something that breaks my heart is how easily thatch died. thatch, the fourth division commander of the whitebeard pirates, must’ve been incredibly powerful. the whitebeard commanders we know in detail: marco, oden, ace, izou, jozu, vista, etc, are renown as some of the most powerful characters in their respective fortes each. the whitebeard pirates were titans of the pirate world, and to hold a position of power in their ranks is placing you easily among some of the most powerful in one piece almost inherently.
but thatch died without a fight to our knowledge, thatch died quietly, found in a pool of his own blood, body already cold. thatch died very literally stabbed in the back, in the middle of the night without last words that would reach anyone’s ears. it’s brutal and more than anything, it’s so unpleasantly bitter.
i think how he died is very symbolic of the whitebeard pirates as a crew. a man who, while we don’t know in combat, is at least comparable to the commanders we do know. his faith and family-orientated love was so unwavering it caused a man like that to die swiftly and silently. while blackbeard’s power pre-devil fruit is nothing to undermine, especially given the wound he gave shanks, i refuse to believe thatch wouldn’t of at least been able to defend himself briefly; long enough to be heard. thatch died with unquestioning love in his heart, not for one second was his guard up, and only in teach’s gross abuse of that trust did thatch succumb. thatch died so easily, and nothing hurts more than that.
all the whitebeard pirates died for love. oden died, tortured and shot, after holding his loved ones above his head for an hour so they wouldn’t boil alive alongside him. thatch died with unquestioning adoration, stabbed in the back by a member of his cherished family. ace died indirectly as a result of trying to avenge thatch, and directly by defending luffy in the pinnacle of marineford, protecting his little brother until his last breath. whitebeard died attempting to rescue ace, falling victim to hundreds of wounds in his path as he clambered to save his son. ultimately, the bullet that would kill him was from the gun of the son that betrayed him. izou died in sacrifice, telling his younger sister to live. he died fighting against enemies who intended to hurt ace’s little brother and who would’ve doomed his homeland if they succeeded. whitebeard pirates are so kind, love is as natural to them as breathing. i am hoping, in some way, there will be a resting conclusion to all the suffering they have been dealt so horribly. they are so full of love, and that makes their story so tragic.
