Morgan Arc- Part II

[we_are]

This will be a little longer than usual as we plow through the meat of the arc.

This part of the arc is all about establishing character and relationships.

Coby reaches toward the climax of his current character arc.

Zoro as a character is firmly established.

Luffy's character is further emphasized

Morgan is colored in showing not only is he a bad guy, but what kind of bad guy he is and a little look at the other Marines.

So let's not waste any time and jump right in where we left off.




The big boss man is here! Much like Alvida (who wants to be told she is beautiful) Morgan wants to inform everyone of his greatness. Rather than, you know, proving it.




Here we see two important things. One, his subordinate is clearly terrified of being the bearer of bad news.

Two, this an 'offering'. The townspeople are basically bribing him not to go ballistic on them. In that vein, note how Morgan expects people not to respect him. As if somehow subconsciously he realizes he doesn't entirely deserve the position he's in no matter how great he believes he is. We'll get into why this is as at the end of the arc--but keep it in mind.

Helmeppo barges in demanding Morgan kill a certain someone, ie Luffy and then we cut back to Luffy and Zoro.


This is a pretty self-explanatory panel, but I love their expressions. Luffy's like: Well I've got this problem solved!
And Zoro meanwhile is all: What the hell is up with this damned kid?

Also, interesting to note, Luffy insists Zoro be in his crew rather than asking. We'll explore that later as more crew join but for now it's something to keep in mind.

Zoro says he already said no and he has things to do and he's not going to be a bad guy. Luffy says everyone already thinks he is a bad guy so no big deal.



Now this is an important point for characterization. It's not that he cares what people think of him, but since he has decided that pirates=failure, he is not going to fail by becoming one because he will end up regretting said failure. Zoro, much like Luffy, lives a life of doing exactly what he wants to do and will accept nothing else.



Unfortunately, Luffy proves difficult to argue with. He just knows Zoro will be better off with him, okay? Plus he needs crew and Zoro needs to get out so it all works and he is determined to get this done. Zoro on his crew, is something that Luffy has Decided.



Treasure! Very important for a pirate. And it's very clear that Zoro really cares for Wado Ichimonji. The reasons for why will be discussed later, only that Luffy already knows it's a great thing.



And this shows again that Luffy is no hero. He is a pirate and plays by the pirates rules, i.e. any rules that work to your advantage. It's basically blackmail what he's doing right here.


And then it cuts back to Morgan and Helmeppo


All you ever needed to know about Morgan in one page. He is obsessed with his own greatness, allowing Helmeppo to do what he wants but will not be ordered around because the great are never ordered around and he is Great. He makes sure Helmeppo knows this, too. No delusions of grandeur allowed from his son, because there is only room for one atop this chicken coop. He also takes no responsibility for what Helmeppo does in his name which is another bad sign




And this is where I kind of feel sorry for the kid. Yes, he is a douchnozzle of his own accord, but this kind of statement hurts, especially coming from your own father. Helmeppo doesn't show it as such. At least not here, but it's something that comes into play much further on.


Morgan says that he heard a girl snuck into the execution ground and you soon come to learn why he is far more of a villain than Helmeppo ever was.




Uh. Holy shit, dude. Even Helmeppo thinks this is nuts.



And here you can see the sliver of decency in Helmeppo. A small one to be sure but it is there. He stands up for her. Mind he's sobbing and this is the most standing up he's gonna do but--he still defends her. Morgan orders one of his subordinates to go into town and kill her, because anyone who opposes him should die, and this guy actually tells him no.



So the question is, are all the Marines bad? Not so much. Terrified for the most part and very much under Morgan's thumb because this is what happens when you defy him.



Which, again, even Helmeppo thinks he's nuts. First by the fact that he's freaking out and secondly by:



It's no wonder no one defies him, really. There are other reasons of course, which we will get into later. Suffice to say that Morgan goes into town to try and get the girl himself for 'the sake of the people', but really, 'to show them whose boss' in an interesting parallel to Arlong who does much the same thing.

But Morgan rambles on about himself.









Rank is the most important thing to him because it makes him Great and makes him right all the time. He is without fault. Rank could be seen as his treasure in a sense because it is the thing he cares about the most and works hard to ensure he has. Though in this case he ensures he has rank by hurting, killing or otherwise keeping others crushed under his thumb.

He is also raising a great statue in the symbol of his great strength. Some subordinate damages the statue just a little and Morgan takes it as a personal affront even though the guy is freaking out and promising to fix it. But Morgan takes the damage against the statue as a slight against him and is going to kill the guy--when Luffy slingshots into view, overshoots, grabs the statue to hold on and...sends it crashing and breaking it in half.

And Morgan, bad-ass not to be messed with Marine Lieutenant, makes this face.



He is not pissed. More than anything he seems shocked and even upset that his statue has been completely destroyed. Look at the tears in his eyes and the sweat coming down his face. Mostly it's comedic effect to be sure, but at the same time it's more of a pulled back devastated shock than outraged or startled.

More importantly, this is that the symbol of his own greatness is so easily shattered. That is another subtle theme in One Piece, as it relates to treasure--which we will see more clearly in the next arc. If you make your treasure something breakable (or stealable) it will be broken.



I just think that it's interesting that Luffy apologizes here. Because, again, though he heard Morgan is a bad guy and suspects he might be, he's not actively against him yet. Right now his focus is on getting Zoro. So knocking down the statue was not at all his intent. But it's not an OP arc unless Luffy breaks something B|

At any rate, he snags Helmeppo and escapes with him. Morgan roars for Luffy's head and one of the Marines point out that there's someone entering the Execution Yard. Who can it be?



Coby! More importantly, we see a core of Coby's character here too, now, which was brought up back in the Alvida Arc. He wanted to be a Marine to catch bad guys-- bring justice in other words so that the bad are punished and the good are helped. But now that he sees the truth that there are Marines he doesn't approve of, he risks himself to help Zoro-- though it is not entirely his sense of justice that drives him to do it.

Also, Zoro still trying to warn others away because he can handle this. Really.

Coby tells Zoro that Luffy wants to be Pirate King. Zoro is shocked and is like Are you serious? He even stutters a little. It's adorbs! And then Coby is shot from the top of the Marine tower and goes flying back and Zoro makes this face:



That is a: “I want to mess you up so bad, assholes” Face. And I'm just gonna sit here and appreciate it for a bit. Rawr.

Uh right anyway...

Chapter 5 Opens with Luffy dragging Helmeppo around trying to find Zoro's swords and, in other ways to show that he is definitely a pirate and not exactly Superman material:



It's not the last time he'll use someone else from the opposing crew as a shield either.

Now back to Coby and Zoro and Coby's characterization continues to grow and develop while Zoro's comes more clearly defined.



Coby is freaking out. Understandably, too. He's just been shot completely without warning. While the nuance of Zoro's expression here can be up for interpretation, he seems relieved that Coby is alive and at least well enough to complain.



And then it's right back to business for Zoro. Most significantly, this shows what kind of guy he is, tough and badass, yes, but further showing that he relies highly on his own strength and ability to survive while showing concern for others. In other words, he's grateful to Coby for trying, but really doesn't want him to get hurt.

Also, Coby, lying on the ground traumatized. Sure he got hit by Alvida, but it's nothing like getting shot unexpectedly. He really thinks he's going to die here but what does he say? He has to free Zoro as soon as possible. He has to risk getting shot again, maybe fatally this time, to free someone else.

Zoro tells him to hurry and leave because Helmeppo will let him go in three days. Coby says this isn't so and that Helmeppo plans to kill him in three days.



I just love Zoro's expression here. He's shocked and furious at the thought of Helmeppo breaking his word, but at the same time you get the sense that he knows what Coby says is true but he doesn't want to believe it because he's just spent 9 days tied up here and if what Coby says is true, his options are quickly becoming fight or die.

Coby explains to Zoro that Helmeppo never intended to keep his promise and Luffy found that out and punched him on Zoro's behalf and... I'll let Zoro's face speak for itself.



What is this expression? What does it mean? It's shock, but also carries with it something much deeper. Luffy just punched someone for him. For no reason. Zoro hasn't done anything for Luffy. Hasn't even agreed to join him. The most he's done is told him to scram and yet, Luffy is standing up for him. It's at this moment, I believe, that the thought of Zoro following Luffy starts to become cemented.




N'aww, Coby-baby. He looks so worried. As well he should be. As much as we tend to take the Marines for granted, they are a strong force and Luffy is already in deep trouble. More importantly, note his motivation. He's untying Zoro so Zoro can help Luffy. Coby doesn't expect to gain anything from this. And yes, partly it's because he considers Luffy a friend, but there's also something a little more to it.



Remember how I said that gratitude was a subtle ? Here it is again. Coby is grateful to Luffy for saving him and is repaying that kindness the only way he can think of. Of course, as we can see, it's not terribly effective, but the fact that this is what motivates him tells him much about his character. Additionally, that he won't force Zoro to be a pirate says much. First that he doesn't push people to do things they don't want to do-- but also a nod to the fact that he was pretty much forced to be a pirate by Alvida and wouldn't force someone else to fall into the same fate for whatever reason.

Also note Zoro's expression here. He seems touched by it or in the very least taking it in. I can imagine him processing all these things and discovering through Coby just what kind of a guy Luffy really is.
And then the Marines come in and point guns at them and tell them that they (Coby and Zoro) are the ones who betrayed Morgan and they will die.




I love their “oh shit” faces. Coby's is all: Crap! I didn't even hear them! I'm going to die now! Aahh!
Zoro's is more: This kid is going to die. I'm going to die. And there's shit I can do about it tied up like this. Damnit!

So Luffy drags Helmeppo to his room and spots the swords, and then spots the Marines in the yard and Coby about to be executed. Down in the yard, Ax-hand Morgan enters the scene.




Now this is interesting because it shows what Morgan is afraid of. Political upheaval. What caused this upheaval? Someone defying him, or defying his posted orders (his sign in the execution yard) when there is little clue that he has any idea what's going on with Helmeppo and Zoro. So what does that say?

Well first it suggests his base of power isn't as strong as he thought it was if he is afraid of political upheaval. He can only keep people in control so long as they are afraid of him and don't try to act on their own. Something that will come up again, and stronger, in the Arlong arc.

Also, a comment on letting people do something else in your name. He's committed himself to Helmeppo's actions done in his name because they keep people afraid. But at the same time it backfires here because if Coby gets away with this one little defiance, it could open the door to other people defying them and Morgan cannot afford that.

Morgan brags that he's heard of Zoro, but that he's greater than him and then they get ready to fire and then there is Zoro's flashback--which I will cover but in the end of arc wrap up. Why? Because as much as it sets the base for who Zoro is, it doesn't define who he has become. I will get into it more when I actually cover it, suffice to say, it'll be there.

At any rate, Luffy goes to save them, Morgan orders the men to fire, Luffy takes the bullets and repels them as he is wont to do, everyone freaks out and then this:



He is just so damn adorable. Can we appreciate this for a while? The fact that bullets won't work on him just makes him crack up! He is so cute I can't even--

Ahem.

Anyway.



Just this panel for Zoro's utter shock and Coby passed out in the background, bless him. Also Luffy's utter smirky confidence. He's going to be the Pirate King and he is 100% sure about this. Who wouldn't want to follow someone with such strong conviction? Guh. OP expressionsss I can't even--

Like this:






Nevermind what Zoro says, his face is like: Yeah... I'm really going to join this guy aren't I?



First point! To anyone who says that Luffy is stupid-- well yeah, he can be. But just because he's dumb doesn't mean he doesn't have another kind of intelligence and understanding. He knows what's going on and the consequences of the situation. Also note that Luffy in a way gives Zoro a choice. He can fight with Luffy or die. It's not much of a choice, but it is what it is.

Also, aside from Zoro's words, though they are significant! He is the first crewmate after all, I love the grin but also the kind of stress around his eyes. The grin says that he's going right into this. He's made his decision and he's up for the challenge of being a pirate and fighting beside Luffy. Though judging by his eyes he's still a little in shock from this kid and wonders just what the hell he's getting himself into.

Morgan reveals he knows what Devil Fruit is, which is understandable considering that he's a Marine and I imagine that's basic training. They move in to attack Luffy with swords instead of guns and then we see one of the biggest but also kind of subtle themes of One Piece.




Luffy-- is kind of a dumbass. But no wait, hold up, most importantly EVERYONE is kind of a dumbass. Including you. Including me. In other words, Luffy can bounce away bullets but he is not really good with knots. That is not something he knows how to do very well. It makes it funny but more importantly, it makes him human.

Also, pff, babbu so proud of untying one side and Zoro is already all GDIT, LUFFY! D:<

So Luffy gives Zoro his swords and BAM



Roronoa Badass Zoro, ladies and gentleman. Just--just look at that for a moment! Appreciate the art! How heavy his center of gravity is! The way he's blocking everyone! But more importantly, what don't you see? In the subsequent panel we see that Luffy is in front of him. This means that Zoro is protecting Luffy with his back. And we know from later that scars on a swordsmans' back are his shame. Though undoubtedly Zoro has the confidence in his own ability to know these guys aren't a threat, the point is he's putting his own pride on the line for Luffy's sake. This is not the last time he'll do it, either.



Keep in mind, Zoro is a man of his word. If he says he's going to do something, he's going to do it. This is a chilling momnet of Fridge Horror. . One Piece is actually full of it. But you also see that Zoro means business. When it comes to swords and fighting, it's all or nothing.


Just the expression om Luffy's face here. He had no idea that Zoro was cool! He just knew he was a good guy (most important) and swordsman! So this is (green) icing on the cake!


This is Zoro. This is his core character. His dream. We find out what is MOST important to him beyond bad guy or good guy, is becoming the world's greatest swordsman. Why that is so important we'll get into when we cover his past. But this is a variation on the theme of: It's a brutal world.



You can't have everything.

You see it crop up again and again, but here, Zoro can choose to have a clean name and die, or he can choose to have a bad name and fulfill his goal. He's dropped the unimportant part, i.e. caring what other people think about his name and committed himself fully to becoming the strongest.

And then he says to Luffy he'll follow him, but if Luffy gets in his way, he'll kill him. That's important only in that it reinforces the strength of Zoro's conviction to do this thing, but also Zoro sets the terms. Otherwise, it implies, he will follow Luffy completely. Since he has made the choice to follow him, he is telling Luffy the consequences of that act.




Luffy acknowledges the consequences and displays his faith and confidence in Zoro's goal and pushes him forward. In this way, he acts in part as an consistent challenge and constant motivation for Zoro to reach his goal. Not that he needs much.




A challenge which Zoro accepts readily and it is at this point that he's completely cemented in the crew. There was no looking back for him before, mind, not when he already said he would. But now he can be utterly confident in his decision and has decided to put his full trust in Luffy. Rather than tell you how or why, I will show you.



Zoro has no reason to duck here. He doesn't know what Luffy can do other than bounce bullets back. If he lets go of those Marine's swords, there's a very real chance he'd be cut up. But when he decided to follow Luffy he put his whole self behind that decision and trusts him completely.





Morgan is terrified. This was not at all like he'd been expecting despite knowing that Luffy had a Devil Frut. Coby is fanboying it up in there. Zoro is just like wut? (also is hot) and Luffy continues to be absolutely adorbs.





Man, look at how well they look together already. I love this shot. So badass.

The marines say they can't beat these guys. That Zoro is too strong and there's no way they can take down Luffy. This prompts Morgan to say:





Okay just, look at this panel and appreciate how terrified these Marines are in the background. It's not just fear it's shock and horror...and that one guy at the far right that is scared but also a little pissed. Like: Oh shit, I can't believe he just said that.




And look at how much caring he just does not have. He is utterly serious about this and a little pissed at their seeming incompetence.





More horror here...because they actually have to do it. Now here is where someone might think, geeze these guys are weak. Why would they listen to him? I sure as hell wouldn't. But remember, these are Marines, not pirates. Not listening to their superior officer has dire consequences. Also, if they defy Morgan in this they are dead anyway since that's what he does disobey him. In other words, when given the choice of death, they choose to die on their own terms and as Marines, following orders.



Another testament to Zoro's character but also Luffy's. First Zoro's. In the far right panel he is ready to charge and go--kick someone's ass. Maybe Morgan's. This shows first of all that he doesn't take the death of others lightly, especially them taking their own lives for insufficient reason...and the other that he wants to help out. Another example of Zoro being a badass but also quite compassionate.

For Luffy it shows that he just charges ahead, making a decision in his mind and plowing forward on gut instinct and making everyone else ! in the process.



While Zoro wonders what the hell is up, Luffy just charges ahead with the solution to the problem--by redirecting Morgan's aggression onto whom he should be fighting and trying to execute. i.e. a pirate. Not a bounty hunter who works for the benefit of the Marines and definitely not innocent citizens or his own freaking men. He also basically calls Morgan out. He'll fight Luffy if he's brave enough.

And here is where we leave off for now. Next Time, we finish the Morgan Arc. Following that will be Zoro's past.

Themes:

Be careful what you treasure: This is a subtle theme in One Piece and comes up later when Nami arrives, ironically enough. But essentially, here the ground rules are established. Morgan treasures his rank so much so that anyone who defies him he must punish because he fears losing it. And, as we will see, he does lose it. More importantly, it's a treasure that he didn't even gain on his own, something we will explore later on.

Ironically, Zoro's treasure, is something similar. The Wado Ichimonji is certainly tangible and can be broken or stolen. And yet it's the meaning behind the sword which makes it important as we'll get into later. What the sword represents. Morgan's statue represents himself and how he wants people to see him, towering over them an imposing. Wado means something much different.

Gratitude: Is important. It's coded as an ideal trait to have and all the characters that are looked at positively have some semblance of gratitude for what others have done for them.

Everyone is a Dumbass: Yes. This is important. Everyone has something of a dumbass part of them. It also ties into doing what you can do and that no one person can do anything.

It's a Brutal World: Choices have to be made. You have to make choices about your own path. It's much like the beginning of Fullmetal Alchemist. Mankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. In other words, Zoro has to chose what is most important, his good name or his dream. As we see he chooses his dream and as we WILL see, he embraces it.

Characters

Luffy: Is not a hero. He's a pirate. He will do what he wants to get what he wants, including blackmailing Zoro. But it's also because he understands Zoro's fate better than Zoro does at the time. So much like he did with Coby, he is not just encouraging Zoro's dream but empowering him to reach his ultimate goal. He is also kind of a dumbass about a lot of things but what he does know is what is important. It is important to free Zoro. It is important to redirect Morgan's aggression. He understands the importance of things so well he rarely has to think about what it could be.

Zoro: This is really where his character comes in and just in this opening, past aside, he is inordinately complex. On the surface and what many people see is a big tough kickass swordsman. And that's exactly what he is. Zoro is not one to hide his personality for any reason and in that way is as baldfaced as Luffy. What you see is what you get.

But what you also see is that he has compassion for others, specifically those that can't fight and the innocent. He is the protector. This is, ironically, one of his weaknesses. Yes! Zoro weak! Who would have thunk? You will see it again and again throughout, but even here-- he was tied up and had to choose between his good name and his dream BECAUSE he saved Rika from being hurt. Also, it seemed that he also wanted to protect the Marines from Morgan when he ordered them to suicide. That will be explored near the end of the arc.

Not to mention shielding Luffy from being cut up from his back. This is a testament to his utter confidence in his own abilities. (and of course his implicit confidence in Luffy)

He is also a determined individual who, once he has decided to set a course, will sail it and is steadfastly loyal and honorable and keeps the promises he makes, or strives to. This is also a weakness. Yes! Zoro weak in more ways than one! I mean if you look at it initially, he didn't want to become some pirate. He wanted to keep his current course...that is, being a good guy and following his dream. It was this honor, I believe, that lead him to be tied up. I mean, think about it. The Marines can't fight him now when he's been weakened for 9 days. They assuredly wouldn't have been able to fight him when he was at full strength defending Rika. This means he allowed himself to be arrested in order to keep his name (and because he believed Helmeppo to be sincere)

But wait, you say, these can't be weaknesses! They make him a good guy and a protagonist? Does it indeed? I ask. HMMM. And then give you a pointed look.

Coby: Really starts to shine here and you start to see the ultimate core of his character. It's one thing to stand up and risk your life for your own goals, it's quite another to do the same for someone else, as he went to help Zoro--and not for himself either but for Luffy's sake to keep him safe because Zoro is strong. Also, while he isn't the strongest yet, his strength lies in his persistence and ability to change. He goes from doubting Zoro to believing in his innocence. His strength lies in barreling into scary situations and doing his best, even after he gets shot. We'll see this cement in the next part.

Helmeppo: Is a spoiled brat. He really is. Part of his character of antagonist revolves around his brattishness. But yet there is a silver of good in his personality. He has no problem executing Zoro. This is likely because executing Zoro is this huge accomplishment! He's just not some ratty weak villager but a big tough strong guy, kind of like his dad, and executing him would show the townsfolk that he means business!
But while he has no problems potentially hurting Rika by having her chucked over the wall ( which I believe is probably more carelessness than anything), he doesn't want her to be killed. He recognize her as an innocent and that it wouldn't be right to kill her.

Another side to Helmeppo is perhaps somewhat more hidden in plain site. He's an unhappy guy. Yeah he's got everything he wants in terms of stuff and second-hand power, but what he doesn't have is his father's love. Basically he is useless to Morgan. Completely worthless.

I think that part of his throwing his weight around, or more accurately, Morgan's weight around is to prove to himself that he's worth something. After all, if he wasn't, his father wouldn't let him do it, right? It's like he fills the gap of not having that kind of affection by crushing others in a way to subtly earn his father's approval. This is all guesswork of course and open to interpretation, and doesn't excuse his actions, but is nevertheless something important to think about.

Morgan: Basically most of what Morgan is is covered in this section. He doesn't care for anyone other than himself and his own position. A position he doesn't even feel strong enough for as exemplified by how brutal he is in enforcing his rules. No one can defy him because as soon as they do, it's all over for him and loses everything. This clues us in to the fact that he has a big hole in his armor somewhere that he doesn't want anyone to see. This selfishness, while at the outset a strength,because he does have a high position and intimidates everyone by doing anything to look out for number one, it also reveals that it can be so easily taken from him. He is insecure and afraid of losing his strength and respect so he holds it tight. In this way, Helmeppo is a reflection of Morgan's insecurity since he has the same problem.

Marines: These are not just faceless toadies. They are not blatantly evil or even following Morgan because they want to-- Rather they were assigned to him and, unlike pirates or civilians, they are not free to do just whatever they want. As I've said, going against Morgan has dire consequences, not only from Morgan but for their own careers. They don't want to follow his orders but at the same time have little choice.

Still aside from the one guy that got clobbered for standing up to Morgan in defense of Rika--they are fairly weak as Marines go. Yes standing up to Morgan could be dangerous but there are channels they can go through. Would they have executed Rika? It's possible. Going that far even if they know it's wrong and believe it's wrong reveals their own weakness.



I am back folks! Sorry for the long hiatus. Still unsure if I will be weekly or bi-weekly at this point so expect some shifting around of the schedule.

Comments

[rainsometimes]

Right, here Morgan confirms what Helmeppo said in the last chapter - he really is quite a bit worse than his son. Again, I think this confounds expectations because the trope (tropes?) "spoiled brat of a son with a strong, feared father" tends to often have the father be gruff and stern but actually not that bad a guy (more like Smoker than like Morgan) who'll eventually wise up and set his son straight. Especially in canons for younger readers.

Of course, Morgan actually isn't all that strong when it comes down to it, just very brutal, ruthless and paranoid. I don't think I'd realised until your read-through now how much fear there is in him. [spoiler in white for the Kuro arc]Because he knows his rank and position of power is founded on a lie? [/spoiler]


But wait, you say, these can't be weaknesses! They make him a good guy and a protagonist? Does it indeed? I ask. HMMM. And then give you a pointed look.

Feel like elaborating on this pointed look, or maybe you plan on saving that for later? ^_^

Looking back on how I felt when reading this the first time around, which isn't all that easy, I think the only one I really liked was Coby. Luffy and Zoro were impressive and also surprising, esp. Luffy, which I appreciated from a narrative standpoint - but they weren't very relatable. That may just be me with my own hangups, though. (Plus, the humour doesn't work as well here as it will later - maybe inevitably because we need to learn more about how the characters work first.)