Gaimon Adventure

[we_are]

And without further ado and much excitement, we come to the chapter which introduces the Great and Powerful Captaaaaaiiiin – Gaimon.

Wait, what?

Yep. Gaimon. Great and Powerful and Captain he may not be, but he certainly exists within the narrative despite the fact that I forgot about him and often do! His arc consists of one chapter. Really, the character was based on one in Treasure Island named Ben Gunn . . . /glances at Shanks’ crew/ I see what you did there, Odacchi.

While we could look at the role that he plays in Treasure Island and parallel it to Giamon’s story, we’re not going to. Instead we’re just going to look at how Gaimon is presented in the context of the manga itself. Mostly because this is not the only parallel that Oda has and though he may lend characters names, names=/=personality.

In terms of placement, Gaimon’s Chapter is a single chapter sandwiched by two major character arcs. As such, acts as a bookend to Buggy’s Arc, rounding it out and making a few parallels. Additionally, it’s a lead in to some concepts of the Syrup Island Arc.

Also keep in mind that it’s called the “Island of Judgement” and the chapter itself is “You Are A Rare And Precious Animal, Too”. So let’s see what that means, shall we?




First we will see an act of subconscious nakamaship that firmly cements Nami in the group even subconsciously both to Luffy’s mind and Nami’s herself.



Nami just mended the cuts.

But no not just. She fixed Luffy’s precious treasure. She protected and preserved his treasure when he couldn’t. And note, she’s not asking to be paid for it nor acting like it’s a big deal. She did it because it was the right thing to do, and it can be thought, she cares for Luffy as a person.
Too bad, Nami, you’re stuck for life.

Also note Luffy’s overexcited poking. He heard her but he didn’t really hear her because he’s so wrapped up in what is super super cool at the moment, that is the fixed hat.



So yes, the inevitable happens. Mostly though this sequence of panels is presented as an illustration of Nami’s temper and frustration at Luffy’s carelessness. Though note she was trying to tell him for his own damn good. And, as an aside, Luffy gets over unimportant things quickly. You can see him thinking, ‘That’s clever!’ or ‘She’s pretty smart!’. Ilu, you dumbass.
Also, it’s somehow cute that Nami hasn’t yet developed her fist of love that defies head of rubber and granite, and Zoro can’t sleep through chaos. You will learn, my lovelies.



And here we see why Nami is such a vital person to the early crew and the crew in general. She’s the only one that plans ahead. Granted, chased from Morgan’s and Buggy’s town as they were, Luffy and Zoro didn’t have too much time to get things done—but on the other hand, they’ve been this careless from the beginning.


Luffy set out to sea on a glorified rowboat with a barrelful of supplies. For Zoro, though it’s a little difficult to tell exactly, it’s no stretch of the imagination to see him going from place to place, gathering bounties and living hand to mouth. Neither of them even own anything but the clothes they stand up in (and swords).

Nami tells them like it is, because obviously she’s had far more experience with the sea than either of these landlocked guys. It’s not something they would really know and they’re a little too careless to think about… but for Nami, careful is a state of being.

Also, despite the fact she’s irritated with them:



She shares food anyway. Food of her own careful stock. And look how happy, and careless, Zoro is while munching it. But, much like he called her the navigator when she delivered the cage key back in the Buggy arc, this is also a way of acknowledging her, even subconsciously as nakama. Why? Because he’s relying on her. He asked for food and she gave it and he takes it as somewhat of a matter of course that she would. Nakama don’t need to say thank you or that they will be in each other’s debt, but even knowing what we know of Zoro’s character, it’s not something easily forgotten.

Also, note that he’s still careless about this in: “There’s always a way.” It’s somewhat related to the obvious approach to getting stuck in wax when you need to fight is to cut off your legs. In short, Zoro is an idiot.

Also Luffy spots an island and the journey begins whether these guys realize it or not. Nami takes a look and says that it’s uninhabited and not worth visiting. But looking at it means she takes her eyes off her idiots for two seconds…



…and the inevitable happens.

Note that while Zoro is pretty careless, once he realizes a thing is needed, he gets on it. Yes “there’s always a way” but also you can’t just wait for the way to fall in your lap. There’s an opportunity to get food here and make plans.

Also Luffy’s priority is finding someone which means, in being overcome with the excitement of the island, he has no idea what Nami just said. Which really makes me headcanon he’s a bit (a lot) adhd
Aslo, amusingly, Luffy is the one rowing away. He decided this entirely on his own. Zoro isn’t even helping, just chilling and going along for the ride which is hilarious and their relationship in a nutshell.



I just really love this panel. It’s so representative of One Piece as a whole. A mysterious shore! Standing in front of a forest that could hold just about anything! Adventure with a DON! (that’s the Japanese sound effect below.)

Also I love Luffy’s pose and expression. I love his open smile and the casual way he’s sitting and it just says so much about his character. I mean completely erase the dialogue and come right into this how it is and you can tell just what sort of character he is. Nami, too, just behind him, kind of closed off, but following.



Yep. B| Extremely weird. Very weird. One Piece weird.
Also, Luffy wants Zoro to come explore with him. He wants to spend time with Zoro and also doesn’t want his friend to miss out on something that could be pretty amazing. Luffy looks after his nakama.




Zoro sleeping. Well I love all the characters sleeping, or, really doing anything, but I love his relaxed pose. Hnn. Also Luffy annoyed at him for sleeping when there is adventure to be had! D:< And Nami, the sensible one, who looks after Zoro’s well-being, even this early. Raging bitch? Not quite so much. In any case, it’s interesting to point out here that while Zoro is his nakama and loyal through and through, knowing his character, he may not be too interested in wandering through an island with nothing to fight. He’ll do it and he might look around but it’s really not his thing.



But Luffy accepts this quick enough and marches off toward adventure! But also, the ‘Let’s Go’. As in, together. He can adventure alone but he really doesn’t want to.




A small moment, but reinforcing what we know of their characters:
Luffy goes to find out the truth of his own. There might be people. Who knows?
Nami says that there isn’t and she believes that. Though she’s just going by what she’s heard/read, but it’s obvious she’s never been there or she would have known how wrong she is. She assumes she knows perfectly based on what it is she’s read, but adventuring is unpredictable.



Case in point. It’s not a poisonous snake but it’s definitely a wild animal. A wild and weird one. There are more things than you can think to find on this island.

(as an aside, and purely theory, I swear I read/saw somewhere that these animals are actually creations of Dr. Vegapunk’s— I can’t seem to find it again, but if that’s true, could that be why the rumors of snakes/wild animals was so prevalent. One way to keep people away, amirite? Of course, the “uninhabited/snakes/animals” could be a ploy to keep people from the treasure that is here…. Or it could be Sharon overthinking things. Take your pick.
One reason I think it may indeed be somehow related to Vegapunk is Nami keeps calling things ‘mutant’. For example:



So, take it how you will! But if you have any theories, proving/disproving of your own, feel free to tell me.)

In any case, soon they hear a disembodied voice of someone calling themselves the “Forest Guardian” and telling them to “Get Out”




First of all, top right panel. Luffy is adorable abubububu. And Nami is not afraid. More curious than anything.

Curious and questioning. Luffy doesn’t think to ask why a Forest Guardian would ask why they were pirates, but she says: “Why did he ask that?” It could mean a plethora of things, but some things you can intimate is that it’s asking because:

A) It’s afraid of pirates.
B) It has something to hide.

Also the bottom panel. Luffy has no idea what’s talking but he’s not afraid of it either and his expression says as much. He doesn’t care about no stinking judgement. That’s not going to prevent his adventure. Also he has no idea what the heck is going on. Nami doesn’t either but she’s questioning. She’s obviously a little perturbed but not ready to run or anything.



Luffy is going to find out what it is. Neither believe that this is some kind of mystical forest guardian. Nami is ready to fight, or at least defend against whatever it is. Since, of course, she has no reason to believe that she will be defended. Luffy figures out where the voice is coming from and of comes closer despite the warnings and he ‘receives the forest’s judgment.’



The sequence in itself is really freaking cool. You can tell the gunshot was unexpected and came right the hell out of nowhere. The top panel is so dynamic in how much of a punch that bullet packs. Also just the dynamics and motion as the bullet stretches and then is bounced back. The motion and expression and character is so great. You can even tell that this happened in a matter of seconds since Nami’s pose hasn’t changed.

Also, a chilling example of Fridge Horror and how brutal the world can be. He was shot completely unexpectedly and if he wasn’t rubber that thing would have blown a hole through him, right where his heart was. Gaimon was aiming to freaking kill here.




Nami was pretty damned sure he was going to die. Not the first and last heartattack she’s going to have.

Anyway, adventures can be freaking dangerous! Every island has unexpected dangers.
The left panel just because Luffy is freaking adorable. Idec . I love him so much.


Gaimon is discovered with a…don, with the smoking gun right in front of him.



And tries to flee from the consequence of his actions! /mentally inserts ‘Woob woob woob woob’ ala Zoidberg/

But then he trips, revealing himself.



And despite the fact that he shot at them and could have killed Luffy had Luffy not been rubber:



The fruit they are talking about is, of course, the Gomu Gomu, which just goes to show that it’s something that pirates know about. But the important part, is that Luffy could have been killed, but he’s rubber, so he wasn’t and so he’s friendly with the guy and super intrigued by him. Which is light and shows the forgiving nature of Luffy himself. But lucky for Gaimon that he didn’t choose to shoot Nami instead. It’s actually two intertwining examples of how much darker the world would be without Luffy being Luffy.

The concept of Boxed Son is an interesting one. It’s actually a pun referring to the Japanese concept of boxed daughters. To take a sharp right into fascinating culture symbolism and implications of its appearance in a certain manga which clearly indicates that Sharon is reading far too into this but it’s her blog and she’ll analyze what she wants to…

“Boxed Daughters” is a concept created by Japanese feminist Toshiko Kishida who lived from 1863-1901. Historically speaking, this was a pivotal time in Japanese history where the ancient feudal ways were abandoned (and for those RuroKenshin fans out there, she was born during the time of the Meiji Revolution which lasted from 1863-1869) and Japan began on the really damn quick road to westernization, that changed many things from fashion to tech but also seriously shook up the status quo.

Basically it was a criticism of parents keeping their daughters locked from the world in three boxes.

The first box was almost literally a box, which kept them in their room with little to no knowledge of the outside world.
The second box was a box of obedience, daughters were shown little to no affection and expected to obey without question.
The third box was one of ancient knowledge and wisdom, passed down through the centuries, giving their daughters an appreciation for learning.

The last was viewed as the best box, but what Kishida really wanted was this… A wall-less box which: “[allowed] its occupants to tread wherever their feet might lead and stretch their arms as wide as they wished" (see link to her wiki page)

GEE . That concept sounds familiar. . . B|

Now, while this is not the kind of analysis that’s really going to get into the implications and influence One Piece has on Japanese society, because firstly it’s a textual analysis and secondly, I just don’t have the resources to do that… But I will point out interesting tie back themes when I see them especially when they refer back to characterization and the overall plot.

For the joke in and of itself as it refers to Gaimon, he’s not a boxed son because while he is trapped, he is definitely not out of the loop of the outside world and obedience obviously isn’t a thing. Nor particularly ancient knowledge, other than passing knowledge of Devil Fruits.

But we will see a boxed daughter.

And

Nami is definitely not a boxed daughter by any stretch of the imagination.

Which we will see when we get there. For now, keep these concepts in mind.


Anyway, Gaimon says he’s been alone there for twenty years stuck in this box:



To which Luffy thinks it’s a pretty dumb situation to be in, because he’s blunt as hell. But then look at his expression in the left panel as Gaimon says how miserable he is. He’s not really making fun of him, just listening to what he has to say.




And I think this part is what really galvanizes Luffy into action. Not talking to anyone in twenty years is a horrible thing. But rather than expressing sympathy, Luffy tries to help by attempting to pull him out. It won’t work, though, because he’s fused inside the box and has become one with it. Nami asks how he got to this island to begin with.



And, here, subtle as it is, the continuation of a theme. Gaimon wanted to go for treasures and didn’t mind putting his life on the line for them. He definitely falls into the ideological pirate camp, as we’ll see later. Gaimon asks if they have any maps and Luffy says they have a Grand Line Map and that:



I just love his expression okay? Luffy’s expressions are the best. It’s so open and happy I just love to look at it.




This is kind of interesting because, yeah it’s mostly a joke to show what idiots they are… But also Nami’s exasperation with them not knowing. Yeah, we say. How could they not know! I mean we know Luffy is a dumbass, but Gaimon was a pirate so he should know, right? Maybe, maybe not. Really, when you look at it, it’s okay so long as SOMEONE knows where they are going. But relevant here is that Nami is so used to having to do everything for herself, people being this lax about their own survival flummoxes her.

Anyway, she explains the world building about the Grand Line and the Red Line etc. And then we hear a little more about it in terms of implications.



So of course, first of all, Roger conquered the Grand Line, naturally, but Shanks and Buggy did, too. They’ve seen things. They also know where and what the One Piece is. To reiterate, Buggy knows where and what the One Piece is. Buggy knows. And doesn’t want it. That takes some thinking.

All that is an aside, however. The important thing is that it’s a dangerous place… and it’s not just rumor. It’s based off something Gaimon has seen.




Of course, we’ll see another example of this in the Baratie Arc, but for right now it’s enough to know that going to the Grand Line isn’t going to be some pleasure cruise. It was so bad that these guys didn’t even want to talk about it. And to take a look at Luffy’s and Nami’s expressions… Luffy is taking this in. He’s not just dismissing it. He’s looking direct and focused. Nami however looks a little freaked out and trying not to be. It’s possible she hasn’t heard before how dangerous it s. Or, if she had, hadn’t had such a description of how it could be—It’s one thing just hearing the word dangerous, it’s another to hear about a ‘graveyard’ and failed expeditions where the pirates who survived were pretty much emotional zombies for a while.

Though Gaimon goes on to say that the rumors of the Grand Line made it even more mysterious and that it’s been over 20 years since the beginning of the great pirate age, so the treasure might just be a legend.




Gaimon is certain such a thing doesn’t exist. Which is a point we’ll come back to.

Luffy is unconvinced because he doesn’t listen to what anyone says and makes his own decisions.
It’s difficult to say whether Nami believes there’s no such thing really and is trying not to dash Luffy’s desire, or that she believes it is there but taken—or even a third option that you can’t know.




Just Luffy’s grin and boundless confidence based on nothing at all but the fact that he considers himself lucky. Expressions… /happy sigh/ Nami is all, are you serous right now? She still doesn’t think much of Luffy inasmuch as she likes him. He’s just some no account kid who doesn’t even pack food for a journey and can’t read a map. B/


Gaimon says that the reason he can’t leave this island is that he can’t adapt to changes in situations. He goes on to say that 20 years ago, they landed on this island. Gaimon had a map to a treasure. He and the crew of 200 he was part of searched for three weeks but found nothing but an empty box. His crew asks him where he’s going and say they’re going t leave soon. Gaimon acknowledges that he heard this, but found one place that no one had looked, on top of a flat topped hill—he climbed it, found a row of treasure boxes and tried to call out to everyone that he found it, but fell and ended up trapped inside a box. Desperate he wiggled and crawled to get back to shore but:



This is really sad, though. Not only did no one notice he wasn’t there, no one noticed he was missing. It can be kind of a hard world out there.



Now this can be construed as a Buggy level of self-interest, and you’re free to interpret as you like. But I see it this way: He already said he didn’t adapt well to changes in situations, so this is his attempt to make the best of it. Plus, the bastards did just leave him behind without checking to see if he was actually on the ship.



But of course he can’t get up there without help and is freaking out trying to get out of the box. But he’s pretty much alone in this situation.




And man, how sad is this. It’s really evocative of loneliness. The sun is setting but no one is coming back for him. He’s all by himself stuck in a box and the crew he sailed with didn’t even care enough to try and come back for him. Though on the other hand, it’s quite possible they couldn’t. Regardless of the exact situation, he’s alone. But he is not a completely hapless victim here.



In a way you could say that Gaimon created his own box. Rather than trusting anyone to help him with his treasure, he would rather scare them away for a chance to keep it all for himself. Granted, it was a harsher age and we can already see how hard the world is, but the fact is he never gave anyone the chance and so kept himself trapped. Also he scared people off and, to remind you, had no compunctions about shooting Luffy in the chest.


Granted, I don’t think it’s quite the same as Buggy’s selfishness. Remember this is a treasure he’d worked hard to find and suffered for, there’s a great amount of fear of someone taking it from him and he had warned Luffy and Nami more than once to get out of there. The fact that that Luffy pushed forward despite the warning meant that getting shot was a consequence of doing so. Because, really, other than having a pistol, Gaimon is pretty vulnerable.




Gaimon is very frantic about that treasure and having it. He doesn’t want anyone else to steal it. He worked hard for it, put his life on the line for it, and suffered for it, defending his dream of the treasure as best he could. So obviously it is his. Luffy agrees. It’s probably the first time we’ve seen Luffy have an expression like that. A definite agreeing nod. To him, this is what’s right.



Firstly, Gaimon knew he hadn’t misjudged them because Luffy’s and Nami’s actions have been helpful and sympathetic….

And secondly, that’s what Nami says, but I wonder… Luffy is a pretty good judge of character and it does have to do with a great deal of treasure. I don’t think that Nami would have stolen it from Gaimon at all, but I don’t put it past her to try and wheedle some out of him or flirt some out of him.



Guh. Just the atmosphere of this shot. How high it is. Luffy leaning back. Love it allll...



Case in point to what I said earlier. He doesn’t trust them. Though I’m not sure if not believing him. Even if they didn’t, you’d think that even the thought of treasure up there would prompt people for a look-see. On the other hand he does look a little crazy so… /shrug/




This. Just look at how happy he is. Everything he’s waited for and hoped for to happen for 20 years. What he’s constantly risked his life to defend in hopes that he can one day procure is finally going to become reality.




Hee. Shoulder pat. I just love touches. So sue me. But also, Nami relying on Luffy’s strength. She agreed to help, and whatever her true motivations behind it, Luffy is the one who is actually going to do it. Also Luffy’s grin in the final panel. Hee.


Anyway, Lu stretches up there and says that there are five treasure chests. Gaimon tells him to drop them down but:



Oh man, though. There is so much emotion packed here if you really look at it.
First, look at Luffy, he has a grin, but he’s not really feeling it. That line smudged just under his eye hints at some stress, the relative straightness of his eyebrows, and even if that’s reading too far, the sweatdrop. When Luffy grins, he grins. When he frowns he frowns. But a smile with a sweatdrop, even a small one. He is definitely holding something back. And Luffy is really super good at understanding the larger picture when it applies to people. Gaimon has waited 20 years for this treasure. Suffered for this treasure. Luffy went to procure it and it’s Not. There. So what the hell does he say to the guy? He doesn’t really know. Luffy can’t lie but wouldn’t lie anyway about something important as treasure. So here he’s buying himself time while he thinks about the best way to handle the situation.

Gaimon, god, that face is just devastated. He put his faith in them and it’s like shock! All that he feared came true. Luffy wants to keep the treasure. That is betrayal.

And Nami feels betrayed, too. With her pupilless shock expression, she’s bordering on rage it seems… but she’s also holding herself back because she’s seen Luffy fight and what he fights for and is hoping beyond hope that he’s just being an idiot and not a typical pirate.

Nami demands that he drops them down there. Luffy says he doesn’t want to. Gaimon says he doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to and Nami doesn’t understand it at all because it’s Gaimon’s treasure.



Aww Gaimon. As much as he hopes, he admits the truth when he sees it and knows what Luffy is about. Despite not trusting people, when he does trust people, he does. And Luffy didn’t let him down. Of course Nami is pissed at this but…

Look at Luffy’s pose there, he’s sitting, clutching the treasure chest and treating this situation with solemnity. It’s a pretty sad situation and in this situation, Luffy has done pretty much all he can do. And just the whole page because, damn, feels.



All that time. He waited all that time for a risk that didn’t pan out and in fact he suffered for it. He put his life on the line and…nothing. Nothing happened at all. Nami is shocked by this. This is her inner self we’re seeing, without pretension, under her armor. She feels for someone who has suffered for that long, but also the failure of it hits her hard because it’s something she fears as well. All that work and waiting for nothing. Note Luffy can’t help but tell the truth bluntly, and Gaimon mourning it. It’s actually a hint of how much Odacchi will gut punch you in the feels if you weren’t already gut punched by Kuina. Because. Ow.



Look at her slumping posture. The sweat dripping from her. This is a really hard situation. And it’s completely devastating.

Luffy’s gesture in the far left seems like just a gesture—but as we’ve seen, he’s treated this revelation and acknowledged Gaimon’s suffering with solemn respect—Except now—




He’s risked his life, it didn’t pan out, but it’s not all bad after all. At least now he knows for sure and doesn’t have to keep dwelling on it. Mourning, too, can only last for so long and mooning over a disappointment like that. Because at least he is still alive and even Gaimon is starting to smile at this though he’s still pretty broken up about it.



You can get the sense that Nami is thinking, you’re right but not everyone is as strong as you. At least that’s what I interpret.

Annnd to Luffy’s credit,he doesn’t just say to buck up! Instead he takes what he knows: Gaimon is lonely, Gaimon is after treasure, and helps him out by inviting him along! Why be lonely if you don’t have to be and why not search for the greatest treasure there is.

It’s easy to see how touched Gaimon is by this.


…But in the end he chooses to stay behind, even though they ask him if he’s sure, because as he says:



In the end, it’s the animals who have become important to him and protecting them is his chief goal. I also think part of it, perhaps subconsciously, is that he doesn’t adapt to change very well. But rather than just mourning over the loss of one dream and goal, he makes a new one. He makes a goal to protect others which—considering that no one has gone near the treasure in 20 years, he’s adept at scaring people off.



Luffy’s a dork. XD But really, it’s true. He waited and lost, but rather than mourning forever or being bitter, he’s shifted his focus onto others. That’s rare and precious. And also he’s a guy who looks like a shrub stuck in a box. And it’s an interesting concept, too, that he’s relieved, going to show that sometimes anticipation and not knowing is harder than actually knowing, even if the news is bad.



Aww, Gaimon believes in him and wishes him luck. So cute. X3

Also Luffy’s expression and Nami’s smile and Zoro sleeping having missed the whole adventure and so when they meet Gaimon again he’ll be like who? Who? And then Sanji will say something to the effect that they are actually twins prompting a fight and…

But I’m getting a little carried away.


The little arc is ended so let’s see what we’ve discovered.

Themes
Life Sucks It’s really what the whole damn arc is about. To quote a Linkin Park song, he tried so hard, and got so far, and in the end it didn’t even matter. 20 years spent in a box with nothing to show for it except a bunch of empty boxes. Not even Luffy, who, until this point, has turned life sucks into life is kinda great again, can’t fix this particular problem. He can’t bring the treasure back. He can’t even get retribution for it. But tied into that and tied into one of the undercurrent themes of the manga is:
Life sucks… but it doesn’t have to suck forever. When bad things happen, pick up and carry on. Kuina died in a mundane manner. Life sucks. Zoro adjusted his goal, picked up, carried on.
Life sucks. Gaimon spent 20 years for nothing. He adjusted his goal, and keep in mind, he chose this path without suggestion or prompting, picked up, carried on.

Luffy can’t make life unsuck, but he can help life suck less just by opening options for people and enabling them to make their own decisions, finding new paths for them, clearing away clouds of doubt. And, in this circumstance, he didn’t even do anything spectacular but climbing a rock. Anyone can do that kind of thing for someone else.

Compare that directly to: Life sucks, Buggy accidentally swallowed a Devil Fruit and lost a single treasure map. And more than 20 years later he is still pissed. He doesn’t pick up and move on. He’s always angry about it. And because he doesn’t let it go, he’s always a touch unhappy unless he has what he thinks will fill the void—that is, treasure. But yeah it doesn’t seem to help because he doesn’t have enough.
But also, another thing this is saying is that life sucks and people can help and do their best but the transition from sucking to not sucking relies largely in the self. That’s not to say that mourning is not a thing that happens and situations should be mourned for as long as people must. But the point does exist where you pick up and move on. As long as you are alive, you can keep on living.

Treasure: It’s a very interesting counterpoint here, carrying over from the aspect of treasure in the Buggy arc. Here you really see the division between Buggy’s (and by some extent, Nami’s) physical treasure and Luffy’s and Gaimon’s ideological treasure. Though Gaimon wanted to keep the treasure and feared betrayal, he didn’t say at all how much he wanted to spend it or what he wanted to do with it. No, for the most part, the point was, he wanted to know if it existed. If it was there. Even if he suspected it might not be. It was the knowing or not knowing. Granted he would have been overjoyed if it did exist! But in the end, when he knows the truth, he can move on.

For Luffy, the point of the One Piece is the journey. Completely the journey. There’s a lot of jokes about what it might be and what if Luffy finds a bathingsuit or a dress and how disappoint, but while he might be a little disappointed at first, it would be a quickly passing thing because the POINT of looking for it is the journey, the freedom, the nakama, the adventure. It’s not even a finish line really. Because once Luffy finds the one piece and becomes pirate king—well if he’s still alive and free, he can go around the Grand Line again and there’s a whole world to discover outside it and people to meet.

It’s not to say that ideological treasure always trumps physical treasure, but it’s more about knowing what exactly it is you treasure and are willing to put your life on the line for. Ten to one, Buggy has no idea what it is he really wants. Or what he wants isn’t what he thinks he wants. His eyes are set right on treasure as it exists literally in the world. This means he will always be protective and always on guard. Nami, on the other hand, knows what she treasures and while money is a huge part of it, she’s not completely fixated on it that she can’t see anything else. Aside from the fact that she doesn’t steal from anyone but pirates, she was mad for about two seconds at Luffy for leaving some treasure behind and then is over it. She can always get more. What she treasures is something entirely different.


Characters:

Not a huge section except to reiterate:

Luffy: Is adhd as hell and ignorant to boot given lack of education, but he’s good in a fight and he is GOOD with people, because he listens –and because he thinks. When it comes to what people treasure and how they are, he takes his time to get the full situation and see the full picture rather than just acting carelessly. In other words, when he wants to do something or doesn’t think something is important, he might listen or might not. But if it’s important to the situation or important to the person, he listens and connects and understands far more than anyone gives him credit for.

Nami: Has a hell of a temper. Yeah. But isn’t as much of a heinous bitch as is occasionally made out to be. A large part of it is due to frustration to who she’s traveling with, but as we see from the outset, she cared for Luffy’s treasure, she let Zoro sleep because he was wounded, she felt deep sympathy for Gaimon’s predicament, even getting pissed at Luffy when she thought he might betray Gaimon. Everyone has their faults. Every single one. But in the end Nami is a good person and a considerate person in, at the moment, a very desperate situation.

Gaimon: Is a pretty decent guy, though pretty lonely and, I suspect, cracked a bit from having been alone for so long. But aside from being afraid of people, he's a pretty good judge of character. Since Luffy helped him out he trusted him and--furthermore--trusted him to have good motives. He put the pieces together about the missing treasure rather than just assuming Luffy was going to be selfish and cheat Gaimon out of it. Perhaps this is what the "Island of Judgement" was all about.

Perhaps we'll see it again . . .