#ch210

[shysheeperz]

[uwusayssnake]

CHAPTER 210: cover

[every-sanji]

There's that smile we all love so much!

[opbackgrounds]

I do fall in the camp that believes that Crocodile was using his Devil Fruit to hold back the rain. It was shown at the end of Drum that logia users can affect the weather when Ace unconsciously kept it from snowing, and Crocodile seems to have a much better grasp on his powers. If Ace can stop snow without (seemingly) trying, Crocodile making a concerted effort can keep it from raining. 

There’s also a long tradition in the series of Devil Fruit users losing control over their abilities when falling unconscious (Sugar and Moriah, natch), and Croco is most definitely not conscious after getting pounded through literal tons of bedrock.

I’ve seen some argue that Crocodile wouldn’t have bothered with the dance powder if he could manipulate the weather and that it’s just symbolic, but the dance powder wasn’t just to cause the drought--it was to prove to the people of Alabasta that King Cobra was behind it all along. It sparked the rumblings of unrest into a fire of open rebellion against the king.

Also, Crocodile always has a contingency up his sleeves. He has a knife inside a hook inside his other hook. He puts a timer in his fuse-lit bomb. There’s no reason he wouldn’t use the dance powder in the instances where he couldn’t activate his power or vice versa. Symbolism doesn’t go away if there’s a concrete reason for it in-story.

[iiloffy]

[abybweisse]

Ch210, More spoilers

⚠️ corrected text ⚠️

So, we definitely get some action here, as suggested by the cover art (posted earlier).

I'm not sure if this is inside, or outside in a paved area. I'm thinking they might still be inside, perhaps still under the barn. There seems to be an open sewer here, and they might be discussing the possibility of escaping through it.

It's pretty dark there, so it could just be the low lighting, but they could be looking at something besides just water there. Maybe it's runoff from the dissections, etc., so it could be rather gross.

Perhaps Theo has the determination to go for it anyway, and then it looks like Artie maybe jumps in? Oh, I think he removes his tailcoat and gets in.

Ok, so now Oliver is trying to decide whether to get into this sewer, while Mabel and the others are getting in. Finny notices staff running towards them.

Theo tries to coax Oliver into the water, as the staff members get closer. Perhaps Oliver can't swim or is afraid of the water? Finny can't let Oliver stall anymore, so he rushes at him and grabs him to take them both into the water... just as the staff shoot.

It's hard to tell from the image above, but it does look like Finny takes a bullet to his left leg (the one that's still extended back).

Oof the Mother3 vibes I get from this scene! Because Lucas and his pals go through the sewers of New Pork City and find Leder. I had a similar feeling about our earl and company slogging through the sewers of London when they were approached by Lau and Ran-Mao. But, unlike in Mother3 and that previous Kuro sewer scene in London, this time we probably won't find allies. Not for a while, anyway.

That's all the spoilers I have so far, and I'm thinking it's near the beginning of the chapter.

[abybweisse]

Ch210 vs ch100: Water-landings, burdens, and injuries

In ch210, Finny already has a bullet wound in his left shoulder, then he's shot in the left leg as he grabs Oliver and heads for the drainage ditch. Throughout this chapter, we've seen him flashback to his escape from that German drug facility.

In ch100, he's running through the forests of Bavaria, where they are being chased by armed Germans (from a military research facility). He's carrying Sieglinde in his arms, while Tanaka (chibi form) is on his back, holding on at Finny's neck and shoulders. He's also carrying two large bags (Snake's snakes?). He jumps off a very high cliff (above the tree line) and lands in a shallow river/stream.

He's in pain and his legs are shaking, but he seems to recover okay.

Then there are shots fired, and Tanaka goes into action.

In both chapters, we have:

Finny burdened with extra weight and trying to keep others safe

Trying to escape from staff at enemy facilities

Germans (the action in the witch arc vs old flashbacks in ch210)

Injuries (especially to Finny's legs)

Being shot at

Landing in shallow water

Being inspired by thoughts/memories of our earl (reminded of our earl in ch210 by Theo)

Um, did I miss any of the similarities? 🤔

[abybweisse]

Ch210 (p2), Test Subject Zwölf

⚠️ 4th page added from chapter ⚠️

The kids are running down a tunnel, trying to find another exit, besides the one they entered through.

Finny's previous escape, from the drug facility, was much simpler. His friends were likely all dead, killed in experiments, arranged fights, and then by the researchers trying to destroy all their work.

With these two pages, we have Finny referring to himself as S-012... but as the researchers called him -- Test Subject Zwölf -- confirming once and for all that the drug facility was run by Germans. Which we figured by now, anyway, but this is a nice confirmation. Would be better if "test subject" were also in German, though. 🤔

Simpler times, indeed. He only needed to survive and get out. Now he has other people in need of help, and that complicates things.

It's quite impressive that Theo has been keeping track of turns and steps this whole time they've been underground, particularly since he's found out he was supposed to be next to "fledge". This makes me wonder how accurate he is.

I still want to compare this map to a map of Norfolk....

Finny is reminded that he must get word to our earl and Sebastian, whatever the cost.