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purplehairedwonder · 2 years

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Chapter 1056: Separate Paths

It seems like we’re this close to the end of Wano, which is kind of crazy considering how long we’ve been there. Things are wrapping up, plans are being made, alliances are ending (sob)...

So, Raizo and Shinobu are still shriveled after Greenbull’s attack.

Apparently, this is not a temporary change, as we see a recovered Shinobu later in the chapter.

If Queen is permanently thinned out as well, he’s going to be too popular ;-)

I’m just going to... move past the icky feeling I get from the most “unattractive” characters getting thinned out to be “attractive” now that the good guys have won because it’s such a small thing in the grand scheme.

Also, Tama as Shinobu’s apprentice is adorable, and so is Luffy offering to let her join the crew when she’s older. One Piece: Generations?

Staying with the Scabbards, Kin’emon remains wonderful. He’s so in love with Tsuru, who was wounded in Okobore, and I love him for it.

This is much more wholesome than the Shinobu/Raizo stuff.

The running joke of Kin’emon being clueless despite being considered a brilliant mind also makes its return, much to my amusement.

I’m going to miss him.

Additionally, now that Momo and Hiyori know about Sukiyaki, is he going to pass on the knowledge about reading the Poneglyphs?

Okay, one more Scabbards plotline: the Minks. Neko and Inu have decided to remain in Wano, leaving a leadership vacancy in Zou. There are plenty of qualified figures, you might say, like Wanda or Shishilian, right?

Nope. Inu and Neko want Carrot to be the new leader of Zou.

I understand the thought that her having been outside of Zou gives her invaluable experience, but, um, girl is 15 years old. I also understand that they see her as inheriting the will of someone important -- Pedro -- and inherited will is a core theme of One Piece.

But when you think about Pedro, he was a pirate who wanted to witness the dawn of the world -- which he believed to be coming true with the Straw Hats. If Carrot has truly inherited his will, it seems like she’d be more likely to continue traveling with the Straw Hats than rule on Zou. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Speaking of the Straw Hats, it was good to see Robin telling everyone about Pluton and getting the reminder of Franky’s ties to that Ancient Weapon.

Of course Luffy has no interest in it. Reminds me a bit of what Law tells Kid later about not wanting to be at an unfair advantage.

Also, it’s nice to just bask in this panel for a moment to see all the Straw Hats together, just hanging out like family. Makes me smile.

Someone else is spying here: Caribou. He’s planning to report to someone; Blackbeard, maybe?

OKAY.

Time for the best part of the chapter: Law in a tank top. Erm, I mean the Captain Trio.

No, I mean both ;-)

Random: We’re seeing Law’s right arm here but no scar from the reattachment?

ANYWAY. Lots to unpack here:

I’m sad to see Law and Luffy going their separate directions. They’ve been working together for nearly 400 chapters now; Law proposed the alliance in chapter 667 and Luffy accepted in 668. That’s almost half the series they’ve been allies. And while I’m certain Law will be back before long (he’s far too tied to the series endgame on several fronts), I don’t want him to leave.

And then there’s Law: oUr AlLiAnCe HaS rUn ItS cOuRsE. wE’rE rIvAlS aGaIn.

Whatever, Law.

We also haven’t been relying on the Log Pose to determine the next island since Fishman Island. It’s kind of weird to see it again.

I notice that Law is the only one with his navigator in the picture when he chooses the direction he wants to take. I love him giving the other two captains shit for just choosing the middle route.

Also, I wonder why Oda chose to draw the compass off-center. This panel is strange.

EDIT: Good Reddit post on this very topic here.

As for the three islands the trio may be going to, it was pointed out on Reddit that the Road to Laugh Tale that three main islands were noted as being potential locations for the final Road Poneglyph.

I wonder if each captain will be heading to one of these three. If that’s the case, I’d bet on the following: Straw Hats going to Elbaf, Hearts to Vira, and Kid to Hachinosu/Fullalead. Of course, that would put Kid on a direct collision course with Blackbeard.

I get the strange feeling that Luffy losing the draw to Kid is actually going to be better for him, and Kid ending up in Blackbeard’s path would fit that.

Notably, Vira is tied to the Revolutionary Army, so it would be interesting to see Law get pulled into that story somehow, especially considering his hatred of the World Government after Flevance and Sabo’s whole *waves arms*.

And, of course, Usopp has wanted to visit Elbaf since Little Garden.

The next big reveal, of course, is about Buggy:

I am dying to see what the actual dynamic is here because you know it’s not what it looks like. Zoro and Luffy recognize that, while Law has the perspective of most people who aren’t familiar with the figures in question:

Luffy -- Luffy, of all people -- calling Buggy a moron had me rolling.

Putting bounties on the Marines, though, is a ballsy move on the part of the pirates, and I am absolutely here for it.

Then we get Law giving Kid a copy of the Road Poneglyph from Wano:

Honorable Law, recognizing that Kid deserves his share of the loot for his part in defeating Kaido and Big Mom.

So, Poneglyph count:

Luffy: Zou, WCI, Wano

Law: Zou, Wano (I suppose Luffy might have shared the WCI with him or he might have gotten a look at it at some point but let’s assume not)

Kid: WCI, Wano

Luffy’s the only one with someone on his crew who can read them, though. Robin and Law do have a connection, though, so I wonder if she helped Law with this at all once Law revealed his name to her.

However, Kid doesn’t seem concerned. He’s going to look for a figure marked by flames.

Lots of theories about who this might be. Sabo (unlikely; what would he know about One Piece?), Aokiji, Dragon, a previously unknown survivor of Ohara... I’m guessing it’s not someone we’ve met yet.

Luffy has no idea what they’re talking about but Law’s reaction is interesting. I think he knows what Kid’s talking about. Robin’s reaction is also interesting; is her confusion toward what Kid said or Law’s reaction, considering the panel comes right after Law’s?

Lastly, we get Yamato’s declared intention to join the Straw Hats. (Luffy still hasn’t said anything about this, though, which is interesting since he so easily said yes to Tama earlier in the chapter.)

Look, I haven’t made a secret of the fact I’m not a Yamato fan. And I’m not interested in having him join the Straw Hats for a couple of reasons:

1) The Oden schtick. I understand it was clearly a trauma response, but it has really grown old. I can see Luffy telling him that he has no interest in Oden on his crew but would welcome Yamato. I’m open to liking the character more if we stop getting the Oden stuff.

2) The crew balance. Oda is already struggling to balance the screentime of the current Straw Hats, and that was even before Jinbei joined. (We still haven’t gotten his toast yet.) Yamato is a character that desperately needs a character arc to feel like he belongs on the ship, but there’s so little time for that since we’re now in the endgame of the story. Having to balance the sheer amount of story left to be told, the current Straw Hats, the supporting characters... this does not feel like the time to bring in yet another crewmate.

Oh well. Oda’s gonna do what Oda’s gonna do. I’m just going to sit in a corner and ogle Law in his tank top.

#Trafalgar Law #Monkey D. Luffy #Eustass Kid #Kin'emon #Shinobu #Raizo #Yamato #One Piece #One Piece 1056 #One Piece chapter 1056 #One Piece spoilers

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animebw · 2 years

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One Piece: 1000 Chapters Reflection

A thousand chapters is a lot. It’s a lot of story, it’s a lot of content, and it’s a lot of real-time work that’s gone into it. It has been over two decades since One Piece started to reach this milestone. Really think about that: I just turned 24, which means One Piece at 1000 chapters is almost as old as I am. Are you the same person you were 24 years ago? I’m sure as fuck not. And neither, of course, is One Piece. Over those long years, it’s grown and changed in so many ways, a living document to its creators’ own evolution. For better or worse, the One Piece of today is not the One Piece that Oda started writing in 1997, as many similarities as they may share. And since it’s been about 400 chapters since my last big reflection on the series, I figure what better time to take stock of things again than such a grand milestone?

Post-timeskip One Piece has been... weird. I mean, One Piece has always been weird in a lot of ways, but the Paramount War and its fallout have changed this story’s trajectory in some pretty fundamental ways. Time was, the Straw Hats had chances to explore the smaller, weirder pockets of the Grand Line that existed just off the beaten path. Sidetracks like Skypiea, Long Ring Long Land, and Thriller Bark, while having their own connections to the grander story, could also comfortably exist as self-contained adventures in between the meatier plot stuff. That is no longer the case. From Fishman Island to Punk Hazard to Dressrosa to Zou to Whole Cake Island and all the way to Wano, the world of post-timeskip One Piece is a world where the overarching narrative has fully taken hold, and every adventure the Straw Hats take must be in service of it. And considering how drastically the Paramount War shook up the status quo, it makes a lot of sense. Who has time for sidetracks after Ace’s brutal death? Who has time for sightseeing now that we know just how badly this world needs to be turned on its head? Luffy and his friends are no longer merely travelers charting their own course; they’re actors on the stage of history itself. Their presence in the world is just too damn big now for them not to be at the center of attention.

And if nothing else, these past 400 chapters have indeed been big. The longest, most complex arcs with the most characters jockeying for focus, detailing staggeringly large battles against the most powerful forces active in the world. Even the shortest arcs are still packed with mind-blowing revelations about the nature of the world and the forces that have shaped it history. The shock and awe that was the Paramount War’s massive scale is now just par for the course. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s mind-blowing. It’s some of the coolest, most creative shit I’ve seen in long-form adventure stories.

It’s also more than a little exhausting.

Here’s the thing: when you’re stuck in the same mode for an extended period of time, no matter how well you pull it off, it’s going to start losing its potency. Shock and awe the first time is a spark of life; shock and awe repeated for almost a full decade of real time just becomes normal. One Piece has been in its post-timeskip Everything Is Massively Important stretch for almost as long as it hasn’ t been at this point. That is a long ass time to keep hammering the drums at full volume and expecting the audience to cheer just as loudly. As much as I want to match its energy, my voice is going hoarse, and I just want it to cool it on the heavy metal anthems and throw in a couple acoustic guitar love ballads to give me a chance to recover, if this extended metaphor makes sense. But no, every new arc is another intricately detailed location to learn the ins and outs of, another gargantuan cast of characters to care about, another explosion of critical plot information and dramatic story beats to keep track of. It’s so much information not just to keep track of, but to stay invested in. And if you start running out of steam at any point, you’re only gonna get further behind because there are no pockets of rest to catch up.

And listen, I know it’s a bit of a running joke at this point how bad I am at remembering story details. But really think about it. Think about how fucking huge this manga is now. Think of how many people, places, things, and events there are to keep track of on a regular basis, how there is only ever more added to the pile. Sure, it’s fine if you’re already a super-fan and enjoy dedicating your life to cataloguing every last detail Oda scrawls in the margins, but what if you’re not? At what point does One Piece become so complicated that only the most devoted fans are able to invest the time necessary to even follow that’s going on? I consider myself a pretty big fan, and yet even as I chew through it on a fairly consistent basis, there is still so damn much I can’t keep track of. Imagine if I didn’t have you guys as a personal encyclopedia I could turn to whenever I’m feeling lost. And now imagine the countless more casual One Piece readers who don’t have literally over a thousand followers to answer all their pressing questions at the drop of a hat. Not to constantly bring up the dreaded comparison, but there’s a reason Gintama spaced out all its huge, earth-shaking arcs with hours and hours of more character-focused downtime that furthered the story and themes in more subtle ways. It gave you time to decompress and truly internalize the importance of every last moment, only letting loose with the truly relentless fireworks for the final stretch. Honestly, I may remember more details about that show three years after watching it than I do with One Piece mere months into the past. Unfair comparison or not, that’s pretty telling.

Sure, I’m not gonna pretend it’s been all bad. The best of post-timeskip One Piece has been a truly incredible roller coaster ride of cool moments and shocking reveals. And if nothing else, the villains have been top-tier. Big Mom, Kaido, and especially Doflamingo are the best antagonists we’ve gotten yet, bad guys who cast huge shadows over everyone and everything caught in their wake. They’re titanic, impressive threads, but more importantly, they’re human in ways that make their monstrosity all the more compelling. Dofy and Charlotte’s portrayals as warped children who never got a chance to grow out of their worst impulses, the added complexity of Arlong’s hatred for humans... in a rogue’s gallery that’s too often fallen back on assholes just being assholes, the villains of recent One Piece have cast this world’s forces of evil in a much messier, much more compelling light. It’s one thing just to beat up dickheads because they’re dickheads; it’s something entirely different to recognize parts of yourself in the monsters you’re fighting. Especially when the ultimate goal is to overthrow the broken system those monsters are entwined in.

And yet. Every time I take a step back and look at what One Piece has become, I can’t help but think about the other One Piece. The One Piece that existed before all the different factions and leaders, all the alliances and betrayals and upsets, all the countries and legacies and histories, all the Warlords and Emperors and Navy Captains and Worst Generation Pirates, all the world-shaking events and earth-splitting battles, all the armies slamming against each other while their champions duke out one-on-one, the old masters, the new upstarts, the ordinary people caught in the crossfire, the details I remember, the details I’ve forgotten, the details I’ve yet to learn, the details I likely won’t remember, the dragons, the poison gasses, the living dolls, the mermaids, the ponegliffs, Laugh Tale, before even the Grand Line itself...

And I realize just how little of all that even holds a candle to this.

The One Piece I fell in love with wasn’t a gigantic, sprawling epic. It wasn’t a story about the Straw Hat Pirates reshaping the world with grand strokes of their pen. It was a story about, well, the Straw Hat Pirates. A story of lost, broken people finding their strength in each other, giving each other the courage to overcome the chains that bound them. A story of a small group of friends in a must larger world than we could ever imagine, coming together as the family none of them ever found in their lives before. THAT’S why this manga was able to so thoroughly sink its claws into me before we even technically finished the prologue. The adventure itself, and the prize that lay at the end of it, was never the point. The One Piece was never the point. The point was the people who came together to embark upon that adventure in the first place.

Yes, some incredible moments have resulted from One Piece’s jump to epic fantasy. It has accomplished some truly amazing things by going so big and staying so big. But when I find myself thinking back on the moments of this manga that truly linger with me? It’s never the big, earth-shattering revelations or the battles with hundreds of named characters.

It’s a silent gesture to a comrade saying goodbye, a promise that no matter how far apart they may grow, their bond will never be shattered.

It’s deciding to make the world itself your enemy if it means standing up for someone you care about.

It’s falling to your lowest point and realizing that when everything seems lost, there’s still one thing worth fighting for.

This is what One Piece is to me. This is what this manga is capable of at its best. This is why I cared enough to stick through a thousand goddamn chapters, just to see how this found family would make it out okay.

This is also what’s been almost entirely absent from modern One Piece’s relentless bombast.

And I miss it.

I miss it so fucking much.

I have not fallen out of love with One Piece. I probably never will fall out of live with One Piece, even if it somehow becomes terrible. At this point, I’m in too deep. And there is still plenty to love about the colossus it’s become. But the longer we’ve spent since the Paramount War, the more I’ve come to realize that my favorite version of this manga is gone, and it may never truly come back. And that’s a disappointment I’m not quite sure how to fully shake off. For all the great things it’s done and is still doing, I wish I lived in a world where it could do those things and still retain the emotional character focus that made its best moments so special. Sanji’s arc in Whole Cake Island came the closest, but the myriad problems with his character meant it could only go so far. And that kind of storytelling has become an outlier in Oda’s writing now. That just isn’t the kind of manga this is anymore.

One Piece is good. Often, it’s great. At times, it’s a powerhouse second to none. As long as Oda keeps writing it, I will keep enjoying it, flaws and all. I’ll enjoy the insanely deep lore and worldbuilding, the absurdly massive fights, the shockingly compelling villains, and the few moments of intimate characterization it still has every once in a while (while doing my best to ignore all the sexist moments). I’ll enjoy it all the way to Laugh Tale itself and the final revelation of what Roger’s treasure hoard has in store.

But as much as I’ll enjoy it... I know I’ll never stop missing when it could be this too.

I think that about wraps my thoughts up. Honestly, giving this whole thing a score feels pretty pointless, but I guess I’m at a... 7/10 right now? Something like that, at least. At any rate, I’ve got less than a hundred chapters to go, and it’s probably be just about a month until I’m fully caught up. Then I can suffer the weekly waits with all of you! Won’t that be fun?

Bon Voyage, friends. Until next time!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #one piece #one piece manga #luffy #monkey d luffy #zoro #zoro roronoa #nami #usopp #sanji #tony tony chopper #chopper #nico robin #franky #brook #jimbei

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tsarisfanfiction · 3 years

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Dang, you’ve done a shit ton of prompts. Can I add one more? Alt. Prompt 5, asleep on the couch, with Sanji if you’d like :)

Moonlight Contemplation

Fandom: One Piece Rating: Gen Genre: Angst/Family Characters: Nami, Sanji

It's difficult to recover from a betrayal. Just because Luffy had offered his forgiveness didn't mean that Nami's heart was ready to do the same just yet. @sicktember alternative prompt 5: Asleep on the Couch

I have never written Nami before, and I also haven't read WCI since it was first released so there might be some inaccuracies in here where I've misremembered things, but it was fun to poke at!

Sicktember 2021 Prompts - Somehow we’re most of the way through the month and I still have one or two in my inbox. I’ve added a list of what’s been done already and what’s sitting as a not-yet written request to the original prompt post if anyone wants to pick any of the remaining prompts, and yes, the alt. prompts are also fair game!

Silence wasn’t something Nami normally associated with her nakama. Whether it be Luffy throwing himself across the deck with whooping laughs, Usopp telling tall tales to an ever-awestruck Chopper, or Brook humming while caressing a guitar, to name but a few things, the Thousand Sunny was never silent.

Now, with half of their nakama absent, there was an unnatural void of sound hanging across the ship. Water lapped against the bow, wind played with the sails, and ropes creaked familiarly, the same as they always did, but it felt just a little bit hollow. And that was ridiculous.

Earlier, the gaping hole made sense. Sanji was gone, whisked off by the family he’d never mentioned to marry one of Big Mom’s daughters, and subsequently they’d been missing one of their number. One, crucially vital member, because they were all as important as breathing to each other, no matter what some of them said out loud, who had left willingly, hurt their captain, hurt her.

Nami definitely hadn’t managed to forgive that yet, no matter how much part of her heart sung at the knowledge their number was once again restored – increased, even, once Jinbei caught up to them. She wasn’t sure how she’d forgive it, either, even though she knew that one day she would – that was what nakama, true nakama, did, after all.

But Sanji was back, now. Battered and more than a little bruised, just like the rest of them, but back in the kitchen and kicking Luffy out whenever he got too close to the food being prepared even if it was clear he was simply going through the motions right now, trying to rediscover his feet because he’d been an idiot and left them. The Thousand Sunny shouldn’t feel so quiet, so empty.

Nami could only hope that it would be put to rights once they reached Wano and reunited with the rest of their nakama, even though that came with the knowledge that they’d be in Kaido’s territory – the Yonkou certainly wasn’t going to let that fly once he found out, and the Straw Hats had never been good at subtlety. In the meantime, something hung over their ship, and it left her feeling rather ill at ease.

The moon peeked out behind some clouds, streaks of cirrostratus that shone silver in the moonlight, illuminating the silent, still deck. Brook was at the helm, taking over from her for the second night watch, and the rest of her nakama were all tucked away in bed, where she was supposed to be heading.

She didn’t. Maybe it was because it was Carrot, not Robin, sharing her cabin – and no matter how much she adored the Mink, it was her nakama she needed – but she couldn’t bring herself to head to bed just yet. Instead of slipping through the door, her feet led her down to the grassy deck and she ghosted across, past the swing and the mast, before finding herself pushing the door to the aquarium open.

Once again only lit by what moonlight was trickling through the windows, reflecting and refracting off of the scales of the fish swimming around even in the middle of the night, it took her a moment to spot the lump on the couch.

None of her nakama should be in here at this time – she shouldn’t be in here at this time, either. Brook was the only one that should be awake, while the rest of them slumbered away beneath his feet, secure in the knowledge that their musician and ship were keeping them safe while the sun was down.

It wasn’t Carrot or Chopper; the unmoving figure was too big to be either of them. It was too still to be Luffy, and too quiet, no matter how many injuries her captain was recuperating from.

This was an encounter she wasn’t sure she was ready for, but her feet took her forwards instead of back, towards where silver moonlight shimmered through ruffled blond locks and kissed the bizarrely curled eyebrow she’d always wondered at and now knew was hereditary.

Sanji wasn’t moving. His eyes were closed and he was half-curled up on the long, plush sofa that ran all around the room. Breath fluttered in and out of a partially open mouth, causing loose hairs cascading in front of his face to quiver.

Asleep.

The rush of relief that coursed through her was pursued immediately by guilt. He was back, was nakama once more, and had sworn that he would never, ever, leave them again. She shouldn’t feel wrong-footed and awkward around him, but she was mature enough to know that whatever happened, their relationship wouldn’t be able to return to the way it used to be.

Nami only hoped that it went the same way as the Usopp saga, long ago at Water 7, and brought them tighter together rather than driving a rift deeper than it already had.

Why Sanji was sleeping in the aquarium rather than the boys’ cabin likely stemmed from the same place as her own unease; Sanji knew he’d messed up, acknowledged it and was trying to earn the forgiveness Luffy had already bestowed upon him. It didn’t take much of a ridiculous leap of man-logic to reach the conclusion that sleeping in the same room as the nakama he’d betrayed was wrong.

That wasn’t Nami’s place to deal with. She could bash him on the head and scold him ‘til kingdom come, and he might even obey her, but it wouldn’t be what he needed. This was a job for the boys to handle, although she suspected nothing would get through to him – no-one would try to get through to him, what with Luffy’s attitude of letting nakama work their own problems out at their own pace and the other boys currently on the ship following his lead – until they were a whole crew again and Zoro kicked his ass for being stupid.

Sanji hadn’t even pulled a blanket over himself, an act that could be laziness or self-flagellation, and that was something Nami could deal with. The last thing they needed after finally getting their cook back was Sanji falling to something as mundane as a cold.

He was, despite everything, still her nakama. Their relationship was bruised, and a little torn, but the bonds between the Straw Hats were tougher than that and she did still care.

If she didn’t care, the whole situation wouldn’t have hurt so much in the first place.

A throw was bundled awkwardly on the other side of the room, a left over from the last time they’d all been together, admittedly with the added company of Law and Caesar, and the Sunny had been happy. She collected it, feeling the cool fabric slide over her arms smoothly, before padding back over to Sanji’s still-sleeping form.

While he wasn’t sleeping in the cabin, he had at least remembered to change into sleep clothes. In the absence of his usual sharp shirt, bandages and bruises stood out starkly against his skin in a reminder of what he’d gone through before returning to them. With those on full display, it was much harder to forget that she was mad at him for leaving, and not for simply getting himself hurt – although the two were inseparably entwined so maybe it didn’t matter.

The middle of the night was not a time for deep thoughts like that, even if that was all her mind seemed to want to conjure. With a near-silent sigh, she gently draped the fabric over him, hiding all the bruises and bandages from sight. It didn’t really help her thoughts to settle, didn’t erase the knowledge that they were there, but somehow the little gesture helped her feel a little more like nakama again.

Not one of their – their – Monstrous Trio for nothing, Sanji stirred slightly, curly eyebrow twitching as something registered in one of his sleeping senses.

Nami was still not ready for that encounter.

She didn’t flee, but suddenly her cabin with Carrot instead of Robin didn’t seem like such a bad idea and her feet were carrying her out onto the grassy deck, past the mast, and up the steps to her cabin door.

Sanji didn’t follow. He probably hadn’t woken in the first place, despite the slight stir, and tension bled from Nami’s shoulders as she passed over the threshold and closed the door behind her.

She’d face Sanji again in the morning, when the sun was up and their nakama were in earshot and everything was as normal as it could be when half of them were missing. He’d make her an extravagant breakfast that tasted absolutely divine and she’d thank him and they’d try to re-establish the baseline of their relationship.

Nami didn’t know how long it would take, but she knew one thing: she couldn’t wait until her nakama were all together and whole again.

#sicktember2021 #one piece #one piece fanfiction #tsari writes fanfiction #nami #vinsmoke sanji #anonymous #sicktember

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heady-senpai · 5 years

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One Piece 944

I have my review for 943 still in my drafts. All I'm going to say is that reunion between Zoro and Sanji was epic!

So obviously 944 had to continue with the epicness right!?!

First we start with these 2 going back and forth of course just what we needed after all these years of these 2 being seperate

Zoro was fucking pissed! I love how they showed Zoro thinking of Yasu, my guy really fucked with Tonoyasu and looked heated in the last chapter when Orochi called Yasu a sewer rat or something along the likes of that. Zoro wanted blood. No fucks given the shogun was going to die,

BUT...........

Kyoshiro wasn't having it. First off he blocked that shit with his BARE HANDS! Zoro even looked surprised like who the hell is this. Kyoshiro called himself the guard dog of the shogun. Like was that sarcasm?!? I just cant help but get Gin Ichimaru vibes from dude. I bet he'll do a heel turn towards the end of Wano.

I love how Sanji is like think clearly Yasu sacrificed himself for a reason. So dope how Sanji is trying to hit Zoro with the logic. And then outta nowhere X Drake appears looking to settle the score with O Soba Mask. But Sanji just casually dodges him while holding O-Toko lol no need for raid suit yet 😎

I also just love how Zoro is just waltzing towards Kyoshiro as there's all this smoke and the samurai are about to shoot him. Then he says to Franky.

"They're all yours."

Like who knew Franky would just pull up like that. He's always been with the shits tho. One scene standing in the background next scene suplexing someone off a rooftop lmao

Everyone squads up and starts to make moves. Franky recovers Yasu's body now they just have to make a clean escape. Robin mentions coming up with a rendezvous point.

I wish the Zoro and Kyoshiro clash would be extended and really fight it out. I'm interested to see what Kyoshiro can do.

Luffy is just geeked to see his comrades going in. Haha I love the face he's making here! Lmao too geeked. Also the comments made by Hyou & Queen regarding The Straw Hats...

But then low and behold look who has arrived back in the jail smh

Luffy even comments he must've been captured purposefully.

Bogus that Orochi was like oh Kamazou didnt complete his mission ok off with him to the prison mines like damn dude hahah.

But it seems that Kamazou is not who we think he is. At first I was confused like what the fuck is his relationship to Kid!?!? And then it all made perfect sense.

IT'S KILLER!!!

He's been here in Wano Kuni this whole time fucked up on smile. The whole short story Kid gave about Killer never laughing anymore because he hated his laugh and how he wore a mask to cover up himself was short sweet heartfelt and to the point.

Kid has been looking for his comrades this whole time.

They literally fucked up his whole crew. I wouldn't be surprised if Killer is the only one left alive. They did Killer so bogus by giving him so much Smile.

Because my thing is even with the effects of Smile you should be able to communicate and have conscious thought so why the hell is Killer all drugged out not talking, only laughing, and following any of Orochi's orders. I didn't think the Smile made you subordinate and follow orders. Like it really seems as if his personality is gone or is trapped within himself because the image above looks like those are tears of pain.

I felt for Kid as he screamed out, "WHO DID THIS TO MY PARTNER!?!?"

Imagine Luffy seeing Zoro like that. He would be going nuts.

So Killer and Kid are being dunked headfirst into water until Luffy and Hyou die.

I want to see Luffy fight Queen and take out a Yonko Commander without an asterisk next to the fight like all of Whole Cake Island.

(Oda made it seem like Luffy is no match for him yet.)

Luffy yells he's the one who will decide where he dies (like any good MC). I swear this is some foreshadowing.

And then the Big One arrives

There is going to be a bloodbath. Big Mom has that look in her eyes. I wonder if there is more O-Shiruko, if not they're all fucked. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone left while she was rampaging.

I really enjoyed this chapter. I felt as if the plot moved along very progressively and there was not a slow point in this chapter I was thoroughly involved and on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.

Favorite Parts of this chapter:

Sanji & Zoro interactions after so long.

Zoro showing emotion and being really pissed off going straight for the shogun's head.

The Straw Hats there with immediate backup.

Kyoshiro blocking Zoro's flying slash with his hand

Kid is back

Killer is Kamazou

Luffy's reaction to his crew and his comments to Queen

BIG MOM

9/10 chapter.

Upon further review this shit was a 10/10 chapter damn near the best from Wano.

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purplehairedwonder · 3 years

Text

Bent But Not Broken

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Trafalgar Law/Monkey D. Luffy (pre-relationship) Words: 2,127 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Monkey D. Luffy, Basil Hawkins, Bepo Note: This was written for the “I’m Fine” square on my Bad Things Happen Bingo @badthingshappenbingo card.

Feel free to send prompts for additional fills!

This could be read as a loose sequel to “A Rope That Wears Thin,” but it stands on its own.

Summary: In the aftermath of his torture at Hawkins's hands, Law prefers to lick his wounds in private. Luffy, newly returned from Udon, has other ideas.

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

“White Chase-ya?”

Smoker’s eyes flicked in Law’s direction, and his lips thinned into a line. “Law.”

Law frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Smoker grimaced and leaned back against the wall of his cell. The Seastone shackles around his wrists clanked with his movements. “Somehow, I keep getting caught up in your shit with Joker.”

Law snorted despite himself. He supposed it was a bit of déjà vu, calling back to being locked up on Punk Hazard. Too bad Law was restrained with actual Seastone this time.

Penguin was looking between Law and Smoker, confused, but he clearly knew he wouldn’t get an explanation so instead asked, “Did Akainu really let Doflamingo out of Impel Down and give him a ship to go after Captain?”

Smoker grunted. “Is that what he said?”

Jean Bart nodded. “He also said he wasn’t interested in running errands for Akainu.”

“That much is true, anyway,” Smoker replied. His tone made it eminently clear that he was unhappy to be having this conversation with three pirates—but he answered anyway.

“What do you mean?”

“Sakazuki did want to go after Law,” he said, nodding in Law’s direction. “And after Dressrosa, he thought he could use Doflamingo to do it.”

Had Law had the energy, he would have straightened at that. As it was, he narrowed his eyes. “What does he know about Dressrosa?”

Law knew Penguin and Jean Bart were watching him—he’d been intentionally vague about what had gone on there and why, though Penguin knew far more than most of the Heart Pirates about Law’s history with the former Warlord, and he’d rarely mentioned it since. At the moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care. The last thing he wanted was his history with Doflamingo to become common knowledge. Sengoku knew because of his connection to Cora-san, but Law got the impression the man was content in his retirement to let things lie in his adopted son’s memory. Akainu, though… The less that son of a bitch knew about Law, the better.

Smoker appraised him from his cell before speaking. “Whatever Fujitora reported, I assume.”

Of course. Though he wouldn’t know the details of the backstory, Fujitora had witnessed enough to know there was a history there—one that was intensely personal on both sides. That could have been enough for Akainu.

Law let out a breath. “Right.”

“Captain?” Penguin asked quietly, but Law shook his head. Penguin frowned but nodded.

“Why the sudden interest in the Captain?” Jean Bart asked. “He’s been an Emperor for two years now.”

Smoker shifted, seemingly looking for a more comfortable position. “It’s not sudden. Sakazuki’s had it in for you since you saved Straw Hat Luffy at Marineford,” he replied, addressing Law directly. “He took that as a personal insult. And then you pulled that stunt to become a Warlord and made an alliance with the rubber idiot before proceeding to completely upend the status quo on the Grand Line.” He raised an eyebrow. “Need I go on?”

“I broke the gears,” Law had said when he’d destroyed the SAD production on Punk Hazard. And the effects had certainly avalanched after that, though Law hadn’t necessarily expected to see it.

“I’m sure he’s thrilled the alliance hasn’t ended either,” Law muttered.

Law had known that he was in this alliance for the long haul the morning after Doflamingo’s fall. Law had been sitting, his body broken and spirit afloat, among the drooping sunflowers as the sun rose over the toy soldier’s cabin. Luffy, who Law thought had been sleeping off his injuries, had sat down next to him with a murmured “Torao” and had gently entwined their fingers. Law had leaned into him in silent response. Thank you. Why am I alive? What do I do now? all running through his mind. Luffy had tightened his grip on Law’s hand, anchoring him.

“He knew targeting you would draw Straw Hat’s attention,” Smoker confirmed. “He was counting on it.”

“Is he trying to start a war?” Penguin demanded, aghast.

“The closer Straw Hat comes to finding Laugh Tale, the more anxious he gets. He’ll take any chance to stop that from happening.” Smoker shrugged. “Though it’s moot now; Doflamingo screwed Sakazuki over.”

“Which brings us back to the Captain’s original question: How do you figure into this, Smoker?” Jean Bart asked, crossing his arms. Law belatedly noticed that Jean Bart had shackles around his wrists as well, though they were of the regular sort since he wasn’t a Fruit user. A quick glance confirmed Penguin did too.

“I was assigned to lead the mission. Doflamingo was chained with so much Seastone I could barely get near him, and he was guarded by multiple soldiers at all times. He was supposed to be an asset, nothing more.”

Law raised an eyebrow, lips twitching. “You were coming to take me on, White Chase-ya?” Their last fight hadn’t gone particularly well for Smoker, though he had saved Law’s life by recovering his heart from Vergo. Law would always hate the Marines after what had happened to Flevance, but Smoker was one he grudgingly respected. Still. “Should I be offended that I didn’t even warrant an admiral’s attention?”

Smoker replied with an unimpressed look. “The admirals have been spread thin over the last two years, and you know it.” It was true; since Doflamingo’s fall and the end of his underworld empire, the dissolution of the Warlords, and Kaido’s defeat, the admirals had had their work cut out for them keeping the peace.

“Even so, attacking an Emperor without an admiral—” Jean Bart began.

“And with a former Warlord on board,” Penguin added helpfully.

“—seems like a mission that should be led by an admiral,” Jean Bart finished.

Law found himself wondering if Akainu sent Smoker because he had history with Law… and Straw Hat-ya.

Smoker sighed. “Like I said, its moot now anyway.”

“Because Doflamingo escaped,” Law supplied.

“Once we approached your territory, he was released from the strongest Seastone restraints with the understanding he’d be shot on the spot with a Seastone bullet if he pulled anything.”

Law grimaced. Idiots.

“Oh, so it’s your fault Captain got shot,” Penguin snapped. “Always so competent, you Marines.”

Smoker startled, turning to examine Law. Law gestured weakly at his wound, his shackles clinking. “Seastone bullet lodged in my shoulder.” His lips curled. “Thanks for that.”

“That explains a lot,” Smoker mumbled before raising his voice. “You’re right.” He said it as if it took a great amount of effort to make the concession. It probably did. “He took control of the ship almost immediately. He overwhelmed us, and he forced my men to cuff me, knowing I wouldn’t fight them.” His voice tightened as he spoke, barely containing his fury at the memory.

Something was still bothering Law. “Where’s your number two? The swordswoman.”

Smoker’s expression darkened. “He’s got her on guard duty. She was watching me when he attacked you.”

That explained why Law hadn’t seen either of them earlier; Doflamingo likely hadn’t wanted to risk losing any measure of control of the situation by putting familiar faces in the battle.

“Has Doflamingo said what he wants?” Jean Bart asked after a quiet moment, eyes flicking to Law before returning to Smoker.

Smoker shook his head before landing his stare flatly on Law. “He just called it Family business.”

-----

Law jerked into full consciousness, hissing as his shoulder flared and blinking as the brig door opened and light once more flooded the dim room. After the conversation with Smoker, the four men had fallen into an uncomfortable silence. Law had felt drained—and by more than just the excessive amounts of Seastone he was being exposed to.

At some point, night had fallen—the Heart Pirates’ confrontation with Doflamingo had happened near dusk, and Law had apparently been out for several hours after that—though the darkened brig gave little indication of the time of day. Law had slumped back against the wall in the least painful position he could manage and had drifted in and out of wakefulness, familiar dreams of gunshots, black feathers, blood, and laughter never far from the back of his eyelids.

Two Marines entered the brig and stopped in front of Law’s cell. Law watched as they opened the door and stepped inside toward him. Despite the movements Doflamingo’s strings were forcing them to make, they looked back toward Smoker.

“V-vice Admiral,” the second Marine muttered. “We can’t—”

“I know,” Smoker gritted out. “Don’t blame yourselves. Focus on staying alive now to fight back later.”

“Yessir,” both men agreed before returning their attention to Law.

Law inhaled sharply and his vision spun as the Marines hauled him to his feet.

“Captain!” Penguin called as the Marines pushed Law out of his cell and toward the door. Law didn’t resist; he didn’t have the strength to with the Seastone still in his shoulder. “Where are you taking him?”

They all knew the answer to that question. “Doflamingo wants to see him,” the first Marine said in unneeded confirmation.

“It’s fine, Penguin,” Law said over his shoulder. “He wants me alive.” For how long, Law didn’t know. But he could use this chance to do some reconnaissance—anything was better than just sitting in that cell helplessly.

“But—”

“Penguin.” That was Jean Bart. Law was, not for the first time since Sabaody, thankful for the former captain’s calm and presence of mind; it had made him an instantly popular presence on the Polar Tang, and Law had always taken his counsel, when offered, seriously. “He knows.”

As the brig door swung shut, Law caught a glimpse of Penguin’s worried look and Jean Bart’s level, if somber, stare.

Law was surprised when the Marines steered him up some stairs then into a bathroom. “He told us to tell you to clean yourself up,” the second Marine said, nodding to the small bathroom. The Marines left Law alone in the bathroom, waiting outside.

For a moment, irritation at being underestimated flooded through Law’s veins, but it quickly diminished as he realized there wasn’t much he could do from here—the Seastone was suppressing his powers and draining his strength, and the small window wasn’t big enough for Law to fit through; and even if he could have fit through the window, where would he go? They were on a ship in the middle of the ocean, and Law was an anchor. Not to mention, two of Law’s men were still prisoners in the brig, and he wouldn’t leave without them.

Law took the opportunity to relieve himself then checked his pockets—an awkward task with his restraints. He sighed in relief when he found his surgical kit; the Marines must not have gone through his pockets once he was taken captive—or Doflamingo hadn’t made them do so. His mistake. With this, Law could remove the Seastone bullet from his shoulder and alleviate its worst effects. Or Penguin could. He hoped.

Returning the kit to his pocket, Law turned on the faucet and splashed some water in his face. He dared a glance into the mirror and winced. His features were (unsurprisingly) more drawn than usual, and though his navy shirt was dark enough to disguise much of the blood, there was still an obvious dark stain on the shoulder. He wet one of the towels then gently pulled the cloth of his shirt away from the skin, wincing when the dried blood caused it to stick. Once he’d separated the fabric from his skin, he took the damp towel and gently cleaned off as much of the blood as he could. It was awkward with his restricted wrists, but he managed as best he could. As the blood came away, the purpling of the skin became obvious around the bullet wound. He prodded around the wound with his fingers, grimacing at its tenderness.

There was a knock at the door. “All right, Trafalgar. Let’s go.”

With a weary sigh, Law splashed another handful of water in his face then dried off with a clean towel. He opened the door and allowed the Marines to push him forward down the hall again. He knew when to pick his battles, and this was not one of those times. Law did his best to make a mental map of the ship and number of Marines he saw, though his foggy mind wasn’t making that an easy task.

Eventually, Law was directed onto the ship’s deck. Law squinted at the morning sunlight, which was a stark contrast to the dim brig. He stumbled slightly, and the Marines shoved him forward. Law pressed his lips into a thin line but said nothing. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw he was been directed toward a small table with two chairs—one predictably occupied by Doflamingo. He was eating breakfast as Smoker’s number two was forced to stand behind him as a bodyguard. Law could practically feel the anger radiating off her, which he knew Doflamingo was basking in.

As Law approached, Doflamingo looked up and smirked. He gestured toward the empty chair across from him, and, when Law was too slow in taking it, twitched his fingers so Law’s Marine escorts pushed him down by the shoulders. Law ground his teeth against the jolt of fresh pain that radiated down his arm and through his chest but refused to give the other man the satisfaction of making a sound. Doflamingo’s smirk widened anyway. After dismissing the Marines with the wave of a hand, Doflamingo turned his full attention to Law.

“You know Captain Tashigi, don’t you, Law?” he said, nodding to the woman behind him. Her eyes flicked to Law and softened slightly before hardening again.

“We’ve met.”

“Hm. On Punk Hazard, wasn’t it?”

Doflamingo knew full well that was the case, so Law didn’t dignify the question with a response.

“Still delightful company, I see,” Doflamingo said, raising an eyebrow. “Some things never change, eh, Law?”

“My apologies,” Law drawled. “The Seastone bullet in my shoulder seems to be suppressing my manners as well as my Fruit.”

Doflamingo’s lips turned upward, apparently pleased at the response. “Fufufu. You must be hungry. Eat,” he directed, nodding toward the food on the table. No bread, Law noted idly.

Law didn’t move. Doflamingo sighed dramatically. “If I were going to kill you, Law, I wouldn’t have only shot you in the shoulder yesterday.” A twitch of the lips. “Besides, is poison really my style?”

Fine.

Still, Law raised his shackled wrists wordlessly, indicating how awkward it would be to eat with the restraints on.

Amused, Doflamingo twitched his fingers, and one of the Marine guards from earlier came forward. He brandished a key and unlocked the shackle on Law’s right wrist. Law let out a relieved breath before he could stop himself, but the relief was short-lived as he realized the Marine was locking the free shackle to the chair; Law’s left arm—the unwounded one—was essentially useless. If he was going to eat, he’d have to use his wounded arm.

Law clenched his jaw, biting down on the words he’d like to spit at the other man, as Doflamingo chuckled. “Fufufu. You knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, Law. Now eat.”

Doing his best to ignore the intent gaze of the other man, Law resorted to serving himself from the dishes closest to him so he wouldn’t need to move his arm too much. He ended up with some eggs and fruit. He blinked in surprise when another Marine poured coffee into the mug in front of him. Doing his best to control the trembling in his arm, he gripped the mug and took a tentative sip to test the heat of the drink. It was tolerable, so he took a larger sip. Blessed caffeine. It helped clear the fog in his mind the tiniest bit.

Law picked, one-handed, at the food on his plate and took sips of coffee as he waited for Doflamingo to get to whatever it was that he wanted. He’d just popped a strawberry in his mouth when the other man finally spoke.

“I told you once that I would have been happy to settle things between us over drinks,” Doflamingo said. “Do you remember?”

Law paused, then swallowed the food. He looked up at Doflamingo, who had steepled his fingers and was staring at Law over them. Despite everything that had happened—despite how much stronger Law was now—that gaze still made Law feel ten years old.

“As I recall,” Law replied coolly, “Fujitora was holding me down with his gravity force after you’d shot me with your bullet strings.” He inclined his head. “But yes, I do remember.”

“I meant it, you know. You’re Family. We all were waiting for you to return to your rightful place.”

Law snorted derisively, memories of waking up chained to the Heart Throne after being shot with lead bullets bouncing around the back of his mind. “Is that what we’re doing here? Making up for lost time?” His eyes narrowed. “It’s hard to take you seriously when—” Law found himself suddenly without words as he thought about the previous day—about finding the smoldering wreck of Shachi’s ship and fighting to stop Shachi’s internal bleeding as he operated on his friend, about that damn gun—so just gestured at his shoulder with his free hand. He could feel sharp, fiery anger coursing under his skin, but the numbing effect of the Seastone doused it almost as quickly as it came on, leaving Law feeling cold and hollow.

“You know what kind of Family we are.”

Law distantly noted the use of the present tense but didn’t dwell on it. “And that’s why I never came back.”

Doflamingo was uncharacteristically silent for several moments before he finally spoke. “There’s been something I’ve been wondering since you came to Dressrosa, Law.”

Law inclined his head, waited.

“Where were you that night? Coraz- Rosinante said you were out of the Birdcage. But you weren’t, were you?”

Law blinked, startled by the question—and by Doflamingo’s use of his brother’s name. Whatever he’d been expecting the other man to say, that wasn’t it. He couldn’t read the look on Doflamingo’s face either. Law took a breath, collecting himself—what did it matter if he told him now?

“No, I wasn’t.” He could still feel snowflakes on his eyelashes and the walls of the treasure chest pressing in on him… “Cora-san put me in one of the treasure chests.” His lips twisted into an expression he knew was ugly. “I heard everything.”

Including Doflamingo declaring Law would be taught to die for him. It had haunted Law for years that, had he not heard those words and had the Family recovered him, he probably would have died for Doflamingo. Happily. For all the hatred Law carried for the man in front of him, he’d loved him once, too. The Family had called him a traitor when he put his vengeance plan into motion, but Law had been the one betrayed on Minion Island. He still woke up shaking and nauseated from nightmares in which he performed the Eternal Youth Operation, dying with a smile on his face for the man who’d murdered his savior.

Doflamingo stared at him for a long, tense moment as though placing Law into his memories of that night. It was… disconcerting. Then he nodded. “We never checked the chests.”

“No,” Law agreed.

Silence fell once more. Doflamingo continued to study Law across the table while Law tried not to think about getting out of the chest and walking away from the Family, sobbing soundlessly until he wasn’t.

Finally, Doflamingo seemed to shake himself out of whatever he was thinking and turned back to his involuntary bodyguard. “Take him back to the brig, would you, Captain Tashigi?”

#Caitlin's fic #One Piece fanfiction #One Piece #One Piece fic #Trafalgar Law #Heart Pirates #Donquixote Doflamingo

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