#I also thing about how Zoro would reflect on it afterwards | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fallensnowfan · 1 year

Text

The Lies we Tell Ourselves

Reading this week’s chapter of Akane Banashi got me in the mood to talk about some aspects of Japanese culture that may be lesser known by the fandom outside of Japan, and how Wano, along with other arcs, incorporates some of them.

These panels are what motivated me to make this post. Traditionally, Oiran were entertainers first and foremost, learning many skills ranging from playing music, conversational skills, both things Komurasaki has been shown to be skilled at, as well as calligraphy, flower arranging, and more. She also held the highest rank a courtesan can have, being Tayu. Holding that rank meant that she would be not have taken on any sex work whatsoever. So I don’t want to see anyone saying Toki “forced Hiyori into a life of slavery.” She did nothing but make the best of a bad situation to ensure that Hiyori would be protected and in good care, trusting best kappa Kawamatsu to raise her daughter.

And what a fine job Kawamatsu did in the years the two were in hiding together. Hiyori’s words here make it unquestionably clear that it was her decision to make the gamble and flee from Kawamatsu, putting his well being above her own. She didn’t know Denjiro would be in a position to take her in afterward, or even that she would meet another ally she could trust.

And again, it is Hiyori herself who made the decision here, deciding to trust his words and dedicate herself to completing the difficult training that becoming an Oiran would require. Denjiro merely asked her to be brave. Sounds a lot like Toki/Kin’emon asking the same of Momo, just before sending him and the Akazaya members to the future in chapter 1047. Do I think it’s a particularly healthy mindset when it comes to self preservation? Hell no, but it got them through and is what many of Wano’s prominent faces know. Now I’m thinking about God Usopp’s and Izo’s words to Kiku again, there is value in living beyond the battle, even after dealing with the shame of defeat and of losing your leader.

If Usopp had thrown in the towel at the first chance he got, he would have croaked before ever entering the Grand Line. And now I’m thinking about the former Usopp Pirates protecting Kaya, who was pretty unconcerned with her own well being for a bit there, lying to herself because she didn’t want to accept what was right in front of her. Sounds a lot like the Akazaya’s struggle, and especially Kiku’s, during the raid.

Then there is past Usopp, asking his mother to not say such fatalistic things, even if she has to lie. The arc ends with the captain of the Usopp Pirates disbanding the group and wanting to keep everything a secret from the villagers. The idea is later reflected in both Zoro’s “nothing happened” moment during Thriller Bark, and in Luffy asking Momo to keep his role in defeating Kaido between those who took part in the battle.

How different are Zoro’s “nothing happened,” or Luffy asking not to tell Momo he is the one who defeated Kaido, from what an Oiran does? Or from the stories Usopp told to Kaya for that matter? Each serves the same function at the end of the day, a selfless performance put on for the sake of others.

I wouldn’t call Syrup Village one of my favorite arcs, though it certainly gets bashed on by parts of the fandom more than it deserves. There’s some great stuff in there!

#one piece #akane banashi #wano arc #syrup village arc #kozuki toki #kozuki hiyori #komurasaki #kawamatsu #okiku #usopp #kaya #usopp pirates

17 notes · View notes

3katanas · 6 months

Text

The practice of visiting shrines is a deeply ingrained cultural practice in Japan. Ranging from honoring the gods (depending on the kind of shrine you visit), prayers for good grades on an exam, or to remembering someone who has passed. For Zoro in particular, due to how deeply the loss of his childhood friend affected him and his life's goals, Zoro honors Kuina's memory every time he visits a shrine, as we see in his opening scene in the Live Action.

For those of you unaware of who Kuina is, she was his only childhood friend, rival, and distant cousin. The two of them trained under her father in the art of the sword and she died at a young age due to an accident shortly after they made a promise to train together until one of them became the greatest. Zoro's sword, the Wado Ichimonji, was originally Kuina's blade that he took up upon her death in honor of this promise that he now carries for the two of them.

I personally have it headcanoned that he'll visit the shrine and light a candle for her if one is to be found on the islands that they visit. Sometimes going as far as to build his own little one in honor of her memory. This time of reflection and remembrance serves both as a way to heal the everpresent pain of her loss while also reaffirming their promise to become the greatest swordsman ever.

This is something he's been doing since before becoming a Strawhat and continues to practice afterward. His crew learns early on and then tells newcomers that it isn't a time when he wishes to have company, but would rather be left alone.

Another key thing to note here is just how much Kuina's death affected Zoro, particularly for my interpretation of him. He's already not someone who's going to open up easily and talk about his emotions and at a young age already put a lot of pressure on himself to be the best. Even before his promise is made to Kuina. That promise for him eased the pressure a bit, giving him someone to share the burden of such dedication with.

Losing her so suddenly and so shortly after finding that relief impacted him greatly. Two of my other headcanons (Tea Ceremony and Playing the Niko) for Zoro are based on this time of grief when his Sensei had to figure out how to help him grieve her loss in his own way without literally training himself to death. Visiting the shrine would have also been a way for him to relieve the inner turmoil, grief, and struggle that he was experiencing.

#i need a drink (roronoa zoro)#pirate hunter turned pirate (headcanon)

1 note · View note

jack-lina · 3 years

Text

bathhouse scenario

paired: sabo

wc: 1907

Play Songs While Reading This For Best Experience

ANYWAYSS ENJOY YOU HORNY MOTHA FUCKERSSS!!!

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

youtube

Luffy pulled my arm causing me to almost lose balance. " We should take a bath together! " He exclaimed happily facing the men's side and then back at me. I flushed seconds later at his ridiculous comment, which caused Ace to laugh. " We're not 9 anymore dipshit! " - He grinned widely - " Besides! She's a female and we're both males! Its separated you fucking idiot! " He mocked as usual, and tried to cross his eyes, also resulting me to spit and giggle at his foolish actions.

" Aceeeeee, th eeeeei AaassSSSHOLEEEEE. " I slurred in a silly tone. The two looked over to me. This time it was Luffy's turn to crack up and flash his signature smile. We both laughed until Luffy got yeeted into the men's room by a red faced Ace.

He turned his back and lifted his hand up and waved the back side of his hand with the other in his pocket meaning ' Cya later. '

Fucking lazy bastard.

youtube

I rolled my eyes, smiled and walked aswell, going opposite, to the females side.

As I walked to the closest stall, near the big mirrors, shower stalls, and toilet stalls, a voice called out.

" Y/NNNN!!!!! " Nami sounding impatient,

yelled my name from inside the stallroom. " I'm coming! " I replied louder.

With a sigh, and 5 minute self prepare, I changed my usual oversized hoodie and jeans into just a towel. I unlocked the stall and skipped along but then stopped at the huge mirror in front of me.

Wow...

I no longer look like a crazy anime freak, who loves sketching and drinking Pepsi and uses a

fucking

twig as weapon

but a pretty e-looking egirl.

youtube

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a slightly higher but rustier voice. " Yeah C'mon Y/n- " BANG! The voice disappeared thinking that it was Luffy on the females side, being hit by, most likely, Nami. I sighed, walked to the entrance, pushed the curtain aside, and entered the bathhouse.

My eyes we're drowned by beautiful waters all around me. Real rock ledges, water pouring down the rock walls, hot steam surrounding every part, and a huge rock wall separating us girls from the boys.

" What did Luff- " I spoke up focusing back to the girls and was cut off from shock - " What the- " I looked up , spotting the 5 familiar male figures poking out, leaning atop the top of the wall. Trying to fucking look at us huh? Perverts.. Wait a minute.. I thought Nami would be pissed off at this, why is she just- I brought my eyes back down to the two females. they we're looking my way. All of them... My face burned as I studied them back trying to think if someone stopped time or if they are playing around. But no, minutes had gone by and all was heard was the loud splashes of water being poured around the bathhouse....

youtube

" OIIIIIIII!! Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, Brook, Chopper. Did you all do something that bad enough that Nami's not throwing hands? " Ace yelled over, cackling afterward, glancing at Law, Franky, Sabo, and Zoro, which made them laugh. They didn't care to join up top and stare. Law didn't give a shit, Franky didn't want to hurt Robin's feelings, Sabo also had a similar reason, while Zoro exactly had Law's reason aswell. I shivered at the cold, arms holding up my towel. I decided to join the girls now ignoring the stares. Sanji cursed under his breath as I hopped into the shallow end , bending down in the water to cover my parts, causing my towel to get soggy in an instant. I threw the wet towel to the side, and swam to the two slowly, making sure not to get up. Even though the steam was most places, I didn't want to risk showing anything to those bastards... Sabo th- NO WHY AM I THINKING THIS HOLY SHITTTTTTTTTTTT!!!

youtube

Although as my mind started roaming dirty, Nami spoke up, making me jump slightly. " Listen here Y/n... You need to realize, you look like a fucking goddess, and if men are absolutely dead silent looking at you, including face heats up and sweat downs, then its a good sign. " Nami exclaimed with a know-it-all grin. Robin started clapping as Nami sat back down. " Beautiful speech! " Robin said heartwarmingly, giggling afterward. Nami nodded toward me as if she queued in my response. I paused and nodded back hesitantly.

" So.. you're saying, I looked like shit before, but if all my clothes are off, I look great? " I asked her looking down at the water staring at the reflection. Nami frowned and Robin's expression changed from happy to full of regret. " Well Y/n , thats one way of looking at it I guess. " Robin said blankly.

" No Y/n- "

I cut off Nami, elbowing her hard in the shoulder. I started laughing and spit out " I'm kidding. " I heard the men's side was pretty quiet this whole time.. wonder what they're up to... Nami faced me and gave me a crooked smile. " You got me. " She eventually said and gave off her own rave of laughter, making robin shoot some cackles at the sight of us having a stupidly funny moment.

youtube

But it was eventually cut off by a huge splash further away, closer to the entrance of the bathhouse on our side. We all jumped letting out a couple high pitched girl screams. Before Nami could yell at the perverted man to get the fuck back to the men's side and Robin and I to scramble to get ourselves something was coming straight at us.

someone was coming right at us. someone was coming right at me.

LUFFY WAS COMING RIGHT AT ME. AND HE WAS BEING CHASED BY ACE. " ACE!!! CHASE LUFFY SOMEWHERE ELSE!! GET YOUR NAKED ASS'S OUTTA HERE! " Nami screamed. I acted in the couple seconds I had left, covering myself the best I could with the thin ass skinny arms and legs I could muster to hide the you know where parts. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I also decided to do that and not run away, because I could expose myself to the boys, well how? Because the 5 boys we're still up there... No wait... All of them are.... So..... I let Luffy fling himself onto me. Sadly, at this moment, Luffy was unaware that he was clutching onto my naked body and so was his. He was also burying his face in my tits... so.... I Shuddered. " Luffy please- " Before I could use some effort in shoving him off of me, Ace was seconds away and looked like he could massacre anyone in his way right about now. " I'M NOT LETTING GO! " Luffy screamed, and so, Ace kicked Luffy back to the men's side, forgetting that I was pinned with him, making us fly back together.

youtube

Luffy let go though right away, but since I was so fucking light, I ended up going further towards the deep end. Not so deep that the men ( with devil fruit powers ) had to swim ( because obviously they can't and it would be hard to continue this god damn scenario like that ) but deep enough that a girl like me, short as fuck ( your not short just roll with it ok? ) can barely not even reach the bottom, even with the tips. But it all happened so fast, and the impact... I swear to god ace is on steroids.... anyways, it was so fast, I started freaking out, my back stung, where I landed on, and everything started getting hazy but before things got worse, I felt some hands slid into mine, and before I knew it, I was back above surface. I blinked a few times taking in my surroundings. Chopper, Sanji, Usopp, Franky, Brook, Law, and Zoro we're all around me staring in a circle.

I then realized Sabo was the owner of the hands that he intertwined mine with, and without thinking, he pulled me close. " Are you ok? Are you hurt? Do- " I shoved him away. My face was burning. " S-SABO KUN! " I yelled in reply, not realizing I added kun afterward. Sabo's face went red and everyone else stayed quiet and watched. My neck and below was covered by the water, holding onto him to not sink, but pushing away for space. I need to get away from these naked men. I heard a whistle in the distance. It was the writer, " YEAHHHH GIVE EM SOME! " She yelled in a sexy playful tone. I freaked, I tried letting go of Sabo and risk it in a daze. I'm. On. The. Men's. Side. But instead, Sabo gripped my hands tighter and pulled me in. " SABO! " I exclaimed. The boys suddenly startled at Sabo's uncommon behavior of clinginess and Y/n's sudden nervousness. Some eased the tension by whistling aswell for fun or making cute kissy noises but it just made me sweat more. Obviously Sabo noticed and started to growl at them, whilst a few shut up, some did not.

youtube

However the tension was cut off completely because a recent appearance suddenly appeared again. Luffy. He appeared out of nowhere trying to reach out and grab my arm. " MINE! " Luffy screamed once again, making me jump and Sabo sternly staring at him with his doll eyes, which once looked full of adorable cuteness, now looked like a cold dark piercing glare. But after a few seconds, Sabo's expression changed to seriousness, facing the girls side, He yelled " ACE A TOWEL PLEASE! " pulling me behind him , shield like, and put the palm of his hand on Luffy's forehead, " LUFFY!!! STOP!!! NOW!! " He yelled again at Luffy with the most scariest face I've ever seen him make, resulting me to grip my arms around his waist, face buried in his back, causing him to straighten up and flush at my actions. A towel was thrown shortly after and in seconds Sabo picked me up and quickly wrapped the towel around me before the guys saw shit. He turned me around ubruptly and placed me in his arms gently bridal style, and lifted me just over the water so it wouldn't get soggy at the bottom. What a sweetheart.

youtube

I let my head lean into the crooked part of his neck while he started walking to the side of the bathhouse, with all the ledges, He leaned his head ,slightly tilted on top of mine, not noticing he had purred at my action and enjoyed having my hot breath against his neck. I liked this. I liked this a lot. Once he reached the edge of the waters, he set me down above, trying not to bend up too high to show his dick, but just enough to place me without doing so. He climbed on the rock beside it and sat. We stood like that for a bit. And then-

Ok guys,

I tried for this one, and I have an announcement!!

You guys can choose a part two, either continue Sabo x reader, change it, or both!

I can do separate ones if you can't decide!

But make sure to also add an idea aswell, like from

bathhouse

shower stall ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) ,

hotel room ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

date,

sudden confession

WHATEVER I JUST WANT TO WRITEEEEEE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH pls give ideas( ͡ಥ ͜ʖ ͡ಥ)

Aka if you want a part two, comment either sabo or another character and the idea or scenario from there!

73 notes · View notes

danwhobrowses · 4 years

Text

One Piece Chapter 979 - Initial Thoughts

Is anyone else nervous? I feel like we should be nervous...

After another week break we have One Piece, and I feel like these waits are gonna kill me before COVID gets close

But Spoilers for the Chapter, and Support the Official Release when it comes out

Another cover story bombshell, oh my fucking god! Just...How!? Pound you lucky son of a bitch how the fuck are you alive? The Will of P has not yet been snuffed out! Does that mean that Pedro and Pekoms may still have a chance at revival? What happened with Germa too, where is my Baeju!? Also the Tontottas finding him is gonna be hilarious, giant man and little people, hopefully we get a family reunion...and maybe some reverie news

Still very concerned about Law, he wasn’t cut from panel this time but he just looks very, solemn, like he’s about to do something he’s not all happy about

I find it odd that not everyone is clued in on Kanjuro being on Orochi’s side, sure it slows him down but even the people on the ships that were intercepting the scabbards were able to identify him as the traitor

Momo though has got some ideas, he knows how to use a sword but he’s only gonna be able to cut the rope before Kanjuro notices, I doubt he could even use it on Kaido. I dunno, Momo does not seem to be that kinda guy, also if he was able to control his DF he’d be able to escape those ropes much easier

We’ve got the Brachio Tank and Black Rhino back out, I liked the Fishman Island nod but this also means we’ll likely be getting Franky Shogun again, but Franky made note that there were upgrades so maybe it’ll be a new Iron Pirate/Super Armoured Me

Definitely laughed at the ‘He’s for sure gonna be spotted’ and ‘He’s for sure getting lost’ because it’s so painfully true. They have good intentions but they’ll sneak off, don’t be surprised if Zoro walks into the exact wrong room

Alas poor Sanji, you can’t get in the Harem Tank. Usopp does lowkey know how to be a ladykiller (though I doubt he thinks about it, he does have a doctor at home). But Carrot does work the Beast Pirates garb too, as does Robin...but as I said last chapter with Nami, you could put a paper bag on them and they’ll make it work.

Ooof, right in the Frobin there. We know what that was code for Franky, ride the back of your motorcycle you dog!

But Brook has to tickle my funny bone too by thinking it’s for him XD I guess the small victory here is that it reminds me of Grim Fandango; a giant beast that lives to build and upgrade riding a beast of a machine with a snarky skeleton at the back

Sanji still trying to get on the Tank though, he should really be using Stealth Black to find Luffy and Zoro, get a Monster Trio team up ¬u¬

But this does give Robin and Jimbei (whose Beast Pirates garb is cool but does nothing for being covert since it doesn’t cover his Sun Pirates tattoo at all) some time to chat, we’ve got a new formation as the Mature Duo, I would add Brook or Franky to that but the two do tend to do silly things from time to time

Someone is lurking though, which is a little worry, but I don’t think they’re enemies. I think if they were they would’ve jumped at the two at this point. Could be a scout, or it could be someone ready to throw another spanner in the system

Yup, I love Ulti, she tickles me with her dual personality. Also Sasaki’s cape is fire, kinda reminds me of Minato Namikaze from Naruto, I also think it’s a little telling that Who’s Who doesn’t have a cape or any long garment, it makes him stand out a little bit more

So King and Jack can now be accounted for, and the former is the one who summoned the Flying Six. It also seems clear that everyone knows that the Six want the Disasters’ spots

I will continue to add that Kaido keeps looking smaller and smaller, I mean, look at his debut panel

he’s standing in a crater and he still dwarves Kid, Hawkins and Apoo, but in the panel he looks like he’s about 3 times taller than Drake (who is 2.3m tall, about 20cm taller than Kid), his scale just feels reduced

Also on heights, Black Maria is taller than King. That is a Giant Woman

Bao Huang makes me feel like Oda’s been playing some Legend of Zelda in his spare time, though I ain’t mad at it

The schedule seems a bit weird, Orochi has a speech after Kaido? I guess it’s just a welcoming address because Kaido will afterwards be announcing the Big Mom alliance

Kaido is keeping a secret, and that is actually quite intriguing...it also means that the Raid will not succeed for a while, since we are to expect to hear this Chekov Announcement

Kaido’s son is not seen, but we know his name: Yamato. It’s a very interesting name to choose actually; it can refer to simply the dominant ethnic group of Japan, the clan, the period, the province, the Yamato Dynasty prince Yamato Takeru, Yamato-damashiii, could even go Okama with Yamato Nadeshiko or even just the battleship. It could also be a corruption of Yamata, which connects to Yamata no Orochi

For my money, Yamato would be based off of Takeru. With some minor wikipedia research it does have some narrative notes that could fit being Kaido’s son, I doubt he would slay an older brother because Kaido calls him an ‘idiot son’, but Takeru’s father Emperor Keiko kept sending him to other provinces, I could see Kaido sending Yamato across Wano or the world to try and emulate Oden, the last man he respected. Takeru’s legend is also interesting because he gets the Kusanagi sword, which Susanoo fished from the Yamata no Orochi, there’s also a brief note of cross dressing and composing the first sedoka in the Kai province, which can tie in with the other Yamatos listed

Yamato must be strong though if the Flying Six see it as troublesome, Yamato could be the one hiding in the bushes behind Robin and Jimbei. Him being relative to the announcement makes me think that Kaido has an arranged marriage for him, since that’s how Big Mom does alliances, maybe it’s to Pudding, or Smoothie, or that bitch Flampe

Ulti again has no fucking fear, the steel balls of this woman. But Kaido knows when to dangle the carrot, Who’s Who definitely wants that All Star spot, which continues to add focus on him

LUFFY! How is it that you manage to get to the big ass crowd of people, and it’s not like Kid is hard to find, look for someone with a Metal Arm next to a guy who blurts out FAFAFA...and of course he almost gets his cover blown by some drunkard and gets distracted by food (his chest scar is back now though after disappearing last chapter)

Oh god...memories of sweet-baby Tama are found in the reflection of the spilled soup, the Beasts Pirates being clear about how they disregard and waste the food while others starve. I bet Zoro and Sanji would also react similarly in this state for their own other reasons, hell even Big Mom could have a word or two to say about it, she really enjoyed that soup

But when Luffy has that glare, few things are gonna stop him

So obviously, really good chapter. A lot of lines have been drawn in the sand and we’re eager to know what comes next. But as much as I am eager I am waiting for the main thing to go wrong. We’ve already split our Monster Trio, in fact the largest group of the crew are the Weakling Trio in the Brachio tank with Sanji who could disappear anywhere, Shinobu and Carrot, there’s still the uncertainty with Law as well.

I am keen to know more about Yamato (though I am a tad let down that Katakuri isn’t related to Kaido, only because I wanna see Katakuri again) and about the Flying Six, but it’s also gonna be a tough spot if Luffy causes a rumble right now, Apoo and Queen are in that area and BM’s crew, Orochi and the Numbers are all within earshot.

Alas, another week break, though when Oda made the announcement about COVID I kinda did expect it, I guess I’ll just have to toil about it in my own spare time XD But what’s important is that everyone stays safe, and an extra week can help with the fan theories.

31 notes · View notes

zotash · 5 years

Photo

I finally managed to get my hands on One Piece: Loguetown Arc (One Piece novel Loguetown), the official Oda-approved novel written in 2000 by Tatsuya Hamazaki that retells the events of Loguetown with the addition of Oda’s intended story elements for the arc (if you recall, he had to cut things from Loguetown because he wanted the crew to enter the Grand Line in chapter 100).

This novel has some truly great ZoTash moments, as it delves deeper into the characters’ thoughts and memories, more than the manga and anime do. It really surprised me in a few places.

So, without further ado, here’s my translation of what I think are the most interesting parts.

Note: Bolded is mine. I highlighted the best or most significant lines.

1. Tashigi finishing off the two pirates as seen from Zoro’s POV:

Instinctively, Zoro grabbed the hilt of his sword, and the few exposed inches of the blade sparkled in the sun. He stopped immediately, because he saw something that made him pause. It was a matter of seconds: the woman drew a sword from what seemed to be a simple shoulder bag. Zoro’s eyes widened observing the speed of her movement. But it wasn’t just that. The way she drew the sword, the way she set her body in position before attacking, the movements of her legs... everything was executed in accordance to the best sword techniques.

[...]

The girl was undoubtedly an expert swordswoman, with an enviable technique.

2. And here’s Zoro’s reaction when he sees her face after picking up her glasses:

The girl put on her glasses and breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at her benefactor in the eyes. Zoro absently looked back at her, but then something made him flinch. He swallowed, while his face changed expression. Then he blushed and his heart started beating faster. Forgotten images from the past were standing in front of him as if by a miracle and his mind was in a ferment. The image of a girl took shape and a name started to obsessively invade his thoughts. Kuina?!

3. Zoro’s thoughts right afterwards:

He frowned and angrily bit his lips, deeply upset. He thought of the moment he met her eyes and ran away like a coward. It was as if that woman who terribly looked like Kuina had knocked him out with a single look and he, Zoro the feared pirate hunter, had panicked. Her presence had turned his life upside down. Even in his rugged heart there was a soft part capable of having feelings for another person.

Note: You guys, if I didn’t have this book in my hands with Oda’s name on it I’d think this was fanfiction. Also, “Zoro has a soft side too” is exactly what Sanji says 12 years and 600 chapters later in Punk Hazard, at the beginning of a chapter focusing mainly on Zoro and Tashigi (687).

4. In the sword shop, after seeing Tashigi clumsily trip and run into a wall of swords:

Zoro looked at her under that pile of swords and regretted comparing such a klutz to his Kuina.

Note: this above is the first of many instances in which it's stressed that Tashigi’s personality is very different from Kuina’s.

5. Now face-to-face with Tashigi, Zoro reflects again on her physical resemblance to Kuina:

When their eyes met, Zoro frowned even more, distraught by her resemblance to Kuina. If it weren’t for her age and the longer hair that covered her ears, the resemblance would have been even more striking. Kuina had died when she was a child, while this girl could be around 20 years old. However, the complete lack of makeup and her youthful appearance gave her the looks of a younger girl.

6. And here’s Zoro again on how she’s definitely not Kuina:

Judging by her senseless talk [Tashigi is talking about Zoro the pirate hunter not realizing he’s right in front of her], he had now come to realize that she, inside, was completely different from Kuina. What the shop owner had said, that she was a bit dumb, was frankly accurate. Kuina was exactly the opposite, energetic and brave, and preferred action to words.

Note: Zoro really does put Kuina on a pedestal, still idolizing her as an unreachable goal.

7. They meet again under the rain when the SH Pirates are trying to escape. Here we also get Sanji’s POV, before switching to Zoro’s:

A woman was waiting a little further, in the middle of the road. It only took a glance to Sanji’s expert gaze to know she was a beautiful girl. Her short black hair was wet and falling on her face. Her hand was fixed on the hilt of her sword, ready to unsheathe it at any time. A woman that Zoro couldn’t have forgotten.

[...]

The woman that so resembled Kuina was indeed a Marine, therefore the worst enemy for a pirate like him.

8. During their fight:

The skill of both opponents and the quality of the steel of their swords kept the fight even. Zoro realized the girl was undoubtedly superior to him in the technique of drawing the sword, and was glad he had unsheathed his beforehand. But otherwise Zoro possessed an ability with which she couldn’t compare. However, he realized he couldn’t afford the smallest distraction against an expert opponent like her.

Note: I think their fight is beautifully written. And interestingly enough, the novel stresses how it’s not completely unbalanced in Zoro’s favor, in contrast to how the manga and the anime depict it.

9. And after Zoro wins, here’s Tashigi’s POV:

Zoro was looking at her with the sneer typical of the hunter who has cornered his prey. Tashigi wondered how he could be that skilled. She thought bounty hunters, being more attached to money than to their weapons, couldn’t possess the feelings that made a swordsman one with his sword. But Zoro seemed different.

10. Here are Zoro’s thoughts after he shouts at her for reminding him of Kuina:

Zoro wanted to keep telling her off, but realized he’d got carried away by the memories of Kuina. Even if the resemblance was striking, Tashigi’s character was very different from his dead friend’s.

11. And finally, a few interesting thoughts from Sanji:

“That idiot! He’ll be sorry if he hurts that girl!” While running, Sanji kept looking back and sending angry looks in that direction. He was jealous that a lazy brute like Zoro had some connection with that pretty girl while he, despite his fame, had found no one yet.

Note: don’t worry Sanji, your time to shine will come– in about 18 years.

The parts I didn’t translate are pretty much the same as the manga, with no relevant changes or additions.

I really like how this novel presents Zoro and Tashigi’s relationship as something made of complex emotions, where each of them sees something more in the other that goes beyond appearances.

Of course the novel dwells a lot on Tashigi looking like Kuina because that’s the main plot point in Loguetown, but it also suggests that “inside” she’s actually different, anticipating how Zoro would eventually overcome the Kuina resemblance. And it also tells us Tashigi already sees something different in Zoro too, something that sets him apart from common criminals.

#zotash #zoro x tashigi #loguetown #loguetown arc #one piece: loguetown arc #our posts #novels #zoro #tashigi #analysis #ゾロたし

114 notes · View notes

allblueblues · 5 years

Text

Zoro and Sanji at Baratie

Hello, hello, hello! Long time no analysis! Or One Piece in general…. I don’t really know if or when I’ll be picking this blog up again for regular updates, but I do know that such a day will never come if I don’t get over this last thing I need to handle before finishing up Baratie – namely Zoro and Sanji’s relationship, and what I think the Baratie arc says about/brings to it.

The fact is, I kind of froze here, not least because their relationship seems to be a touchy subject in this fandom, with a pretty extreme variety of opinions. On top of that, Zoro is also a touchy subject. Lots of interpretations of his character out there, too. Another reason is that putting my thoughts (and feelings) into words proved much more difficult than I anticipated. In fact, I’m still not sure I can do them justice. There was also the fact that we didn’t have all the information about Sanji’s more distant past at the time, and I wanted to know if any of it would influence my opinions. But enough about reasons. Let’s get this show on the road.

The first thing that struck me as I re-read this arc was how long it takes for Zoro and Sanji to interact at all. The next was that their interactions aren’t exactly volatile. Neither picks a fight with the other, and despite Sanji calling Zoro an idiot and referring to his dream as stupid, Zoro is respectful and calm talking to Sanji. I also found it funny that the one to pick a fight with Sanji is Usopp of all people, and when he tries to enlist Zoro to fight Sanji on his behalf, Zoro’s just like, “Fight him yourself.” On the topic of Sanji’s flirtatiousness, Zoro seems totally disinterested in his side of things, instead asking Nami if she bewitched him, though that was more of a quip (probably).

Their first and only conversation during this arc happens while Don Krieg is off feeding his remaining crew, and the story of what befell them on the Grand Line – and at whose hands – has come out:

It’s just common sense at this point that those panels where a character is just going “……..” aren’t there for no reason, though obviously what that reason may be is left up to interpretation. Here, I think it basically means that what Zoro said struck Sanji in some way, and this leads to the conclusion that what Sanji says next isn’t how he really feels/what he really thinks. Bolstering this belief is what follows:

Sanji’s clearly trying to brush these kids off as idiots, maybe even trying to convince himself that he definitely doesn’t want to go with them or anything!!, but the fact that there’s a panel focused on Zeff, who knows Sanji better than anyone, leads me to believe that he, at least, already knows that Sanji wants to go. And since this moment comes after Zoro spoke (pretty eloquently and poignantly), I can’t help but believe that Luffy isn’t the only reason/inspiration for Sanji ultimately leaving the Baratie despite his dedication and supposed debt to Zeff.

Words alone wouldn’t have had a big enough impact – action was necessary, and the first part of that was absolutely Zoro fighting Mihawk. The first thing I want to comment on is Sanji’s reaction to the revelation that Zoro is the infamous “Pirate Hunter” Zoro. Is he confused? Surprised? He has reason to be, considering Luffy has already introduced Zoro as part of his crew, so the Pirate Hunter is a pirate. Has Sanji, like Coby, heard rumours about this so-called demon? I’d say that’s pretty likely, and being surprised that he’s basically a kid like him makes sense. Especially since Sanji totally saw him try to force Luffy to drink booger water. I mean, come on.

No one can look away while Zoro and Mihawk fight, but we don’t get a glimpse of Sanji until Mihawk delivers the final blow and Zoro plunges into the ocean. At this point, Sanji is sweating even more than before, looking horrified, and perhaps even angry:

This is where I tend to get stuck, because I think there’s a lot going on internally with Sanji, and that’s hard to put into words. Let’s start with the easy part: he’s horrified. Easy enough to see why. The same man they all know just sliced a galleon in two without so much as breaking a sweat basically just cut this kid in two. If Mihawk can do that to a ship, killing some teenager would be simple. I also think there’s a kind of clash of values going on. As I’ve stated before, Sanji clearly has an immense will to survive. It becomes abundantly clear by the end of this arc that there is something (or rather, someone) Sanji is willing to die for, but it isn’t himself. Maybe he sees Zoro’s actions as not only foolish, because he’s obviously going to lose against Mihawk, but also selfish, since he doesn’t know Zoro’s story and could very well just see an arrogant guy with an unreachable dream rushing to his death. Either way, I think Zoro’s mentality of “I will strive for my dream with everything I have and then some, and if I die on the way, so be it” and Sanji’s “I will fight tooth and nail to live, except when the man who saved my life is threatened” are clashing here.

But what about the anger? Why would Sanji be mad?

Have you ever seen someone you care about deliberately do something really stupid and even potentially harmful, and reacted with anger? I certainly have, and while I’m not suggesting Sanji cares about Zoro with the same intensity as, say, a mother loving a child (and responding angrily to them, y’know, running across the street without looking, or getting drunk underage), I do believe Sanji cares strongly about people in general, and seeing even a random stranger rush towards certain death set him off. I also think it’s possible he subconsciously drew some kind of vague parallel between Zoro and Judge’s soldiers, even though the situation is very different. Finally, I think part of his anger is rooted in a kind of envy, because at the end of the day, Sanji has a dream, too, but he is keeping himself from chasing it. He may even be angry at himself for doing exactly what he is now telling Zoro to do – abandoning his dream.

By the time Zoro makes his oath to Luffy, Sanji looks straight-up worried, and still a little confused:

Again, nothing odd about that, Zoro being half-dead and all. I think he’s probably somewhat overwhelmed, too. It would be easy to pin that on the fight, the near-dead moss man, and even just Mihawk’s presence. I don’t doubt that those are factors, but I also don’t think Zoro’s actions or words should be ignored.

We as readers are certainly moved by Zoro’s vow. It’s true that we have more background, both about Zoro himself, and his relationship with Luffy, but try to put yourself in Sanji’s shoes. I think he’d be moved, too, just not for all the same reasons. First, Zoro has suffered what can be seen as a humiliating defeat, yet he’s come out of it even more determined to achieve his dream. That would amaze, even inspire anyone – not least of all someone like Sanji, who is holding back and knows it, whether consciously or not. Second, in case I haven’t made it clear enough, Zoro is making this determined declaration while half-dead, bloody, and crying. Finally, he’s not only proclaiming that he will become the world’s greatest swordsman, he’s also saying that Luffy will become the Pirate King. I’m certain that sent shivers down the spines of every person present, except maybe Kreig, who clearly doesn’t value hard work and determination, but I digress.

So, what’s my point with all of this? Well, it’s obvious that scenes like the one discussed here, and Luffy’s fight against Krieg in general were instrumental in convincing Sanji to join the Straw Hats. However, I think Zoro’s clash with Mihawk and his oath to Luffy afterwards laid some solid groundwork. I also think that some kind of respect for Zoro was born in Sanji during this arc, and it has not gone away, no matter how either of them may behave. Finally, I think Sanji admires Zoro, and even strives to be more like him, though he would probably never admit it, and that began at Baratie. I doubt I can point to anything in the text to prove that last idea, feel free to take it as nothing more than my personal opinion.

EDIT: The real clincher for me was the fact that Sanji reflected on both Zoro and Luffy after the fighting was done:

Based on this, I think that if we accept that Luffy’s actions have made Sanji respect him and have an impact on Sanji’s ultimate decision to leave Baratie and join the Straw Hats, we have to accept that the same applies to Zoro.

#arc: Baratie #on Sanji #on Zoro and Sanji #personal opinions #Whole Cake Island spoilers #(very mild ones)#i feel like this is very scatter-brained/all over the place #and badly written #and weakly 'concluded'#but i've gotta force the 'fuck it' point #please be gentle #*edited

20 notes · View notes

sleepdepravity · 7 years

Text

Okay so about the sanji rescue arc

For nami, the theme of the Arlong park arc for her was being able to accept and ask for help again. This was her whole modus operandi. She didn't tell any of the villagers what she was doing, she stole on her own. Literally in her flashback we can see the exact moment that she decides not to ask for help ever again and her famous line, the turnaround point, was her finally admitting she wanted and needed help

Robin's theme of her rescue arc wasmore about self worth and the fear of rejection, her flashback we get to see a lifetime of being told she's a monster and her existence itself is a danger, so her turning point was her own iconic words "I wanna live" and feoknthen on she does everything she can to preserve her own life

Usopp is also about self worth but in a different way, he kept comparing himself to his friends and found himself lacking because he doesn't punch people out, or anything like that. His furning point is sanji's welknown line and after that Usopp is able to basically save the day by being himself and doing what he's good at, no need to be luffy or zoro or sanji.

So with all that, what the fuck is the theme about sanji in this arc because I do not ficking know what sort of development I'm supposed to see in his character . Is it "don't do things on your own, ask your friends for help?" Except sanji doesn't even fucking ask, he just says "I can't just leave these shitheads to die" is it something about self worth...? Sanji has the line about "I thought I could just sacrifice myself and everybody else would be fine, I'm so fuckindumb" or whatever, but then nobody else says anything about it, it's neither validated or discouraged by the people around him....and right afterwards he was prepared to just stay anyways and deal with the genocide himself? Is it about not expecting forgiveness or kindness from others...? Except nami doesn't forgive him....and that low self worth isn't reflected in his backstory because despite being kicked around and told he's useless, he doesn't give up, he still tries to fight the brothers when he's angry and he still cooks after his mom is dead and he still isn't shy about telling reiju that he wants to be a cook. So that doesn't fit the theme

The theme of sanji's rescue arc just seems to be "hey look how kind sanji is" there's no development there's no character path or change or lesson or anything there's no real turning point that switches sanji from "before" to "after" its just, he's kind and fuck that fuck this this isn't the sort of plotting that sanji deserves to have

#malky talks about one piece #one piece #this stupid banana man #it's boring it's motionless it doesn't move anywhere #Robin afterwards starts calling her friends by name #Usopp afterwards feels like he starts phasing out his bluffs about his physical strengths #compare him trying to scare off miss merry Christmas with the 5 ton hammer #to him using the 10 ton hammer purely as part of his plan to win #Sanji goes nowhere

37 notes · View notes