Vent blog! It started out as a DC blog, but turned into the place I go to complain about various fandoms because I'm easily irritated but don't like to cause drama.
so many popular examples of fandom racism are barely actual fandom brand racism bcs white ppl (and honestly too many non black ppl) need outright in your face blatant stuff as proof to shocked and appalled by. most of it is the classic "I'm not touching you style" that's easier to gaslight around which is what a majority of racism is, gaslighting. slave fics a tortureporn of characters of color are awful but that's like individual weirdos who it's easy to mark off as obviously racist. The attention and outrage surrounding these little incidents allows everyone to feel better because of how exaggerated and one off they are, bad eggs in a good batch etc.
Real fandom racism is watching the darkest characters get boxed into the specific outsider pov trope over and over despite them being a core member of the cast. it's watching everyone have in depth headcanons for every character but them, denying them the complexity their counterparts get. It's them getting written out of their own plots, receiving little to no audience sympathy when they ARE complex, and, most importantly, watching them get cast in the same exact role when shipping comes in
but all this isn't loud, it's quiet and unnoticeable unless you've had to watch it play out with every favorite character you've had ever since you were ten and started engaging with fandom. it's repetitive, uncreative, infuriating and worst of all NOBODY WILL LISTEN WHEN YOU POINT IT OUT because you're just imagining it and they're not touching you. I've been making my own content and I've seen how people will go out of their way NOT to engage or engage specifically only to discredit a character of color.
it's not a one off thing or even a small pattern, it is what fandom culture is BUILT on, picking the palest skinniest most pathetic looking man in the cast, projecting onto him and ignoring literally everyone and everything else whether that be fanon over plot or the interesting female or darker skinned characters and masking racism behind fanon tropes
I know I'm biased as an Usopp fan and all, but does anyone else think Elbaf has been... really mediocre? Bad, even? Like yes, I am disappointed that Usopp isn't getting more importance and screentime (considering Oda has been connecting him to Elbaf and the giants for literal decades, wtf was it all for then, Oda??) but also just in general. Spoilers ahead.
Oda spent so many chapters setting up all these pieces and building tension and stakes with the Holy Knights and stuff, but then axed the story's whole momentum with a meandering, eighteen (18) chapter flashback. A flashback with multiple other flashbacks in it, some of which were important for lore purposes but also unrelated and kind of undercut the point and emotion behind the initial flashback. (Also doing the Kuja dirty, making them idols who never even have to fight because they're so beautiful men just give them what they want, and they won't rescue their own queen/captain unless it's to get a man's attention 😒🤢 hi I'm still pissed about this)
We get back to present, finally, and the Monster Trio solve everything in five seconds, because of course they do. The fight with the Domi Reversi giants is completely without tension bc turns out you just have to hit them really hard (nevermind that Imu gave them undying bodies, like that was a specific stipulation of the contract, that physical harm would not stop them -- but who cares about that, Zoro decided to get them to hit each other once and it worked bc Zoro is always right, so fuck the pre established rules of the game)
The other fights are also without tension bc Luffy and Sanji smash the bad guys up with ease. Neither of them have any skin in the game with either of their matchups nor were the fights the least bit interesting think what we could have had with Nami and Sanji against Sommers or Usopp against Killingham The Nightmares which were a big deal against hundreds of giants are not a big deal against one Loki think what we could have had with Usopp vs Killingham dreams versus nightmares the heroes of his stories versus the monsters of the kids' dreams!!!!
Then the biggest (?) bad of the entire series rocks up to fight. He makes everything worse for our heroes, by putting them back in the same situation they just got sorted (needing to save the hostage kids, which has been going on for how many chapters now?) and nowww... we're going into another flashback. Shorter this time, thankfully, but we're barely even ten chapters out from the last one. Yeesh. Good for Brook (I genuinely am glad for him, even with the meh timing of this flashback). Another dead mom for the list, because motherhood is the deadliest thing in One Piece. Yay. Back to the present, "Oh no, the children!" is said for the fiftieth time.
Outside of the plot, sometimes the characters just say the dumbest, most nonsensical things. Like Nami saying not even the worst villains in the world take children hostage. Nami. Nami, who herself was a hostage and basically a slave and experienced horrific violence as a child. Who has seen so many other children hurt or stolen. Then Lilith saying Bonney needs permission to fight, which???????? She's been a supernova pirate captain for years, I think Bonney can fight if she wants to regardless of what the adults say. A few others have said weird things too, but I don't feel like hunting down every example right this second.
Like I said in another post, there are some very good moments that I like. The giant kids falling with their guardians, Usopp standing up for Brook against Imu. But these moments are far outweighed by the frustration and disappointment I have with the arc as a whole.
Also Sanji vs Killingham is a stupid matchup and I don't care whether or not Sanji has haki. Everyone has this allegedly rare haki why are we surprised
You know, there’s always been that debate about who would make the best vice captain of the Straw Hats. And while I do like that the crew doesn’t really operate on strict titles beyond Luffy being captain, I honestly think Usopp being his VC would have added a completely different kind of flavor to the story.
Not because Usopp is the obvious choice 👀.
That’s exactly why it would have worked.
Zoro makes sense as the powerhouse right hand. Nami makes sense as the one who keeps the ship functioning. But Usopp? Ha. Puh-leez.
Usopp would have made people stop and ask what Luffy actually values in a 2nd-in-command. Because Luffy choosing Usopp would not be about rank, strength, intimidation, or clean leadership optics. It would be about trust. It would be about Luffy picking the one person who understands fear, morale, survival, performance, and hope in a way the others don’t.
And I think that’s where the human and monster thing comes in.
Luffy is bright, loving, ridiculous, and freeing, but he is also dangerous. He’s a monster of willpower. He throws himself at the impossible like normal limits don’t apply to him and half the time, they don’t. That’s inspiring, but it’s also terrifying if you really sit with it and think about it. Usopp on the other hand, is painfully human. He’s scared. He bleeds. He panics. He lies. He knows exactly what it feels like to be small in front of something bigger than him.
So if Usopp were vice captain his role wouldn’t be to match Luffy’s monster. It would be to balance it.
Not by controlling Luffy. Not by being stronger than him. But by being one of the few people who can still reach him when everyone else only sees the captain, the miracle, the future Pirate King, or the monster. Usopp would be the one who can look at Luffy and still see his best friend underneath all that power.
And that’s what would make it interesting.
Usopp’s job wouldn’t have to be “win until Luffy gets there.” It would be “hold the world together until Luffy gets there.” Keep the crew from breaking. Keep civilians alive. Stall the enemy. Lie well enough to preserve hope. Stay standing long enough for the miracle to arrive. And sometimes, when Luffy himself becomes too much, Usopp would be the one who reminds him where home is inside himself.
That wouldn’t take anything from Zoro or Sanji. They’d still be monsters in their own right. They’d still be Luffy’s wings and pillars. But Usopp as VC would give the narrative a different edge. Edgy. It would make the crew feel less like it’s built around obvious power structure and more like it’s built around belief.
Two 17 year olds. Captain and vice captain. Best friends. Both ridiculous. Both underestimated in different ways. One a Devil Fruit user, one painfully mortal. One the monster who can bend the world. One the human who survives long enough to keep believing in him. Front line and support. Sun and shadow. Dream and doubt. Two sides of the same freakin’ coin.
That’s why I wish Oda had kept the Usopp-as-VC idea, because it could have made One Piece wrestle more openly with what Luffy is becoming and why Usopp matters to him. Especially now, knowing what Luffy’s power really is, it adds a whole other layer. Luffy’s power in the wrong hands would be terrifying. But Usopp beside him would say something important: that Luffy is not just dangerous because he’s powerful, and he’s not safe just because he’s good. He’s safe because he has people who love him enough to reach him.
And Usopp being one of those people, officially, would have hit.
Water 7 would have been devastating in a completely different way too. Because then it wouldn’t just be Usopp leaving the crew. It would be Luffy’s human tether snapping. The person he trusted to hold the line would be the one saying, “I can’t stand beside you anymore.”
Human versus monster, huh?
That’s the part I can’t stop thinking about. Not just Usopp as vice captain for the title, but Usopp as the proof that Luffy’s crew was never supposed to be built on power alone. It was built on trust. And Usopp, of all people, being chosen for that role would have made that impossible to ignore.
We really did get robbed of cool edgy one piece, like this on top of cyborg Nami I would dieeeeee. But this is also so important to me, because the second most human on the crew is probably the nonhuman ones, like chopper and brook. I would maybe say Nami but I feel not as much, especially with her natural leadership. Chopper isn't even really a human but I feel so much more like him than Sanji or Nami or Zoro, who are technically Just Normal People.
Their flaws seem tangible, a big one for all three being loneliness. Brook on the boat for 50 years, Chopper is neither human nor reindeer AND has a blue nose, and Usopp's mom died and Dad left.
It's the opposite of Luffy, who has never really been alone. He's always had family. He was in that barrell for like a day until he met Koby, it's not in his blood to be alone. It's part of his godliness, his natural draw to people. It would make Usopp's loneliness so important as Luffy would do anything for strangers because he's got so much love in his heart and willpower, but Usopp would do anything for strangers because he relates to the struggles of humans. Luffy doesn't let go, neither does Usopp, but Luffy loves easier, and I think having a vice captain like Usopp who is kind to strangers YET suspicious makes a better fit than Zoro, who intimidates others and putting him second in command makes it seem, again like you said op, like the pirate crew is about power rather than family.
#i do like that the crew canonically does not have a first mate or vice captain#The Strawhats are not a typical pirate crew and part of that includes not having a strict hierarchy/chain of command#but YES having Usopp as vice captain (or co captain ;p) would add such an interesting layer to the story and their characters
#I 100% agree with what you said about Usopp and Luffy+Usopp's relationship#Usopp has always seen Luffy as his friend before his captain#Luffy is not his savior and Usopp knows better than anyone that Luffy isn't perfect or invincible#Usopp has never put rules or pride or anyone's authority above his friends' lives and that includes Luffy#I'm pretty sure Usopp is the only person to express worry about what Luffy does to himself w his powers#they balance each other and adding this dimension to their relationship would make that balance even more prominent and tasty#'He’s safe because he has people who love him enough to reach him'#'Usopp as the proof that Luffy’s crew was never supposed to be built on power alone. It was built on trust. And Usopp of all#people being chosen for that role would have made that impossible to ignore'#excellent post big agree (tags via usoppssketchbook)
Water 7 Is Not a Trophy. It’s a Battleground. | TL;DR
(Elbaf spoilers 🚨)
I saw a take recently that basically used Water 7 as a reason why Usopp fans should not expect Elbaf to be especially meaningful for him. The general idea was that Usopp already had his big emotional arc, so if Elbaf ends up giving more focus to someone else, then Usopp fans should not act like he was deprived. 💀
and to be clear, this is not about attacking Brook fans or anyone who is excited for another character. People can think Brook has stronger relevance in Elbaf. People can be excited for Brook. People can prefer whatever character they prefer. That is not the issue.
The issue is that when people bring up Water 7 like it somehow settles the entire Usopp conversation forever. 🙄
like, “Usopp already had Water 7, so what are his fans complaining about?
And that is where I have to pause, because that is such a shallow way to talk about what Usopp fans have actually been dealing with.
Water 7 gave Usopp incredible material. I’m not denying that. But Water 7 also became one of the biggest weapons fandom uses against him. That arc did not just become “Usopp’s big emotional arc” in fandom memory. It became the place people return to whenever they want to call him disloyal, useless, replaceable, weak, selfish or undeserving of his place on the crew.
So, no, Water 7 is not some clean trophy Usopp fans get to hold up forever while everyone respects it. For a lot of us, Water 7 is a battleground.
That is why it feels dismissive when someone uses it like a reason Usopp fans should stop expecting payoff. Because it ignores the actual burden we have been carrying in fandom spaces for years.
And, Wano only made that worse.
Yes, I can argue Wano all day long. I can talk about what Usopp did what he represented, what moments mattered, and what people overlook. But even then, Wano left Usopp fans in debt. It gave us things we can argue from, but not always things that are undeniable enough to shut down bad-faith dismissal.
That is the problem.
Usopp fans are constantly having to perform narrative CPR (my fave term rn) just to keep his contributions alive in fandom conversation. We are always explaining why his moments count why his fear does not erase his bravery why his victories are still victories why his role matters even when the story frames it messily or comedicaly.
So when elbaf comes around, an arc that has been emotionally tied to Usopp since Little Garden, of course Usopp fans are watching closely. Of course expectations are high. Of course people are anxious. This is not random. This is not us pulling an arc out of thin air and demanding ownership of it.
Elbaf is tied to Usopp’s dream. His idea of warriorhood. His admiration for giants. His insecurity. His bravery. His lies becoming true. His relationship with fear. His desire to become someone he can be proud of.
So when someone says, “well, Water 7 already happened,” it feels like they are skipping over the actual dilemma.
Because the question is not, “has Usopp ever had a good arc?”
– the question is, “why does Usopp keep getting setup that the story and fandom do not always protect?”
– the question is, “why are Usopp fans expected to be satisfied with moments that are constantly minimized mocked or treated like accidents?”
– the question is, “why is his fandom burden dismissed by people who have not actually cared to understand what we have been fighting since Wano, and honestly long before that?”
u can have an opinion. You can disagree. You can think Brook deserves focus. You can think Elbaf is doing exactly what it needs to do. fine.
But you cannot speak for Usopp fans like you have witnessed our dilemma if you have not even bothered to understand it.
Because for us Water 7 is not just payoff. Wano is not just “he did some stuff.” Dressrosa is not just “he got a gag win.” Elbaf is not just “Usopp likes giants.”
This is years of emotional setup, fandom dismissal, narrative debt, and waiting for the story to finally give Usopp something so clear that people cannot strip it from him the second the chapter drops.
And maybe that payoff is still coming.
i hope it is.
But if Elbaf skips over Usopp after all this build up, then I am not going to pretend the setup was never there just because other people did not care about it.
Usopp’s importance is not invalid just because fandom keeps treating his moments like they need a lawyer present to count.
I know I probably sound like I’m in a dark mood, but honestly I’m trying to keep morale. This is not about attacking Brook fans or any one excited for Brook. This is about naming the weird uncomfortable position Usopp fans are in right now, especially when peopl are already using brook’s focus to rub salt in the wound. Sometimes saying the quiet part out loud is the only way to keep from feeling crazy.
“Ace died from ragebait/yo daddy joke”, Ace slander in general
“Who betrayed/disrespected Luffy more? Nami, Robin, Usopp, or Sanji?”
“Zoro would kill a Straw Hat without hesitation if Luffy ordered him to”
Usopp hate, calling him disloyal for his actions in Water 7, “Usopp is a useless bum”
“Nami is a vain, greedy bitch who values money and nice clothes over her friends”, Nami hate in general
“Usopp shouldn’t have been allowed back on the crew after Water 7”
“The Straw Hat Pirates blindly obey Luffy without question and should never criticize him!”
Powerscaling
“Chopper only exists to be the cute mascot of the crew! He’s weak and useless!”
Using the crimes committed by pirates to justify/excuse the atrocities committed by the Marines/World Government
“Garp was the real victim of Marineford!”
“Sanji is a pedophile for thinking that Pudding is beautiful!” despite being only 5 years older and is nothing but a considerate gentleman towards her despite the way she initially treated him.
“Dragon is a deadbeat dad”
Pitting Ace and Sabo against each other and arguing that one brother is smarter/stronger/cooler/a better brother to Luffy than the other
“Ace should’ve asked Garp for help during Marineford”
“Nami, Robin, Chopper, and the others don’t need to learn Haki because they’ll become OP”
“Zoro was 100% right in his speech in Post-Ennies Lobby and he’s a great vice captain even tho he made no effort to mediate or deescalate the argument between Luffy and Usopp before it could result in Usopp leaving the crew”
I fucking hate how the ending of W7 is treated like some triumphant, wonderful moment. I can't stand those panels, and I hate how fandom uses them in collages or web weaves as an example of Luffy supporting his nakama. Leaving your friend and ignoring him until he's screaming and sobbing on the ground, yeah, sure, what a great friendship moment.
Everybody be so quick to call Usopp weak and useless like he didn't immediately empty his shit on Kizaru when luffy yelled for him to do something when Zoro was down
In a world full of ridiculously strong niggas, and in the face of a 10ft tall ADMIRAL, all Usopp has is a sling shot and he still took a shot and kept shooting even though it wasn't going to work but he did it cause his captain called for him to do it
I hate ppl that keep theorizing that he's gonna die and that he's the most useless Strawhats, AS IF Luffy would let him die, the Strawhats wouldn't be the Strawhats without Usopp.
I always roll my eyes at those posts that go "Steph of course deserves to beat up Tim for what he did to her" bc like. What did he do to her. Seriously, what, exactly, did he do to her? Tell her no a few times? Not base personal decisions around her feelings? Get upset when she hurt him? I don't think any of those are bad enough to warrant violent punishment. They're certainly not proportional to what Steph has done to Tim.
With everything happening in Elbaf lately, both in the anime and manga, my strongest hope for Usopp payoff is Yasopp. And no, before anyone starts, I am not saying Usopp only matters if his dad enters the picture. That is not what I mean. Usopp is valuable on his own. Usopp deserves the world on his own.
But I need some return on investment here.
I know some people feel like the Imu stuff is enough, and I respect that. Truly. But at this point, after years of Elbaf being tied to Usopp, after OPLA season 2 also pushed that emotional connection, after all the giants, all the setup, all the carrots being dangled in front of us, I cannot be okay if all Usopp gets is a speech
I can compromise. I can accept trade-offs. I can be patient. But I cannot accept this being all there is.
If Oda didn’t intend for Elbaf to give Usopp meaningful payoff then I do think it feels insulting and unfair to keep reminding us that Usopp has this connection to Elbaf and the giants, only for it to amount to crumbs. That’s where my frustration is coming from.
So right now, I’m holding onto Yasopp. It’s risky. I know I might end up hurt all over again. Since if Yasopp started this arc off with a bang then I need his son to end it with one too. That is the hope I can cling to right now.
I got really stressed over Oda’s recent message and had to go to my family. They told me to keep hoping, so I will.
My mom said, “Don’t mind that. He probably wrote that in the middle of the night half asleep. Old people problems.”
My sister said, “You know how in fanfiction when an author posts an update, but it’s not an actual chapter? Just one big author’s note? That’s all it is. Chill.”
So, yeah I’m trying to chill.
It’s Oda’s story. I know that. I know he’s aging. I know, yada yada. But I’m frustrated. I’m hurt. I’m human. I will never give up on Usopp, and I will never “drop him,” but I can absolutely complain about the process.
The arc isn’t over Not even close. But right now? Oda is being cruel.
I bring up the "Usopp shouldn't have been forced to apologize the way he was, in the first place" to the "Why was X/Y/Z crew member not forced to apologize and kicked out of the crew when the example was already set after Enies Lobby with Usopp" argument which most people do not like—
Translation: “Stop using Usopp’s apology as the measuring stick for how every Straw Hat conflict should go. Maybe the issue isn’t that other crew members weren’t forced to grovel the way Usopp was, but that Usopp shouldn’t have been put through all that in the first place. And it’s wild how this fandom loves pirates and rebellion until it’s time to talk about respect, then suddenly everybody wants a military chain of command.” 💅🏾
What's especially infuriating to me is that Ussop is not the only straw hat who would have wanted her to lie but he's the only one who would ever have gotten shit for it. Like, try and argue that Sanji would have wanted her to stick to her guns and risk death I dare you. Every widespread "Ussop sucks" bs is just something literally no one would care about if it was any other character. Including when we can verify that he's the only one held to those standards. Really people who mock Ussop are reading the manga and watching the anime already having decided they hate him and watching everything he's in for a reason to express their disdain. Like when he was the only one to lend a blow on Gunko but all anyone did was meme him getting hit like it didn't happen to anyone else.
im thinking more about this and usopps abandonment issues and LUFFYS abandonment issue and zoro literally threatening to leave if luffy doesnt do what he wants and i just UGHHHH i wanna go through it blow by blow
merry is broken, luffy makes the hard decision to - on some level - abandon her.
Usopp 1 - knows merry is sentient and is/thinks he is the only one who knows this. 2 - views merry's death as his own failure 3 - sees this as luffy be willing to throw away 'useless' crew members. He says as much. Usopps wants to leave before he gets abandoned.
This triggers LUFFYS abandonment issues and luffy reacts with anger. He does some pretty pour captaining and usopp leaves the crew
At this point robin is missing. Luffy and the rest do a lot of panicking trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. This is 2nd 'abandonment' luffy experiences this arc.
over the course of the arc luffy is able to determine the robin wants to be safe and he is able to save her - therefore shes not REALLY abandoning him. As far as he is concerned usopp is still gone. He does not recognise sogeking as usopp.
He briefly sees usopp maskless. Usopp encourages luffy to stand up and keep fighting. Luffy briefly think his friend might return. Then usopp 'disappears' again.
They return to W7. Sanji informs Luffy that he thinks Usopp wants to return. Bc he 'saw him practicing' but also because sanji has been actively working to help usopp see that they want him.
LUFFY IS THRILLED HE HAS BEEN UNABANDONED BY BOTH FRIENDS.
and THEN. Zoro decides to throw a fit. Threatens to leave [so luffy must give up either him or usopp, abandonment is inevitable] yell at luffy for not being authoritative enough [hello?? hypocrisy?? ???huh????] and gets very physically aggressive with him.
also if im not mistaken about the timeline the crew has JUST found out about garp and luffys history of abuse.
Luffy again is triggered and reacts be rolling over and giving zoro what he wants.
Why "Usopp will die" theories are stupid & make no sense: An annoyed fan's rebuttal
This is going to be a proper breakdown of my feelings from this post about my frustration with this fandom's obsession with Usopp dying before EOS. I need to put into clear & understandable words why this is completely contradictory to what Oda has done this entire story & why it would be the worse ending imaginable for our sniper. Why I'm 99% sure it will never, ever happen. Let's begin.
So my biggest gripe with all these theories is that underneath the shock value of it all it implies Usopp dying would be a form of redemption which is insane because there isn't anything Usopp needs to redeem himself from.
Pretty much everyone pushing the Usopp dying agenda also believes Usopp is "useless" & is unworthy of his strawhat title. They think the only way Usopp can fulfill his dream & "make up" for his earlier "failures" is to go out in a blaze of glory & frankly I'm tired of this fandom purposefully ignoring all the amazing things he's done. Just because he can't stack up in your powerscaling fantasy doesn't mean he isn't an asset. It doesn't mean all his past feats don't matter just because it's not on the level of anything The Monster Trio have done in term of raw power.
Usopp doesn't need to prove anything to anyone except himself .
People love to bring up this panel as "proof" of Usopp's supposed imminent death:
Conveniently ignoring that this isn't one of Usopp's lies.
By definition it cannot fit into the popular theory of "Usopp's lies always coming true". This was merely Usopp expressing his feelings to Nami & the audience on how seeing the giants on Elbaf inspire him & how it connects to his own dream. He wasn't lying here. He wasn't spinning a tale. He was being vulnerable & sharing his feelings.
This was not some type of prophecy.
Remember, Usopp's dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea. Not the strongest. So while dying in battle might seem like a good idea for his arc it's actually highly unnecessary & doesn't really do anything other than bring shock value & unnecessary angst.
One Piece doesn't kill people unless it matters. Unless Oda can properly explore the fallout.
Usopp dying now would change the narrative forever & we just don't have enough time to take a detour to explore the grief of Luffy & the rest of the crew. Oda would have to move on relatively quickly from it at this point & that contradicts everything he's done up until now. Usopp is no side character. He's part of our crew & one of Luffy's most precious bonds. It would be like Ace dying all over again.
Which brings me to what I feel is the most obvious reason against any strawhat death:
Luffy cannot go through another Ace.
Usopp dying would be the equivalent of Luffy not being able to save Ace again. It would be an event big enough to trigger another timeskip. It would also make Ace's death mean almost nothing to the narrative & cheapen his role in the story.
Do you know why?
The main purpose of Ace's death was to make Luffy see how ill prepared he was for the New World. To get Luffy to reaffirm his belief in himself & his resolve to get strong.
This is why Ace's death is the enciting incident for the timeskip. What is considered the 1st half of the story & what a lot of people call the split between the fun silly adventure & the serious deadly journey Luffy & his crew are now on. In plain terms Ace dying was an abrupt wake up call for Luffy that made him go through a great transformation emotionally, physically, and most importantly narratively.
Throughout the series we see Luffy time & time again show us how hard he tries to protect the people he cares about, but it is right after Marineford & during his childhood flashback that we see over & over again Luffy's desire to be a strong fighter is intrinsically tied with his desire to protect the people he loves. This is why he trains hard. This is why he is at his strongest when fighting for other people. This is his real drive.
The purpose of Oda showing us child Luffy tell child Ace he will get stronger so "nobody'll ever have to go away again" AFTER Ace died right in front of him isn't just a cruel irony. It's for the readers to see Luffy wasn't actually as strong as he thought he was. Our MC had entered a new area way out of his depth. He,for the first time, isn't good enough & has hit his first real obstacle to overcome in his journey. Oda had broken down Luffy so that he could rebuild him stronger than ever before. In a way that wouldn't have been possible had Ace lived.
The main purpose for the timeskip was to get Luffy to a level where he never has to go through another loss like Ace again.
So I'm not really sure why this fandom is so concerned about a strawhat dying. Is it not clear that Luffy is now in a place where he will prevent any deaths of those he holds closest to his heart? What was the reason for his 2 years of training then? Luffy is stronger than ever thanks to awakening his Devil Fruit & you seriously think he'd ever let the world take away any of his crew? That he'd let them sacrifice their lives?
C'mon guys. That ain't going to happen. Not over Luffy's cold dead body. Even Zoro knows they can't afford to mess up anymore as shown by this conversation here from Punk Hazard. The implied self criticism of his own shortcomings not withstanding, this panel still serves a reminder that Luffy will not be making the same mistakes in the New world.
No strawhat will die on his watch.
Lastly, thinking Usopp will legit die before the EOS completely ignores his own will & core of character. Honestly guys do you even understand the character you are talking about??
"Even if it's in disgrace! Dying after coming this far will be a waste!!"
Usopp is the every man. The underdog. The "fodder" & NPC. Usopp is US & through him Oda has shown the audience that anyone—no matter your power level— can go on grand adventures & achieve great things.
Similar to how Oda never lets Sanji sacrifice himself because of his low self worth Oda would similarly never kill off the dude who represents the average joe. For killing him would contradict his own message & prove right every single person in universe & out who says Usopp doesn't have what it takes to hang in the big leagues. Usopp dying in some battle doing a "heroic" thing doesn't change the implications of the weakest & most "normal" person in the crew dying before we reach the end of the story.
Usopp dying would be unnecessary grim & sad. It would do nothing except maybe get some of his haters IRL to acknowledge him for a moment & really who gives af what an Usopp hater thinks? It goes against the very tone of the story & I cannot fathom why anyone would seriously think Oda would do this. This is not JJK. One Piece is not the type of story to kill a main character for the purpose of making things "realistic" or to "up the stakes".
There's a greater chance of Usopp faking his death than him actually passing on to the after life. Let's chill y'all. He still has many things to accomplish before he will allow himself to die. Don't doubt God Usopp!
*this is 100% Oda poking fun at the theorists btw 😂💀
i also mainly think it's interesting that tim's robin series is conceptualized as far more conservative today than it actually was at the time (because of dixon's eventual descent into the uberconservative) because of the drug psas, the gun psas, the pregnancy arc, the hard on crime aspects when in actuality all that was...actually pretty bipartisan for the time. and despite the fact that i find his current politics horrid, when i look at tim's robin series alongside others 90s media i don't think dixon was lying that he was trying to keep it & tim as neutral as possible based on the standards of the time. those things we look back at are conservative by today's standards, but society & culture itself used to be more conservative across the board. like chuck dixon, a republican, pitched those stories. dennis o'neil, a liberal, okayed those stories.
also i think it's a little funny that tim gets the reputation of being dixon's mouthpiece when he was acting fairly standard for 90s media when steph was the one who was *actually* spouting off actual conservative talking points of the era & was basically his mouthpiece because he had more freedom and wiggle room with her as a side character instead of the restrictions of acceptability with a main character.
#which is why i think dixon ultimately liked her better as a character because he was allowed that freedom due to her being a side character#vs tim who had to be very neutral and uncontroversial by status as a main character#anyways tim who didn't think steph needed to keep the baby#vs steph who rages at welfare recipients hates bill clinton and thinks that retributive justice is better than restorative justice#i know which of you was the actual conservative mouthpiece of the era lol
