#Like Luffy could easily say this to anybody on his crew but | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wesleysniperking · 4 months

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Omg y’all. I know some people aren’t religious. And I’m not pushing anything onto anybody. But I just discovered something that stopped me in my tracks. This actually isn’t even really new to any Usopp fan, at least on Reddit 🤷🏽‍♀️ .

It’s another Elbaf theory (more so a connection).

Beware of spoilers!

So, I don’t know if Oda is a religious person, or even knows the story of David and Goliath. He very well might simply be irreligious. And as my sister put it, the best stories told by anybody are unknowingly from inspired by the bible. Oda has named some characters and things that come exclusively from the Bible.

But it has just hit me that Usopp is the David from David and Goliath. Okay, y’all have probably heard that (if you know you know). When some people have stated their Usopp Elbaf theory some have referenced David and Goliath. But get this…

NOT ONLY DOES DAVID FIGHT GOLIATH WITH A SLING, but what is significant is that David was also a shepherd. What do shepherd’s do? They take care of and guard sheep!

And Merry, her design and theme was that of a sheep! And y’all know how badly Usopp fought for her. He was willing to challenge his own captain over her, and that took guts and a strong asf conviction.

Of course of course, Usopp saw himself in Merry. He thought that if the crew could easily discard Merry they’d do the same to him. But that still doesn’t necessarily discredit my idea.

Usopp still fought for Merry because she had life, and was nakama. Like a true shepherd.

This is a passage in regards to the David parallel I’m trying for:

But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.”

David is pretty much saying that he’d fight tooth and nail for any of his sheep, and Usopp did so for Merry. And if I want to get a little punny here, sheep does sound like ship. And with this same conviction David was willing to fight Goliath.

But in all seriousness, there are a few parallels that I just can’t stop thinking about.

I asked my mother about the biblical figure David. And she told that he started out as this small shepherd boy and grew up to be king. Now Usopp isn’t a king. BUT 1) I know he’ll eventually become the king of shooters AND 2) during the Enies Lobby arc and Thriller Bark arc he donned the Sogeking persona. So, like David he did become a king, temporarily (and will STILL become a king). I know it doesn’t sound quite clear. But I think y’all know what I’m trying to say.

Therefore, I must reason with myself. With Usopp being such a king during the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arc, and being right about Merry, I think the only reason why he apologized was to be humbled. I think that’s one of the only ways I can put it since I’m not truly certain if Usopp needed to apologize but we’ll save that for another day, or get over it.

Yet, I go back to David’s story, and I think about what happened after he became king. He became very problematic. Messing around with married women and what have you. So, Usopp needed to showcase humility. And Usopp did so by wholeheartedly apologizing to Luffy and the crew after leaving and rejoining the Straw Hats. Usopp can’t be too big headed.

Also, another thing I gathered was that David is known as the warrior king in the Bible. This aligns with Usopp’s dream and ideal: to become a brave warrior of the sea.

God chose David because he had a good heart. Don’t get me wrong, Usopp has his flaws (who doesn’t?). But that doesn’t mean he isn’t compassionate. He was willing to go to considerable lengths to have Kuro’s crew NOT touch the village. Despite not having 8,000 men to back him up, Usopp was willing to fight alone. He was adamant in saving the village with or without Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. Like David’s faith in God, Usopp’s conviction (the impossible an afterthought) gave him the faith to make the decision alone. The decision to fight with only his wit, determination, and superb marksmanship.

Therefore, Usopp has a good heart. He is the chosen one in his own way, simply because he’s just a normal person continuously underestimated because of his lack of physical strength.

Moving onto my next point.

Ever heard of the term the lamb of god? If not, I understand. But the lamb of god represents sacrifice. In Christianity this is the belief as implied in the Bible. And Merry, the ship Usopp fought so hard to save, sacrificed herself! She sacrificed herself to save Luffy and the crew! So that the Straw Hats could live!

I got this from journallive.com:

To be called a Lamb of God means that God gave Jesus to be killed like a lamb for our sins so we could live forever.” The majority of Old Testament passages that mention “lamb” refer to a sacrifice (85 out of 96). As a nation, Israel began its history by putting lamb's blood on the doorposts and lintels of each house.

The Strawhats aren’t immortal but we all know they’ll have a long lasting legacy. Merry is one of the reasons why they were able to move onto the New World (even if she wouldn’t be there with them), and live out their dreams. Back to the the David parallel, it’s significant to realize that Merry saved the crew mainly because of Usopp’s care. If he hadn’t taken care of Merry, Merry wouldn’t have developed a spirit. Merry wouldn’t have saved the crew. Simple.

It kinda makes me tear up just thinking about it. But like Christ, Merry sacrificed herself to save those she cared about. She sailed away with the crew one last time before she died to save them.

I understand if anyone reading this may debunk my words simply because they think I’m reading too much into things. But I don’t think I am, because like any Usopp fan, I think his actions during Water 7 hold a lot of meaning. Some say he did some stupid stuff in the Water 7 arc because of a stupid boat. But it wasn’t that.

So, how does this tie into Elbaf?

Well, a user on TikTok (m05s_3nergy) theorized that when the crew are in Elbaf, there will be a moment where they’ll encounter a formidable foe, and before the crew (or Luffy or another crewmate) step in, Usopp would step forward and let them know that he’ll deal with the enemy himself, and to move on without him.

Now, it’s up to anyone at this point to explore the possibility of him biting the dust or not.

One of the things I can conclude about each theory is that they all sound really cool, and I really do hope that Usopp will get a moment that’s similar to one of them. To have a David and Goliath moment isn’t as far-fetched as some would think because the most obvious parallel is less subtle than some think. Usopp admires the Elbaf giants and he’ll eventually be in the land of giants (Elbaf has been confirmed 👀). With Luffy’s track record they’ll come across trouble quickly, and as found in most of the arcs, a LOT will be going on. How can Usopp not have a moment to shine? When David dealt with Goliath it took smarts. He acquired 5 stones and with his faith in God, he was able to defeat Goliath.

Before anyone thinks that the Franky-Egghead hype and Zoro-Wano hype is what Usopp-Elbaf hype is. I think you’re mistaken. Since Little Garden, Usopp and Elbaf have been associated.

Usopp has befriended 5 (or was it 6?) giants from Elbaf. I can ramble on some more. But I’ll stop here. I just wanted to talk about the David and Goliath parallels and religious themes.

I might make a video on this very topic. There’s more research I need to do. And many more parallels I must make. So stay tuned.

Conclusion:

Usopp = David

Slingshot = Sling

Goliath/Philistines = Formidable opponent/admiral/Evil Elbaf giant

Israelites = Strawhats and Elbaf dwellers

One person already beat me to it when it came to my David being a shepherd parallel: https://www.reddit.com/r/WildAnimeTheories/s/Pi1h3PhNuN

The user expands on other theories I find valid as well. They’re worth reading.

Reddit users just love the David and Goliath parallels:

1: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/4jciG5CbiD

2: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/G8UNHHox2Z

3: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/F9XOlBV2st

4: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/vs0zolxht6

5: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/OB5WlCEjVZ

6: https://www.reddit.com/r/Piratefolk/s/zjqJPslEsp

7: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/VRfJoJCPJg (this post makes more connections).

8: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/7gNionwEhO

9: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/IbupOpfYwO

10: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/8iNZsaQpfE

11: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/7akm49XfYK

12: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/mpDbdWCOar

13: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/P0GW2ZZiun

14: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/6s9IdE1Tec

15: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/iJDeiyvmrc

16: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/s/Dh4XYYToxj

Many more theories and links I’ll provide in another post.

#WaitTillElbaf

usopp fan art credit: msprinklez (@danbooru)

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thekingofwinterblog · 4 months

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Thoughts on people saying "Kuina dieing to the stairs is anti-climatic!" To me it works, because that seems to be the conflict of Zoro's ark: pipe dreams vs cruel, sometimes even banal, reality - Kuina feared that she wont reach her dream do to simple biology, and she died because of something that could happen to anybody who is human and not a demigod - hell Zoro in the end is also a human, so what are the chances that he has the best swordfighter genes?

Guess the only flaw could be that in Arlong park the fishmen were said to be 10* stronger than humans, so by Zoro easily defeating them it kinda proves the point mute and makes Kuina sound like a brat "Well a man is 1.6 times stronger than a man, but fishmen are 10 times stronger, and I defeated the ez gg, git gud"

I really like Kuina and her story, but there is no denying that the original message it was trying to convey has been diluted HARD by One Piece's later developments.

The message of the tragedy of Kuina's death is indeed that simple, Banal reality is very much a thing that can upend pretty much anything. It's basically the same message of Usopp's backstory. his family's plans fell to pieces for the simple reason that his mother got sick and died after his dad left. no grand battle, or dramatic circumstances behind that. she just got sick and died.

It is very similar to Kuina's death, in how ambition, plans, and desires of Humanity can be derailed by mundane and cruel reality. That is life. To claim othervise would be naive. People Die.

That part still holds up.

The other big part does not. Namely her father's line "Humans are fragile beings Zoro."

The thing about this line, and it's importance in the context of One Piece has been destroyed over time to such a degree that rather than the feeling of grounded reality that it once brought, instead brings laughter by how untrue it actually is.

Early One Piece had a much, much less uncomfortable relationship with death than the Modern series which is terrified of killing people off.

This is not to say that tons of characters died, on the contrary, not counting flashbacks and chapter 1, you can probably count the people who died in East Blue on one hand(I can only recall Zoro's skinny opponent during the Kuro Arc), but Death was treated in a very different manner than it would be later.

When Oda had this random bandit gunned in the head in chapter 1, it was to set a tone. None of these characters are playing around, wheter they were pirates, bandits, marines or bounty hunters. They lived in a world where getting killed in a fight was a very real and expected risk.

When Usopp gets laughed at by the Black Cat Pirates, Luffy throws a huge boulder at them, and tells them in no uncertain terms that if they laught at him again, he WILL kill them all.

In the context of this world, Kuina's story has very specific point. Namely it's there to showcase that even if you do overcome your doubts and fears, and do commit to chasing your dreams, that is no guarantee for success.

You can still die, and in the stupidest ways, because this is not a universe where death is cheap. It does not take much to kill a human being.

This is also hammered in with what happened to the cook Pirates, a strong, and experienced crew that sailed and survived the Grand Line, and seemingly the New World as well... And they went down toa single, wave in the East blue they hadn't positioned the ship for.

despite their strength they went down like complete chunks.

Just like Kuina.

With all of this in mind, within the context of East Blue, Kuina's Death by a broken neck makes sense from a thematic standpoint.

If you look at it from beyond that era, and into the grand line, where death became as cheap as salt by the sea, it instead makes her going down to something as simple as falling down the stairs and breaking her neck, as something frankly hilariously silly, given just how many characters in this series cheats death, in the dumbest ways possible.

I could make a list of characters who the story would be better off if they died, and i would literarily be able to put up a list with at least over a hundred characters.

The simple fact is that the old tone where death is treated as a serious thing that can happen in any fight, is dead and gone, and has been for a long, long time in One Piece.

Thus removing one of the big thematic points of Kuina's death.

As for the other point, Kuina's actual strength, I dont really see that as a problem.

The Reality is that neither Kuina, nor Zoro knew ANYTHING about the "Real World" so to speak. That was mostly what Mihawk's entire speech during his and Zoro's fight was about. The fact that he was a big frog at the bottom of the well, who had never seen just how wast the world actually was.

While she was at a disadvantage in terms of the fact that her training would begin to produce slower results than Zoro's due to simple biology, the reality is that the strength ceiling of One Piece seems to be the same for men and Women.

After all, Big Mom was by all accounts just as strong as Kaido, able to fight him to a very comfortable draw withouth any greater injury.

Hell, you could make a very good argument that the reason why Big Mom never managed to surpass Whitebeard and had to settle for just being one of the other Yonko who were not the Strongest Man in the World, was because she let herself go really, really hard. Who knows how strong she might have become if she had kept herself in shape rather than just indulge in hedonism completely and become utterly decadent.

There is also the reality that Kuina is drastically underselling her own strenght and potential, because by all accounts, Kuina was a monster in her own right.

Zoro used to train by lifting boulders over his head while training to fight her.

And Kuina was stronger than him. and not by a small amount either given her unbroken 2001 win streak.

Her greatest problem was, at the end of the day that despite being blessed with immense natural skill and strength(much moreso than Zoro) she had a fragile self esteem, in large part caused by her father's upbringing that told her she was destined to failure.

Her story was about overcoming that, and her tragedy was about the fact that after doing so, her dream was still snuffed out to something completely unrelated to any of her worries or struggles.

#one piece #shimotsuki kuina #roronoa zoro #charlotte linlin #meta #analysis #questions and answers

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cebwrites · 2 years

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Red Hair pirates anon here! that's totally fine! I get not wanting to jump into something without being more sure, since Shanks wasn't on the masterlist I debated at first but glad to know!

instead of that crew then what about the Strawhat crew then? Luffy invited new crew member after (incident they met/beat up the same person lol) then Luffy convinced this complete stranger to join the crew. its clear they're nervous/not so open in the merriment then it's revealed it's cause they're trans.

a much smaller crew/ship nothing stays secret forever, even if the Strawhats are friendly, new crew member can't help being wary from past rejections.

can do, anon~

coming out to the strawhats as transmasc

various trans/queer hcs for the strawhats word count: 1k

My readings of characters tend to lean very queer anyway, so you honestly could come to me and say that the SHs were an all trans crew and I'd take your word at face value - lets take a “”conservative”” estimate though and propose that it’s, say, only Zoro, Franky, and Robin as binary-ish trans folk

And Sanji (after the timeskip and a LOT of tumultuous unlearning of embarrassing amounts of internalized trans and homophobia) and Luffy as the sort of nebulous genderfucks; Sanji has the vocabulary to describe his disconnect with gender, Luffy however is completely feral and doesn’t care - one of those “ate my gender like a beetle last week” lil guys

Point is, no one on this fruity little crew would judge you for it, some might need a bit of explaining (namely Luffy) but honestly it wouldn’t change anyone’s perceptions of you afterwards - Luffy would just hit you with the ol’, “oh, so just like Ace, cool!” and then ask if you’d like to see the bug he found under one of the floorboards

Least of all the older members; you don’t get to Warlord status like Jinbei and still have trans people elude your periphery when you’ve got people like Iva running about, and Brook? Well, even if he set sail a lot earlier than everyone else on this crew, pirates are meant to be wild and free, who cares about what’s in someone’s pants so long as it wasn’t a weapon

Plus, looking at him now, what does gender even matter to Brook anyway? He’s a bag of bones! Yohohohoho!

It’s easier said than done though, I get it, not everything is outwardly supportive and you can’t always be sure from the jump - depending on when you join, too, it might just be you and the East Blue crew and it’s not like Zoro’s particularly talkative about his experiences

When the man comes back post-timeskip with top scars from the vampire dad himself, though, that line of dialogue might be a little easier to have; he’s very matter-of-fact about it, talking about what it was like growing up in the kind of environment his master’s dojo fostered, how stifling it could be at times, Kuina, and how he vowed to rise above it all in spite of that, for the both of them

It’s a tender moment Zoro doesn’t have easily, but if it’s with nakama he’ll manage, just maybe don’t mention the emotional vulnerability in front of anybody else, okay?

Sanji’s love language, as it’s always been and not always romantically, is through food and cooking for those close to him, he won’t mention it unless you bring it up but he does see you hanging back a little bit, understandable since not everyone is able to match the Strawhats’ bombastic energy right off the bat, but he does bring little snacks to you and make small talk in the hopes that you’d come around

He’s reassuring, joking about how the best of people probably wouldn’t adjust to this wild crew all that easily but you’d find your footing soon enough, share his reason for joining and you’d see the way he lights up when Sanji talks about the All Blue - nothing about gender was actually mentioned, but by the end of it you’d feel just that much warmer

Usopp and Nami have responses not dissimilar from each other but approach it from different angles - they’d have an inkling of what’s going on but not really the tools to help, maybe even turning to Franky and Robin respectively as the resident trans parents to help out with the situation, but ultimately handle it in ways both unique to each other

Nami would huff at Luffy and the other’s antics from the shade of her Mikan trees while you were nearby, tsk’ing about potential collateral damage once Franky and his weapons join the fray before pushing down her shades and asking if you’d like to join them, when you decline, she smiles knowingly and mumbles that she supposes there can be exceptions to boys being boys

Usopp is a bit more skittish around the idea, as he usually, is but it doesn’t take long for him to fire off into one of his tall, unbelievable tales about how he’d fought and taken down giants before you joined the crew (not entirely wrong depending on when this is), how he was determined to be a brave warrior of the sea just like his father, but most importantly he wanted to be a man that his crew could depend on

All three of them, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp, don’t address the root issue, but their intentions are clear - they want you to feel welcome on this crew, make it your home as much as they have

Post-Enies Robin would be more willing to help, although a repertoire would have to be built up first - that’s more on her own issues surrounding trust and being vulnerable - she’d be a lot more open about it after the timeskip, talking you through potential ways you’d be able to tell the rest of the crew and calmly soothing your worries about any potential (non-existent in this case) backlash

If you came to Franky at any point about it, he’d be SUUUUPER supportive from the start, surprisingly good at keeping secrets despite his usual bluster; he kept Pluton out of the WG’s hands for that long before it’s eventual burning at Enies Lobby, no? Franky’s the best hype man once the cat is out of the bag too, you don’t really get much “bro”-er than the SH’s loveable (suuuuper) Cyborg

Chopper would also be overjoyed to help out his nakama as the crew’s resident doctor, maybe a little too excited at first and you have to remind the little reindeer that you’re not ready for everyone else to know yet, but once he’s calmed down your health, happiness, and confidentiality is 100% in good hands

All in all, your crew will support you with whatever decision you make regarding this going forward (just like they always have for any of their own’s wishes), and hey, if you need a little extra reassurance, all you’d have to do is ask and they’d be more than willing to shower you in it

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strawnav · 7 months

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@fumalsamakah : "You deserve someone you can trust." epic. yk who / accepting!

People are predictable — it's something Nami learned young. They're selfish but don't like to look that way. They all want something, and will do whatever they can get away with to get it. Even those who would scowl or sob at her story, at the idea of a little girl being forced to watch her mother killed and the closest she had to a father torn to ribbons — at the idea of a little girl being taken and hurt and turned object, turned thing — would do the same if they thought they were strong enough.

It's good, how predictable people are. After all, it saved her from having to truly understand them. She's never been any good, not really, at understanding another's heart. She doesn't understand why Bellemere would rather die than claim she had no children. She doesn't understand why Gen would have rather died than let her be taken. She hadn't understood how Arlong could hurt her like that. She can't read others, and she knows that most would have happily used her just the way that monster did, if only they were strong enough. She doesn't understand others, but she knows that most are selfish and cruel, just like she is, and so she can't trust anyone. And she hadn't trusted anyone, for years and years.

He's not like her. He can't trick others for shit, but Luffy can read others. Luffy understands hearts. She can twist a man around her fingers but she isn't nearly as strong as Luffy is in this. He had seen something in her worth protecting, worth seeking out, worth helping — her arm and the scar ache at the thought — long before she'd given him any reason to. She supposes he'd seen the same thing in men like Zoro and women like Robin. She supposes that's why he knows, even though it's been months since Arlong Park fell, even though she smiles so easily, even though he'd nearly died to heal her illness, that she doesn't trust any of them.

It's not personal. She can't read hearts but she knows that no one on this crew would hurt her the way Arlong did, knows that everyone would kill anyone who tried. But that hell — that tower and never having enough food and never going more than a few days without bruises and her bloodied hands and that fucking chain — took up half of her life. The habits — everyone wants to hurt you, you can't trust anyone, you can't depend on anyone, if you do you'll die or worse, they will — were learned too violently and enforced for too long for mere months of relative safety to undo them.

You deserve someone you can trust, her captain, who she cannot trust but who she's closer than she's been with anyone in years, says. She smiles, charmed and amused and, in the stunted way she half - feels everything real, clawing, throbbing grief for the girl that might have been able to trust the right way, had anyone like Luffy been there to save her before Arlong could break her entirely. Where were you, she'd thought before, when I was good?

You deserve someone you can trust, and Nami laughs, reaching forward, tugging the brim of his hat further down on his head to hide his eyes. He sputters but doesn't stop her, because he can read hearts the way she can't, because the hat is his treasure and, she supposes, because the crew is his treasure, too.

"I haven't trusted anybody in a long time, Luffy. But I've met some people I think I could get there with."

When his hat tips up, her smile is as teasing and mischievous as it always is.

"One, in particular — I think I'll get to where I can trust him pretty quick."

#fumalsamakah #main verse.#answered.#OH YOU KNOW #abuse /#i dont love this but if i poke at it anymore ill die #i just think its fun that while nami can manipulate people she doesnt actually Get Them in any meaningful way #so despite appearing emotionally intelligent at first glance her EQ is actually Not That Great #vs luffy who outwardly seems rly oblivious to everyone around him AND CAN SOMETIMES BE #but always understands ppl very deeply when it counts......i dunno the contrast is fun!

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myupostsheadcanons · 1 year

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One Piece Chapter 1081 Spoilers

The only people that can kill Garp (in a thematic story appropriate way) is Imu, The Gorosei, Blackbeard, or the reincarnation of Xebec.... anybody else would be shit.

Kuzon is not that guy. Akainu would leave a bad taste in people’s mouths. Kong would be confusing (like only if he was given orders by Imu or the Gorosei). and someone like Shanks or Mihawk would just be weird (same if Big Mom or Kaido are still around).

Dragon is likely not the “man marked by flames”... if it is someone we know of previously, it may be like Scopper Gaban or Silver Axe, someone from Roger or Rocks’s old crew. (imo, Scopper may just be at Laughtale, doing a Treasure Island thing).

We already seen the Flying Dutchman, it is Vander Decken’s ship (even tho he does have a devil fruit power that could move a ponygliph rather easily). There is also the Davy Back Fight and the whole thing with Davy Jones being a sea devil. A Davy Back Fight near the end of the series would be appropriate. It could even take place after the World Government is over thrown just to add some high-stakes levity to determine who gets to set foot on Laughtale First. (a last minute tournament of power... you say.... fffff)

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Like, going on the whole “One Piece is turning into Star Wars” kick.

Dragon...

We have characters in OP that deal with souls and the afterlife. One of them was right there on God Valley and with Rocks. That being Linlin. If someone gives their soul up willingly, she doesn't have to use force to steal it. She also doesn't have to take all of someone's soul. She could leave enough parts behind for them to still be alive/functional and have the rest in a Soul Jar somewhere else (maybe to be returned later).

What is Linlin going to do with a large chunk Rocks' soul after his body was killed? She could turn it into a Homie, that may end up turning on her.... or maybe even stick the soul in some unsuspecting toddler at some random port they come across?

And then we have Stussy Buckingham and MADS out there making clones of other Rocks Pirates. Clones have lineage factor that remembers past abilities of the person they were cloned from. It also takes 5 years for a clone to mature to 20yo (according to Judge and his clones). 35y ago Weevil was made, but wasn't successful. 5 years later (30y ago) was roughly when MADS broke up, as Vegapunk was experimenting on King/Alber and Kaido for the world Government when King was still a teenager (King is currently 47... and Yamato is 28, "born" shortly around that same time) .

So in that 5 years span (35-30y ago), there might be a MADS-made Clone of Rocks that could have been produced and even matured to adulthood.... The Clones have their own personalities independent of the person they were made from. (We see this with Weevil, S-Snake, S-Hawk, and Sussy Stussy) So while the original may be evil, their clone may be taught to be a better person.... and just killing that clone because of who they were made from before they even done anything would be murdering an innocent person....

but wait... what about introducing Rocks' Lost Soul to Rocks' Cloned Body? hmm....? Would the clone's soul be enough to win out and dominate/expel the other soul, or would they have to occupy the same space and constantly fight over who is in control... if that clone had 30 years worth of experience to grow and be independent on their own, it may be harder for Rocks to take control.

... Dragon gets possessed by Rocks. Kills Garp. Then Luffy, Sabo, and Koby team up to fight Dragon/Xebec... much like how Garp and Roger teamed up to fight Xebec on God Valley. Dragon is saved, but steps down as active leader of the Rev Army because his reputation is now in shreds, and Sabo is its new figure head.

Dragon/Xebec = Darth Vader

Garp = Obiwan

Luffy, Sabo, and Koby team up to avenge Garp and to save Dragon.

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Another fringe theory that is going around is that Xebec destroyed Akainu’s childhood home. (this is actually quite an old one)

So when MADs broke up 30 years ago, the Government absorbed all of Vegapunk’s assets. They found Xebec’s clone (Dragon) on ice. Garp took responsibility for the clone, named him, and thought bringing him into the Marines would be a good idea (this is not ooc for Garp). The problem is... Akainu recognized that this person looked just like Rocks, the pirate that destroyed his home. It started a heated rivalry between them.

Dragon was just naturally better at everything (lineage factor), and his “equal justice” mantra clashed with Akainu’s “absolute justice” mantra. Akainu may even be the reason why Dragon left the Marines, Ohara may not have been the first time Akainu went ‘overboard’ with his orders and it disgusted Dragon. At one point, Dragon may have even been fast-tracked onto a path of becoming a Vice Admiral or an Admiral and was given a logia fruit, but refused the promotion and left the marines instead.

Dragon vs. Akainu, Wind/Weather vs. Magma. It has been a long speculated fight. A fan favorite, if you will. The Revolutionaries vs. The Marines, and the two people at the top fighting each other.

#one piece manga spoilers #op1081 #one piece spoilers #one piece 1081

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tooweirdforyou · 3 years

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How The OP Boys Say “I Love You” To Their S/O

How You Know He Loves You- idk man

A/N : enjoy.

includes » Ace, Sabo, Luffy, law, Sanji, Zoro, Marco, Rosinante, Kid, Shanks, Mihawk, Katakuri, Izo, Koby, Cavendish,

Summary : the boys’ own way of saying “I love you”, with their own words and ways. Or, how you know he loves you.

? Wait did I do this before? I don’t even know. also these aren’t GREAT, but they aren’t HORRIBLE. Yk? Honestly tho, some of these seem like they’re all over the place, which yes, they might be. UGH IT WAS SO HARD THO.

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy loves you like an adventure. Everything is new and always fun to try with him, and no matter what happens, you don’t ever regret it, because you’re doing it with him.

He’s persistent in staying with you everywhere, he wants to do everything with you. He tends to invite you ( by pulling your hand ) to do crazy things with him and away from the others so you’re alone.

He’s always showing off his skills and stupidity in order to make you laugh, because your smile is the best thing he’s ever seen and giggles are the beautiful sound he treasures.

His actions are genuine when he holds your hand and pulls you to his side all the time, with the warmest, loving grin.

Luffy always makes sure to remind you to never give up hope.

“Let’s go on an adventure together, [Name].”

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro loves you like you’re his one and only. No one has priority over you, ( except maybe Luffy ), and you will always be his, if you’ll let him.

Zoro is not a man of many words when it comes to his own emotions and feelings, so he shows it through his actions.

He always has an eye on you, so wherever you are is where he ‘sleeps’ so he can keep you close, his swords at his side to protect you from danger, ( but he knows you can handle yourself. )

Zoro is the perfect person to lend a comforting shoulder and ear. He will listen to every single one of your problems intently and if he can, will offer the best advice you’ll hear, even if it’s a bit harshly. However, whatever got you so down, Zoro will bring you back up.

Zoro is always reminding you that you are strong, no matter how tough things get.

“Oi, come take a nap with me. I could use a body pillow.”

Portgas D. Ace

Ace loves you like a gentleman, respecting boundaries, bowing to the elderly you pass by together and always ready to pick you up for your date at seven, bouquet of flowers in hand.

If Ace is good at anything, it’s knowing how to distract you with a good time. He knows the best way to bring a beautiful smile to your lips and can easily make sure to avoid the thoughts that brought you down in the first place.

He’ll share stories that will make you die of laughter or feel so wholesome that you literally melt at how sweet it is.

The few times he expresses and shares his insecurities to you, something he hides within him because he trusts you enough to do so. He loves your understanding and comfort for him.

Ace always reminds you that you’ll be okay, even at the worst times.

“You are the light of my life.”

Chief of Staff Sabo

Sabo loves you like a prince. He holds the door for you, takes your hand so you don’t fall, has the most charismatic smile on his face and is just so charming.

Sabo will remember the littlest things, the smallest details that you yourself don’t even know until he reminds you, and because of this, you are often gifted the most memorable and cherishing gifts, like the scarf you two bought for your perfect snowman, to the necklace you were staring a little too longingly at on display.

He’s always busy, but he doesn’t hesitate to drop whatever he has just for you. He will run through fire if it means you’ll stop crying or if you’ll be happy to see him. You are his lifeline, his soul, his love.

He may not know how to properly cheer you up like his brothers can, but he knows that he wants the best for you. If you need space, you got it. You need some tender loving cuddles and buckets of ice cream while watching Disney movies? Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Sabo reminds you that you deserve happiness and peace.

“Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.”

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Law loves you like you’re his savior, someone who’s always there during his time of need and insecurities, by his side when he needs you most.

He’s a little blunt and straightforward occasionally, but he’s honest somewhat. He won’t ever tell you his feelings until he deems it the right time, but you can tell he has feelings by the change in treatment.

He’ll keep you closer to him, making excuses by saying that he needs you to help him with the supply run, or that he needs your assistance with a particular menial task.

He’s awkward and shy about it at first but he cares and that’s all you need to know. Especially once you catch him during one of his weaker times, the anniversary of a particular someone rolling around, where he’s locked in his room. He needs you beside him, so please don’t leave him when he needs you.

Law reminds you that you are human, that it’s okay to be vulnerable.

“Just stay here with me.”

Vinsmoke Sanji

Sanji loves you like a god/goddess. He will treat you with the utmost respect and care and offers you everything you could possibly want or need, just say the word.

His genuine, endless daily compliments are given to you with pure love and passion, his daily refreshments and snacks to keep you energized and hydrated keeps an eye out for your health.

He makes sure you know the true meaning of flattery, chivalry and love, because that is all he can show you.

However, under that chivalrous exterior, is his calmer, understanding loving self, where he shows his true self and when he finally shares this side with you, where he holds his insecurities, it’s the true honor and love you can receive. And it’s even better, when you become the one who loves for him in return during this time.

Sanji reminds you that you deserve to be and are loved.

“You are my world, my everything.”

Marco The Phoenix

Marco loves you like a married couple who grew old together, still playing jokes and having fun to life’s fullest, no matter your age.

He’s constantly lecturing you for the smallest things repeatedly, since you always seem to forget. His lectures lack any annoyance or malice though, he’s just kind of done with you sometimes.

Nonetheless, he’s taking care of you more than you think, always the first one there whenever you need help. He’s always prepared for whatever you need so you don’t have to look for it and get worried.

He’s stern at times but he loves you more than you could ever know, often questioning himself whenever he’s beside you. He half-lidded eyes watching you with warmth and admiration because you always look so determined.

Marco always reminds you that you are free. To live life to its fullest and however you wish.

“Let me fly you to the moon.”

Donquixote Rosinante

Rosinante loves you like a husband, he treats you like his wife, either you or him welcoming each other home after being gone for so long and greeting each other with a loving kiss each time.

He knows just how tough things can be and as much as he tries to make things right, he knows how bad situations really are and no matter how much he wants to cry or get angry, he always holds a smile, in front of you. To assure you that things will be okay.

He gives the warmest hugs, and knows that, so whenever you’re angry or sad, or just randomly at times, Rosi envelops you into a large hug, waddling you back and forth a few times, you feel instant relief and content, which makes him smile.

His priority will always be you, even if he’s hundreds of thousands miles away, he will find his way back home to you. He surprises you with the littlest gifts; being flowers, jewelry, candles, or more.

Rosi will always remind you to smile, even during the hardest times.

“I will protect you.”

Eustass Kid

Kid loves you like a game, it’s unexpected, unpredictable of what will happen and it’s exciting and thrilling. For you both, one wrong move, and the other is gone for good, but perhaps, second chances/rematches are available.

He can be brash and a bit much, but Kid has high respect for anyone who actually makes it onto his crew and can actually tolerate him, you included.

He’s loud and wild but that only makes it part of the fun. With such a short fuse, as long as you play your cards right and pick your moments to bite back, it’s kind of fun knowing how dangerous it can be with a guy like Kid, and he also loves it equally, because your feistiness is attractive.

Being a bad bitch that doesn’t play by the rules is so incredibly attractive and Kid knows how to reward and punish so tread carefully. ;) however, he has his down moments and as annoying he can be, he does appreciate the effort you give if you try to comfort him. He’ll be harsh about it but eventually, he just wants you to be with him in the end.

Kid reminds you to rebel, take risks and enjoy the thrill of getting in dangerous situation every once in a while, breaking a few rules doesn’t hurt anybody. Most of the time.

“Don’t fucking ever leave me.. okay?”

Dracule Mihawk

Mihawk loves you like you’re an empress, only the finest and highest quality for you, nothing else can compare.

Mihawk will buy you the most expensive dress that suits you, with an equally expensive matching jewelry to go with. Not to mention the heels, and, tch, how could he forget the roses you require? Despicable.

As much as he loves to show you off, he despises the stares of awe and admiration you receive whenever you go out, so his possessiveness takes over and he has an arm around your waist at all times, successfully showing you’re taken and to back off if they don’t wish to be cut into oblivion.

He trains you to handle yourself, obviously, you should know at least some basic skills. He’s not too hard on you but does push you to keep going until you truly wish to stop. It’s only because he’s worried that one day, he won’t be there and won’t be able to protect you.

Mihawk reminds you that you are a queen/king, a strong person who shall hold your ground and never back down from fear and show your bravery.

“Come here, mi amor.”

Red Haired Shanks

Shanks loves you like you’re his future. It’s an unknown journey, but he’s there for the ride and whatever may happen, he’s there staying and won’t be going anywhere, unless it’s with you.

The red head is a goofball, he drinks, parties and messes around but he is an incredible captain and genuine to a fault. So when he expresses kindness, it is purely from his heart and not out of manners.

He is extremely playful and yet when down to business, he is calm, collected, and cool. He knows just what to say in tough situations and great comforting advice, so he’s the one to go to when you’re feeling down. And as laid back as he is, disrespect to those he loves is the one shit he won’t take.

He’ll hold you close and with his signature grin, compliment you and tell you how much he appreciates you and as soon as someone lays a finger on you, his hand is on the hilt of the sword and he waits three seconds for an explanation before he cuts them down. No one messes with his beloved.

Shanks reminds you of loyalty. To always protect and care for those close to you, and keep that built up trust and bond you created with them.

“Trust me. I won’t let go of you.”

Charlotte Katakuri

Katakuri loves you like you’re glass, he’s careful, protective, cautious and treats you like you’re fragile, because he’s afraid of hurting you.

He’s larger than most, he’s aware of that, so he always takes the precautions to be aware of his surroundings, especially when you are around. He wants you safe and he will be devastated if he is the cause of your pain.

His large stature is a blessing to you though, because cuddling is so comfortable and comforting, it’s amazing. You can curl up and relax and just be at ease with him, because he’s so protective of you, even from his family members. He often keeps you away from Cracker and Perospero, in the slightest chance that they try to take you away from him.

He’ll be extremely heartbroken if Big Mom doesn’t approve of you, but his love for you is stronger, so he’ll keep it a secret if he has to but eventually, he’ll pray and wish for her blessing, asking the help of his siblings to convince her.

Katakuri reminds you of family, that even friends or crewmates are family and love you all the same.

“I will be here for you.”

Captain Koby

Koby loves you like a typical high school crush. He’s all shy and blushy, and evidently embarrassed when the pretty one at school is talking to him, ( that’s you. ).

He’s like the wallflower type, who tries to blend in but somehow, he sticks out in a way that lures you to him, like he’s hit the jackpot.

He is incredibly sweet, and his shyness is so adorable. You can’t help but coo whenever you see his red cheeks and soft smile of care he offers.

Always helps you with everything, will take the blame whenever you get in trouble, takes the suffering and pain when guys try to mess with you, and no matter how tough things get, he’s holding a brave face for you.

Koby reminds you of kindness, treat everyone with care and kindness, and it goes a long way.

“If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”

16th Division Commander Izo

Izo loves you like you’re a painting, he thinks you are true beauty, inside and out, you are a work of art, a true Mother Nature masterpiece born. One to be admired.

The type to be there. He’ll hold your hair while you vomit, rubbing soothing circles on your back while you cry, painting your nails while you complain about Ace, assure your perfection when you’re feeling insecure.

Best advice giver, holds no judgements at all. He’ll help with anything, because you need him. Romantic advice, friendship, sexual advice ;), he will help you any way he can.

He truly admires you, not because of your beauty, but your strength to be able to cry. Crying doesn’t mean weakness but rather, strength to be able to move forward even in the worst of times.

Izo reminds you that you are beautiful, no matter what anyone thinks or says.

“You are true beauty, my love.”

Cavendish Of The White Horse

Cavendish loves you like you’re a princess, and he is your handsome Prince Charming.

Every thing he does it like from a fairytale, if it involved a rather.. bit of a narcissistic Prince Charming. But he means well, because he still treats you like a real princess.

He gives you daily horseback rides, teaching you with his strong arms wrapped around yours and his black fancy hat on top of your head, as you two ride around and share laughs and memories.

And even through his big ego, he still makes sure to compliment you, tell you how proud he is of you and how much he truly admires you for your strong will and determination, because he really does love you. More than you know.

Cavendish reminds you that dreams can come true, sometimes it just takes a leap of faith and effort.

“I will treat you like the princess you are and deserve to be.”

A/N : 15 fucking people and having to think of different things while I’m distracted is so HARD. 😭 please tell me you enjoyed though ;-;

but did I do this already? God I can’t remember a thing, especially since I still haven’t updated my masterlists- and I’m terribly sorry if this really is all over the place ;-; also apologies if this is repetitive for some of them! It really is difficult yk ;-;

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unknown-writing · 3 years

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The boys reacting to their s/o pulling themselves out of a Bad Depressive Relapse:

Warning(s): Mentions of depression, Intrusive thoughts, self-destructive behavior’s

A/N: I’m very proud of myself for pulling myself out of my bad depressive relapse episode this morning so, it’s time to write some comfort!

This man is pretty dense when it comes to dealing with other people’s internal suffering tbh.

Like, unless your outwardly showing signs of pain, he won’t fully get it.

He noticed that you were...Not your usual self for a while. A long while at that, it started to worry him that you weren’t laughing with him anymore for that period of your slump.

But, one morning, an early morning that is, you had snuck out of your room that you shared with the girls to find Luffy for some much needed Cuddling.

Ever so quietly moving towards his bed, you slowly climbed in. Him feeling movement on top of him startled him awake but, he kept quiet.

Seeing that you were the one crawling in his bed, literally made him have the biggest grin on his dorky face you’ve ever seen.

“Welcome back y/n-san” He whispered as he pulled you in for a tighter cuddle session, you couldn’t help but chuckle but, you kept quiet to avoid waking the other boys.

Soon enough, it was morning, and the rest of the crew saw that you two were finally cuddling again after your depressive slump.

Nami so took a picture with the Camera-snail for blackmail evidence to tease you with.

Seeing you severely depressed drove him Mad.

Not because he was mad /at you/ But because he was mad at /himself/ for not noticing it sooner than he should have.

Robin tried telling him about your depressive slump but, Zoro was completely clueless on what she was getting at.

“My y/n? Depressed? Why? She looks perfectly fine to me.”

That line was a big mistake on his part since you accidentally heard that, which sort of drove you over the edge again

Ngl, it took him quite a while for him to start making it up to you again after that night. His guilty conscious refused to let him rest peacefully until things where settled between you two again

Weeks went by, and even though most of the Straw Hats assumed you where still depressed, Zoro sensed otherwise.

It seemed like to him that you were finally starting to shed your light again, even if it was a slow start at first.

One day though, while the two of you were on grocery duties to help Sanji since he took the role of guard duty this round. You grabbed his arm and hugged it tightly.

it startled him at first because he thought he was being kidnapped or something, but once he saw that you had just grabbed onto it and acted so casually about it

This mans started to blush a pink hue. A brief silenced filled the air between you two before he spoke up,

“...Y/n-san....” He paused before turning towards you, “Is everything ok now? And I don’t mean that fake bullshit ‘Ok’ either...” he asked while looking concerned

You looked up to him, with the biggest smile he’d ever seen. Even if it was a small one, the fact that you smiled again after so long of not smiling, it drove him Wild.

“Yeah...........Yeah.......Everything’s gonna be ok now.” You started off before holding his hand firmly, “I have my Nakama...And I have you by my side. So, I’m no longer alone anymore.” You smiled again while looking up to Zoro, who still had the blush but, a genuine smile back

“That’s my girl.” Zoro just says while bending down to give you a quick peck on the forehead, which made you blush a deep crimson red seeing as you two were in public still.

Okay but, you /KNOW/ this idiot is gonna think it’s his fault your depressed.

He’ll constantly blame himself for your sadness, as it’s not something that could be easily cured with affection or food.

He’s even more sad when he can’t dote on you so much because it makes you feel even worse.

You have to keep reminding him that this was just how your brain worked sometimes.

It wasn’t until Nami and Chopper explaining it to him properly, is when he started to finally understand that some people just feel down and needed some space for a bit.

Even when he was giving you your personal space, he still made you your favorite foods, making sure that you had stuff to drink and eat even if you were cooped up in your bedroom for a long time.

He won’t admit it directly but, he genuinely misses you. He misses your smell, your touch, your face, your body, your everything.

He especially misses the way you can easily fluster him and make him feel like a King, but he’ll deny those feelings if you asked him though.

A couple of month’s had gone by of this depressive state of yours. it was starting to take a mental tole on himself, knowing that you were stuck in those same four walls, missing everything that was happening, being unable to help you at all during this.

Just as he was about to head towards the sleeping cabin area to drop off your next meal, he’d noticed that your door was slightly open. He blinked, confused and worried that somebody had tried sneaking inside of it somehow.

But soon enough, you had popped out, yawning as you’d just woken up that morning. Nothing had harmed you physically from the looks of it, he looked up and down for a while before placing the food tray on a nightstand to avoid spilling the food.

You turn after hearing the tray clink against the wooden surface, “Oh? Morning Sanji-sa--Ouf!” You where cut off from a tackle hug.

Sanji had wrapped his arms around you tightly, holding you so close to him you were practically choking on his hair. “S-Sanji?? Is everything alright?” You asked, patting his back gently

Your eyes widened as the next thing he did was give you a big passionate kiss on your lips. You felt salty fluids on his face. “Oh.” You thought as you realized what was happening

“I missed you so fucking much y/n-chan.” Sanji says after the kiss. Hearing him say that so bluntly made /you/ turn red-faced and start to stutter.

“....Yeah....I missed you too Sanji-san.” You admitted while smiling again after so long of not showing your smile to anybody. Poor Sanji nearly fainted.

Law knew something was off about you even before you realized it yourself.

You were grumpy, snippy, more “tired” than normal. You had constant mood swings that showed up out of the blue. Everything was just...Off.

It didn’t take much for him to realize that you were dealing with Depression. Although he knew very little of your past, he knew that something was eating at you.

Once your downward spiral of your mental suffering began, you stayed in your bedroom for the majority of the time, refusing to go out even if it was for a general meeting for a mission, or even for food.

Law wasn’t the best at communicating his own feelings towards somebody, so helping his crush with her depression was a little bit harder to do than he thought.

He didn’t realize that you would get so bad that you just woke up absolutely /screaming/ at the top of your lungs during a nightmare. The only reason he knew what was happening was because Bepo went to drop off some food for you, and then ran once he heard the screaming.

After a while of some studying on Depression, Law tried everything that he could to at least /try/ to get you to speak with him...But, after a few weeks of this, he started to get tired of chasing you.

“Y/n-ya...At least let me check for injuries.” He said as he sat on the floor, leaning against your bedroom door with a frown....No response.

He could hear silent sobbing and hiccups behind him, which hurt because he didn’t know how to help you! it drove him Mad!

He was about to give up, sighing in irritation. As he started to walk away, he heard the bedroom door start to click open. You peaked your head out tiredly, face stained with dried and fresh tears, your face all red from not just crying but from stress as well.

Seeing you so Broken hurt him. He’s been there before, he’d never wish to see his friends be broken like this...Let alone his crush.

You opened the door wider so that way he could come in, “...sorry....For the mess...” You weakly spoke, allowing him to enter your room.

Once the two of you were in your room, you had shut the door, then locked it behind you...Eventually turning to face Law, the next moved startled him

You were so tired from the depression night terrors, the screaming, the crying and well...Everything else...That you just fainted into his arms! “Y-Y/n-ya??” He questioned as he stood still. No response...Well, nothing with words anyways. A soft snore leaked passed your slightly open mouth

You had fallen asleep, quite literally in his arms. And he didn’t know how to handle it. You were his crush after all! What was he supposed to do!? Move you away!? Fuck.

He calmed down and carried you bridal style in his arms, thanking God that you were a heavy sleeper, and shuffled his way onto your messy bed, kicking his shoes off at least before getting comfortable.

Another week had passed since that night, and throughout that week, law would give orders to Bepo and Penguin to take control of the ship while he stayed put. he would only move to take a piss/shit or a quick shower before rushing to your side again. He’d forgo the shower if waking you would cause you to feel alone and start crying again.

Once that week had passed though, you had woken up to feel a body underneath you. Blinking, you were confused as to what was happening. You then blushed a deep crimson red seeing Law underneath you, holding you so tightly to him that you could hardly breathe properly because of it.

Law had woken up after feeling your movements to try and get out of bed and take a shower, since you hadn’t taken a proper one in the past three weeks due to your depressive state hitting you like a two ton truck.

You then felt an arm snake around your lower waste, pinning you down of sorts, which made you jump a bit and turn to see who’s it was. Only to see Law wide awake and looking upwards at you

A brief silence filled the room before Law had spoke. “Y/n-ya......You’re Ok.” he says quietly, trying not to startle you...Soon, the memories of what you went through during your depressive state had hit you. You saw everything that happened. And then you saw that Law had tried his hardest to get you to feel ok.

You started to cry again, which made him frown in worry, only to . be taken aback by the sudden tackle hug you were doing, “Law!” You kept muttering in between your hiccupped sobs as you held him.

All Law did was rub your head gently and held you close to him again. He didn’t know how to respond. “....You saved me.....” You commented, now hovering over him with a shaky smile.

Those words. Those three single words made his heart melt with pure happiness. A feeling he hasn’t had in a LONG while. Despite the fact that he hated being called a Hero, if he could save /you/ from death? Then he’ll take being called a Hero by you any day.

You just kept hiccupping as you cried of happiness, but that was easily silenced with Law’s next action. You felt Law’s rougher lips against your own, which easily made you stop crying. He broke the kiss after a while and smiled back, “...I’m glad that your Ok y/n-ya.” he says before pulling you down for another kiss

#luffy x reader #zoro x reader #sanji x reader #law x reader #holy fuck this got long #sorry that law's was long but listen #I love Law ok #tw// depression

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human-enthusiast · 3 years

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Absurd Person #1 - Monkey D. Luffy (kid)

Let’s start with not only the main protagonist of One Piece but also the first character to give Luffy any sort of injury...

...his dumb, seven-year-old self...

*Disclaimer: I don’t own this image - screenshot from Episode of East Blue

The last time I wrote this, I forgot to hit save and my browser just reloaded the page and lost everything. After that I just went “I’m done” and rage quit Tumblr for the night (which I normally don’t do). That’s how my Sundays usually go😒🥴

Now Onward!

Basic Classifications

Real World Ethnicity/Nationality: Brazilian

Class: farm / country / lower class

Culture (the one he grew up around): Dawn Island - Sea-side village

Fishing community

Farming / Ranching community

Hard work ethic

Small and close community members; relatively friendly; little to non-existent conflict

Selective mix of being open towards strangers (especially with merchant vessels for better trading opportunities) and weariness towards those they expect to be harmful (likes Pirates; I’d imagine the people of Windmill Village were understandably unnerved with the Red-Haired Pirates first showing up).

Core values (personal to Luffy): pride, physical strength, adventures on and outside his home village,

Relation to authority: neutral - shifting slightly towards negative (no clear basis of opinion; can only go off on Luffy’s fascination with pirates as the main viewpoint)

(The added information feels a little scatter-shot but figured I give it a try based on little information from the manga panels and how it lines up with real-world similarities. Most information is based on logical speculation and could change with new information in later chapters.)

I know that the Romance Dawn arc consists of the chapters up until he meets Coby and Alvida (I think...), but the depiction of Luffy’s character in the first chapter seems different from when he is seventeen and setting out to sea. So, I’ll treat kid Luffy as a separate character for the first analysis.

First Impressions and Introduction

Now, I am an anime watcher, first and foremost, so my first impression of this character stems from the Anime. My introduction towards this ball of chaos was when he popped out of a barrel, that he put himself into after realizing that a whirlpool suddenly appeared (how he missed it? - It’s Luffy), and then inexplicably took a nap in. That was the absurd reason I was able to stick with One Piece in the first few arcs (until Baratie became one of the major reasons I stuck with it - I’ll explain why when we get there).

And since the first chapter was used for episode four in the anime, I was already somewhat familiar with how the story started and who Luffy was as a kid. However, reading the first chapter felt....different than what I would’ve expected. And because the anime cut out a few details from the chapter, there definitely are some things to take from kid Luffy at that point.

So my first impression was, as follows:

The kid is unhinged...That explains some things...

Complete wild child of a backwater village from Day 1.

LIKE-- The anime episode DID NOT explain how he got that scar and the guy didn’t bring it up ever. To be fair, that wasn’t a big focus because the anime didn’t make it a focus. Reading that part though did more for his character and a little of his upbringing, through speculation, making it a rather slow-building but also fascinating introduction into this series.

Just a bit of an add-on, but if the manga introduced Luffy in the same level of neutrality as what the Anime did, It may not have fully made it clear if Luffy was going to be the main protagonist. Then again, it’s a shounen manga, maybe it was rather obvious to everyone else. Regardless, his introduction served to

(1) Make his entrance memorable

(2) Establish his character that could either compare or set him apart from his teen self.

(3) Act as a sort of precursor towards the introduction of Luffy’s world and upbringing (which isn’t completely established until the last few arcs of Pre-Time Skip)

Personality

The best way I could describe Luffy at this point is a stereotypical kid...

Energetic, short-tempered, adventure-seeking, easily impressed, and ignorant...

That last description is actually something I brought up in a separate post about the “Fluid themes” of One Piece. Because I found that a small but overarching part in many (almost all) themes and world issues that One Piece reflects has some level of unawareness or apathy. Jimbe put it best during the Fishman Island Flashback when they found Koala (paraphrasing)

“They are afraid of us because they don’t know us.”

Know us referring to acknowledging them as people on the same level as humans.

Because of that and plenty of other instances from the East Blue, it can be a potential center for many characters who go up against or wish to explore the world and find that they are a frog in a well.

And that’s what kid Luffy represents. A rather aggressive frog in a well that wants out.

Granted, he is a seven-year-old, whose schooling has a closer equivalent to the 16th and 17th centuries of our world, living in what appears to be a farming community, so I’d imagine his education only focuses on at least the basic levels of reading/writing, mathematics, etc. A small, unexciting farming village probably has more concerns over their melon crops rather than what the world has going on. Adding in Luffy, you get a kid who dreams about being a pirate and adventuring outside the isolated village, making him avidly interested in a world he has no experience with. Or in a world he thinks is all fun and games.

That’s pretty standard for any child that has a mild and peaceful life. No doubt Shanks and his crew would tell him stories about their adventures. Not as a sort of attempt to make him a pirate, but because he was easily entertained by it, building up this expectation with stereotypical pirate personas. And whether he has his “destructive” tendencies before they became a fixture in Windmill Village, they definitely seemed to amp it up enough for Luffy to try and prove he was “man enough” to be a pirate at seven years old.

Then when you add in this idealistic expectation with the selfishness of a young child, it creates an opportunity to learn. Because, as any kid may go through, will find that their fantasy of the world won’t be what they expected, and will often react negatively. Luffy’s expectation of Shanks is that he is the strongest man worthy enough to be a pirate.

Now, Luffy’s view of a “real man” stems a lot from this stereotype of men solving their problems through fighting only. Which also embodies this rather damaging philosophy of never running away or backing down from a fight (which I refer to as stupid bravery - something that comes up in a certain other character).

The amazing thing about all the combined aspects of this kid is the ability to create a learning lesson for Luffy. Which can become a motivational factor in his pursuit as a pirate.

His easily impressed nature makes it known both when the Red-Haired Pirates talk positively about piracy adventures and when Shanks leaves the village. The difference between the moments can be showcased by the difference in determination and will to make an effort to achieve his dream. As he declared he wants to be King of The Pirates, he sets himself to work at it, rather than try and go with others.

How He Shapes the Story / World Around Them

I don’t know if anybody else made a similar connection (I wanna say someone DID but I can’t remember where) but in combination with Luffy’s general enthusiasm growing up hearing wild stories, his narrative reminds me so much of Don Quixote De La Mancha.

It’s been a while since I last read that story-- and by read I mean translate some paragraphs from Spanish to English during my Spanish I class in freshman year of high school. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Part I entails an old man who, after indulging himself with various stories of knights and valor, decides he wants to partake in his own adventures. Under various delusions and misadventures, his story becomes a rather well-known one.

Don Quixote was called the first “modern book”. That was something my Spanish teacher mentioned regarding its acknowledgment by the world and always stuck with me. It was one of the first stories of the early medieval period to focus on a regular man. Other stories before this tended to be about legends, gods, demigods-- individuals who often were referred to as legends because they were born into high status (often above humans). Either through original texts (often for religious purposes) and then through varying interpretations (such as the Arthurian Legends), these tales were a part of the status quo.

Kid Luffy is a person that reflects so much of the Don Quixote story (And not just because his village has windmills-- the most iconic scene about the knight’s story). He is that simple, normal boy that longs for his own adventures when there seemingly is already a well-talked-about story about someone who achieved infamy. In place of that is a man named Gold Roger whose execution we see in the manga’s opening. At this point, we don’t have much understanding about how it impacts the world as of yet, we just know it is setting up for something significant to the story.

Luffy becomes that “regular” person from a small-town with big expectations for a grand adventure.

That perspective can slowly build into the story by starting in a simple setting with a character going through one of the first dynamic changes in his life. Luffy’s experience with Shanks’s sacrifice sets a course in his own adventure. A story that trails into a rather bonkers adventure at the end of chapter 1.

His development is what shaped his world. It’s the way he learns when as it stems from the consequences of his actions. Especially ones where the smaller ones turn out to be very costly, making it a hard lesson that ingrains into the young kid. His actions created by his old ideologies sparked an intense reaction in the people around him. Especially Shanks, who felt he was worth losing an arm towards.

How The WORLD Shapes HIM

So, for the sake of the fact that kid Luffy’s “World” in Chapter 1 mostly consists of Windmill Village, I’m adding in Shank’s and his crew’s influence to extend and further give credence to his influence. Because, as of this point, Shanks represents a glimpse into the life of a pirate that Luffy strives for.

With Luffy being in a quiet environment all seven years of life, there is growth through basic schooling and healthy child development (theoretically since Makino seems to be the most likely one acting as his guardian), instead of doing things outside that norm. Now Shanks is the odd factor that creates new development into Luffy’s dreams and future ambitions.

The crew’s stories, charisma, and connection towards the kid actively (and probably unintentionally) created a positive expectation if he chose to pursue his dream. While that sounds inspiring, there were also negative aspects. Such as driving his ignorance and impatient nature to seek it out too early in his life.

Shanks then became a mediator. Luffy often has mixed feelings with Shanks as the man begets a level of encouragement while verbally making fun of Luffy for being a kid constantly. Despite that, it doesn’t completely deter Luffy’s ambitions. All it does is slowly drop his high expectations in Shanks after the first bar incident. This is again done by his childish outlook of physical strength and bravery equating to his ideal of a real man.

With Higama, Luffy learns about real-world dangers, and how bravery won’t always be enough to win battles. The same can be said for physical strength but at that moment it doesn’t apply to Luffy.

Shanks’ and the crew’s involvement helped Luffy’s views change. His expectations are fulfilled, which in turn reveal that he was wrong about them.

Finally, seeing Shanks’ sacrifice unfold drove Luffy into a pang of newfound guilt. By then, he was able to change one part of his world views from a childish fantasy into the beginnings of a mature way of thinking.

He gains some level of patience. Along with a set goal to work with. Attributes which are identifiable with Luffy in the chapters last few panels.

Patience = Luffy took time to train and learn to set sail at age seventeen.

Set goal = Be King of the Pirates

Add-Ons

When I say that kid Luffy, after Shanks’ sacrifice, gained a level of patience, it is meant as a deduction during that chapter. By no means am I insinuating that it became a permanent trait for his character. Because as of chapter 1, all of Luffy’s personality has yet to be revealed.

And this will apply to other posts for various characters. They may behave in ways during or in response to a particular event but it doesn’t necessarily equate to that becoming a whole personality trait. Calling Luffy patient, with having full acknowledgment of his personality during the bulk of One Piece, is completely off. But, there can and will be moments where Luffy will act patient when he deems it necessary.

This is a little hard to articulate but I hope it makes enough sense.

🏴‍☠️🐒

After-Notes

Here’s my first attempt at this analysis. It felt scattered even after editing everything. Breaking down characters sounds easy (and most times it is) but articulating and connecting things takes a lot of work.

Here's to hoping it gets easier with the next character. And maybe shorter paragraphs.

Up Next: Shanks (East Blue)

#OPA #One Piece #East Blue Saga #Romance Dawn Arc #Monkey D. Luffy #Chapter 1 #One Piece Characters #Worldbuilding #Analysis

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grayyxv · 4 years

Text

A Comprehensive Analysis of Eustass 'Captain' Kid

I've been wanting to write this for awhile now as Kid is undoubtedly one of my favourite characters in One Piece. Also, I'm majoring in Psychology so I can't help but think about why I love his character so much.

Disclaimer: As we all know, Kid doesn't have much screentime so it's quite difficult to understand his character completely. So, whatever you read will be my own intepretation of his character (based on the little amount of scenes that he has). Of course, you don't have to agree with it but it might give you a bit of a different perspective!

So, withour further ado, let's begin!

*P.s I'll try to make it flow in but it might end up really messy so I apologize for that*

Note: NOT SPOILER FREE!!!

1. Assumptions

I guess I'll begin with some of the common assumptions of his character based on posts/videos I've seen about his character. They frequently refer to Kid as 'cruel' or 'heartless'. Basically, there are many negative remarks about his character that makes him seem like a total psychopath.

Their reasoning for this would be because:

- He mentioned that he would kill anyone would mocked him

- His high bounty = He's notorious & violent

- The way he acts makes him come off as a bloodthirsty pirate

From another standpoint, I can see why people might think that way about him. The way he speaks and acts does make him look villainous. In addition, his primary role in One Piece is to be Luffy's rival. (I'll expand on this point later.) So, one might think that his morals would contrast Luffy. Whereas Luffy is the kind and benevolent pirate, Kid is the 'bad guy' who is cruel and heartless. The question is, though Kid is rival character, why does that necessarily mean that he would be a bad guy? I strongly disagree that Kid is a psychopath and that he is heartless. Firstly, the term 'psychopath' shouldn't be used so loosely. A true psychopath would have no regard for other's feelings which is not true of Kid because he cares very much for his crew. On the other hand, Doflamingo would be a good example of a psychopath. Next, even if Kid WERE a psychopath, not all psychopaths are violent. So it'd be nice if people stopped misrepresenting psychopaths.

Now, if there is one thing I learned in psychology, is that people tend to make assumptions about a person's actions as part of their personal dispositions rather than because of situation. This would be the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE). What do I mean by this? Let's take a look at Kid's scenario. He mentioned killing people who mocked his dream. Killing people would make people automatically assume that Kid is 'violent'. But here is a different perspective, what if 'mocking him' had meant that they tried to start a fight with him? Provoking other people repeatedly would cause anybody to get angry. There are many other characters who acts this way as well. Sure, Luffy doesn't go as far as to kill them but I'm sure that many other characters do because they are PIRATES.

In contrast, I think of this situation as Kid standing up for himself. He believes in himself and he would beat anyone up who tells him otherwise. If you think about it, Luffy is kind of similar because he ends up fighting anyone who tries to stop him from attaining his goal.

That is pretty much all the assumptions that people make about his character. It's sad how they don't delve deeper but fret not!! I still have more to say.

2. Pre-Timeskip vs Timeskip Changes/Growth as a character

During Pre-timeskip, Kid is seen as overconfident. I actually agree with this statement quite a lot. His high bounty was a result of his reckless behaviour. He could easily triumph over anyone before the timeskip. That was when he started to become a little too full of himself. Consequently, he suffered heavy losses. His arm was taken by Shanks, his crew was utterly defeated by Kaido (curse you Apoo) and his reputation as the top supernova was instantly lost to Luffy. His true character development was in the Wano arc where we see how he starts to take a step back and re-evaluate his situation. The most obvious evidence for this was when he got captured in Udon. He was quiet (before Luffy's arrival) and deep in thought. So many things had happened to him, you could even argue that he was feeling slightly lost and helpless (not depressed) because he was utterly defeated. The motivation and drive he had in pre-timeskip was shattered- Until Luffy arrived of course. When Luffy arrived, he was battered and bruised but he was still ready to fight. Kid, who saw how Luffy still had his fighting spirit, was somehow inspired to keep on fighting. It's almost as if Luffy is Kid's drive to be stronger.

So, what does this all say about Kid?

I think that this makes his character believable as it can represent real life. There are some points in our lives where we could be the greatest but, sometimes, life can be pretty cruel too. If you get too cocky or overconfident, the world will punish you. I saw a comment that says Kid is Luffy but without the plot armour. That is very true. Kid isn't perfect. He made tons of crappy decisions and dealt which the consequences. I'd say he's as reckless as Luffy, perhaps LESS reckless than Luffy but he suffers more than Luffy does. While Luffy could bask in glory, all Kid got was the short end of the stick. I think that is the reason why I find Kid such an appealing character- because its an accurate representation of real life. Sometimes you can try as hard as someone else but you won't always get the spolight.

The other appealing aspect is his persistence. He made mistakes and bad decisions but he knows that he can't undo them and has to move on. Kid isn't as lucky as Luffy because he didn't have someone like Rayleigh to train him so, he had to put in more effort somehow. The main point is, he had to learn everything the hard way. Yet, he still strives to be the best which is very befitting of a rival character.

3. interactions & Personality

Another thing I frequently see when people Kid and Luffy is that: People say that while Kid makes enemies, Luffy makes allies which is why he has so much support from others around him. I was thinking about this a lot and I can't help but disgaree. I saw another post where they mentioned Kid's MBTI personality is INFJ which made me think even more about that statement. From here on, I will include several headcanons about his character as well.

Let me offer you a different perspective. Perhaps Kid isn't good at expressing his feelings. The way he speaks may come off as cold which makes other people dislike him because they think he is rude whereas he simply doesn't know how to communicate with others very well. Luffy is no doubt an extrovert, seeing how he is easily able to interact with others. Kid on the other hand, if he is an introvert, it could be an explaination to why he doesn't have many interactions with others. I don't see him as someone who's very 'sociable'. So he could experience some difficulty when communicating his feelings. He's shown to be closer to his crew more than anyone else. He is deeply respected by his crewmates because he is sensitive to their needs as well. He isn't the tyrant that everyone paints him to be, he earned that respect by first respecting his crewmates. Also, he would essentially DIE for any of his crewmates. This part is quite self explainatory if you've read the chapter where they revealed what happened to Kid and Killer in Wano.

I just want to add that while Killer suffered so much in Wano, imagine how much it hurt Kid to see his first mate suffer and how he couldn't do anything about it. The expression on his face is perfectly the anger he had towards Kaido, Apoo and more importantly, HIMSELF for not being strong enough. Yet, people call him heartless though he would literally die for Killer.

But anyways, Kid is an excellent listener and he cares very deeply for people he is close to. I just think he's bad at communicating. Look at the way he talks to Luffy. In Wano, you can see how Kid actually does LIKE Luffy as a rival. He just has trouble expressing himself. Anyways, this is just a headcanon but I think that he's rather sensitive to other's feelings- Especially when it comes to his crew. I really like the idea that he's an INFJ because he seems more like the 'advocate' type of character. I still think he makes a very good leader but his approach would contrast Luffy's.

4. Intelligence

I could probaly go on forever about why I love Kid but this is another thing that I see about Kid and kind of annoys me. I'm not sure why everyone seems to think he's a dumbass. Like REALLY. I think he's pretty intelligent. He even kept tabs on the whole SMILE situation and Doflamingo and planned the alliance. He IS intelligent but his recklessness just makes him seem like an idiot.

Kid isn't perfect, he is flawed just like a real human being would be. By no means is he a GOOD person but I don't think he is as 'cruel' or 'bad' as people paint him to be. He cares a lot for his crew. He is very driven by his own personal values and he wouldn't 'change' for anyone. He believes in himself and if anyone tells him otherwise, he would simply beat them up. He isn't happy go lucky like Luffy, he is much deeper than that. He would consider his options and plan- to a certain extent because he is also quite idealistic. Hence, the reason why I feel like his character is such an interesting one is because there is a lot of opportunity for him to grow and stray away from stereotypical anime character traits. His character is believable because his personality is realistic, it could reflect a real human being.

TLDR: Stop sleeping on Kid.

With that, thanks for coming to my ted talk.

Anyways, that's it for now! I'll make a part 2 if I feel like I want to add something. If people like this, I'll consider making another analysis for other characters. Currently I have Law, Ace and Sabo planned in mind but we'll see how it goes.

Thanks for reading!

#one piece #eustass kid #eustass kidd #kidlaw #killerkid #kid pirates #eustass captain kid

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mugiwara-rosewolf · 4 years

Text

Alphabet Headcanons

One Piece Edition

Shanks

SFW

A=Affection (How affectionate are they with an s/o?)

Yes, Shanks is affectionate. He will take any opportunity to be near you without smothering you. He’ll have you sitting in his lap at every opportunity, if you’ll let him.

If you’re not okay with that, just having shoulders brushing is okay with him. When there’s a moment to rest, in public or private, as long as you two are touching in some way, Shanks will be happy as a clam.

Of course there are other ways one can be affectionate. So--perhaps equally as important as the action of physical touch--Shanks appreciates the value of words.

As such, the Red-Haired captain always knows just what to say in order to encourage you, affirm your decisions, to express his appreciation for you and empathise with what you’re feeling.

Shanks is also extremely intuitive. As well spoken as he is, and as much as he likes to talk, he also knows how and when to listen--actually listen. With him, you’ll always know that your being, your voice, is always appreciated.

B=Breath (What could their s/o do to take their breath away?)

Show your strength. Whether it be physically, mentally, morally, emotionally--almost any way you can imagine--Shanks will be deeply affected by the display and take notice.

For example: he admires Makino’s kindness for taking care of Luffy and her grace when confronted by dangerous bandits. He admires Luffy for his loyalty to friends and determination to pursue his dream of becoming ‘King of the Pirates’.

Whether it’s going toe to toe with a swordsman, standing up for a bullying victim, enduring painful hardships, or just going off on somebody about the importance of loyalty--just stick to your guns and Shanks will love & admire you for it.

C=Cuddling (Do they cuddle? If they do, how and when do they cuddle?)

Oh my goodness this man--this man is a closeted cuddle monster. If you thought he was affectionate before, that was just him playing it cool. When it’s just the two of you? Ho-boy.

Of course he’ll listen if you’re not comfortable at any particular moment, but again, if you let him, Shanks will plop you down in his lap. No matter your height or weight, this man will hold you and make you feel wanted--because he does.

Whether sitting up or lying down, Shanks will wrap his arm(s) around your waist and hold your waist and hold you close. He loves to feel your heartbeat so close to his--cause that’s what he loves most about you--in every possible way.

D=Dream (What do they dream of doing with their s/o?)

His dream is pretty much the same as when he was a kid, back when he and Buggy were cabin boys on Roger’s ship. He wants to have his own ship with a reliable crew and to take his time travelling the world.

The only thing that’s changed is that he wants to do all those things with you. It seems like such a small change, and yet to Shanks that little adjustment changes everything.

The way Shanks sees it--if life is an adventure, then life with you would be the greatest adventure he could ever accept.

If for some reason you weren’t able to travel with Shanks and his crew, the Red-Haired captain would still do everything in his power to include you in his life.

Postcards from Loguetown, Sake from Sabaody--living vicariously through a pirate (and a Yonko at that!) would turn your mailbox into the world’s greatest curiosity shop.

E=Effort (How much effort do they put into a relationship?)

As laid back and fancy-free as Shanks is--he does not choose a life partner lightly. Because that’s exactly how he sees them--a Life partner.

Sure, there was probably a phase of his life where he treated romance and intimacy more flippantly. He grew up with stereotypically rowdy and promiscuous pirates as his role models and mentors. It would take some time for him to realize that such shallow connections didn’t really suit him.

But once he fully realizes himself; his goals, his morals, his priorities, etc, he would treat relationships and intimacy more seriously.

That being said, when he finds somebody, you bet your bottom dollar this man is gonna Commit. Try to make you smile, try to make you laugh, be there when you’re sad, listen when you’re mad, he’ll aim to do all the above and more if he can.

If/when your relationship is confirmed, he’ll expect a similar level of commitment from you. This man is loyal to a fault. He does not choose his friends and family lightly. Once he grows attached to someone, he will do his best for them in whatever way they need.

But when he chooses a Partner, again, he’s gonna want a similar effort to be made for him as well. (In this house, we stan equivalent exchange in relationships).

F=Fear (What do they do if their s/o is scared? How do they handle it?)

This all depends on the threat level.

If someone is intimidating, boasting, or otherwise making his s/o anxious/uncomfortable, Shanks will intervene by just waltzing in and distracting the stranger in his charismatic, dorky pacifist way.

But if there’s a chance of his s/o actually coming to harm (or god forbid having their life threatened)--ho-boy.

Bitch better put some brown pants on ‘cause they’s about to shit themselves. Hands down, Red-Hair Shanks is down to murder to protect his loved ones.

We’ve all seen the footage. Shanks can be downright terrifying when he needs to be. And protecting his s/o from harm is an absolute necessity.

He tries to avoid violent confrontation if he can help it, but threaten someone he cares about and you gonna get yo ass whipped with his (1) good hand.

G=Gifts (What type of gifts do they give their s/o? Do they want a gift in return?)

Contrary to what many expect of pirates, Shanks isn’t a very materialistic person. (In utter contrast to Buggy and others).

He’s not really the type to buy every little trinket that reminds him of you. And he doesn’t expect that kinda behaviour from you either. If you are that kind of person? Great!

Shanks will appreciate pretty much any way you're willing to express your affections. He’ll happily accept anything you give him as long as he understands the thought/meaning behind it. Gift giving is appreciated, but not expected or required.

However, if/when he does decide to give you a gift, rest assured that it’s gonna pack one helluvan emotional punch (*cough Straw Hat *cough*).

For some reason I’m picturing the hand-carved engagement necklaces from Avatar the Last Airbender. I feel like he’d give you those types of gifts--small, but beautiful and immeasurably meaningful.

(How Shanks would go about carving a necklace after the loss of his arm, Idk. But this is Shanks we’re talking about. BAMF would find a way.)

H=Hugs (Do they hug their s/o? How often?)

Yes, yes he does. He doesn’t offer hugs as often as one would expect (esp. After losing his arm). But he will willingly accept any and as many hugs as you are willing to give him.

When he does hug you, it is usually him reaching around you from behind. Besides the heartbeat thing mentioned earlier, I have no idea why he does this. Maybe cause he feels like a shield around you--that he can protect you, you can support him and vice versa. Affectionate, devoted, but not smothering.

Then, of course, there’s the obligatory reunion &/or ‘thank god you’re alive’ hugs that are bound to happen when 1 or more partners lives a dangerous life on the sea.

I=Intimacy (How romantic are they? Do they have problems with intimacy?)

Oh Shanks is a raging romantic at heart. Love makes him absolutely twitterpated. He’s affectionate and can be an absolute cuddle monster when the mood strikes him.

But the majority of the time (esp. In an established relationship) the manic energy of love is often tempered by his naturally easy-going personality. Shanks is the same in his romantic gestures as he is with almost everything--he is super duper uber chill about it.

It’s the little things that carry the most meaning for him.

Tucking a wildflower behind your hair (anybody can rock a flower in their hair, fucking fight me)

Putting his arm around your waist or over the back of your chair (he’ll only do the cheesy ‘stretch and yawn’ technique to make you laugh)

Any sort of teasing or banter is fair game too, especially if you’re on the more playful or bashful side.

No matter how rowdy he and his crewmates can be, Shanks isn’t all that loud with his romanticism. The freakouts are usually before or after he’s done something grander/more elaborate than usual (Like that engagement necklace mentioned before).

Otherwise, as long as your boundaries have been established, he’ll do as many or as little of those cute intimate gestures as you’ll allow. Whatever bounds you give him, he’ll lounge comfortably within them so long as it suits you both.

J=Jealous (Do they get jealous? How do they act when jealous?)

He’s not really the jealous type. He does, however, tend to sulk when he wants your attention. Like a sad, kicked puppy he’ll pout until you refocus on him. The moment he knows he has your attention again you’ll easily be able to imagine a tail wagging behind his back just from the sparkle in his eyes.

See U=Unique for more

K=Kiss (Are they a good kisser? Do they like to kiss? How often do they try to kiss you?)

Remember that ‘previous experience’ we mentioned before? The part of his development where he thought intimacy consisted of one night stands at the tavern? He’ll probably have long outgrown that frame of mind by the time you enter a relationship with him. But what he gained from that time of his life, was experience.

Experience which serves him very well in a relationship. He’s a quick study, and thus a phenomenal kisser. He’ll figure out all the ways to make you melt with just his lips, teeth and tongue. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

He may get a bit over-excited on occasion, so not every kiss will be perfect. Clacking teeth and bonking noses are bound to happen once in a while. (He may be a Yonko but he’s still a giant dork).

Otherwise, besides your occasional snogging session and other such steamy moments, Shanks is a surprisingly domestic kisser. Cute kisses on the cheek, forehead and temple are common.

He’ll also surprise you on occasion, kissing your ear, nose or chin just to see how you’ll react. If it makes you smile or laugh, he’ll keep going. If you blush, he’ll laugh and take note. Again, a quick study, this man is.

L=Love (When do they say they love you? How often do they say it? Do they prefer to say or show it?)

The words slip out in the middle of something utterly mundane. That much is for sure. Either he’s known for a while (realizing mid-battle/mid-argument or something) and just can’t hold it in anymore--

OR--he just saw you there; washing dishes, swabbing decks, sipping sake, what have you--and the realization just happens out loud. “Oh shit, I’m in love with you…” *cue momentary panic* “HOly SHIT, I LOVE YOU!”I

When he finds his feelings are reciprocated, Shanks will feel like the King of the Pirates, One Piece be damned. From then on he’ll be boasting to everyone on his crew that he’s in love.

Anybody who wasn’t around during his epiphany will congratulate and tease him. Anybody who was there will chuckle and roll their eyes. Money will change hands and Beckman will be 100,000 berries richer.

Besides his nakama, those ‘three little words’ are meant for your ears only. In public, he’ll typically stick to those little gestures mentioned previously. Proud to be your partner, but keeping it low-key, ya know?

Contrary to what some may think, Captain Shanks is in fact capable of discretion. Not quite the same as subtlety, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Anyways, back on his ship it’s a whole ‘nother story. The manic energy of being in love mixed with his own innate dorkiness has led to some pretty ridiculous moments--all of which make his crew laugh and you smile like sunshine.

M=Marriage (Do they want to get married? If so, what kind of ceremony?)

Honestly, Shanks doesn’t mind either way.

He’s happy to have you as his life partner, he’d be happy to be your husband.

But if you don’t drop down on one knee, or explicitly address the topic of marriage, the subject will likely never come up.

If you ask, of course he’ll say yes. If you address the topic, but don’t act on it, Shanks may not act on it at first. But w/ a bit of advice from Beckman he’ll take the hint and ask.

Either way, as long as the two of you are together for life, Shanks will be more than satisfied.

N=Night out (What type of dates do they like to go on? How often do they like to go on them?)

Any time you two have together is precious to him. On the ship, through various markets, in various taverns--as long as the two of you are side by side, doing something together, he’ll consider it a date.

So, by that logic, y’all go on dates all the time.

O=Out of the Ordinary (What’s something they don’t normally do with/for their s/o?)

Those big, extravagant, over-the-top romantic gestures. Candle-lit dinners, bed covered in rose petals, extra shit like that.

Shanks is a Simple Man, like the Lynyrd Skynyrd song. So those kinds of exuberant gestures aren’t typically his style.

Sort of a continuation of the previous section--if he does try for one of those more extravagant date ideas than you know he’s up to some shit. Special occasions only. Whatever it is, you’re damn sure gonna enjoy yourselves, lol

P=Playful (Are they playful in a relationship? If so, how do they play around/mess with their s/o?)

Uhm, have you met Shanks? Man pokes fun at everyone he calls ‘friend’. Picking on Luffy for wanting to be a pirate. Drunkenly draping himself over Mihawk just to get on his nerves, the list goes on.

Believe me when I say this man loves to tease, prank and challenge his s/o at every opportunity. It’s just his personality.

Jump-scares, banter, pad puns, pretty much everything you can think of, this guy’s gonna try it. He’s gonna poke fun at you, but in a way that pushes you to improve; to grow your wit and prove your mettle.

That and he’s a generally light-hearted person. He loves having a good laugh with his crew and his s/o about just about anything.

If he’s feeling particularly mischievous, he might go for tickles, but that’s just him trying to get you close and maybe turn up the heat a little bit. Dork.

Q=Questions (Do they ask their s/o their opinion on things? Do they share theirs?)

Contrary to what some may assume about Shanks, he doesn’t always have all the answers. He is very wise, and occasionally insightful, but not perpetually so.

In moments where he is taken by surprise, afraid, or in a moment of panic, he will turn to you. You and Beckman are probably the two people he relies on the most. When he is unsure, he will ask your opinion.

Sometimes he’ll ask just cause he’s curious. He set out to travel and learn about the world, so of course he would be interested in different perspectives.

And if you ask his opinion, he’ll freely give it. He’ll give you his perspective so that you both have a chance to learn about each other.

He’s not a fake or duplicitous person, so you can be sure that his opinions are honest and true. He’ll make sure that you can count on him as much as he does on you.

R=Random (How spontaneous is their relationship? Do they do things on the spot or plan ahead?)

Shanks is a pirate. To him, ‘spontaneous’ is part of the job description. He’s not the speedy kinda spontaneous, though. The guy is known for his ‘go-with-the-flow’ attitude--like a human lazy river.

Strange as that metaphor sounds, that’s just how he is. Not in any kinda rush, just a pirate enjoying his life on the high seas. He’s happy just exploring new places with his s/o and his crew.

He’s happy chilling in the tavern for however long he wants. Following a whim at his own leisurely pace, that’s how Shanks lives his life--with a nice, laid-back kinda spontaneity.

S=Sleep (How do they sleep with their s/o?)

Pre-injury, Shanks liked being the big spoon. Usually he’d just sleep in lounge pants (not unlike his typical daywear, just without the shirt and cape).

After his injury, his sleep attire doesn’t really change, but he can’t really lie on his side for too long. So instead he usually lies on his back, letting you tuck yourself into whichever side you choose.

Since his arm was bitten off at the elbow, he can still press you closer with his upper arm if you choose to lay on his left side. It feels like the perfect nook to tuck yourself into.

You can drape your arm across this waist, lay your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. That’s when you know you’re in the safest place in the world.

T=Trust (How much do they trust their s/o?)

Shanks wouldn’t be in a relationship with you if he didn’t trust you. In order for him to trust you, he’ll need to have a good sense of your morals.

He’ll respect it if your moral outlooks differ in some respects. For example, He and Buggy have very different ideas of what should be treasured in life & yet he still considers the clown to be a close friend.

However, as his romantic partner, it would make sense if the two of you had most of your principles in common. If there’s too great a difference/divide in your foundational beliefs, then the longevity of your relationship would be markedly limited.

Once Shanks has a solid understanding of your moral centre, he’ll give you more of his trust. He’s not really the kinda guy to actively hide anything. But as you two get to know each other, he’ll be more willing to volunteer information about himself and his life.

He’ll be even more unabashedly himself; more goofy, more charming, more openly intelligent and devoted. (The list could go on, but I’m gonna cap it here, lol).

After that, it’s just a matter of commitment and time--that’s how an intimate emotional relationship is built.

Because Shanks views romantic relationships to be a long term commitment (the whole ‘rest of our lives/death do us part’ idea is rather important to him), he is not in a terrible rush to trust someone. But he does want to eventually get to the point where he knows his partner inside and out.

U=Unique (What makes them unique as an s/o?)

He is (almost) unflappable. I swear to god, almost nothing phases this man. He hardly ever gets angry (unless innocents or loved ones are threatened) and doesn’t really get jealous either. (Have you seen this man? He has nothing to be jealous of!)

You mad about something? He’ll let you go off about it for however long you need. Even if it’s him you’re mad at, he’ll take it. He’ll listen to your rant and discuss it with you to help you cool off. He meets all of your moods evenly. No protests, no complaints, no interruptions, just active listening and meaningful dialogue.

The only exception to this is when (before/during/after) or or both of you is at risk for injury or death. That’s when his over-reactive tendencies rear up and fights are had. Though these fights are almost always from a place of either moral determination for the self or worry for the other person.

Also, this man is willing to try anything you show even a modicum of interest in. A new kind of sushi at the market? He’s down. Hiking up a mountainous island? Sure, why not. You a fan of art and crafts? Your room will be swallowed by paper cranes in three days (trial and error, he says).

V=Vulnerable (How long until they can be vulnerable around their s/o? What are they like in this state?)

It takes a while. Shanks trusts you implicitly, but he’s lived a long life as a pirate--and being a pirate ain’t an easy life to live. While Shanks is not opposed to sharing his emotions, necessarily, it takes a lot for him to thoroughly break down.

Not many people know this about Shanks, but he is just as much of a crier as Luffy is. He’s just gotten better at hiding it over the years (or so he tells himself).

But when it happens, it’s just as heartbreakingly messy as you can imagine. Waterfalls pouring from wide eyes. His hair askew with his expression crumpling. Teeth gritted and lips trembling, he looks like something broken. His whole body shudders with the emotions raking through him. At first, you won’t know how to put him back together.

Shanks is a much more emotional person than most would give him credit for. He feels things very deeply and when he crumbles what he needs is an anchor.

He’s not a broken vase that needs to be glued back together. He’s a dreamer with a heavy burden. Someone who can only carry the weight for so long on his own. What he needs is a solid pillar of a person to hold him close and tell him that he’s going to be okay--that there’s a lesson to be learned/knowledge to be gained from what he’s feeling and why he’s feeling.

After the storm passes, he won’t likely mention the incident to anyone. (His crew will know it happened anyway, they know him too long to be oblivious). But he will acknowledge it to himself. He will thank you for guiding and supporting him, but only quietly, so just the two of you can hear.

Remind him that he’s not alone in the world. Remind him that it’s okay to lean on others for more than just the daily duties of a pirate captain. It’s okay to be vulnerable.

W=Wild Card (Get a random domestic headcanon of the character of your choice)

Shanks loves to sing. He’s not exactly the best at it, but he enjoys the act so much he doesn’t really care how good or bad he is.

When it’s his turn to swab the decks, he’ll be dancing with the mop like he’s jamming with a microphone stand. When the crew get drunk together, he’ll egg them into singing sea shanties with him.

When they lose a crew member or a friend on their journeys, Shanks will start up the low chorus of mourning in memoriam. When you wake from a nightmare or just can’t sleep, he’ll sing you a lullaby. It’s this quiet little quirk that makes you love him all the more.

X=X-Ray (What would they do if their s/o got injured?)

Similar to ‘F for Fear’--if Shanks’ s/o is ever attacked or injured in battle...that bastard is gonna get their shit wrecked by one of the most powerful men in the world.

But once the dust is settled, the man completely switches gears. While his s/o is being treated and recovering from their injuries, Shanks turns into the ultimate worry-warted, mother-henning helicopter-partner.

He already has a habit of over-reacting at the oddest moments. But now that said reactions are actually somewhat justified? Poor man turns into a fretting ninny at the littlest things.

Mishandling Shanks’ worry and devoted protectiveness in these moments can result in fights about your well being and your being able to participate in any upcoming conflicts.

Once you get the hang of it, though, Shanks’ behaviour becomes simultaneously the most endearing and most exasperating thing in the world.

Please, be patient with him. He’s trying his best.

Y=Yuck (Do they have any pet peeves about their s/o? Are there any habits that might bother their s/o?)

Honestly? It’s near-impossible to get on this man’s nerves. You’d have to be a pretty big buzz-kill to get even a modicum of annoyance out of him.

He’s a bit grumpier when hungover, but even then, as long as you are considerate of lights and noises, he’s just gonna sulk and nurse his headache in grumpy peace.

One of the few things that may irritate you is his lax attitude about cleanliness and hygiene. When you’re one of the most powerful people in the world, exploring the world and constantly celebrating something with sake--thoughts of housekeeping kinda fall to the wayside.

If you get tired of smelling booze on his breath and clothes, or can’t take the ‘bachelor pad’ mess that is the captain’s quarters, you’re gonna need to sit him down and seriously talk to him about it. Otherwise he won’t even realize that there’s a problem.

Z=Zeal (Are they passionate as an s/o? Do they want or like passion?)

Hmmm...I would say that Shanks is a passionate partner, just not in the loud kinda way that’s usually associated with the word.

It’s more like a...quiet determination. A deep well of earnestness that he makes sure to show you whenever you need it.

He never wants you to feel like he doesn’t love you or doesn’t feel as deeply about your relationship. He’d put everything on the line for you.

And he’ll treasure and enjoy any passion you show him, in whatever way you choose to express it.

A/N: And that, my friends is my first attempt at ‘Alphabet Headcanons’. Three days which could have been spent in boredom instead contributed to this adorable masterpiece, lol.

Thank you to @demigodxtonio, @r-a-f-t-e-l, @kalissen, @r0r0noa, @kin-sama and @adicoon for the wonderful GIFs and thank you to @burnedbyshoto for inspiring this work with their SFW and NSFW headcanons about our favorite blasty-boi Bakugou Katsuki.

Y’all let me know what you think & let me know if you wanna see any NSFW headcanon--for Shanks. Or, let me know if ya’ll wanna see SFW/NSFW content for other One Piece & BNHA characters.

All the best

--Rose

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touchmycoat · 5 years

Text

um hey Nami/Reiju would be such a valid ship, like:

- Nami the Hugest Lesbian

- who would be so protective of Sanji at first. They all know that in her heart, Reiju is kind, but she’s still the One Who Stayed, who could only bandage but never prevent, who chose to side with the violence for the sake of self-preservation

- but Nami also knows a thing or two about looking like the bad guy, so she’s sympathetic. Sanji doesn’t blame Reiju, so neither does Nami—plus she saved Luffy’s life.

- and now Reiju

- I fully believe vying for beautiful women is genetically programmed into all Vinsmoke children

- Reiju who is so grateful for her baby brother’s crew mates, particularly this lovely little lady

- Nami, who often looks scared and wary, but marches into battle anyways for her friends, for the sake of doing the right thing

- can you imagine Reiju learning about Nami’s past, perhaps on one quiet and tentative evening bonding with Sanji, sharing a glass of wine

- Nami, who found the strength, as a CHILD, to stand between her beloved village and Arlong. Who couldn’t have the Cocoyashi villagers killing themselves to rescue her, not when she was gonna rescue THEM. Who took up the mantle of the bad guy with no thought at all, because she knew what was important, what she wanted to protect with all her heart.

- can you imagine Reiju CRYING, just finding herself suddenly wracked by these choking sobs, breath unable to pass

- because this incredible woman, as a girl, had been able to do what Reiju never could. Because Reiju had given in to the fear, had shut away all the unhappiness and heartache she ever felt in order to hide from the pain.

- can you imagine Nami finding out, and telling Reiju, quietly, about all the bad things she’s seen, she’s done, she’s let happen as a teenage girl stealing from the world. She asks if Reiju can absolve her of the guilt of throwing other people under the bus, young pirates, old pirates, everybody with stories and pasts that she didn’t care about. She hated all pirates once. She may have never slit a throat, but she’s certainly left people on a sinking ship. Can Reiju forgive that girl for putting her own safety first, when cast into a bad situation?

- Reiju says yes, she can easily absolve a child. But Poison Pink is not a child, hasn’t been one for ages. She’s known, all the while, what standing with Germa 66 means, and yet she stayed, feet planted in those goddamn raid boots. Surely she can’t be absolved of that.

- no, Nami agrees. But if Nami’s learned anything from making a career out of backstabbing, it’s that there’s really no such thing as absolution. There’s certainly forgiveness from person to person, but no one is ever wholly “absolved” because no one is ever everything to everyone. All you can do is figure out whom you want to forgive you, and work toward that.

- and if you’re lucky enough to love a brother like Sanji-kun, she would add, he’d have already forgiven you.

- so not to sound cheesy or anything, but what it really comes down to is can you forgive yourself.

- can you? Reiju asks Nami, quietly and with so much on the line.

- most days, yes, is Nami’s proud answer. But on the days you can’t...

- well, on the days you can’t, you make sure to feed a little slice of mikan to Luffy. You make sure to shift Zoro’s swords out of kicking range from exiting the cabin door (you with your cat burglar hands are the only one who can do it so silently, Zoro doesn’t shift in his sleep). You make sure to check in on Usopp’s new experiments and inventions. You make sure to thank Sanji for the delicious afternoon tea.

- you praise Chopper’s work ethic. You tell Robin about the most recent novel you read and ask for recommendations. You bring Franky a chilled bottle of coke and take one of his many sea-faring bikes out for a spin. You point to a place on an old world map and challenge Brook to play a song from that region. You cuddle with Carrot in between her wrestling bouts with Luffy. You pay it forward, is her point, to the Nakama you treasure, every little gesture as a self-aware vow, “I promise I won’t betray you, not like I did before.”

- Reiju is unconvinced. Death, it seemed to her, was the easiest compensation. Why else would the world have death penalties? In death, there was no risk of a second betrayal. There was no risk of going back to that cool mask of Poison Pink. No risk to her, no risk to others.

- Nami getting ticked, as she does at anyone who throws away their life. She reminds herself this is not an unknowing child though, but a grown woman who has survived an incredibly violent life. How EASY it was for Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, who had someone else handily cut the humanity out of them. Reiju had to do it herself, and if left messy scars.

- I held onto life because I had something to protect, Nami says. I had people I loved and a dream I wanted to fulfill no matter what. You... you’ve got to find that.

- I’m a human weapon crafted for war, Reiju answers with no trace of self-pity whatsoever, sounding instead bewildered. I’m a mercenary. Sure, I would like to protect Sanji, but even you would admit that’s a rare chance to be had.

- ...it’s a process.

- and then Nami snaps her fingers, an idea coming to mind.

- a mercenary, huh? You take any job for money?

- we may be evil, Reiju says carefully, but we still have a code.

- then how about I hire you for a job?

- if any of the Strawhats witnessed this moment, their jaws would be on the floor, seeing Nami willingly fork over money. Reiju just looks bemused.

- the job is to go protect someone who needs it. It can be anybody. Just... you’re so strong Reiju, and you can do so much. Germa’s already taken so much of your life, I would hate to see them ruin the rest.

- cue Reiju’s arc of self-discovery, figuring out what she likes, what she wants, what she cares about. She admires Sanji so much for his passion in cooking, Nami for her passion in cartography. She wants something like that for herself so, so bad.

- (maybe she becomes a rare amphibian conservationist. All those poisonous frogs 🐸 , and the slimy bastards remind her somewhat-fondly of her stupid brothers-minus-Sanji.)

- anyways omg, Nami giving Reiju job after job like, “go give someone a present they didn’t expect,” or, “go give someone comfort in a moment of need.”

- Nami’s growing love for this weird, beautiful, poison-drinking older lady who wants to not want to die so badly. She also gets to delight in Reiju always coming back, to see Sanji sure, but also to see her specifically. Reiju develops a habit of bringing back presents: advance tech, old maps, weather gadgets, canned oranges from different islands. Nami gets someone as fixated on GIVING her things as Sanji is, but some of Reiju’s presents make her blush.

- omg, Nami giving Reiju a map to Cocoyashi village. “Go give someone a hug for me.” Reiju and Nojiko bonding over the bonfire that is Nami, saving both their lives.

Wow anyways this can go on and on but!!! Even Sanji would ship it!!! God, he’d be so stressed out about who to give the shovel talk to, ‘cause that’s his sister but also that’s ~Nami-swan~ but in the end he just ends up talking Reiju out of shovel-talking herself and encourages both of them to go for what they want.

#one piece #nami #vinsmoke reiju #germa 66 #sanji #im having FEELINGS #my stuff #nami is really the love of my life and no one can stop me

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sleepdepravity · 6 years

Text

Title: if this had a serious title it would be Parallelism (bc usopp and sanji leaving the crew parallels it's deep) Word Count: 3,322

Commissioned by @lamppu

It was odd how something so terrifying could be so comforting in another context. The rubbery hand that Usopp now clung to was snapping back into place, dragging him to an inevitable collision – but, and this was the important part, it was dragging him to an inevitable collision with home.

Usopp’s head connected with Luffy’s at probably a hundred miles per hour and boy was it a good thing Luffy’s skull was rubber because otherwise this reunion would have ended pretty badly, hahaha. There were a few minutes where he couldn’t quite hold on to consciousness, and then it was back to snot and tears and apologies that so drowned out the outside world that he might as well have been unconscious still. He cried until it was biologically impossible to cry any more, squeezed a few more tears out anyways, wiped his face on his arm right as Nami offered him a handkerchief, and then noticed that he was, sitting on. Grass?

The deck was a lawn, and Usopp had a twinge of guilt for his immediate thrill at the sight of it (after all the trouble he caused over this very issue, was his heart really so easily swayed?), but then Sanji brought out drinks and Luffy called for a toast and there was nothing else but to drink and be merry.

As soon as Usopp’s mug was empty, Sanji was there to fill it up. “Gotta rehydrate you after all the fucking crying you did.”

“Didn’t cry that much,” Usopp blurbbled into his mug.

“You kidding me? I thought your miraculous nose would fall clean off with the way you were rubbing it.”

“You’re one to talk,” Nami cut in, her face flushed but her expression too teasing to be drunk. “You were probably crying the most after those two idiots.”

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Sanji said, hiding his mouth in his drink, forgetting that he still had a cigarette in his mouth. He jerked his head back with a curse and sighed at the waste of nicotine, then knocked back his drink to get the taste of ash down quick. “I was very composed. As stoic as the shit mosshead’s left bicep.”

“He jumped into the air screaming like a freak.”

“Nami-san, please...”

“Actually, you were more emotional than when Robin or I came back...maybe Sanji-kun doesn’t care about us as much.”

The look of pure horror on Sanji’s face would have Chopper declaring him dead of shock, if he weren’t waving his arms around in a consoling and lively way. “N-no no no, Nami-san! Of course it’s not like that! No way that shit Longnose compares!”

Usopp leaned against Sanji’s shoulder. “Methinks he doth protest too much.”

“Nami-san and Robin-chan, I just knew you’d come back! That’s all! Your returns filled my chest to the brink with joy, I swear! Usopp was, it was just – “

Nami shoved Sanji’s other shoulder, nearly toppling him over. “C’mon, Sanji-kun! Don’t take it so seriously, it makes it so easy to tease you!”

Usopp tried to illustrate the point by leaning in even harder, cheek against his, grin a mile wide. “So you’re saying you missed me, huh, Sanji-kun~?”

But rather than sending him into even more frantic denials, Sanji mumbled, too soft to hear if Usopp hadn’t been literally next to his face, “Yeah. I did.”

Usopp found his face burning up instead, and it was so completely unfair how much that just backfired with just three stupid words. Something twisted inside his guts, squeezing out a small, “You did?” just in time for Sanji to stand up suddenly so that Usopp ended up asking his legs instead.

And, knowing Sanji, with his flawlessly performed machismo and consistent, deadpan denial, that was the end of that – and anybody who insisted that it wasn’t the end of that would be quickly convinced that it was the end of that with a short conversation with the end of his foot.

At least, that’s how the script went.

Where it diverged, though...was when Usopp woke up to something poking his face. “Usopp. You awake? Hey.”

Usopp grabbed at the offending face-poker and shoved it aside, only for it to curl around his fingers and tug a little, and Usopp squinted open his eyes and it was Sanji’s goddamn foot. “Usopp,” the owner of the foot continued, now poking him in the face with both the foot and his own goddamn hand that the foot was holding, which was somehow more insulting than just the foot. “Usopp. You’re awake, right? Hey.”

“Yes,” Usopp hissed, shaking the foot’s grip off, “I am.”

“Oh good.” If Sanji ever heard the word ‘apologetic,’ he probably would ask what kind of appetizer it was. “Look...back there, I mean, it doesn’t matter now, but...”

Usopp waited for what exactly he was supposed to look/listen at/to, only to hear some mildly concerning sounds that seemed to be a cross between strained whining and hummed irritation. Gently, with diplomacy and tact and everything else that made it less likely to suffer a sudden kick in the nose, Usopp said, “Yeah?”

“Never mind,” Sanji said, and in the dark Usopp could see his shadow lie back down.

He was left gaping for a few seconds at the goddamn nerve of this bastard before he finally figured out how to vocalize his affront. “Seriously? You’re going to wake me up at shit o’clock in the morning and then ‘never mind’ me?!” Sanji’s only response was a grunt and okay, seriously, screw him. Usopp reached over and managed to grab onto Sanji’s shoulder. “I swear to god if you don’t tell me what’s up right now like a normal, emotionally mature adult, I’m gonna – “

Usopp wasn’t able to say exactly what he was gonna, because Sanji twisted his legs in that impossible way he did and kicked him in the nose hard enough to knock him out of bed. His only vindication was that Sanji also unbalanced and fell out of bed as well. Too bad it was right on top of Usopp and the resulting, inhuman squawk that resulted woke up everybody in the cabin and in the midst of mollifying/arguing with four other people, the original topic was simply dropped and underwent the conversational equivalent of rolling under the fridge.

As promised, Luffy came back with his cook in tow. As promised, the Strawhats helped out the minks and the samurai with Kaido. As promised, they were down two Road Poneglyphs. (Or was that ‘up?’)

The Sunny was already three days out, sailing with barely a care in the world (well, like, five cares at most). Sanji was bringing out snacks for the lazy afternoon, hot milk tea with a refreshingly cool milk foam top that didn’t quite put Usopp to sleep as he drank it. Chopper was drinking some iced juice instead, some sort of odd, pulpy, blended green concoction that looked a little weird but was undoubtedly delicious. For now, there weren’t any storms or marines or pirates or Warlords; not even Zoro was training particularly hard – he capped his reps at just a mere five hundred and thirty-seven.

It was a superbly idyllic day and Usopp was just about ready to vibrate apart with anxiety.

Isn’t it weird? his mind was screaming, but it wasn’t telling him what the weird thing was. Everybody’s just relaxing, as far as he could see, but his brain was pointing at the sun and calling it the shoe that was about to drop, and Usopp wished that it would leave him out of its paranoia.

Sanji’s face dropped into view, upside-down. “Still not feeling well?”

In response, Usopp screamed, jerked his head back, banged it against the wall behind him, recoiled, stabbed his nose into Sanji’s eye, causing him to unhook his legs from the railing above where he had been hanging from and crash to the floor, and the two of them curled up on the deck for a second to nurse their various head injuries. Sanji recovered enough to sit back up and point. “What the fuck was that for!”

“Excuse me?? What the fuck was that for!” Usopp gestured back.

“I was just asking how you were!”

“People don’t ask how people are while hanging upside-down from a railing, Sanji! That’s not something people do!”

“What’re you guys doin’?” Luffy said, hanging upside-down with his legs wrapped around the yard of the back mast. Usopp and Sanji stared at him for a moment.

“Yeah, that doesn’t give me any points,” Sanji admitted.

Luffy’s eyes brightened. “Ooh, are you playing a game? What kind? Can I play?”

“Yes. It’s called ‘Go Bother the Mosshead.’”

Usopp slunk away to the kitchen and closed the door just as he heard an enthusiastic, “Hey, I’m great at that game!” It took a little while and a lot of mayhem and cursing, but Sanji slipped through the door as well and leaned it shut for a few seconds to take a few calming breaths, his expression transitioning from ‘that goddamn fucking Luffy’ mode to ‘barely-masked genuine concern’ mode. That’s the last of what Usopp saw before he just flopped into a chair and thunk’d his head onto the table.

“You didn’t answer my question before,” Sanji said. And then, when Usopp didn’t respond, “What’s going on?”

“Nuh, y’asked ‘still not feelin’ well’ b’fore,” Usopp said to the table.

“Oh don’t be an ass,” Sanji grumbled with a light shove to Usopp’s shoulder. Despite his tone, when Usopp finally sat up straight, he looked relieved.

“Look,” Usopp said, stomach wringing itself in slow, sickening realization, or maybe ‘realization’ wasn’t the word for it, more of an ‘acknowledgment,’ or perhaps rather than a ‘realization’ it was just simply an ‘alization;’ the first time figuring out what was going on. Not the second. And now that he alized the truth of the matter, he knew that there was no way he could ever let anybody else realize it. Which Sanji was about to, if he kept pushing. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” he said, like an idiot.

Sanji’s cigarette pointed upwards in the way that it did when he was extremely pissed off and trying to be diplomatic about it; and failing, because his jaw was so tense that his cigarette was pointing up and it was making his face a tiny bit terrifying. It took a few seconds for Sanji to finally unlock his jaw and sigh out a steady stream of smoke. And then he tactfully kneed Usopp in the chin. “Don’t be stupid, you stubborn piece of shit!”

Usopp probably should have been grateful that it was a knee and not a foot, but given that he had been sent falling to the floor, somehow ‘grateful’ was not the first thing that sprung to mind. He immediately sat up, rubbing his jaw, and shot back, “What the hell! Is that supposed to be empathy?!”

“No, it’s supposed to be me not taking your bullshit!” Sanji pointed his cigarette inadvisably close to the end of Usopp’s nose, and Usopp was forced to lean back a little. “’It’s nothing’ this, ‘don’t worry’ that, stop dodging the question already! Who do you think you are – me?!”

Usopp, rubbing his nose in case some errant ash got snubbed on it, snapped back, “Well if you’re aware of it, why don’t you fix yourself first before trying to mind my own business!”

“That’s – I – because – “ Sanji spluttered before vocalizing an ‘aargh!’ and throwing his cigarette against the floor, which bounced at least twice. He at least had the forethought to snuff it out with his shoe before jabbing his finger towards Usopp like a fork trying to corner a pea. “Don’t change the subject! This isn’t about me, it’s about you!”

“Well maybe it’s kinda about you!” said Usopp, and uh-oh, said his mind, maybe it’s time to reel it in a bit, let’s back up before we say anything we regret. But too late, Sanji’s face was already sobering up, he was an absolute idiot but frustratingly astute at the most inconvenient moments.

“It’s about me leaving,” he said, with depressing finality.

“It’s not,” was Usopp’s reaction, but even the truth had a hint of desperation and Sanji’s face clouded all the more. “Seriously, just, it’s not! Just,” Usopp waved his hands around in abstract, circular motions, before leaning his head back with a groaning sigh and heading for the door. “Just, just forget it, never mind.”

“The hell’re you saying, ‘it’s not, it’s not,’” said Sanji, not forgetting it as he reached over and clasped a hand on Usopp’s shoulder. “You literally just said,”

With a force that startled the both of them, Usopp whirled around and threw off Sanji’s hand; and with even greater force, burning tears and rasping throat and all, “Why do you get it so easy when I went through hell!”

There was silence, but a loud sort of silence, where every twitch in Sanji’s expression felt like a sonic blast through his heart, surprise and betrayal and anger and, and, “’Easy?’” Sanji repeated, voice smooth and low, which just showed how for real pissed he was. “You think it was easy? Look, I’m sorry – “

“Well that’s news to me!” Usopp shouted back before his shoulders sunk and, quite suddenly, he turned around and just collapsed face-down on the couch and screamed into the cushions, which could have been nothing but alarming to Sanji as, instead of beating his head in for his sarcastic tone, all Usopp heard was a few flabbergasted attempts at words wafting somewhere from his direction. Turning his head so that the couch wouldn’t just soak up his words, Usopp took a deep breath and said, “I know I’m being unfair, and I’m glad you’re here, seriously, and I don’t actually feel angry, except, I am, a little, because like...I had to basically get down on my hands and knees to return. And you just get to. Come back.”

“Ah,” Sanji says, after a pause, which was more charitable than Usopp deserved.

When Sanji provided nothing else, Usopp continued, “It’s, it’s unfair, and I know it, and I just have to get over it, and I didn’t want you to know, but,” and then Sanji scooped him up and tossed him over his shoulder, causing the rest of Usopp’s sentence to simply dissipate in a single ‘oof.’

In the time that Sanji kicked open the kitchen door and dropped down to the main deck, Usopp managed to get out a “what,” before Sanji planted him on his feet under the mast and then ran off to parts unknown. And promptly ran back to parts known, carrying a protesting Chopper under his arm (“I can walk, Sanji!”), dragging a curious Luffy by the wrist (“What, what, is it a surprise feast? Is the feast behind Usopp?”), and, miraculously, a compliant Zoro following behind, along with everybody else on the ship. Sanji moved Luffy standing right next to Usopp, set Chopper down on Luffy’s head, and then gestured at everybody else to line up next to them.

Once everybody was arranged as solemnly as Sanji could manage, he stepped out in front of them, knelt down on the deck, and pressed his forehead against the grass. Luffy straightened up from his slouch, eyes attentive, like he recognized this scene, but kept his mouth shut. Sanji breathed in the smell of fresh grass and said,

Zoro set a boot lightly on top of Sanji’s head.

Not that Sanji could see, but he knew who it was, it couldn’t be anybody else, and everybody knew that he knew, but he didn’t jump up to his feet, didn’t throw off the goddamn mosshead, didn’t start pelting him with a flurry of kicks, and this lack of reaction seemed to snap Zoro into some sort of self-awareness and he retreated back into place, mumbling, “That, well, I didn’t, it was on instinct...”

Once Zoro fell silent, Sanji re-breathed in the smell of fresh grass and said,

“I’m so fucking sorry for all the trouble I caused you.”

“About damn timeyeouch!” Zoro shot a glare at Nami, who casually removed her foot from on top of his.

“I realize this is a bit late,” Sanji continued, “with everything going on, it just, slipped my mind. I knew we were in the middle of all the shit with Kaidou but I just up and left anyways.”

“But we don’t blame you – “ Chopper spoke up, but Sanji steamrolled over him.

“No matter the excuses I have, it doesn’t change the fact that I was unreliable during a critical time, and you didn’t deserve that. I’m not asking for forgiveness or anything. Just. Sorry.”

There was a ruminating silence, during which Sanji kept his head bowed, the gesture probably out of respect, but his tense shoulders signified at least one other reason.

To his credit, Luffy at least deliberated for one second before just saying, “Yeah, okay.” Sanji stayed kneeling for a bit, as if waiting for the rest, and then slumped and rolled over on his back, hands clasping his face.

“Oh my god,” Sanji groaned out, “What did I expect. What did I even fucking expect.”

“What?” Luffy said defensively, “I said it’s okay!” and then Sanji did a sort of resigned laugh as he just let himself spread-eagle on the grass and the rest of the crew chimed in with their own condolences/reassurances. As far as apologies went, it was, well. Usopp didn’t want to say anything, but it was rather mundane. Sincere and appreciated, but. The distance between them and the incident also created an emotional distance and there was just no way to kinda, sorta, take this, seriously. Emotionally.

But, still, Sanji got down on his hands and knees (in front of Zoro even, holy shit), and that counted for a lot. So Usopp crouched down and patted Sanji on the shoulder along with the others as Luffy protested, what was wrong with saying okay when it’s okay?!

“I gotta confess something,” Sanji murmured in bed in the dead of night. Usopp had turned over to face Sanji after a barrage of poking at his head, resigned to no sleep until he heard him out on whatever the hell. “I’m kinda. Holding on to some beef too here. That’s unfair.”

The two of them sat listening to quiet snores for a moment until Usopp realized that Sanji was waiting for an acknowledgment and said, “Yeah?”

“I kinda. Felt maybe a bit. Upset. That not everybody went to get me.”

A lot of statements flew to Usopp’s tongue at once, all of them defensive. Usopp just said, “Ah.”

“And I know,” Sanji quickly tagged on, “I know it’s unfair, I know you guys had shit to deal with, I know, but still, it was like, or I mean it felt like, you guys didn’t, care. Enough.” As Usopp tried to think of something less monosyllabic to say, Sanji seemed to take his silence as something to fill and fumbled out, “It’s stupid, I know, I didn’t even want you guys to deal with my shit, but, when I saw you weren’t there, I, it...”

It took a bit of stretching, but Usopp managed to grab Sanji’s hand and squeezed it. Sanji stopped talking.

“I was worried when I was in Wano,” he said. “I’m pretty sure everybody else was too. We all missed you.”

Sanji’s hand squeezed back, and though both arms were starting to ache, they let them dangle across the space between bunks.

“Usopp.”

“Hm?”

“Back when...I mean, with Water 7 and all, and. Like, those giants. They offered you a lift, and, I mean. It doesn’t matter, you didn’t go with them, you’re here and all, but, like. Between the two choices. How...close was it? Exactly?”

Usopp smiled to himself and said, “Not even.”

#sanuso #opfanfic #one piece #fanfiction #my writings #commissioned work #lamppu #makesanjiapologize2k18 #this stupid banana man #haha hey guys it's been a while huh

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ximca · 7 years

Text

Evidence.ZIP: Nami's slow descent into love

Before we start I want to make clear a few things. This is not paid work which means it's substandard trash, all of the scans used are unofficial, but all the interpretations are mine.

Ready? Set. Go.

This first panel is not a shipping panel. LuNa or SaNa, it's not. However because it's been some days since Sanji took off, that means between that day and the day Luffy and company arrived, he's been on her mind. Again I stress, this is not a romantic sign or symbol of any note. Her tears are of worry and relief because she's been worried sick for her nakama and relief because finally, Luffy's here, let's get the rescue rolling.

The next two pictures are about Nami being eager to get off their butts and go after Sanji right away. But Luffy and Zoro are in no hurry, and even Chopper and Brook in other panels are just sad that Sanji is gone but they're not like Nami who's gung ho about chasing him right away. Does that mean they’re not worried about Sanji? No, of course they are, but Nami obviously is the most worried here.

Right before everything happened, Nami was pretty belligerent towards Sanji. She's used to everything he does, including his antics. But by no means does that mean she's apathetic to him. After all, even as early as FI our guy Sanji put in the work. In PH even if he didn't like it, he followed Nami's wish to save the kids and his body serendipitously saved Nami from Caesar's explosion. Nami knows that Sanji would save any other of his nakama, but it was only during the time skip that she began to see how much special attention Sanji actually paid her. And she doesn't even know yet, that Sanji gave her body respect when he dived that lake to get Kinemon's torso, when just a few minutes ago he was cupping her breasts like a madlad for a punchline.

Nami also remembers quite clearly what little Sanji told them about his family. It doesn't seem anything special until you realize that when this happened, Nami asked Chopper right before to dig a spot up for gold, and forgot all about it entirely when Sanji was telling them about Liar Norland.

So then Sanji and co. got captured. This is what I think triggered Nami, the "I'll be back but not really" smile she's seen twice in her life now: Sanji's and Bellemere's. She never really knew what she had until he was gone.

In this panel Nami is mad at Zoro for victim blaming Sanji. Both sides have a point, but take note of Luffy. He noticed, as well as I did (and a few others), that Nami was being a teensy bit overreacting at this point. Why I judged that to be his action instead of Luffy observing the back and forth, is because he’s of the same opinion as Zoro...marriages are no big deal, it’s not like somebody won’t return from a marriage. But Nami’s uncomfortable with it, so in order to remedy the problem, he decides to go up to Sanji and ask him to come back, because their navigator was being cranky when he wasn’t around. Also because he didn’t want to be a Big Mom subordinate, but if it was really the basis of his decision then he should have decided the chase before Nami’s overreaction.

The other two victims, Brook and Chopper, had very different stances. Brook was the calm and mature narrator while Chopper just kept apologizing.

See again Luffy in this panel. But, in addition to noticing Nami's vehement objection to Sanji's Vinsmoke lineage, there's also what I call the "wait a minute!" graphic. It's those small lines that form a semicircle near a character when something catches their attention during someone else's monologue. So now he knows something's definitely up with Nami, if he wasn't sure before.

That face isn't a "wait a minute, what are Vinsmokes?" but rather a "wait a minute, why are you objecting?"

For comparison, this is Nami’s “wait a minute, I know who you’re talking about” panel.

After the Jack ownage, Luffy was open to another banquet like he wasn't done with one the night before. Nami feels once is enough, let's get going, and gives her usual excuse of "you can't go anywhere without a navigator" spiel like Luffy doesn't know what she does. Go back to when Luffy visited Pekoms, he was still saying no to her because the fewer the members the higher the chance of stealth. But now all he says is OK. He knows that somebody on his crew can't wait to see Sanji again, and he's all too happy to oblige.

Even in this catfight prelude, Nami wants to hurry up, giddy up. But when Pudding elaborates on her situation...

THIS is where I think Nami caught herself slippin'. Luffy's just happy with someone complimenting his cook, Chopper is concerned with fact checking, but Nami...is concerned about Sanji's emotional well-being? If she really didn't give him the time of day then why the hell does she care whether Sanji marries for love and not just for political reasons? Just Nami well-wishing? Can't be, because well-wishers would not question whether or not the bride loves her groom in a political marriage.

ANYBODY else would give the happy bride-to-be a congratulations but only a "former-gf-who-has-accepted-the-reality-of-the-situation-who-still-has-residual-feelings-of-love" would confirm for herself if the man she left/who left her is being loved by his bride-to-be.

And before someone says “But family members and to an extent nakama would ask that too!”, they won’t question the bride’s/groom’s feelings, but whether or not he/she is ready to take care of their partner for the rest of their life. Nami isn’t asking “Will you take care of Sanji for the rest of his life?”

Also I think this conversation makes One Piece finally fail the Bechdel Test after all these years.

Fast forward to when they caught up with the Germa, that's Nami's face of relief from being worried about not being able to see each other again. If Sanji were his normal self this is probably where he'd ask her Do you love me now, Nami-san? or something. And after Nami fighting about quarter/half of 11 hours vs Cracker (this dude could take several G4 punches too), she'd probably reply to him in kind at that point.

I have no doubt in my mind that this Nami was one who already recognized her feelings and had no problem acting on them.

But reality is cruel...Sanji wasn't taking any chances. Even going as far as mock Luffy for his dream...and she believed it...despite hearing about a week ago from his own mouth that Luffy was going to be PK!

Luffy never believed the cockbull Sanji was cranking out, so why did Nami? Well for starters, Nami never experienced Sanji lying to her. Ever. You can even search the whole manga for a panel up to that point where Sanji lied to her, you won't find it. That's why she believed Sanji's lies so easily.

Do you remember the Usopp vs Luffy fight? The stated reason is because Usopp doesn't want to leave the Merry behind, due to his own insecurity about being weak and his projection onto the boat being useless and needing replacement which snowballed into him cracking. But was that really all it was? Of course not, Usopp wasn't selfish enough to fight for himself. Flee for himself maybe. He wasn't just fighting for the Merry Go, he was also fighting for Kaya because Merry was his reminder of her.

Scour the manga, all of Usopp's most emotional fight moments are because he was fighting for someone else.

Back to Nami, what did the slap mean? Was it anger at beating Luffy up and spitting on his dream? Yes. Was it because of all the stress and worry for him being useless at that point? Yes. But as a natural opposite of Usopp, Nami's most emotional fight moments are about herself.

Nami decided to fight Arlong because of his continued tyranny towards Cocoyashi Village despite her doing her best to pay up their freedom, but the bulk of her anger was about how much Arlong fucked her life up. Thanks to him she never grew up with a normal childhood.

With Nami vs Ms. Doublefinger, I think Nami even decided to leave her to Zoro. However because she was being labeled a weakling (and underestimated), she decided to stay and fight. Nami vs Kalifa was a similar case of underestimation despite her taking the fight because Sanji was useless against Kalifa.

I think Nami was also mad that Sanji wasn't the same man she realized she fell in love with. Gone was the kind, humble, and goofy man who would stick up for his nakama and their dreams. In his place was a snotty brat who acted superior to everything and believed status gave them the right to shit on other people's dreams. Nami thinks Sanji has changed for the worse because of his newfound status, and drops the endearment term “-kun” which she only used for him.

It's framed like in TV dramas where the lady slaps the man out of passion. Yonji even lampshades it: "She's the fiery type!"

The last pic is just Nami’s “oh shit no” look compared to Luffy’s “oh shit” one.

I’m too tired to continue so I’m stopping this here.

Better researchers than I can spot where Nami first got infatuated by Sanji.

All I’m saying is, they don’t really care about us Sanami shippers should not worry about the character development Oda gave Nami in the Year of Sanji. It’s been a long time coming for us but it’s the last stretch before the game ends.

Don’t expect Oda to give them a flashy confession or an extraordinary action to validate the ship.

But if I read Oda right and this is where he wants Sanji and Nami to take the next step into their relationship, we’re in the green.

Naysayers will say things like “but Nami would do the same for the other nakama” or “so and so would act like that too” but take heed and remember, Oda does not write without reason. He MADE Nami overreact because he wants US to care that Sanji was taken from the crew. He WROTE Sanji into catching Nami with both of them sharing a brief smile because he wants US to feel the relief of both parties safe in each other’s hold.

And he DREW Pudding being jealous because that’s how some other ships feel about this arc. jk ilu guise this is just banter

Thanks for reading.

#sanami #sannami #sanji x nami #sanjixnami

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