How Whole Cake Recontextualizes The Beauty Of Usopp and Sanji's Dynamic - Reading One Piece For The First Time
(Obviously spoilers up to Whole Cake Island. While I have now read past that, if you read this please don't spoil anything past it since there's no way for you to know where I'm at. I'm so close to catching up.)
When I tell you I've sat on this, and ruminated on this, and like dwelled in this, I mean it. This is deathly important to me.
I think that Usopp & Sanji have one of the most underrated dynamics in the series that shines so much in Pre-Time Skip especially, and what we learn about Sanji in Whole Cake adds a whole other layer to that that only deepens it more.
Oda probably didn't mean for these earlier moments to tie so nicely into Sanji's backstory but I think that also speaks to how well he wrote his characters early on that they retroactively fit with where they ended up.
Sanji Was Once Usopp
Sanji was Usopp. For the beginning of his life he was treated the way Usopp is treated by some people in the cannon, the way he is treated by some people in the fandom, and the same way that Usopp treats himself.
He was the failure and the person who couldn't keep up with the people around him. He knows what it feels like to think you are dead weight in comparison to the other people around you.
I think this is why he has so much sympathy for Usopp in Water Seven. He stops Luffy from finishing his sentence during the argument which I think is even more beautiful now that we know he knows what its like to be told to just leave by the people who are supposed to care for you. He has this firsthand experience, and he tries his hardest to make sure it doesn't happen to Usopp.
That moment always meant a lot to me because it showed the difference between Zoro and Sanji when it came to handling something like that, and knowing his past now I think it adds a new layer to it.
It also really makes me love this Enies Lobby scene where Sanji cheers for Usopp's sniping skills all the more because of how he is complimenting and showing pride in someone who needs that just like he once did.
Sanji's Struggle Came From Being Human In A Group Of People Who Weren't Just Like Usopp's Is
Oh God you guys. This part especially gets to me. Judge specifically tells Sanji as a child that he is plainly human and that's why he will have to work harder than the rest of his siblings to barely keep up.
Usopp's struggle is the fact that he is a normal human being surrounded by people whose abilities and strength are anything but that. He has to work harder to keep up with them. It's harder for him to do the feats of strength that he does in comparison to what Zoro can naturally do. It takes more out of him to run than it does Sanji with his extremely fast speed.
He is constantly experiencing what Judge himself told Sanji.
And Sanji recognizes this. It's why we get the famous scene that means the world to me in Enies Lobby. "I will do what you can't do, and you will do what I can't".
Sanji can't do what his family does. He doesn't have their superpowers of poison, explosions, light, etc. He has always been around people that have talents he doesn't have, but he has found his own worth.
He is doing the same for Usopp.
Sanji Protects Usopp Like He Himself Was Never Protected
Yeah this one gets me.
Despite Sanji constantly telling Usopp that he will not protect him or defend him because he's not a lady, we see multiple instances of him doing that.
In Skypiea (which I will always find a way to mention) Sanji tells Usopp that he's fine with sacrificing him for Nami, but he saves them both and sends them both on their way while he takes the full force of Enel's power and ire.
In Alabasta he does go to check on him and even makes sure to get his goggles from Mr. 2.
In Water 7 he wants to kill Franky for what he did to Usopp.
In Sabaody he literally leaves Nami who is always his main priority and runs to go protect Usopp who is struggling with carrying Zoro and being chased.
Sanji spent his entire childhood being hurt because of being seen as weak. When he asked for protection he was told he literally wasn't worthy of it.
Despite what he says, he does go and protect Usopp. He provides a defense for him when it's needed and he truly can't handle it himself. He gives Usopp what he was never given.
And I take that personally.
Sanji's Entrusting Of Usopp With Protecting The Women He Cares About Means Even More
Look, the constant refrain of Sanji demanding someone protect Nami is important to me and one of the ones who gets it the most from him is Usopp. I have always adored the fact that a majority of the time Sanji is entrusting what he sees as most important with someone who thinks they have no strength.
And it's not just with Nami he does this with trusting Usopp to save Robin in Enies Lobby as well.
Sanji we learn was saved by women. His mother and his sister risked it all for him to live a happy free life. That means something to him, and I think that goes into why he cherishes women so much.
For him to entrust Usopp multiple times with them speaks volumes to me. He recognizes what Usopp often doesn't which is that when the going gets tough, Usopp is capable of protecting those that matter to him. He will pull through to the best of his abilities.
Like do you get how much that must mean?
(Also I love that even all the way in Alabasta Usopp actually just agrees lol also that Nami again semi protests Sanji staying behind.)
Usopp's Hurt Pride Always Resonated With Sanji Because He Experienced the Same Thing
Sanji talks a lot about Usopp's pride during Water 7 with Chopper. He stops Chopper from trying to help Usopp because he knows that will only hurt his pride, which is what happens when Chopper tries to help him later and gets turned away.
Sanji knows what it's like to be a victim of your own pride. I think what we see in Whole Cake is a lot of Sanji having worked through a majority of that. Even in front of his family he shows his emotions despite what they sat about them.
I think it works so well for Sanji to have been someone who saw that in Usopp as well and who tries to help Usopp while working in the constraints that come from that. (Yelling about the storm in earshot).
Usopp Saves Sanji Back And Admires Things About Him
We see that Usopp does look up to Sanji and that he does admire him. One of my favorite moments of this is in Punk Hazard where Sanji says he's happy to have taken the brunt of injury instead of Nami's body and Usopp is actually moved by this.
Obviously, a major version of this is in Skypiea where he goes back to save Sanji despite having been terrified and implying he would let him die. He comes back and not only saves him, but he even assures Sanji that Nami is safe first because he knows that would have been Sanji's concern.
In Punk Hazard he's even happy to be saved by what he thinks is Sanji until Nami reminds him that it's her in his body and he's then disappointed.
Your honor, they get each other. They really do.
And for someone like Sanji who was told there was nothing admirable about him, who didn't have people who looked up to him, who was so alone in the world for so long, imagine how much that means to him?
Ugh. Devastating thoughts.
Let's Not Even Get Into The Fact They Both Had To Watch Their Mothers Die Of Ilness
Overall:
Man, I can't put into enough words how much the Sanji and Usopp dynamic means to me when you see it through this lens. It ends up being one of the most relatable duos that exists. It's also such a hopeful look for Usopp going forward because if Sanji can become who he is despite everything then Usopp can do the same. He already has been doing that.
I just think that it's such an amazing brotherly dynamic, and it's a shame to me that Usopp will never know the true depths of it because no one knows the full extent of Sanji's past. But he does appreciate and he does appreciate him like I said.
It's a shame they've been separated for such a large part of this later time skip because I want to see more of them together again. Hopefully we get more of that eventually.
(In case someone does read this and is wondering, my husband is a huge fan of the series and finally got me to watch the Live Action S1 and S2 with him. I immediately fell in love and started with the Manga. We read it together each night and at the end of each arc list out my favorite moments, straw hat rankings, fights, etc. After I catch up with the Manga he's going to show me the anime next).
