#toppi roppo

[rontheruler]

[bottlepiecemuses]

Small Or Big Crew: What Is Better?

I think one overlooked aspect I was thinking about is crew size. I often seen various crew size in One Piece that range from 3 people to dozens of divisions with a commanding presiding over it. I kind of think it’s like what being in a small vs big business is like where in the former you feel like family and cherish that tight knit group you have while in the other it feels at times you are a clog in the system. 

In contrast the Strawhats really show an emphasis on the found family theme, with many of them coming from broken homes, orphans, or lost family themselves. When you are in a smaller crew it is often warming to have a small group of friends make you feel you belong and that you matter. If you couldn’t find acceptance or a home on land, the sea can be the next best thing. As shown with Robin and Chopper who were outcasts, but eventually found a place on the crew due to how they accepted them. With Brook, he lost his whole crew but eventually found another one in the Strawhats giving a remedy to the decades of loneliness he felt. 

They might not always get along with each other but if you seen from the pictures you know the Strawhats obviously feel for one another and would anything to help. You know there is a level of trust you could see with them because you see them go through thick and thin through arcs like Arlong Park and Enies Lobby. For a small crew every member very much counts, since that’s all they probably will have. You treasure them like family because to you they are an individual instead an expendable number. You know their status on the crew and you know that you can’t get ahead without them. So, it’s always important to have things be tightknit with you. 

This is in contrast with places like the Beast Pirates where it’s run like an organization and that there are always ranks in comparison with how despite even a small crew having a captain you feel like people all around equal instead of put in a hierarchy. As a result, you have people who are gunning for certain positions and often trying to step on each other to get a possible promotion. This is how things works in place like the Beast Pirates where it’s emphasized that strength matters over personal relationships. You can have a few friends around here or there, but overall it’s an organization that’s so big that’s not surprising you won’t know other fellow subordinates unless they are apart of the same division. 

However, the Beast Pirates aren’t always a demonstration of big crews having to feel like an organization. The Whitebeard for example show that a big organization can have a family feel by Whitebeard considering all his subordinates his children or those around that same age as brothers. His subordinates even call him pops which shows that there is a level of connection between them and him. Although thankfully a pirate like the Whitebeard Pirates can feel like a big family, it could still have a collectivist mindset as well where you might be close to one part of the crew but not the other because of circumstances. However, if I was going to be in a large crew it would be like the Whitebeard Pirates who at least try to keep a family vibe and try to keep personal relationships as an important factor. 

However, just because a pirate crew can be family themed doesn’t mean it will actually be a comforting place for someone to be in. Just look at the Big Mom Pirates which is structured around the Charlotte Family led by Big Mom. While everyone calls her Mama (children or not), it feels more like walking on egg shells with her because she’s so chaotic and erratic. While one could say it’s a family based business, it’s more like a mob type of thing where you have to prove your worth to Mama. Because at the core of it, the crew is about following Mama’s will due to her childish understanding and selfishness. On the surface it might seem they want to bring equality to the world, but it comes from Big Mom’s all take or not give view of things. She might think she is doing something good, but no one can point out it’s the opposite because she’s so stunted in her mindset. As a result, you have a culture of fear in her crew where even her own children do not know how to tell the truth due to her not accepting failures or no bad news. 

Also in contrast with the Beast Pirates which bases promotions and stuff on strength. There is a lot of nepotism in this crew due to the fact it’s structured around the Charlottes. While there are many non-family members, the highest ranks are those of Charlotte siblings while there are important non-family positions they can never reach the ranks of minister or Sweet Commanders because those are reserved for the siblings. As a result, I could see that fostering secret resentment from people in the crew who can only be promoted to the chess positions and no where else. Even those who married into the family will have a lower position than blood relatives.  In other words, the crew is centered around nepotism that really divides outsiders and family. 

However, despite previous negatives about Big Crews there is a plus is the fact that there is an emphasis on strength in numbers. It’s very also easy to get your hands on materials to get stronger in contrast with a lower crew. Although numbers doesn’t always mean strength, as the mooks of the Beast Pirates shows if you can overwhelm your opponents with numbers then you can do damage on them. There is also the fact that you can be well connected to resources you might never had to ability to do so like the smiles with Beast Pirates or the Homies with Big Mom. However, with the smiles that would be more of a gamble than the homies since you might have more likely a dud. 

However, I think what has always stood out to me before about big crew is that there a sense that you really can’t trust people as you think you can. As this can be seen with Katakuri and King, where they hide parts of themselves from the rest of the crew because again they really don’t trust them to not sell them out or ridicule them. And again with a big crew it does seems a lot of trust in your crew mates comes from a lost of kinship you can feel in an enormous organization. People like Robin can put trust into their crew that they won’t sell them out or make them feel ostracized but in a large crew you don’t know for sure that will be the case because you have so many people, especially if it’s cutthroat and very prone to keep secrets. Yeah, you can find some people to put trust in but that’s it and you always have to keep guard that the secret is not let out. And as a result, you often can feel alone in comparison to others. 

Again I think that’s one thing that having a small crew makes you realize that no one is expendable. You can’t replace people when you see them as individuals instead of a whole group of collectives. And that’s what One Piece emphasizes which is people are individuals people shouldn’t be seen as expendables. And as shown with Queen and the Pleasures and Waiters it’s easy to have your higher ups just see as deadweights because in their eyes you are not as important. And again it ties with the emphasis on hierarchy in big crews where the ones who really matter are the top branch while the lower ones are just sent to usually use as fodder. 

And again a small crew often shows that no everyone is seen on equal with each other, especially if you have a captain who cares. While not all small crews think like that, you can see how many small crews have strong bonds that seem to treasure one another in contrast with a commander of a big crew who doesn’t mind when another of his soldiers are taken down or feel easily replaced. 

While being in a big crew has big advantages, I do think being in a small crew can make one feel like they belong rather than feel like a pawn or not trustful of those around him. I believe that those who are in smaller crews tend to feel they can be safe and guarded by those who put their heart to protect them. 

[linlinsenpai]

I hope Oda continues the trend of introducing a huge woman every new arc going forward (looking at you Elbaf).

[bottlepiecemuses]

Oden Has Words For Bigots Like Who’s Who

Don’t make Oden come back from the dead to teach you a thing about tolerance. 

[bottlepiecemuses]

Kaido Announces Luffy’s Defeat

And again it’s the surrender or be terminated thing, which he should know by now is not going to work with these people. 

[bottlepiecemuses]

Calling All Roppo!

I can’t wait to see what they can fully do! I wonder what devil fruit some of them will have. 

[bottlepiecemuses]

Aw, He Does Care!

Page One shows he does appreciate his sis!

[bottlepiecemuses]

Promotions For All If You Get My Son

So yeah, if they bring back his son then they can go against a member of the All Stars and become one. This will be harder than they think. Also it makes me think that Yamato won’t come there without a fight.