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beanghostprincess · 1 month

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A very interesting AU concept would be swapping Sanji and Pudding, hear me out:

It starts with 9 year old Sanji at G€rma. In one way or another, his modifications partially activate. He is still weaker than his siblings, but its enough for J@dge to not imprison him even after Sora's death. (He still gets berated tho) Living like this slowly makes Sanji lose his emotions. He doesn't have a will to to live, yet he can't die.

Meanwhile, at Tottoland Big Mom is furios at a 6 year old Pudding because she just can't awaje her 3rd eye. She calls her a failure, punishes her for nothing, and tells her that she isn't her favourite daughter anymore. Hearthbroken, Pudding decides to run away like her big sister Lola did by hiding in the hold of a ship. She ends up in the east blue and after the ship wrecks, she meets Zeff. They are both stuck on an island fir 80 days, but he sacrifised his leg because he could never let a lady go hungry, its just wrong. Later they are saved and end up opening the Baratie.

Zeff raises Pudding as his precious daughter. She is already great at baking, but he teacges her how to make other dishes and cuisine. Everybody loves her, and anyone who even lays a finger on her will die.

Then Luffy arrives. While Pudding's real dream is to learn about the 3 eye tribe, she tells everybody that is to find the All Blue for her old man (she still covers her eye, Zeff is the only person who has seen it). After the events of the Baratie arc, she joins the crew as the cook.

The rest of the story would be similar. Pudding is now a pirate who uses her leg fighting skills and smarts to get by. (As well as an idden power thats connected to her 3rd eye) The marines gave her the epithet "chocolate leg Pudding". Im not sure if she already has the memo-memo no mi... I'm gonna assume she does and its very useful for her.

The first change in the plot is at Thriller Brak. Pudding notices her sister, but she is scared to face her at first, since that woukd mean telling her friends about her true lineage. For most if the arc, she deribetaly tries to hide herself and even wears a disguise. In a final moment in the arc, she asks Lola to talk to her privately. We don't see what happens yet, but we will one day.

The rest of the story is the same, until Whole Cake Island. When she is kidnapped by the Big Mom pirates. When her bounty poster is changed to "only alive". When the invitation to the wedfing of the 3rd son of the V!nsm@ke family and the 35th daughter of the Charlotte family are handed out. When Big Mom decides to claim her disowned child to give her up in an arranged marriage as part of a coup. Threattening to hurt Zeff and her friends if she doesn't comply.

I love this so damn much you don't even know-- I've always been saying that Pudding's story is basically Sanji's but like, with the bad ending because she never got to escape when she was little but Sanji did. And now that you mention this AU, it's just perfect to show their similarities but also to turn the stories around and,,, It's amazing.

Starting with Sanji, I adore that the approach here is that he's emotionless. I don't think he'd be like his brothers in a narcissistic, egocentric way. I think that after being abused constantly he just loses all will to leave and shuts down completely even if there is still empathy within him. The whole thing with the Vinsmokes is that they were all raised to be powerful killing machines and that's why they act like this, not because they actually are emotionless. And Sanji in this context isn't either, he just seems like he is because he just... Gives up. So I imagine a black-haired Sanji with some blond, completely shut down and just taking the abuse and living with it and serving the family without anything else.

But there is still some type of connection in him to like, animals and women, I think. It's small but it's there. He's not our sweetest boy but he won't harm women the way Niji does and he will help and feed animals because he is strangely attached to them and cooking. But Judge doesn't really say anything about it anymore because at least the kid gets the job done and doesn't seem like he's going to rebel or anything. He's kind of like in a Reiju position? Where he understands their situation and has his own emotions but just shuts down? Except that he's well, extremely depressed and mean and she's concerned for him. I think she still protects him though, she's the only one Sanji doesn't push away. Typical "they sit in silence and she hugs him and even though he stays expressionless it's obvious that he likes it with her".

And Pudding... I love that she gets her happy ending here. I've been saying Zeff has girldad energy and it just makes sense that he'd be extremely protective of her while teaching her to cook and fight on her own!! He raised the most gorgeous, sweetest, and yet ruthless cook of all seas! I think he'd be such a great dad for her because he would help her stand up for herself and also take care of her in their early years together when she is still having trouble adapting to a new, healthy environment. Of course, she still has nightmares and trauma responses when she grows up, and he helps her anyway, but she gets better at some point.

I love that he's the only one who sees her third eye!!! That'd be like, such a good plot point too for her to join the strawhats... Also, her dynamic with Luffy would be hilarious because despite being sweet, I wanna desperately keep her mean personality and she would be SOOO done with Luffy. Their relationship would kind of resemble Lusan's a lot, imo. And Nami would be sooo happy to have another girl in the crew so early!!! I also think she'd hate Zoro but not because of like, parallels with Zosan or anything, I just think their personalities clash too much-- And she'd have a soft spot for Usopp but that's because, you know, everyone does. Also, I like having a girl in the crew that isn't part of the coward trio. She actively fights and I love it. Then Vivi and Robin join them and y'know, I am starting to think another girl in the crew would be literally amazing hahahaha (I've been saying this for so long). So I am guessing everything stays the same except that during Thriller Bark she reunites with Lola but yeah, she doesn't tell the others about it. Because that's what WCI is for!

Then WCI happens... And I am losing it because I really, really, really want her to have the biggest breakdown about it and sacrifice herself Sanji-style (don't you just love how you don't even have to change the plot because they're literally parallels??? I will never understand how some people can hate Pudding lmfao she's literally Sanji). So she's forced to do the exact same thing she does in canon if she wants to save the ones she loves, but she doesn't want to kill Sanji?? Like at all?? And then you have Sanji who literally gives zero fucks about what's going on. I think he'd be forced to act politely and like a gentleman when he literally doesn't care about all of this-- And probably Pudding finds out and he's mean to her, yadda yadda yadda.

And y'know I would absolutely love if Sanji knew they're going to kill him but couldn't care less about it because perhaps dying is better than whatever life he's living, and when Pudding realizes what's going on she makes him want to live just... A little bit. Something awakens inside Sanji and suddenly he's scared and he doesn't want to do this. Sanji sees Pudding's third eye... Pudding finds out about Sanji's mother... They actually won't stop arguing at first, Pride & Prejudice style, and then Sanji sees her with a different perspective and all of a sudden he starts acting more protectively and sweet to her? So she's confused as hell and still tries to argue but uhhhh complicated relationship they've got there, but at least they help each other out.

And idk perhaps we have the Viinsmoke sibs having the same scene they have in canon and helping Sanji out but the crucial part is Reiju paralleling the original scene in which she helps Sanji escape. And he finally does and he leaves with the strawhats because I need them to have a happy ending. So he's still dealing with, you know, trying to express his emotions and wanting to live but he'll get there someday because at least now he's safe. Nobody kisses and forgets anybody because I will not allow a sad ending here, thank you.

#but seriously i love this so damn much #i could talk about this for hourssss #going insane #rn thinking hard about zeff raising pudding bc their dynamic would be so fun and cute #pudding in sanji's place and going through the same things he did with the crew but with her own issues and personality is amazing #idk pudding deserves so much love i hope she can get her happy ending in the manga or else i will riot #also thinking hard abt germa sanji not being evil or anything he's just depressed #like i LOVE evil sanji AUs but depressed sanji who just settles and doesn't fight back and suddenly he finds pudding and the strawhats #and now he has a reason to live and turns out he's a sweetheart??????#going insane about them actually #he joins and nami goes and dies his hair blond bc it's very needed thanks #one piece #black leg sanji #charlotte pudding #whole cake island #red leg zeff #not tagging the others bc i'm lazy #ask-bean!

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thranduel · 2 years

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el deserves better + why people can’t take mike’s monologue seriously

*these are my own personal opinions and observations! if you liked this scene how it was, that's fine! no one's forcing you to look at this lol. i'm not trying to "ruin" this scene for anyone or invalidate people’s feelings. it’s a fictional show. the writers like when people analyse and look into it and that’s what i’m doing. these are just my own opinions about it as someone who has watched the show since the beginning, pays attention and truly cares about the characters, and i think they could've done this scene a lot better if they wanted it to seem genuine.

i also just want to make it clear that i would’ve had no problem with mike and el’s relationship if it was well-written, slowly developed properly instead of rushed, they actually understood each other and could be themselves with each other AND if will wasn’t involved in this love triangle and had his heart broken in the process because that’s probably one of the most cruel, horrible and unnecessary things i’ve ever seen in a show. there was absolutely no reason to involve an abused and traumatised gay child in this mess if he was just going to end up hurt again after everything he’s suffered and people have EVERY right to be uncomfortable and upset about that, but anyways!

“love at first sight”

the love at first sight trope coming out of nowhere seemed really out of character for mike since he's made it clear several times he doesn't believe in that and we also know he didn't fall in love with el the moment he met her when he was only 12 years old and struggling with the trauma of his best friend going missing. i'm not sure why they felt the need to include that when will was sitting right there listening and they could've done literally anything else to show he loved her. he shouldn't have to lie and make things up that don’t make sense (seriously, what happened to “friends don’t lie”)? and sure, the cast can say whatever they want about a 12 year old falling in love with a stranger the moment he looked at her even though he knew absolutely nothing about her and his best friend was suffering in an alternate dimension, but it still makes no sense from a writing standpoint and you can literally see that in mike’s words and actions after they take her to his house. the whole thing has always been weird lol. i don’t know why people romanticise the love at first sight trope with two children anyways and act like it makes their relationship better when it only made it worse because of how rushed it was.

using will

this needs to be mentioned considering will is the reason this monologue happened in the first place (so don’t even start with the “stop making everything about will” when THE WRITERS THEMSELVES literally put him in every mike and el scene except their fight scene!!!!!!!) but i absolutely hated how they used will's feelings for mike in order to make him say he loves his own girlfriend. like… what. using a gay character who has suffered since the very beginning as a plot device to force another ship back together while he continues to suffer and be heartbroken isn't cool at all. you can come up with any excuse, but NOTHING makes it okay that they included will in this mess and turned him into a couple’s therapist that fixes their problems when they can’t even do that themselves. if they wanted all this drama with mike and el and STILL have them stay together for some reason, fine. but will should’ve NEVER been involved. there’s no excuse. i don’t understand how anyone is okay with that. he literally had to push him into saying the monologue even when el was choking because mike wouldn’t have said it otherwise. he also took inspiration from what will said in the van about his OWN feelings for him and basically re-worded it. it’s just crazy.

“mike was just trying to save her”

i get that!!!!! he was panicking and under stress. it’s actually a realistic way to respond in that situation and anyone would make up whatever they think the person wants to hear to save them. he was trying his best to help her and i really do appreciate him for that because she really needed strength and motivation. BUT the point is, it still wasn’t entirely genuine and it’s so weird that people watch it and talk about it like it’s a proper romantic love confession and their relationship is oh so perfect when he always lies and contradicts himself which just feels hurtful and unnecessary. he could've told her he loved her WITHOUT making things up. in fact, he should’ve told her he loved her BEFORE she got her powers back, before he was pushed into it by will and before she was in danger and he was under pressure. that would’ve made it seem so much more genuine.

flashbacks

i’m just gonna link this incredible analysis post from @aurorabyler here about flashbacks because they explained it so perfectly. please check it out!!!!

anyways mike could’ve spoken about happy memories instead of making up lies she knows aren’t true. when he said “it’s not because i’m scared of you. i’ve never felt that way”, it just sounded ridiculous because she knows he’s been scared of her. it literally happened a few episodes ago at the roller rink. even in season 1, mike yelled at her and triggered traumatic memories that reminded her of brenner (the flashbacks happen right after to show the parallels) and it happened again in season 4. she also said “you think i’m a monster too” when they were arguing because she knows that mike has been scared of her. and at the roller rink when she was sitting at the table shaking and crying, he just stared at her along with the crowd and he didn’t sit with her or take her away from the triggering environment. he just stared and did nothing. in the car he was silent and then at the dinner table he made a sarcastic comment which made her feel worse and get up and leave. then he sips his drink which is a parallel to ted and karen. obviously mike has every right to be shocked and afraid sometimes, but el was also really struggling and he did nothing to help. even when she confronted him about everything, he just sat there, got defensive, denied everything and called her ridiculous. “he’s just a teenager” just doesn’t work as an excuse because we’ve seen that mike can be mature, apologise and take responsibility for what he’s done wrong with other people, so why didn’t he do that during their fight scene? why was he sitting there with no emotion on his face and making her feel worse as she was literally breaking down in front of him? why did he have to be pressured and motivated by his best friend to say he loves his own girlfriend? “he just needed some advice”, “he’s just insecure”, “his parents couldn’t say ily”. these are all ridiculous excuses that make no sense. it also doesn’t explain why will was involved in this mess in the first place. how is it okay for a gay child to just be shoved to the side and heartbroken and then force the boy he loves into telling his girlfriend he loves her? how are people seriously okay with that?

more lies and idolisation

during the monologue, mike also could’ve mentioned el's friends and family which mean the world to her instead of just making it about himself and why he needs “his superhero”. he could’ve mentioned who she is as a person instead of just her powers, but the truth is, he barely knows who she is as a person because they can’t be themselves around each other and they don’t even share any similar interests. that's why it confuses me when people actually take what he's saying seriously and think he's being genuine and "romantic" when he isn't. "oh, but mike said he fell in love the moment he met her, he’s so in love”. uh, of course he's going to say that when he's under pressure and she's in danger, but that doesn't mean it's true. we know that he was going through one of the most traumatic times in his life when will went missing and he wasn’t focusing on falling in love… he was literally only 12 years old and he knew el for 6 days before she disappeared. they were strangers. he also only let her stay when she said the bad guys were after her and when he found out she had powers and could help find will, not because he “fell in love”. he was literally planning to send her away so they could focus on finding will. so many people forget about this but it’s just crazy to think about. even when they reunite at the end of season 2, they had only spent less than a week with each other as children. mike called her every day with no response but that’s only because he wanted to know if she was out there because she was his friend and of course he cares about her. but they still barely knew each other and he didn’t get to know her more while he was making those calls because she couldn’t even respond. there was no proper build up, no honest communication and no getting to know each other properly before getting into a relationship.

rushed romance

people talk about how they fell in love immediately when they barely even knew each other and el just escaped a lab she was raised in and didn’t know what romance was. she couldn’t even communicate at the same level as mike and everything happened so quickly for her (and no, this is NOT saying that she's not capable of having a boyfriend now. of course she is. she's incredible and she's capable of so much. but when she got out of the lab, she was just a child and she wasn't taught anything about romance or relationships, so it would've been so confusing for her and she needed more time to discover herself and her own interests and then figure out who she likes, if she even wanted a relationship at all). in season 3, she asked max how she knows what she likes because no one has ever taught her or allowed her to figure things out on her own and decide what she likes for herself. max was the first person to do that and it was a really important moment for el. she was also the happiest she had ever been in that scene when they were shopping and i’ve never seen her smile and laugh so much. it was really beautiful to see.

anyways, i know she's not being forced to stay in her relationship with mike but i feel like both of them heavily depend on each other due to their emotional attachment since they found each other during a traumatic time and saved each other when they were vulnerable and needed help. mike was the first person to take care of el outside the lab and helped her hide from the bad guys so she wouldn’t have to go back, and el saved mike's life when he jumped off the cliff and then she broke his bully's arm. mike and el feel like they owe each other something and they're extremely dependent on each other because they saved each other, but i don't understand why they had to start dating because of that? it's like they feel like they can't be anything outside of a couple which isn't healthy considering the show has proven over and over again that they're not working as a couple. i don't know why people think this is a bad thing either or an "insult" to their relationship. it's not at all. no one is saying they don't love each other, because of course they do. they just don't work together romantically for many reasons, but they would still love each other even if they're just friends. in fact, i think their relationship would be even stronger if they were just friends.

they don’t feel like equals (and literally admitted this in the show)

one of the biggest issues with their relationship is that both mike and el can’t be themselves with each other and they always lie, so it doesn’t help that he lied during his monologue too. it’s really sad. you shouldn’t feel like you need to lie or change who you are when you’re in a relationship. and i just feel like there were so many other ways they could’ve done this. like, if they wanted mike and el together, that’s fine. but why couldn’t their relationship be more genuine and why couldn’t they be themselves around each other? el didn’t even need a boyfriend or first kiss in season 1, she just needed a friend to help her and be by her side. mike is the one that decided what their relationship would be because he had a little crush on her, but el didn’t get a say at all. i understand it was supposed to be "cute and wholesome" and mike didn’t have any bad intentions when he kissed her, but it’s just really strange when you actually think about how they barely knew each other and el didn’t know what a kiss was.

the characters deserve better

i also just feel like this scene hurts all 3 characters involved (el, mike and will, because yes, will was involved in a way considering he's been in love with mike since the beginning and he’s the reason mike said his monologue in the first place) and it feels insulting to them. the writers also placed will in EVERY mike and el scene except their fight, so people can’t get mad when people “make it all about will”. blame the writers then. people are obviously going to talk about the abused and traumatised gay child that’s suffering and getting his heart broken.

el: she deserves to be loved for who she is as a person, as jane, not just “superhero eleven”. her boyfriend should’ve shown her love in his letters and he should’ve comforted her and explained himself (or just simply said “i love you”) when she was crying in her room begging to hear the words. his excuse for not being able to say it was “i’m scared she won’t need me anymore”, but she clearly needed him in that moment. he knew what she wanted to hear. he also said he feels inferior because he’s just a nerd and she’s a superhero. but she didn’t even have powers in that scene where she was crying. she was just a regular person like him, so why couldn’t he say it? in the next episode, he also admits that if he just said “that thing”, she might’ve taken him with her (he couldn't even specify what it was when he was talking to will). so he knew exactly what she wanted but he still didn’t say it. this entire plot was just added for drama and it feels so unnecessary. he couldn’t even tell her he loved her when she was sobbing in his room but he only could after his best friend convinced him with his painting, monologue and pushed him to when el was in danger. how is that fair? how do people think it’s genuine after all that? “because mike is just insecure and needed a push”???? because that doesn’t change the fact that he has lied to her and made her feel horrible before. it doesn’t change the fact that she was SOBBING in front of him and he was more worried about himself than her feelings. 3 simple words could’ve comforted her and he just couldn’t do it… until his conversation with will? it’s crazy to think about. that’s why all the excuses are just ridiculous. el deserves so much better than this. she deserves to find someone that loves her for who she is, that shares the same interests as her, that she can fully be herself around, and that doesn't care about her powers.

will: his feelings for mike shouldn’t have been used as a plot device to force mike and el back together when they can’t even sort out their own relationship problems. using a gay character’s feelings when he has been abused, targeted, bullied, lonely and suffering since the very beginning of the show is absolutely cruel and unnecessary. he hasn’t even had a moment of happiness and he thinks he’ll never experience love because of his sexuality. it's even more heartbreaking knowing he has loved mike since the beginning but he thinks mike will never love him back and he has to watch him with someone else while he gets pushed to the side. speaking of being pushed to the side, the way mike treated will in season 3 and 4 (especially how he couldn't hug him at the airport) makes absolutely no sense unless he has repressed feelings for will and internalised homophobia because otherwise, mike is just an asshole and there was no need for any of that. his relationship with el never should've affected his relationship with will, especially because will has been his best friend since they were 4 years old and they have the closest relationship in the entire show. also, will's painting for mike was supposed to be a special moment between them only. his love confession was also the most beautiful and genuine thing and it made mike so happy, but he used el’s name to disguise it and it was so painful and heartbreaking to watch. will is also the only reason mike said his monologue to el because he was so inspired by the painting and car monologue and thought it was all from el when it wasn't. it was all from will. even when el was in danger, will still had to push mike to say it. and yet, will is still lonely and heartbroken after being so kind and selfless to everyone around him? he still doesn't get to be happy after everything he's been through? it’s just not fair. they can’t keep doing this to him.

mike: he’s just simply been reduced to el’s boyfriend. we barely even know him anymore and he doesn’t get his own moments. his entire arc this season revolved around not being able to tell el he loved her. like are you actually kidding me? he did nothing this season except be part of el's storyline. he also changes so much when he’s around her. it’s so ridiculous and unfair and his friends have been hurt because of it too. he shouldn’t have to pretend to be someone he’s not in order to impress el. i also feel like so many people forget how much trauma mike has been through and we don’t even get to see any of it. we don’t get to see his POV or feelings or understand what’s going on inside his head. his entire character just revolves around el and it’s not fair. he also deserves to be with someone he feels comfortable with and can actually be himself around. mike has to hide his own interests and he feels embarrassed about himself when he’s with el and he shouldn’t feel like that in his own relationship. sure, some people might use the excuse “they’re just kids” (as always), but it doesn’t change the fact that this has been going on since their relationship started and they’ve never truly felt like equals. they’ve always been different and they always will be. mike deserves to be with someone that loves him for exactly who he is and that brings out the best in him. someone who makes him feel safe and comfortable for being nerdy and passionate. someone who can give him the love he wants and needs. it’s just sad (and unhealthy) to see him in a relationship where he changes so much and obsesses over his girlfriend and treats his friends like garbage to the point where he becomes the most disliked character in the show and the general audience can’t stand him. like if that doesn’t say a lot about how this relationship isn’t good for this character, i don’t know what does.

#also this isn't specifically byler but i love the people in the byler tag and we have good discussions so hi lol #anyways #if they wanted mike and el together fine but why not make their relationship genuine at least #why not make them actually be able to be themselves with each other instead of constantly lying to each other #and also #the fact he only said all this because of will's confession feels like a slap in the face too #and will had to sit there and listen to it as well #he would've been panicking for el AND also getting his heart broken at the same time #it would've been one of the most overwhelming and hardest moments #el doesn't deserve to only be told she's loved when she's in danger and when her boyfriend gets pushed into it by his best friend #and will doesn't deserve to have his feelings for mike used as a plot device to force another ship back together #and then he just suffers all alone again like he does every season????? absolutely not #the entire thing is a mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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