blue skies

how the turns have tabled

In the manga/anime, the marines we see generally fall into one of two camps: bad corrupt marines (Axe Hand Morgan, Captain Nezumi) or good marines that are simply doing their best to track down pirates (Smoker, Tashigi, Koby-in-training). It’s not until the end of Alabasta where we see that actually the government has a habit of covering up narratives that reflect poorly on them. It’s not until Robin joins the crew and we start learning about poneglyphs and Ohara and Buster Calls that we really understand the extent that the government tries to control things

But in OPLA, they’ve added in a few seeds to help sew that impression in early.

In season one we had Garp announcing to the cadets that to defeat the pirates they needed to crush the pirate’s dreams, but then also his admittance to Koby that the reason he doesn’t take a promotion is he will lose his freedom. We also have Helmeppo teaching Koby about the Warlord system (‘you don’t know shit about how the world works’). Both of these things certainly hint at a wider moral-greyness, but it’s the sort that’s contained within the system

In season two, we begin with Roger adding cryptically that he’s not the one who granted himself the moniker, ‘Gold Roger, King of the Pirates’. But there’s no confirmation as to what that means (to the opla-only audience)

But what we do have that’s new, what we have Bartolomeo to thank for, is an actual honest to god resident of Loguetown looking into the camera and commenting that this celebration? This whole thing? Yeah, the government makes a big deal about it every year. They do us to remind us what happened. They do it to control us

He says it sulkily, in the way of habitually disenfranchised outcast, but he’s not exaggerating and he’s not wrong. In fact, that line goes uncontested by the marine’s actions and words for the rest of the episode. It’s a line that for anyone familiar with the source material reeks of foreshadowing

Another cool thing it foreshadows: his future alliance with Luffy. Luffy, who’s all about being free, is a wake up call to Bartolomeo, who’s introduced to us in such a whittled down by the forces bigger than him state that he doesn’t even have a dream. He doesn’t shine, not until the end when he tentatively strikes Luffy’s pose in the mirror and tries to smile

It’s just such a good addition to the bigger worldbuilding and themes. What a cool idea, to show us very early on an example of Luffy changing and influencing someone the way that up until now we’ve only seen with his crew. What a nice little set up how it won’t just be his crew that walks away changed — Luffy has a habit of bringing change wherever he goes

i couldnt decide