#ch584

[opbackgrounds]

Luffy has no clue Ace has all these issues about the validity of his existence, and I love how simple he makes it. He's confused Ace is even asking these questions because to him it's self-evident.

Throughout the series Luffy very rarely sets out with the plan to change the world around him, but everywhere he goes is left with the indelible mark of his presence, and he does it by virtue of being his authentic self.

[opbackgrounds]

I mean, if I spent the day getting tortured I think I'd cry for a bit, too

[opbackgrounds]

Sabo slapping Dadan's hand is the little cherry on top

[opbackgrounds]

Luffy is seven years old and endures an entire day of torture for the chance of being Ace's friend. That's how much he hates being alone.

It puts the rest of the series into a bit of a new perspective.

[opbackgrounds]

I like how big Luffy's panel is on the bottom right. It makes it look like he's physically overpowering Ace with the force of his words. It's the first time Ace sees Luffy as a person rather than an annoyance to be endured, and it's because Luffy's straight-up admitting he's alone. Just like Ace was before he met Sabo.

[opbackgrounds]

I mentioned it a bit back during the end of Marineford, but I personally do think Oda somehow should have worked this moment into the story before Ace died. I don't know how or when, but I genuinely think Ace's death would have hit harder if his tendency to never run away was more firmly established before he was freed from the execution platform

[opbackgrounds]

Piggybacking on my earlier point of how Oda writes the residents of the Gray Terminal, I like the bits of personality we see in these randos. One's got a doll and another went through the effort of wearing a bow tie (directly on his skin???). Like, yeah, they're dirty and they're poor, but you can feel like they've got lives outside this little snapshot we're given.

[opbackgrounds]

Liar liar pants on fire