Baratie Arc: Part VII

[we_are]

In this chapter of massive feels, we see Luffy defeat Krieg, Krieg and Gin come to terms (or fail to) with their loss. Explore the concept of "Spear that comes from the Gut" and I finally explain my full reasoning for my belief in Sanji's fear.

When we last left off, Luffy had punched Krieg very satisfyingly in the face despite his spiked cape. Let’s look at what a big deal this is.



He not only punched Krieg, he flattened him. This is the first time this crew has ever seen something like that. The illusion that Krieg’s completely unbeatable is starting to waver a bit. But of course, actions=consequences so even though Luffy was strong enough to hammer him to the ground, he’s bleeding profusely—and we’ll definitely see the consequences of that play out during the fight.

Sanji, too, has a reaction:



Which on one level it’s “aww, babbu’s first experience of Luffy’s recklessness” But I think what it also says is that Sanji is not as reckless, especially at this juncture. He is more careful and less inclined to throw himself into intensely dangerous situations except when he has to in order to defend what is precious to him. Of course keep in mind Sanji’s version of dangerous situations is different from a normal person. In other words, fighting pirates or giving Fullbody what for is no big thing because Sanji is at no point worried that he can’t beat them with his own natural strength. Fighting a force as big as the Krieg Pirates however--? He has to, to some extent, because the actions have lead to these consequences—but he doesn’t fling himself at it.

Back to Krieg and Luffy, Luffy says: you say this is my grave, but is it my grave, or yours?



What Luffy is saying here, of course, is that: “If shields and spears are all you have, don’t think you can beat me” Because what are spears and shields? Well projectiles in their very nature are to attack at a distance without the attacker getting hurt. Likewise, shields and armor are used to prevent the attacker from being hurt. That’s not bad in and of itself. But if that’s all Krieg can do? It’s not going to work. Luffy can either dodge the spears or yank them out of him. It isn’t going to deter him. He’s also going to punch the armor til it breaks. He doesn’t care about bodily harm when he’s in a fight.

Of course, Luffy saying this isn’t the place he’s going to die is kind of a trick statement, because he’s never going to say I’m going to die here. Even if the odds are against him. Of course, with Luffy, when he’s beat, he’s beat and he acknowledges it, as we’ll see… and keep in mind that this is his mindset for this part of the series, the tone changes a bit much later on but we’ll explore that when we get there.




Now let’s look at this panel right here. Here is where you start to see the subtle shift in their relationship. The beginning of a change. And the reason I say this is simple—Zeff is telling Sanji something directly. It’s something so important that he can’t infer or suggest it, but directly tells him, watch him carefully, learn something. But also this panel is the first one we’ve seen where they’re in the same panel but not being antagonistic toward another, either because of unspoken feelings or because of that’s how they’ve learned to talk with one another. Granted it’s an intense situation where they are focused on Luffy, still, once a relationship has changed, it doesn’t return to the way it was.

As Patty and Carne continue to try and save Gin, Zeff continues:



And shows not only that he gets Luffy, but has seen people like Luffy before. I really like his smile here; it’s a kind of nostalgic fondness, but impressed, too. Also I’d like to take a moment to point out that fighting to the death once decided on a goal is not really Zeff’s style. If it was, he would have continued the search for the All Blue, missing a leg or not. But he preferred instead to shift his dream toward helping others—and because he had no heart left in him for that kind of life after his nakama died… but that’s okay. It’s important to note that not everyone has to have the same all encompassing all or nothing ambition.

In any case, Sanji’s attention Is drawn toward him. I think he notes the expression, too. In the far left panel he repeats what’s the most important part to him. ‘Fight to the death’ It’s difficult to nail down his expression in terms of what he thinks of that statement—but I still feel as if he feels it’s not a good idea, harkening back to his ‘throw away that ambition’ line. He’s sweating and there’s a little puff of air. But at the same time I think he’s considering, watching Luffy as Zeff told him and trying to understand it.



This line of Zeff’s is super important, too, especially for the later tone of the series. Because this is a shonen, there’s the expectation (for those familiar with the genre) that of course he will win. He’ll come from behind after many dramatic statements and copious amounts of blood and kick-ass. And by and large this is true of One Piece. But it isn’t always true.

From an in-universe context, it is a display of Zeff’s own pragmatism through his long experience. He knows that even though Luffy and guys like him are the most dangerous opponents, even they aren’t undefeatable. There’s always a chance for a loss. But there’s always a chance for a win, too. And the continued bloody minded persistence in pursuit of a goal is something that Zeff greatly admires. It was why Sanji fought so hard to live, too, when Sanji (as a kid) pulled a knife on him—in order to find the All Blue. It’s because this? This is an ideal. An ideal goal for an ideal pirate, to fight as hard as he can and be driven completely by his goal.

The Krieg Pirates are starting to worry what this will mean, but assure one another that it’s just a fluke while the cooks begin to cheer Luffy on.



Sanji still doesn’t know how he feels about this. Which shows that he doesn’t just take advice blindly, no matter who says it. He considers it and watches the situation—but his expression here reads as a little gloomy because Krieg is getting up. Even being punched like that is not enough to keep him down so what can? The speckles, by the way, are a manifestation of Krieg’s will which I believe that fighters in general can feel—in the shonen sense—not necessarily related to haki.



Just showing that Luffy can sort of feel it, too, and is watching as Krieg rises. But there isn’t fear in his face. Nor anything really. He’s just watching as Krieg gets to his feet and seeing what he’ll do.
…and then Krieg whacks him full on with his massive shield. Directly after that, we have this:




Showing one of Krieg’s flaws. That grin again means he’s already assured he’s won. Because it was a good hit with Krieg’s full force. Of course it didn’t do much since Luffy is made of rubber and Krieg hasn’t won. It’s like he can tell Luffy’s gotten behind him but can do nothing to stop it as Luffy smacks a foot into his shoulder and slams him back to the deck, saying again that it’s Krieg’s grave, not his.

Also I love the whole childish interaction of whose grave is it? It’s yours! No it’s yours! It has to be yours! Ending with Luffy’s “No it’s yours!” as he slams Krieg to the deck. It just shows how readily people are pulled into Luffy’s simple but forceful pace. Luffy tends to make people forget themselves in the heat of the moment and act to these natures. Much akin to Zeff fighting with Luffy at the beginning of the arc and kicking him through the floor.

As chapter 64 opens, the Krieg Pirates are freaking out.



And of course the crux problem of being seen as infallible and invincible. Once it’s proven you’re not, things start to crumble. Also the fact that ‘no one could lay a finger on our Don’ seems to suggest that no one before this was even strong enough to do so. But that’s certainly not the case here and definitely wouldn’t be in the Grand Line. Also we see probably the first time of people goggling at Luffy’s badassitude and maybe even seeing him as something spectacular…and he hasn’t even won the battle yet.




Even Sanji seems surprised at this turn of events. Zeff is simply watching, still inspired, I think, by the strength of Luffy’s spirit. Mostly though I love Patty’s expression… he’s starting to smile. There’s a glimmer of hope there that wasn’t there before. Moreover he brings Gin so that Gin can see what’s going on, too. This will be an important fight for Gin to watch. Though we don’t really know what happened off panel for Patty to bring Gin up to the railing like this—but I can imagine Gin requesting to be brought where he can see. No matter the situation, and even if he can’t do anything, Gin refuses to be simply inactive.



As for Krieg, he can’t stand to be thought of as anything less than he assumes he is. His men doubting him really get under his skin. They’re not even speaking ill of him particularly. They’re not saying that he’s weak or anything like that. They’re not even acting as the KuroNeko pirates would and saying now is our chance to overthrow him. They’re merely saying his legend will come to an end. But in the end, it’s another flaw of trying to be, and convincing people you are, invincible. Once you’re done, it’s hard to come back from it. Two hits, that Krieg is even standing up from, and already they’re convinced it’s the end of the line.

Krieg creates a giant war spear, which is another weapon for fighting at somewhat of a distance, particularly when there’s explosives attached, and swings toward Luffy, shattering the bit of decking they’re standing on. The Krieg Pirates comment that he took out his deadliest weapon and Krieg calls tells Luffy: Should be interesting to see how long you can continue to escape...Hammer Boy and then:



This because, note while he’s posturing and saying how easily he can destroy Luffy and blow him to smithereens, Luffy isn’t paying a bit of attention to it. Instead he’s focusing on the battle itself, trying to figure out what just happened. He can’t be intimidated by Krieg’s words or constant iteration of hammer boy (reminding him that he drowns easily) because it simply doesn’t matter to him.

Krieg swings for him again, blowing up the deck. Luffy sails out over the water but manages to grab the railing just in time—while the cooks are agog at the weapon.


Actions=Consequences. Luffy lost blood doing what he did and his legs collapse out from under him. But again he’s so intensely focused on the fight that it doesn’t even occur to him that he is. He’s completely surprised that his legs give out on him. But look at him, again, he’s seeing what the battle spear does. Making theories about what it does. Actively engaged mentally in the fight at hand and seeing what Krieg is bringing to the table. Also he’s not really thinking of anything beyond the present moment or the consequences of it.

The consequences are very much in Sanji’s mind however. He sees what’s going on and what’s going to happen. He knows the cause of it. The dangers, the risks and perhaps the ultimate outcome. Though if you think about it, this is the kind of thought process a cook has got to have. He can’t just throw whatever ingredients in and leave the outcome for itself. Everything is preparation and knowing or at least leaning toward a favorable outcome.



Again, Krieg says things in order to get under Luffy’s skin, to frighten him perhaps into making mistakes or simply showing and expecting acknowledgement of his superiority. However, again, Luffy doesn’t acknowledge it, discovering a tactical problem that he has to overcome in order to fight at full strength.

Krieg continues to swing the battle spear at Luffy who ducks and dodges out of the way and the Krieg Pirates comment on the weight of the spear and the intensity of Krieg’s strength. Of course, strength doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hit something, which he can’t. He has strength, but lacks precision.



Though at the same time he’s keeping Luffy at a distance and making himself a difficult target to hit and not get sliced or bombed. Also it works to keep forcing Luffy back and giving him uneven footing on the broken “islands” of decking. Though it’s not something I think Krieg recognizes as a benefit, due to this:



Krieg is frustrated by his inability to hit Luffy and you can see it. Luffy, on the other hand, is a little frustrated, too, but recognizes why and isn’t just dodging and being annoyed by it but realizing the best way to combat this is to get under Krieg’s guard.



Which he does. It’ll be ineffective, but the main point here is that it puts Krieg in an absolute rage. Not only is Luffy daring to fight him. Not only is Luffy not particularly intimidated, but he’s making this fight look goofy and idiotic. He’s clinging to the spear like a monkey and seemingly not taking Krieg seriously at all and Krieg cannot stand this. He can’t abide by it. He has to be on top. He has to be superior and be seen as superior no matter what.

He bashes the spear toward the deck. Luffy jumps off before it can hit (because remember, he sees that a bomb goes off when it hits something) but in flying through the air for a split second he leaves himself exposed and Krieg presses this advantage.



It seems like Luffy is grinning because he’s upside down. I’m more inclined to believe he’s gritting his teeth as he punches the spear to stop it but it doesn’t make a difference either way. He does punch the spear, both to stop and to weaken it. Krieg, however, can only see his advantage. Again, grinning and convinced he has the upper hand, not recognizing that Luffy may have scored a very legitimate hit. The bomb explodes, Luffy is thrown back, nearly unconscious and crashes into the deck…Sanji and the others call out in concern… and, and this is the last time I’ll show it but just to emphasize the point:



Krieg is convinced that he has won, that there is no other alternative. So he’s gloating about his victory before he heven has it and not paying attention at all to the signs that he may not be as successful as he thinks. Luffy says one more. He doesn’t care what Krieg says. We will find out that he’s punched Krieg’s spear four times (as he says as much) weakening the metal, and he can feel how the metal is weakening enough to know one more. He isn’t just flailing around but using calculated movements garnered from experienced. He’s not just the better fighter because he’s strong, he is because he knows how to fight and how to create his own advantages by taking everything into account. It’s not just headlong throwing himself at a goal, but precision.

But just to show that this route isn’t necessarily the easiest one?




While the spear may not have hit him , he’s definitely caught in the blast which sends him crashing into the deck. The disadvantage of fighting with just your own body and not using any armor or protective gear is that you have to be able to endure the hits you get over the course of the fight and get back up.

At any rate Luffy does slam into the deck. Krieg is once again convinced he won, so are the Baratie Cooks and Sanji?



Is legitimately worried and horrified. He’s sure that Luffy is pretty much dead at this point and that gets him like nothing else. Because inasmuch as he’ll let Luffy do his own thing, he also doesn’t want him to die.
Luffy does get up, though, smacks his foot into the deck and the war spear blade shatters. Krieg can’t figure out how and so Luffy explains:



Not only did Luffy act with intention of breaking the spear, he acted with intention of luring Krieg back to a space where he (Luffy) would have an advantage. Once again, he does not only seek advantages but makes them for himself, giving him a wide open area where he can attack without constant risk of falling in the water. Krieg, however, was so enamored with hitting Luffy and securing his own victory that he didn’t notice which now puts him at a severe disadvantage.

Luffy says that Kreig’s spear is just a bomb on a stick and further says that he’s reduced Krieg’s power by a half. Krieg says: Oh did you? And that considering that even though it’s just a bomb on a stick, it’s easy enough to blow him away.



We, of course, know that he’s not bluffing because, frankly, he’s not very good at it. But Krieg, ever the pragmatist, assumes it must be so, because the facts fit. Luffy is bleeding and damaged and there’s no way he can win. Though of course he doesn’t take into account how tough Luffy’s body really is, or his determination to fight no matter what.

Sanji is a pragmatist, too, here. He buys into what Krieg is saying because it fits. There’s no way Luffy will survive this and it pisses him off to know it. But I also think it reflects his own world view at this moment. Going out to sea and finding the All Blue is too big a risk, especially as he knows how dangerous the sea can be. Logically, he has a slim chance of even finding it so going toward it is a bad move. I mean I think most of his desire to stay at the Baratie is because of his debt/gratitude to Zeff, but I also think that this fear/uncertainty plays a role.



Here is Zeff just explaining Luffy and why he definitely has a chance at this, and a strong chance, too, despite how the odds are seemingly stacked against him. He’s also explaining the pirate world in general, calmly and patiently, since this is something Sanji would have no experience with this. True he’s trashed pirates, but he’s never been witness to the dynamics within a pirate group or seen one pitted against the other. Sanji once again points out the logical reasons why he would fail. And, as for what Zeff is saying, well it’s pretty self explanatory.

But aside from the words, I love the set up for this. In the top right, Sanji is positioned a little in front of Zeff, looking out, the older generation behind the younger. But the younger needs a bolster to prevent them from despair and education on how things work and so the bottom left, Zeff has come to stand beside Sanji, standing whereas Sanji is still sitting (and no longer clutching his ribs) and explaining to him in a way that can’t be misunderstood, calmly. Again, there is no trace of antagonism here. No battling against one another. No pride. No posturing. Just a simple explanation as Zeff speaks with pride at the perfect example of what is thought to be the ideal pirate code.

Sanji asks Zeff to explain what he means and Zeff says: Within that boy, if nothing else:



No hesitation. Well that’s obvious and it it’s not far off from what Sanji possesses himself in the stir of battle. He gave orders to protect the Baratie without hesitation, fought without hesitation, got beat up by Pearl without hesitation, and even though he didn’t particularly want to fight Gin; he didn’t hold back in doing so, nor hesitate in doing so.

Complete preparedness to survive no matter what. Sanji has that, too. In fact that’s how he did survive so long and what lead him to encounter Zeff in the first place.

But the third, conviction that fears no death, is something that Sanji lacks. Yes he has conviction, but he also fears death, as we’ve seen in the flashback—but only when he has time to think about it and his back isn’t too the wall. There was no fear of death in getting trashed by Pearl because of his conviction of keeping the Baratie afloat which overrid that. Sanji has it in him on the defensive to protect, and even somewhat on the offensive, to push through and feed people no matter what—even if he has to risk death to do so. But he still needs that extra jolt to move forward out in the world on his own.

But man, does the word conviction hit him and you see the manifestation of his will—or maybe in this case desire, or longing. Conviction is something he considers a part of himself. Realizing that Luffy has conviction strikes a cord in him. He can look at Luffy less as someone who is recklessly throwing his life away and instead as someone acting out of his own conviction to fight no matter what.




This? Well actually, this, the translations differ a bit. In Stephen’s Translations which are considered more accurate, Luffy says: “I won’t die”. In this translation he directly mirrors Sanji’s “as if” from chapter 56. However, whether the translations are exact or this is an exact mirror or not, they’re still close enough in intent to call attention to. So let’s look at some differences and similarities of these two incidents.



Differences: When Sanji says ‘as if’ here, he’s basically saying I’m not going to leave the Baratie no matter what you say. I don’t know how to fix this situation and save Zeff, but I’ll be damned if I’m leaving because you say so. His conviction to protect the Baratie is so strong, he can’t say anything else. But much like when he’s offering to let the cooks shoot him and arguing his case for feeding Krieg’s men, it’s coming from a low place. In other words, Sanji is at the bottom of the barrel and looking down it. When push comes to shove, conviction is all he’s got left so he’ll follow it even if he dies and there’s no guarantee he won’t.

Luffy, of course, is telling Krieg point blank that Krieg is wrong. That he isn’t strong enough to take Luffy down and is saying “I won’t die” no matter what you do. His conviction comes from a high place. In other words, he’s not just defending himself and saying kill me or not this is what I’m going to do, or, I don’t know what I’m going to do but I’m not going to let you kill him. Rather this conviction comes from his aggressive stance of not going to die. He’s following his conviction actively and moving forward with it regardless of what anyone has to say about it—whereas conversely, Sanji has to rely on others to allow him to carry his conviction through (for the cooks not to shoot him or Zeff feeding Krieg’s men for him) or to give him an opportunity to do so (Pearl setting the condition that Gin won’t shoot if Sanji doesn’t move. Or Gin allowing Sanji a fight)

To sum up: Where Luffy follows his convictions on his own terms. Sanji (for now) follows his conviction on the terms of others.

Similarities: This is more important as a view of Luffy’s character than Sanji’s, but both their conviction comes from a place of helping others. In Luffy’s case, he’s not fighting Krieg because Krieg wants to fight, or even to prove his superiority for its own sake—rather, he is showing Gin that Krieg is not undefeatable. He is giving Gin options and choices. That is the main goal of his fight right now. Though naturally he has to defend the Baratie anyway to pay off his debt, he’s fighting with passion and conviction to give Gin hope. And of course Sanji’s convictions are based on feeding others, protecting the Baratie for Zeff’s sake. In both cases debt is there but it does not serve as the motivation.






I just love this sequence. Krieg calls him a monkey, Luffy uses that insult to get an idea and at first just plays with it. So what if he’s a monkey? As he said, underestimate monkeys and you’re going to get scratched. He doesn’t really care what Krieg thinks of him. But then he uses it, snapping off the cross beam and getting a spear of his own to smack Krieg with. It just shows how fun and brilliant he is in fighting.

Again you can see more of it as you watch the battle, Krieg uses a flame thrower to burn the cross beam and whether Luffy expected something or not doesn’t matter because he immediately launches into a Gum Gum no Gatling while Krieg was open, determined to get through his armor. It sends Krieg sliding back, Krieg calls the attempt futile but Luffy Gum Gum no Bullets him right in the stomach plate.



And it’s no small thing either. While there’s no visible impact to the armor, it’s obvious that Krieg is affected by this and trying to hold it back. Armor or not, you’re still inside it and Luffy punches hard. It’s not going to be enough to prevent Krieg from bruising. Not to mention the stomach again is the traditional place to knock someone out. Also, of course, actions=consequences so Luffy bleeds more from the wound of not avoiding the spears. But again, blood and bodily harm don’t matter so much as the outcome of the battle.

Krieg manages to come back to himself and knocks Luffy back, calling him insolent, calling it futile because “as if a hundred punches from a mere monkey were enough to break through the gold armor!” and Luffy just says almost there and so you see this call and lack of response for the fourth time.



Here we see Krieg’s own conviction and his definition of strength. Those with the most armor/weapons are truly strong—moreover, if you try to fight against strength you’re just going to die. But even though Sanji has needed to rely on others in order to follow through his conviction, Krieg is completely reliant on things outside himself, armor and guns. Armor can be broken. You can run out of bullets. Even if Sanji dies, he can still hold onto his conviction because it comes from the inside rather than relying on stuff on the outside. We’ll touch more on that theme at the end. Also note how Krieg once again has taken a position out of reach (more or less) putting himself as far from the immediate danger as possible.

Krieg throws bombs at the platform in order to sink it, as the Krieg Pirates comment, Luffy catches this and starts to run up the mast, Krieg says that only the strong survive:



Luffy replies in a refrain of “It’s my grave not yours” scenario, telling Krieg he’s the stronger one and proving it, while meanwhile Sanji temporarily becomes Admiral Akbar… er I mean…

He sees the consequences of the actions and is pretty sure Luffy is going to die and so warns him away from it as best he can. Except that, of course, trap or not it doesn't matter. Luffy has to run for it and find a way around it. He can't back down due to his nature, yes. But he also can't back down because once the bombs hit the deck, there's going to be no back to down to.

Krieg hits Luffy with the bomb on a stick and it very much is a strike! However…



It doesn’t make a damn bit of difference. Because while Krieg is right, there are some things will power alone can’t do, this isn’t one of them. Luffy is stronger than Krieg, more determined than Krieg and seriously underestimated by him (also Krieg overestimates himself which doesn’t help). Part of it comes of course from Krieg’s inability to learn or admit defeat. Whereas Luffy fights dynamically, adjusting and readjusting, Krieg tries the same tricks over and over, trying to blast Luffy away or prevent him from hitting. But Luffy continually breaks through his defenses.

Luffy passes out for a second from the exertion of the hit. Krieg, falling from the mast, laughs at him and says that it’s futile (again) and that Luffy is at the limits of his strength, but he compliments Luffy for putting a small crack in his armor. The platform explodes and Sanji freaks out.




This memory, I believe, reminds us of Zeff’s beliefs. Either Luffy will survive this through sheer grit, or he won’t. But just because he doesn’t fear death doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Sanji, of course, is moved to shout since there’s nothing else he can do but that. He can’t not react. He’s too emotional a person. Zeff just waits and watches to see what the outcome will be.

And it’s a pretty awesome one as Luffy comes to and
 


Bazookas the shit out of Krieg’s armor. You go, Lu! And that’s such a great image, too.

Krieg is knocked out a bit by this and continues falling toward the water.




Once again the Krieg Pirates freak out because Krieg himself is falling. There is very much a sense that they are worried about him as a person more than anything.

I love the cheering of the cooks, too…but mostly the bottom row for Sanji’s shocked expression with a small manifestation of will there. He seriously did not see this coming and not to this extent. Hell he didn’t even see a win, and definitely not such a dramatic one.

To Krieg’s credit, when he comes to, he still doesn’t give up the fight.



Krieg’s words are pretty ironic since he starts celebrations early all the time.

However mostly here for Luffy’s words. Luffy’s said a variation of this “They’re still alive”, “they didn’t die” throughout and it always struck me as odd. Because Luffy doesn’t actively set out to kill people and Oda has said as much. But then I realized he says it because he considers himself really damn strong and he doesn’t hold back from any fight—so the fact that they survived such a hard hit (and he knows very much his own strength) is continually surprising.



Krieg is once again celebrating early, but you can also see his potential. He takes information and utilizes it. Luffy will drown if he goes into the sea and Krieg knows that. Winning is probably his strongest conviction more than anything, which is why he will do anything to win. So he is the one who laughs in the end. He will always be the one who laughs in the end. Losing is something he cannot accept. Even becoming Pirate King ties in with winning because what better win than to be above everyone else? But of course firstly, he’s not strong enough in what he has to beat Luffy, and secondly, he assumes he’s going to win based on what he knows rather than waiting to actually win and call it then.

Luffy says as long as he can stretch his arms and legs the victory is still his.



For Krieg, he’s starting to realize how screwed he really is, because nothing he can do can stop Luffy who is an unbeatable force to him. In this way even his psychological armor is shattered in a way.

Sanji, of course, is surprised at how he doesn’t hesitate even when things look pretty bad. He should be beaten. They are falling over water. But he doesn’t act beaten. He still acts and believes he can win this fight despite it all and everything. This to me implies that Sanji has some hesitations of his own.

But Zeff? Zeff is awesome. He knows Sanji so well he can tell what he’s thinking just by looking at him. Because, as you’ll see below, he guesses what Sanji is wondering even without Sanji having said



Meanwhile, Krieg is so wrapped up in himself he can’t believe this is happening. And why? Because he has a NAME and it’s a BIG NAME and Luffy should not keep moving forward while knowing what a BIG DEAL Krieg is. All of Kreig’s emotional manipulations has failed. Everything has failed. But he’s still going to win so he finally does the only thing he can do and call on his crew for backup. It’s almost like, ultimately, he needs nakama and can’t win or become Pirate King just by himself. I am sure we won’t see this theme again. B| And of course, as soon as he gives the order they obey without hesitation.

Luffy says: This really will be the end, the Krieg Pirates say: shoot him without hesitation

However



Sanji kicks their ass, also without hesitation, moving to protect Luffy. If he sees something he can do, he will do it in an instant—and even though I am not sure he will kill them he will certainly make them regret living for quite a while. Note, Luffy at no point asked for his help or assistance. Sanji decided to step in on his own. Also ngh is he a sexy mofo or what? /bites knuckle/

/ahem/

Aside from that, as goes the captain, as goes the crew. Inasmuch as the crew is loyal to Krieg, they won’t go out of their way to get hurt either. In fact they kind of prefer to avoid it if they can and Sanji is a more immediate threat. (though to be fair, it can also be the momentary distraction is all Luffy needs, but I think it’s in actuality a little bit of both)

Luffy Gum Gum no Sledgehammers Krieg into the deck, knocking him out. The Krieg Pirates are shocked. Patty and Carne are shocked that he really did it. The cooks are cheering him on.



He has no option but to fall in the water here. There’s no guarantee anyone is going to come save him. He could very well drown and die. But he’s smiling so if he does die, it’s with a smile on his face. He followed his conviction til the end, kicked Krieg’s ass and now, since he can’t do anything else, he just falls into the water—and also probably falls unconscious because it was a pretty hardcore fight in terms of injuries. Also, in a reversal of Krieg who seems to be completely invulnerable, Luffy is very vulnerable and relies on people to help.

Let’s take a full page here:



I think it’s pretty smart and logical for Zeff to acknowledge Krieg’s might. It is might. Krieg is no small timer but a legitimate source of fear. But of course what Zeff is saying is that it is not the only source of might. And what helps Luffy win, in this case, is his spear of gutsy determination. But let’s look at this metaphor a second. What is a spear? Well it’s straightforward. It is meant to be thrown or thrust in a straight line until it hits its target. So it’s a pretty apt metaphor (despite the fact that Krieg was swinging it from side to side. Yes using the spear—but he only had one chance to use it. If he threw it and missed he might not get it back and he’d lose it. Also he’d lose the might of the bombs so he had to keep it close to him in order for it to be a little effective.)

In terms of the memory, I really like it because the angle is different. It’s as if we’re in Sanji’s view point, looking up at Zeff—and this is a huge aspect of Sanji because he does look up to Zeff in all sorts of ways—how to be a cook, how to be a man. Though there were seeds of who he has become back on the Orbit, Zeff shaped him into who he is today, both for good and ill.

And again, the manifestation of Sanji’s will, the conviction. He wants it. He has this conviction and he wants to follow it and go out there in the blue sea to find the bluest sea of all. There is a definite longing here.
(also again, just because it’s there, the Krieg Pirates flocking around Krieg concerned)



I think for the most part, yes, he is referring to Sanji staying at the Baratie when he should be out following his own conviction. He’s stifling it because of the sense of gratitude. I very much think that’s so.
But in conjunction with that, I think he’s telling Sanji that he also has that spear. He has that drive to go hard core toward his dream. To survive no matter what and fear no death. He knows it because he’s seen it and he wants Sanji to see it to. That he can do it and survive out there and is just as strong as Luffy in that way. (and I’ll come to my final reasoning to that in just a little bit)

Of course the overall message is that Sanji needs to stop holding himself back and get out there.
And then there’s this:




Zeff, you troll. XD He’s ending the moment before it can get too sentimental, and also saving Luffy’s life—and pricking Sanji’s antagonism because I think he really likes to see that fire in him.
Also the hat and the spear. The symbol of Luffy’s promise and the mark of his conviction, still planted firmly in the deck where he left it. That’s such a powerful image.

And Zeff’s fond smirk at the end. God. I’m not misting up, you’re misting up. He really cares for Sanji, okay? A lot a lot okay? Where is my tissue.




Gin, meanwhile, is having a bit of an existential crises. He believed with everything he was that Krieg was the absolute strongest in the seas. He risked his life for knowing that. For believing in a man so much that he pretty much made him a god. The only problem with that is, Krieg isn’t, and putting him on such a high pedestal means he’s going to make not a small crater when he falls. He just can’t wrap his mind around his world view being so horribly shaken. But…for once? He’s not crying. Trying to hold his head on, yes, but there’s not a tear in his eye.



I love this, because I haven’t talked about it yet, but… remember when they first met? Patty beat the shit out of him and has been an absolute shit to him but now? Is concerned about him. Certainly doesn’t want him to die. Part of it is because Sanji wanted him to be saved but of course Patty has his own brand of rough compassion. He wouldn’t work on the Baratie if he didn’t. Carne as well.

Sanji surfaces with Luffy and:




I love this little intimate moment here. I just love touches? Alright? And it’s so…just… Luffy’s arm hooked around his shoulder and Sanji baso basoing his head, trying to get him to wake up.... Unconscious Luffy why the hell are you adorable no just stop that nonsense.




Cutting out Krieg’s line at the end… this sequence standing alone is pretty important. Sanji’s world view has been twisted as well. He admires these guys. He admires their conviction. To go against the odds. In Zoro’s case, he can’t step back even if death is the most certain outcome, Luffy saying like hell death will be the outcome… and slotting himself in with them—as someone who was burying his own conviction so much out of hesitation that he basically can only shout to throw their ambitions away. This is not the kind of man he wants to be. This is not something that he yearns for.

We’ll come back and build this theory a bit more, I’ve not yet reached the end. But first, Krieg comes to, sort of.



You know what they say, Krieg. If you have to ask… His world view has been shattered as well as he bellows that no one dares defy him. That he is the unbeatable. Meanwhile his crew try to get him to calm down so he won’t die but he just goes on.



I love how Sanji’s concerned about him. Inasmuch as Krieg put them through hell, he still doesn’t want the man to die and he’s in sort of obvious mental pain—in that it looks like his mind snapped. He can’t stand being anything but the strongest and even when the truth is right before him he clings to it because it is all he’s worked up to be. All he’s ever wanted. This is conviction gone way too far and completely unfocused because his conviction means he cannot accept a loss under any circumstances.

And why are the Krieg Pirates freaking out?




But Gin? Gin is strong. His worldview is broken but he gets up and keeps going. Moreover, he doesn’t keep going on his own, no, he takes care of Krieg the best way he can. You don’t stop caring about someone just because they are an asshole. You can really tell visually that Gin has come into his own. He’s standing straight. He’s gotten rid of the jacket and the headband that he used to hide his emotions. He is standing straight and tall as just who he is without armor or protection… and there is manifestation of his will. This is his truest self.

More importantly, he knows to accept a loss for what it is. A loss. A loss doesn’t mean an end. A loss doesn’t mean you can’t start over. Zoro lost after all. Even Luffy will lose fairly soon. Accepting a loss for what it is is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t accept it on your own terms and where to go from there.



And Gin is still very much Gin. Gratitude is a huge part of how he operates. Note he doesn’t apologize. It was what it was. But he will be thankful for everything that Sanji did for him. Sanji’s reply is really the only kind of reply that someone like him can give. He’s acknowledging Gin’s gratitude, but keeping himself at a rough bantering distance as he would with any of the Baratie cooks. Importantly and interestingly, Gin doesn’t ask for forgiveness for what happened and Sanji doesn’t ask for it, nor expect it. There’s a sense that what happened happened and now it’s over so that’s that.

Also Luffy passed out XD dork <3



I love how Gin doesn’t have an answer for this. Why does he help Krieg when the man tried to kill him? Maybe he doesn’t know. Maybe he doesn’t have the words. Maybe he doesn’t want to say. Relationships are complex beasts… But I think again of the quote: “There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other” and being a pirate with a huge dream is one of them. When you believe in a captain so much and genuinely like him, despite the betrayal (which for true or false, Gin believed he deserved), it’s a hard feeling to shake.

Anyway, Gin asks Sanji to pass a message along to him when he wakes up.



Cutie sleeping abububu Luffy. Guh. Also yes Gin’s words. They are not so much about Luffy, of course, but about Gin himself. There is something to be said about stating your ambition out loud, also giving yourself an end goal. It’s not necessarily becoming Pirate King. At least not for him. He’s not interested in that much power. But holding himself accountable for getting to the Grand Line and meeting Luffy as he said he would.



I think even Patty likes Gin at this point. He’s just saying you never learn but it’s not any more harsh than he usually speaks.

But this is actually Gin answering the question of why he’s saving Krieg to begin with, even if he doesn’t know it. Krieg’s ambition has become his own. I feel like that’s the same with a lot of Krieg crew. Krieg’s ambition became their own so regardless of who he is—there’s something in him that made them follow him. Some part of Gin still believes in Krieg, I think—because whatever else, Krieg has the ability to draw people to him to fight for him—which is also one of Luffy’s greatest strengths.

Gin coughs suddenly and hacks up blood because devastatingly poisoned and Sanji calls his name worried because he can’t keep up a façade when people he cares about are dying or about to die right in front of him.
Gin acknowledges that he may only have a few hours to live.



And that is a key thing about Gin. He admits his own vulnerability and flaws—but also strengths, too. He’s not beaten by his flaws but fights on in spite of them. Even rise above the place he was. No longer will he let Krieg dictate to him who to fight and who not to fight. Gin will act out of his own gratitude and make his own choices. In this way he is gaining freedom. Becoming the ideal pirate. He will do what he wants for Krieg and not do what he wants for Krieg… and Krieg cannot rely on his blind loyalty any more. Though there is still loyalty there, out of companionship if nothing else, despite his next words.




In other words, if Gin decides to do what he wants and how he wants, he can’t blame someone else and he loses the protection of depending on someone else. Because that’s what Krieg is and was. A shield. Protction so that Gin doesn’t have to face his own fears. Of maybe succeeding, maybe failing. So he doesn’t have to face himself. So he doesn’t have to risk losing.

And here is the crux of my argument with Sanji is that Gin is a reflection of Sanji’s inner spirit. A lot of what Sanji represses, Gin speaks out loud. So again yes, while it may not be a huge part of Sanji’s motivation, I very much believe that part of his struggle was based on fear. That he was using his gratitude to the Baratie and what he owed to hide from what he really wanted. Something so big, a dream so daring that he isn’t even sure if he wants to risk it for fear of losing. For fear of dying without having attaining it. He can keep telling himself ‘I have to defend the Baratie’ ‘I have to help that old geezer’ Using Zeff to stop himself which is why Zeff kept being harsh at him and kept trying to kick him out and why they were more abrasive toward each other than usual.



If Gin is going to die, he is going to die with a smile. He is under great strain, yes, but remember that Gin is authentic, so this smile comes from the core of him. But what does he mean? As long as you’re prepared? I think it’s just what it sounds like. Know what you’re getting into. Know at least how dangerous it is. Know what you need or be prepared to find out. Don’t underestimate the world you’re entering to pursue your dream—but don’t let it frighten you away either. Life is too short to hold yourself back and to worry about getting hurt or guessing what might hurt you. Getting hurt is sometimes how you learn. So just don’t worry and go for it with all your strength and courage of conviction.

Sanji tells Patty and Carne to give Gin the supply boat. The two cooks get mad, asking him how they’re going to get supplies but Sanji snaps at them to just do it and they run to do so, cursing him all the while. There’s little Sanji won’t do for someone he cares about. Even if it means, again, short shrifting the crew of the Baratie who may now have difficulties getting supplies. But they’ll live. Gin, of course, has nothing left so Sanji acts out of compassion.

And then…skipping ahead some as Sanji thinks of and tells Luffy about Gin…



Again, I firmly believe that Gin is voicing his own thoughts and speaking of Sanji’s inner mind. All of those things, calculating and cautious hesitation—we’ve seen examples of throughout. But this marks a turning point for Sanji. While it’s Luffy that stirred up Sanji’s perception of these things and Zeff who bolstered him, it’s Gin who plants the seeds that propels Sanji forward. To forget about all that stuff. To eat, drink, be merry and follow your dreams because tomorrow you may die.

You can tell Sanji is thinking about it, too, because he looks at Luffy and has ellipses. Nothing to say but this germinates in his mind for certain. (and if it wasn’t there, why bring it up and put such an emphasis on it?)

Also Gin shows his own compassion, gathering up everyone and taking responsibility for them because they are his crew and he loves them.



And here, Sanji forgives him and just shows how much he likes Gin as a person. He’s inviting him back, if he has the nerve to face the fighting cooks again. But he really does want to see Gin again and under better circumstances, too. He trusts Gin to stick to his conviction—but also I think telling Gin not to die and come back and face them. And Gin’s reply…and that smile… it’s friendship, guys. /sniff sniff He’s happy with the not invitation and is saying so in man!speak while also acknowledging the strength of the restaurant. And again? Not a damn tear.

Gin came in angry and determined.

Cried his way through desperation

And now is calm and confident, taking care of his men and expressing gratitude and also dreams for the future, even though he’s hovering on the verge of death.

In any case, back to Luffy and Sanji.

Luffy wakes up covered in bandaids and the first thing he asks for is his hat of course.



Now this? Is a tantalizing peek into Sanji’s room. Why do I say it’s Sanji’s room? Well the Baratie has a finite amount of sleeping space and Luffy, being a chore boy, is not going to be able to bunk up in just any old room. Also it looks put together. There are pictures. What are the pictures of? Who is in them? Are they Baratie Cooks? The Restaruant itself? There appears to be a landscape, too… and a clock and some sort of calendar or maybe a menu. It’s such an interesting room and I want to see it all.



Another tantalizing glimpse into Sanji’s room. This time with a picture that looks like a chicken, a fish and a sun. What does it mean? Why does he have it? Did he like it? Did he draw it? Did someone draw it for him or give it to him? Or is it just there? Who knows. Also I love the mental image of Luffy covered in blood and they don’t know where to stick the bandaids so they just slap one over whatever has the most blood… and Luffy’s teary eyes as he pulls it off…cuz ouch. Also, kind of a worldbuilding thing—why are there such huge bandages? Because it’s funny yes, but tall ass people exist (not even talking about giants) so they likely have bandaaids in all sizes.

Also Sanji’s words. They left thanks to you. You allowed the Krieg Pirates (and Gin) to leave, because they weren’t so interested in the Baratie to begin with, only spurred on by Krieg. But knocking Krieg out of commission opened more avenues to them. Also I love Sanji just staring off at the sea, contemplative. Thinking of everything, thinking of the future.



Did he, Sanji? Did he really? I think he probably did, though, not knowing Sanji’s dream of going to the Grand Line himself. But the fact that Sanji gets mad at it is telling. Sanji’s not going to the Grand Line! Of course he’s not! He’s already decided this so why would Gin be talking to him. Though I do love his smile as he relates Gin’s message. It’s like he thinks that’s a cool damn thing to have said and he respects and admires Gin for saying it. Sanji really likes Gin, you guys, no lie. Also the snail picture on the wall. Or are they clouds Or are they snail clouds? So many spirals. I think Sanji has a spiral bias. Of course he does though Spirals are awesome. And the little cabinet beind him… or is it a wardrobe? Hnn. Cute little anchor tho. And cute little Luffy. |D




Cute little eager Luffy. He’s like oh so you wanna? Let’s go let’s go be my nakama! God he’s too damn cute for anyone’s good. But Sanji has made up his mind. He’s not really interested in being a pirate anyway, though that’s largely an excuse, I feel.



This is a manifestation of his will, too. He really means this. But I think it serves as a justification. It’s even like he’s taking the noble road in a sense. Yes, he wants Zeff to acknowledge his cooking, that’s very much a part of it, but he’s telling himself this so that he can stay. He’s saying, this is what I want.



Luffy’s spirit is (somewhat) willing, but his flesh is weak. And what is that behind him? A calendar? Does it have a plant? A fish? What? So much I can’t see and so much I want to.

And yet, even though Sanji says he’s going to stay behind, he’s definitely arched because here is the chief reason why:



I love the atmosphere the sea, the Baratie. And in the panels of the sea, you can see the gulls flying free over the open ocean. But coming back to Sanji the Baratie still looms over him—but it’s something he must protect. Much like Gin realized that Krieg was no longer the mountain of protection, so Sanji has become physically stronger then Zeff and moved out of the shadow of his parent’s protection. But for Sanji that means he has to stay and protect him. Protect the restaurant. Protect the people in it. He is the strongest one there now and so the burden of responsibility falls on his shoulders. He’s basically filling Gin’s role, taking care of everyone, protecting everyone. And Luffy listening, absorbed in what Sanji is saying as Sanji stares longingly out at the sea.



And another change! Sanji says for the first time that he wants to go out to the Grand Line. He’s found that conviction in him that Luffy and Zoro have and wants to go forward with it, motivated by Gin’s ambition. He wants adventure in that great wide somewhere. /coff/ but no seriously. It’s such a subtle moment but a stirring one. Luffy, however, sees this opportunity and pounces! =D but Sanji shuts him down. Not just yet. Not until Zeff acknowledges him—or rather, not until he’s sure the Baratie is safe. Both of these feelings are intermixed.

And then again, probably for the first time in a very long time



Sanji opens up completely as he talks about his dream. Look at that smile. He’s such a dreamer and so enthusiastic about it! He wants to talk about it and share about it and keep that ambition fresh in his mind and tell Luffy how fabulous it is and Luffy has no idea what Sanji is talking about.



And Zeff is watching because Zeff is always watching Sanji and don’t think he isn’t. Watching Sanji, especially when Sanji doesn’t know (and can be his free self without having to worry about erk that shitty old geezer is watching, have to act tough) is one of Zeff’s favorite past times. And this is probably one of the few times he’s seen him so animated when there weren’t breasts involved somewhere. (and even then that’s a different sort of ah…enthusiasm that we’ll cover as we go on)



Also Luffy is actively involved in the conversation, asking questions, spurring on Sanji’s enthusiasm, believing in his dream because Luffy is as much as a dreamer as Sanji is and Sanji is just ecstatic about sharing and that Luffy isn’t shutting him down but seems just as intrigued as he is. And the softness of Zeff’s expression as he watches his little eggplant talk about this stuff and probably thinking about how much he’s grown and stuff and argleblargle.



And this. That fond smile. Commenting on how open Sanji is. Aeriereijrseir dear reader, I am dead. Also the manifestation of Zeff’s will. He is so damn proud of his Sanji. He really is. Proud of who he’s become. Proud of how much of a dreamer he still is. There’s nothing about Zeff that isn’t proud of everything Sanji is—and if that isn’t the most beautiful thing in the world than I don’t know what is.

We’ll end on that warm fuzzy note because I feel the next part will be served better standing alone as we wrap up the Baratie arc and drown more in a bucket ‘o feels.

But first!

Themes

Courage of Conviction: Having courage of conviction can be a hard road to follow. The bigger your conviction/dream, the harder it is. Luffy didn’t hesitate but went forward and did what he said he would, kicked Krieg’s ass without dying… but he got knocked around quite a bit and perforated, too. Even though he didn’t die when he was fighting Krieg, he could have drowned and died then. But he would have died with a smile and without regrets and that is the most important.

Gin’s new conviction requires him to set out while sick and possibly dying. Being responsible for the crew and maybe even butting heads with Krieg as the man wakes up to find his worldview changed yet again. Who knows where his road will lead, if anywhere. But maybe we’ll meet him again. Only time will tell.

Krieg’s convictions were shattered. He didn’t accomplish anything he set out to do. Granted he hesitated in some cases, pulled back, let Gin get away with more than he should have. Still in fighting with Luffy at the last, there was no hesitation. Yet his conviction was brittle next to Luffy’s because there was no room for flexibility and his pride was too great.

Accepting a Loss as a Loss: Probably the hardest thing to do, for anyone really. No one likes to lose. No one likes to admit they’ve lost. But there is such a thing as losing gracefully, accepting it and learning from it. Luffy, in first fighting Krieg, had a lot of micro-losses where he kept being driven back until he decided to just go for broke and plow straight ahead no matter what. But he didn’t let those losses stop him. He didn’t give up, frustrated. He just tried a different tack.

Gin, too, sees the wisdom of losing gracefully. He can’t accept a loss under Krieg, because Krieg books no loss—so losing there at the whim of another just leads to tears and anguish and suicidal thoughts. But left to his own devices he finally understands that it’s not the end. For now, they are still alive and so they can learn from what they did and start over with a new plan.

Krieg’s entire conviction rests on winning all the time and he can’t accept it so he goes a little nuts when the inevitable happens. But the truth is there is no one in the world that doesn’t lose. Even the strongest lose as we’ll see—but also as we have seen. Roger lost in a sense. He was executed. He chose how he would die, yes, but he couldn’t stop death in the form of disease that was looming. That is a battle you can’t always fight so best to be prepared.


Precision is what Counts: You can see it really well here. Krieg didn’t land half the hits he could have because he had very little precision. The arrows were widely spaced so Luffy got hit less than he would have. The spear was bulky and Luffy could slip under his guard despite the bomb and even the bomb turned out incapable of stopping Luffy in the end. Luffy, on the other hand, once he figured out where to strike and what to do, struck just where he wanted. And he was really methodical about it, too. First you take away the weapon. That’s the most immediate danger. Then you move in and take out the armor, that leaves him vulnerable. And finally crack his skull against the deck. His hits are strong, but none of them are more than necessary. Gin, too, is precise again, hitting Krieg in the stomach to knock him out before he could hurt himself or anything else. Yes you may be physically strong but even if you can lift a few tons, it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hit what you want when you want it (or if someone can slip through your guard)


Armor : A huge theme of this arc is armor, both physically and metaphorically. It’s not bad in and of itself, but only when you rely on it too much. There is no armor that can’t be broken. And even your own armor can be used against you (see: Pearl)

Krieg hides behind the armor of his name and of his armor, using words and arrows as projectiles. But where someone doesn’t care about his name or his words, when they don’t care about getting hit or punching through armor, he has to be either skilled enough to fend them off (which he isn’t) or get lucky (which he doesn’t) or he’s going to (which he does). He also uses his massive crew as a sort of shield or armor to fight impressive battles. He uses his words to cheat the system. But in the end quality beats quantity and once that is all gone, because that is what he defined himself solely by, he has nothing left.

Gin uses Krieg as armor and a shield, too. Though less physically because he doesn’t seem to use armor of any kind, fighting in close quarters with tonfa. Instead he uses it mentally and metaphorically to hide away from his own dreams and ambitions and the wider world. He follows Krieg because he is the strongest. There is no chance of failure here and why would there be because he is the strongest. Once that is gone, what he has defined himself by, that is, another person, he has to either succumb to despair or make a stand. Gin makes a stand. He uses it as a chance for a new beginning.

Sanji uses the Baratie (in part) as armor to shield himself against the uncertainty of his own dreams. However, nothing broke his armor, though he in part cracked it himself when he inadvertently became stronger than Zeff. Because then he could no longer see Zeff as the strongest—he had to take responsibility for his own actions and dreams. And later we see he decides to shed some of it, staying because he is worried but also because he wants to prove himself.


Characters

I feel like I’ve pretty much covered the characterization within the text of the analysis itself so I’ll just do little summations here.

Luffy: Intensely focused when in the grips of a fight and how to win it. Thinks on his feet and uses and creates his own advantages when he can. Doesn’t stop at anything, even the chance of death… But the reasons why he fights are usually always for the sake of someone else. Either because of a debt or because they have fought as hard as they could and are at the end of their rope and frustrated. He doesn’t think ahead though to the aftermath of the fight or the worries that come with it and so has to rely on people to help him out when he uses up everything he has—yet he never asks for it. Also he serves to open up avenues of opportunity for others as we’ve seen here and we’ll see in the next part. (and throughout)

Sanji: Is slowly waking up to his full self and casting aside doubts and fears as he watches Luffy go. He’s almost there already, but this came about not completely from inside himself but the wisdom, actions and inspiration from those closest to him that he cares about. Also importantly, once a fight is over it’s over. He holds no grudges against Gin and is even worried about Krieg as Krieg is no longer a threat. Sanji is ultimately a forgiving sort of guy.

Krieg: Is wholly dependent on his armor and so convinced of his own strength above all and his own name that he can’t let it go. His conviction is brittle because it’s inflexible and because he always wants to win and counts winning as strength, he can never admit a loss. Being creamed by Luffy is one thing but he couldn’t even admit a loss when Mihawk trashed their fleet, even considering taking the man on. However he’s not completely stupid and doesn’t go into a fight he knows he’s not going to win (i.e. against Mihawk) unless he goes in prepared, hence, wanting to steal Zeff’s log book.

Gin: Has arched. Strong enough to stand on his own two feet when his world is irrevocably altered. He was convinced that Krieg was the strongest and now sees that he’s not. But he accepts it, shedding his own life (like a snake sheds its skin, note the snake motif on the jacket) and his own armor (in terms of the headband covering his tears) into just a shirt (licked with a flame motif as if the beginning burnings of his own spirit) and in a world where he doesn’t have to cry out of frustration. He takes control over his own life and doesn’t let Krieg control it any more. He is vulnerable, and much like Luffy, admits it, but doesn’t let it him pin him down.

Zeff: Cares for Sanji like a father. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it as many times as I want, because he does. He doesn’t always know how to show it, but at the moment he’s making sure Sanji understands what’s important about a pirate’s life and about conviction and telling Sanji that he can do it and that Zeff has faith in him because what he wants most of all, even if Sanji never does find the All Blue, is for Sanji to find happiness in searching for it. He wants Sanji to be able to fly and so will tell him how and shove him out of the nest in the only way Sanji can understand (as we’ll see) but for the moment is as proud of him as any father.


Relationships

Sanji<->Gin: If the world were different they would be bffs. They mirror each other and inspire each other, help each other out and understand each other to a certain degree once Gin moves outside his own frame of reference. They are basically two sides of the same coin and I really hope they meet up again because that would really be super awesome to see how they’ve both changed.

Comments

[viridiansoul]

I once read a very interesting analysis which compared Gin with Coby. According to that analysis, Gin and Coby are similar in that both were greatly inspired by Luffy to the point of changing their view about the world completely; both used to fear entering the Grand Line but after their encounter with Luffy, they gained the courage to pursue their own dream without hesitation and start life anew. The writer's conclusion was that since Coby has become the marine captain thanks to Luffy's influence, Gin, who was also reborn thanks to Luffy, is bound to be reintroduced someday as well.

I really do hope we'll get to see Gin again and in fact, I'd be extremely surprised(disappointed) if Oda doesn't bring him back since the last time we saw Gin, he was a guy brimming with potential and Oda's not the kind of mangaka that gives a character potential without any reason. If Oda does bring Gin back then I think his reappearance would have something to do with Sanji(saving him, perhaps?), not to mention Luffy. Like you've said, there's a deep bond between those two and usually Oda has very good reasons for creating such bonds between certain characters. When Luffy hears Gin's promise to meet him again on the Grand Line from Sanji, he replies: 'Great, he said that to YOU?' and I can't help but feel that this response is a kind of foreshadowing!

In addition, if Gin really is alive out there, I'm not sure if he's still under Krieg. Gin said Krieg's ambition has become his own, and that this time he'll do things his own way, with his own power. And what was Krieg's dream? To become the Pirate King. So if Gin too aspires to reach the top, and he intends to achieve it by himself, wouldn't it be the best for him to leave his captain, no matter how loyal he was to him in the past? And even if Gin did choose to stay with Krieg, I think he would have had no choice but to part with him sooner or later, since Krieg simply can't stand subordinates who speak and act out of their own will.

Oh and I was really impressed by your understanding of Gin shedding his outfit! Which is a mystery btw, considering how loyal Gin is to Krieg and yet he does not carry the Krieg Pirates' Jolly Roger on his back..I kinda have the feeling that the two peculiar red snakes(dragons?) drawn on his jacket are also a kind of foreshadowing of Gin's fate unknown to this day..symbols do play a significant role in the OP world, after all.

Enough rambling about Gin and I just have to mention one more thing XD Zeff's fond expression as he watches Sanji talking animatedly to Luffy always gives me the squirms awww. Yes Zeff is so damn proud of his little eggplant like you've said but there's something more to his subtle expression of his and I think I can glimpse a speckle of sadness mingled with pride. His face is saying something like 'well.. I guess it's time.' After witnessing how happy and lively Sanji looks as he talks about his dream, this time Zeff really has to make him leave. He's been planning to shove Sanji out someday for ages and knows that he has to for the little eggplant's sake, but at the same time he wants to keep Sanji by his side and this mixture of emotions is represented so so well in his expression :'( (sniff) I think I should prepare a box of tissues and brace myself before I read your next post! (tearing up already..!)

[meatthefuture]

You have good timing, as usual, as I plan to put up the finale of the Baratie Arc today. XD

Those are interesting thoughts about Gin compared to Coby. They very much do have that in common of Luffy inspiring them to push forward despite the odds. But I think Gin is sort of in a much more advanced state than Coby is at this same time because Gin knows what it is what he wants.

I don't know if he'll stick with Krieg or not. I always took the interpretation that he shared Krieg's dream-- like, in terms of how the SH share Luffy's dream. Not they themselves becoming Pirate King, but supporting Luffy to his goal. Of course we won't know until when and if it comes to it-- but I wonder if Gin really is going to move away from Krieg myself. Because he still does care about the guy.

As for his clothes, yeah that's interesting, too. XD I don't really have any thoughts about the symbolism other than what I said, tho remember he said a lot of his loyalty was due to using Krieg as a shield--so it could have been something about himself. Also Gin has a thing for doubles. His earrings are double balls. He has double tonfa as well. I don't know if it's significant or not but we'll see if we see.

And yes, yess you are spot on about Zeff. T_T I love him so much. I never realized just what an amazing guy he was until I decided to analyze the shit out of everything. (and yes. Yes you should)

[meatthefuture]

And... damnit I have to stop replying from my RP account orz