostly pure PWP, this fic is technically part of a series and while can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend to read the other parts as well (especially the ones preceding this fic).

pretty sanji series (Pretty & Surprise) by kickingsanji (12.6k in total)

A series of fics exploring Sanji's femininity and Zoro discovering that he has a thing for Sanji being pretty & wearing pretty things. As a Pretty Sanji truther, I love these fics to bits, not only because it handles Sanji dealing with his insecurities when it comes to his gender expression in a gentle, respectful way, but also because the smut is very good.

All Will be Well by thecrownofclowns (Explicit, 17k)

An incredibly sad but sweet zombie apocalypse AU about Sanji trying to survive the zombie outbreak all by himself, before eventually meeting Zoro. One of my favorite hurt/comfort fics.

—OMEGAVERSE (ALPHA/BETA/OMEGA) FICS

Onigiri by himaaneko (Teen, 2.3k)

Very cute domestic family fic of Zoro, Sanji, and their son. For those who prefers a softer omegaverse with family/love-children fluff on the side, this fic is for you.

Bite Me by Shadowcatxxx (Mature, 15k, two-chapters & completed)

Sanji got attacked while he was alone on the ship, causing him to go into heat. Zoro tries to help, but not without consequences. An exposition on how Zoro and Sanji handle their dynamics, and their feelings towards each other. Please mind the tags with this one.

fever by adietxt (Explicit, 6.4k, multi-chapters & completed)

I'm pretty sure that this is the first omegaverse ZoSan story that I have ever read, and one of the best ones I've ever read for a good reason. It involves Sanji, who suddenly got into his heat, and Zoro, the first one to discover Sanji in heat and learns for the first time he's an omega. I won't spoil anything, but I can say that the ending is great, the porn is delicious, and Zoro being possessive is exquisite.

Steps of Calidity by auspizien (Explicit, 42k, multi-chapters & completed)

I'm gonna preface this by saying that the smut here is ungodly good and very, very hot - and to be perfectly honest, one of the main reasons why I like this fic so much. But the plot is just as good and has an interesting take of how omegaverse dynamics might work in a modern world. Don't forget to mind the tags as well.

Sweet by ElAlmaDelMar (Explicit, 1.8k)

Sanji starts lactating during his pregnancy; Zoro finds it very hot. This one is just straight up kinky. It's a sequel to another story but can be read as a standalone.

[thissupposedcrime]

Zolu in One Piece Video Games

I put 65+ hours into One Piece Odyssey, a game in which the Strawhats are robbed of their powers and must relive memories of key events/battles (Alabasta/Crocodile, Dressrosa/Doflamingo, etc.) to earn them back. Post timeskip/pre-WCI so no Jinbe on the crew.

Zolu are wild in it, so enjoy the highlights. 

Their general nonsense:

When they reunite early in the game, Luffy/Zoro greet each other first/only despite the whole crew being there

Shared brain cell of agreeing that “Charging through a marine outpost sounds like fun”

Don't communicate with words in battle and somehow both know what to do in Alabasta when their memories 'change'

During a fight with Aokiji in Water 7, Luffy is frozen solid, and only Sanji and Zoro can bring him back to the Merry. Zoro flawlessly navigates through the entire city and even points out what directions they must go in, much to Sanji’s surprise. 

AKA the only time Zoro knows directions is when Luffy needs him most

While Luffy is injured and a conflict with the marines starts, Zoro takes the lead because “my crew is frozen” 

Towards the end of the level, Zoro has a unique reaction (no one else does individually) when Luffy can’t beat Lucci and is the only strawhat to realize the Lucci in their memories is stronger

Once Luffy wins, Zoro’s unique dialogue is, again, “Seriously, you almost scared me back there.”

When going to Marineford memories, Zoro is the only one to comfort/check in with Luffy, asking if he’s alright/ready to do this. Luffy responds ‘yeah’ - and in that section, Zoro is the only person Luffy speaks to

Clicking on other crewmates just has them speaking, not Luffy responding to them

Similarly, post-Marineford, Zoro is the one to respond to Luffy’s “I’m glad everyone’s okay” with a ‘yeah’, because they don’t need to talk about it further.

In multiple situations, Luffy and Zoro are the only ones to realize an enemy is tracking them or ”not right” and will check with the other about it- “Did you notice?/Yup, they’re getting closer”

Since they’re usually placed together in cut scenes, Zoro is almost always the first crewmate ‘shown’ reacting to Luffy and often has minor, unique dialogue just for him

Zoro whines/demands to Luffy that he wants to fight in the coliseum in Dressrosa this time. 

“I don’t want to, but if Luffy says so.”

At the game's ending, Zoro places himself in front of an injured Luffy to protect him (and had done that through the game)

“We’re more about the future than the past now, right Luffy?” “Right!” (their final lines are together).

Their unique ‘battle’/gameplay conversations are a riot:

They talk about killing specific monsters because they’re hungry

Zoro spots a swordsman and wants to fight them/Luffy cheers him on

Are very happy to keep fighting when the other ‘pushes’ an opponent into their area of battle (Nami is not!)

Zoro claims Luffy shouldn’t have to fight certain weak enemies and that he’s already about to beat them, even though Luffy complains he wants to fight too!

When they finish a battle, Zoro will sometimes reference the Baratie vow and that he’ll become a master swordsman, concludig with “Got a problem with that King of the Pirates?” as Luffy laughs and says "Nope!"

"You're in MY captain's way. Time to move it or lose it!"

Odyssey is focused on the whole crew and the island mystery they’re solving, but there was so much heart between everyone (Sanji saves Usopp, Robin affectionately calls Nami their reliable navigator). It was very obvious how much these two rely on each other and that Zoro isn’t just the swordsman but the first mate

[skatingbi]

Yo we out here with some more Ace lives AU but i'll make them little bullet points so I dont have to write a whole essay. Enjoy my little headcanons!

Warning: Theres. So many. Im not sorry tho lmao

Ace joins the strawhats after the time skip, nobody really minds and theyre happy to spend time with luffy's older brother. He quickly becomes best friends with Nami. I just feel it in my soul that they would gossip together.

Both Ace and Luffy suffer from awful PTSD symptoms after Marineford. With Luffy, his crew eventually learn how to help him. With Ace, though, he only has Luffy to lean on for support until the crew get aquanted with him.

Actually, to add onto that bc im a sucker for acesan, Sanji is the first after Luffy to reach out during one of his bad days when even really small triggers can make Ace spiral into a panic attack.

More acesan sorry lmao. Ace is usually either out on the figure head of the sunny looking at the ocean when Luffy isnt occupying that spot, in the gallery when Sanji is working, or just out on the deck laying on the grass. He especially likes being around sanji in the gallery.

Pre timeskip Ace is extremely different than this AU's Ace because yes he's silly and carries an air of confidence with him still, but he's never shirtless around others anymore. For a long while, Ace doesnt leave the ship or pick fights. His confidence is a facade for a long time.

Depression hits ace like a truck in this AU and its only eased with the help of Luffy and Sanji. Chopper also helps the best he can with what he's got. Ace is grateful for this, and eventually his old self starts to emerge more and more. Luffy is there with him the entire time.

Ace has insomnia, but so does Sanji and Zoro. He'll hang out with them during late night hours either on watch with zoro sharing stories or with Sanji talking to him while he's doing prep work or inventory. He'll probably also fend off luffy when his little brother tries to break into the locked fridge lmao

But more funny headcanons!! Im getting depressing here sorry!! Ace will mess around with Luffy and entertain him before meal times by play fighting. Their asses will be duking it out on the deck and Chopper will be all concerned and Zoro and Nami will be like "Siblings." Like thats the most obvious answer in the world.

Tbh, the crew members with any type of sibling or sibling bond will get it. Luffy will deadass try to steal Ace's food and Ace will smack his hand lightly with haki and Luffy will dramatically exclaim how mean his big brother is.

"Ace is so mean! I'll starve to death!" "Yeah, sure, you little menace"

Ace regaining strength over his devil fruit powers by making little shapes out of fire for chopper, luffy, and usopp. Franky and brook join the group to give ace prompts. It becomes a nightly occurance at this point.

The first time he decides to go shirtless in front of the crew, they realize his old tattoo is replaced by scar tissue that covers nearly his entire back. Nobody says anything, but I think Franky and Nami would be really understanding. Also luffy. Luffy would be like "We match! Ace has a cool scar like I do!" and it reassures him but also breaks his heart simultaneously.

Ace eating nearly as much as luffy and Sanji being like "Are you sure youre not blood related? Because youre both gonna run my kitchen dry"

Ace not really having a defined role in the crew and them not really minding it. Ace floats around basically. It kind of fits him more that way since he knows a bit of everything. He'll look at maps with nami to chart a course to the next island, He'll fight alongside zoro and sanji, he'll tell usopp about different ways to use combustion and heat in weapons or ammo, etc.

Ace and nami using the power of their good looks to scam people lmao and ace being able to swindle men and women. Nami is impressed and also jealous.

Luffy growing his hair out so him and Ace match, but luffy apparently has curlier hair than Ace so its just a fluffy mess until usopp caves and teaches them how to actually take care of their hair (luffy does not absorb a single thing and ace now has to help luffy with his hair when it gets as long as his)

Ace noticing one day how zoro looks at luffy and being like "yikes...you got it bad, man" and zoro just being like "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP-" but ace is fucking cackling and now zoro cant be too mad about that. He's still embaressed as fuck about it though.

Expanding on that actually: Ace actually being supportive because he knows how loyal zoro is. He isnt worried. Plus, Luffy is extremely strong and it takes a lot to actually hurt him. So he's like "dude you gotta just tell him straight up he is dense as hell"

Ace the ultimate wingman for zoro. Not luffy, though. That's what Nami is there for. Him an nami are definitely working together and placing bets on when and who asks who out with robin, usopp, sanji, and franky. I wont say what they chose for their bet but robin definitely wins.

BUT luffy, nami, zoro, robin, usopp and franky place bets on Ace and Sanji. Ace is never subtle. He flirts openly and is proud of it. Sanji is very subtle with ace, though. The crew immediately see past his bullshit of trying to be straight. Its painful to watch. Poor sanji is trying so hard to remain closeted but the closet is literally glass. I wont say who betted what as per my last bullet point, but surprisingly zoro won. Everyone (nami) is outraged by this incident. Luffy is here for a good time.

The crew playing card games except they learn sometimes ace cannot handle flammable objects because he will burn them accidentally. Competitive card games are now banned if ace is playing.

Ace is also banned from using his devil fruit powers while sparring on the deck. The poor grass on there has been burned so many times. Nami has kicked his ass over it.

Ace and zoro get really competitive. Not like zoro and sanji, but they'll spar without weapons and at least one of them will leave with a busted lip or eyebrow and a lecture from chopper. Theyre chill though they just forget to hold back on their punches. Ace one time used haki and had to help franky fix the deck afterwards.

[bubba-luz]

What do you think about the One Piece live action show?

(I just suffered through most of it with my sibling and I actually shed a tear or two)

At first I really loved it! But then as the weeks went by the honeymoon phase was over and I started noticing things and thinking about things. Safe to say I’m not really a fan of the LA anymore. It could have been worse honestly with the track record of Netflix and live action adaptations in general [the wigs oh god the wigs]. Also on the topic of adaptation I’d say OPLA is more of an interpretation of the original manga than it is a one on one adaptation.

I think the cast is great, they do look the part. But the characterizations of the LA is well…not the manga one. I had forgotten what happened in the EB arc at that time, but I started rewatching the anime and the changes are even more jarring. In the LA, Luffy isn’t as confident as he is in the manga, he clearly shows doubt in his abilities and sometimes needs someone else to help him up and get his head on straight. I think the only true time that happens in the manga us when Jinbē has to tell him to get himself together after losing Ace and his crew, most of the time Luffy doesn’t really need to ponder and go “oh gosh what should I do here?😣” he mostly just does things without thinking or improvises mid-battle.

Zoro. Zoro Zoro Zoro. Roronoa Zoro. Why are you not a complete loser? OPLA Zoro is what men in the fandom think Zoro is, a stoic no nonsense cool guy who fights with swords. He’s just so emo. But he’s not. The concept alone of fighting with a sword in your mouth and calling it three sword style is ridiculous itself. This is pre-timeskip too, Zoro is always goofy, but he was even more silly when he was 19, this is the same man who tried to cut off his own legs and started posing when he realized he wasn’t getting out. Why was he so serious all the time. Also the Kunia story did not hit as well as in the manga, like I really didn’t give a fuck 😭.

Oh Nami…Nami…To me Nami felt a bit…mean to me? And yes even before Arlong Park she chastises the boys, but it never feels like genuine dislike. I really think LA Nami wanted to leave their asses 😭. There was no whimsicalness in her heart, TOO MUCH ANGST in this one. And why on Earth would they change her storyline with the Village, the townspeople know Nami is only working for Arlong to buy back their Village, the LA approach of them not knowing was completely unnecessary conflict😭.

Usopp was done dirty, I know Syrup Village isn’t a lot of people’s favorite arc but it was Usopp’s arc. So tell me why he does nothing the whole time! And why is Zoro’s back story in the middle of USOPP’S arc. They even took his little kid crew…

rip Merry.

Sanji…ooohohohohoh Sanji. Sanji. SANJI. What do you mean the eyebrows wouldn’t work because they’re “too silly” you’re main character is a rubber man and the other fights with three swords what do you mean TOO SILLY. You had a man with cat whiskers fuck you. Tiny swirls would’ve worked. Why was he obsessed with oregano 😭 The showrunner said they toned down his pervertedness and made him more flirty but it just felt…uncomfortable. Like Nami was genuinely UNCOMFORTABLE. They did the exact opposite of what they tried to do. Baratie Sanji was already a flirt, in his little pathetic “step on me mommy” Sanji way, and Nami used that to her advantage she wasn’t uncomfortable in the manga. The Don Krieg pirates were taken out, so we don’t get Gin and Sanji’s kindness on full display. Sanji doesn’t even WITNESS Zoro fight Mihawk which is what made him want to go set out to find the All Blue in the first place. Why don’t Zeff and Sanji have genuine chemistry😭. Sanji throwing a tantrum at Zeff was soooooo funny, literally what was that, it happened so suddenly 😭. My friend told me the showrunner said his fave arc was Baratie but he only ever talks about MIHAWK 😭, it’s SANJI’s arc bro.

And also the showrunner thinks the romance dawn trio are the main characters when…they’re not😭? Maybe before Usopp joined, but after?…no all the strawhats are the main characters hello. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jinbē. I don’t have high hopes for S2, and I probably won’t watch it either.

Edit: OPLA Sanji feels like a heterosexual man. He only tops women and doesn’t fuck or get fucked by men.

[sanjiaftersex]

Pre-timeskip thoughts :

I just finished pre-timeskip and before i get into fishmen arc here are some thoughts

Favorite Strawhat : Sanji, Luffy

Favorite non-Strawhat : nefertari vivi, Bonclay

Other characters I liked : Dr Kureha (girlboss), the baratie workers, portgas d Ace (*sobs uncontrollably*), Hachi the octopus, Vivi's duck karoo, boa hancock, Rayleigh, ivankov HEEHAW,

Favourite friendships : zoro-luffy, zoro-chopper, sanji-ace (sobs uncontrollably), nami-usopp, Luffy-vivi, Luffy-bon chan

Favorite island : Little Garden, Water 7

Favorite Villains :

Captain Kuro and the kuro neko pirates were good and i liked the unique fighting style they had (siam and buchi, then jango was hilarious as hell etc)

Don krieg was the scum of earth but he made the story progress into something more serious and thrilling.

Sawtooth Arlong, the fishmen were all intimidating as hell and the whole arc was filled to the brim with excitement

The Baroque works concept was very cool with all the code names and i felt eager to find out the powers of the duos being revealed slowly. I liked Ms. Goldenweek and Ms doublefinger and would love to see more of them in the future. Finally Crocodile served well as a villain and later as an ally.

Skypiea Eneru (enel?idk) was so formidable and his power was so very unique from all the villains up till that arc, so it was very refreshing to watch. Plus the priests and their fighting style was a good introduction to haki (called as mantra) and its influence in a fight. (Strawhats' fight with satori was fun HOH HO HO).

CP9 were all parts of ruthless and annoying about their government assigned crimes but i like that Chapapa guy the most, he's cute asf and Rob Lucci turning into a tiger gave me a shock lmao. But damn rob lucci as a shipwright was some hot shit

Aokiji gave me blood pressure from how angry he makes me but him letting go off robin in water 7 and all that time ago in ohara, he has left an impression and I'm looking forward to find out more about him

Bartholomew Kuma gave me the HOLY FUCK OH SHIT OH GOD FUCK HE IS HERE AGAIN jolts but then turned out to be a nice person with mysterious lore that im eager to find out so he deserves a place here. Plus his paw paw power is cute

Perona's negative hollow power was hilarious and she's a nice cutie girl who considers zoro a boytoy like me and Luffy so that's a plus

Favourite devil fruit power so far : tori tori no mi : model phoenix (marco) i like the flight and his regeneration power

Favourite moments : Enies Lobby Sogeking shooting down the govt flag as the strawhats announce war against them, sabaody archipelago Luffy punching a celestial dragon (GOAT Luffy), marineford Luffy punching Garp (GOAT LUFFY), Luffy crying after Ace's death, Luffy punching bellamy

Favourite fights : Luffy vs kuro pirates, Luffy vs Crocodile final battle in alabasta, Sanji on the train fighting that ramen guy, zoro vs hachi, little garden final battle

a few tears may or may not have been shed : Chopper's backstory, going merry funeral, little Luffy being kidnapped :(, marineford ace-Luffy

Best arc : Arlong, Little garden, Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark (i love spooky things and tb was hilarious)

Thoughts on the Strawhats :

Luffy : I've grown to love him a lot. His innocence, childlike excitement and badbitchery have rizzed me up, your honor. Also he is a musical genius, minami no shimawa has been SOTY for decades. Plus I really love Luffy's eating moments. He looks so cute and stupid and it melts my heart so much i know a Luffy mukbang show would go SO HARD

Zoro : His backstory felt a bit lukewarm but he later made up for everything. He turned out to be so thoughtful, brave and selfless, especially, zoro's character got new dimension during water 7 saga and ofc thriller bark zoro is one for the history books.

Nami : at first she irked me a bit, but after knowing her backstory, I started loving her. She's strong, resourceful, selfless and smart.

Usopp : his quirks, especially during the G-8 filler arc after skypiea, Usopp's CONDORRRIANO still cracks me up like no other. And him getting all the protective religious gears and garlic necklace when he saw Brook, was hilarious.

Chopper : little baby, soft fuzzy and dumb as fuck but has been so so traumatized. Also Tony Tony chopper has to be the cutest name anyone has ever been given, little baby is always too hard on himself (typical capricorn) and needs to chill.

Franky : I love his dance routines, and his franky family was cool as well. I once even followed one of his routines he does after he landed in the karakuri island (it was a good hip movement after binging one piece for HOURS). Also i miss mozu and kiwi dance icons

Robin : She filled me with rage during water 7, but after her backstory, I understood her more. She's cute and her nihilistic outlook on life is hilarious

Sanji : PERFECTION. He took my heart even before baratie (I saw a person doing leg karate in one of the openings and couldn't wait to meet him). His initial backstory (the starvation and zeff) moved me,and based on that i can see how thoughtful and kind he is. I can't wait to discover more about this wonderful character in depth. His badbitchery with fullbody, His kindness with Gin and don Krieg, the unique way he fights - he had me from the very first appearance. And I can't believe he has more depth to his already beautiful complex character. look at my pretty boy

Brook : i love how polite but chaotic he is and how easily he blends in with the strawhats. And i absolutely love how open minded Luffy was with Brook, and their interactions crack me UP.

General thoughts about op :

- op keeps me on my toes with the constant new islands, the new characters, both allies and villains, being gradually introduced feels very refreshing and thrilling

- Even the Strawhats slowly joined with a fun (sometimes sad) story. The introduction with a fresh face and the development of a new friendship felt good and didn't jumble my brain with too much information at the same time

- I love the dynamics of the strawhats and how wholesome all of them are in their own ways

- The summit war wasn't as exciting as i was expecting, it felt too drawn out and the constant switch between different fight scenes and fighting parties made things feel unfinished. On that note, whitebeard and his pirates were disappointing asf

- Excited to see more of Bartholomew Kuma, shanks, crocodile, mihawk, ivankov, perona, captain kidd, Law

- Bon chan is GOAT and i better be seeing him soon

Looking forward to see what the series has in store for me <3

[rbbalmung]

Pre-Timeskip Straw Hats Ranking:

1. Chopper - My baby. He’s like a little Ghibli character! I loved his design and he has such a good heart 🥹

2. Zoro - He’s so cool! I love how loyal he is and he always has the best fight scenes.

3. Luffy - Didn’t expect to like him this much, but here we are! God, he’s just such an interesting character. I really like characters with a strong moral compass/sense of their own justice, and Luffy fits that so well. Out of all the captains, I’d want him to be mine.

4. Sanji - He’s a little cringe (I am a woman), but he’s got really good scenes mixed in there! (Like that scene with Enel? Legendary).

5. Franky - TBH, he didn’t grow on me until Enies Lobby. But Franky is a homie! He’s SUPER!

6. Robin - Another character that took a bit to grow on me. I love how she just takes things in stride, it’s really funny. Her and Franky are my fave duo, so I love when they get scenes together!

7. Brook - I LOVE SKELETONS! I love his puns and his backstory made me cry. Minus points for the underwear thing, though

8. Nami - I like Nami! I wish she got a bit more control of the situations she gets thrown into (especially Thriller Bark, I felt so bad for her).

9. Usopp - I don’t hate Usopp, don’t get me wrong! He’s just kind of annoying. He’s the sniper of the crew, so it’s irritating that he rarely does any sniping. He also complains/is cowardly A LOT. I get that’s his character, but…

Time skip Ranking (I’m in Zou right now. Light spoilers for up until then?):

1. Luffy - My Number 3 pick overall! I love him so much, I can’t even. He’s really stepped it up! Something I really like about him is the slight changes in his personality after MarineFord. You can tell it effected him more than he lets on and I love that Oda is subtle about it. 10/10 protagonist!

2. Franky - SUPER!!! I just love him, he’s so fun! I may be a bit influenced because he’s my brother’s fave (we’re watching it together). Like Luffy, I love how positive and kind Franky is. I also love his power ups!! He’s so cool!!

3. Zoro - Still cool, haha. My opinion of him hasn’t changed much since before timeskip - he’s a really consistent, interesting character! I also love how he’s eager to fight, in a weird way. Nothing scares this man, it’s cool to see!

4. Usopp - Biggest jump on this list! But damn, I love Usopp now. He’s mellowed out a bit and takes a bit more of an active role on the crew! (Spoiler) He has Haki!!! I didn’t see that coming, but it’s by far the coolest Usopp moment yet!

5. Robin - As the sole introvert on a crew of extroverts, I love the dynamic she brings! Like I mentioned before, her “go with the flow” attitude is really unique and fun to see! I do wish they’d let her fight more, even though she has more of a supporting role.

6. Nami - Ever since Punk Hazard, I’ve come to realize the Nami is the heart of the crew. You can see how much she cares for everyone and wants the best for the people around her!

(I may start to sound mean from here on out, but I promise I like all the Straw Hats)

7. Sanji - SANJI STOP BEING CRINGE I SWEAR TO GOD. I know the Whole Cake is coming up soon, so I’m holding out for some major character development there. I just don’t like that women have taken over most of his screen time and that he holds resentment against Okamas. Like, not cool bro.

8. Chopper - He’s kind of been reduced to a mascot character. They never give him anything to do anymore (granted, he wasn’t in Dressrosa much so maybe I’ll be proved wrong). I don’t hate his new design, I just liked the other one better. And apparently he’s supposed to be 17??

9. Brook - Brook, for me, has filled the role Usopp had before timeskip. He’s always loud and being cowardly, it gets to be a little grating. He still has good moments, don’t get me wrong, but I wish he was a bit more like he was in Thriller Bark.

Bonus! Jinbe - Dad energy 👍 He was a real homie for Luffy on MarineFord, and I’m excited to see the dynamic he brings when he joins the crew!

[asymmetryestablished]

NothingSoDivine's One Piece Fanfic Spoiler Master List (2nd Edition)

because the old version was unnecessarily long and dubiously accurate

also I reread all 77 of my OP fics for this. you're welcome

(last updated 2024-10-09)

This time, we're sorting by spoiler level (mild, moderate, major), and then grouping by timeline, to make things easier. (Timeline groupings are determined by the arc in which the last spoilers occur.) I'm also including emojis to indicate AO3 rating (🟢 General, 🟡 Teen and up, 🟠 Mature, 🔴 Explicit, or ⚪ Not Rated), approximate word count (🌒 under 1k, 🌓 1k–4k, 🌔 4k–10k, and 🌕 above), and ⚠️ presence or ✅ absence of Archive Warnings. Hopefully this will make things more navigable. (And as before, I'm marking AUs with asterisks, but giving no pairing or character information.) Word count indicators for ongoing fics are based on current word count, not projected word count.

Additional note: I prefer to err on the side of caution. Placement on this list is determined by the most serious spoilers involved, and then by the last point at which spoilers exist. So, for example, if a fic has major spoilers for an early arc, but moderate spoilers up to a much later arc, it will be categorized under Major Spoilers for that later arc, despite technically only having moderate spoilers for it.

Mild Spoilers

These are basically fine. Things like non-plot-twisty character introductions, island/arc names, basic worldbuilding concepts, etc. Normal people would not consider these fics to contain spoilers. As long as you've met all the major characters involved, you're safe (though you might be lacking context).

The following fics are spoiler-free at the point where OPLA left off (immediately pre-Roguetown): 🟢🌒✅ Strange Bedfellows (Strange Beds), 🟠🌔⚠️ Duet for Sabre and Musket, 🟡🌒✅ Coda: Reminiscence (Without Regret), 🔴🌓✅ (to be sung to the tune of Stacy's Mom)*, 🔴🌓✅ Two Masochists Attempt Wound Aftercare, 🟠🌓⚠️ Losing Body Parts to a Goddamn Fish, 🔴🌔✅ A Rendezvous at the Baratie, 🟡🌓✅ A Chance To Die By The Sword, 🟢🌒✅ Tomorrow Could Be*

East Blue: 🟡🌓✅ Familiar

Alabasta: 🟠🌓✅ Sanji Bi Crisis™, 🔴🌔✅ Kitchen Shenanigans

Water Seven/Enies Lobby: 🟢🌒✅ One AM in the Galley, 🔴🌕✅ Out Of His Depth*

Sabaody: 🟢🌒✅ One More Song

Marineford: 🟡🌒✅ Regret is the Skin You Shed (Just to Make it This Far)*, 🟠🌒✅ Revolving Door, 🔴🌓✅ A Study of Negative Space

These fics are set ambiguously or very shortly post-timeskip. If you're familiar with everyone's post-TS designs and/or abilities, you're good: 🟡🌒✅ Outlaw Red, 🔴🌓✅ don't ask me who's driving*, 🔴🌔✅ The Babygirl Problem*, 🔴🌒✅ Just This Once, 🟢🌒✅ Identical Sets, 🔴🌓✅ A Horny Interlude, Partway Through Some Training Montage*, 🔴🌒✅ On Their Altars You Lay Your Heart of Stone*, 🟡🌒✅ Equals, 🔴🌓✅ the thighfucking fic, 🔴🌓⚠️ Good Meat

Moderate Spoilers

These are things like character, relationship, and location reveals (where the reveal is plot-relevant); significant plot events; that sort of thing.

Roguetown: 🔴🌓⚠️ To Possess It

Marineford: 🟠🌓✅ They Grow Like Flames*, 🟠🌓⚠️ Mismatched*

Timeskip: 🟠🌓✅ Some Sort of Poisonous Cupcake*, 🟡🌒✅ An Eye for an Eye (Kuraigana, One Year In), 🟠🌓✅ Black and Fuchsia Sugar Roses*, 🟢🌒✅ Company Time*, 🟡🌓✅ Black Cherry Sangria*, 🟡🌒✅ Elsewhere, In a Different Training Montage*, 🟢🌔✅ Portrait of an Oncoming Storm, 🟡🌒✅ Vain Creatures*, 🔴🌔⚠️ Of Wine, Wild Roses, and Blood*, 🟢🌒✅ kiss the homies goodnight

Punk Hazard: 🔴🌓⚠️ Government Dog

Dressrosa: 🔴🌒✅ Lazy Morning Head*, 🔴🌓✅ Four Vignettes in Marine Uniform*, 🟡🌓✅ A Guy With a Pin (to Burst Your Bubble)*, 🟡🌓✅ Your Restless Dreams (I)*, 🔴🌔✅ A Necklace of Crocodile Teeth, 🔴🌓✅ Strings Around His Wrists, 🟢🌒✅ A Favour, 🔴🌔✅ Almost Tame, 🔴🌓✅ Drip*, 🔴🌔✅ Body Shots*

Whole Cake Island: 🔴🌓✅ Apology on Wood and Canvas, 🟢🌒✅ Pink and Gold, 🟢🌒✅ pervert faces [draft]

Wano: 🟡🌓✅ Smoke and Cherry Blossoms, 🔴🌓✅ King of Beauty, King of Beasts, 🟢🌒✅ A Particularly Sweet Red, 🟢🌒✅ A Private Moment (A Reunion), 🟡🌓✅ Shrimp Cocktail*, 🟡🌓✅ Sugar and Spice*, 🟡🌒✅ Home*

Major Spoilers

This section is reserved for plot twists and character deaths.

Marineford: 🟠🌒⚠️ A Study of Grief, I Suppose, 🟡🌒⚠️ Both Hands With a Heart to Hold*, 🔴🌓✅ A Treatise on Absence and Loss

Dressrosa: 🟠🌒✅ And the Devil Answers, 🔴🌕⚠️ With Every Wall Ablaze Around Us*

Wano: 🔴🌓✅ Fucking Pirates, 🔴🌓✅ Insubordinates, 🟢🌒✅ Bearer of the Sun God's Crown*, 🔴🌓✅ The Beast, the Man, and the Princess

[bluarlequinno]

I'm not saying I dislike Post time skip Nami because I don't, I love her either way, but I'm gonna miss pretimeskip Nami SO BAD, she will always have a special place in my heart, like she had such a butchy fem vibe to her, she was a futch she just had THE vibe idk like look at her, she went from girly girl to bruh girl to whatever she just was her genuine self and looked good either way

I could literally write an essay of Nami's "masculinity" and how that is essential to her character's past and how people perceived her, I put masculinity in commas because I don't actually believe there is such thing as masculine or feminine behavior, but you could argue subtextually with pre timeskip Nami there was this idea she was more traditionally masculine with her behavior, I believe chopper mentioned it once in thriller bark, which adds on to her being raised to be just as tough as a man and her perception of self and the fact she IS a pirate at the end of the day, with the narrative allowing her to be loud and unforgivivingly wicked and greedy and rowdy and aggressive and cunning and ambitious and unforgivivingly herself. To have leadership and control without it being framed as negative or bad or undesirable, like how Sanji says he loves when she gives orders.

She is allowed to drink like Zoro, remember on whiskey peak, she beat everybody and still stood as if nothing? Or eat like Luffy and well if you believe in the lesbian headcanon like some of us do, be attracted to women like Sanji, like Nami has said some questionably discuss worth lines like she is allowed to voice out her attraction with no filter "wow she's so sexy I wanna have her as my secretary" or in one of the movies I believe she said "you can pay me with your body" to another girl and so much more moments

Her having short hair was important because I'm not saying they feminized her to appeal more for the male gaze, but I kinda am? Like I'm all for Nami being however she wants to be, long hair does look good on her, but I'm not really happy because of the reasons it happened, yk it's this idea that younger immature women who have short hair and in their youth were tomboys will become more feminine and once they grow older which really angers me because it's the idea longer hair= more mature because they are turning into a woman...

Also Nami being constantly allowed to have deep meaningful relationships with female characters wether or not they are queer or not it's just so surprising for a male centered genre like Shonen, nevertheless when it's written by a man, maybe I'm not giving enough credit, but I will forever be thankful for the way Oda wrote Nami, she's such a girls girl and in media it's rare to find a female character who doesn't have any male love interest or isn't male centered at all, like yes her design turned more male gazey over the years but IN universe she's so obviously for the girls, like I remember when I reached thriller bark expecting this whole thing with Lola be the type of narrative where one hates the other for the man and the other is painted as a bitch in the narrative, but NO Nami is like fuck this dude you girl deserve better and literally ends up giving her half her treasure (well kinda) like Nami is such a unique character

Anyways this is going nowhere I just really love Nami and wanted to share some thoughts now that I'm finally on the timeskip well I already finished Fishman Island, starting Punk Hazard wish me luck 🤞

[panda-puma]

(I am sorry in advance, because you unlocked a ramble I've had in me since I saw Zoro and realised that Oda looked at the Cool Manga Dude Archetype and said "no" and made our Mossball capable of wide, wide smiles (which are apparently lost post-timeskip but that I ignore, I am not looking, I am still pre-timeskip, I am soaking every smile and grin) 300+ chapters in and I still am riding the high of love at first sight, when it comes to OP. one day I might find flaws but for now it is perfection incarnate 😂😂😂)

aw, it's sad hearing how the anime kills characterizations. especially with core characters. Nami disgusted by Sanji!? c'mon, why would you do that, anime-writers 😭

to taint any relationship in OP, where the relationships are what makes it such a good read 😭

it's true that when Sanji gets more spicy, what makes his reaction tolerable is how the girls just shrug it off. they care not! they feel safe around him! Nami pranced around him in bikini, and our boy was more interested at first in flowers 😭

thank you so much for movie recommendations! ❤❤❤

I absolutely adore the story and the characters! and the writing! I've cried like a baby while reading OP more times than I've had while consuming any other media. it just hits you in the heart with sniper accuracy ❤😭 and then makes you cackle like a witch. rinse and repeat. i love it.

(reactions still dictated by the story up to the very start of Impel Down) I'm still trying to fully put my finger on what exactly makes me love OP that much but I think that what gets is how much trust there is between the characters. how easy they love each other. (Zoro and Luffy? dear god, they are so good. 100% trust.) and how silly they can get. It's rare that I love absolutely everybody, yet here I am: I'm collecting my silly little boys and girls like pokemon. I will catch em all. gimme more.

I cannot get enough how emotive the characters are. when they smile it lits up the sky. when they cry I cry with them. when they goof off I watch them fondly but when shit hits the fan, I read with baited breath how my silly little goobers get serious. there is a whole rainbow of emotions and I adore it.

(Sorry for taking so long to answer! this month went by extremely fast ;v;UUu if i take too long to reply you can talk to me privately too, i don't mind!)

Don't apologize for passionately loving things! It's the best way of living! ❤

Oda writes characters so well, that even in their comical exaggeration, still feel like real people to me. Everything is for a reason, even the dumbness (that i absolutely love xD it's just amazing to me that even that has its reasons and wraps so well with everything)

And yes, sadly the Anime really kills characterization... Nami and Sanji's relationship is completely changed. They are not really friends in the Anime. Nami is not kind, ever, and Sanji is just interested in her as a sexy object. They are not friendly with each other... when in the Manga is obvious that they are friendly and chill most of the time.

Sanji adores her, yes, but in the Manga he is not just there to be her slave and please her. He has dreams and a beautiful relationship with Luffy too, something that the Anime decides to completely erase from existence...

The Anime transforms all the characters into one note (the one that they decide is funny for children or to sell merch): Nami is the girl who only screams and hits the others, Sanji is just the pervert idiot who fights all the time, Luffy is just an ugly goofball with nothing between his ears, Zoro is serious guy who is the comical relief and screams all the time, Chopper is a baby, Robin is a mysterious woman (who gets jealous of Chopper paying attention to other women)... etc etc etc

They are so reduced to this roles, that when something they can not edit out of the original story (because it's an pivot point in the story) happens, it even looks out of character!

Of course a lot of this is also amped up by the amount of continuous filler the Anime has, where they just butcher the characters even more...

It's a lot of work and as you see I am a slow writer xDu but I really want to get deeper into writing about how the differences matter a lot.

I hope you've continued with your reading and have even more to share! OvO please feel free to talk to me again

Again: very sorry for taking so long to answer ;v;U my audhd threw me off everything very hard this past month

And finally I don't really agree with what people say about Zoro losing his smile post time-skip... at least in the Manga! The Anime can look like he doesn't smile so much anymore, i guess...

I feel like Zoro's default expression is calmer after the time-skip ^^ you can see how he is not frowning all the time like before, and he still has his cool smiles!

Beware a bit of Spoiler ahead!

Have some non-very-spoilerish images of him smiling post-time skip, just in the first arc post time-skip:

[piratespencil]

OKAY SO I gotta admit, One Piece (the anime/manga) has always been a thing that I've like, tangentially engaged with but never actually read/watched or followed the story in any substantial capacity, especially given it's so LONG XD That being said, it has had my intrigue for a loooooooong time so I'm consulting you as something of an Expert to ask, how much would you recommend it? (I've been dodging my inevitable fate as a Sanji girlie for so long :P)

I love that I have the title of One Piece Expert haha. XD

I would definitely say that One Piece was a very formative piece of media for me. My early pre-tumblr deviantArt days were very One Piece-heavy and I'm still friends with people I met thru One Piece (hey @muffintonic!!). Usopp remains one of my favourite characters from anything ever.

That being said, it's been years since I've actually been up to date with the anime or manga. (Tho I have been casually following the plot through some OP mutuals I still have... I keep telling myself that someday I'm gonna catch up on OP again lol...) And like, there are some issues I have with it - it's a manga from the 90s, it's inevitably going to fall into some unfortunate tropes, and I also generally preferred the pre-timeskip arcs to the post-timeskip ones.

BUT One Piece still has such a special place in my heart and I think it's worth it despite some flaws. It's funny and silly and weird but it will also break your heart sometimes, which is what the best stories do. It's about found family! It's about being anti-establishment! It's about following the people you love into the depths of hell and about reminding people who have been cast aside by society that they deserve to live with dignity and respect! It's about pirates and adventure and people having the weirdest fucking superpowers you could possibly come up with. It's great.

It's long as hell but that just means that you'll never run out of content. (There are movies and filler episodes and like. Everything you could ever want from this franchise tbh.) I haven't watched the new live action show yet so I can't say if that's a good place to start or not, but my advice would just be to find the first chapter or the first episode, whichever you prefer (the anime is pretty faithful to the manga so you're not missing much either way, the anime just has more filler stuff, some of which is really good!) and just give it a try, see if you like it!

And if you do, you should absolutely tell me what you think! :D I'm an Usopp girlie but Sanji is great too (and SanUso is a popular ship for a reason haha) and I'd love to hear your thoughts! And also maybe that'll inspire me to finally get caught up again. I've heard good things about the recent arcs!

The whole live action show coming out has put me back into a One Piece mood so this was a fun ask to get! :D (I'm sorry this answer was so long tho oops.)

[deecotan]

Do you have a list of favorite zosan fics? Sorry if someone's asked this before x.x

Hooo boy, this is going to be challenging because there's simply a lot of fics that I like and it's kind of all over the place depending on my mood, but I'm going to make a general list of some of my favorites and a short summary of why I like them.

This is going to be a little long so I'm going to put them under read more!

Sketches of Life (and Love) by Fledgling — An exploration of a headcanon where Sanji likes to draw in his free time. This fic always leaves me with a warm feeling every time I read it because how endearingly sweet it is. It's basically a domestic fluff story about both ZoSan and the Strawhats crew in general.

green with envy blues by adietxt — A cute fic about Zoro being jealous. Jealous!Zoro has been one of those tropes that make me screech like a feral animal every time I come across it and this fic does exactly that. It's pretty short and simple but it captures the characters very well. It's set during pre-timeskip which makes it even better to me because pre-TS Zoro possesses that boyish quality that post-TS Zoro doesn’t necessarily have anymore. 

Old Men Blues by postmoderne — Quoting directly from the fic's summary, “Sanji and Zoro: two ancient fucks (in love).” because this is exactly that, a story about old men ZoSan. Old Zoro and old Sanji are both still as stubborn as ever and it's endearing.

Meet me under the orange tree by candelina — A canon divergence AU where Zoro and Sanji met as kids, as Zeff opened up Baratie in Zoro's hometown. It's an adorable and heartwarming story of little Zoro and little Sanji's friendship. There's also a part two which is also worth reading.

Other fics from candelina: The whole world will know, another fic about old men ZoSan, this one involves Zoro deliberately showing himself to the Marines for god knows what. It's sweet, it's beautiful, and it shows that Zoro is as reckless and idiotic as he is a loving, devoted husband.

Zoro's Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee — Modern AU, where Zoro's friends try to stop him from believing that his imaginary, totally made-up boyfriend actually exists. Of course Zoro's boyfriend doesn't actually exist, because with the way Zoro describes him he's way too perfect to exist and how can anyone so perfect actually exist? A hilarious story of misunderstandings. 

Other fics from donutsandcoffee: My other favorite stories would be Prison Blues and it’s a long way forward, which serve as both a ZoSan story and a great Sanji character study. 

The Three of Swords by 8ball — A medieval AU with knight Zoro and prince Sanji, a concept that starts to really grow on me after I begin to read this fic. In this story, Zoro is a cursed knight appointed to serve Sanji, a deeply kind-hearted prince whom Zoro eventually pines over. It's a beautiful take of prince and knight AU; devoted knight Zoro is something that I didn't know I need. It also has a sequel. 

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien — I've always loved auspizien's fics and this is the one fic that made me fall in love with their writing. This is a modern AU story where Zoro is an ex-agent with PTSD who meets and befriends Sanji, a paramedic. It's a multi-chapter fic filled with humor, angst, pining, action, and good ol’ slow-burn. 

The Tribulations of Tempation by SweetyGreeny — Zoro accidentally sees Ace and Sanji doing... the do, and then spends days after that feeling shocked, confused, angry, and disappointed.  A simply delicious story of pining and jealous Zoro. There's a slight AceSan in the beginning but the endgame is still ZoSan.  

Other fics from SweetyGreeny: A Siren's Sinking Song, a canon-divergent AU where Sanji is a siren who one day meets a peculiar swordsman from a wandering ship; this story is beautiful and I love the idea of siren!Sanji, but please note the major character death TW. The Burden of Blondes, Sanji finds out that Zoro has a thing for blondes, and for some reason he feels uneasy. A fun story with some good smut. 

(I Want) Someone to Love Me by three_days_late — Sanji is about to turn 17, so he hopes that he can get his first kiss before that. A cute high school AU that involves everyone wanting to kiss Sanji (honestly, who doesn't) but only one person gets to actually do it. 

Other fics from three_days_late: Blood Red - this might be a little biased because this fic is inspired by my comic, but that's also a perfectly good reason why I must add it here; this fic is able to capture the spirit of the comic perfectly. If you want to read a short exposition of Zoro showing his protective side, then this fic is worth the read. The Christmas Swap, a modern AU in which Sanji and Reiju switch partners during Christmas so they can attend their family gathering without having to come out as queer. It’s a wonderful story about family, relationships, and what it feels like to be closeted. The Only Way Out (Is Through), a beautiful Prince Sanji and Knight Zoro story, where circumstances forced them to be unable to be together - and it also has a side Nami/Vivi. 

Curly Angel by APTX (translated to English by NMTD) — In this alternative canon universe, everyone has a guardian angel, and Zoro's just happened to be Sanji. Hilarity ensues. I have to admit that I absolutely love all of APTX's ZoSan fics, but since most of them are in Chinese, if you're like me and doesn't mind reading some really botchy translations of said fics, then you can try using Google Translate to read them.

Let me be your Inspiration by TheWanderers — College AU where Sanji is an artist/painter - another fic that explores Sanji as someone with an artistic streak, but also so much more. It's a beautiful story that starts out with Zoro having to model for Sanji's painting but ends up falling in love with him. I love the way the author adapts the characters' canon backstory into this universe.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by Harubo — A modern AU where Sanji is a tourist visiting a tiger reserve during a family vacation and Zoro is a detective investigating a poaching ring. All of Harubo's fics are godsend but I particularly love this one because the setting reads like a perfect rom-com drama movie about a stressed, overworked chef meeting a handsome detective. There's also a nice tidbit where the Vinsmoke siblings are trying to get along with each other.

Retrogade by Hazel_Athena — Sanji got badly injured after a fight, and ends up losing a big chunk of memories - he doesn't find it too bothersome until he notices how weird Zoro starts to act around him. It's a really good temporary amnesia fic with some really delicious pining!Zoro material.

Done Dirt Cheap by Balderdashfromafool — Basically a Western ZoSan AU, where Zoro is an outlaw and Sanji is a small town chef. This one is fun and lovely, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of Western-themed stories, I love the way the author describes the Western setting in this fic. 

Each A Love Song by Shadowcatxxx — Sanji is frustrated because Zoro's surprisingly popular with women when he doesn't even like them back. A story of a confused Sanji trying to find love and being the World’s Most Oblivious Man. 

And that's all for now! It got way longer than I initially thought....there are some fics that I exclude, mostly the more explicit, PWP-type of fics, as well as Omegaverse fics, because my taste on them tend to be more specific and self-indulgent as ever. I might need to make a separate post for that, and also like feel free to ask me about them anytime. 

I really hope I've done these fics justice with my summaries. I can't overstate how talented these authors are, so please shower them with love, kudos, comments, attention, etc etc if you have time.

[wellfine]

✨ One Piece Timeskip Redesigns! ✨

My last art of 2020 went off with a bang! I’ve been working on these for a while and they’re finally ready to share. I thought it might be fun to concept designs for the crew with more influence from the islands they were sent to! They ended up a lil costume-y, but I like that too.

Read below for flavour text/design notes or just enjoy the art!

LUFFY: I wanted him to have “King of the Pirates” vibes! His hooded cape/mantle is inspired by the coats Shanks and Roger wore, but less cumbersome, mixed with the Kuja’s capes. The design on the back is Ace’s comedy/tragedy drama masks in the shape of Sabo’s goggles, inside angel wings. He can store things inside the sash. The golden snakes around his ankles can expand with him (the tail comes out of the mouth, like a bangle). The Kuja women made his clothes for him!

ZORO: Not a whole lot to say here except he forgot how normal people dressed while he was on Kuraigana LOL. His design is a mix of European and East Asian vampire lore and he just keeps... losin limbs lmao. With all his prominent scars he really does look undead!! This was the first design I came up with and it’s what made me want to do all the others!

NAMI: She’s a Weather Witch! The old men on Weatheria were scandalised by her short hair and tattoos so she... got shorter hair, and another tattoo. Her second tattoo is a four-pointed star inside a ship’s wheel/compass, to represent where she’s going, because her old tattoo represents where she came from. Her hair is also obviously inspired by Bellemere! Her suit is a swimsuit so she’s ready for any weather, and her hood opens up into a giant witch/rain hat. The moons on her shoes are skate-model wavers and can retract up around her ankles when she’s not using them. Combined with her (canon) “milky road” abilities, she can use them with her Clima-Tact to “fly” across clouds!

USOPP: He basically leveled-up in running away, so he kinda fights parkour-style now. His gloves and shoes are made by dipping his hands/feet in natural tree rubber sap so they give him excellent grip. He has little bands between his index & middle fingers he can use as slingshots in a pinch. He KEPT HIS ORIGINAL GOGGLES BECAUSE WHY WOULD HE ABANDON THEM, ODA?? even though he ahd to repair them a few times. The multiple watches keep track of the island’s time cycles and vibrate to alert him rather than make any sound. His coat of leaves provides camouflage, and he can also inflate it along with a birdcall whistle to look like a giant owl and scare off predators!

SANJI: What if Sanji went to Gender Island and realised all masculinity is performative so he came back a drag king I wanted to lean harder into his “waiter > chef” pre-TS design elements. His vest is backless and has more heart shapes at the back lmao. He leaves heart-shaped stamps on people when he kicks them

CHOPPER: Chopper was hard because I think his post-TS design is perfect already BUT! He got the little capelet and the feather from the people/birds of Torino kingdom. The swirls are from Hiluluk’s coat lapels! His doctor bag is actually a little backpack.

ROBIN: ............... ma’am She’s a fantasy/video-game-archeologist mixed with a sleek, modern super spy. She uses the harnesses to lift/hoist herself around by her own hands, using her devil fruit power instead of ropes, Mission Impossible style. She uses throwing knives even though her accuracy isn’t that great because she’s basically just gonna pick them up with one of her flower hands and stab the target close-range anyway.

FRANKY: I actually like that he’s a big messed up robo post-TS LMAO I just think he would love Vegapunk’s chimera designs. He’s sort of a griffon/manticore fusion with obvious inspiration from the Sunny, which he can probably mecha-fuse with somehow now. The paw pads can pop out of the gloves and act like smaller hands for more delicate stuff, just like his canon design. Robin is a big fan of squishing them. Gas from his cola chamber fuels powerful hydraulic attacks! (He can still do the nipple beam :/)

BROOK: Brook was hardest because I couldn’t change that much about his original design, but I lke the result! His skull cracked all the way through (probably excited groupies) so he welded it back together with gold (kintsugi). It can actually swing open like a purse, though, so he can store stuff in it, and his two gold teeth act as the clasp. His collar is an inverted violin, and his outfit is themed around ghost ships. The soles of his shoes are sabaody technology that make his foosteps silent. His cane-sword is now also a mic!

THAT’S IT! PHEW! If you have any questions I’d be happy to try and answer, but in the meantime, thank you for reading/looking! ♥

I can’t tag because Tumblr hates any links, even within Tumblr, but I was inspired to make these redesigns by Bridget’s lovely redesigns which you can find on her Tumblr elekilokal!

[onepieceheadcannons]

So this wasn't requested but I wanted to give some random Headcanons

Now this post definitely isn't for everyone's taste,

Now I know quite a bit about ABO dynamics and I haven't seen any headcanons on what each strawhat would be. Now if you do not like ABO, do not worry this will be my only post with it that isn't requested and I won't be offended if you skip this.

This definitely isn't the most detailed it can go but it's like 3 am for me and I just want these HC's outta my mind.

The Strawhats

Luffy;

This man is an Alpha, I mean how else could he become Pirate King.

Now I mean no hate to omegas, I think they should be highly respected. But based on what a society in ABO is like, it makes the most sense for Luffy to be an Alpha.

He is protective and strong, plus conquerors Haki is very similar to pheromones. He would do anything for his crew and he wants them safe.

He wouldn't be appealed to have an Omega, it wouldn't be on his agenda and he'd handle a rut very privately.

He would fight his way to the top fairly and wouldn't discriminate against betas and omegas.

I'm also down to hear anyone's different opinions on any of these.

Zoro;

I can see him in many different ways, I can see him as an Alpha but I can see Omega with insecurities about it, but my most confident answer is Beta.

The reason why is because his undying loyalty to Luffy. He would fulfill the role as a Beta quite well. He would be able to avoid the hormones of others and be quite unbothered by all of it. He would work slightly harder to be the greatest swordsman especially if Mihawk is an Alpha. He wouldn't of presented before his best friend died but if she began showing signs of an Alpha, he would probably feel the extra competitive edge to be better.

He wouldn't care if someone is an Alpha or Omega, why should that shit matter to him.

And he wouldn't really care about what his partner was.

If he was an Omega, he would use suppressants and be damned if anyone knew. He would probably beat himself up over it and would build a high tolerance to pheromones. He would NEVER let someone help through a heat unless a long term relationship. And he would never be caught in an Mpreg situation.

And if he was an Alpha, he would accept Luffy as overall Alpha. He wouldn't feel like fighting it and he has the serious demeanor. He would protect any omegas but refuse to participate in a heat. He would fight himself a shit ton and never let his guard down.

Usopp;

Beta man, there's no way he'd be an Alpha. I mean he would always feel sad about it most likely, wanting to be brave and strong. He would probably have some lingering thoughts about the system, he wouldn't see Omegas as less than but he would probably assume that Omegas and Alphas are meant together and he has to find a Beta.

Until his crush on Kaya, the caring Omega. He would fight himself internally over it but she wouldn't care if he was a Beta. She probably was told she had to find a nice Alpha but that wouldn't affect her, she really cares about Usopp. She even goes to medical school to fix him up.

He would be disturbed by Ruts and Heats, he would get flustered and stay away from whoever was having one at the time.

Sanji;

Just like Zoro I can see any of them,

But I'm leaning Beta/Omega. No offense if you are like 😡 I want an Alpha Sanji don't disrespect my man's like that

Reason why I can see Omega, he is quite loving and I think he'd make a great dad. He loves ladies so much and being an Omega wouldn't stop him. I mean hey, look how much he likes fiesty women. He definitely wouldn't be against a female alpha, as long as he doesn't know about the extra appendage during a rut.

His family storyline would play into this, his dad would've been pissed if all Sanjis siblings are an Alpha but Sanji was a "weak" omega son. He would definitely be an angry and powerful Omega, training his tolerance to pheromones. And oh my god he'd be so angry if Zoro is a Beta/Alpha.

He would avoid Alpha men, I don't see him ever wanting to date one. I think he may be a little fruity but it's so internalized he would never be okay dating any male. He would probably hope for any female, but preferring an Omega/Beta.

If Sanji is a Beta, he'd be right up there with being a supporter of Luffy. He would definitely offer to help Omegas through a heat (and promptly get turned down) . He would be frustrated anytime an Alpha was in a rut and avoid being near them at all costs. It would piss him off especially if they wanted one of the crew.

His preferences would stay the same as if he were an omega.

And as an Alpha, oh my this man would be the most respectful ever. He would be damned before he let himself with an Omega without consent said before the heat was even close. He would protect his Omega at all costs. And he would let them bite his neck back. And he would defend any omegas in a vulnerable position. He definitely has a savior complex about it though. But he definitely would believe he could only have an Omega.

Brook;

He is a skeleton, this wouldn't even affect him.

As a human tho, I could see an Omega with his love of the arts and his love for Laboon and his crew. But I don't have much of detailed one for him. Beta, possibly but that's the easiest to presume someone as.

Chopper;

He is a damn reindeer. I just wanted to include my besties name but yeah he is a reindeer no way in hell would this affect him and he'd just make suppressants for everyone. Even with the human human fruit, that wouldn't add abo to his form.

Franky;

Now there's a chance that now as a cyborg this doesn't affect him. But pre cyborg or if it did, I see him as an Omega.

This man cries his heart out (which I love dearly about him) and he is such a big bro/dad figure.

He wouldn't care what anyone was but as a kid he may have had some trouble with the concept until Tom taught him better. Esp with Ice for Brains, who I could see as an Alpha/Beta so Franky may have felt less than.

Robin;

Alpha or Beta, but she isn't an Omega.

She holds herself up with an air of stoic and dark humor/themes. She would be quite a helpful Beta and she'd protect any Omega friends. She would feel very strongly about Omegas being seen as the same as everyone else. And she would feel very insecure if she was made to submit to anyone unwillingly.

I can see Alpha tho, (esp Frobin <3), she lets Franky let his tears out and she is such a good friend. She would struggle to let her feelings out which would make her line in Enies lobby even more important. She would be experienced and she would probably offer to help an omega she was very close to but she wouldn't settle down unless you are Franky or a very solid partner to her. She wouldn't care if you were another Alpha or Beta though, she'd love you for you.

Jinbe/Jimbei;

Now I don't know if Fish people/men would even be affected but if they were.. he would be...

Alpha, but in a very nonchalant way. He was a warlord, and not just anyone would get that. He wouldn't ever make someone submit and he would fight for rights for everyone esp Omegas in his community. If he did settle down, it wouldn't matter to him. Just as long as he can share his feelings in a safe place.

But beta would work as well, he is quite devoted to his crews and is a loyal person in general and shows alot of care to Luffy during the timeskip.

I also haven't finished Fish man Island yet so I have little to work with.

Nami;

I did save her for last, this is probably the most biased one. I mean as you guys will learn, she's my girlfriend/wife, so I may see her slightly different than someone else would.

Now I feel like as many of the others, she can fit in all three. I mean everyone is going to show traits to each kind which is why I try to explain myself for each.

Alpha, i can see this. She's very fiesty and she sure as hell wouldn't want to submit to anyone. She would be a little embarrassed during a Rut and she would use suppressants. She would be fine with not being top dog but she definitely wants her respect, she's the entire reason they get anywhere.

She isn't looking for romance but she'd be fine with anyone as long as they were worth it. I think an Alpha male would be her least likely pair though, that person would have to be quite honorable and prove themselves to her as good enough.

If she's an Omega, she would be quite angry about it. She wouldn't want to be perceived as weak and sure as hell would use suppressants and she'd be damned if an alpha helped her through a heat. The only way she would, would be after a super solid relationship where there's extreme trust. She would slap the crap out of Sanji if he tried anything or suggested anything, she wouldn't have any patience especially after she had to deal with the bullshit she heard her entire time with Arlong and other crews stealing treasure.

If she was a beta, she'd probably go after another Beta. Keep thing simple. She would eyeroll at any alphas and she would be over the whole alpha/omega bullshit.

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: East Blue (Part One)

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby  || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)

so!! hey folks. as i’ve mentioned before, to mark the upcoming chapter 1000 (holy shit!!) as well as my blog’s first anniversary this december, i decided it would be a good time to go back and put together some highlight reel posts of my favorite panels/moments/scenes from each saga and some commentary about what i think the best parts of each arc and the series as a whole are and why, as a celebration of just how far one piece has come and how many fantastic moments we've had so far! 

this will be quite a series of rather long posts- they’ll all be tagged #the voyage so far, if you’d like to avoid this messy retrospective. i'll be posting one saga a day each day until chapter 1000's official release on january 3rd!

honestly, i’m opening with this panel because it has a special place in my heart: i’m pretty sure it was the first time that one piece ever made me laugh. 

the entire prologue does a really good job of setting up the tone for the entire rest of the story. i think i haven’t really written much about it before, but i really love romance dawn. it hits the exact mix of humorous and serious that’s practically one piece’s trademark tone, and introduces us to some of the main themes of the series: inherited will especially, and the theme of freedom, and the idea of betting your life for what you love. 

technically this isn’t the first time we see luffy as an adult- he punches out the sea king before this- but it is his formal introduction, as well as (in the chapter title) the first time he’s referred to as strawhat luffy/mugiwara no luffy. 

i really like a lot of these very early panels of luffy, really. i’m a writing person, not an art person, so i can’t really explain why, but there’s something about how he’s drawn that i think is just delightful for some reason. i like the earlier one piece art a whole lot in general, even though it’s often much less intricate and more simple than the current artstyle (which is not by any means bad either!! it’s just different). i think it fits the atmosphere of the start of the story very well- a journey just starting out. 

he’s going to be pirate king!!

i’ve complained before about how zoro’s backstory doesn’t really hit the way a lot of the others do, mostly because it goes so fast, and kuina’s death is unfortunately the closest the series comes to fridging, but- that said, i do really like the core of it. i really like zoro being motivated by a promise to the one friend and rival he could never beat, and i love how this moment is what he cites later on while facing mihawk: a promise to a friend. 

i love all the strawhats and their dynamics, and seeing the crew grow and develop and become a family over the course of hundreds of chapters is one of the great joys of one piece, but i think i’ll always have a soft spot for luffy and zoro’s relationship. there’s never really any conflict between them after their very first meeting; there’s loyalty and dedication and understanding there that starts from this moment and never really wavers.

it makes me grin to see the two of them, here at the start of it all. they don’t have a flag or a ship or a destination, yet, but this is the start of the strawhat pirates.

this series will probably reveal that i have a great weakness for group shots, and i think oda is particularly good at them- especially in these earlier arcs, you can usually see every character’s personality and feelings coming through in how they’re placed and what they’re doing. 

i had actually forgotten that usopp did this, and while i know kuro was egging him on on purpose, i feel like he doesn’t get enough credit for being a reckless idiot sometimes. there’s a reason he fits in as a strawhat, after all, even if he himself isn’t always aware of it. 

this is a lovely panel just on its own, but i think it (and all the other appearances of sunrise and dawn in the story) hits different now, with all the 'coming dawn’ theming that’s been established in recent arcs. 

oda often absolutely nails his use of negative space to emphasize heavy little moments like this, and i for one absolutely love it. this one in particular gets me in the heart. 

i like how you can reread some of these early arcs and see nami’s affection for the crew growing in little moments like these, and it’s very sweet, but there’s also a quiet kind of sadness in knowing she’s spending the whole time knowing she’s going to have to betray and leave them eventually. 

i LOVE the new crewmate toasts. they all always look so happy.

also, in my opinion, this is the first time the strawhat pirates feel like a proper crew. they have a SHIP now! and just after this, they get their jolly roger to seal the deal. 

it is my opinion that sanji has one of the best character introductions i’ve ever seen. in just a few chapters we know just about everything we need to know about him: he's not to be fucked with, he has extremely high respect for food and absolutely none for morons, and the first genuine smile we see from him is when he gives a free meal to a starving man. 

i think about this moment a lot, really. luffy knows almost nothing about sanji at this point. he hasn’t tasted his food- he doesn’t even know his name. but he’s seen sanji give free food to gin for no other reason than that he’s hungry and it’s right, and that’s all it takes for luffy to decide that sanji is gonna be his cook. 

baratie is mostly a serious arc (and leads into the even more serious arlong park), but it has some really good funny moments towards the start and this is one of them. you know they’re friends because they all just start roasting luffy without sympathy or hesitation. 

i’ve mentioned before that the zoro and mihawk fight was one of the big things that hooked me on one piece (the other being sanji’s backstory), but the way it ends, especially, is one of my favorite moments in the whole series. i love,, strawhat loyalty moments. carve “any complaints, pirate king?” on my fucking grave. 

sanji has a lot of really great action panels in this arc, but this is one of my favorites mostly because his combat abilities are being revealed to the audience at the same time they’re revealed to a lot of the characters watching. i can’t remember who pointed it out but sanji’s character design (especially pre-timeskip) just really looks like he’s designed for kicking- shiny black shoes, about 70% leg- and it really shows in panels like this. 

sanji and zeff’s chronic inability to communicate is kind of the emotional core of baratie, and i think sanji calling the restaurant zeff’s treasure sums up the entire conflict between them very neatly. of course zeff values sanji way more than the restaurant, but zeff will never tell that to his face and sanji has negative zero self-worth so he’s never going to figure it out on his own. so they’re basically in a stalemate. 

sanji’s backstory is absolutely brutal. we spend a truly agonizing amount of time literally just watching him slowly starve to death. it’s no secret that oda is really amazing at backstories, but i think sanji’s is probably one of the most effective at driving home exactly where his very specific mindset as an adult comes from. it’s hard to even read this section and not come away with at least a little more appreciation for food. 

(to be continued in east blue part two!)

[theromanticscrooge]

I Started Liking Sanji When He Became Pathetic...

When I started watching through One Piece, Sanji was my least favorite Strawhat. It boiled down to: I found his obnoxious, heart-eyes, Pepe Le Pew gimmick the most irritating out of all of the Strawhats’ major flaws. He’s cool and his theme songs kick ass, but damn, could he have a normal conversation with Nami or Robin every once in awhile?

Most of the time, Sanji’s antics are just hand-waved or used as one of many comedic moments in a given episode. But then Absalom is introduced in Thrillerbark. Sanji’s obnoxious flirting is contrasted against a character that makes Roshi from Dragonball look tame by comparison. The contrast shines a light on two core parts of Sanji’s character: He adores and respects beautiful women and he honestly sees himself as a knight in shining armor. He has some measure of self-restraint; he’d never go to the lengths or depraved depths that Absalom would. But he admits that he’s thought about what could be done with the Clearclear fruit. He even covets what Absalom can do for a few minutes, falling to his knees as he grapples with such a moral dilemma; ashamed of himself but still intensely envious.

That was the first scene that established there’s more to the heart eyes than I originally thought. That it might be worth keeping tabs on as someone that invests a ridiculous amount of time and energy into character studies.

Then the timeskip happened. While the other Strawhats became noticeably stronger and more competent, Sanji became absolutely pathetic. He developed some new skills, yes, but he’d become a complete social defect around ‘attractive’ women. He was tame before, but now he couldn’t even be 2 feet from an attractive woman without either doing something really questionable or fainting from a fucking nose bleed. He was going to have to work hard to regain even a 1/4 of the suaveness he used to have.

...That’s when Sanji became my favorite Strawhat.

Don’t get me wrong. I still think Sanji has a lot of improvement to do in how he talks to or interacts with women period. But I actually believe there’s an opening for that as the series continues because of how much further it cranked the reactions and consequences to Sanji’s antics, albeit briefly.

I’m at the point where I want to see Sanji continue to get better. For context, I just finished watching through the Dressrosa arc (*Insert loud screaming and raging fires here*). I was ridiculously excited to see Sanji hit it off with someone that’s as big a hopeless romantic as he is. He’s such a sap and a huge dork. Most of the time, viewers only see glimpses of this side of his character, but it gets muted by his attempts to maintain his “cool, standoffish” demeanor. With that in mind, he and Viola were a genuine treat to watch; they’re so cringey, but also horribly, horribly charming.

This is a case where I’d love to see a character get an active love interest and weave that romance into their character story. I think there’s fantastic potential in watching Sanji figure out committing to one person, navigating whether his feelings are just infatuation or something more, and how that person would fit in with his goals and the Strawhats at large. It’s worrying that Sanji would throw away all of his personal goals and dreams for the chance of reciprocity from a pretty face. If Viola weren’t the next queen-in-line, things would work out for Sanji since they could have frank, earnest discussions and she might be open to tagging along to find the All Blue. The more interesting narrative route, though, is that Sanji commits, but gets his heart crushed and learns he has to be careful and conscientious about who he picks and why.

I’m really looking forward to Whole Cake after hearing about how much it digs into Sanji’s character. I’ve seen a few discussions and reactions from other fans. Some going so far as saying “He was better pre-timeskip.” It just has me that much more curious. Ahh. I’m sure there will be another rambly thing once I get there. (I’m taking a break from this series after Dressrosa, though. I’m kinda burned out.)