seen from New Zealand
seen from Russia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from New Zealand
seen from China
seen from Türkiye
seen from New Zealand
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Belarus
seen from Russia
seen from New Zealand
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from New Zealand
seen from China
seen from Russia
Look at how much Nami is shaking in this panel. Her rage is visceral.
Minor translation complaint: Nami doesn’t think “I’ll get you, Arlong!” Her thoughts only consist of Arlong’s name, repeated three times. This official translation makes her sound more petulant, rather than out of her mind with rage.
That’s Sanji’s birthday on his cart!
The weight of making and keeping promises is a theme throughout One Piece. So far in the East Blue we’ve been introduced to different facets this theme via three characters: Zoro, who lives to uphold his promises; Helmeppo, who breaks promises like it’s nothing; and now Arlong, who will honor the words of a promise but not its spirit.
The Stephen Paul translation is quite different for this moment.
Nami’s words are much less of a direct attack on Luffy; they emphasize the self-sufficient mindset she and the other people of Cocoyashi have built up over years of Arlong’s rule. Definitely a different vibe.
Luffy is rather insensitive here. While it’s never been bad, I feel like his emotional intelligence has grown over the course of the series. With Nami it takes him three tries to get her to listen to him. It’s fair for her to be pissed off at him in this moment, considering he’s walking into this high-stress situation rather tactlessly. Of course, he’ll make up for it in a moment with The Hat Scene.
Side note: In the Stephen Paul translation, this preceding panel is more direct, with villagers asking if Nojiko has been shot. So it makes Luffy come off as even more rude when he walks up to Nami with a cheery smile on his face, considering he has met Nojiko at this point (though I suppose he might not remember who she is.)
why is this one guy climbing up a pole. does he think the money is on the roof?
*stares into the camera* I wonder what One Piece could possibly be critiquing here.
Back to the theme of smiling/laughter. One Piece really has been planting it since the beginning.
