Feb 8
i love that this is very obviously luffy’s Ah Ha moment about zoro, because before this he was still on the fence about having zoro join him. it’s zoro’s expression of gratitude for rika’s food that cements him as a Good Guy in luffy’s mind. obviously this whole sequence demonstrates zoro’s kindness, but i think it also highlights the importance of gratitude to luffy, and to the series as a whole.
luffy is someone who really cares about gratitude. he literally topples countries as thanks for food. crucially, zoro’s rather harsh attempt to protect rika from the marines isn’t what convinces luffy that I Need This Guy On My Crew — rather, zoro’s appreciation for her gesture of kindness tells luffy much more about his character.
#i think it’s significant that zoro and sanji both get a moment in their recruitment arcs#where luffy lights up and goes “that. that’s a good guy. i want him on my crew”#he later gets more blasé about it but in the east blue each person he recruited had to prove their character in some way first#i’ll explore this more as i go#l reads op#op ch3#luffy#zoro#themes and threads#shells town
