Backstory Special: Sanji's Past

[we_are]

I know it’s a little out of order than how we usually do, but let’s stop, drop and Sanji Backstory Special.

Why is it important to do it now? Well to compare to the other backstories so far...

Zoro’s backstory informs us of the seriousness of his promises, one of the reasons for his motivation to be the strongest; it doesn’t change much how we perceive him and isn’t something he has to overcome.

Usopp’s backstory tells us who he was and who he still is.

Sanji’s tells us who he was, how he changed, and where he still has to go—as well as ties into some motivations and restraints that come back later. In other words, his backstory, in a way, is still happening.

(and why his is and Usopp’s isn’t is because Usopp’s life got shaken up pretty soon after Luffy and co arrived. The battle with Krieg may be more intense than Sanji’s used to but defending the restaurant against pirates is pretty par for course for him. His life has not yet been that shook up in other words.)

I also think that this is a great way to get into Sanji’s mindset since it’s finally all about him and how he feels about everything that’s going on around him.


So, leading up to the point of the beginning of the flashback, the Baratie is under attack. Zeff is being held at gunpoint by Gin and the only way Sanji can save him is by letting the shit get knocked out of him. He says he already took everything from Zeff and refuses to let him lose any more. The cooks ask what the hell happened, as in, what Sanji took away from him. And the most important thing Sanji feels he took from Zeff?



All Blue. Zeff’s one time dream. Sanji’s dream, as well. Something that he yearns for. For someone who is more idealistic than pragmatic (not that he isn’t pragmatic, and certainly moreso than others in his crew, it’s certainly true that being an ideal cook is more important to him than avoiding getting himself (or his restaurant) shot to shit)

That’s babbu Sanji talking about the All Blue there, by the by, as he speaks to the cooks about it and they’re like pshaw, of course we know it! As cooks of the sea, it’s the ocean we’ve dreamed of!



Ten-year-old abububu Sanji. Look at all the happy lines radiating around him. But, much like Zoro’s backstory, there’s so many questions. Where did he hear about the All Blue to begin with? Where are his parents? Did something happen to them? What motivated him to be a cook? Was it just something he always wanted to do? Did he join the Orbit specifically to look for the All Blue? Or is he doing training first and going to wait until he’s a good cook? So many questionssssss.




Already his idealism is showing through. It’s a legend. There’s no cause to believe that it exists. But he still believes it exists because he has faith in its existence!

They say that the fish of all the blues are found in that ocean…



This is so interesting, because it says that Sanji is a COOK first. Finding the All Blue is tied up in his passion to cook and make foods and his interest in food and being able to use the food to see what he can do with it. His entire life, as we see it, revolves around his passion for his profession which is also a passion.

It’s very similar to Zoro’s dream, becoming the strongest swordsman and his passion regarding swordsmanship. Though the question with Zoro is, did he want to be the strongest first and decide on being the strongest swordsman? Or did he want to be a swordsman first and then decide to be the strongest? So many questiooonnsss.



What’s up with this guy’s joy lines? You take that much pleasure in poking at a child’s dreams? Eh? Do ya? But right away we see again how fantastic this dream is. Fantastic in the sense that it’s a fantasy. At least goes the general consensus of the cooks on the Orbit, and likely elsewhere. But it’s dreamed up by a dreamer and that’s just what Sanji is. A dreamer who keeps dreaming.



I can just hear him thinking ‘you shitheads’ in his tiny babbu Sanji voice. He’s pretty upset at having his dream so thoroughly flattened in front of him but is holding back from doing anything more. It’s something he was so excited about but to hear this and get no support? Yeah, it’s pretty hard.



Two things here:

1) Sanji’s a picky shit and always has been. Though he’s inordinately less picky about food now, you can still see it in the way he dresses and how he holds himself/pulls himself together/presents food. He doesn’t really like to keep things around that could be called ‘trash’ nor look rumpled. There’s a sense of self-respect here, too. Like omg, you guys, eating leftovers is gross and against your dignity as cooks. :/ Also I threw out bad food because, ew, why were we even keeping it around?

2) From this I sort of wonder if this is Sanji’s first jaunt out to sea, at least in the capacity of a cook. I mean he had to get from North Blue to East Blue somehow, unless that was the Orbit’s destination. I don’t know how long he’s been with the Orbit but I don’t think too very long because I don’t doubt they’ve eaten leftovers before and Sanji would have said something then, too.



Also, yeah, still a kid. But I think still mostly a land based one because a kid who has been on the ship his whole life would understand that to some extent. But also this guy has some experience. I bet he’s starved a little, too, once or twice. He knows how rough the seas can be. And this isn’t even the Grand Line. (and I’m not sure if it’s the North or East Blue)

Also, again, Sanji looks pretty grossed out at the idea of even eating something that looks like that. Also I think he thinks he’s being teased by it, which he may well be on one level, but I’m sure the guy is serious, too. But Sanji XD he’s like why would I want to eat that? That’s so disgusting.

And then pirates attack:



Now here, more questions… Has Sanji encountered pirates before? Or does he just know the rumors about them? You’re guess is as good as mine.



Young Zeff with a DON. Helloo Nurse. Er I mean Captain. /coff Not much to say here but if Young Zeff arrives with a Don you damn well better show it. I also love his smaller mustache and the fishes in the design of his coat.



Zeff has a hell of a reputation already.

But first let’s look at his Jolly Roger. …it’s hard to tell really! Is that a chicken or a seagull or something else? Though you can tell that with the name of the crew and the flag itself that Zeff is also an ideal cook and being a cook is what he identifies as. The crossed knife and fork is the flag under which they fly. Crossed can also mean battle, too, but I like to think of this Jolly Roger as “we’ll prepare you and eat you for dinner”.

Also Zeff is really looking forward to this boarding. Look at that badass grin. This is exciting. This is adventure. I love his crew, too. You have fantastic hair man on the far left and serious guy with glasses and a galaxy tattoo on the far right with eyebrows vaguely reminiscent of Robb Lucci. I also like the spiraly spear thing. Spirals are life, remember.




The world is a brutal place and Zeff? Not a nice guy. He doesn’t even give anyone a chance to hand the cash/valuables over peacefully before his guys charge right the hell in and start attacking the shit out of everyone. I do like the detail of the one guy in the background kicking someone in the face. And the detail of the guy just behind him attacking with what looks like a huge kitchen knife. But yeah, pirates are terrifying and Sanji has every damn reason to be terrified of them.


And where is Sanji?



Hiding. He is scared as hell, sweating and gasping if you can tell by that little puff of air there. Why? He doesn’t want to get killed by them. He doesn’t care about the others around him. Not even his fellow cooks. (who he may not know that well to begin with) No, he is hiding and trying to not be seen so he won’t get killed. Which is just fine as he is ten years old and not really trained in fighting so it’s a completely natural reaction—but it is also the action of a survivor.

Luffy, at 10 would have run out and clobbered ‘em. Even at 7 he would have been angry enough to put up a fight. Zoro at 10 would have run out and clobbered them and tried to take them all out at once. Nami’s a special case but I can picture her, at 10, either hiding or trying to manipulate her way onboard to get the money they stole. Usopp at 10 would have bro fisted Sanji and hid even better, like in a cabinet.

Anyway Serious McLucci!Brows says to Zeff that they better get a move on before they are caught in the storm. Zeff says he knows and then spies a suspicious bag among the loot. It’s food, of course, and the guy who brought it out knows it’s food.



This guy knows he did wrong and Zeff doesn’t tolerate bullshit nor second chances. This is the old age era of the pirates where you do something wrong? You get nailed for it. Especially something so wrong as to violate the crew’s/Captain’s number one ethic.




A pirate captain Zeff may be, but he’s also a cook and understands the importance of food and being hungry. Moreover, he’s after their money, not their lives. He didn’t say ‘kill them’, no one said ‘die’, so there is no reason to take their food and potentially starve them to death. But even if the Cook Pirates were starving, not taking food is obviously Zeff’s policy and he makes damn sure he enforces it himself and with the others.




And here is where Sanji differs from (babbu) Usopp in a big way. He proactively goes out to fight. He’s not the type to just hide when he can work to prevent that which he’s scared of, or at least combat it. He already cut the gu who may have attacked him. But here he is definitely not using kitchen knives like a cook, but like someone who has nothing else to defend himself with. Which he doesn’t.

Though I think it’s almost like someone flipped a switch or something. For whatever reason, Sanji is terrified of getting killed by pirates. No one said anything about killing yet. Was it just rumor coupled with the violence of the Cook Pirates’ attack? Or has he seen pirate brutality first hand? Is that why he is alone? We don’t know. So many questionssss.



Yeah, firstly? Pirates are bullies. They attacked the ship but the cooks are begging Sanji not to provoke them further. Even though they are the victims. It’s unclear whether because the Cook Pirates are pirates in general, or because Zeff has a certain reputation attached to him (earned or not) Anyway they are freaking out.

Zeff says this, and I think he only half means it—half of it is due to the stress of the approaching storm and how they have to get out of there and stop wasting time.



What is your story, Sanji? Why are you so convinced they are going to kill you? Again, he does not want to die. He is afraid of dying. He is serious about trying to kill them before getting killed himself. Fight or flight. He is survivor. I think something in his past past made him this way. Sometimes you have to kill to survive. As if he already knows the world is brutal (if not the seas).

In any case Zeff kicks him and sends him crashing into something.



And yeah, Zeff doesn’t hold back, even for a kid. That kid is going to understand what it means to stand up to pirates. If he wants a fight, Zeff is going to show him what he’s up against. Though, of course, you have to keep in mind that they are the ones that say he doesn’t hold back. Whether he does or he doesn’t, who really knows?

In any case, Sanji survives it, but isn’t done. If all he can do is bite, that’s what he’s going to do. He’s fighting so hard to live for the sake of this dream. This All Blue. And there’s a possibility that, aside from it being a dream to a dreamer, he doesn’t have much else to hold on to. So he holds onto it with all he can.



But his words move something in Zeff. You can’t really tell what it is, or rather his expression is so ambiguous, you could almost say he’s thinking anything. But I think that he sees a bit of himself in Sanji. To have such an impossible dream. Even his crew think it’s pretty impossible. Zeff never refutes their statement, nor does he back them up. For the most part he just stands there quietly, letting them think what they want.

Also Serious McLucci!brows, laughing isn’t a good look on you.



Anyway, Zeff kicks him off, once more sending him crashing into something. The Orbit Cooks are worried shitless about him.

The passengers are, too. Though no one moves to help or interfere. They’re all just worried, hating this situation and Sanji’s big mouth which is going to get him killed in front of them. Sanji once again says he isn’t going to be killed, but also at this point I don’t think he can even move, just lie there and say that he’s not going to be.




They’re leaving and honestly? I think Sanji’s crying because he’s relieved that they are. He may be frustrated a bit, too, but mostly glad they’re getting out of there and he’s not dead. Make no mistake this whole situation, despite him getting up and attempting to fight them, was seriously traumatic.



But it’s about to get a whooole lot worse. Again, Sanji cannot move and even if he could, avoiding a wave this size? Probably impossible. I love how the cook is so afraid for him though. Even though I don’t think they knew each other for long, Sanji is still cared for. Plus the fact that he is a kid. Also I love afro lady over there. That is such a awesome character design.



Zeff goes after him right away. No hesitation, just already moving in order to save his ass. Again, it’s open to interpretation, but I don’t think Zeff had any intention to kill him. Plus he shares the dream of the All Blue



Yeah, that stupid brat! How dare he get tossed overboard and potentially die just when he said he wasn’t going to?! Also does he look badass or what rushing to his rescue?


In any case the storm grows in intensity, a massive wave curls over the ships…and then we see a rock where Sanji wakes up. Zeff says he’s pretty lucky alright and calls him a little eggplant <3 <3



Zeff is pretty gruff about this. He knows the ways of the sea and has probably sailed a long time by now. I’m pretty sure he’s seen his nakama die as well, lost to the sea. Or seen others. It’s the way it goes when you are a pirate and you go on the sea so he’s pretty much accepted it. He tells Sanji flat out, too, that his ship probably sunk. He’s not one to sugar coat anything.

But also? Further evidence that Sanji couldn’t move. He was out for two days and still it pretty much hurts to even shift his weight. Zeff further explains the predicament flat out, no sugar coating. They are stuck on a rock with no plants or animals to eat. They can’t even fish because, once down, there is no way back up.




Lol I love Zeff though. He’s an ass, since I’m pretty sure he’s not telling Sanji it’s okay to cry but more you’re just a kid so you don’t have to act tough like a man and you can cry because I sure as hell want to.
And Sanji, damn son. What happened in your past past to make killing so heavy on your mind? He’s pretty damn serious about the killing business, too, as we’ll see.

And Zeff’s counter. Rofl. I don’t think he’s really annoyed by Sanji actually. Zeff never strikes me as someone whose feathers are ruffled just by words. Though he probably is annoyed by the yelling at least a little, but there’s a joking element here, too. Gallows humor.

Zeff says that they can’t do anything but wait and maybe a ship will come by but if it doesn’t they may just end up a dried up pile of bones.




And, man, that’s dark. Sanji has one hell of an imagination, too. I wonder if he’s seen that sort of thing before. But it’s interesting how it’s not just bones but life intermixed with that. There are baby birds in a nest. It’s lonely but it’s not alone.

Also I like that Zeff acknowledges him as a cook. And I think he’s really serious about it. How did he know? Well yes, Sanji is dressed like he works in the kitchen, but a chore boy is not a cook. He knows because Sanji’s dream is to find the All Blue. Because that is a cook’s paradise because of what they can do with it. Even if Sanji is still in training, Zeff realizes that he is a natural cook, just as Zeff is. Of course, Zeff is not above giving him advice. I think he realizes how reactive Sanji is and is like make sure to think this through.

Sanji wants the rationing to be fair, naturally. Zeff bullshits his way by saying he’s an adult and of course he needs to eat more. Why he says this we’ll examine in a bit.

Zeff says that’s the situation so we might as well try to get along til help gets here.



But he’s damn well sure he’s rubbing it in. He’s actively trying to make Sanji hate him and Sanji really freaking does. But there is shit Sanji can do about or against him, hence the tear of frustration. He’s not strong enough to fight Zeff for more food. He’s not strong enough to make him eat his words. And having said all that, I don’t think it’s his impetus for getting strong at all, but right now he’s just a weak kid in terms of fighting ability. Possibly even weaker than Usopp at the same age because at least Usopp can chuck a stone at Zeff’s eye or something. This helplessness is further emphasized by Sanji being barefoot. He’s pretty much unprotected.

(Though, man, can you imagine Zeff taking care of fragile babbu 10 year old Usopp who is just frightened by it all and just wants company so they bond because what Usopp needs more than anything is a friend and ffff)
At the same time, of course, Zeff helps him by giving him advice on the situation. He wants Sanji to hate him but not enough so that he doesn’t communicate with him. He doesn’t want Sanji to expend unnecessary energy either.



Guh, so painful! So much conveyed in so few words. It’s hard to hold back when you’re hungry. Harder still when you are just a kid. But Sanji is a smart kid who can see the big picture and the logic and wisdom of what Zeff says. He’s also a survivor and does not want to die on this rock and so does his best to resist it, but it’s really freaking hard as you can see by his clenched fist and the vein on his arm. He’s resisting the urge to reach over as much as he can.




Once again? Sanji doesn’t want to die. And neither the hell does Zeff. He’d like to live, too. Though for him, he sacrifices his leg in order to keep on going. As a direct opposite to Sanji previously, he’s willing to eat anything he must in order to survive, including himself. To just keep on going that much longer. Even if it means giving up pirating. Zeff is a survivor, too.



Yeah, Sanji does not like him at all. And why would he? He has no reason to like Zeff and every reason to hate him. I think one aspect of Zeff just continuing to be a douche canoe to Sanji is so that Sanji will have the power to survive just to spite his ass.

Anyway, Sanji says to himself he’ll probably see a ship in three-four days and divides his food to see what he has.



And again, smart thinking. Even though he’s pretty sure he’ll get rescued in three or four days, he’ll plan for more and use the resources he has around hm. He’s so full of optimistic hope and if this was a nicer manga, (you know the light hearted kind full of adventure and gags and friendship and not dark as hell trauma) he’d have been rescued at least in 20 days.



And yeah we can see how well this is going to go right here. He’s already hungry as hell. Remember, it’s the first day Sanji has been conscious but he’s been unconscious on the rock for two days. So, for a growing boy having been ducked into the sea for who knows how long and recovering from injuries only having a few nibbles of food? It’s going to be a long hard road.

As it progresses we see him getting mad at his stomach for gurgling.

On a rainy day he sees a ship! =D

and calls out to them! =DD

and tries to light a fire to signal them! 8DDD

but he cant light it because the wood's wet D:<

and it passes him by D:<<

He bellows for them to come back but the thunder is too loud and he’s left like this:



Thanks, Odacchi. Didn’t need those tears anyway! I’m glad they’ve left! D:<<<

On the 25th day? Nope. Still no rescue. And Sanji is left with his very last piece of moldy bread.



Ouuuch. You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. He’s trying not to cry even here, but he’s so very damn frustrated by it all. And he misses food. Even stinky fish heads. He’s gone from the luxury of only being able to eat prime stuff to having to eat mold and be grateful for it. Remembering all the stuff that he missed out on. Because you know what? Insofar as surviving on the sea goes, those guys are right. The sea can be unpredictable and brutal so you can’t look down your nose at food especially when you don’t know when you may have it again. Even two days from port. Don’t take food for granted.

Oh and of course he drops the damn bread to make things that much worse. His last bit of food and he can’t even finish it. His vision even starts to go fuzzy.




Though he keeps watching, this is the last time we see him hope that a ship will come soon. In just a few more days. He watches and watches and watches. But the sea is vast and they are in a rock in the middle of nowhere. The days keep on passing with nothing in sight.

On the 70th day…



I think that Sanji is going to find him because he’s curious but also maybe kind of lonely. I mean if it’s been 70 days, that’s a little over two months without seeing anyone and slowly starving to death. One Piece B| Good times B|

So he crawls his way over the rock to where Zeff is and sees him from behind and that he still has a full bag of food.



Again with the killing. But tied in with surviving. He’s going to survive even if he has to kill to do it. But once again he assumes Zeff is going to fight him for it. Once again he thinks it has to be kill or be killed. I’m sure the hunger is exacerbating this, but he’s said it more than one time already.

Zeff asks why the little Eggplant has come. Did he see a ship?



Zeff doesn’t even try to stop him. Doesn’t say anything. Just lets Sanji see for himself what is in the bag. What can he say anyway? What can he do? Hiding that bag from Sanji was perhaps a way of giving him hope. But now there’s not that much hope left. Sanji’s expression kills me. It’s so haunted as he sees what’s in the bag. And Zeff… Zeff is just quietly accepting but I get the feeling that he dislikes it, too. That life should turn out like this.



Zeff’s statement here. It’s like I told you not to look. But still exerting some dominance over the situation. And also, yeah, as if life wasn’t cruel enough that’s just that much crueler. To not get any food to eat. Just money. And of course brings it back to this line way at the beginning of the arc:



Ouch. Just ouch. When it comes down to the wire? You need food more than money. Even the richest man in the world can starve to death if he can’t get food. Don’t take food for granted.

Sanji asks how Zeff managed to survive and notices his leg is gone.



Sanji is horrified at the very thought but also kind of devastated. That’s a hell of an extreme to go to and he knows that Zeff did it for his sake. Zeff can’t even posture here. He just says yes. He is too damn tired to do anything else. Too weary. Probably too close to death himself.

Sanji asks if Zeff gave him all the food there was. Zeff says yes.



Guh, so heartbreaking. Just going by conjecture, but I think that Sanji is not really accustomed to people things doing stuff for him if he didn’t work for it beforehand. In other words, no parents who would otherwise do that kind of thing.

At the very least, I think he expected the dislike and the distrust to be mutual. That of course Zeff would be a bastard because he was a pirate and would have hoarded food and killed him etc. But now he’s finding out that, no, Zeff gave him all the food for seemingly no reason at all. Even giving up being a pirate which was likely something he was really into. Sanji didn’t do a damn thing so he doesn’t understand what is up with Zeff.




No don, but the quiet manifestation of Zeff’s will. He further tells Sanji that the All Blue does exist and when the time is right, he should go find it. Why did Zeff do this?

First, I’m pretty sure he knew they weren’t both going to survive on this rock unless he did something drastic. And tied into that, he is a cook. A cook’s cook. He is going to make sure that Sanji gets fed even if he has to go without himself. Which he doesn’t exactly. But he doesn’t expect Sanji to do the same to his own leg and that’s not what a cook does anyway. A cook is the one who provides food for others.


Second, much like Shanks’ hat becomes the carrier of Shanks’ will and good thoughts for the next generation, Zeff is giving his dream so that Sanji can do the same. He is believing in the next generation. It’s not so important anymore that he find the All Blue himself, but that Sanji finds it, that he proves it exists. He is moving over so Sanji can move ahead.

Third, I think that as much guilt as Sanji feels over this, Zeff feels guilt, too. I think that was partly why he made sure Sanji disliked him so much. Adding to that if Zeff died, Sanji wouldn’t have to feel responsibility for it. Zeff couldn’t help the sea and the storm, that was unfortunate circumstances, but he didn’t have to attack the ship, nor did he have to kick Sanji. So I believe in some way, he’s bearing the responsibility of Sanji—Further the responsibility of saving him from the water.

And also this, this most of all:



It’s like a certain someone millions of chapters later saying they’re not interested in sailing the seas without Luffy…

Zeff lost all his nakama. Everyone he cared about was swallowed up by the waves. Finding the All Blue isn’t important. Having all the meat in the world is nothing if you have no one to share it with. This shows more than anything the true depth of Zeff’s feelings. As stern as he was with them, he loved his crew dearly. Now that they are gone? That stage of his life is over.



Zeff is really on his last leg (cough) here. He’s reminiscing. Speaking clearly. Wondering things into the vast blue sky. He has no energy left for pretense or acting tough. He speaks his mind because what else can he do and someone should hear it.

And as much as Sanji thinks about kill or being killed? Seeing someone die on him is something entirely different. He doesn’t want Zeff to die. Especially not after Zeff had done something for him just because of their dream. Especially not after Zeff saved him.

Zeff says he’s went without food for many a time… and



When I said before about Zeff not really interested in Krieg? Yeahh I must have skipped this part because this is the whole impetus for the Baratie being built to begin with. I feel like Krieg felt he had to fight hard for it, but in reality, that was what the Baratie was made for. Not so some assholes could take it over, but so that people could eat. I imagine when everything was going down between Krieg and the Baratie cooks and Sanji as Sanji was trying to convince the others, hey, let me cook for them—Zeff already was cooking for them. For Sanji’s idealism yes, but also his own. For the sake of the great restaurant Baratie.



And this is why Sanji does get stronger. He’s trying to give Zeff hope here as Zeff tried to give him. Someone who shares a dream…who shares something so important with Sanji…who gave something up for Sanji’s sake… Sanji is all about gratitude and here is where it begins. He feels he owes Zeff because of what he took away. It shows that the All Blue is much more important a concept to him. He can’t get it yet what Zeff is really trying to do and trying to say. All Sanji understands is that Zeff can’t go to the All Blue anymore because he ate his leg. Why did he eat his leg? Because Sanji existed on that rock with him.

None of it is Sanji’s fault and I don’t think Zeff blames him either. I don’t know whether they had the discussion about it not being Sanji’s fault or not, but one thing is for sure, Sanji carries that guilt forward. Though again it’s a guilt born out of his own love and longing for the dream of the All Blue. But also I think it’s something more, too. Of course I have no facts for this but—it’s guilt, yes, but guilt that keeps Sanji strong. That makes him a strong fighter. That keeps him by Zeff’s side where he can learn cooking. I don’t think Zeff likes being alone any more than Sanji does and moreover, I don’t think there’s anywhere for Sanji to go.

Anyway, 85 days later, around three months give or take, they are finally rescued by the same people Sanji had shouted out near the very beginning.



Themes

The World is Brutal: If you think the people of the world suck, nature can be even worse. People, at least, can be reasoned from and defeated. Nature doesn’t give a shit. Life on the sea isn’t just about sailing from adventure to adventure. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it either but roll with the punches and make the most out of a bad situation. If you can’t do that, you’re likely to die on the sea.


Don’t Take Anything for Granted: The same applies even in real life I think. You can’t take anything for granted in life. Food. Family. Friends. What is here today may be gone tomorrow. On the sea in the world of One Piece it is even more crucial. In one moment, Sanji’s world was turned upside down and he didn’t even have the food he’d disdained eating. But even more than food? In one moment, Zeff lost all his nakama. Food there may be more of. Nakama gone are nakama gone. There is no replacing people. Zeff understands this. Sanji does not. Not yet. That will definitely come up later.

The Blame Game: Doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, you can blame anyone you want, but that won’t do anything to help you survive.

The Sun Will Surely Rise: Like that line in Bink’s Sake, Just hold out, without a doubt, the sun will surely rise. Endure, is what it’s saying. As long as you can. Do your best and keep looking seaward. Help may come. If you don’t endure hard times. If you give up looking and give up hoping, you may not even be alive when help arrives.


Characters

Sanji: Man, what happened to you in your past past, kid? We don’t really know. And as for what he has become we’ll explore later. Right now I want to focus on the aspect that I touched on the last part of Sanji being afraid. Constantly through the past, he says he doesn’t want to die. He’s willing to fight and kill so that he doesn’t die. Why? Because he wants to find the All Blue. Well that’s just like Luffy and Zoro right? No. It’s not.

Luffy is putting his life on the line for his dream. He’s going to do his absolute best to reach it and never doubt for a second that he can, but if he dies, he loses nothing because at least he can say he went for it.

Sanji is ready to fight to the death for his dream, but if he dies, it’s all over. Death, right now, is the ultimate failure. Surviving is better. Even if you have to throw away that ambition. While 90% of what is keeping him at the Baratie is tied in with Zeff… and he is really willing to die for Zeff…the 10% remaining is Sanji not wanting to throw his life away for the sake of this dream he wants so much. I will hammer in this point near the end of the arc, but I wanted to show that the base for it is here. Also I think seeing the Krieg fleet which came starving from the Grand Line and knowing the Grand Line is where the All Blue is doesn’t help much.


Zeff: Not a really nice guy to start out with. He was a pirate and a brutal one whose leg was stained red with the blood of his enemies. Yet there was still the seeds of compassion in him. Would he have saved Sanji had they not shared the same dream? Who can say, but he did. He sacrificed himself so that Sanji could live, like any parent would. He is a survivor but not in the sense that he will do anything to survive, rather he will do anything to endure. Because who knows what can happen if you keep living. And he knows how to get back up and keep moving forward. He gave up the All Blue because it was not worth it without his nakama. But he didn’t wallow. He found something new to do. A new dream. Something worth pursuing. Moreover a dream which didn’t rely on him taking from others to fuel his own desires, but to give to others as a cook. He makes a place of refuge for those who have been starved by the sea. He lost his nakama but got Sanji in return.



Relationships:


Zeff<->Sanji: To quote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: “There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other” being stuck starving on a rock is definitely one of them, and I think this is definitely true for Sanji in addition to Zeff sacrificing for him.

That being said, they started off as adversaries and I don’t think that’s a feeling that has ever died. I mean, I don’t doubt that he loves Zeff and is ready to die for him but he doesn’t really know how to show it. That is mostly I think due to the fact that Zeff won’t let him. Zeff drives Sanji’s antagonism on purpose. He says cruel things on purpose, to create a wedge between them so that Sanji will get out and go for his dream already. That’s because Zeff is shit with emotions. And while Zeff is pretty tsun, I also don’t think he has to be. He’s doing it from a good place, and maybe being cruel to him is the only answer since Sanji is so stubbornly attached to the idea that he owes Zeff everything—but I wonder if he’s ever tried another method.

It’s another case where you decide whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing and in my case I think their relationship, due to how it was formed, is a little bit of both. They are who they are but due to their stubborn natures, self sacrificial natures, and anger, Sanji’s largely born out of this incident, it’s difficult for them to come to an understanding that doesn’t involve belittling the other. That being said, I adore who they are and how hard they fight to prove their love without proving their love.

Because sometimes that’s just the way things go.

Comments

[viridiansoul]

I'm really curious about Sanji's 'past past' too! Other Strawhats must also have their own significant history yet to be unfold, but Sanji's the only one who gives me the feeling that he's intentionally hiding his past(Maybe you'll bring this up in the Skypiea arc much much later). And young Sanji being dead serious about the killing business.. could it possibly be related to him originating from North Blue? From what I have gathered until this point that particular sea doesn't seem like a nice place to live, does it? (Cold weather, forbidden to dream, Doflamingo gathering many of his surbordinates from there, Law's past, etc.) Anyway, like you've said, so many questionsssss.

I wouldn't say that Sanji's (known) past is the most traumatic out of all the Strawhats. Maybe it's even safe to say that his past is the least tragic since he didn't lose anyone precious to him(well he did lose the Orbit cooks but you can't tell if he was really attached to them). But I think we can all agree that along with Brook, Sanji is the person who knows best how terrible and overwhelming the vast ocean can be. Hell, you can even say that the ocean is Sanji's life itself. Every Strawhat's past life was interlinked to the ocean in one way or another, but Sanji's the only one who actually grew up on a freakin ship. Even his dream is discovering a mystic ocean. I personally find it interesting that Sanji and Brook were the only ones to become Luffy's nakama on a boat, not on land. They're also the ones to provide the main source of entertainment - food and music - whenever the Strawhats throw up a party. Those who suffered the most by the cruelty of the ocean providing the source of joy to their crewmates..did Oda intend this or is it mere coincidence?

And it's also worth noting that Luffy, Zoro and Sanji(a.k.a. 'the Monster Trio') are the only ones who voiced their desire to become stronger for others when they were young. Other Strawhats could've thought the same thing but I don't remember their younger selves saying this out loud like the monster trio did when they were kids so I think that's pretty interesting too. Did Oda intend this as well?

To quote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: “There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other” being stuck starving on a rock is definitely one of them, and I think this is definitely true for Sanji in addition to Zeff sacrificing for him.

They are who they are but due to their stubborn natures, self sacrificial natures, and anger, Sanji’s largely born out of this incident, it’s difficult for them to come to an understanding that doesn’t involve belittling the other. That being said, I adore who they are and how hard they fight to prove their love without proving their love. Because sometimes that’s just the way things go.

This. You summarized their relationship perfectly! Couldn't have put it any better :D

[we_are]

Those are a lot of interesting thoughts! Thanks for sharing. XD I don't really have much to say on them other than appreciation for them since I largely agree.

However, I'm not entireely sure where Luffy said he'd become stronger for others. I may be missing something (even something I said! haha) So feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Luffy's desire to become stronger was so that he could make it out there and fulfill his own dream and Shanks' faith in him.

And stronger for others nnh...

Well Zoro does want to get stronger and Kuina is wrapped up in that, but he wanted to get stronger because of his own dreams AND hers, so the two of them are side by side rather than just saying he's going to get stronger for her sake.


Sanji's will to get stronger is initially tied up in the Baratie but his strength becomes kind of his ticket to self-respect as I kind of touch on in Part V. I mean that it's FOR someone else is very evident-- but it's also very much for himself later on.

In fact the only one who I think becomes stronger solely for the sake of others aside from Usopp (it comes late but it does come) at least in their childhoods is Nami who may not have said as much but became stronger solely to save her village. Of course, I'll touch on the ins and outs of that when I reach the Arlong Park Arc.


I'm pointing this out because, for the most part there's an inherit selfishness or 'me'ness that either starts from the beginning (as in Zoro's case pre-vow) or blossoms from it (as in Sanji's case). Annd that's okay. Because they are not paragons of virtue or heroes. And realizing the selfishness helps to come at them at a human level which is One Piece's greatest strengths.

Also, insofar as Oda's intention-- this analysis is intertextual. In other words, I'm reading it based on what I see/read. I can't begin to know what Oda's intentions were one way or another. Even my interpretations may be off from what he originally intended. But no one reads any story the same exact way. So XD basically I just want to say that author intent doesn't really factor into this analysis.

[viridiansoul]

I do agree that Luffy's desire to become stronger originated from his dream to become the Pirate King and fulfill his promise with Shanks. But remember what Luffy said to Ace when (he thought) Sabo died? He said he wants to become stronger so that he doesn't have to lose anyone else. So yeah, Luffy always did have the will to become strong but Sabo's (supposed) death kinda fueled that drive even more and same goes for Zoro, I guess.

And as you've said, when one of Luffy's nakama says he/she wants to become strong it's not just for the sake of others, but primarily to meet his/her own need. It's also true that other members apart from the Monster Trio such as Nami also had the drive to become strong for others even though they didn't voice it. In other words, I'm not trying to say Luffy Zoro and Sanji are the only ones who became strong for others or anything; It's just that I find it mildly interesting that out of all of them, they were the only three that actually cried out 'I'll become stronger!(for someone else)' and really turned out to be the strongest(of course only in physical terms). I don't think I made my explanation very clear but I hope you still get what I'm trying to say!

[rainsometimes]

This flashback is still so harrowing. That whole wait on the island. It all feels so delibrate and slow and truly awful.

If only there had been a way for them to catch fish at least...

(But the One Piece people really are made of steel. I think something like 23 days is the longest anyone in RL has gone without food that we know about...)

You know, I hadn't realised Zeff probably felt some guilt for Sanji's sake. Like you said, Zeff was the reason Sanji couldn't move (even if I'm pretty sure he'd still have gone under with the ship). But it's also possible that if Zeff hadn't decided to raid the Orbit, maybe the crew would have spot the storm in time to get ready for it and perhaps be able to ride it out. Or very possibly they still wouldn't be able to, but because of the raid there was no time to prepare.

(Though, man, can you imagine Zeff taking care of fragile babbu 10 year old Usopp who is just frightened by it all and just wants company so they bond because what Usopp needs more than anything is a friend and ffff)

Awww. But would Zeff still have been able to cut off and eat his own leg if there was also a scared little boy right beside him? Or could he make himself send him away to the other side of the rock for just a much shorter time - and do it more kindly? - than he did with Sanji? Maybe later he'd lie and say a shark took his leg but Zeff killed it so now he's eating shark...