Baratie Arc: Part VIII

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In this part we reach the heart wrenching end of the Baratie Arc. Get the tissues and prepare for the ugly cry, my friends. We also do some theme wrap-up. Character wrap up. And briefly discuss the Baratie Arc v. the Syrup Island Arc.

Before we begin, it’s important to address one of the reasons why Sanji didn’t leave before this. Simply put, who would he go with? It’s all well and good for Luffy to set out on his own, he has the drive and ambition to be himself and gather friends along the way. Sanji has ensconced himself at the Baratie, grown up there, and setting out to sea by himself is surely a daunting task. Could he have gone by himself? Perhaps after some time, but of course it’s much safer to go with others in a crew—and more fun, too, especially for an ideal cook. We’ll get to why that is significant in just a second.

The scene in the second half of chapter 67 with the cooks gathering in the employee dining all on the second floor of the Baratie as they ask who has been cooking.



This because it shows the typical interactions of the Baratie Kitchen, cooks being proud of their works and other cooks casually insulting their work. That’s just the way they interact with one another.



In the panels at the top, the first thing Sanji realizes is that there are no seats. Aka, no place for them at the table and within the group. The cooks make this obvious by keeping their backs to him, and then going on and saying that there is no table and for them to sit on the floor. Of course we know that they are trying to force him out of the nest, so to speak. Saying: you can’t sit with us because you’re not part of us anymore. However, Luffy is included in the ostracism, too. He is not offered a chair either and has no place at the table. Why? Because they are basically saying to Sanji: You have no part in our group, but you have a part in this kid’s group. This is where you belong right now.

Of course Sanji doesn’t get what’s going on or the gist of their intentions—and is probably just too tired to deal with it all right now. It’s been a pretty trying day all told. (Though this could be taking place the next day) So if there are no chairs, whatever, they’ll sit on the floor. Luffy notices there’s something off about them—and while it’s not entirely visible to us—other than the blatant ostracism –remember that Luffy has been working with them for three days—and has probably taken meals with them besides (the poor bastards) and he’s a pretty observant person. So the fact that he notices something off means something probably is. Sanji, I imagine, just figures they’re being assholes.

Patty asks who was in charge of making the soup.



Sanji is really proud of the soup that he made. He expects to get a compliment on it. But of course, Patty, brave soul that he is, smashes the soup bowl to the floor, breaking the dish and most importantly wasting the food. Sanji is just pissed and startled at this. He can’t think of why Patty would do such a thing because there’s no way in hell his soup is anything but fantastic.



Firstly, I love Luffy, here. He’s got no idea what’s going on and it’s really weird for the guys to be acting like this so he’s watching intently, not sure whether to be mad or not—but nothing is going to stop him from eating when he’s hungry.

And of course you have the proof of the last statement about this. Sanji doesn’t believe the soup is bad. He just thinks that Patty is being an asshole about it and is lethally pissed at him for being that way, dumping on Sanji’s pride like that as well as wasting the food. He so confident in his cooking that there’s the manifestation of his will behind him. There’s nothing Patty or Carne or anyone can say that can make him doubt his abilities and talent.

All the other cooks proceed to splutter and spit out their soup, calling it disgusting and vile.




He, of course, just gets more pissed at this—considering it hazing I think more than anything—but he just doesn’t understand what they’re all doing. All they really are doing is making him angrier… and then to add insult to injury they act like he isn’t talented at all. I don’t think anything but the being annoyed at his violent ways is a valid concern. Obviously they do recognize his talent and now that they know his story I think they’re more comfortable with his position and why.

Also, of course, the reason why they know how to press his buttons like this is because they know him so well. Either way, Sanji can’t believe them. There’s no way he can conceive of his cooking being less than awesome especially as he likely tasted it himself and trusts his own palette. He also considers himself a better cook than them. Oh and of course again they are blatantly wasting food as if to say they’d rather starve than eat it.

Naturally it all comes to a head when Zeff drops his soup.



I think even the cooks are surprised that Zeff would go this far by saying: Owner! But, really? He has to do this. Sanji is not going to believe the cooks but Zeff joining in will really push the message through. Sanji has to listen when Zeff speaks and has to take Zeff’s opinion into account. Also Zeff standing up like this is putting Sanji back in his place and wresting control from him. Remember a dominant Sanji is a protective one who has to do all the things and take all the hits. That’s just in his nature. But not only is this not the kind of life that Zeff wants for him, he also hasn’t earned the right to be the dominant force in the Baratie (at least not above Zeff
)
And Luffy, of course, is doing what Luffy do, eating and taking it all in. He’s pretty confused himself but it’s not his place to act and he knows these guys are basically good and like Sanji so he’s trying to figure out just wth is going on.

Sanji is more pissed than ever before because how dare Zeff do that? Is he just starting shit or what?

Zeff asks what Sanji’s doing serving soup like that and that ‘serving sludge like that would run him out of business’.



Note that Sanji grabs Zeff’s shirt with his hands. This is something fueled by more than just anger. This is everything to him. He wants Zeff to acknowledge his skill. He doesn’t believe that Zeff is right about this because how could he be? Sanji is better than anyone else at the Baratie and he’s found his strength so it’s time for Zeff to stop being stubborn (as Sanji believes he is) and admit it. As for Zeff you can tell this is frankly insulting. We see a lot of the pirate Zeff in that scowl because he doesn’t often get mad but what Sanji said just there pissed him right the hell off.




And Zeff lets him have it. He doesn’t hold back an inch, either. Because for one thing, Sanji would never have appreciated it if he held back at all. For another, Zeff is well and pissed about it as we’ve seen and as we’ll see. Of course, he punched him, used his hands to crack Sanji right in the jaw. It’s so significant that the other cooks are stunned and mention twice that Zeff used his fists. Why? Because this is intimate. It’s not just kicking Sanji around to discipline him. Zeff can do that to anyone. He’s kicked Sanji, but he’s also kicked Luffy in a fit of pique. (or at least curb stomped him). Sanji is the only one who gets his punch. In that way Zeff makes this really important in Sanji’s mind. It’s not just you did wrong, but you said something incomprehensibly cocky and stupid and this is the only way to get through to you.




And this right here, as much as it’s a set up for them to drive Sanji off, Zeff is also serious about this. Good Sanji may be but there are a lot of dishes he hasn’t cooked. A lot of recipes he doesn’t know. Tons of experiences he hasn’t had. It’s not just cooking food but the learning of the world that is important. Also, much like Zoro who is a little frog in the well compared to the strength that is Mihawk, Sanji is a little frog in the well compared to the knowledge and experience that is Zeff. Sanji doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. He needs to learn and to continue to learn.

Also we’ll take a moment to look at the dish in question and the chapter title. Soup. What is soup? To pull a quote from ayearofsoup.tumblr.com and specifically this entry

Soup is something like the ingredient that essentially defines it: water. It is both a building block and a vital standalone, elusive and fundamental at once. More than a tributary or even the sea itself, soup cascades through our cultures and cooking and takes up a massive part of the culinary world


Soup is a basic building block. A fundamental element. It can be simple or complex, it can be anything. But most importantly, it is what you make it. Sanji’s soup is good. We know it is. He can get recopies and follow them to the letter, maybe even experiment with his own spices. But staying in the East Blue he can only make ‘East Blue’ soup. In other words, he can’t make soup in the style of the country of Alabasta or Wano because he’s never been. He wouldn’t really know the perfect soup for a narrow navy escape or for a lonely day on a wild sea or a raucous pirate party.

So, yes, he can be good with soup. He can be excellent. But without experience, he can never be great.



Of course the cooks being surprised at this means that this was certainly not planned. But more importantly, look at the scenario as a whole. Zeff didn’t stand up for him this time. He didn’t let Sanji have his way. Instead he sided with the cooks, shutting Sanji down in front of everyone. He humiliated him basically; but out of love because Sanji is stubborn as hell.



And you can see the after effects of it here. As for Sanji, I don’t think he completely understands what the hell is going on. He can’t really process what Zeff just did but it pisses him off—and it also hurts, it feels like a betrayal in a sense because he can’t really understand what Zeff is saying or why his soup is still inferior. Zeff gives no quarter though he seems both angry and a touch concerned. It seems that Zeff is looking away from the door as Sanji slams it shut (in a fit of frustrated teenaged pique) but in either case, he knows just what effect this had on Sanji. He knows how to play that boy like a fiddle, really. He’s not entirely happy with the outcome, I think, but it’s the best that is in his ability to do.

Luffy, meanwhile, does as Luffy does—and tastes for himself, making his own decision rather than listening to others. He doesn’t care what they think either, despite the fact that they are cooks and he is not. It tastes good to him.

Also I love the image of the solitary pot, just sitting on the stove, a testament to Sanji’s hard work but also it feels kind of isolated.



This because Sanji really is a kind of terrifying presence on the Baratie. XD But they know him well and they have the best of intentions, no matter how gruff it is on the outset. They have no problem acknowledging Sanji’s talent, either. But why wouldn’t he listen? Because he hasn’t listened. Zeff has been trying to push him out of the nest for a while now, causing, perhaps, the increased arguments/violence. Sanji was caught between wanting to go and wanting to stay. Of course becoming stronger than Zeff in that one instance proved to himself he had to stay, if only to match Zeff’s cooking.

Also Zeff is not the kind of man who can speak point blank about certain things and especially not to Sanji because there’s too much of an emotional backlash. Even when he was speaking of Luffy’s spear of grit, he was ostensibly talking about Luffy, but letting Sanji pick the lesson from it he could—not directing it at him. Not even saying ‘you’d stifle your spear’ but
‘I know someone who would stifle that spear’. They just have too many feels to address each other directly and so they have to do it indirectly.

But Zeff knows Sanji far better than Sanji knows Zeff, and so:



I think that Zeff knew that Sanji hadn’t gone far, or would, in any case, come back. So he made damn sure Sanji knew Zeff’s motivations. Zeff’s not kicking him out because he doesn’t need Sanji, or because Sanji is cocky or inexperienced, but he wants Sanji to follow his dream. It’s all about Sanji, this gesture of concern and caring and Sanji is shocked to hear it. Shocked to know that he is cared for this much by Zeff—because I don’t think he was ever fully aware of it. Also even still shocked to hear the other Baratie cooks praise him in the only way they know how—when he’s not there. Their posturing won’t allow it. But his is loved and he is cared for and in this instance he knows it, so he can only sit there and accept the feeling, kind of slumped over and curled in on himself because that’s a hell of a lot of feels and how do you process that if you’re a tough manly man?

As we go into Chapter 68, Luffy says: Take Sanji along?



This more for their reactions than his. The Baratie Cooks look ready to pass out or strangle him for rejecting this. How could he reject Sanji who is the best and Luffy damn well better not say he isn’t. I love the one guy in the background clutching his ears. Even Zeff doesn’t know how to handle that. He had hoped for Sanji and for Luffy to reject him out of hand… I’m sure Zeff would kick Luffy’s ass, too, if Luffy said anything against him.



First Luffy, he wants freedom, of course, but he also believes in everyone’s freedom, especially anyone who might be sailing with him. He wants them to go because they chose to put their hearts and lives on the line for them. How can he defend their freedom and their dreams if it’s forced? Also if he has to be forced into his dream, he’s obviously not ready to put his life on the line anyway, and so has no place in Luffy’s crew. Zeff is smart enough to get this because he listens and Luffy isn’t difficult to understand.

Zeff, though, is worried, and I think a little annoyed judging bt the vein. He’s looking away, maybe in the direction of the outside wall to where he knows—where he knows Sanji is. And thinking Sanji is too damn contrary for his own good. And also being honest with himself—because, of course, even though Sanji wants to protect the Baratie and wants to surpass Zeff, he wants to get out there. To be on the sea. To be looking for the All Blue. A dreamer can’t be confined to the pragmatic world of the Baratie.



Of course the Baratie Cooks believe that Sanji is who he is, but Sanji actively seems to be thinking about it. I love this, too. Much like the soup pot, he’s part of the Baratie, but also outside of it, listening in to what they say but here--? He’s starting to make his own decisions, contemplating what it could mean.


And thennnnn



Sanji gets creamed by the plot.




Yosaku got some good air time with that pandashark. XD I also love the forshadowing, with the cooks asking if it’s a mermaid. And Fishman Island. Holy shit, kids. Fishman Island. Which we don’t get to until post Timeskip a bajillion chapters later because, unlike the arcs before it, the Arlong Park Arc is connected to the world at large. But we’ll get there when we get there. Suffice to say this was a funny set of panels to include, and so I included it. Also Luffy asking the important questions. In what Luffy asks, you can see what’s important to him. The others. Nami specifically. But not really asking about Merry.



I love that Luffy doesn’t know what’s going on, where she was headed or why. All he says? Good. We know? Let’s get her back. Showing that he doesn’t really care about the details of the situation, just the important thing to bring Nami back where she belongs i.e. with them.
Yosaku says it’s a dangerous place—but he’ll fill Luffy in with the details and that they need his strength.


Again, XD Luffy has no idea but that doesn’t matter to him. He’s set his mind to do this thing and do this thing he’s going to do. But before that? Sanji has made up his mind.



Look at this suave motherfucker. He’s not just saying he’s going to go with Luffy. No, he’s set himself up so that he’s leaning against a wall all cool like, folding his arms like he’s the most baddest of bad asses. Even his words, I’ll go too, take me with you—The take me with you implies a level of companionship right there. He’s sort of asking to be let in to Luffy’s group. Not just traveling along, but for Luffy to accept him as with him. Luffy is not sure what to make of this at first and perhaps just surprised that Sanji is saying such a thing especially with everything that he denied before.



I love this. Sanji is telling him first and foremost, he’ll accompany Luffy to becoming Pirate King— In other words, he is assured Luffy can become Pirate King and has faith in him, and is first supporting Luffy’s dream. He is saying, much like Zoro did, that he is in it for the long haul. Until the end, whatever that might be. But unlike Zoro who joined and is promoting Luffy to remain strong (telling him that, if he weakens, Zoro will take over) and about them being worthy of each other, Sanji is right away putting himself in the supportive role. We’re the same. So I’ll help you look for your dream and I’ll find mine along the way.

I think this is in part because Sanji’s dream, while it requires some effort (though in reality, we don’t know what it requires yet) the most of what he needs is faith that he’ll find it and to not stop looking. Luffy has to keep striving, so Sanji will be there, tagging along and on a more sort of metaphorical level that isn’t spoken or implied but is nevertheless there, giving Luffy the strength to keep going in terms of food. So, in essence, while Zoro is pushing him forward, Sanji is pushing him up.



There is so much posing here Sanji is going to strain something. He says it all with a kind of blasé tone, putting it out there with confidence, going on by what he knows of Luffy and what Luffy wants—but still with the tone of cool exterior. A lot of it is because of his audience, i.e the Baratie cooks and Zeff, but, too, I think the question is careful. The fact that he asks whether it’s good or bad means he doesn’t know for sure, so he’s giving Luffy a chance to accept or reject him. The cool exterior makes the rejection possible.



Of course, such a rejection isn’t going to happen. Luffy is enthusiastic as hell because he can’t be anything else and Yosaku is pulled into his happy pace of dancing and singing and skipping around…while Sanji tries to keep his posturing, damnit. I love his face, though. It’s a smile, but trying not to smile—because smiling is going to crack the image—but also tryng not to frown either because there is no way in hell he’s making this an emotional moment. He’s leaving on his own terms as a super cool guy who doesn’t have feels. Though he’s going to apologize to them because I think he knows what an ass he can be. He’s hot tempered but not completely blind of his faults.




Patty starts by continuing the Baratie tradition of stopping any sort of onset sentimentality in its tracks, and also trying, once again, to take control and be the dominant. Sanji’s not going to leave on his own terms, Patty is saying. Sanji is just lucky to leave before Patty throws him out. But Sanji is not about to give up a modicum of control or dominance, not to Patty certainly, bringing up their vulnerability of overhearing their sentiment but also calling them idiots for not realizing he could. But at the same time acknowledging that he heard it. He can out-tsun any one of them but at the same time he can’t just let what they did go unnoticed (especially as it gives him such a clear advantage in the ‘more dominant than you’ game).

But he has to say something to Zeff, too. And what the hell is he going to say because there’s no way Sanji’s going to be sentimental. That would be a loss and he’s not going to give Zeff an inch more than he has to.



I love that in the top right, Zeff gestures Patty back. Patty considers Sanji to be irritating on purpose—which Sanji is, of course, but it’s how he and Zeff speak to one another and Patty needs o stay out of it.

And then the hmph, like Zeff is preparing himself, getting the dander back in him because it’s going to be the last time he gets to be an as to Sanji.

And he is an ass to Sanji, though it’s kind of a strain—but he’s giving Sanji what he wants—even though we know, we know that he means pretty much the exact opposite of what he says. Rescuing Sanji gave him life. He couldn’t sail as a pirate primarily because he didn’t want to sail without his nakama. What would have done without Sanji? I don’t think he would have died on that rock and maybe even started the Baratie, but Sanji enriches his life. The spice in his soup, more or less.

Of course what Sanji wants is not to be sentimental about this. No sentiment at all. So if Zeff is an ass and aggressive he can use that to fuel anger in himself and fire it right back. You don’t care? Well I don’t give a shi either. Chew on that. But also he’s sort of wishing Zeff well in a very very roundabout even unconscious way. Enjoy the years you have left. He’s not really all that good at the insult/compliment/insult/gesture of caring. Zeff out-tsuns him by a mile. But you know what they say, like father, like tsun (ah ha)

/coff



I love the design of Sanji’s boat. But it’s kind of interesting because unlike the supply boat even, this boat was meant for a longer haul. Maybe not quite so far as the Merry (and the Merry shouldn’t really go as far as it does, it wasn’t made for it) but far enough away from the Baratie. He basically bought that boat, you know he did. Big enough for him to get away for a while, maybe visit some islands in the East Blue, but small enough to never go too far if they needed him. Like he was already taking his first tentative steps into the world.

Also I love the second panel. Yeah, Luffy’s a glutton, but also he doesn’t know how long they’re going to be sailing. He doesn’t know about preserving food or how long it all really lasts. It’s what he needs a cook for since a cook is a lot more than someone who just makes dishes, esp in Sanji’s case.




Maybe it’s too self explanatory but I love the quietness of this. Remembering what the Baratie is, what the Baratie means to them. A haven for all that are hungry and wish to eat no matter who they are. All the hard work they put into it, and I bet it was a time and a half to get that place off the ground. Reminding each other it was worth it. This was home for Sanji for nine years which is a lot for a kid.* He reached manhood here. This is the home that Zeff and Sanji made together and that Zeff has never had Sanji-less. And so they are thinking about it. Remembering. The Baratie is their connection where words and feelings cannot be.



Aww, a time where Sanji was much more sincere than he came to be and honest with himself and how he feels. The restaurant is amazing. There’s no need to worry how hard it’ll be because Sanji is there to help. It’s without guile and with so much unselfconscious shitty enthusiasm. His posture even is wide open as if embracing the ship while Zeff stands behind and is pragmatic and somewhat serious. Though I am sure Sanji’s enthusiasm is catching.



This is pretty big, too. Let’s first look at Sanji and Zeff remembering the same thing. Sanji just thinking about it—when he first started smoking. Zeff teasing him about getting his feelings hurt. Sanji being contemplative while Zeff has almost a fond smile.

Also Sanji starting his posturing by showing smoking doesn’t bother him but never the less super proud of himself to be able to do it which means he’s an adult now. Also, man, you know if Sanji didn’t smoke—how much better a cook would he be? Since Zeff does warn him that smoking will dull his sense of taste. Yet he does it anyway.

Why?

Well, yes on the first level, he started, I think, because it makes him look adult and pretty cool—he thinks. But there are psychological reasons, too, I think. Sanji is pretty high-strung, even as a kid, smoking would have helped calm him down. But also—
Cigarettes are an appetite suppressant. Think of it, Sanji spent over three months starving to death. An adult may be able to move past it, but it’d be tough. But for a kid? That’s got to be really hard. But Sanji’s in a place where he’s surrounded by food. He has to work with food. Wants to control food and not be controlled by it. It’s possible he smokes so that he’s only really hungry when he wants to be. That he can control when he eats or get by with smaller snacks throughout the day. Sanji is all about control, remember, so this would be very important to him.


There’s a panel of flashbacked Patty and Carne and though they look kinda fun, I don’t really have anything interesting to say about them so moving on to this:


(cutting a scene where some unnamed Pirate captain tries to attack the Baratie but was scared off by Patty and the others)



For the far right? Insofar as Zeff does love Sanji they are who they are and he puts Sanji in his place by rather harsh methods. XD; Woe betide to anyone who doesn’t meet Zeff’s standards. Though I imagine it was something Sanji was somewhat careless about.

Still? Sanji cares for Zeff. Enough to get pissed off at this guy even insulting him, much like Luffy gets pissed at his own friends getting insulted. And then Zeff comes in to kick this guy for riling Sanji up because Sanji doesn’t get that riled unless someone pushes his buttons and Zeff is protective of his cooks and Sanji.



And here we are, the beginning of the last crucial scene. I love how it’s a procession of manliness. Not one of those cooks is showing anything but ultra-tough blaséness. Arms folded. Fists clenched. That one guy even turned away in the above panel. They are not going to be sentimental. They are going to be distant and gruff and MEN because that’s’ what men do. Sanji, too. Not one emote is going to escape from him. But he’s not going to be overly macho, either. He’s just going to be calm and self assured because he’s that badass and the manifestation of his will attests to that. Though also, of course, it applies to his will to leave itself. Leave this place that’s been his home for a long time, going toward his dream.



Patty and Carne once again try to have the last word. The last push for dominance to show how bad ass they are. But they fail spectacularly and the most Sanji is affected is that he lowers his rucksack. What is in that thing anyway? Toiletries? Important stuff that he doesn’t want to show just yet? Who can say but it’s interesting to think about.



I don’t have much to say about this set of panels except that I love the way that Oda works with emotion. There is no text other than the sound effects of him walking across the deck, past lines of his peers (suta suta) And he has a faint frown but most of his emotion is hidden because real men are silent and again, he will not emote. But I love the manifestation of will, too, above the cooks. I don’t know if it’s Sanji’s or if it’s theirs but saying its theirs it’s almost like they’re just as determined to send him off in this kind of quiet stubborn manly pride and respect for their fellow cook.



And again, as blasé as he can get. Arms open saying, nah, goodbyes are no big deal. I’m super casual and completely not emotionally compromised by any of this so let’s get going while the going is good. But Zeff, he’s watching as he always watches, from where he usually stands. And even now he has a fond smile that he can’t hide and doesn’t bother to as he watched Sanji walk toward his ship, owning every step of the way with confidence a poise. A man now.



And that. Those words that get Sanji more than anything and completely break his veneer. Why? Because in that one moment, that simple but sincere statement, there can be no doubt that Zeff cares about Sanji’s well-being. Cares about Sanji. There’s no tsun dancing around the topic or wit—much like soup, a simple statement good for the soul, filled with all the experiences they’ve had—and at the end of the day, that Zeff cares about Sanji. It doesn’t take much to let someone know they’re cared for.



First I love how Luffy is looking up like yeah, that was a good thing. Thinking that Zeff is a good guy for saying it and just simply happy that Zeff and Sanji like each other so much. Zeff looks like he’s trying not to cry himself, even though he’s smiling. As for Sanji himself, the full impact of it is hitting him. Zeff cares for him even though Sanji took everything away—and there is still so much left unsaid. But Sanji can’t just say thank you, and the true emotional core of Sanji comes pouring through.

And we’ll go for a full page on the most important scene in the Baratie arc.



It mostly speaks for itself. What more can I add? Other than that it’s definitely an echo of Gin but much more than that. Zeff didn’t just save Sanji’s life and sacrifice for it, he made Sanji the man he was. Zeff did take care of him. Supported him. Gave him a place to stay and helped him thrive. Maybe it wasn’t perfect but it was always sincere. And he’s in a sense sacrificing again, letting Sanji go on to his dream and adventure. The most Sanji can do is thank him like this, from the bottom of his heart and all that he is, probably not even able to stop himself from crying, because again this is his authentic self.



And Zeff, Zeff can’t hold back either. He’s smiling and crying because that damn little eggplant is making a scene and Zeff doesn’t need to hear it but at the same time he’s hearing that Sanji cares for him back…and how much it all meant to him. /grabs tissues/

/sniff/

Patty and Carne call him a bastard and then this:



Sanji is freaking shocked. He never expected this from them. From all of them. No matter how much they may have fought or the harsh language that was used. They cared about him, too and still do care about him. Somewhat apart from the other cooks of the Baratie as he is, he’s still very much a part of it and them. They are family. What’s critical about this, though? Sanji expressed his vulnerability here, all of it. Accepted, rejected, whatever… he expressed it fully from his heart. His expressing his vulnerabilities allowed and encouraged the others to express theirs. Including Zeff, who (as we’ll see) keeps trying to hold back.



And Sanji is happy. He accepts this. He finally understands so much about what he didn’t before and he’s smiling and doesn’t know how to feel because there are so many conflicting emotions, but mostly he’s happy. And so is Zeff. But he’s pulling a Gin here, shielding his eyes as he tries not to be overcome by all this emotion which is not how any of it went down in his day… but when you think of it? Zeff never got to say goodbye to his nakama. They died. But here he is saying goodbye in a good way. Sending Sanji off to a better life. And he just can’t handle the overwhelming feeling of it all with everyone bawling on top of it.



And as they are basically saying “We care about you, bastard!” Sanji is saying “I care about you, too, shitheads!” back because he’s saying this isn’t goodbye. He’ll be back. They are family. They are the Baratie Cooks. One day they will all meet again and Sanji will be even stronger to kick their asses more. And Luffy knows the perfect point to leave, on the highest note they can get, probably overcome with the feels with it as well because as Luffy it doesn’t take much.
And we leave the Baratie with Sanji and Luffy enthusiastically waving goodbye and the adventure happy end music playing in the background.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. Shut up.


Themes

Major Overarching Themes

Gratitude: Of course, gratitude is the biggest theme in the Baratie Arc and the primary motivation for Sanji and Gin. Lacking gratitude is part of what makes Krieg such a gigantic bastard. However, there is another side… Too much or misapplied gratitude. Sanji was grateful to Zeff for saving his life, but went too far and further than Zeff would have liked—prepared to throw his own life away for the sake of that gratitude and the restaurant. It’s not good because it’s not something that Zeff even wanted. I don’t even think Zeff wants as much gratitude as he gets, but he’ll accept it out of Sanji’s pride—however, not at the sake of his life which Zeff values more. Gin, too, displayed far more gratitude than Sanji wanted to accept, throwing his own life away so that Sanji could live. As Luffy says, gratitude doesn’t mean you die for them. That’s not what they helped you for. Sometimes just a thank you will suffice, which is what Sanji did at the end of it all, letting Zeff know in words just how grateful he really is. Words are power, remember.


Armor: Can be useful, but you can’t rely on it completely. Even armor can be used against you and even the strongest armor can be broken or cracked or warped. This applies to psychological armor as well. In as much as Sanji presents himself as a cool suave badass who is blasé about life as something he wants to be, something he sees himself as, and figures is pretty cool—it’s also, specifically in the Baratie chapters, designed to keep deeper emotions at bay. Part of it stems from Zeff’s definition of ‘manliness’—aka being the strong silent type. But to drop the cool façade that acts like an armor and acting on deeper emotions also opens Sanji up to vulnerability and perhaps even a rejection of who he is. Yet of course even that armor is not strong enough to contain the strength of his strongest emotions. Rage and anger, but also gratitude mixed with pain and affection and a whole bunch of things.

Conversely, much like Gin, Luffy has no armor, physical or psychological. He goes into the world and the world either accepts him or doesn’t and whichever way it falls, Luffy is okay with it because he can’t be other than his 100% authentic self.


Courage of Conviction: Is not always easy and, in fact, is rarely easy. Following your conviction to the absolute, come what may, can be hard as hell. Not one person who followed their conviction didn’t end up hurt somehow in the following of it—but it was a physical hurt. Not all convictions are great ones either and some of them don’t work out. Like Krieg’s conviction that he was going to become the Pirate King by lying and deceiving his way through the Grand Line. He acted on this conviction… (though it’s difficult to say that it was courage as he was convinced of his win, because of his superior weaponry, armor and manpower)... but in the end wasn’t strong enough to carry it through. We’ll come across an even better example of this much later.

However if you do follow your conviction to its fullest without going back one step, an can accept a loss, then you can die with a smile. (according to One Piece anyway. Using “you” in a general intertextual sense because in no way do I want to make this sound like RL advice haha )

Mixed with this, there’s also a sense that characters like Luffy and Zoro can’t help but follow their conviction and have the courage to do so. Their conviction is all that they are. Sanji has a strong desire to follow his convictions, especially where it concerns taking care of others—because that is also a conviction he shares with Zeff and the meaning of the Baratie’s existence. But it’s his own as well. Other convictions, like finding the All Blue, battle with his more pragmatic nature because it’s not something he thought he could accomplish. However, he ultimately did find the courage to follow that conviction.


Minor Overarching Themes


Frame of Reference: It’s cropped up a few times, but again, just touching on the dangers of viewing others from your own frame of reference—believing that they will act according to how you would act in the same situation. That can be dangerous for yourself, especially in a fight. Of course you can’t help but initially view people this way, since you don’t really have another frame of reference to go by, but it’s important to see how they act rather than assuming they’ll act a certain way.


It’s a Big World, Little Frog: The world is bigger than Zoro and Sanji assume it to be and they are not as strong as they think they are because the East Blue? That’s the playpen of the four Blues and nothing compared to the Grand Line. Even though they are pretty strong, it’s arrogant to assume they’ve reached the pinnacle of strength (whether it be physical strength or strength in terms of skill such as Sanji’s cooking). They need to go out and explore the world, test their mettle against it, and realize just how small they are in the scheme of things.


Getting What You Pay For: There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part, you’re going to get what you pay for. If you come in with violence you’re going to be met with violence. If you’re tsun but otherwise kind and caring about an individual, you’re going to get tsun and caring right back.

The exceptions come in when people step beyond expectations— Gin came in with violence and didn’t expect to eat, but Sanji gave him food, out of his conviction drawn from compassion and kept being compassionate toward him as long as he was able. Though of course it works the other way, too. Krieg got what he paid for. He committed atrocities and so naturally people hate him just by reputation alone. However when he received compassion, he repaid it in violence and decided just to use it to his advantage. Maybe based on fear that they would turn him in, but nevertheless, he did act. And since actions=consequences, he got what he paid for.



Accepting A Loss as A Loss: Accepting a loss as a loss is an important part of moving forward. It doesn’t mean you have to step back or throw away your convictions, but to learn from your mistakes. It comes down to accepting defeat or death on your own terms, rather than letting someone define the terms for you.



Baratie v. Syrup
I wanted to bring this up because both of these arcs have a similar themes that the previous ones don’t. (Which is why I named them after the central antagonists/figures of the arc rather than the island) They both represent:

A) A story of a community and the main character’s place/role inside it
B) A coming of age story.

(Arlong Park is similar as well in this regard, but we’ll talk about that later)

First we’ll look at Usopp and Sanji fit in and don't in their communities.

For Usopp, he was born into the community, but carried the weight of his father's reputation--and after some time was left to fend largely for himself. Though the members of the community have a passing affection for him and a slight understanding of why he is how he is, he is still not a full member...and so got attention any way he could, like a child, by lying and writing on the walls and causing other such mischief.

For Sanji, the community grew up around him-- but it was a community that was reliant on his skill and, tying with it, the constant need to improve and grow. In other words, he had to work for it. Granted, he wanted to do it in the first place, but he had to work and continually prove himself. Did he do that for the sake of the community? No, not really. Except for the greater Baratie at large. In other words, Sanji cares for the cooks to some capacity, but there's a sense that he didn't expect himself to be a part of them.

Where Usopp is on the outside and longing for the inside. Sanji is sort of on the inside but keeps himself on the outside.


At the end of both arcs, the sense of community has been readjusted.
For Usopp, he has a chance for what he always wanted, to be part of the village he always loved by people knowing how he saved it and did for them. He instead chose to protect them, leaving this biggest secret with just the four people that knew and loved him. To that end, he never did discover that Syrup misses him. That is mostly to their detriment than his.

For Sanji, in the final act, literally the last few panels, he discovers that he's been part of the community all along and, importantly, they realize it, too. (Except for Zeff since Sanji was always a part of him.) He realized how much they actually cared about him, because he's never not cared for them, in his own way. So they ended on a high note.


This is tied into an undercurrent theme of both arcs:

The Power of Words

We'll get into it more as we see it, but both Usopp and Sanji use the power of words to shape their roles in the community.

For Usopp, though he lied, it was always sincere and never meant to hurt anyone. He lied about things he wanted to be, putting himself in the role of the hero and creating this fantasy around himself. Lies were his dreams spoken out loud and his natural story telling. But of course, also using words to get attention like continually sounding the Pirates are Here! alarm. In Usopp's case, his lies don't have too much consequence except for the Pirates are Here! one, chiefly because no one believes him. The ones that care for him love and appreciate his stories. It's only when he tries to make everyone else appreciate him that he gets in trouble.

For Sanji, he used words partly for protection and proving himself within the community. It was both armor and attack, keeping his vulnerable side well hidden. Saying what you really feel, unless it's out of passion, is sort of a taboo in the manly world of the Baratie community. It's fine for someone who speaks the language, in this case Zeff, who understands what Sanji is really saying... But just promotes aggression in others who get uppity at those rough words, like Patty, who really doesn't get what Sanji is saying-- because of course, he doesn't have the context of the situation.
Usopp's story culminates in silence, in not using these words and letting it be quiet. In the silence, the villagers realize how much they miss the noise. Sanji's story culminates in noise and tears and emotion since it is about speaking, saying what you have always wanted to say, not using the words as an armor but as expression and allowing others to see his vulnerability.


Though Usopp and Sanji both "came of age" they came at entirely different levels.

For Usopp, he's taking the first step into the world of adulthood, leaving behind the safety of his childhood and taking on (some of the) responsibility of an adult by exploring the vast sea. But he's still at the very beginning of his journey. Despite his loneliness, he was somewhat spoiled by the village of Syrup which had experienced nothing but peace. He was allowed to be soft and to make up stories, but now he is entering a world where he has to get stronger in order to survive. While he's making his way upward, he's still at the bottom of the stairs.

For Sanji, he's been in the world of adulthood since the Orbit. Whatever happened in the past past, we can't say, but once he stepped on the Orbit he was pretty much an adult. I imagine he got treated a little gently because he is a kid, but this is a different world from ours and so he was pretty much on his own terms, even then. He definitely started out on his own terms, too, to see the All Blue. To be treated like a child after that would be a step back. To use the stairs metaphor, when we first saw him, he was a few steps above the one Usopp is now.

The Baratie gave him a relatively safe place to grow, but more importantly, to grow under the guidance of a figure who, if he didn't consider a father in the beginning (and might never consider him one consciously) , was at least someone he admired and respected. His coming of age came when he became the one taking care of Zeff. When he gained control. Because, as we've seen, in him not understanding why his soup isn't as good as Zeff's, there's a sense that even if there is more Zeff could teach him, Sanji wouldn't learn or wouldn't learn very well. He has to go out and make his own way.

So ultimately, while Usopp's story is about letting go and making the first steps into the wider world; Sanji's is one about holding on to his dreams and ideals and actively searching for them.


Characters

Since I’ve covered a lot of it already, I am just going to give a summation of Sanji and Luffy.

Sanji: He definitely wants to present himself as someone cool and suave, unaffected by anything. He wants to project this image because it’s who he wants to be, who to some extent he is, but also as armor from deeper emotions. In a way, how Sanji presents himself serves a similar function to Usopp’s lies. That is because Sanji is all about control. Control in what he does, how he looks to others and definitely around food. How it is prepared, when it is given and perhaps even using cigarettes to control his own appetite so he is no more or no less hungry than he wants to be.

No matter how cool tempered he wants to be, he’s a pretty high strung individual and burning with passion. This mostly comes out in his temper when certain buttons are pushed, but also in his conviction. His inner true self that he is protecting but comes through is his softer nature and qualities. He is compassionate and kind, especially to those people who are vulnerable in some way, like Gin. In a way, Sanji is sort of a reflection of others natures and will match them. In other words, if someone is being gruff or tsun, he will be gruff or tsun. But those who are open and vulnerable, he can be relaxed around to some extent.


The only exception to control at all times is with the ladies who he is out of control, passionate and risking rejection constantly, but constantly trying again. We’ll look more on that as it comes through… but my working theory right now is that while he loves women and is a ladies’ man, women as a gender don’t impact him as deeply emotionally as men do. In other words, it’s easier to accept rejection from a woman than it is a man. I’d like to note that I’m making no assumptions or references to his sexual preference here. (straight or otherwise) Additionally, doting on the ladies is a way to express the softer and passionate side of his nature in an ‘acceptable’ way. There is no or little stigma (from a man’s point of view) in this society of a man going crazy over a woman. But we’ll explore this as we go.

Bonus: This is a great article showing what chefs are like to non-chefs outside of the kitchen. Essentially, if you want to see why Sanji is how he is (as well as the other Baratie cooks and Zeff himself) this is a good article to look at.


Luffy: Can’t be anything other than what he is and will speak unflinchingly about his own convictions. Is also well aware of his own strength vs. the strength of others. While he trusts in the strength of others, and will let people do as they will ex Zoro fighting Mihawk, that doesn’t stop him from wanting to get revenge on Mihawk when he believed Zoro was killed, no matter how ineffective it would have been. He is an idealist and will fight for the sake of ideals and hope in others when they can no longer fight. He only really went hardcore against Krieg when Krieg brutally tore Gin to shreds. He learns constantly in fights and doesn’t listen to the opinions of the people he is fighting as he is hyper-focused on the battle at hand, winning and losing but continually driving forward until he wins or he dies.

This is all pretty basic stuff that we know, but this is the arc that starts to cement this. I want to emphasize though, Luffy lets people do what he wants. He is all about freedom of choice and giving people the choice. Sanji has the choice of whether to follow him or not. Luffy won’t force him into anything. Luffy’s sense of freedom extends to others as well. Krieg is free to do what he wants… but Luffy is free to kick his ass if he wants.





That is all I have since character relationships we’ve talked about in depth. But I did want to make a final note. In the anime, Zeff asks Luffy if he wants to have Zeff’s log book and Luffy says, nah, he’s fine without it. Which is great to show he doesn’t like spoilers. Not so in the manga. Honestly I’m of two minds about whether you can slot it into manga canon or not.

For me I’m leaning toward a no. The log is the only thing Zeff has of his crewmates left and why would he give it to Luffy? Luffy has fulfilled his debt to the Baratie and it’s not as if Zeff owes him anything. You could play the Devil’s Advocate and say he could give it because he likes Luffy and maybe because he cares about Sanji’s well-being, but in this case I really don’t see it.

Of course, everyone is free to make their own decisions—and if you have a convincing argument as to why Zeff would offer his log book, I’d love to hear it.


But for now, the Baratie Arc is done. We are two arcs from the Grand Line, guys! It’s exciting! But the next arc? Yeahhh that’s going to be a doozy. Dear readers, this may come as no surprise but, I have words about the Arlong Park Arc. But we’ll see them when we get there.



*Thanks for the correction: viridiansoul