Baratie Arc: Part VI

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In this part, we'll take a super close look at Gin as we cement his character and see him arc just a little, explore what makes him tick, see how he is relevant to Sanji's own characterization--and explore the theme of pragmatism v idealism.

When we last left off, Gin had gone from holding a gun to Zeff’s head to giving Sanji a fighting chance.
And to recap themes carried over from the previous part.



He misread Sanji’s own will to stay and defend the Baratie. Gin was viewing Sanji from his own frame of reference—that is, Gin would recognize he was outgunned and preserve what he could—bowing to superior strength rather than going toe to toe with it. But as similar as Sanji and Gin may be, they are not the same.
Also I love Patty and Carne flanking Zeff like an honor guard.



Gin is taking responsibility for the situation in the only way he knows how. I mean, yes, it’s shit. But it’s either he kills Sanji or Krieg kills Sanji and he feels that since he got Sanji into this mess, he’s the one who should have the blood on his hands. This is something he sincerely believes. You can clearly see the manifestation of his will. He’s not happy about it. He looks serious but he’s sweating. This is not an ideal solution, but his back is to the wall and it’s the only solution he can come up with.

And Sanji? Utterly calm. He may be tense when protecting someone but when just himself is on the line? He’s in his element. He is in no way afraid of Gin, not because he knows Gin’s strength, but because he trusts his own. He has his own manifestation of will there showing how centered he is. Also he is just so cool in this shot. Kyaa. /chinhands/




I love how Gin has been so focused on Sanji he just now focuses on Luffy. Once again you can see that he views Luffy as a kid just setting out—but doesn’t look down on him. What Gin says he believes utterly.

And Luffy’s response? No manifestation of will because this is a simple truth for him. Like the sea is wet, the sky is blue and meat is tasty. Luffy can, and will, send them all flying. Granted it may be a little more difficult because there’s a water hazard but it’s not really by much.




First, I love how Gin doesn’t react other than the exclamation point, but his face is set. It’s almost as if he sees the strength that Luffy has and is a little shocked he can be so confident after what he just witnessed… and then mentally places him in the same category as Sanji.

Second, the Krieg Pirates freaking out over just being called weak. I love that guy flexing in the background. XD What is his deal? They have probably never been called weak before, and are so used to being at the top of the pecking order.

Third, I just love the bottom panel, their attention lines but their just relative unconcern with the Krieg Pirates freaking out around them. And Luffy’s face, expressive even when it’s still.



Luffy may be an idiot about things and he’s most certainly largely uneducated, but he’s not stupid. He can see straight through people and what they’re not saying, also combining that with what he’s seen and what he’s heard. They are not the strong. They are just big. They just have the advantage of numbers, but as we’ve seen? That means shit on the Grand Line. They’re lucky there’s still around a hundred of them left. I mean a hundred is a big number but compared to five-thousand? That’s small fries. Again, for Luffy, it was an educated guess. He didn’t know if he was right or wrong but it didn’t stop him from saying it, and they’re just proving that he was right. Also Sanji is still a cool mofo in the background.

The cooks are still begging them not to provoke Krieg. Which—is understandable? But they’re only seeing the immediate situation. It’s not as if they’re going to leave the Baratie so Krieg is going to kill them anyway, or at least try, so provoking him or not isn’t going to make much of a difference.



Zeff? Zeff laughs. He is so amused by Luffy’s audacity and by the truth of it. He actually looks, if not completely relaxed, at least more than he was. I think for Zeff he’s seeing the battle turn in their favor. Sanji gets a chance to fight his hardest (and Zeff knows how hard that can be) and Luffy’s hands are untied to kick some ass.

Krieg tells them to knock it off, because people getting mad at being called weak are indirectly admitting they are weak themselves.




As much as he’s not really as strong as he thinks he is, he’s at least got this right. The final result decides who is strong. Though not necessarily purely physically (or even having won either but we’ll look at that later). Also notice how he takes the responsibility for the outcome of this battle on him. He’s both telling them to shut up and stop embarrassing themselves (and more importantly him) and using their fear to bolster his own name. Don’t be afraid because I’m here and just waiting to unleash my fury. Even though he hasn’t yet, nor has made any real move to, aside from attempting to clobber Pearl.



Annd yeah, he is a pretty good leader. He made the Krieg Pirates go from sobbing to confident within an instant. But it’s not because they feel inspired in their own ability to win the fight. No. They’re confident that in the end of the day, Krieg will be the one to save the day, so it doesn’t matter if they just bob in the water like useless corks—which they don’t make any move to change. But again, he’s the leader so long as he keeps winning. So long as he doesn’t fall once. Being a leader only means that people follow you willingly, give you control and believe in your ability to some extent. That does not mean that he will be in any way successful in the Grand Line. Note, too, that Zeff doesn’t say anything. He just sits there watching.
Of course, Krieg takes this bolster of confidence, showing off how many men support him and believe in his strength and if a hundred guys believe it he’s obviously suited to be Pirate King and he expects Luffy to respect his strength and agree.



I love Luffy. Not the least bit intimidated. But the biggest thing of course is, he would say the same no matter who asked the question or how strong they were. He believes and has to believe in his own ability to succeed 1000%. And he does.

Also Luffy’s reply to Patty. To Luffy it doesn’t matter if he eggs him on or not. He’s going to and will kick the guy’s ass either way—and he’s not going to let the guy being mad stop him from saying what he believes in. Sanji’s expression is difficult to read but it’s possible he just wants to get on with this already.



Yeah, remember reacting inadvertently showing you’re weak? Who is really more suited to be Pirate King will be decided on the outcome.

Krieg tells his men to move, because:



Krieg believes this whole heartedly. This is the manifestation of his will. Is it the true meaning of strength? Well, yes and no. We’ll look into that later. For the moment I want to point out a subtle theme that’s threaded through this arc.

Krieg calls Luffy a ‘dreamer’. Krieg is not a dreamer, then, so what is he? Pragmatic. And, really, when you step back a bit? His methods really make sense from a strength standpoint, especially in regards to attaining the One Piece. He fights to win using a combination of things from weapons to sneak attacks. He uses strength in numbers. He’s an asshole, but speaks well enough so that men follow him and gives him strength in numbers… and he’s convinced that Zeff’s log book will help him. Now, of course, we know there’s more to it—but he doesn’t know that.

Luffy, on the other hand, can stretch but can just as easily drown. Is going to attempt to tackle the Grand Line with three or four crew members, one of whom looks like Usopp (and regardless of his strength as we know it, he doesn’t look very intimidating) Luffy has no armor. No weapons. Is basically a kid in a red vest and a straw hat. So looking at it logically, Krieg seems the stronger and the one more able to become the Pirate King. He seems the one more able to survive the Grand Line.

What does Luffy have that Krieg doesn’t? Well we’ll look into that.

But first. The Krieg Pirates freak out and Gin:



He’s frantic to keep the situation under his control. He promised Sanji a fair fight. He promised him. It’s the only thing he can do to show his gratitude at this point and Krieg is going to wreck it all.
Also Luffy and Sanji get that it’s a big deal. They are frowning but not freaking out about it.
Luffy points out that if it’s a cannonball he’ll just bounce it right back.



Again, pragmatism versus idealism. In this case romantic notions like honor and compassion. If it is a fight, you fight to win no matter the cost. And from far away, we see, yes, this is certainly a way to win the battle…and he’s certainly been successful. But look at what he says… these idealistic notions are naïve. In other words, he’s saying you can’t be compassionate and win. Is that true strength? I don’t think so. True strength is being able to be your full self, regardless of compassion or honor, and still be able to win. The strongest don’t have to sacrifice who they are.

Krieg says as long as you win, it doesn’t matter even if you use poison gas. And that that is strength. He fires the gas. Krieg’s men put on their gas masks, the cooks dive into the sea and Luffy, believing that Krieg meant what he said, that it was poison gas, and charges at it to knock it back into the sea. (as Sanji tells him to wait: you idiot!) He pays for his recklessness though.



Ouch.

Also showing that Gin recognizes what the bomb isn’t when the Krieg crew do not, is another example of how strong Gin is. He pays attention. He knows what bomb is which. He even knows Krieg’s mind to an extent. Strength is precision but it is also knowledge. Luffy gets pretty cut up by the shuriken, though not that badly, comparatively speaking. And then this little tidbit.



I think Sanji’s pretty much only barking at him because he’s worried about him. Maybe he was suspicious that it was really a poison bomb, too. But either way it’s not the sort of thing you go charging toward. B/
As for the MH-5 Bomb, it’s pretty precise, at least in terms of what Krieg sets out to do, that is killing everyone so they can’t fight back. But in close quarters like this, with his own men in the way, it’s not precise at all because it’s indiscriminate. Most of Krieg’s weapons are too big for close quarter combat, as we’ll see.

And in the bottom panel, where even Zeff is sweatdropping (lol) Luffy admits a loss with a don! He lost one small battle, but this is a war and the war is far from over. Also he’s acknowledging the strength of Krieg’s duplicity—since he is pretty damn good at it. Though in the world of tough guys and guys who have to be strong no matter what, admitting you got your butt kicked even a little is never kosher.

Krieg says he has more ways to kill Luffy than he (Krieg) can even count and asks again will become Pirate King, him or Luffy.



Here I believe Luffy means that Krieg is not capable of becoming Pirate King. But this is the thing about Krieg and his biggest character flaw. He needs people to acknowledge his strength. His goal right now isn’t even to get the Baratie but to prove to Luffy—and everyone else that he is the strongest and he will be Pirate King. Unlike Luffy who can go forward with nearly everyone outside his nakama doubting him, Krieg needs validation and everyone to believe what he says. Again, his own words come back to bite him. Reacting like that only proves his weakness.

Also telling Gin that he’s responsible for killing Sanji puts Krieg back in charge again. It is no longer Gin defying him by having his own way, but Krieg giving him permission. He says “I’ll kill this brat myself”. The Krieg Pirates comment on how pissed off Krieg is. Gin says he understands and:



Unlike Krieg who needs everyone to understand and acknowledge his strength, Gin believes in his strength without anyone having to tell him. It’s something he cultivated and worked toward. He even apologizes, not to be an ass, because we know how sincere Gin is—but because he really believes that Sanji won’t be able to beat him.

Sanji holds his ground, focusing on the fight, you can tell he’s a little perhaps worried about it—not that he’s doubting his own strength but he has just gotten the shit smacked out of him by Pearl, so if this is going to be a long intense fight, they are going to be in trouble.



Meanwhile Krieg is fighting for dominance, trying to get Luffy to understand he will be the top dog. He’s telling Luffy what he can do and who he is all wrapped up in self imposed titles and armor and saying that Luffy is weak compared to him.

But it’s a dominance fight he’s not going to win because Luffy isn’t fighting him for it. He doesn’t care what Krieg thinks about him. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him. The most he cares about is sending Krieg flying and he’s fully confident that he’s a lot stronger than Krieg is and will be able to beat him. Because Krieg? Armor, projectiles and poison is really all he’s got.



And when Luffy has a cool-ass line? You might as well show it. Especially as he cracks his knuckles with utter confidence. He’s already said he’s going to send Krieg flying and so now he’s going to do everything in his power to do just that. Meanwhile Krieg mocks him, though his expression is impossible to see so it’s hard to guess what he may be feeling.

Meanwhile, Gin goes to attack Sanji while the Krieg Pirates cheer him on.



Sanji may be as strong as Gin in terms of physical strength, but Gin is wilier. He sees Sanji’s weakness. Sanji kicks, so he needs a stable spot to kick from. What does Gin do? Use his tonfa to rip up the deck and destabilize Sanji’s spot, forcing him to jump. Gin is fighting Don Krieg style, but his own style, too- a head on attack isn’t necessarily a fair one. Also Sanji’s reaction to Gin planting the tonfa in the deck? He has no idea what’s going on or what will happen so he’s unable to prepare for it.

Though he does manage to send a kick at Gin anyway, he either misses or just clips him. It’s kind of unclear.



With the manifestation of his will, you can see that Gin is in his element. He is confident, not cocky. But also the drops of sweat seem to suggest he’s not altogether behind his actions, even though he’s decided to take them. You can see a follow-through in the final panel. We’ll see that they call Gin a demon without mercy and we’ll see his expression then, but this is not a demonic expression. His head is down. He’s looking away from what he has to do as if bracing himself for it.

Also to pull it back to Sanji, we can see the moment he knows he’s going to get knocked down in this situation. He’s savvy enough to know when he’s going to be at a serious disadvantage, but not savvy or strong enough to correct it. Also, angry as he is, he seems a little upset about this, too, as if he really doesn’t want to fight him either. But they will both fight each other as hard as they can. Gin for what he is trying to preserve, that is Sanji’s sense of honor and pride…and Sanji for what he’s trying to protect, the Baratie.



Even here, as Gin leans over to attack, we can’t see his face clearly. He’s going to do it, he’s not going to be happy about it but he’s well prepared to crush Sanji’s skull like an egg. (the translation is a little misleading, the other one says he’ll destroy him without a trace which makes much more sense. But basically of course he means to pound him into a pulp) But the problem with talking like this and preparing himself? It gives Sanji time to think.



Now this happens all in the space of a few seconds, but a few seconds is enough. Sanji will do what he must to win, too. Especially when stakes are this high. He’s plenty pragmatic himself. Also he really is not out to die. But look how delicately he’s placing his hands. Yes, he’s using them, but it’s with precision. He knows just where they should go, just how much to press to pull himself out of the way a scant second before the tonfa slams into the deck.



Here again, his hands are flat against the deck. He may get a splinter, yes, but a splinter is easily taken care of. Once he’s out of danger, he shifts the weight back onto his legs, getting his center of gravity back and getting off his hands as much as he can, pushing himself up with his fingertips before



Bam! Hands flat n the deck again, but most of the weight resting on his fingers, only as support to get the kick he wants with the power behind it. Because it’s not so much about splinters or even tearing the skin a little, but in not breaking the bones. The key is mobility.



Gin takes the hit hard, but doesn’t even spare a second before hitting back right in the window of Sanji’s vulnerability, sending the tonfa crunching against his ribs.

They both landed hits with more or less the same amount of force and send each other sprawling across the deck. For the most part it’s silent, too. This is not a fight about pretension. They are not fighting to prove who is better, stronger or faster. They are fighting to protect/preserve what they care about while respecting each other’s strength and desire to fight. It is a fight with genuine feeling.

In the sea, the Krieg Pirates worry that Sanji managed to land a hit and wonder what it could mean. Krieg calls them idiots, because they’ve seen what Gin can do:



Krieg may be an asshole, but he is an asshole that knows the strengths and weaknesses of his crew. Perhaps not all of them but the ones directly under him for certain. He has to keep an eye on them, after all. But also he has to figure out how to best use them. He cannot exist without his crew and still pursue his goal of Pirate King and he well knows it.

Also look at Gin’s expression in the flashback. He’s smiling. He has his tongue stuck out as he beats the guy to a bloody pulp. They are right that there is nothing of compassion in his expression or his actions here. But that is barely the expression we saw when Gin called himself a demon—and at no point yet have we seen this expression from him in the fight. He is looking away, eyes shielded.



Yeah, now the bravado steps in. This obviously hurts like a bitch. Sanji is smirking yes, but he’s sweating, too. And if you cover that smirk his eyes are nothing but serious and focused. But as a testament to the strength of his bravado, even the cooks aren’t sure if he is okay or not. But Zeff is quiet. Just watching.



Since shots have been fired and they’ve both hit as hard as they can, they are free to be enemies now. Sanji is basically saying the equivalent of: It didn’t hurt. Fighting Gin now is all about presentation because for Sanji? Presentation is his pride. Buut also Gin’s hit was hard, yes, but Sanji has already been trashed by Pearl right in the ribs. Ribs which Gin hit again and yet Sanji is able to get right back up. But Gin is someone without pretension. He doesn’t have prickly pride. Just intense focus in getting the job done. Here it’s as if he’s psyching himself up for it. Getting into that demon persona which means killing without mercy. But he’s not smiling. There’s no smirk around his mouth. There is a vein on the side of his temple. He looks focused but also tense and troubled.

Meanwhile Luffy realizes Krieg is distracted (and was probably distracted himself) so takes the opportunity to try to get a jump on him by running across the fallen mast. Kreig notices him because he’s not particularly quiet about it. (because master of stealth, Luffy is not) And tells Luffy there’s no need to be impatient as he creates a wall of water and shouts he’ll kill him in due time as he fires spears at him.



Luffy has super quick reaction time, realizing what’s coming at him even as he’s charging forward, enough to turn around and race back the way he came, protecting the hat as he does. He can get hit and survive but the hat could be absolutely destroyed and it’s his treasure so he’ll protect it as much as he can.

He gets hit in the back of the thigh, nearly crashes into the sea but manages to make it onto the deck.



As an opposite to their counterparts, Krieg cannot let anything go by without talking. He must reassert his own superiority at every turn. So you managed to get away, he says. Lucky. But at the same time he reminds Luffy of his own weakness and how much better he is than him. (Unlike Gin who speaks from sincerity but is mostly silent)

Luffy doesn’t respond to the jibe and, unlike Sanji who pretended it didn’t hurt at all, Luffy has no problem with bellowing his pain and frustration at the world. It’s another loss for Luffy.

But he immediately turns it right back around on Krieg, snapping the spear into the deck and asking him if he wants to fight or what. And it’s a valid question. One that Krieg has an answer for.



So, to Krieg, strength means having the armor and weapons and tactical advantage to get what you want from others with as little personal harm as possible. But that is the most he can rely on. Sure he’s strong for the moment, but when he has nothing? He has nothing. As we’ll see. Nevertheless, again, he fully believes this is the case and why not? It’s seemed to have worked for him thus far. And of course he’s seriously underestimating Luffy because his own frame of reference says that there is no way Luffy can win. Luffy is annoyed at being underestimated and fires back. He isn’t cowed by Krieg’s strength or his words and is going to fight him and beat him regardless.

The Krieg Pirates shout “Finish him Gin” grabbing both Luffy and Krieg’s attention—Luffy not even getting his fingers out of his mouth as he looks over and:




Yeah, Sanji’s in pretty bad shape, having been hit a lot off screen. (at least ten times). He can barely get up and that’s definitely his blood on the tonfa. Mind you again, this is his state AFTER getting hammered by Pearl.

And Gin meant every bit of that. You can see the manifestation of his will there. He means what he does, but though his face is splattered with blood, he’s not smirking.



And we see Luffy watching, his fingers still in his mouth XD as al this is going down, and more of Sanji’s bravado. Even if he’s going down and in extreme pain, he’s not going to give one inch to the enemy. He will be a badass. Show how tough he is. How much he can endure. But you see the proof of it further in his thoughts. Gin is as strong as hell and he knows it. He’s pretty much in trouble right now.

And this. Thiiiis. Gin breaks just a little here. He doesn’t want to hurt Sanji. He really doesn’t. He’s stated as much. Moreover he knows Sanji can’t win. So he wants him to quit. Accept his death. But in as much as it’s for Sanji’s sake, let’s not kid ourselves here. Gin doesn’t want to hurt him for Gin’s own sake as well. Sanji gave him so much and Gin can’t repay him—so he doesn’t want to have to feel the guilt of keeping having to hurt him. And he feels he has no choice. This feels as if it’s a sacrifice for him to do it, but it’s enough of a sacrifice.



Sanji’s expression, too. It’s such an interesting one. Like he feels for Gin still and he gets what it is what Gin is trying to do. Inasmuch as he’s fighting as hard as he can against the man, it’s not easy to go against someone you like.

Sanji dodges out of the way of his first strike and then:



He’s really sick of people underestimating him or treating him like a kid, holding back. Regardless of whether Gin was holding back, he was certainly holding himself above Sanji, thinking he was better/stronger/faster than he was. Another translation has it “Is that supposed to be compassion?” Sort of meaning, in a fight like this, there’s no room for it. Sanji wants to go against Gin as hard as he can even if he dies from it.

Gin is flattened to the deck but Sanji can’t even take the brunt of his own attacks. He falls. Luffy looks startled and worried with his fingers still in his mouth. Gin says “die” and gets up as the cooks freak out, the Krieg Pirates cheer, Krieg himself smirks, Zeff looks on and says nothing and this.




I love the cooks reaching for him. For as much as he’s not a part of them completely, Sanji is still very much a staple of their lives and they do care about him. They definitely don’t want to see him die and not like this.

I think Sanji is pretty sure he’s going to die here. I mean there’s not really a way he an escape and if he’s not going to die he’s going to be hurt really freaking badly. But even in the face of the inevitable, he’s not going to give one more inch than he has to. He is calling Gin a son of a bitch. He is going down fighting even if he has to go down.

And Gin breaks down. Completely. He can no longer be a demon. He can no longer fight this fight. And so, he makes a new choice.



First of all, it’s kind of a rough parallel to the Mihawk arc. Sanji only lives (or escapes life changing injury) because Gin doesn’t go through with it. Gin decides not to kill him. Decides that he can’t kill him. And much like Zeff, as we’ll see, Gin is sacrificing a lot more by letting him live—That’s the third time Gin has disobeyed a direct order. The more he is pissing Krieg off. But in this instant, he’s the stronger—and as the stronger he has the power of choice. Not many choices. It’s a limited range. But it’s entirely up to him in that one moment whether Sanji lives or dies.



Krieg is understandably pissed, and a little worried at this because if Gin defies him then…
Sanji is startled and really doesn’t know what to make of it all.

And Luffy finally has taken his fingers out of his mouth, but doesn’t know what to make of it either.
But why can’t Gin do it?

Because you get what you pay for. Because compassion breeds compassion. And Gin Gin, life just sucks for you, man. We know what he’s saying is true because he is so authentic and how can it be otherwise? No one treated him that kindly. Not a single one. No one gave him something just because he needed it. Gin had done nothing for Sanji. He had even caused a disturbance in the restaurant. Yet Sanji gave him food for no reason other than that he was hungry—and out of the kindness of his own heart, too. Even though it’s such a simple thing, it served to completely sever Gin’s loyalty.

But hold on, things are about to get worse.



First of all, I want to point out the little detail of the spear and the hat. It’s such a small detail, but I think it sort of signifies Luffy’s promise. He’s going to fight Krieg and he’s not going to be pushed beyond that point. It’s kind of like his battle flag.

Second, Krieg’s biggest problem above everything else is that he cannot accept a loss. Everything has to be turned into a win. But with Gin? That’s just not going to happen. The only way Gin will win is by killing Sanji and he can’t do it. And here we see too that Krieg knows what an important person Gin is. How he follows Krieg’s ideals. How he is the most loyal. How he understood Krieg more than anyone. How he was the battle commander of 50 ships and 5,000 men. And yet, as we’ll see? Because this constitutes as a loss, Krieg is willing to throw it all away.

Finally, Gin knows he’s screwed up, but also, he’s a man lost. He has no conviction to follow through. He can’t be unswervingly loyal to Krieg, since that requires he follow all his orders. He can’t bring himself to kill Sanji. Nor can he really help Sanji because of his loyalty to Krieg.



And, man is he loyal. And I think a lot of it has to do with gratitude and that Krieg is the strongest guy around. Because you know it’s damn hard to be strong on your own, even if you are strong. We’ve touched on it, of course, but one way to look at this is parent and child—and you can see that reflected in Zeff and Sanji but also in a sense Krieg and Gin. Gin wanted to sail with someone stronger than him. Why? I think partly so he could feel protected. Many kids, no matter how strong they are, like to know that their parent is bigger and stronger than even they are. There’s a sense of safety and security. (We’ll see it again with Whitebeard).
But unlike Zeff and Sanji, Krieg feels no such emotion for Gin. At the end of the day Gin is just a tool for him as everyone else is just a tool for him. We’ll come to that in a little but Gin is still working under the assumption that he’s worth something in Krieg’s estimation. Also he’s a guy full of gratitude for Sanji who was kind to him. Sanji who would defend this ship to the death—and at this point it’s so very close.
And so he asks:



This is pretty unforgivable. Why? First of all Gin is showing his weakness. Vulnerability. In a crew which cannot allow that. Weakness and vulnerability is death. Asking for something makes you look weak, especially asking Krieg for something that he doesn’t want to do. But also for people that show no mercy, it is a slippery slope. Once you start showing mercy to one person, exceptions pop up. Furthermore they can’t afford to show mercy since they’re not strong enough to maintain control otherwise.

And Krieg is livid because not only did Gin dare to defy him three times, he asked Krieg to change his mind. He asked Krieg before, too, when he begged the man not to go wild in the Baratie…and we’ve seen how Krieg doesn’t take that kind of request lightly. Or at all. He maintains control by everyone following what he wants to do. It can never be about what they want…

Also seeing this outward display of compassion? Watching him begging? It makes them all look weak, but is a reflection on Krieg especially.



He yells at Gin, asking him what the hell he’s thinking and one translation has: “How DARE you dictate your opinions to me, Gin!” Which is just more of the usual from Krieg, refusing to be disobeyed or contradicted even the slightest amount.


The Krieg Pirates recognize that their captain is about to unleash the poison and put on their gas masks.



Luffy, of course, is pissed, because Krieg is even daring to aim the poison at his own nakama. Especially, perhaps, nakama who are still so loyal to him and are acting because this is something they believe in whole heartedly.

And Gin… To once again quote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

And how much much harder to stand up to your Captain? To the person as close to a father figure as you’re ever going to get. Especially given how dangerous this sort of vulnerability is. Yet Gin does. He does because he believes it is the right thing. Because this is his conviction more than anything and he will put himself on the line in order to see it done.


And then Krieg does the very worst thing that he could possibly do. Even more than killing him.



He kicks him out of the crew. Gin is completely devastated by this and with good reason. He gave a lot to Krieg, which we’ll cover, but that’s not the reason he’s sad. In this world where no one was kind to him, he attached himself to his crew. It was his identity. His everything. As we see he puts his life on the line for Krieg’s continued safety. To put it in perspective, Gin was probably as close to Krieg as any Straw Hat is to Luffy—and now he’s being kicked out. Abandoned. Losing his entire family.

But that is the cost of sacrifice. It rarely goes easy. Something in your life is always irrevocably changed. For Zeff, he could no longer pursue his dream. For Gin, he no longer has a family.



Krieg is not done, however. He can’t just kick Gin from the crew—no he has to be in complete control at all times and show that he is. It’s not about just winning for Krieg, no. It’s about winning and making the losers suffer. He is making Gin suffer, because for one thing he has to set an example for his men and his own personal pride. Pride that he can’t step back from even though it’s pretty much like shoving his heart on a dagger for all the good it’ll do him. But also because he’s cruel. (and maybe partly I think he can’t have Gin being a loose cannon around the seas. He knows too much)

The Krieg Pirates are astonished at this.

Not only, they say, is Krieg’s right hand man. He is the most loyal. What they mean is: more loyal than even they are. And further:



Gin consistently puts his life on the line for Krieg. He got captured to ensure Krieg’s safety. He was starved. He was saved. And then he risked hell and high water only to bring Krieg back to the Baratie to eat. There is nothing he wouldn’t do and the crew recognize this. Also, note: He became a demon for Krieg. This suggests that Gin wasn’t so much a demon before. Strong, yes, but not so homicidal. And we’ve seen what a soft guy Gin really is. We see it in how he treats his friends and how he treats his nakama. He is a lot like Sanji without a filter. But for Krieg’s sake he became a demon. To help Krieg out. All for this man.

We switch back to Luffy rushing at him once more saying: As if I’d let you release that poison.



I like this because it really shows how adaptive Luffy can be. We’ve seen hints of it in the past, but this is the first time we’ve really seen him in a fight where he has to keep trying different ways to accomplish his goals. He doesn’t give up. He just shifts one aspect, if that doesn’t work he shifts another aspect, until he accomplishes what he set out to.


Krieg punches the mast to try to shake Luffy off and Luffy has to scurry back the non-ocean safety of the deck—getting shot at with spears all the way-- while Gin contemplates the gas mask.



Krieg, you are starting to piss Luffy off royally and that is never a good spot to be in. But also again, Luffy is opening up a choice for Gin, though right now he’s misunderstanding what Gin’s problem is. This is somewhat understandable because while the Krieg Pirates have said what Gin did, it’s debatable whether Luffy heard them. All he’s seen is Gin trying to help, trying to stop his captain from destroying the help, and then getting hurt by the ungrateful bastard. So maybe, Luffy thinks, Gin doesn’t have the strength to stop him himself.

Gin looks kind of insulted by this and we’ll see why in a second but…

Now Sanji is seeing Luffy’s compassion and willingness to fight for the sake of others who can’t fight for themselves. Yes, Luffy fought for the Baratie, but that was in part of paying off his debt. But here, Gin has done nothing. Moreover Gin is the enemy. But Luffy is fighting for him, too, because Gin needs it.
And now let’s get a full page for the final summation of Gin’s character at this point.



1) Gin not only believes in Krieg’s strength and is proud of it…he’s also afraid of it. He genuinely believes that no one can defeat Krieg. That they are foolish for trying.
2) Much like Sanji’s identity is all wrapped up in being a cook, Gin’s is all in being a Krieg Pirate. He is still utterly devoted even though he has no reason to be. Mostly because he blames himself entirely….because he let the softer side of his nature… a side he may not even be able to help, take over.
3) He’s pretty suicidal at this point, and not because he is sacrificing himself for conviction, but because he has no conviction left. He has nothing left to live for. I think outside of his strength and usefulness to Krieg, he has a really low opinion of himself. Even the strong can have low self esteem.
As soon as that mask is in the water, Krieg fires the bomb. Everyone who has a mask puts it on. The cooks dive for cover



Luffy thinks damn fast on his feet, seeing the problem and fixing it—but thinking of others first. Well not the Krieg Pirate others because screw them but Sanji and Gin. Sanji who, once again, can barely move and has to rely on someone else to save him—though he’s making an effort to save himself.



But, Lu, I don’t think you thought this one through all the way. It just goes to show that not all of Luffy’s plans are fool proof. Hell none of Luffy’s plans are full proof. He makes mistakes all the time. But he has persistence and people to help pull it through—and in the end he usually succeeds. Also I love protective Carne and Patty, carting Zeff who also cannot move, back to the back of the restaurant. No one is infallible. Even the strongest need help from time to time.

On a side note, I do love Luffy freaking out and not knowing what to do. (and it is not the last time it will happen) But in this case he has an expression vaguely reminiscent of Shanks in the first chapter

Anyway the bomb hits. Poison goes everywhere. After a while it starts to dissipate and the cooks surface, wondering if everyone is okay and then this.
Omfg
This



Just like the weak can’t choose how they’re going to die, they can’t always choose how they’re going to live. And there is just something so evocative about this whole scene. Sanji is not strong enough to pull Gin off. Gin who has been breathing in that stuff for a few minutes now at least. But Gin is forcing him to keep on going. To not die, even if he has to sacrifice himself. This isn’t entirely because of his own willingness to throw his life away (tho I think that makes up a percentage of it). No. Rather, it’s because of his burning desire to save and preserve the life of the man who had helped him. To preserve and save the life of Luffy who didn’t really asked to be mixed up in all of this, had no say, and who Gin treated in a way similar to an underclassman. Someone who may not know the world and how things are.



In case you forgot that Gin is the emotional center of this arc. This really underscores his sacrificial nature and how far he would go to save/help people he liked/felt indebted to. It really reminds me of someone else we know. Hmm. I love Sanji’s open expression as he calls out Gin’s name, too. He is so damn worried in this moment… and Luffy’s realization about what just happened.



But Krieg is still not content. He still has to drive home his superiority. Further, mocking Gin this way reinforces the idea that he’s no longer part of the crew. While Krieg may have called Pearl an idiot, he does not usually insult members of his crew that way. Partly, I suppose, for pride reasons because he always has the best. But here? He’s cutting right to Gin’s core, calling him an idiot for caring about something like gratitude. And Gin is pretty broken at being laughed at by this guy.

Sanji is of course pissed at Krieg for continuing to mock Gin. I mean seriously pissed. But for him there’s not much he can do but sit there and be mad about it. Oh yeah and hold onto Gin, but we’ll get to that in a second.

And, yeah, Gin did pick the wrong man to follow. Though the reason is not because Krieg is an asshole or an unrelenting bastard. It’s because Krieg is an ungrateful bastard. It’s because Krieg doesn’t appreciate the sacrifices Gin went through for Krieg’s own sake. He is not a man worth Gin’s time. But Gin’s strength and weakness comes from his intense sense of loyalty. Even if he knew Krieg wouldn’t appreciate him, it wouldn’t have mattered—he still would have done what he had done. And of course we’ll see this at the end of the arc.

Oh—yeah—and Luffy still hasn’t gotten over people talking shit about people he cares about:



Of course this is chapter end and what a great way to go out in a chapter, but Luffy is pretty much lethally pissed right now. You do not insult the people he cares about and pick out their weaknesses—nor betray them so wholly and then laugh about it. He will come and kick your ass. This part of his character is something that pretty much gets him involved in every arc.



Forget the whole panel and even what Krieg says, for now… as he calls Gin a useless sack of crap.

But look at this. Just look at it. Sanji is holding onto Gin. Keeping him off the hard surface of the deck as Gin convulses due to the poison and Gin is grabbing onto his arm. No matter what Sanji says or how he poses, when the chips are down and things are at their worst, this is who he really is. Able to hold on a guy without caring about his image. Mostly, too, this is because Gin needs him to. Gin is at his lowest point and has nothing to give and nothing left. All Sanji can do is hold onto him, hold him in his lap, and keep Gin from banging his head into the deck and that’s exactly what Sanji is going to do.

Meanwhile Krieg continues to be a dickasaurus.



He’s, of course, not really serious about it. Just being a mocking asshole per usual. But he really gives off abusive parent vibes here. You deserved this. You made me do this. You have no one to blame but yourself for forcing my hand. I’m doing this for your own good. But what makes all this really heinous is that he is insincere about even this. It has nothing to do with Gin and everything to do with Krieg reveling in his position as top player and he knows it.

The Krieg Pirates once again wonder whether Krieg is going to kill Gin (to reestablish where we are since this is the beginning of a new chapter) and the Baratie cooks are relieved that everyone is okay.



And this serves as a direct opposite to Gin and Krieg, both their personalities and relationship. Where Gin is passive, allowing things to happen to him when he’s not actively fighting for Krieg, (or, on occasion, his own survival) Sanji is proactive. He sees a problem, he seeks to solve it using the aid of others. He doesn’t know a direct solution or if it’ll work but he doesn’t have any other solution to that so he says: Whatever, just bring it! He has the impulse but not the experience. Zeff calls him an idiot, yes, but helps him, supporting him in doing the thing he wants to do and directing it so it’s done in the best, most efficient way.

In terms of relationships, the difference seems somewhat subtle to begin with but when you tease it out, it's actually very stark.

Though Krieg and Gin are working toward the same goal, they are acting independently without support from one another. Krieg acts on his own to get what he wants when he has to no matter who gets in the way. Though it takes him a while to get to that point in order to preserve resources. Gin likewise acts on his own to get what Krieg wants. He cannot act to get what he himself wants, though, except for begging. Gin wants Krieg not to destroy the Baratie, he begs Krieg to stop. Gin doesn’t want to kill Sanji, he begs Krieg to just have them all leave.

Opposite that, Zeff and Sanji are working toward the same goal in terms of keeping the Baratie afloat—but also looking after one another in their way. Zeff supports Sanji by giving him free reign when he needs it, pulling him back when he needs it, helping Sanji reach his particular goals in the way he has. Sanji gives everything he has to Zeff’s dream of the Baratie and to Zeff himself. Not only do they work together but the rest of the Baratie Cooks are pulled in to help at their capacity. Everyone works together and pulls for each other, helping each other in their goals by submitting something the other lacks.



I love how legitimately scared Patty and Carne are when Sanji yells at them. They talk a big game but in the end, they really don’t wanna get kicked by him when he’s truly mad. I also love the detail of him holding the mask on Gin’s face and supporting his head to do it. Despite how snarly he can be, he’s actually a pretty tender person to those that are completely vulnerable. And again in the left panel, Sanji is holding Gin by the shoulder, keeping the head up…and I really love his glance at Luffy. Sanji is just super hot in that panel. The blocking here is great, too. Much like Sanji shielded Gin much earlier, now it’s Luffy shielding them. Keeping them at his back and not just protecting them from Krieg.



But making sure he fixes the problem as well so that Gin can see what true strength is. Also so that Gin will live knowing that Krieg can be beaten. Because again, a large part of Gin’s problem outside of his loyalty is that he thinks that Krieg is all powerful. That he can’t be beaten. That it’s better to give up now before you die hideously. No one believes in Krieg more than Gin does. But also, again emphasizing Gin’s character is that he’s not boasting of Krieg’s strength here. He’s trying to protect Luffy once more. Wanting him to stop before he gets himself killed.



Sanji doesn’t want Luffy to get killed either. I don’t think he believes that Krieg is unbeatable. But the pragmatic part of his nature knows that just rushing in headlong is dangerous as shit and the most Luffy is going to get is dead from this encounter. At his core Sanji is protective as we know, especially about people he likes—and he’s trying his best to convince Luffy not to do a thing.



Once again, Luffy doesn’t let Sanji take control of the situation, pulling his hand away. It’s now in his head to prove without a shadow of a doubt how much stronger he is than Krieg. Not to prove his own worth… Nor is this even about being Pirate King. Rather, it’s about showing Gin, giving Gin hope and showing him the choices open to him.



Sanji tries again, and of course it’s ineffective so he lets Luffy do as he wants. He’s protective, but there’s nothing Sanji can do to stop him from going ahead and running toward certain death, though you can tell he’s worried as hell about it. Still his main priorities are the Baratie and Gin.

Krieg, of course, is operating under a severe miscalculation. Luffy is worked up, true, but he already knows what’s going to come at him and he’s decided that it doesn’t matter. Also, not everyone who is worked up is stupid in their rage. Mad Luffy may be but he has a clear goal, defeating Krieg, and so it’s not just a blind rush.



Of course one of Krieg’s biggest weapons is his words. Here he’s asserting his superiority and generally being an ass, trying to get Luffy to recognize how stupid he’s being just charging headlong into it. Of course, words only work so long as people let them—and Luffy isn’t even bothered. Luffy’s line will come into more significance in the next part…but we’ll remember it for now. Not that it’s difficult as it’s been the core of his character from day one.

Krieg says it will be his grave. Luffy says :My grave?! Krieg fires the miniature cannonballs to create a shield of water again and fires the spears to skewer him…



Two things, first we see that the water screen works against Krieg because while those behind can see what’s going on—Sanji seeing that Luffy is hit, Krieg can’t see what’s going on. He just has to assume that it’s a fatal blow—and, of course, can’t see Luffy still charging forward.

And Luffy is still charging forward. The most he does is take the spear out of his leg so he can continue to run. And it’s not just a blind run either. He’s not just charging recklessly into danger because, using the downed mast as a grip:



He creates a water screen of his own. Another example of Luffy’s adaptability. I’m pretty sure he did it so he could get a good hit in without being skewered, knowing that Krieg has the advantage of projectiles and it’s harder to avoid being hit when you have such a small surface area to work with. Also he has relatively no choice but to work with that area and charge straight forward because of all the water that is around. But he’s using a trick he learned from Krieg. This is not the last time he will do this either. He uses tricks and moves he learns from others a lot of the time, from enemies to nakama, which we’ll bring up as we see them.
Krieg finally cottons on to Luffy’s persistence and determination to hit him, and so moves to prevent it:



As you can see, there’s no way Luffy doesn’t see what he’s going to it at this point. Naturally everyone is worried that Luffy won’t be able to break through because it’s a cape of spikes. There’s no way he can hit that. It’s an impenetrable shield, pretty much. The cape is protecting Krieg, much like Pearl was protected by his armor.



And Luffy damn well knows what he’s going to hit. He knows it’s going to be painful as hell. But he’s already set his course and he doesn’t hesitate a single moment before doing what it was he started out to do.


And we’ll end on this very satisfying image.



You see, one of Krieg’s motivations is to not get hurt. That is why he wears the armor. Why he utilizes projectiles. Why he deceives instead of launching a full attack. Why even he shoots and gets rid of nakama, saying he’s the best while at the same time crushing them down. It’s not the only reason but it’s certainly there. He spends the entire time avoiding getting hit or hitting people before they can attack him like clothes hangering Sanji. But armor isn’t going to protect him from Luffy nor are projectiles. Luffy isn’t interested in avoiding his own pain. He’s interested in giving Krieg the consequences of his actions in a way few can in the East Blue, by punching him right in the face. And as we’ll see, showing him and everyone just how weak Krieg is in comparison to Luffy.

Themes:


Pragmatism v. Idealism: Or realist vs. Dreamer

Pragmatism is actually a very sensible way to look at things. Krieg is pragmatic in thinking he has the upper hand in his armor, projectiles and men, and he's not entirely wrong. It's certainly worked very well for him in the past. The kenzan cape, therefore, is a really reasonable defense. Who the hell would punch that thing? Well Luffy would for one.

Though that’s not to say that pragmatism is in and of itself a bad thing. In a world of pirates it’s better to have caution and recognize the strengths of yourself and others. In fact pragmatism is what keeps you safe. It's being an idealist and a dreamer that gets you in trouble.

Just think about for a second. The reason the Baratie is in the trouble it's in is because Sanji is an ideal cook. Zeff is too, to some extent, fulfilling the dream that he created the Baratie with--serving people who were hungry, rather than the practical not feeding pirates known for trickery. Gin is also going for the ideal outcome in letting these guys live.

In this case the ideal is seen as being weak, and certainly expressing vulnerability. Sanji certainly made himself vulnerable because of his ideal, and Zeff became vulnerable because of his ideal. Gin likewise begged, asked something that could never be because of the ideal in his heart.

And at the beginning it looks stupid compared to the strength that Krieg has. The practical strength not to beg, but to take, to get what he wants. Keeping himself protected is practical. Making sure he is the strongest is practical. Having a huge buffer of men. Stealing a ship they can hide behind, stealing a log book for info.

Those are all smart moves. But the flaw in his practicality, and the practicality of Gin and even Sanji to a point, is that it makes them rigid. If A than B. But if not A, then not B. In other words: If I have weapons, I am unstoppable. If I don't have weapons, I am easily beaten.

Idealism does have vulnerabilities, yes. But it also has flexibility. If A, than maybe B, but I can also try C, D, E and F until I get what I want. Idealism, at least in terms of the courage of conviction sort where you chase it above all else, is not only do you believe a thing to be ideal, but you hold firm and put your life on the line to fight for it.

Pragmatism is having a spiked cape and believing you can win because of it, idealism (mixed with courage of conviction) is not caring about the spiked cape and believing you can punch it regardless and win, and if not that, then something else.


Viewing By Your Own Frame of Reference: Tying into pragmatism v. idealism is this again. Krieg's and Gin's pragmatism relies on everyone being just as practical as they are. They assume that humans are ultimately rational creatures who will recognize superiority, and, wanting to live, would choose to surrender rather than die. Or at least avoid pain. This is how they are, this is how they view Luffy and Sanji. This, of course, is a fatal flaw. Because while Sanji would ideally avoid pain, there is nothing he wouldn't endure for the sake of the restaurant, and Luffy is in a class of his own when it comes to straightforward fighting full of stupid risk.


Sailing the Course You Set: One Piece is not very kind to characters who try to back out of the course they've set. Once you've set a course, you must sail it or there will be consequences. Gin made a decision to get Sanji away from the ship. Then he made the decision to fight Sanji so that he could die in an honorable way--but then? He decided to take it all back. That he couldn't. It was a moment of weakness, showing his own vulnerability and idealism, but the consequences for him were heavy. Actions=consequences and you can't sneak out of them.

Characters

Gin: At this juncture we know everything there is to know about Gin. He even arched a little, going from being unswerving loyalty to having his loyalties broken all over the place—and in choosing to follow both loyalties, isn’t very effective in either.

So let’s look at the aspects Gin.

Violence is a way of life

Here we will be utilizing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
No matter how he came into this mindset, I’m inclined to believe that, for Gin, being violent is essential. By violence, I mean of course the ability to fight; but more importantly to win, and also kill. Violence fills up the bottom three tiers of the hierarchy.

From his first entrance into the story, (he feels that) being violent is essential to fulfill the most basic of his needs. I.e. Eating. He shoots the Marine Officer dead and most likely kills him and then made out to be the baddest of all bad asses, taking a page from Krieg’s book by using his reputation as a Krieg Pirate to get what he wanted.

Being violent also ensures a measure of safety and family in terms of having somewhere to rest at night and a group of friends to surround him. For all that the Krieg Pirates are duplicitous; we’ve yet to see one turn on the other. Being violent means acceptance as well. He became a tool for Krieg to use and so Krieg accepted him and thought well of him. When he is not violent (and more importantly, disobeys orders) he is cast out from the group.

The tier after that is esteem, but in terms of being violent, while I don't think he's proud of it in the sense of: "look how many people I can beat up" but rather in the sense of: "I represent the strength of the Krieg Pirate Crew". He's utterly confident in his abilities... And while it's difficult to say if he enjoys being violent for violence's sake (since he was smirking in that one flashback), he certainly doesn't enjoy it when it's against people he cares about.

Courage of Conviction

Gin has it in spades, but in his case, it’s more of a detriment than anything. His two major convictions are: Loyalty is Key and Gratitude is Everything.

We can’t know how Gin joined Krieg to begin with, if Krieg lured him in or if Gin just decided to join because of his own circumstances. What we can know, however, is that Gin is loyal to him to a fault, even throwing away his own life. In a way, he can be called the ideal subordinate, as he goes out of his way to help Krieg succeed; asking nothing in return. He dressed as Krieg to lure the Marines away (as a direct foil to Kuro who had to hypnotize one of his own crew to do it for him). He returned to Krieg to save his life by bringing him to the Baratie. He believes in the man's strength completely and all of his ideals completely. He followed Krieg’s orders as well he could, even against his own second conviction:


Gratitude.

Gratitude is more important to Gin than loyalty. It's gratitude that causes him to continually risk Krieg's disfavor by asking Krieg to stop doing what he was doing and trying to take the situation in his own hands. He's done it about five times, telling Krieg to stop, then trying to show his gratitude by taking the situation into his own hands, then telling Krieg to stop again, desperately.

In the same vein, part of his continual warning Sanji and Luffy away and warning them to stop isn’t so much so Krieg will win, but that so Sanji and Luffy won’t die by fighting someone so much stronger than they. He is convinced there is no hope. That they cannot defeat him. That no one can.


Heart in his hands

Gin is a genuine guy. So genuine he can’t even be as hardcore as he needs to be for the life he lives. He cries over a dozen times and in almost every chapter we see him in. Moreover, he’s genuinely a good hearted guy, too. He’s violent yes, but no more so than he needs to be. When he shot the Marine, he shot him through the chest. I have no doubt Gin felt he had no option but to kill the guy—yet it was a clean kill and he didn’t mock him as others would have done. As we’ve said, though he was going to shoot Zeff, it was only for Sanji’s sake—and even then he couldn’t go through with it, opting to fight Sanji to the death instead… and even then he couldn’t go through with it. He struck Pearl, too. But this was surprising enough that the Krieg Pirates and Pearl himself was shocked—again it was a hard blow but a precise one, aiming to knock Pearl out as efficiently as possible.

We’ve also seen how friendly he can be when he feels friendship in return. He spoke casually to Sanji and Luffy when he first was on the Baratie and genuinely liked them. We can see how much the Krieg Pirates hold him in esteem and even like him—like him so much that they are astonished when he seems to betray Krieg and when Krieg boots him out. Gin may become a demon out of loyalty’s sake, and may kill just to stay alive, but when he’s not fighting for his life or his captain, he’s a pretty affable and sensitive guy.

The World is Cruel but Choices are Choices

Now in as much as Gin is a good guy to his crew and the people he’s grateful for, he still sails with the Krieg Pirates. He sails with them and is the most loyal, believing in everything Krieg is doing, winning via trickery, raiding villages, and destroying lives. Granted if we follow what we know of his life story and who he is, it’s somewhat understandable that he doesn’t care much about anyone outside of his crew.

We can suppose that because no one treated him as kindly as Sanji that people were either cruel or indifferent. He decided to join Krieg (though I doubt out of gratitude because I believe that if he felt loyal/grateful to Krieg it would override his gratitude to Sanji) and because Krieg treated people a certain way or believed a certain thing, Gin followed in Krieg’s footsteps. In other words, before Krieg, Gin may not have thought of getting what he wanted by shooting someone, but after Krieg and following Krieg’s ideals, he would have because he believes in him.

As far as we know, he wasn’t forced to join Krieg at all, so he had as much a choice of being violent and murderous as he did in not killing or harming people. He chose to kill. To hurt. To destroy. Maybe not his friends and crew, which is not a small thing in the pirate world, but certainly anyone outside it.

For all his good sides, he has his dark sides, and it's important to remember that about everyone in this series. (and that the opposite is true, too)


But then we come to this. Why is Gin so fleshed out? Why is he important?

Because Gin serves as a mirror and foil to Sanji. So let’s look at a few aspects of this, first in what they share:

Gratitude

Probably the biggest thing they do share. Though for Sanji it’s been the motivating factor of most of his life until now, whereas it’s a drive that Gin has recently discovered. But they are both hardcore about it, both willing to die and throw away everything they have for the sake of this lingering debt. And at the same time, it’s a little too much gratitude, even over the wishes of those they are indebted to. Zeff lets Sanji fight for the Baratie as he pleases, but not at the cost of Sanji’s own life in just standing there and taking a beating. Or his own life period. Gin is much the same way. Sanji has no qualms about fighting for the Baratie, but Gin instead throws away his pride, and eventually even pushes aside his life in gratitude—by holding the mask over Sanji’s face when Sanji tried to get him off. But neither of them can repay their debt by dying, since it was kindness given so the other could live. They both have to live their lives and follow their dreams/ambitions to the best of their ability.


Feelings

And I mean feelings with a capital F melt in your mouth warm gooshy Hershey Kiss kind. Gin in a way reflects what it is that Sanji hides. Both Sanji and Gin don’t just feel things strongly, they are practically overcome with them and feel them to their fullest ability. In Sanji, you mostly see this manifested in his raging love for the ladies, but as we’ll see—as times get desperate, this caring, compassion and even love extends to the male members of the crew as well. We’ve already seen a glimpse of it here. Sanji holds Gin. He’s practically cradling him because he’s certain that Gin is going to die. It’s such a strong statement and directly mirrors Gin’s own statement of holding the mask over his face. Protection to the best of their ability.


Doing What Needs to be Done

In order to protect what they feel is valuable to them, both Sanji and Gin do what they feel needs to be done, regardless of how painful it is. For Sanji, that means enduring being smacked around by Pearl. As someone who is proud of his fighting prowess and definitely not wanting to die, it's a considerable sacrifice he's making. He doesn't like it, but he does what he has to as it's the only option at the moment. Gin likewise does what has to be done. He doesn't want to hurt Sanji. He doesn't want to go against the people that have given him so much. But because Krieg orders it, he feels he has no choice and so, grimly, sets out to do it.

The difference is, of course, Gin breaks here, but Sanji doesn't. Though of course for them it's much easier to sacrifice yourself than to sacrifice others. Since Gin is pretty self sacrificial too, dressing up as Krieg as he did to get Fullbody off their tail.


Family

Both Gin and Sanji are super connected to their family to their people. For as much friction there is between Sanji and the Baratie Cooks, they care about each other--and of course the same can be said and much stronger between Sanji and Zeff. Gin is also very connected to his people. Mostly to Krieg but you can see his care and concern for his crewmates reflected in their care and concern for him.


Now let’s look at what sets them apart and really informs Sanji’s character based as it's bounced off Gin.

Presentation

Though Sanji is just as sincere as Gin is in his actions, feelings and motivations, what he says can paint a different picture. He is much better and far more practiced at maintaining this carefully constructed façade of cool mofo. Some of it, yes, he did in order to fit in the gruff rough and tumble world of the Baratie, but a lot of it is because he wants to look and be this way. Also while Sanji does feel intense emotions, he has a greater reign on them for the most part until he literally can’t hold back anymore. Though it needs to be said we haven’t seen the full range of Sanji’s emotion because while he’s in the Baratie, he’ll always be a little repressed due to complicated feels and how to express them while not sacrificing dominance. But we’ll cover that in another part.

Gin, of course, as we’ve said, cannot be other than he is. Even in Demon Mode, the fact that he's smiling in the flashback seems to suggest it's something he enjoys. The only time when he has a bit of presentation is when he's fighting himself in the demon mode, wanting to fight Sanji but not wanting to. Smiling but then deadly serious as he wars with himself what he wants.


Self Worth

This is the biggest difference between them and what really cements their characters.

Sanji is brimming with self-worth and self confidence. He has confidence in his skills as a cook, as a fighter, he has a more or less idea what he means to Zeff. He believes in his dreams, crazy as they may be and in pretty much every step, Sanji knows what he’s doing and does it—rarely acting against who he is. And when he does it’s mostly because of complicated Zeff feels. But this self worth is defined and driven by just himself. He worked for it and continues to work for it. If Zeff doesn’t believe in him for whatever reason, Sanji will just have to pull that much harder, not for Zeff’s sake but for his own to prove that he can do it.

Gin, conversely, has little self worth. He is super confident in his fighting ability—and perhaps overconfident—but as soon as he’s kicked out of the group, he basically just gives up his life, only driven to act out of conviction to help those he’s indebted to. Though much of this reasoning is laced in fear. He also feels that he deserves to die for not being able to follow Krieg’s ideals. He is so wrapped up in Krieg that he can barely stand up for himself. That he does for the sake of others speaks well for Gin’s character. Of course we’ll see that change—but here, at his lowest point, Gin is ready to die.




Krieg: Is not only a douche canoe but a wasteful one. He cannot see past the end of his own nose to recognize how much of a benefit Gin is to him in the long term. How much benefit bending just a little will really do for him-- and this will ultimately be his downfall. Because as secure and proud as he is, he is also brittle. He cannot bend or he will snap. And we will see how much of a consequence this will have for him.

Luffy: Is an idealist, of course, we know this. But once again he is the protector of the ideals and dreams of others who can no longer fight. Gin seriously had his hands tied. He didn't consider himself strong enough to fight Krieg and even if he could, he wouldn't. Loyalty and gratitude are battling within him and he's at the end of his rope emotionally. He's done all he can and now it's Luffy's turn to step in and fight for his ideal of them not dying. Of showing that Krieg is not the strongest. Of showing just how much hope there is left.

Even right now when straight ahead is the only direction Luffy can run, he's going to do it. But he's not just going to run straight ahead. No. He's going to try as many variations on that theme as he can until he can find a way that works.



As just an afterward, I'd like to dedicate this particular analysis to my good friend CC on her birthday. She's the one that got me hardcore into One Piece as she is as hardcore as anyone has a right to be and I adore her completely.

CC? I would be nothing without you. Love you, babe. <3

Comments

[viridiansoul]

Sanji vs. Gin is one of my favorite OP battle scenes, since it's really intense from the beginning til end due to all the suppressed emotions. Also I think I've never seen Sanji look so dead serious about a fight after this one.. not that he isn't serious when he fights, but you know Sanji's battles usually have the tendency to become rather comical.. sometimes even more so than the others' fights XD. However in this fight, both Sanji and Gin are just so sincere.. and they have every reason to be. They don't mock each other not even once(apart from Sanji's bravado), and the genuine feelings and respect they have for each other are almost tangible. I was also deeply touched by the scene in which Sanji literally 'cradled' Gin. It's simply amazing if you consider how much it takes for a guy like Sanji to show that much open affection and protectiveness over a man. I think all of this has a lot to do with Gin's extremely complex and multi-dimensional character, but I'll save my own remark about him for the ending of this arc. Oh and I really appreciate you writing an in-depth analysis even for a side character like Gin :)

I also found Zeff's reaction(well to be precise, 'non'reaction) to Sanji vs. Gin mildly interesting. Zeff was sweatdropping, swearing and everything when Sanji was willing to be beaten into a pulp by Pearl but during Sanji's battle with Gin, he hardly sweatdrops but calmly looks on. Yeah he's the type of guy who would never emote even in the worst of situations, but he doesn't even show the slightest sign of agitation when Gin is posturing to kill Sanji and I don't think that was pretense. Apart from having faith in Sanji's fighting skills, I think Zeff saw right through Gin and knew that he wouldn't be able to kill Sanji in the end. He is a wise geezer who has tons of experience and insight tucked under his belt, after all.

So I guess in your next post we'll finally reach the climax of the Baratie Arc? Please keep up the good work! This is getting more and more interesting :)

[we_are]

Haha thanks for your continued support and comments! It's really awesome.

And yes, you're absolutely right about Zeff. I think he sees through Gin-- but it's also: he trusts in Sanji's ability + there's a marked difference in dying because you let someone beat you as opposed to dying on your own two feet; rising and falling based on your strength/abilities. He knows Sanji can't leave the Baratie without a fight so even if there's the slim possibility Sanji is killed by Gin, at least he could die well.