#the manga is on their way to elbaf!

[achiepy]

😸🦎

[cwispihae]

Making educated wishes on the colors/details here but Usopp's current fit in the manga is so 😩👌✨🔥🔥🔥

[beaulesbian]

with this being the preview for the next ep, and the beginning of gear 5 luffy-vs-lucci fight,

I went to reread one piece chapter 1070, and can't wait even more to see this fight animated in the next few eps! so much loony tunes and goofs ahead!

endlessly spinning luffy:

giant luffy trying to eat-attack lucci:

and of course, creating those funny glasses out of his fluffy hair while he makes a slingshot out of himself:

I can't wait to see this all in color!

[doctortonytchopper]

Hey does anyone remember the giant that was enslaved that Rayleigh took the shackles off of, and who then escaped during the chaos of the Great Charloss Beatdown at Sabaody pt. 1. Not the midsized giant that had swirly eyebrow tats that joined Law's crew. The much bigger guy who said "I'm going back home now but I owe you guys one, I'll definitely repay the favor if I ever see any of you again" to Rayleigh and Law and Luffy and Kid. Does anyone remember that guy

I wonder if theres any chance that might come up soon. Like perhaps sometime soon in the manga maybe wherever the strawhats go next I wonder if it could be possible that might come up

[redriotinggg]

I need anyone who genuinely dislikes Usopp to take a long look in the mirror because yeah, he can be a bit annoying at times but he is honestly a good and interesting character!!

He is just as loyal as any other member of the crew and fights the strongest when he’s fighting on someone else’s behalf. (See: him fighting for Sanji in Skypeia, fighting for Robin at Eneis Lobby, fighting for Luffy in Dressrosa, fighting for Tama and Nami in Wano.) He is a major player in so many of the battles in the series that it baffles me that people can think of him as an unimportant member of the crew.

And Usopp is a fucking genius??? Hello???? He’s able to make weapons powerful enough to create storms and tornadoes. He is canonically a jack-of-all trades that supports the crew in their daily lives and in battle. The Going Merry only lasted as long as she did because Usopp was around to care for her. He was the only one to see her Klabauterman!! Usopp is not only creative and fun but is able to bring those creations to life, whether it be his drawings or his gadgets, and I think that’s so beautiful. I miss pre-TS because of all his inventions we got to see.

Let’s not forget that Usopp is so, so kind!! He made friends with the kids in his village and told stories to Kaya to help her feel better when she was ill. He fought to protect her and Syrup Village from Kuro. Personally, I will never get over filler ep on Fireworks Island (ep. 134) where he cheered up Kodoma and encouraged her to continue her pyrotechnics, assuring that her parents were proud of her. Knowing he also lost his parents at a young age makes the scene hit that much harder. (And again, he showed his genius by figuring out a way to launch the firework that killed Kodoma’s parents!!) It may not be canon to the manga but but I think that episode is super accurate to his character.

What I think makes him the most interesting is that we see his flaws and mistakes more than any of the other Straw Hats. We see his insecurities in Water 7 and his fear in Dressrosa. But we also see him growing and learning and being encouraged by his crewmates. Aside from Robin, I think Usopp has changed and grown the most out of the Straw Hats. With his goal to become a brave warrior of the sea he has so much potential for even more growth!!

Like I said earlier, some people think Usopp is annoying which he can be sometimes, but that’s also because he’s literally comic relief. And he does so well at it bc he’s actually so damn funny?? He makes me laugh out loud all the time. One Piece wouldn’t be even half as funny without Usopp.

I also appreciate that as an individual he has so many moments with the other Straw Hats. There are a lot of relationships that don’t get explored as much as we’d like, but I think we get to see Usopp’s friendships with the crew pretty often. He fights for Luffy, plays around with Chopper, teases Zoro, is teased by Robin, gossips with Nami, hangs around Sanji, and his whole relationship with Franky has so many layers to it.

Aaahh, I have so many hopes for Usopp in the series that I pray will be fulfilled!! I want him to have a badass arc in Elbaf full of character growth. I want to see him develop and continue to use his Haki (which he gained when trying to save Luffy are you KIDDING me). I want his reunion with Yasopp to be emotional and bittersweet. If he could personally beat Yasopp in a fight I would ascend to the heavens.

Usopp is such an important, complex, and interesting character and I absolutely hate to see him reduced to being a gag character or the weakest member of the Straw Hats. He may not be a monster but he is amazing and I love him.

TLDR; if you disrespect Usopp I wish you a very Die.

[chromatic-lamina]

bits and bobs, One Piece, Chapter 1126 spoilers

Just small things I haven't seen mentioned yet. Oda's mostly making Shanks look scary, but he looks very good here:

And Zoro and Robin here:

AND I don't think that Oda actually knows how to draw kids in the 10-13 year old age range (looking at Law!) I mean, I know there are height differences and all, but the following

gesture (Bonney holding onto Jinbe's clothes in the way a younger child would hold onto a caretaker's clothes, both to steady themselves, and to make sure they don't get away) seems to be of a toddler to about six year old. It's still very sweet.

BUT, anyway, cruel, cruel, cruel. It makes me realise she's no longer with

her father, who seems to have some semblance of life? SO, is Bartholomew Kuma also missing, and if so, did he make the Sunny disappear (and himself in the process, and half the crew)? The ship is evident in the frame above, moored to the Giants' ship.

That was the second frame of Bonney with her father too. Of course, it doesn't seem he's much company, so she'd need to leave him on occasion, but it didn't seem that that occasion was at this point.

Then again, absinthe is a strong drink, and can

make drinkers hallucinate, as stated by the giant above. SO maybe everything (the Sunny being lost, etc.) is a hallucination (it would be a trip if Oda played an "It was all a dream card"). Because the sootiness of this first frame where someone (Luffy? Chopper?) is calling Nami, certainly is "waking from a dream"-like.

Is it only the "mature" quadruple, and (Bonney, and Lilith) left on the Giants' ship?

SO, whose hallucination is whose? It's not really about handling liquor, because both Nami and Zoro can, but maybe the others weren't drinking, or drinking as much. But they must have had some, otherwise they'd remember, so something else is at play.

Anyway, the sootiness of the first frame of the page above reminds me a lot of

the yami-yami no mi (taken from Lilith and Edison wondering where Law was in the anime: special segment at the end). The colouring from the manga and the anime will be different, but Oda does that sooty dotting for Teach's fruit.

Maybe the counter to the yami-yami no mi is dreams that can obliterate it / are stronger than it? That's not a theory, just noodling.

Also, Nami's outfit is kinda Nordic, viking, rustic, giant. Her hair plaits, too. I dunno. Maybe taken by the giants' arch-enemy? Or maybe they need to enter Elbaf separately under some kind of secret system, especially since the thwarted Kid Pirates attack?

Dunno. Anyway. Just thought I'd point out a few things that struck me. It's a great chapter. Go read it!

[wesleysniperking]

One Piece Film: Red and What It Meant for Usopp

Part 3 (TL;DR)

(beware spoilers!!!)

I want to emphasize that although Usopp didn't receive a specific foreshadowing in "One Piece Film: Red" tailored for the Wano arc, I believe this absence actually serves as a setup for his future growth. Koby's foreshadowing in the film, and the way Oda often gives Usopp his moments to shine in unexpected and spectacular ways, suggest that Usopp is being reserved for something bigger. Usopp's character is known for his flashy yet unassuming nature, which means he needs more than just one significant scene in Wano.

It hurt to see certain trade-offs in Wano that negatively affected Usopp's reception among fans. While Robin and Nami had fabulous, queen-like moments, especially Robin, it was frustrating to see Usopp pushed to the background. This might be a bias on my part, but like in project management, there are always trade-offs. Fans have speculated that Oda faced challenges with his original team and the impact of Covid, which led to Wano feeling rushed and congested. As a result, out of the project's time, cost, and quality, quality seemed to be the aspect that suffered.

I understand Usopp's role in Wano from the standpoint that it simply wasn't his time to shine. However, I'm critical of how this affects fans' perception of him. It’s irritating to see Usopp become the fandom’s punching bag because he didn’t get a fair trade-off. This situation, I hope, will be rectified with future developments where Usopp gets the spotlight he deserves, demonstrating his growth in a way that silences the critics.

Another point I’d like to make is that the movies often highlight and make callbacks to certain qualities of Usopp that we've seen in the past, both pre-time skip and earlier post-time skip. For instance, in "One Piece: Gold," we see the creative and smart problem-solver Usopp, who might run away at first (“Usopp Dash!”) but always comes back to save his friends. This is reminiscent of Little Garden and Alabasta Usopp, particularly when he outsmarted Baccarat, who had the Luck-Luck Fruit.

In "One Piece: Stampede," there’s a scene where the Big Bad insults Luffy’s friend (Usopp), calling him weak. Later, Usopp drags Luffy to safety, apologizing for not being able to get the treasure, which evokes the Water 7 vibes when Usopp is beaten by the Franky Family. Despite his initial setback, Usopp comes through in the clutch to help Luffy save the day, similar to his role in Enies Lobby. Some fans believe that "One Piece: Stampede" might have been one of Oda's planned endings for the series before he decided on another direction.

Then, there’s "One Piece: Red," which brings back memories of Dressrosa when Usopp unlocked Observation Haki to save Luffy and Law. These movies showcase Usopp’s potential and remind fans of his core qualities.

This makes me entertain a fan theory that Oda uses the anime to explore scenes he couldn’t convey as precisely in the manga with just drawings and dialogue.

I want to emphasize that Usopp still has much more to offer. It isn’t the end for him despite his lesser role in recent arcs. It frustrates me when people criticize Usopp harshly, especially when the rest of the Straw Hats are seen as bada**es while Usopp is labeled as "doing nothing." Seriously? Usopp isn’t fodder and never will be.

Some fans argue that if nothing significant happens for Usopp in Elbaf, they’ll lose faith in his character. This criticism is misguided. Power-ups from this point on are likely to happen in battle, and it’s not just about training but showcasing noteworthy skills in crucial moments.

Usopp is likely always practicing his Observation Haki and creating new weaponry off-screen. The problem isn’t that people abhor him, but that they don’t articulate their frustration well. They might say, "he doesn’t get enough screen time anymore," or "he’s not utilized to his full potential." This still hurts, but if people expressed their thoughts more maturely, there would be fewer arguments with Usopp fans.

Yes, high expectations might mean that people care about Usopp and want what’s best for him, but some people have a really bad way of expressing that and it often looks misguided.

Coming to a close, Usopp may not get enough screen time and might have been put on the back burner for a while, but good things are in store for him. The final saga is here, and all the Straw Hats are together now. Old villains are reappearing, and Usopp’s story is likely to come full circle, especially when he meets his dad (it wouldn’t make any sense if he didn’t!). Speculation aside, these theories mean something—they mean something to me.

Usopp's big moment has been delayed because, for it to be impactful, it has to be meaningful. People claim he regresses after moments of growth, but perhaps Oda is creating a false illusion to build up to a long-awaited moment that will cement Usopp's growth, allowing him to truly embody his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea. So, again:

In order for it to stick, it has to be meaningful.

Thank you.

Part 1

Part 2

video to gif credit (original video DBX96)

[wavytam]

SaNami in Thriller Bark and Whole Cake: How one arc was used to foreshadow the other

In this post I will talk about how Sanji's and Nami's storylines in Thriller Bark were used to foreshadow a lof of elements that played out in Whole Cake Island...

... and might as well foreshadow their dynamic in future arcs.

I decided to write this post after I rewatched Thriller Bark. 

As the episodes went by, having in mind that I had already caught up on Wano in the anime, I noticed some odd… similarities left in Thriller Bark that made me realize how much it foreshadowed future arcs (like Marine Ford and Fishman Island), but especially Whole Cake Island (and Egghead, but this is an analysis for the next post) especially the moments relating to Sanji and Nami.

I also remembered something that was speculation at the time and if anyone has a source for this information, please share, since it's been a while I've read about it and I don't remember where I got it from: apparently, during the time Marine Ford was being animated (and the manga was in Fishman Island) one of Oda's employees lost some type of sketchbook containing concepts and plans about Whole Cake Arc.

If this is true, it means that Oda had a lot of things figured out way ahead of the current storyline of One Piece - which is not exactly a surprise. But after rewatching Thriller Bark, I dare to speculate that Oda already had a lot of things planned for Whole Cake even before Fishman Island and even Marineford, and he actually used Thriller Bark itself to foreshadow it.

Obviously, every arc of One Piece usually leaves hints to future arcs (especially when it comes to Wano and Elbaf - Oda foreshadows both in almost every arc), but I'd like to take a moment to talk about the ones (on top of my head) that Thriller Bark left hints of.

Wano: Zoro's encounter with Ryuma's Zombie and Moria mentions Kaido.

Marineford: By the very end of the Thriller Bark arc, Boa Hancock's name is mentioned, and we also have a scene of Lola warning Luffy about Ace's vivre card.

These are just some of the elements I remember and won't get into much detail, otherwise this post would need two parts lol.

Anyway, with what I said in mind, there's one arc that Thriller Bark strangely foreshadows more than any other and, not only that, but also introduces elements that will later be essential in said arc: which is Whole Cake Island. There are so many moments thrown here and there, especially during Sanji and Nami's moments, that it got me curious to know for how long Oda:

Had planned to write Whole Cake

Had the entirety of Sanji's storyline figured out

Had planned some specific interactions between certain characters

As you can already guess by the title of this analysis, my assumption is that Sanji and Nami's roles and interactions in Whole Cake Island were something that Oda had planned ever since Thriller Bark… and maybe even before.

In this next part, I will show you the reasons why and also why I think that some of their moments in Thriller Bark still weren't mirrored in Whole Cake but might be in Egghead or maybe Elbaf.

Nami and Sanji’s roles in Thriller Bark

First, let's remember what happens to Nami and Sanji separately and how both their storylines intersect throughout Thriller Bark.

Nami starts off by getting lost from the Straw Hats along with Usopp and Chopper (the infamous Weak Trio) inside Thriller Bark. Through their perspective we see how weird and macabre the setting is and how there is something wrong with its inhabitants - specifically Doctor Hogback.

Meanwhile, Luffy, Sanji and the rest of the Straw Hats follow the trio's tracks and have an entirely different perception of the place. Through their perspective, everything that scared Usopp, Nami and Chopper is… kinda pathetic and weak? Lol, I loved how Oda planned this.

Once the Weak Trio arrives at Dr. Hogback's Manor, Nami is assaulted (ugh) by an invisible Absalom (mind you, a guy who has lion parts - a symbol that usually is connected to her throughout One Piece) and he decides to take her as his wife. Meanwhile, as the trio tries to escape, and the rest of the Straw Hats are looking for them, Sanji's and Zoro's shadows are taken by Gecko Moria and put inside Zombies. Something interesting happens: because Sanji is not well known like Zoro, Moria underestimates him and puts his shadow inside the body of a weaker Zombie (keep that in mind for later).

Sanji's zombie finds Usopp, Chopper and Nami, and rebels against his "programming" to protect Nami specifically.

That's when Moria's minions realize that Sanji is much stronger than they anticipated.

Later, Chopper and Usopp escape, but Nami is taken by Absalom. She also meets a Zombie named Lola whom she ends up befriending. Through Usopp, (original) Sanji finds out Nami was harassed by Absalom and was planning to force her into a marriage.

He gets so mad, he lights himself on fire and we have these interesting exchanges.

(Posting two translations of the same panel because both translations are so interesting: one of them Zoro says that he might “transform” into something, but the other says he might “mutate” - and considering the things we know now of Sanji’s past once again shows how Oda gives a lot of thought to Sanji’s characterization.

Anyway, if anyone knows which phrase is the closest to the original japanese and what else it could be talking about, feel free to comment or DM! I have zero knowledge of Japanese and I just know how many hints we might be missing because of it). 

Meanwhile, Nami is (probably) drugged by Absalom and is carried to the altar to get married.

Obviously (and under Luffy's orders) Sanji goes to look for Nami and we know how things go after this. He

crashes Nami's "wedding",

fights Absalom as he protects her body against any minor harm,

and ends up talking about his dream to become invisible and how he studied devil fruits when he was a kid (that moment for me is enough to prove that Oda had already planned Sanji's entire storyline with Germa, his siblings and his metal mask - I will talk about it in more detail later)

All of that effort seemed to go nowhere since Sanji was unable to free Nami. Absalom escapes with her and tries to marry her again, only for her to (finally) wake up and defeat him.

That's when we realise that it was thanks to Sanji, who weakened Absalom in their previous fight, that Nami was able to (in a sense) oneshot Absalom so easily.

So, unbeknown to himself and Nami, Sanji did end up saving Nami - this is an interesting motif in their relationship, and something I plan to talk about more in future posts.

Later, after everything is resolved, Nami befriends the real Lola. Lola not only talks about her mother Linlin (the Big Mom, one of the Four powerful Yonkos) but also gives Nami Linlin's vivre card. Only later in Whole Cake we find out Lola ran away from home and Chiffon mentions how she rejected the advances of a prince (Loki - Elbaf foreshadow) whom Nami takes interest upon for being… well, a prince.

Obviously a bunch of other things happen, but I only talked about the points I wanted to explore in this analysis. I'm sure you noticed there's a lot of them to talk about already.

Also, if you watched/read WCI I'm sure that, as I listed what happened in Thriller Bark, you already noticed how there are some interesting elements in it that later become crucial for While Cake to play out the way it did.

As I mentioned, one of the most important things that I think Oda had been planning to write ever since Thriller Bark (or before) was for Nami specifically to participate in Whole Cake.

This part I will leave for last, since the next topics will serve as a way to explain it.

TB Absalom's Invisibility and Sanji's Dream mirror WCI Stealth Black and the Rejected Germa Prince Storyline

Well, this topic is kinda controversial because of the sexual undertones it has and because of how Oda portrays Sanji's perviness. I won't talk about this part here since it's not the focus of this analysis, but I will link you to an amazing post that explores exactly that part of Sanji's character.

Here I will focus on the other part that Oda left implicit: which is the fact that Sanji had the dream to be invisible ever since he was a kid (when he still didn't have his hyperfixation on women) and how, at the same time, it was the exact power he was "supposed" to have as a Germa soldier and prince.

To me Oda not only used Absalom's powers as a way to leave open the possibility of Sanji having invisibility related powers in the future (which he kinda did in Wano), but also to tie it to his past with Germa. 

Only now do we know that the power Sanji was originally supposed to have was invisibility and the fact that Oda put Absalom with that exact power might show how ahead he was on the story (or how good he is with improvising hehe).

Now, this raises the question: if Sanji's mutation was supposed to be invisibility, where exactly did those fire powers come from? (This is something for a future post ;))

TB Nami and Lola mirrors WCI Nami and Chiffon

Through the bond Oda developed between Lola and Nami, the Straw Hats (and we, readers) gathered a lot of important information that would later be used by Nami herself to survive their adventure through Whole Cake.

First, Lola had a twin sister, Chiffon, who, because of the bond already established between Lola and Nami, ended up taking a liking to Nami in Whole Cake (and vice versa).

Big Mom's Family and Political Marriages

Second, as we get to know Lola in Thriller Bark we see that the idea of finding the man she loves and marrying him is an important concept for her. This is later on explained in Whole Cake, where we realize that Big Mom uses political marriages to gain more power and wanted to force Lola to marry prince Loki. That’s the sole reason for Lola to leave Big Mom and, once again, it seems like something Oda had already planned in Thriller Bark.

Big Mom's Vivre Card

Third, the Vivre Card Lola gave Nami was crucial for Nami, Luffy and the rest of the crew to navigate through Whole Cake and control Big Mom's henchmen. A lot of the problems that they were going through in Whole Cake were resolved because of that simple vivre card given around six arcs earlier, Thriller Bark.

Sanji and Nami Wedding Crashing Each Other's Weddings and Bridal Carries

Well, this is the part the SaNami Fandom has already talked about the most and for obvious reasons. It's not everyday a ship has so many wedding motifs, and the fact that Oda chose to parallel a lot of things that happened during the wedding in Thriller Bark at Whole Cake with Sanji and Nami, obviously adds more fuel to the fire.

This topic, along with Lola, is actually the reason for me to write this analysis, since, in my opinion, there are a lot of details that seem too coincidental to be considered unplanned.

First detail: we have the fact that Nami was the main reason for Luffy to ever decide to invade Big Mom's territory and go after Sanji, whilst in Thriller Bark it was Sanji himself who was determined to stop Nami's wedding at all costs and Luffy… well, he just gave Sanji permission to do his thing lmao.

Second: during both wedding ceremonies, Sanji carried Nami bridal style; something that the groom was supposed to do with the bride.

Third detail: both Nami and Sanji were being forced to get married and it was always the other side that would try to save the forced groom/bride. The best part about this is the fact that neither Sanji nor Nami knew about the amount of difficulties the other went to save one another. Which brings me to the next topic:

Nami's Obliviousness to Sanji's efforts mirrors Sanji's obliviousness to Nami's efforts

Okay, this is more of a fact for the entirety of One Piece, but I think it's more evident in both Thriller Bark and Whole Cake. Again, although this is a topic that I want to talk about in more detail in another post, I do think it's worth mentioning a bit in here.

In Thriller Bark, Nami does not realize how important she is for Sanji and the extent of the things he is willing to do for her safety. Not only that, but Nami is also not aware of the things Sanji already did for her ever since Arlong Park.

In Whole Cake, it's more subtle, but the fact that only Luffy truly saw Sanji's breakdown and how much he was sacrificing himself for his crew, shows that Nami still does not know the true extent of Sanji's care and selflessness. 

And it raises the question: why? Why is it that Oda does not let Nami (until this day) know how much Sanji did to his crew and especially to her? To me, it's because, if Nami knew, she would treat Sanji differently. If she knew that Sanji does have a preference for her, that he defended her in Arlong Park, that he tried everything he could to protect her in Thriller Bark, and that he did a lot of things he wouldn't do for any other woman, maybe her view on him would change.

Consequently some type of tension between the two could eventually build up and what Oda has been trying to avoid for years (which was a romance between the crew) would eventually happen, and the entire dynamic of the crew would shift (but this is speculation ofc, it might be nothing and even if Nami knew, nothing could change).

And let's also consider that, although Sanji looks for Nami's validation when she witnesses him fighting, he never tries to brag or tell her about the times he defended her when she wasn't looking.

Obviously, in Whole Cake, Sanji is thinking about the entire crew when he sacrificed his happiness, not only her, but as I said, it's more about the fact that Nami does not know how much Sanji truly works under wraps to make sure the people he loves are safe - and how selfless he truly is for her when she only sees his perverted side.

Now, the same can be said about Sanji, to some extent. It's clear in the manga that Sanji does have strong feelings for Nami, if it's reciprocated, it's up to debate. But no one can deny that Nami does care about Sanji and sometimes, she cares more than anyone else in her crew.

We all noticed how Nami was the most eager to rescue Sanji, always trying to bring the seriousness of the situation to the rest of the crew and dragging Chopper, Luffy and Brook to the right path whenever they got distracted by something else. 

However, when it came to truly knock some sense into Sanji to accept help, Nami was conveniently taken out of the picture in favor of Luffy. 

Keep in mind that I am in no way complaining, the moments Sanji had with Luffy were beautiful, and he obviously would have the focus: Luffy is the main character and Sanji's captain.

But the fact that Oda kept Nami away in one of Sanji's moments of fragility, when he exposed his true nature and showed how caring he really is, can come off as suspicious. As if Oda does not really want Nami to see those moments… yet.

You can say that Oda also kept Chopper and Brook out of the picture, but even when Nami is with them, Oda kind of separates Nami's behavior from theirs. He emphasizes Nami's reactions and gives her serious expressions while the rest are put in more comical situations.

Also, during the Luffy vs. Sanji fight, one of the most emotional moments of WCI, Nami didn't need to be there if Oda only wanted to emphasize the importance of Luffy to Sanji.

In my opinion, he put Nami there, because Sanji cares about her and her opinion more than any other woman’s, even more than Robin’s. Which makes the following moment even more hurtful, especially because that was the only time Nami didn't use the "kun" honorific - showing how she lost respect for him.

Conclusion: the importance of Sanji and Nami in each other’s stories

By looking at these topics, I think it's very interesting how Oda made sure to use parts of Nami's plot in Thriller Bark to gather information that would help her, Luffy, Brook and Chopper to save Sanji in Whole Cake.

To me, the fact that so many of these things seemed to point out something: the interactions that both Nami and Sanji have is something that Oda thinks about carefully. Not only that, but everytime they are having a major moment/development, most of the times one is there to support the other.

Examples:

In Arlong Park Sanji defended Nami's actions

In Ennies Lobby Nami had a major fight against Khalifa because she knew Sanji wouldn't fight a woman

Until Nami decided to forgive Jimbei, Sanji was there to defend her

Again, the only exception is during Sanji's and Nami’s arcs in Wano -  but in my opinion it's because Oda’s intentional hiding of Sanji’s story from the other Strawhats will pay off in the future and will be a major factor in the One Piece story.

Well, this is it.

Okay, with all of those topics in mind, there are two main events in Thriller Bark that happened in relation to Nami and Sanji that still don't seem to have been mirrored:

Sanji's Zombie fought his own programming to protect Nami in Thriller Bark mirrors (?)

The underestimation of Sanji's True Power, what it truly is and how will it be activated

I plan to write that part for my analysis of SaNami in Egghead. If anyone is interested, stay tuned!

For everyone who stayed until the end, thanks for reading!! See you in the next post.

[a-x-ce]

Worst part of the end of Enies Lobby is Zoro's bullshit pride take on what Usopp and Luffy's fight was about. I need to go and look at the translation used in the manga but in the anime they have him say ''we also can't keep trusting a guy who started all of this on a whim'' like bitch WHAT?!

The fuck did he witness throughout Water 7 that would make him say something so dismissive of the heart of what that fight was about? 'Whim' completely trivializes everything that happened, every single word Usopp said, it dismisses Merry and everything she did. It pisses me off so much.

Also makes me mad how rude he was to everyone else, especially Nami, during that whole scene. Telling her to shut up as if her opinion doesn't matter when truly her opinion should matter the most, like aside from Luffy being the captain, she's the real reason they can sail the sea at all!

Usopp's the whole reason Merry could save them at all (aside from Iceburg patching her up during Aqua Laguna) getting off Enies Lobby, AND he was the person who motivated Luffy to get up and finish Lucci off. 'Cause up until that point Luffy's heart was still broken from losing him in the first place, like Luffy knew his crew wasn't complete without Usopp and he regretted not being able to keep him from leaving.

Why Zoro felt the need to talk over Luffy and decide things for him, a direct display of disrespecting the captain he's holding against Usopp, while Luffy just goes along with it versus make a decision himself. Luffy SHOULD have gone to talk to him, BOTH of them should have had a deeper, more meaningful conversation about the fight, Usopp got to say goodbye to Merry in a way that satisfied him AND Luffy at that point, all they needed was an apology. And Usopp was not the only one who needed to give one, Luffy handled that abysmally from the start, it could have been settled way better than Zoro's method of needing Usopp to grovel and beg while letting Luffy get away with not giving a fuck about how he handled everything to begin with.

I mean thankfully Luffy learned from that experience, as we see when Sanji left during Whole Cake Island, but it came after having completely ignored Usopp's core issues, never addressing them directly, hence why he then goes into Thriller Bark not any different except now he's OPENLY bragging about being negative and self-loathing. Like very cool, very well handled guys...

It's almost like Oda couldn't have that happen then because Usopp still needed to have his core issues (recognizing he IS brave, he IS strong, he IS smart and useful and needed!!!) and that the best place to do that wasn't until Elbaf. Like he left his character on pause for hundreds of chapters and many MANY years and it's only in the next few that we might get the full payoff as we finally enter the Elbaf arc. (Which is interestingly also turning into a Robin-centric arc so Oda does seem to be cooking with that one already.)

Anyway, had to vent about that again, 'cause it's the only time I ever got mad at any of the crew and it was never addressed again. As soon as Usopp does say sorry he's accepted right away and they all go back to acting like nothing ever happened (which is how Luffy was operating anyway the moment he woke up back at Water 7...). Zoro's prideful way of doing shit is often not the best way to handle things and thankfully that's been pointed out before (Punk Hazard by Tashigi) but I genuinely wonder if Oda has any plans to tackle that as a character flaw in any later arcs.

[l-in-the-light]

Chapter 1130 commentary

I have been procrastinating about this one for a while, because... two weeks break for One Piece manga? Damn, that hits hard. But now I'm catching up with my commentary :D I kinda liked doing the poll last time so let's try it again :3

Now, it's time to reveal the answer from the last poll. Before the spoilers were out, people voted mostly for "Luffy saw someone he knows" option, but just before the chapter released the scales became 50-50, and after release "Elbaf" option won, no surprise there, lol. But what if I tell you the correct answer was actually option D (something else)? :D

Because look what he actually saw:

And you're thinking: he saw Elbaf! He said it himself, right? Everything is so huge! Yes, that's right, but in previous chapter he reacted with "ah" like it's something he didn't see in the castle itself but recognized as familiar, and he saw big things already inside the castle. So what caused him to have that huge smile?

Here you go, this is your answer. Now look at the picture of snowy landscape outside the castle and everything should be clear now ;)

Luffy really missed some snow! You might think, that's because he didn't see any for some time already, right? Actually... Immediately after leaving Drum Kingdom and going through way too hot Alabasta, Luffy wanted snow again. He got to see it again only at Punk Hazard (where he also meets Law, so it's two of his favourites together, no wonder Luffy was so thrilled all the time there, lol), and then nothing till Egghead. What do you mean Egghead? Don't you all remember? It's originally a winter island, so when they were approaching it, it was super cold and snowy!

So actually Luffy had some snow already just last arc/few days ago, but seems it's never enough for him, haha. He's already excited to see it again.

I gotta say it's interesting how Luffy loves snow so much while Law grew up in a snowy and cold North Blue. But this time I'm not here to speculate on Lawlu, let's move on with the commentary :D

I took that from the chapter's title page. Interesting how the houses only in Amigasa Village have those kind of roofs made out of straw in a form of a komuso hat. Law wore one just like that in Wano, to hide his identity. It's also a real thing that travelling samurai who turned monks used to wear in Japan. Too bad we never learned anything more about Amigasa Village, besides the fact they weave hats made of straw, apparently. The name of the village itself, Amigasa, is also a name of a hat made of straw and used for some traditional folk dances. Seems Amigasa's bond to weaving hats out of straw runs very deeply. Too bad we couldn't stay in Wano forever.

I kinda adore the fact they said Rodo would be happy to be called "the shame of Elbaf". Rodo is more quirky than we thought he is, and he was already pretty quirky when he got introduced to us in his full roleplaying glory in last chapter. Whatever you say about him, you just gotta respect that this guy would wear the title of "shame of Elbaf" like a badge of honor :D also if you love Strawhats outfits in Elbaf you should never forget who made them for them. That's right, our guy Rodo himself, with his own nerdy roleplaying hands :D you should be grateful to him!

Oh, so it's a regular thing Rodo actually does, he steals intruders to play with them like living dolls in his lego city. Omg. I already thought that might be the case, but it's kinda funnier when it's confirmed now. I wonder what the Giants do with the intruders normally, when those don't land in Rodo's RPG dungeon. They just mention "we will let Elder Jarul (whoever that is) know as soon as we find them", hm. Seems Hajrudin's group is responsible of taking care of intruders. This kinda lowkey shows that Hajrudin has quite a lot of authority or at least responsibilites.

Luffy of course wants to immediately go and say hi. To be honest, if his crew trusted his instinct more often, most of One Piece arcs wouldn't even happen the way they did, lol. Especially Dressrosa. Imagine if Luffy asked people if it's true Mingo abdicated, just like he wanted to do at the very start. And here as well, this decision of Strawhats not to trust Luffy's guts, is gonna have bigger consequences.

Just wanted to point out the "..." bubble. Why is it even here? Is someone again withholding some information from us, the readers? And why in this moment? If it was Strawhats thinking "Rodo won't answer you, we knocked him out", it could have been shared with us, it's not any new piece of information after all. Curious.

Appreciation moment for the Strawhats getting through their rope bridge challenge :D Chopper is carrying Nami, helping her and reassuring her as well! Zoro is taking the lead while Sanji tries to stick to Nami instead, in case she would need him. Poor Usopp, shivering from fear there, lol. Let's take a closer look at him.

Poor, poor Usopp! He's trying his best, okay??

A cute Zoro-Luffy moment. Zoro immediately notices that something caught Luffy's attention and Luffy shares without losing a beat, expecting Zoro to know exactly what he means. They're best buddies ever since the beginning of the manga and it's never gonna change or get forgotten :3

Cute Zosan moment. Even before Zoro declares what he wants to do, suddenly Sanji catches up to him, grabs him and denies him. By this point, Sanji can perfectly read Zoro's mind already and reacts in time before Zoro says what he wants to do, lol. Let's be real, Sanji probably figured him out exactly when Zoro asked Luffy "what's wrong".

Many people point out that those two grew really close in Elbaf, and I totally agree. Before WCI it was mostly Zoro closing the distance between them, now it's reversed. Perhaps Sanji learned to appreciate their bond in more open way than before (as in: he's holding back less, not just feeling suddenly more affection towards Zoro, he had it for a while already), because he knows now how it feels to almost lose it and be afraid to never see any of them ever again. In WCI he was convinced he won't be coming back to Sunny, after all.

Another mystery solved. So that was the "wild beast" they heard "roaring". Interesting that they heard Loki even when locked inside a castle, hm. Maybe it's because Loki is tied up to Yggdrasil and whenever Yggdrasil shakes it affects the whole Elbaf? Just like the giants in the detention centre said, world will crumble if Yggdrasil gets burned or damaged.

Let's look at the rest of the crew still left at sea. The Reliable Four, lol. It's funny because they're indeed the most dependable ones in Luffy's crew and they're all together here. Franky looks great in those clothes, Jinbei is of course hard at work, Robin's full of hope and confidence (which is always infinitely heartouching to see!), and Brook... Brook, when he's together only with the adults of the Strawhats, actually behaves very responsibly and sane, not even cracking his usual skull jokes and he's providing helpful arguments. Brook definitely knows how to be serious and seems he does that depending on who he is stranded with at the moment :D

This reminds me of Tekking's comment about One Piece world; just like our real world, it's affected by it's own inflation rates, lol. I might be laughing at that, but actually this is a remarkable tiny detail that adds to the worldbuilding and makes this universe feel really alive. At the end of the day, it actually follows similar rules to our own reality, hm.

Also poor Dorry and Brogy, they're not used to shanenigans of this world. They did kinda spend 100 years dueling on Little Garden, cut off from the current events. I guess they will have to postpone their duel to death ;)

I can't with this photo collage. Imagine writing a story about Luffy viciously murdering Vegapunk, but you print THESE photos to illustrate it, lol. Luffy laughing happily and Vegapunk doing some silly face. Way to prove your point there, Morgans. I bet he was snickering to himself when he was choosing photograps to this particular article, lol. That guy has some silly sense of humour, I gotta give him that.

Everyone figured it out almost immediately, but I will still say it. Yep, this mark was probably drawn on the photograph itself by no one else but Vivi. She couldn't stop the press or force Morgans to change his article, but she managed to smuggle in a message of her own and it's meant for Luffy and Strawhats. It's the very same X mark they showed to themselves when parting ways at the end of Alabasta, the symbol of their unity, friendship and belonging to same crew.

Vivi is hoping that it can give the Strawhats idea as to where she is (hiding at Morgans), but also this is her way of telling them not to worry and that she's alive and well. She knows it's officially reported she's missing and she knows Luffy and Nami well and expects them to be very worried. Of course it also a sign proving her loyalty and showing that she's still one of them and didn't forget, and that she probably really wishes they could all reunite soon. A pretty clever message :)

Of course Franky, Brook and Jimbei have no idea about any of it, because they joined much, much later. Robin seems to recognize it, but she was their enemy at the time, so she has a very vague idea. Brook reaction is quite puzzling though, he's keeping his thoughts to himself, and a bubble with three dots appears for the second time this chapter. I wonder what does Brook know here and why isn't he saying anything outloud. Could it be that when Robin said "it seems familiar", Brook is actually thinking the same thing? I wonder why would it feel familiar to him, was the X mark used for something else in times before Roger sailed the seas?

Seems this is officially the moment when Luffy reaches similar standing to Shanks, interesting. They point it out to us, to make sure we won't miss it, hm?

You gotta admit Lilith can be a little shit sometimes, lol. They indeed risked their lives to save the Vegapunks, but she's joking at it so lightheartedly now like it's no biggie, and finds this whole situation simply amusing. I wonder if that's a hint towards Vegapunk's own sense of humour as well, if so, he was quite a curious fella.

Huh, interesting. So Elbaf works on rule of seniority, which seems more important than whatever a royalty wants. They're even excused at calling him just a whipper-snapper, huh. That explains why an Elder was mentioned before, Elders must be the ones who actually hold the power in Elbaf. Anyway, seems the oldest Giants are the ones that always get priority in any matters.

The phrase "Trouble in Elbaf" is also interesting. We know that Elbaf is a nation of war or even birthplace of war. Is Hajurdin's task to stop any inside wars from happening? Is that the usual job description of a King's son? This is already not what I would have expected from their political system. It's possible that king in Elbaf isn't even the highest position, from the sounds of it, or at least not in the terms of having absolute power.

And then they mention Loki, another prince of Elbaf. Seems this one is really strong, if all the warriors had to work together to catch him up and chain him. Apparently he's not right in the head, killed his own father (the king, which means Elbaf currently doesn't even have the king! It's likely Elders are governing over the country now, at least till new King will step up), apparently because of some legendary devil fruit (what's that fruit? your guess is as good as mine, but if it's a nod to Odin then I kinda expect a flying type fruit).

But is Loki really as bad as they paint him here? Let's see, he tried to flee because they wanted to crucify him, I mean... who wouldn't flee for their life in that scenario? Especially if he thought he had a chance to actually escape.

The most curious part is them calling him "accursed prince" from the moment of his birth. Sounds to me like either fate was at hand (Loki was simply born under worst combination of stars) or his birth was prophetized. Perhaps even before he was born someone with clairvoyant powers could already predict Loki will bring the end to Elbaf. The person in question himself says he will destroy "the whole world", but I don't exactly believe it. In Rodo's little miniature of Elbaf it was enough to destroy Yggdrasil to destroy the world. Since we now know that Elbaf is literally located in most part on the tree itself, damaging it in any way would lead to the end of the country, so it would be the end of the world but only for the giants who live on Elbaf. Apparently pirate giants crews are a rarity which means most Elbaf giants live on Elbaf their whole lives. We know there are other giants in the world, but they're not very common, unless Saul tells us more about any sort of giants communities outside Elbaf.

I can't help but symphatize with Loki personally. We heard of "accursed" people before while they themselves did nothing to deserve being called this way. We had Duval who was born "cursed" just because of his looks (I wonder if swirly eyebrow was part of the reason, actually), and we had Doflamingo calling Luffy's D bloodline as "cursed". So far no one who was called "cursed", especially since their birth, be it for their looks or a single letter in their name, didn't turn out to be a bad person. And that's why I'm willing to give Loki a benefit of the doubt. I don't know his actual story, but so far it sounds to me like he was subjected to crucifixation for something that was never his fault: being born with "a curse".

As to why he killed his father, I have no clue, but it's possible it was the king who gave the order to crucify Loki. Maybe Loki had no other choice. I'm sure we will find out what's exactly the deal with that, for now I will refrain from blindly guessing around, but the things I already deduced does seem rather logical so far.

Now this is interesting. Why would Loki be called shame of Elbaf? Again, Duval was also shamed for something that wasn't his choice: his appearance (and possibly a swirly eyebrow), and he was made to wear a helmet (though that was probably mostly thanks to the wanted poster of Sanji at the time). Speaking of Sanji, he was also called Judge's greatest shame, and why was that? Oh right, because he was an empathetic, weak human. He was a child that didn't meet the expectations, was told to work 10 times harder than his siblings to catch up, but Sanji was more interested in cooking instead. What if Loki is the same? He might be simply not meeting his own father's expectations. We know he wanted to marry Lola, a human, and perhaps that's frowned upon (if Rodo's reaction about Giants working under humans is anything to go by).

It's also sort of implied Giants kidnap humans who try to approach Elbaf. Hajrudin's group mentioned that they're on guard against "intruders" and since we know already Elbaf Giants don't really leave the island much, the intruders can mean only one thing: humans. I'm not sure I like this implication. I guess Strawhats are safe, because they're treated like an exception, the same with Shanks and his fleet.

I have a feeling that maybe Loki isn't such a bad guy after all if he likes humans more than the rest of the giants. Now Hajrudin also likes *some* humans like Strawhats, but I doubt it expands to all mankind, they're probably an exception for him as well. Meanwhile it's possible Loki simply likes humans and wishes for Elbaf to be openly welcoming to them. That would put an end to the current order of things in Elbaf, but would that be enough to call it "end of the world"? Yeah, maybe that's not yet the full story.

And there he is! He looks sooo cool, not like that weird blob from Lola's memories, just look at him, lol:

You gotta ask how close to the truth this depiction even was. Would other Giants really be so overjoyed and would Loki really give Lola a flower? Heh. He's got that air of a gentle giant who wouldn't even hurt a fly, huh.

One thing worth noting is that he has his eyes covered, which could suggest he indeed inherited some dangerous powers from his father (in mythology it was actually Odin who lost one eye in exchange for wisdom, so he could see everything that happens in the world and understand the hidden truths. The mentioned wisdom was ability to understand runes, btw). We know in mythology Loki is said to be the god of deceit and trickery though, so it doesn't exactly line up. It's also worth noting that he has something under the bandages, we can see part of the helmet sticking out, it reminds me of Hajrudin's helmet:

Anyway, Elbaf is hinted to be a story about brothers fighting each other for power, which would be Loki against Hajrudin. I wonder if there will be a twist to it somehow. Will Loki turn out to be the trickster everyone expects him to be? He does stick out his tongue in similar way to another trickster we know of, Doflamingo, heh. Just look at it:

And also let's appreciate the cool country Elbaf is. It's basically just mountains beneath the tree's trunk, then a whole land supported by the branches. Many people speculate there will be a sky island up there, at the very top (though the top of the tree looks like it's covered in snow, like a summit!). There are waterfalls on that tree, that is really cool. And there's a huge ass sword, and you know it could have belonged only to some ancient giant, damn. There is also some huge ass castle in the branches to the left of the picture, probably the place where the king lived. We can also see some huge buildings and smaller settlements, the latter seems to look like the houses in Big Mom's story, I mean those:

And there are some cannons at the end of the branches as well, hanging high in the air, interesting! I wonder how much of this country we will end up seeing. It's kinda odd that we're going to start the arc with an explosion though (releasing Loki, because we all expect that to happen, right?). No other arc started with a big bang like that before, are we really going that route now?! Very unusual, maybe one big event will chase another, like in Hitchcock's movies, if releasing Loki is our starting point and not one of the peak moments of the arc, haha.

We reached the end of my yapping about the chapter, now I wanna share my sad reflection about Elbaf at the end. Remember this comment Oda said in latest Jump Festa?

"If Luffy and crew manage to make it out of Egghead safe and sound…do you think they might go to…THAT island? I mean, I thought up a route for them that doesn’t involve it but…I'm not sure I could stop Luffy, even if I wanted to."

Many people thought Oda meant Elbaf when he said "THAT island", but since we are on Elbaf now and Oda clearly had to go through many weird loopholes to get this result (kidnapping Strawhats ship, RPG session with Rodo, the Green Fairy), I start to think he really *wanted* the crew to go to Elbaf instead and tried his best to bend the story to make it happen. So what was the island he didn't want Luffy to go to, it it wasn't Elbaf?

My bet is Hachinosu. We almost actually got that result, if only the newspaper dropped when the crew was all together. Luffy would then learn that Law lost to Blackbeard and he would go to give him payback for him - it would be his last straw, he already has enough beef with Blackbeard to pick up this fight. But Oda, by kidnapping half of the Strawhats, made sure that Luffy doesn't learn the news just yet and so would go on an adventure in Elbaf, just like Oda wanted him to all along.

I mean, it does make kinda sense, doesn't it?

I wonder what the struggle to obtain THAT thing could be. Law's hat? LOL. Indeed if Blackbeard took it after the battle (and you know he totally did, to keep as a trophy and to bait Law), then that hat will become Hachinosu's biggest treasure. Pfff.

Anyway, it was sitting on my mind for at least a month already, so I'm glad I could get it out of my head finally. I still can't believe Oda didn't make Law reappear even for one frame in his birth month... I feel betrayed :(

[deadite-central]

Before I start yapping about Little Garden, shout out to Miss Goldenweek I love her so much

Little Garden is great both comedically, and as a way to push the narrative forward, which I appreciate a lot

I love Nami and Usopp being terrified that they’ll be eaten by a giant, just to find out that he’s pretty chill, and Usopp deciding he wants to become a warrior,setting up Elbaf, which I’m still impatiently awaiting

On the other hand, we get some more Baroque Works stuff, and as I’ve mentioned already, I ADORE that group and I’m still salty over the fact the only people from there at cross guild are Galdino and Daz (and I love these two as well don’t get me wrong), they’re a great part of this arc, continuing the mystery of the organisation as well as bringing fun powers to the mix, which makes the fight at the end with all of them absolutely amazing

Thanks to them we also get these amazing Zoro moments

But come on, Crocodile is my favorite character, the highlight of this arc for me is the den den mushi call between him and Sanji

I’ve already mentioned how Crocodile is built up as a terrifying and mysterious villain throughout the saga, and this scene does that so well, we already see bits of his power with him taking away all the water from the flower, we see his ruthlessness, and I will say that the black/white color scheme of the manga helps create an even more eerie shadow of the man, that the anime just wasn’t capable of doing

He’s such a good villain like good god

I also absolutely adore Robin petting the giant Bananawani in the room

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1117 Review and Analysis

And so ends the Broadcast Era (any Three Body readers here?) after a long few months. The breaks were certainly not kind to this sequence, but I think it will be remembered fondly. One Piece’s biggest strength is how populated and alive its world feels, and emphasising that all these supporting characters are still relevant and it’s all their lives at stake is going to pay dividends when things get apocalyptic in the endgame.

Anyway, to review the manga instead of the fanbase, it’s sweet to see Neko on the cover page felt comfortable dropping the gun from his stump arm. Even as an apparent yakuza, things are at peace enough that he doesn’t need to be packing. Also the way Yamato’s backpack fits right between their belt loop thingies is a cute detail.

Nice to see Drake still kicking. I’d have been willing to believe he was dead after Wano. I wonder if the broadcast is going to start influencing SWORD to go finally rogue and move all the less-evil Marines into their own, easier to root for faction.

You have to wonder what Stussy’s exit plan is if she isn’t rushing to rejoin the group on the Sunny. Or if she is, no one’s snailed in to tell them hold tight.

The attention to detail with the giants’ ship’s figurehead being tied back on after being cut a couple of chapters ago is great. The giants as a whole give us some really fun, evocative pages this week as they lay into the Marine fleet. And while we’re obviously not getting a full set of one on ones for this arc, Oda gives some solid moments to Bluegrass and Doll, perhaps to set them up to be bigger opponents in the future. I certainly didn’t expect Kashii to take such a big beatdown right in the middle of his triumphant return to the story.

It feels likely that it was trying to reach Luffy at the cost of all else, but then why does it only sometimes react to Gear Five, and why only at the end was it activated enough to start moving?

And how about Mars seemingly recognising the robot? Definitely gives us a hint that the Elders are older than they appear, despite previous evidence suggesting they don’t go all the way back to the Void Century.

There is one reoccurring complaint I do agree with, as this marathon segment wraps up: it’s kinda weird there was no visual content in the broadcast, after the emphasis placed on it with the 10 minute lead time. Maybe we take it as part of Vegapunk’s perfectionism – it just wouldn’t feel right to him if he wasn’t being seen, which would track with an artificial devil fruit not feeling right because of its colour, something on one else would care about – but that’s still a little weak. I’m sure Oda wrote out the whole speech in advance and chunked it out chapter by chapter with the cameos and action beats he wanted to accompany it, and he found he decided the preamble was necessary to get everyone where they needed. The arrival of the Elders wouldn’t have had the focus that made it so great if Vegapunk was already dropping lore bombs. Buuuut I’m sure there could have been a better in-universe justification for it. Maybe just saying he wants people to set up recording devices to preserve and repeat the message could have made it easier to swallow.

I think we can all let out a breath with the broadcast over. While I’m sure there’s still some cooldown to go, especially if the Iron Giant means to retaliate, things seem poised to wrap up here. There are multiple calls to get the ships moving throughout the chapter, from Zoro, Luffy and the giants, with the stragglers close enough to jump aboard as they go. And with Vegapunk dead and the broadcast over there’s nothing left on Egghead I can see the crew getting invested in fighting for. It’s kind of a loss for the Strawhats, not being able to protect everything they promised they would and having to retreat from foes they have no idea how to fight, albeit not as devastating a one as Sabaody. Elbaf could end up being a chance to regroup, power up one last time, and make ready to stop these unstoppable monsters in the true final battle. And setting that up is a very exciting prospect.

[zonaenthusiast]

Time to talk a little bit about a duo I personally love and think is criminally underrated: Usopp and Robin. Rereading their meeting with the tontattas has reminded me how connected they are despite not being very obvious at first glance.

There will be HEAVY MANGA SPOILERS from the most recent arc. From chapter 1066, if I'm not mistaken. You can read the first part without problem if you don't read the manga, I'll let you know when I talk about the events of that chapter.

From the beginning, Usopp was was one of those most opposed to Robin joining the crew along with Zoro. It was quick, yes, but he was the last one (of course, not counting Zoro because that's a whole other post) that she managed to charm.

Robin is stoic, she's brave, she's strange, she's morbid, she's surprisingly inappropriate at times and practically nothing fazes her. Usopp is talkative, he's loud, he's shameless, a not-so-cowardly coward and a charismatic brat who often behaves like a sassy teenager. If you think about it enough, few mugiwaras could be more opposite than these two.

But they have two things in common:

They are incredibly good when they have to lie and pretend.

They both left the crew at the same time.

Usopp didn't get on the train willingly like Sanji did to rescue Robin but he did stay because he wanted to when he could have disengaged himself from her. He made up Sogeking out of embarrassment to help after the events in Water 7, but he stayed.

Their conversation on the train is one of my favorite scenes in the entire Enies Lobby saga because it speaks so much about both of them, their relationship with Luffy, and I think it's where they really start to feel the doubt that maybe leaving him like they did (in different ways and each for their own reasons, but they both left) wasn't the solution to their problems.

Despite having just had one of the biggest arguments of his life with him just hours before, Usopp knows exactly what kind of person Luffy is. He knows that his priority is the welfare of his nakamas, Robin included. She was not present in Arlong Park and did not see with her own eyes what Luffy can do for the people he loves, but he did. Nothing will stop Luffy to do what it takes for them.

Robin had already left by the time the misunderstanding between Luffy and Usopp occurs but she is very perceptive and by the end of the Enies Lobby arc I think we can assume she has been picking up on what has been going on in her absence. I think this arc really brings them together, I think they both feel a little bit guilty (especially him because she, at least, had a legitimate reason) for what they have put the crew through.

And I only thought about all of this recently, after the revelation in chapter 1066. So, MANGA SPOILERS from now on.

Then, in chapter 1066, it's revealed something we were already suspecting at that point: Saul is alive and he is hiding in Elbaf.

We are in the final saga and there are not many islands left to visit, we only know that Elbaf will be one of them. Elbaf will be Usopp's arc, his connection with the giants from Little Garden and his illusion to become a great warrior like them can't come to nothing.

But we also have one poneglyph left to find in order to reach the One Piece, and it can't be a coincidence that the only person alive besides Robin who can read them is a giant. Chances are that the poneglyph itself will be there. So Elbaf will be Usopp's arc but it will also be Robin's arc. Exactly like Water 7 and Enies Lobby were.

What I'm going to say now is more my theories about the events of this arc: I think Elbaf is the place where Luffy and Shanks are going to meet again (we know he is going there and he is looking for the last poneglyph), where Usopp will meet his father and where Robin will give Luffy the last piece he needs to be the Pirate King. Luffy and Robin need each other like no other to achieve their respective goals, so she will also be one step away from fulfilling her dream when this happens.

In Enies Lobby, Usopp and Robin left the crew because they didn't trust Luffy enough. In Elbaf, I'm sure both of them (and Nami as a navigator, of course) will be the key to lead him to Laugh Tale.

I've talked a lot again, oh well.

[thegreatcaptainusopp]

My Stuff

Fic

The Seer: Usopp’s embellished stories are a core part of who he is. Everyone who knows him, who’s even met him, could tell that right away. Only the people closest to him know that most of these stories, no matter how fantastical they seem, end up coming true. When a rival pirate crew catches wind of this fact, Usopp faces the most harrowing challenge of his life. Set pre-timeskip, right after Thriller Bark.

Fic rec list ff.net

Theories/Speculation/Analysis

Sanji VS Zoro

Strawhat leadership hierarchy

Usopp’s dream

Sogeking VS God Usopp: Usopp’s Dual Roles

Sabaody: Manga VS Anime

Straw hat dreams ranked by attainability

Why did Usopp react the way he did in Water 7?

Should Luffy find out that Usopp is Sogeking?

Sanji’s role in the crew

Syrup village as an intro arc

Zoro & the important people in his life

Luffy and killing

Impel down as an arc

Luffy’s devil fruit twist

Lessons learned from water 7

Usopp & accountability

Usopp is reliable

Difference between Zoro and Usopp’s dreams

Zoro is a complex character

Strawhats ranked on how important being a pirate is to them

Luffy & foils

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[wesleysniperking]

usopp positivity post #23

Usopp's character might seem easy to figure out at first glance, giving readers and viewers a sense that they already know him. But that’s exactly what makes him an anomaly in the Shonen genre. When people start the anime or manga, they might see Usopp and think, "This dude's a coward and doesn't really serve a purpose to the crew. So, thank you, next." But then you get to arcs like Alabasta, Skypeia, and Water 7, and suddenly, Usopp isn't as easy to read as they thought.

I believe the polarized perception of Usopp among fans stems from his unpredictability and potential—the kind of potential that scares people. Don't get me wrong, all the Straw Hats are awesome, and they each bring something unique to the table. But as a biased Usopp fan, he'll always be number one for me.

Usopp's potential makes haters uneasy because every time they think they've figured him out, he does something that surprises them and shifts the spotlight away from their favorite characters. People often avoid mentioning Usopp when it comes to Elbaf because they don't think he deserves the good things coming his way. Usopp’s unpredictability and growth challenge their desire for stability and simplicity, reflecting the complexity they try to escape from in their daily lives. Usopp goes against their ideal of rationality and predictability. Seriously, if every harsh criticism toward Usopp were full of so-called facts and set in stone, then there would be nothing to ever dispute about Usopp.

In the end, Usopp represents unpredictability and potential in the most beautiful ways, which haters find unsettling because they don’t think someone like him should possess those traits.

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[missmungoe]

Hey absolutely no pressure, but I was wondering where Salt Vows fell on the update schedule?

Oh gosh, I didn't think anyone was waiting for that one, so I didn't mention it, but I've been itching to pick it back up, so I'm adding it to the list! I'd love to wrap up at least one of these fics first, but in the meantime, have a snippet!

Follows chapter 1 of Salt Vows, aka the fic where the navy finds out about Makino. Some minor spoilers for recent manga chapters, but mostly with regard to the setting:

Tell the truth, but tell it slant

“Let me buy you a drink, Captain!”

“Hey, I was going to buy him a drink!”

“I saw him first!”

“I called dibs the last time he was here!”

“Why does this happen every time we’re in port?” Yasopp asked, as one of the women threw the other over a table, to hollering cheers from the delighted giants.

“A brawl!!”

“Gya gya gya, only the greatest warriors are fought over in such a manner!”

“As expected of someone like you, Red-Hair!”

The clap to his shoulder would have taken him off his chair if he hadn't been prepared for it, but then he'd spent enough time around drinking giants to know it was better to be on one's guard, even if they were friendly. Perhaps especially then.

As for when things got serious...

“Should I intervene?” Shanks asked. The bar's other occupants had gathered around to watch, their voices raised in encouragement.

“Hard to say,” Yasopp mused, as one of the women sent the other flying over the counter and into one of the kegs, to the loud dismay of the barmaid. “They might start throwing you around instead. Or tear your clothes off.”

"The way Boss dresses, they're already on their way off," Limejuice said, to guffaws from the rest of his crew. Shanks might have smiled if he hadn't been warily observing the fight, but then as much as he was known for enjoying a little attention, he'd rather keep the peace.

“Why so concerned, brother?” Brogy laughed, gesturing with his tankard to the brawling women. One of them had the other two in a dual headlock, the audience stamping their feet and cheering. "They're only fighting for your favour!" He grinned, and with a nudge of his giant elbow, "And if they're not to your liking, there are many beautiful women on Elbaf. A warrior like you could have your pick of our finest maidens!”

A rousing holler from the whole tavern punctuated this declaration, as one of the women broke free of her headlock, only to tackle the other two to the floor, and with enough force to rattle the walls.

Before Shanks could wonder if he had to resort to his haki to settle things, “I wonder what Makino would do if they challenged her for you,” Lucky said, to the delight of the rest of his crew.

“I’d pay to see that!” Bonk Punch laughed, to roaring agreement, accompanied by the raise of their tankards. “My money would be on our girl!”

“Hear!”

“She’d show them who's boss!”

“To our Empress!”

“Speaking of our Empress, it would be interesting to know what she'd say,” Yasopp mused, watching the brawl, with a grin Shanks was tempted to say was bordering on insubordinate, “if she saw all these women fighting over her man.”

“That he should button his shirt,” Ben said, turning a page in his newspaper.

“Or wear his wedding ring,” Lucky suggested, and this time, just a little too loud to just be heard by his crew.

The brawling women stopped what they were doing, as the whole tavern turned their heads towards where they were sitting.

“Wedding ring?” one of them asked.

“You’re married?”

"Cat's out of the bag now," Yasopp sing-songed, and the warning look Shanks shot them was cheerfully ignored, their grins entirely without shame, but then he didn’t know what he’d expected, protective of her as they were, her status included.

And even if it went against his own instincts to protect her, revealing her existence, presented now with the chance to talk about her, the urge struck him with surprising force, but then it had been months since he'd seen her. And the longing was always there, but it seized him now, along with his breath.

And even if they knew about her, he doubted they could do much with the information, and if the tabloids caught wind of it, it would just be one rumour among many. His love life had been a hotly debated topic for as long as he’d been in the spotlight, and even if word should get out that he had a wife somewhere, it wouldn't be the first time the press had speculated the possibility.

A glance towards the bar found the barmaid watching, but it was easy to imagine a much smaller figure in her place, a fey smile lifting her soft mouth as brown eyes sought his, as though asking, Now what will you do, Captain?

The chain around his neck tempted his fingers, the metal of his wedding band warm where he wore it against his skin. But even if the safest course of action was to lie, or to smile and keep them guessing, what he said instead was, “For almost two years now.”

It was hard to tell if they were more shocked or disappointed, but the defiance was expected as they rallied, not opponents now but allies against a common enemy, however horrified Makino would have been by this designation.

“You’ve docked here several times and I’ve never seen hide nor hair of a wife!”

“If she's real, why isn’t she with you?”

“Yeah, where is she?”

His eyes still on his newspaper, Ben’s grin told him he was on his own. The rest of his crew were unashamedly watching, their eyes wide as coins changed hands under the tables.

Yasopp hand his face resting in the cup of his hands, his elbows on the table and his beaming smile so wide, Shanks made a mental note to put him on cat-wrangling duty later.

Keeping his own smile measured, although the softer note couldn't be helped, when it was her, “She’s somewhere safe,” Shanks said, leaving it at that, but then while he considered himself among friends here, he’d been on this sea long enough to know that all it took was one person letting the wrong thing slip, and if there was anyone present who thought to use her existence in any way, they at least wouldn’t know where to find her.

If only he'd been as safe.

“If I was your wife I’d never leave your side!”

The impassioned declaration was accompanied by arms thrown around his waist, before Shanks peeled them back. “As flattering as that is, miss, I really am taken.”

Her lips pursed with a pout, before she surprised him by seizing his hand. “You say that, but I don’t see a ring!”

He should just let it lie, but he’d already revealed this much, and fishing the chain out from under his shirt to hold it up, he watched as their gazes zeroed in on his wedding band, along with the rest of the tavern.

But just as he thought that would do the trick, “Why aren’t you wearing it?” one of them asked.

“Are you unhappy? Is that why you're hiding it?”

“I could make you happy, Captain!”

Tugging his wedding ring back from where one of them had wrapped her hands around it, he ignored the shit-eating grins of his crew, and knew they'd be falling over each other to tell her the story later, no doubt with accompanying theatrics, if they didn't just put the whole thing to music.

“It's a protective measure,” Shanks said, and with the smile his old captain had said could get him off his own execution platform with his charges dropped, lowered his voice to a gentler pitch to say, “And I would appreciate it if you ladies could be discreet about this.”

Then for the killing blow, but then he was only telling the truth, “I’d do anything to keep her safe.”

Wide-eyed, there was a beat where they just stared at him. Then―

“Kyaa!!”

“How romantic!!”

“What a man!!”

“Of course we’ll be discreet!”

“We’ll protect her identity with our lives!!”

Shaking his head, “How the hell do you do it,” Yasopp murmured, his grin hid behind the rim of his tankard.

Shanks just smiled.

He was still holding the chain, slipping between his fingers now as he considered his wedding ring where it lay in the cup of his palm. He only wore it on his hand while inside his own cabin, never where there might be photographers, but then he hadn’t forgotten the vow he’d made her on their wedding day, her small feet atop his, holding her as they’d swayed to the chorus of a hundred voices, the safest he could keep her.

I’ll let no harm befall you, as long as you are mine.

Turning the ring between his fingers, he considered the polished metal, made from the anchor chain of his ship, but then without the frequency of wear, it still looked brand new, gleaming faintly in the light of the braziers.

Makino’s would look different, but then for all his misgivings, she had so stubbornly insisted on wearing it, although it was hard to feel anything but soft, thinking about her, and that gentle defiance. But then it was a rare thing, to be loved so fearlessly.

“She must be something special to have caught your eye, brother,” Brogy said then.

His smile was gentler than his feelings, as Shanks said roughly, “Aye she is.”

“She a pirate like you?” Dorry asked.

His smile crooked, but all he said was, “Not like me.”

“But she has a bounty on her?”

“On her, in her,” Yasopp said, as someone further down the table choked on their drink. Grinning, "Eh, Captain?" he asked, only to swear when a look from Shanks included just enough haki to be felt.

The bar was buzzing now, their excitement palpable, and he felt a pang of worry then that he’d revealed too much, but catching the snippets of conversation, he couldn’t help his smile, imagining her reaction, but then she got so easily flustered when at the centre of attention.

Lifting his eyes to the bar, and the barmaid behind it, he wondered what she was doing. She’d be mid-shift, their son sleeping against her back as she worked, but her bar would be nothing like this, with loud and boisterous giants, and cups of mead so big she wouldn’t have been able to lift them. Although thinking about her, it was all too easy to let his mind wander, and to wonder how she would have found it all, the fighting for his favour included.

But even if she wasn’t with him, as long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.

Yasopp’s smile had softened, no teasing in it now as he asked, “Wondering what she’s doing?”

Smiling, Shanks didn’t answer, just lifted his cup, although the pace at which he downed it said enough.

He'd just put it down when the door to the tavern burst open, revealing Rockstar.

“BOSS!!!”

Turning his head, Shanks was about to ask what was the matter when he paused, but then even prone to overreactions, the terror on his face was genuine.

His hand shook, as Rockstar held something out. “T-The paper!”

Frowning, Ben looked up from his newspaper, but then it was hours since it had arrived, and there hadn’t been anything alarming in it, aside from the usual news of the world going progressively more to shit. But nothing to warrant that kind of reaction from Rockstar, unless it wasn't the morning's paper he was holding.

“A special edition?” Yasopp asked. “Did Luffy defeat another Emperor already?”

"Given that Boss is here, that doesn't leave a lot of options," Hongou said.

“Poor Buggy just made the cut, too,” Lucky said, before his grin faltered when Rockstar's expression didn't change.

They were all looking at him now, the rest of the tavern included. The merry atmosphere within had shifted, and none of them were laughing now.

A sudden fear gripped his chest, and he wondered then if Yasopp's question had actually hit the mark, or at least close to it. Because a battle between two Emperors would certainly warrant a special edition of the newspaper, but even after Kaidou and Big Mom, if Luffy had encountered Blackbeard at the strength he was now...

Rockstar’s mouth was working, but before Shanks could fear the worst, “The Fleet Admiral,” he said, as Shanks’ brows furrowed. “H-He―”

His hand shook, as he wordlessly proffered the newspaper, and Shanks thought he wouldn’t get the words out before Rockstar rasped, “It’s Makino!”

His whole crew went still.

The giants exchanged glances. Even the barmaid had paused what she was doing.

For a long beat, Shanks just stared at him, unsure if he'd heard him right, before his gaze lowered to the rolled-up newspaper.

His hand lifted of its own volition, as he took it. He was so still, he didn’t think he was breathing, as he unfolded it.

The photograph covered the whole front page, the ink so fresh it was still drying. And he recognised Fuschia at a glance, the windmills in the background, and her bar, its sign clearly visible, although one thing had him forgetting about both. Because there, between two armed navy officers, her small hands cuffed―

His crew were out of their seats, gathered around him where he sat holding the paper. No one spoke, but then their shock was so great, Shanks wondered if they could have managed.

His eyes moved over the photograph, his first time seeing her face in months, and for a beat, that fact was all  he could think about.

She looked like she had when he'd left her, in a loose-sleeved summer dress, her dark hair gathered in a loose bun at her nape, drawn back by her kerchief. She hadn't even taken off her apron.

She looked so ordinary, and so small next to the towering shape of the Fleet Admiral, and the officers flanking her. The marines weren’t touching her, but the fact that they had their rifles out said enough, even if it looked as incongruous to Shanks as the cuffs around her slender wrists.

A terrifying stillness had overtaken him, his scars deepening as his fingers shook around the paper, his gaze fixed on Makino on the front page, and the dark eyes where they'd lifted to look straight at the photographer. And had she looked terrified, he thought no one would have believed the news, but that the navy must have been given the wrong intel, wrongly accusing an innocent village barmaid. The very embodiment of gentleness, and everything he wasn't; the mere association with him should have been dismissed as libel the moment she'd looked into the camera and the eyes of the world.

But the defiance in her dark eyes betrayed her, and her expression, the firm line of her soft mouth and the regal lift of her chin, more damning evidence than even the headline above the photograph where it declared for the world to see, in bold, black ink:

THE WIFE OF EMPEROR RED-HAIRED SHANKS,

ARRESTED.