Crocodile The Crack King

But then I realized:

[I have already detailed out my interpretation of the Independent Report and it’s necessary to set up this theory. You can find that post HERE!]

Outside of Dressrosa (which I will discuss) the Reverie is the first time we see Lucci after the time skip.

Before the time skip Lucci and CP9 were fugitives and according to the SBS, Vol 109 Ch 1106 pg 110, Lucci and friends uncovered a conspiracy and put a stop to it thus getting their positions back and a promotion.

We’re reintroduced to Lucci in an intense situation. Shirohoshi is being taken captive by a Celestial Dragon. Leo, and Sai are trying to rescue her.

Lucci’s first works in this interaction is:

“The Celestial Dragons are the gods who created this world… it is the natural order for gods to have whatever they desire.”

At first glance this does seem very in character. I wouldn’t doubt this characterization one little bit in the world where the Independent Report Cover Story didn’t exist.

Let’s take a moment to read this situation from a slightly different angle. Some questions before I discuss this angle.

1. How did CP9 figure out Spandines plan with very little resources, while on the run, and presumably being targeted by Spandam and Spandine?

Considering my reading of the Independent Report, and my belief that Lucci and friends have been invigorated to fight for *real justice* and innocent people, I’m putting forward that Lucci and CP9 joined the Revolutionary Army in some regard.

That’s where they would have gotten the resources to investigate Spandine and uncover his conspiracy. And if you stay with me I do believe CP9 has returned the favor.

2. What the hell was CP0 doing in Dressrosa?

Sure this seems an obvious question. They were being used for Doflamingo’s plan as he’d been given authority over them for a temporary period.

But Lucci and Spandam were also seen to be investigating Doflamingo’s weapon smuggling ring (whether that was to pick up a weapons order for the government or just confiscate them for government use).

It’s a huge coincidence that the Revolutionary Army seemed to know all about the weapons and swooped in to steal them.

The fact that a team being led by Rob Lucci, the personification of killer execution in perfect form, not only got out maneuvered by the RA, but they never even hunted down one of the many RA agents running around to try and save their mission!

3. The Celestial Dragons are just Spandam but uglier (somehow)

A lot of issues with Lucci and friends rejoining the government are brushed aside by saying that Lucci’s grudge was with Spandam, not the Government.

But that ignores that Lucci and friends understand exactly how the Celestial Dragons operate because they’ve worked directly under someone just like them.

Someone who got their power not from earning it, but from inheriting it. They know this is the kind of person that would shove them in front of a bullet and them blame them for not dying faster. They know that like Spandam, the Celestial Dragons will eventually betray them. And they know this because they’ve worked directly aren’t dumb.

Ch 907 pg 12 and Ch 907 pg 14 respectively.

Now that’s we’ve gone over that I’d like you to look at these panels.

This is an expression far away from the cold indifference he carried himself in Water 7 and Enies Lobby.

His eyes have been shard in every panel he’s seen in, and he has angry forehead veins near constantly.

The man seems to be spitting out those words in my opinion.

But more than anything he looks like a man with a secret.

Maybe a man that knows an attack is coming and all of the slaves will be released anyway?

Whether you agree with me or not on this take, you must admit that it’s strange that ‘murder machine’ Lucci was given an order to kill and yet he did not pushed Sai and Leo back with a merciful amount of force.

This intense situation is ended off with another Celestial Dragon intervened and we got this panel of Lucci on Ch 907 pg 15.

This is the first time Lucci looks anywhere close to calm, the forehead veins gone now. To me he looks relieved.

And he’s got the ‘…’ in a thought bubble as if he’s holding something back.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucci was holding back a smile or a laugh. ‘Weakness is a sin’ Lucci would enjoy seeing this weak little shit get taken out.

Again, the above is my opinion of this panel, but either way this is an interesting panel. You have to agree that is oddly ambiguous and suggests Lucci feels some kinda way about it.

The next time we see Lucci is during Sabo’s recounting of what happened at the Reverie.

I find it odd that Oda would choose to this framing to tell us what happened to Vivi.

Especially when Lucci and Vivi’s interaction seemed to be private, without any Revolutionary Army spies around, or any of the CP0 members.

Vivi is trying to push to see Garp. To find her dad? To leave? To help Shirohoshi? Idk, but Lucci does look genuinely conflicted here.

And we assume after this he simply abducted her. Why? On whose order? Why would Lucci claim to be there to protect her, specifically following her around, and then stash her away with no explanation? This is a curious situation that I think leaves more questions than answers. But it DOES NOT read like a dedicated agent of the WG.

Taking a small step back to focus on the other ex CP9 agents I want to highlight their appearance on Ch 1083 pg 13 and Ch 1085 pg 14.

The ex CP9 agents enter the fight with a shocking amount of levity. An attack is happening on the Holy Land and they don’t seem to care.

Later on when we see them after the fighting dies down they don’t appear like you’d expect. They aren’t beat up, considering all the Revolutionaries escaped, I assume didn’t win; so why are they so relaxed and cheerful?

They are playing cards while battles are still going on.

Every ex CP9 agent is hanging out in a room to guard one tied up princess. Why did this require all of them? And again on whose order are they doing this?

Kalifa doesn’t seem to know considering her words:

“I don’t think you’re getting out of this one Princess. You’ll go down as ‘missing’… and end up as someone’s pet.”

It honestly feels like they are teasing her because they are bored. They could be helping in stopping the slave escapes, but instead they’ve stolen Vivi away for unknown reasons.

And while this was so important is supposedly needed the entire team, it makes it more weird that they just stand there Wapol crashes through the wall and Vivi hopes in his mouth to get away.

Panel from Ch 1085 pg 17

Oda’s trying to tell me a bunch of six powers users with haki, who could absolutely floor Wapol, didn’t know he was coming though that wall with their observation haki?

And they couldn’t easily catch up and get Vivi back in less than a second?

Suspicious.

His entire team is watching one princess, but he is missing from any depicted fights, or other important moments.

I have no way of knowing what he was up to, but I do have one guess.

Sabo, who was heavily injured, somehow managed to get tucked up in the hull of a ship. Without a blood train leading right to him.

The fact that he could get in there without leaving any trace and then not be found despite CP0 and all the guards searching for him, speaks to me like Sabo had help.

Ch 1086 pg 5

As I wind down this section, I really do want to highlight how inconsequential CP0 looks in this arc. We know how powerful they are! We’ve seen them go to great lengths to complete their missions! Why did they seemingly work against themselves?

I, personally, feel like it makes much more sense if they were secretly working with the Revolutionary Army.

The RA had no issues finding the slaves to free, attacking the Holy Lands food stores, finding their way around this place that is normally kept very secret. And somehow the strongest of Holy Knight weren’t there and the RA knew that.

Someone’s feeding them information! It’s the only explanation. And the most suspicious people are ones proclaiming the Celestial Dragons to be Gods, and yet seemingly uncaring that those gods were being raided.

I protect him with all my might!

(づ˶ˊ 3ˋฅ(◕ﻌ◕ )ฅ💖

Buggy supposes Admiral No Brows isn't that scary after all.

Based on this prompt about little Buggy doing Dragon's hair~ Doodle quality and maybe that's not the best place to end it but I ran out of steam X3