#§opmta

[oh-warizoro]

It feels very intentional that Zoro ends up paired with Usopp and Brook in the Ryugu palace.

In Sabaody, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji split so they could protect everyone. Of course Zoro couldn't do that then.

It's really cool to see him, 2 years later, protect Usopp and Brook from Hordy, going as far as being able to keep up and fight on equal terms with a fishman while underwater.

[oh-warizoro]

I see a lot of people worrying about the premise of fate, prophecy and Luffy being "the chosen one" all along after what happened in chapter 1043.

While I understand the worry - I too enjoy the fact that Luffy is just a regular kid and not some destined messiah - I think some ppl might be forgetting or simply misunderstanding how fate works in One Piece.

Fate is extremely significant in the story and is a concept Oda has been constructing and clarifying over the years. In One Piece a person’s fate or destiny isn’t something set to stone or that is created when they are born. Instead, a person’s destiny is something that becomes possible through the actions someone makes as they live.

A very obvious implication of this happens in Impel Down. Bon Clay constantly mentions Iwa-chan as a “miracle worker”, and he expects Iwa to make a miracle for Luffy and save him. Yet “Miracles only occur to those with the determination to never stop trying!” and that is the reason Luffy survived! This is exactly how prophecy works in One Piece, not to a born chosen one but to those that, through actions, determination, persistence, rise to unimaginable heights, making others see them as “saviours or godly”.

Luffy of course isn’t the only character in the story that can “create miracles”. Zoro is a good example too. In Dressrosa, Zoro turns says “I’m going to stop the birdcage” and Kin’emon looks at him like he’s insane. Of course you can’t stop the birdcage?! But in the end of the day Zoro did stop the birdcage. It was his actions that spurred an entire country to push back the birdcage and ultimately stop it and delay it enough for Luffy to win against Mingo.

Luffy will be the Pirate King. Zoro will be the world’s greatest swordsman. We know this. Chapter 5 is called “The Pirate King and the (world’s) greatest swordsman”. It’s their fate. But they will achieve this not because they were destined to or born to, but because they trained, fought, fell and got back up, again and again. This is how fate works in One Piece. It doesn’t happen to someone that has never done anything to achieve their goals, but to those with the determination and motivation to thrive.

While I don’t know much about Joy Boy or the Sun God Nika I do have the feeling that what is happening is something along these lines. If “Joy Boy” is a tittle, Luffy earned it through his actions. If “Joy Boy” is incarnating in Luffy, or his Will is being Inherited by Luffy, it’s because his spirit found in Luffy what he was looking for in order to bring the dawn to the world.

(masterpost)

[oh-warizoro]

When ch 1044 and 1045 were released and all the chaos was unleashed, I remember having a very obvious question

"How come the power of human human no mi: model Nika is connected to rubber?"

How is a gomu gomu fruit's awakening the power to turn imagination into reality?

I mean... This awakening grants the user freedom, not just of spirit but freedom of how to use power too. Luffy's ability to manipulate reality while in gear 5 seems to show that.

So??? Why rubber? Why does the fruit give the user a rubber-like body? What does that have to do with anything?

I was totally not re reading Skypiea when I noticed this.

Of course it's white they're in a cloud sky instead of a water ocean, but it's the fact that they use "pure white". White would've been enough to get the point across, right?

Guess where else have we seen that exact expression!? Oda's drafts of Gear 5!!

And the chapter after that? Guess what?!

We learn island clouds in Skypiea bounce just like rubber.

There's no need for Oda to make them bounce, but they do! Exactly like when Luffy turns the environment around him to rubber due to the awakening.

Let's not forget that Skypiea is where we first hear about the "Sun God" and we see Luffy's sirouette resembling the "Sun God Nika" transformation.

So would it be insane to think whatever Luffy has going on during his gear 5 is clouds?!! More specifically island clouds just like the ones found in sky islands.

Think about it.

Rubber was unknown to the people in Skypiea, and sea clouds/island clouds don't survive in the blue sea under natural conditions. Most likely 99% of the blue sea population has no idea what an island cloud is or what their properties are.

For all intents and purposes rubber was the best description blue sea people could give to the power of the fruit. If the fruit hasn't awaken in 800 years, it means no one has seen that transformation (which clearly is not just a “rubber fruit” awakening) EVER?! since the end of the void history gap. You would have no way of knowing. You would just think it’s rubber.

Now what does clouds have to do with the Sun God?

Well other than "they're in the sky" I'm not sure 😂 but someone that dreams a lot is said "to have their head in the clouds". The same way imagination and thoughts in manga are depicted with a floating cloud above the character's head.

It seems to be a perfect physical and symbolic representation of dreams! That's the theme of skypiea and the true pinnacle of piracy - dreams and freedom. It’s what the whole story is about!

[oh-warizoro]

I've been extremely excited to see chapter 995 animated because I fell in love with that one Nami scene ever since I first read it a year ago.

Yet, when I saw the episode I felt the scene wasn't as impactful as I remembered it to be. So decided to go over the original panels and share why I love them so much!

1) Nami never denies Luffy's dream.

I know the translation had Nami say "Luffy will never be able to..." to give us the idea she will follow Ulti's demand! But in Japanese, because the negative of a sentence is made at the end, Nami never really says "Luffy will never be-"

Her words are ルフィは 海賊王 には なります... 絶対に/Luffy wa kaizoku ou ni wa narimasu... zettai ni.

What Ulti expected her to say probably was "Luffy wa kaizoku ou ni wa narimasen" which translates to "Luffy will not be pirate king".

In fact, until Nami finishes her sentence Ulti, Usopp, and the reader don't know if she's going to deny Luffy's dream or not!

It's possible she intended to, but simply couldn't bring herself to do it.

She then adds "絶対に" (absolutely; definitly; unconditionally) which emphasizes how certain she is, how much she believes he will do it!

2) Worthless Pride

Throughout One Piece Nami is probably that one main character who isn't bothered by lying about how she truly feels, especially if that will keep her alive.

A good example of this happens during Skypiea - While everyone present challenges Enel and is consequently left unconscious Nami immediately reverts to her old self and asks Enel to take her with him!

While most straw hats would rather die then throw away their pride, Nami is usually shown complaining about their worthless pride, and how those futile feelings will get them killed.

So it's peak character growth for her to have this moment - for her to so certainly declare her belief in Luffy and his dream, even at the cost of her own life.

In this scene, Nami picks death instead of living with the weight of denying Luffy's dream. Nami from 900 chapters ago wouldn't have hesitated to talk her way around this situation, to protect her life over anything else.

But here, Nami has something far more important at stake than her life - Luffy's dream, and that worthless pride.

(masterpost)

[oh-warizoro]

i'm very curious about what you learnt in thriller bark 👀👀👀 i just reread it so it's fresh for me too hahah

Hello! It should be fairly obvious from my emotional rant that I was talking about the - Zoro begs Kuma to take his life instead of Luffy's - scene.

It's an amazing moment in One Piece, I'd say to many people it's their favourite moment, and it hits tremendously hard no matter in what language you read it.

But oh boy, Zoro's words in japanese are something else. The whole scene is amazing, from start to finish, but when I said that I was referring to this -

- which is the final thing Zoro says to Kuma after knocking Sanji out cold.

Viz translates this speech bubble as "I've shown that I'm a man of my word. Now it's your turn." Fan translations do it some better justice translating it as "This is my last request."

His words come from the japanese phrase 後生一生の頼み (goshou isshou no tanomi) which is, of course, a very serious way of making an extremely important or once in a lifetime request.

後生 (goshou) means afterlife. 頼み (tanomi) means request. 一生 (isshou) means whole life.

So, as Zoro throws his swords away, he basically tells Kuma that offering his head in place of Luffy's is "the request of his lifetime".

(masterpost)

[oh-warizoro]

I love what Luffy replies to Zoro upon realising his swords were taken by Helmeppo in chapter 4.

In the last panel, Luffy says “Takaramono ka Soriya ichidaiji da na!!” 

The official english translations, in my opinion, makes Luffy sound a little dumb, completely removing the impact of the scene.

Zoro refers to his katanas as treasure - ‘takara’ - the same way Luffy refers to his straw hat. Luffy obviously understands the sword’s value to Zoro parallels what he feels towards his hat. 

But my favourite part is the use of “ichidaiji”

Hence, Luffy’s words roughly translate as “A prized possession? That’s an important matter, right?”

Luffy expresses genuine concern upon realising Zoro’s 'takara’ ended up in the hands of someone like Helmeppo - who had just admitted to Luffy and the entire town that he was not going to honor his word and planned to have Zoro executed.

Which gives a lot more meaning to his next words “I’ll get the katana back!”

Zoro is a swordsman whose skill does not depend on the swords he uses. There was no need to retrieve them, if you just wanted Zoro’s strength - Most people wouldn’t have bothered. Zoro would’ve been as strong with any other sword. 

So Luffy’s action shows a level of respect to Zoro and his dream that you wouldn’t find in the typical ‘east blue pirate captain’.

(masterpost)

[oh-warizoro]

So..? Is Zunesha purpose to open the borders of Wano?

Oden predicted that Momo would be able to speak and give orders to Zunesha. Momo's hability resembles a lot Shirahoshi's and the sea Kings, which makes me wonder if Zunesha and Momo are the other ancient weapon.

Momo's apologie for not opening the borders now really feels like it's something personal to Zunesha.

"Sorry I'm making you wait even more time until the borders open!"

Is Zunesha's sentence (for his past crime) over when Wano's borders open? What is going on here..?!

(masterpost)

[oh-warizoro]

VEGAPUNK VEGAPUNK VEGAPUNK

When the new wanted posters for the SH’s came out, I joked about the Franky poster situation, and pointed out that it would be funny if Oda-sensei was pulling a “Sanji” with Franky and Vegapunk

Then, we find out the new World Government PX weapons - Seraphim - which were clearly made by Vegapunk, and seem to connect to the lunarians, King’s race (which is an open plotline).

And now, ch 1060, we’re presented with Jewelry Bonney. While she’s not officially connected with Vegapunk, she does have a connection to Kuma and the World Government 

Plus they found her in a Winter Island region, same as Vegapunk’s home island.

Coincidence??? Maybe ....... But  I’m starting to think Oda-sensei is setting things up to finally answer some questions about Vegapunk.