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[toffee2]

On Chapter 767: An (over)reading of the confrontation scene between the Donquixote brothers.

Disclaimer/notes: 

Absolutely stunned by the confrontation between the Donquixote brothers in Chapter 767. Here I want to discuss some of the details and design choices that I think leave a lot of room for interpretation. 

My personal speculation, guesswork & overanalysis will be regular text. For completeness, plot summaries and quoted/paraphrased dialogue will be italicized and indented.  

I only have access to a Chinese translation of the manga. So captions, also italicized, will provide my (potentially biased) translation/summary of the bubbles in the figures. 

Before the confrontation actually begins, a quick note on Law’s reaction when he heard that Doflamingo was coming. He looked terrified, which is how normal human beings should look at Doflamingo’s approach. Half a year earlier, Law was still like, “I want to be just like him!” and “I’m not your underling! Doflamingo is my boss!” Clearly, Cora’s six-month course of therapy had been working incredibly well. 

(Caption: Right: basically just Doflamingo’s people saying Doflamingo is coming and addressing him. Middle: Cora breathing heavily and lighting his cigarette.)

The Donquixote brothers now faced each other. Doflamingo began with a greeting—“It’s been half a year, hasn’t it... Corazon...!”—which sounded almost like an accusation. Cora was sitting on the ground, leaning against the treasure chest in which Law was hiding. He recalled the moment he had met Sengoku as a boy. Then he raised his gun, identified himself as a Marine, and declared his purpose, which was to stop the “disaster Doflamingo was about to cause.” Cora bumped his head against the chest behind him and continued: “Sorry for having lied to you before...! But I really didn’t want you to hate me...!” (Law: “What are you apologizing for?! I knew that already...!”) Doflamingo: ......?

(Caption: Left panels, 1-3, from Chapter 780. Doflamingo: “What is that ‘Corazon’ on your back supposed to mean...?! And those ‘Heart Pirates’ of yours—what are they supposed to mean?!”)

I find Doflamingo’s “......?” particularly amusing. First, because of how dead serious he looks (right, panel 1). Second, it almost seems like Cora and Law shared a secret language, in which Cora first spoke to Law, and Law spoke back for the next thirteen years—a language Doflamingo never had a clue existed. Until the final battle in Dressrosa, when it finally dawned on him and he promptly blew up (left, panels 1–3). On that note, I’m not even sure Doflamingo would have caught on upon seeing the “Corazon” on Law’s back, had Law not retold their backstory to him and kept invoking Cora-san’s name. 

Doflamingo, none the wiser and impatient, pressed Cora about the Op-Op Fruit and Law’s whereabouts. Cora told him that Law had already eaten the fruit and was probably “under Marine protection by now”—at which point Baby 5 and Buffalo reported that they had indeed heard over Marine communications that “a boy has been secured.” Doflamingo immediately ordered his crew to prepare to set sail, intending to take Law back. At this point, Cora, still stunned by the coincidence, delivered what I consider an extraordinarily well-judged line: “Hold it...! What are you going to do with Law if you get hold of him?”

As I read it, Cora’s question served a dual purpose. On the one hand, it reinforced Doflamingo’s belief that Law was already under Marine protection. On the other hand, it was meant to bait Doflamingo into revealing his “true colors” as someone who exploited his own people—right in front of Law. Cora certainly didn’t underestimate Doflamingo’s ruthlessness; if anything, he might have overestimated it. For instance, after Doflamingo called him about the Op-Op Fruit, Cora immediately told Law, “Doffy probably already suspects me of betrayal.” He also believed that Doflamingo was “planning to sacrifice me, his obedient little brother, in exchange for ‘eternal life,’” and that going back to the gang meant “death for sure.” Therefore, upon hearing Doflamingo say he was going to take Law back, Cora would naturally have thought that he planned to trade Law’s life someday for his own immortality. But Cora asked the question despite already knowing the answer, because that answer needed to be said out loud—and it would be most effective coming from Doflamingo’s own mouth.

—“You want to know what I’m going to do with Law...? Why, now that he’s eaten the Op-Op Fruit... what else but make him into a good boy who’ll gladly die for me!”

Of course, Doflamingo had no idea that Law was listening. But he didn’t have to answer Cora’s question either—Cora “had nothing to say to” Doflamingo’s people and hadn’t bothered to answer their questions. Doflamingo probably did intend to have Law perform the operation that would grant him immortality at some point in the future. But his words here were likely meant largely to spite Cora. The wording seems charged with emotion: he sneers at the sincerity and sacrifice of others, boasts of his ability to manipulate others’ feelings, and presents his own selfishness as the most natural thing in the world—as though deliberately showing off just how evil and cruel he was.

The malice seems partly directed toward Cora, whose deception and betrayal might have severely hurt Doflamingo’s feelings. Furthermore, Cora had achieved almost every goal in this struggle over the Op-Op Fruit and Law, while Doflamingo had achieved none. It is entirely characteristic of Doflamingo—with his inflated ego and inviolable self-image—to want to regain the upper hand and make Cora (who was supposed to be his obedient little brother) feel the despair of knowing that all his efforts had been, and would be, futile.

The malice also seems partly directed toward Law. In the preceding chapters, Doflamingo had treated Law—who at the time strongly identified with him—with a great deal of care and an almost uncharacteristic level of respect. Now he spoke as though Law deserved to be manipulated and exploited this way. Where does this hostility—which, from a reader’s perspective, seems almost sudden—come from? Was Doflamingo jealous of Law for receiving Cora’s genuine affection, when, according to Doflamingo, he  himself was the one who deserved it—as the brother who had protected Cora and treated him so sincerely? Was he upset with Law, who should still have identified with him—as he once had—but now seemed to listen to Cora instead?

The following three pages strike me as particularly interesting. Depending on whether we include the panels from Law’s point of view, there seem to be two different ways of interpreting what’s going on. Here’s the first reading, which follows the manga’s original panel sequence and includes Law’s perspective:

Doflamingo, pointing his gun at Cora, roared: “Why do you have to cause all this trouble?! Why do you go out of your way to stand in my way?! Corazon! Why are you making me kill another member of my own family—and with my own hands?!” (Law: panicking.) Doflamingo continued: “You could never pull the trigger...! You are just like Father...!” Law remembered what Cora had told him when Cora hid him inside the treasure chest: Doflamingo would never kill his own brother; at worst, he would cut ties with Cora. Cora would meet Law later in the nearby town. And—“I love you.” Beside himself with panic, Law silently pounded against the inside of the chest. Cora rose to his feet and answered Doflamingo’s threat:  “...Law won't listen to you anymore, Doffy. —He has overcome the ‘fate’ that was supposed to have killed him by now...! He is no longer the lost child who wandered into your gang of maniacs... He has nothing to gain from a devil like you! Leave him alone! He is free!”

Read this way, Cora’s final words declaring Law’s freedom sound perfectly natural, because they come immediately after the panels of Law remembering him. The firmness with which Cora delivers these words, together with his rising to his feet—thus facing Doflamingo on equal footing—reinforces Cora’s image as Law’s protector. Even the words themselves seem, much like the Calm-Calm Fruit’s power, to offer protection, hope and a blessing to Law in his panic, grief, and helplessness. Unable to make Cora—by this point almost Law’s guardian angel—yield through fear or despair, Doflamingo could only kill him before attempting to get his hands on Law again. 

Here’s the second reading, which removes Law’s perspective and brings us closer to Doflamingo’s point of view:

Furious, Doflamingo finally raised his gun and roared: “Why do you have to cause all this trouble?! Why do you go out of your way to stand in my way?! Corazon! Why are you making me kill another member of my own family—and with my own hands?!”  His tone seemed to calm somewhat: “You could never pull the trigger...! You’re just like Father...!” Cora, who had remained slumped on the ground, rose to his feet, with his gun still pointed at Doflamingo. He made no response to what Doflamingo had said about family. Instead, he told him that his fantasy of making Law into “a good boy who would gladly die for [him]” was nothing more than that—a fantasy: “...Law won’t listen to you anymore, Doffy.” (Doflamingo has a “!?” speech bubble here, which one may read as him being surprised by the subject Cora has chosen to pursue—although, under the first reading, he might simply be surprised that Cora has managed to stand up.) “He has overcome the ‘fate’ that was supposed to have killed him by now...! He is no longer the lost child who wandered into your gang of maniacs... He has nothing to gain from a devil like you! Leave him alone! He is free!”

(Caption: what it might feel like with Law’s POV removed. Left panel: Doflamingo’s roar. Middle panel: Doflamingo: “You could never pull the trigger…” etc. Right panel: Cora: “...Law won’t listen to you anymore…” etc., alongside Doflamingo’s “!?” speech bubble.)

Here the progression of emotion might be as follows: after the yelling, Doflamingo had already vented much of his rage. He was still pointing his gun at Cora, but his tone became relatively calm as he began talking about their family. Perhaps he really was hesitating over whether to kill Cora or not. But then Cora stood up and confronted Doflamingo as though they were equals. This gesture alone could be (over)read as a challenge to—or rejection of—Doflamingo’s position as the “older brother.” What’s more, Cora refused to engage with Doflamingo’s attempt to talk about family. Instead, he declared Doflamingo’s utter defeat in the struggle over both Law and the Op-Op Fruit, which was a direct blow to Doflamingo’s pride. In a burst of anger, Doflamingo shot Cora dead.

It is even possible that Cora was intentionally provoking Doflamingo into killing him in the heat of the moment. Had Cora been taken back alive, he could have become a convenient hostage through whom Doflamingo could regain control over Law, which, for Cora, would have been the worst possible outcome. 

[toffee2]

On How Rosi’s Feelings for Law Evolved

Disclaimers/Notes: 

Subsequent to this post. 

Manga quotes are my own (potentially biased) translation.

I love both of them.

As previously mentioned, Rosi quickly developed a strong sympathy for Law soon after the latter came to Doflamingo’s gang. Likely because of this, Rosi felt only sorry for Law when Law stabbed him. In the two years that followed, however, Rosi seemed to have prioritized his mission, perhaps keeping Sengoku’s warning in mind, and seemed to have had no further noteworthy interaction with Law. Until the following happened: First, Rosi learned that Law, too, carried the initial D. Second, having heard Rosi reveal his true purpose, Law chose not to report him to Doflamingo, so that he and Rosi were now “even,” since Rosi had not told Doflamingo about the stabbing. Immediately after that, Rosi dropped his mission and, more or less by force, took Law on what could become an indefinitely long journey in search of a cure that would save Law’s life.

The two incidents—especially the latter—might have made Rosi believe that Law still possessed a will of his own. Although Law still admired Doflamingo, he was not yet controlled by him; Law still retained his own, arguably decent, moral code. This despised and cursed child, who knew full well that he didn’t have long to live, proclaimed his hatred for the world—and yet remembered, and reciprocated, an act of kindness someone had shown him two years earlier. Could this be the “Will of D” manifesting itself: a will that defies a corrupted destiny dictated by suffering, that resists becoming either a tyrant like Doflamingo, or one of the tyrant’s henchmen like the other children in the gang? The great purpose borne by the initial D might have given Rosi some faith that Law had a chance to survive. But more simply, what drove Rosi’s decision might have been an unbearable pain in his heart: the pain of seeing this will, still free, struggle—and of imagining the same free will eventually strangled by Doflamingo’s bloody, criminal hands. 

Up until they left Doflamingo’s gang, Rosi might still have regarded Law simply as “a poor little kid”: Rosi wanted to cure Law’s illness, but probably cared little what Law thought of him—they were never on good terms anyway. The first time Law suspected his true identity, Rosi asked if he hated the Navy. Law spat: “Those who have to do with the World Government make me sick!” Rosi immediately answered, “I’m not a Marine!”—probably because he knew Law would never accept help from someone in that position. In that panel, Rosi has a cigarette in his mouth and sunglasses on, seemingly looking off into the distance. Rosi might have been a little hurt. But he had made his decision out of his own conscience, and whether Law would appreciate him or not simply didn’t matter. 

Half a year later, their little lifeboat was heading for Minion Island. In the storm, Law, feverish, asked Rosi again: “Cora-san... the government destroyed my family and the ‘White Town’... so if you are one of their agents, a Marine, please just tell me so.” By this point, Law had already figured out Rosi’s true identity; but perhaps he also understood that, in going after the Op-Op Fruit, Rosi was prepared to betray that position. It could even be that Law asked because he was waiting for Rosi to admit it, so that he could say, “I don’t blame you for that, and I don’t hate you.” But Rosi denied it flatly: “What are you talking about? I’m no Marine!” and quickly changed the subject. Later, he apologized for this: “Sorry for having lied to you... But I really didn’t want you to hate me.” But how could Rosi still believe that Law, who now called him “Cora-san,” would hate him for being—or having been—a Marine? Or was he simply unable to face that possibility? How could Rosi, himself a master of language, believe that Law could be fooled by such an obvious lie? Does Rosi’s expression in that panel betray a certain panic? If so, could it be because Law had become this special person whose rejection Rosi would find particularly painful? Furthermore, could Law have been relieved by this discovery, by this implication of reciprocated feeling? Is this why he said “thank goodness” and looked so happy at Rosi’s lie?

The intensity of Rosi’s feelings might have emerged partly from seeing, with his own eyes, the hostility and disgust that Law had experienced, and was still experiencing, from the world at large. Furthermore, from seeing this child, who had always worn a cold, rough facade and trusted no one, cry and say to him, “My heart hurts more and more.” Here Rosi’s harsh attitude—“Either you get cured, or accept your fate! It’s life or death, so quit crying and hold it together!”—was probably something he put on to keep Law going, since Rosi himself also needed alcohol to numb his own pain and despair. He expressed his true feelings when Law was “asleep”: “...What the hell have I done... to make this kid relive his tragic experiences over and over again... without his condition getting any better! Is it because he was one of the D’s...? No, I don’t care about that at all... I’ve always just felt very sorry for you...”

The other part might be because the time Rosi spent with Law was when he genuinely felt happy. He didn’t have to suppress himself, and could finally show the whole of his nature—he could express his true feelings, and act like an idiot. In the manga, Rosi seemed quite different depending on who he was with: with Doflamingo’s gang, he appeared gloomy, irritable, and never spoke; with Law, he showed much richer emotion, seemed a lot chattier and liked to act silly from time to time; while his Marine persona was someone whom Sengoku “could definitely rely on.” All of these might be actual aspects of Rosi’s personality, some of which he had suppressed for a long time due to Navy discipline and his undercover mission.

At the end of Chapter 766, alongside Rosi’s exaggerated and ridiculous smile, we see the tagline: “leaving his smile to the friend from whom he must part.” Later, Law would always refer to Rosi as his “great benefactor.” So “friend” was probably what Rosi had considered Law to be, rather than what defines their relationship. In any case, Rosi, the savior, saw the two on equal footing. Thus Rosi, liar though he was, at the same time remained so sincere, and gave Law—for the second time after Law’s family—almost the purest love imaginable. No wonder, then, that Law was completely unimpressed by Doflamingo’s entitled claim to what Law owed him.  

All of the above are about the original canon. A few entirely personal opinions on fandom shipping (and ethical concerns): in canon, Rosi died when Law was thirteen, which put an endpoint to the development of his feelings for Law. But human feelings can change with circumstances, which is precisely what this essay has been about. Therefore, had Rosi survived, I don’t find it outrageous to entertain the possibility that he might develop other (specifically, couple-like) feelings for adult Law—especially since he had already seen Law as “friend” and equal. As long as these two people remain uniquely significant to each other, whatever the nature of their relationship—be it CoraLaw or LawCora as a couple that does adult things, romantic, or any platonic forms (familial included)—I do find it beautiful. 

[toffee2]

On Donquixote Rosinante: some personal takes.

Disclaimer/notes:

This is a personal reading of Rosinante the person. A subsequent post will deal with my reading of the Cora/Law/Cora ship in canon. 

Manga quotes are my own (potentially biased) translation.

I love him. 

“An honest boy with a profound sense of justice” is how Sengoku, Rosi’s commanding officer and adoptive father, describes him. Yet fans seem to describe Rosi primarily as an exceptionally kind person, with almost excessive empathy: deeply considerate of others, feeling others’ pain as his own. This might be why Law caught Rosi’s attention soon after they met. Law—a child doomed to an early grave, who came to hate the world that seemed to hate him. Part of it could well be because Law reminded Rosi of his brother, Doflamingo, as a child: “Looking at him, I can't help but see the boy my brother once was.” But for the most part, it must have been sympathy for this child himself, who seemed to have no future to speak of: “...for a kid so young to say ‘I don’t have much longer to live’...you stabbed me back then, but it didn’t hurt at all! The one who was truly suffering was you…”

It’s almost certainly this abundance of feeling—rather than faith in certain ideals—that constitutes Rosi’s sense of justice, which drives him to make every effort—even risking his life—to help those who suffer. By the same token, however, it is only natural that Rosi's loyalties would follow where his feelings lead him. Sengoku might have seen this coming. He had warned Rosi two years earlier not to become so emotionally invested in the child from the White Town, lest it interfere with the undercover mission. But once Rosi decided to put the mission on hold “for some private business,” Sengoku didn't press the matter and simply let him “do as he sees fit.” Whether, in the thirteen years that followed, Sengoku ever regretted not having asked further is hard to know. At the very least, he could believe that Rosi “had his reasons.” And he might have known his son well enough to know that there probably wasn’t much he could have done to change Rosi’s mind anyway. 

In turn, Rosi’s final moment on Minion Island also seems to suggest his love and reverence for his adoptive father. Facing a furious Doflamingo at last, Rosi recalled the time when he had met Sengoku as a boy. Then he proclaimed his code number and position in the Navy, and confronted Doflamingo, not as his brother, nor as a defector from the gang, but as “a Marine.” At this point, Rosi had already, by stealing the Op-Op Fruit, betrayed the Navy. Furthermore, he knew how the Navy, as a whole, was complicit in many of the World Government’s atrocities—Law, to whom Rosi was confessing, is one such victim. Rosi apologized for having concealed his identity, but he didn’t seem to intend to disown that identity itself, which, I think, might be interpreted along the lines of the following examples: Belle-Mère would rather be killed than deny that Nami and Nojiko are her daughters; eight-year-old Robin insisted on claiming Olvia as her mother, though Olvia had left when Robin was two; and Ace calls only Whitebeard his “Pops,” while denying his biological father, Roger. Similarly, Rosi’s claim of “Marine” identity might indicate his deep appreciation and respect for Sengoku—feelings that seem to persist even after they parted ways, and even when Rosi is prepared to give his life for the child for whose sake he had chosen his own path. 

Rosi probably harbored complicated feelings for his brother as well. Doflamingo’s viciousness certainly frightened him. But Rosi might also have wondered how much of what his brother had become was nature, and how much was the poisoning influence of the adult members of the pirate crew, chief among them the four senior cadres—Vergo, Pica, Diamante, and Trebol. Rosi clearly despised them—so much so that he did not even care to explain himself to them: “I have nothing to say to you.” To Doflamingo, however, Rosi does have a few words to say before his own death: “Law won't listen to you anymore... He is no longer the lost child who wandered into your gang of maniacs... He has nothing to gain from a devil such as you! Leave him alone! He is free!” This, I believe, is Rosi’s blessing for Law. Yet I think it can also be read as Rosi cautioning his brother: be not so arrogant as to think that you can decide other peoples’ paths, that you can control what others think and do, that you can always, through violence and trickery, take away another person’s independence and freedom. That Rosi is willing to go to such lengths seems to suggest that, despite calling Doflamingo “lacking all humanity,” he still retained some feeling for him. Doflamingo might look all-powerful and confident, but beneath that exterior might be deep-seated fear, unease, and loneliness, which Rosi might have sensed, or at least imagined. Therefore, Rosi went undercover by his brother’s side—not only to stop his crimes and prevent him from falling into complete madness, but perhaps also not to leave his brother struggling alone.

Though this may border on over-reading, I suspect Rosi’s character design carries certain religious references. I personally find Law’s successful escape “miraculous” in the literal sense of the word: Rosi thought of the coincidence that made it possible as “heaven letting you live after all,” and as “merciful fate smiling at you once again”; once shot, he held on for quite some time before finally dying, so that Law could leave without being heard. Rosi’s death scene is also remarkably peaceful, despite, and in contrast to, the surrounding chaos of the fight between Doflamingo’s gang and the Navy: his expression looks calm and relieved; and amid the falling snow, he once again sends Law his blessing in an internal monologue. There seem to be quite a few parallels with Bruno Bucciarati from JoJo Part 5: a gangster who rebelled against his boss to save another person’s life, and was admired by those whose lives he redeemed. Killed halfway through the story, his body continued to operate by sheer force of will. In the last part of the story, and in the middle of an intense fight with the main villain, his soul ascended to heaven after a somewhat long expression of gratitude to his comrades for having helped him find life’s meaning. If this is not a direct reference, then I would guess it to be some kind of archetype, of which the concept of “sacred death” is an integral part. 

Final point: although Sengoku calls him “honest,” we as readers have witnessed plenty of Rosi’s (one might say, effortless) lies. In addition to the biggest one about stealing the Op-Op Fruit, Rosi tricked Doflamingo’s gang into thinking he was mute, lied to Law about his Marine identity, and told Law that Doflamingo wouldn’t kill him despite knowing otherwise. Furthermore, if we believe in Oda’s intentional choice of words, then it would seem that Rosi possesses an astonishingly sophisticated command of language—culminating in the confrontation with Doflamingo on Minion Island (though I won’t expand on this point for now). In Law’s well-deserved comment, Rosi is “such a liar.” Yet everyone, maybe save Doflamingo, would forgive him, because none of Rosi’s lies contained a trace of self-interest. 

[toffee2]

I saw an article the other day on Xiahongshu about Enneagram Tritype 458. Certain passages hit me as echoing some of Law’s behavioral and emotional pattern, as well as LawCora/CoraLaw relationship dynamics. What follows are quotes from the article plus my brainrots. 

General description

Description of 458 by Katherine Fauvre: 

“If you are a 458, you are intuitive, knowledgeable, and protective. You want to be original, wise, and straightforward. You study what makes people tick and form strong opinions about what you learn. Somewhat introverted, you are identified with being an intuitive, strategic thinker. You see and focus on the interconnections that others often miss.”

It’s possible that Law is 458, although I’m not entirely sure about the 5 part. I personally don’t find canon Law to have exhibited a lot of archetypal 5-ish energy. If he has 5 in the head triad, then it probably comes with a strong 6-wing (without some 6-ness, his crew would be too much for him handle, not to mention strawhats). We don’t get to see much of his purely scholastic aspect (though explored much more in fandom) until near the end of Wano Country arc, where he intends to continue journey in search of historical truth and Will of D. It might be that he had been operating mostly under 4/8 energy, which drove him to vendetta against Doflamingo and relegated his 5-ness to a more instrumental position. Only after that score was settled would his 5-ness emerge as an end in itself. Or it might be that One Piece characters are generally more extraverted, more emotionally receptive, or expressive, than their types typically are, as influenced by Oda’s own personality (supposedly ExFP). 

Attachment patterns

“...they are likely to have faced maternal separation before the age of three, or their mothers were absent for prolonged periods due to career obligations or other reasons. In infancy, their subconscious countered this maternal separation anxiety with an attitude of ‘I don't need it.’ Yet, they do not reject their own emotions; rather, they obsess over and take pride in their blossoming independence, while exploring their emotional landscapes through complex, physical means, such as biting their nails (until they bleed), picking at their wounds (until they bleed), playing with knives or sharp, hazardous objects, and harboring an unquenchable impulse for high climbs and risky maneuvers.”

Taking “maternal” to mean “unconditionally loving figures”, Law experienced this kind of separation 3 times: first from biological family, then from Corazon, and recently from his crew at Winner Island [1]. On one hand, he is indeed private about his past and feelings, even with close people. His crew doesn’t seem to know much, if anything, about Corazon. According to official novel, Wolf also had no idea about either Law’s past in Flevance nor Corazon. Even if child Law held any kind of tentative loyalty towards Doflamingo, he probably told Doflamingo’s people very little about Flevance beyond the vague and the factual (not that they, maybe except Doflamingo, for whatever reason, cared to know). 

[1] which makes me feel very sorry for him. Separation happens not as a past experience, but a living reality. 

On the other hand, Law doesn’t seem to suppress his feelings either. I find his way of processing emotions somewhat characteristic of the 458 combo. 4-ness in tattoo and jolly roger design, which he flagrantly displays [1] without explanation [2]. 8-ness in pursuing revenge and executing justice. 5-ness in the honesty and humility with which his backstory was told—arguably inopportune, as is told primarily to Doflamingo mid battle, although Luffy is supposed to overhear it. I personally see this as more of a 5 thing, because the focus is not on Law’s own pain and victimization. Instead, the point is to explain to Luffy (and Sanji, who had raised the point earlier) why Law was so fixated on personally confronting (and hopefully defeating) Doflamingo, which, according to plan, should have been Kaido’s business (?). It’s because Cora-san, who is so good and kind, and who gave Law so much love and saved Law from becoming the very monster that Doflamingo is right now [3], was murdered by Doflamingo. Therefore, Law hates Doflamingo for taking away his dearest person. Furthermore, Law has no other way to repay Cora-san other than to fulfil the cause that Cora-san had hoped to achieve, and to live the way Coran-san supposedly wanted him to live. While the narrative is heavy with emotions, I find it to contain very little self-pity or ego. The emotions felt almost objectively true. 

[1] Are the heart pirates the only ones that put jolly roger logos on whatever they wear?

[2] I’m not sure if Doflamingo misinterpreting it the whole time is Law’s intention, so as to avoid trouble early on. But Doflamingo getting it wrong for over a decade, and blew a fuse when finally figured out, is hilarious. 

[3] For that matter, it’s possible that Law is actually more sympathetic towards Doflamingo than Rosinante is. Rosi genuinely saw Doflamingo as a monster that actively enjoys dumping hate onto and hurting many entirely innocent people, which Rosi finds not only unacceptable, but also completely unrelatable and unimaginable. That said, Rosi’s inability to pull the trigger on his brother might also have more to do with Rosi’s own personal ethics, than with whether Doflamingo still retained any shred of humanity. Law, on the other hand, went through that phase of nihilistic, mad vengeance himself. He probably saw Doflamingo less as an entirely different species, and more as his own potential future had Cora-san not intervened. Nonetheless, this understanding doesn’t hinder, or might have strengthened, his judgement that Doflamingo is a criminal far past the point of redemption that must be permanently removed. 

Emotional exchange: 

“Their emotional world is simultaneously guarded and intense. … much like E8, they crave intense emotional experiences. Thus, in relationships, they may test (and simultaneously experience) another person’s emotional responses through provocative, offensive, or hurtful means. …if someone manages to withstand this turbulent testing and ‘injury,’ the 458 can quickly develop a profound interest in them, potentially forming a deep bond. They may then become highly susceptible to that person's manipulation and control out of fear of losing this rare connection (even if they are consciously aware of the deception).”

I find the testing and hurting process fairly obvious in child Law and Cora’s early interaction. What I want to comment on is “susceptible to that person’s [influence] out of fear of losing this rare connection". At the end of Dressrosa arc, Law and Sengoku had this dialogue where Law looks like he only just realized that Cora didn’t save his life because of the D initial. I personally think Law had always known Cora-san loved him as a person, not because of D. Cora only ever brought up D once with Law, in their first actual conversation. Cora’s plan was to hide somewhere once Law ate the Op Fruit, and had prepared to live fugitive lives thereafter. And Cora’s last words, which he knew Law could hear, was “Leave him alone [Doffy]. He is free.”  

But Law, for “fear of losing this rare connection”, needed something to cling to. Now, the 458 combo actually offers a convenient coping mechanism, because 5s are known to form emotional connections with their ideas, while 4s form emotional connections with their emotions. Given that Law actually knows really little about the person Rosinante, ideas such as “take down Doflamingo”, and by extension, Will of D, are probably Cora’s only accessible relics. Obsessing over these ideas then allowed Law to still feel connected with the Cora in his mind. For that matter, Law’s “Silent” is an example of how far he can go. Although, for some reason, Law seemed to have forgotten (fortunately Sengoku doesn’t, and remembers to remind Law) that the most important legacy that Cora left to the world is Law himself [1]. 

[1] Granted, Law did tell Doflamingo something to the effect of “whatever I achieve is to Cora-san’s credit” in the Dressrosa arc. But that seems to mean the extent to which he (and by implication, Cora) can thwart Doflamingo’s evil schemes.  

[toffee2]

doodled my favorite ship.

jumpsuit design: from this post by @sakura-rose12

also this. I wonder how Cora looks in this coat.

background colors: from this post by @momosweetpeach

[momosweetpeach]

Heart Crew Den Dens

Obviously, the best part about this is Penguin's Pen Pen Mushi

[toffee2]

doodled my 2nd favorite character from one piece.

outfit & pose from

[orpheusmori]

Several months ago a few of us were discussing the new English Marat biography, so I wanted to share Clifford Conner's recent review of it that got published in Jacobin. Conner is the historian who wrote what I consider (still) to be the best anglophone biographies on Marat some years ago that cover both his politics and his time as a scientist and doctor before the revolution without the typical Cold War Era drivel that gets iterated throughout much of Baker's recent contribution.

[toffee2]

Yusei Fudo: The Longing of an sp6

Disclaimers:

This is all subjective headcanon and blatant over-analysis.

I’m wordy and rambling. Sorry (but not sorry).

It’s pretty obvious to me that Yusei is an E6 (sp 6w5), so I’m not going to waste words arguing that. Instead, I want to talk about one specific aspect, which is his relationship with authority figures. In Enneagram theory, relationship with authority figures is a particularly important theme for E6s.

By authority, I mean things like rules, morals, superego, or social consensus. Furthermore, the word here doesn’t have any negative connotation. Similarly, authority figure refers to those who, at some point or to some extent, provided 6s with guidelines/sense of morality, helped 6s integrate into society, served as examples, etc. 

6s’ relationship with authority is tied to their anxiety and need for security: they want to gain approval, support and protection from good authorities, while fear being controlled and harmed by bad ones. There’s a childhood theory that suggests that, if 6s grew up with good authority figures, they will likely try to replicate that pattern in their adult relationships, by seeking authority figures in their friends or spouses. On the other hand, if they were abused by authority figures in their childhood, they will likely project negative feelings/suspicion towards any authority figures later in life. 

Yusei also seems to display a subtle, unconscious attachment to authority figures. For instance, he easily internalizes correct values from people around him. He also picks up those parts that are correct/valuable in his enemies’ ideologies (“5ds has no real villain, except for Divine”). And it’s also not just on the intellectual level; Yusei actually empathizes with the antagonists, validates them, and respects them as people. 

Yusei also tends to lend trust a bit too readily to authority figures, as long as they don’t appear plain evil. Or we may say, he wants to trust them. We see this clearly with Antinomy. Yusei’s mind knows to wonder about Antinomy’s motive, but that doesn’t stop him from getting led by the nose. Even Rex Goodwin, who’s already under suspicion as head of city government, was given too much good faith regarding his accounts of the signer/dark-signer legend and promises to the Satellite. 

Using the aforementioned Enneagram theory, we may be able to explain Yusei’s attachment/trust/positivity towards authority as a carry-over of his positive experience with Martha, the lady who takes care of homeless children in the Satellite. Yusei, Jack and Crow are all raised by her. We may well say that Martha is Yusei’s early/primary source of ethics. When Yusei felt unable to confront a hate-filled Kiryu, or hesitant to reach out to a resentful Aki, it is again Martha’s guidance that he followed. On the other hand, Martha’s general approach seems more or less indulgent, especially towards the smaller kids (plus, she didn’t seem to have reproached Jack for his unethical conducts). It is reasonable to infer, that the good early example which Martha served is what breeds Yusei’s later unconscious positivity towards authority in general. 

It is interesting, then, to see similar patterns manifested in Yusei’s later relationship with Kiryu and with Antinomy. 

It’s clear how Yusei regards Antinomy, or how the writers [*] positioned Antinomy, as some sort of mentor. Both to forward the plot, and on a psychological level: One example is before the duel with Placido i.e. debut of shooting star dragon. Antinomy said: “it’s time to master accel synchro”. Then Yusei, who habitually worries about others and refuses to let others worry about himself, responds: “Am I able to do that?” To put this into perspective, the only other time he spontaneously and openly voices his inner worries/lack of confidence is at the very end against Z-one when he said to his father's [**] spirit “I’ve done my best…there’s no way out…I can’t do this anymore”. Another (more verbose) example can be found here. 

[*] I’m increasingly suspicious of the writers being familiar with the Enneagram system, as so many characters’ (e.g. Jack, Crow and Aki) arcs fit well with certain Enneagram types.  

[**] Side note: Antinomy also seems to know a lot about Yusei’s father, hence has a non-negligible influence on how Yusei constructs his father’s image (although occasionally Yusei can also directly access his father's spirit). This is somewhat significant, as Yusei's father is supposed to be Yusei’s conventional early authority figure.

In a similar vein, Yusei’s relationship with Kiryu begins as one of protector-protectee, but eventually transcends that framework. Their arc went through a cycle of fracture, hatred, and deep remorse toward a final, genuine reconciliation. Kiryu eventually becomes a friend like Jack or Crow—an equal where neither side 'owes' the other. From Yusei’s perspective, true reconciliation is only achieved when, in Crash Town, he was able to repay his spiritual debt in a tangible way, thus freeing himself from the role of the receiver. Meanwhile, through the same process, Kiryu found his own way to face his past sins and regrets. Only then can they bond freely, and their relationship achieve a true sense of closure. On the emotional level, Bruyu is like Kiryu died in the dark signer arc without resurrection, making it impossible for the relationship to ever reach completion. This is also partly why Yusei internalized Bruno into his 'inner committee'. It’s likely his default mechanism, before he gets time to process and let go of it. 

[toffee2]

【Appendix: over-analysis of episode 144 (10:15-14:30)】

To avoid unnecessary confusion, let me state conclusion first: these passages are meant to show an example of Yusei’s mental fixation (which are otherwise mild and subtle), in connection to the “relationship to authority” theme I discussed in the other post.  

Antinomy is the one talking the whole time. But there’s a change of pov in the visual presentation. The "slideshow" portion where Antinomy explains what happened to the future is still his perspective. But from where he talks about Aporia’s despair and three personas, the visuals start to shift to Yusei's perspective.

By the time of “My mission was to protect you and help you grow,” the shot of Bruno’s face is entirely from Yusei’s pov. What I want to point out is: what’s on screen here isn't necessarily Antinomy’s actual attitude; it’s how Yusei is perceiving/imagining him in that moment.

Then Antinomy says: “I never expected you to have evolved this far. And to think, it’s on me to cut it short. ”

Yusei: “Am I just a gear then?” (Side note: The use of the "gear" metaphor feels like a deliberate callback. Yusei must have taken to heart what Bruno said about being "gear that turns your dreams" when they first met. )

At this point, the conversation still seems to be about whether Antinomy/Bruno was ever sincere. The cold, aloof expression of the imagined Bruno is just hostility for being on opposite sides. However, there’s a very similar frame in the final battle against Z-one, which suggests something else. There, Yusei “hears” (imagined) Bruno’s voice: “Yusei, you will surely find it—your own accel synchro,” followed by his thought, “Bruno, I found it.” Then, we see the imaginary Bruno smiling.

These frames are clearly Yusei’s mental projections. One could interpret it moderately as Yusei thinking that Bruno was worried about him, and the final smile is a sign of relief. What I find more plausible (and unflattering), however, is that the unsmiling expression in the first two frames represent the internalized Bruno as a member of Yusei’s "inner committee" (the 6's inner authority), with an attitude of appraisal/scrutiny. The final smile isn't relief; it’s approval that Yusei has met the expectation. Furthermore, this interpretation only makes sense if Yusei does regard Bruno/Antinomy as more of a guide/mentor than a friend/equal comrade. After all, it’s 5ds, not GX. 

Now, and again, it’s all Yusei’s projection, and has nothing to do with how Antinomy actually thinks about Yusei (Bruno certainly doesn’t think this way). I don't see any textual evidence that Antinomy is judgemental towards Yusei. On the contrary, the original work seems to intend to show that Antinomy worships Yusei, as reflected in, e.g. his dying words: “Would you still call me your comrade?”

[toffee2]

Antinomy’s Enneagram Typing: The Case for so5w6

I’m now leaning heavily toward so5 for Antinomy, likely with a sizable 6-wing. The 6-wing is also why he comes across as somewhat loyal and with a sense of morality. Here’s what I find very 5-ish about him:

1. Antinomy is highly protective of his internal thinking and decision-making process. He refuses to let anyone interfere—and that "anyone" includes Yusei, Z-one, and (since I view them as separate) probably even Bruno.

This is classic 5 behavior when they feel insecure, or uncertain about their understanding and calculations. They don't want to discuss with others because others’ emotions and opinions interfere with their thinking process. They’d rather figure it out on their own first and then just present the result to everyone else as a done deal. This explains why Antinomy kept his regained memories a secret even while acting as, and believing himself to be, a 5D's ally. By the way, this 5-style secrecy works almost seamlessly with Bruno’s 9-style "playing pretend", effortlessly driving things to the point of no return before anyone else realizes.

2. He likes to watch from behind the scenes. Let’s not forget that, while Bruno is at the front end interacting with 5ds, Antinomy is (almost) always at the back end watching. Even when he himself interacts with Yusei, he tends to adopt a "poke and retreat" attitude—it’s less about telling Yusei what to do, and more about probing Yusei for reactions, especially for those that exceed his expectations. 

This neutral, holding-off stance is maintained on a larger scale: he executes his mission to fulfill his vow to Z-one, while simultaneously putting his lot on Yusei, all while hoping that Yusei’s triumph could assure Z-one and free him of the burden of saving the future. He likely anticipated all outcomes. He could genuinely say “I started the duel to show you a new power”, while having also (mentally) prepared for the possibility that Yusei might emerge victorious. (This indecisiveness, IMHO, is also the 6-wing's suspicion leaking in). 

3. The so5’s "totem": Here totem refers to an abstract, sublime ideal, which often also entails some source of power. The so5s compensate for their internal sense of depletion by attaching to this sublime being, while simultaneously becoming even more acutely aware of their own inadequacy by comparison. (“I felt ashamed watching Z-one fight without losing hope even in despair.”) The totem is usually non-human, but can be projected onto people (like the aforementioned victim, who is not entirely innocent). A classic pitfall is "Loving humanity in the abstract, but struggling to love concrete individuals." Real people — including, of course, themselves — can end up being sacrificed for the sake of the sublime ideal.

The social instinct combined with a 6-wing also brings out some so6 traits, like a rigid sense of duty and loyalty to a faction. (“I am tied to Z-one and my comrades by unbreakable bonds born of despair. My vow to Z-one is my mission.”) Even when he doesn’t necessarily agree with the faction’s ideology/objective—and is really sort of off doing his own thing—he still feels this “imperative” to go down with the ship alongside old comrades.

4.The totem for Antinomy is “clear mind”, which is courage, or the overcoming of fear. Fear of the enemy’s strength, fear of failure, and for Yusei, the fear of failing others' expectations and being abandoned.

This is a very head center theme. That "overcoming fear" is the core lesson for Antinomy and Yusei basically suggests that they are both head center types. However, their interpretations differ: Yusei (sp6) sees courage as a correct life attitude to adopt, much like the other values he has integrated from those around him. On the other hand, Antinomy (so5) has an almost worshiping relationship with (emotional attachment to) synchro summon, to the point of regarding accel synchro summon as some source of truth and power (which, given their worldview, is not unfounded). This also highlights some difference between the 6’s and the 5’s, as well as the self-preservation and the social instinct’s, core psychological traits. 

[toffee2]

Bruno's Enneagram Typing

Disclaimer: I originally wrote this in another language. The translation (and tone) is produced by Gemini, with my edits. 

Some quick caveats:

I’m still an Enneagram beginner. If I’m getting anything wrong, please scream at me in the reblogs.

I’m treating Bruno, Antinomy, and Johnny (the original guy) as separate personas. This post is just about everyone’s favorite amnesiac mechanic.

Contains trace amounts of bruyu/toolshipping brainworms. 

I can see the debate about Bruno being an E5 or an E9 because of the tech genius trope and that he can appear somewhat quiet and introverted. The following is what convince me that he’s a 9, and not 5: 

Little desire for isolation: He literally has no personal space and seems completely fine with that. The only time he ever asks for alone time is Ep 103, when he’s having a memory flashback. Otherwise, he’s pretty much down for whatever nonsense the group is chasing after. It doesn’t even take that long before he naturally slips into a shared peace-keeper role with Crow (and becomes a bit of Jack’s punching bag, which inevitably annoys me). The extent of his active participation in the group makes me think he’s a so9.

Sincere humbleness (humility): as in, “want to be a gear that helps turn your dreams”. And a longing to belong, like the scene where he wanted his name included in the team name. He also gives off this soft, innocent, and clumsy aura, which I think is significant, since 5s typically don't want to be seen as too innocent, as it implies vulnerability. While 5s probably also don’t want to be seen as aggressive, their defensive, wall-building tendency can make them look hard, or arrogant (see, e.g., Antinomy).  

"Pretend Everything is Fine": As Bruno gradually recovers memories of Antinomy and Z-one and the past, he never discloses any of it to Yusei and others; he just keeps acting like nothing happened. He seems to be waiting for Yusei to steer the wheel. While Bruno and Antinomy share this secretive/un-transparent tendency, it could be from distinct motives. For Antinomy’s (E5), it’s more like “I don’t have sufficient information (memory) yet to act”. For Bruno (E9), it’s more like "only Yusei can save the future, so there’s nothing for me to do but wait".

Some Enneagram-informed interpretation:

E9s fear losing connection with others. Thus they neglect, or forget about, their own dissatisfaction, upsets, needs and wants, so as to avoid conflict which could break the connection. Although Bruno is an amnesiac persona, his subconscious might have retained the feeling of losing everyone in the apocalyptic future/past. He seems to side with Yusei, but also doesn’t want to break with Z-one and other old comrades. He can’t disclose what he knows, since that essentially means choosing a side, i.e., putting himself on the opposite side of old friends. His expectation of Yusei is both for Yusei to save the future, and for Yusei to make the choice for him. In the final duel (144-145), even though Antinomy is technically the one on screen, the theme of "Bruno" remains: Yusei, (under Antinomy’s pressure) by declaring “I’ll defeat whoever stands in my way”, saves Bruno from the impossibly hard choice between his two worlds.

9s also have a tendency for self-erasure, to blend into the environment to avoid friction against it. In this sense, Bruno doesn't seem to feel at ease with, or “entitled” to, his own existence. He likely can see from Antinomy’s perspective, where "Bruno" is a mask. Better (or worse) yet, because "Antinomy" himself doesn’t have long to live anyway. Then it’s a completely logical position for a dying person to take: to cherish what time he has left and keep the memories as happy as possible. 

Guesses from Enneagram theory:

Childhood: There’s a Enneagram theory which says that in childhood, or before stress/trauma, people look like their integration point. In particular, 9s integrate to 3 (confident, proactive, competitive). And Johnny, from the very brief glimpses we have of him, indeed has a high-energy 3/7 vibe before destruction.

The 9/6 Synergy: That 9 is the integration point for 6 (Yusei) could also partly explain why Yusei felt safe and close to Bruno so quickly. (And there’s always the other part, of course, of Bruno being extremely low-maintenance so Yusei doesn’t have to be constantly worried for him, as Yusei does for almost everyone else.) However, as 6 is also the point of disintegration for 9, Yusei’s constant anxiety might have made Bruno "play pretend" even harder. On the one hand, he probably doesn’t want to stress Yusei out. On the other hand, Yusei’s anxiety probably made Bruno more defensive about the unconscious anxiety within himself.

[aramistinguette]

Robespierre's skincare routine from LTELV (minus fouché)

[theorahsart]

Incorruptible Chap 4 pt 8

May I introduce to you...Danton!! And a very dishevelled Camille lol

[janellefeng]

Based on the play Thermidor (1925) written by Stanisława Przybyszewska.

[theorahsart]

isn't it infantilizing to assign Robespierre detachment from the changing vibes of his revolution to autism? Like, my language aside this was no infantile baby man but a fully grown adult who had been both very charismatic and convincing in his speech and actions towards others, and very committed to the path of violence. And you're not the only person I've heard echo this autism angle (Xiran Jay Zhao also said it) and idk idk perhaps I'm wrong but it always seemed to me a bit insulting, like a way to exculpate him idk

I think whether it's infantilizing probably depends on how much you understand autism and how you're applying it? I'm just wanna say up front that I'm both autistic and have very, very in depth knowledge on the topic- both in its history and how it's applied today. My educational writing (and comics!) on autism are used by doctors, trainers, occupational therapists, all over the world. So I'm coming at it probably from a different angle to a lot of people, with a deep undestanding of how autism impacts peoples lives in very complicated ways, as opposed to applying simple stereotypes or simple modern day examples to history.

How to explain my pov...autism is a very nuanced experience with so many positives and negatives, and to observe behaviours from this angle isn't with any intention to *excuse or negate* any actions. That's not how autism should be applied or looked at in any situation. We don't get diagnosed in order to write off our bad choices or have people patronise us (which is a common problem when you're autistic and it's not cool to do because it suggests we are less competant than allistics which is VERY offensive). We get diagnosed in order to better understand a confusing experience, in which our character, actions, feelings, are hugely misinterpreted.

Yes, he was a full grown adult. Autistic people are full grown adults. We are smart and emotionally intelligent and thoughtful. We also make really 'obvious' mistakes that take NT people off guard because they cant ever imagine that a brain might work in such a way that it can be so intelligent in some ways and so inadequate in other ways- but that is autism by its modern definition: a 'spikey profile' of extremes in positives and negatives that create confusing perceptions in a NT world.

Many historians openly say they find Robespierre confusing. For me autism offers a more nuanced explanation than the usual: "He was really clever until he suddenly made one really stupid obvious mistake" "He just went insane and lost grip on reality" "He thought of himself as the embodiment of the revolution".

In reply to your example:

I havent found any evidence anywhere of Robespierre being described as charismatic- he was popular with people, but thats not the same as charismatic. Every book and contemp description I've read of Robespierre suggests he was notibly the opposite of charismatic, and historians always note this in books, because it was his very well written and well reasoned speeches that won him popularity rather than charisma (so, I agree with your other point, he made VERY convincing speeches. I'm not sure how autism negates that.) Most contemp descriptions from his work collegues describe someone who was very difficult to work with, someone who was quiet and isolated, and constantly looked down at his papers when reading out speeches in a meek, awkward voice. This for me is again something to deeply consider when thinking about how much power Robespierre had in the CPS. It's something that to me is important to consider through the autism angle.

Regards 'committed to the path of violence', his experience feels more complex then that to me, but it might just be how I'm interpreting the sentence, so maybe you understand thsi and sorry if I'm contending it for no reason. Robespierre went back and forth on his views on violence. He wanted to find 'the middle way' in the Terror. He only wanted it to last as long as the war, but also of course attempted to fold what was happening into political theory via his speeches and tried to endorse as a spokesperson for his government that had only come into power because of violence. He was very adament about punishing some people, but also considered by some members of the CPS to be 'too lenient' where they wanted more extreme violence. He said one thing publicly, but privately felt differently. @secondjulia recently made an excellent list of examples that share some of this evidence.

Also, lots of experienced people and historians consider that Robespierre mightve been autistic! I talked to Mcphee about it last year and he was open to the idea and told me of another historian who's considered this. I know the very experienced @saintjustitude came up with this theory like 15 years (?) ago. It's probably telling that every person I've met who has this theory are also autistic (or in the case of Xiran, neurodivergent, they reblog my autism stuff but I dont know if they are or not) and so probably have that more nuanced understanding of autism I've explained above.

[neirien-of-ennorath]

Siamese cat Robespierre requested by my girlfriend @anonsaintspierrist

@octavodecimo's Robespierre wig tutorial is literally so helpful! Thank you <3

[toffee2]

Huge THANK YOU to @neirien-of-ennorath, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!