Unbetitelt

Defenders Without Fear by Fawnthefox

What if Thatch had found the Yami Yami fruit two years earlier? Instead of being killed by Black Beard, he ends up kidnapped, along with a certain flame user's little brother. Still distrustful of his new crew Ace is reluctant to ask for help. Through his efforts to save Luffy the Whitebeard crew gets a better understanding of who Ace is and what he's willing to do for family.

Beginning the Next Dream by RikoJasmine

In another world, Garp has a second son, and three boys get a father.

From a different point of view, an adult Monkey D. Luffy finds himself reborn in the past, and the former Pirate King gets a new perspective on his family.

(A Time Travel AU where Pirate King Luffy raises the ASL brothers.)

Whitebeard Pirates & Ace

Stranger by Blackphantom4life

What if Ace never met Luffy and Sabo? What if they never became brothers? What if Ace grew up alone with the bandits? And now, as if he didn’t already have enough problems, some guy with a stupid hairstyle just washed up on the shore.

Things Thought Lost by Reign_of_Rayne

The commander of the second division started behaving strangely after an incident that nearly set the Moby Dick aflame, but amnesia was far from the problem.

Burn It All Down, But We'll Build Back Stronger by Persephone_Love

On a marine ship headed to Impel Down, Marco makes a friend. What he'd like to know is why the hell this scrawny kid is headed to Impel Down as well.

Or the marines find Ace a little earlier, but thankfully so do the Whitebeards.

something in the orange tells me we're not done by olive_ger

Thatch the Butcher’s face in his bounty poster was splattered in blood, wry and amused, completely without empathy or regret.

It was the memory of this image that Ace clung to with both hands as Thatch smiled down at him now, open and friendly. These people were not his friends, no matter what they acted like. They were pirates, commanders on a Yonko’s crew, whose captain he was going to kill.

or, how ace becomes a whitebeard pirate

as reliable as truth by midnightluck

Ace grips the old lady's arm, holding it steady. She wraps her free hand around his wrist and looks up at him with eyes that burn like the house behind them. “You're a liar and you gave me an empty promise,” she says, “so I give you this curse in return: to thine self be true.”

Love Rescue Me by olive_ger

"It would just be until Luffy set out to sea.

Until then, his brother's life hung over him like a guillotine.

Until then, the Marines got what they wanted.

And apparently, they wanted Gold Roger's son to be their newest Warlord of the Sea."

AU where Ace becomes a Warlord of the Sea, Sabo fails upward, and Luffy will be the King of the Pirates. And the Whitebeard Pirates are just trying their best.

Water Lily by IreneSharda

An undercover RA agent notices something on the battlefield of Marineford that shouldn't be there, something only she can see. She finds life where there should be none.

Deciding to take a chance, she takes a closer look, and that second glance changes everything.

One more chance to live by Dezace

The Grand Line has always been a place filled with mystery and unsolved occurrences. Marco wakes up because of one, and he doesn't know if he should laugh or cry.

Probably both.

(Or: The Whitebeard Pirates have a second chance)

There is no D. by Arrogant_Vice

Portgas Ace, Marine golden child and future admiral in the making, did not plan on having an identity crisis after meeting and 'accidentally' befriending members of a certain crew—but here we are.

Now he must find a way to flee from said pirate crew, who just so happen to be famous for kidnapping their desired 'nakama,' all while fending off the encroaching suspicions from the Marines, World Government, and especially his Grandfather.

Son-stealer by nyasce

There’s voices around him, speaking in raucous, loud tones, unforgiving. It’s harsh on his ears after so long of the quiet low timbre of Jinbei’s voice and the dark wickedness of his jailor’s voice, and the scolding pity of his grandfather’s. It makes something in his chest release, the familiarity of celebrating pirates a soothing balm.

Then he realizes that one of the voices sounds sort of like Pops, but that can’t be true.

He blinks open his eyes.

Roger & Ace (& Rouge)

Brothers of Gold Series by Triscribe

Part 1: stand together (in the Eye of the Storm)

Gol D. Roger is seven years and six days old when his mom drops a dish in their cramped kitchen, and says in a tight voice, “Go fetch the midwife, lad.”

Part 2: you'll never know (Never Looked Back)

“But that would be so boring,” Roger laughs, ducking Garp’s punch and swinging upwards with the hilt of his sword, clipping Garp on his chin hard enough to knock him back a few steps. “But hey, enough with the usual recruitment speech, I owe you some congratulations!”

“For what,” Garp spits back, taking a moment to rub at his jaw before jumping back into the fight.

“Heard you’re a dad now!”

Part 3: share a little fortune with me

Monkey D. Dragon is five and a half years old when a pirate picks him up.

You Are Loved by Emily_Elizabeth_Fowl

“You have no idea who I am!” Ace yelled, shrugging the hand off roughly. It shouldn’t have worked, Roger was clearly just humouring him, but all that mattered was to have it off- “Neither of you knows me! You weren’t there!” His parents’ faces grew blurry. “You weren’t there,” he repeated, hanging his head low and wrapping his arms around himself in a pale imitation of his brother’s hugs. “You left me all alone.” Maybe Luffy had a point, back when he told them loneliness was the worst kind of pain. Rouge was the first one to move, bringing Ace back into her embrace. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, darling.” He let himself be held, but didn’t dare relax. Surely that bastard would try to get in on the hug, surely he would interrupt, surely- Roger was crying.

Or: On your 15th birthday, you are gifted a visit from your parents, as they were on their last birthday before death.

For most people, it's just a chance to remind themself of how adorable their children were, all those years ago. Maybe to meet again a spouse departed too early.

For Ace, it changes everything.

By your side (everything is within my grasp) by bloomingnight

With Ace’s last breath, came darkness. His consciousness floated within the void for what felt like hours, if not months or years, but was probably only seconds. The next thing he knew, he was waking up on a ship’s busy deck as its crew prepared to anchor.

Alternatively; Ace wakes up in the past, meets his father, and realizes that he was loved.

River by orphan_account

Tired and irritated, Gol D Roger decides to take revenge

(I'm bad with summary || this is an Evil! Gol D Roger fanfic)

Running from Ashes and Consequences by Crochet_Xiao

Ace, the son of a single mother in South Blue, has a relatively good life. He has a roof over his head, a good relationship with his mother, and doesn't have to worry about money as much as he should. However, he feels like everything is wrong. he has struggled with his mentality in the past and was recovering after a brief stint at the hospital, but everything was lovely.

Until it wasn't anymore.

As a single mother, Rouge has many secrets that Ace has learned never to question. There was her past, her knowledge of the world and her..... morally grey views. But the void of unanswered questions has swallowed him into a position, tethering between two different worlds.

It probably doesn't help that they're harbouring a pirate.

(a What-if fic of if Roger was never executed by the Marines and spent the last couple of months with Rouge, and Garp never taking in Ace as a result)

Long Live The King (In This Life and The Next) by RougeSpirit1

Gol D Roger was the man that had it all. He lived with no regrets and died exactly how he wanted to, leaving behind the greatest Pirate Era the world would ever know. But, what if fate decided that Roger's time was not yet over and decided to give him a new lease on life? How would the world fare against a person destined to become king again?

AU where Monkey D Luffy is the reincarnation of Gol D Roger

Colliding Eras by RougeSpirit1

" Hell no! Get me off! I want nothing to do with the Pirate King!"

" What the hell is a Pirate King?"

AU in which ASL trio are pirates aboard Gol D. Roger's ship.

Sacrifice by SparkandSmile

Portgas D Rouge is many things to many people. She is: 1. A Widow (none but a small handful know of this, for the secret of her husband would condemn more than just her) 2. A Mother (most people know this, it was quite the news story, at the time) 3. The Hero of the Seas, the woman who captured Gol D Roger (the world knows this, it is how she will be remembered)

What Family Means by DeuBatty

When Ace is killed at Marineford he believes his life is over, but little did he know that there was an afterlife. One where he gets to grow up alongside his loving parents, and within a peaceful world.

Sabo & Ace

two sticks and stone by kingcorv

Sabo doesn’t win a lot of fights. Especially not over living grounds, which are a big deal in a place like Grey Terminal, walled on one side by the sea and the other by the mountains, and growing in number by the year. But also not over food, whatever scraps he can find, or the few rugs and blankets not already hoarded in preparation for the cold season. Sabo doesn’t know a lot about living on his own at all. He’s lucky he has Ace to help him out.

or: winter hits Dawn Island, and nobody is as ready as they should be.

Luffy & Ace

Home by realityxx

Ace was going home.

But Luffy wasn’t.

(=> This is falsely tagged as Ace/Luffy)

Dadan & Ace

over the dead sea by kingcorv

Ace has a dream. Dadan has a pit in her stomach.

Other

A Thousand Masks (a Single Flame) by Anonymous

She misses the point when it becomes comfortable to call herself Ace. But it happens, she starts to actually associate the name with herself now. It's different from the times she would simply lose herself in the roles, changing names and aliases on a director’s command, each of them nothing more than a temporary mask hiding the gaping emptiness behind it. Instead, there is a sudden moment when she realizes that "Ace" feels like it's hers. When she claims the name and it feels right.

__________

Or, an au where a famous actress who was violently murdered by a crazy fan gets reborn as one Portgas D. Ace.

Or, having to juggle rebirth, PTSD, mild gender dysphoria, needy younger brothers, stubborn crew of wanna-be-brothers, your own very concerned crew, world government's harassment and million other little things sounds like a great way to spend one's afterlife. (It's really not).

where there's a will there's a way AU Series by by_the_river

Part 1: This Feels Different

A woman finds herself in the world of One Piece. Portgas D. Rouge mistakes her for a fortune teller and asks for a different fate for her son. She's not sure why she agrees to take him. (Okay, that's a lie. Ace's life is a goddamn tragedy and he deserved better.) The miscalculation becomes obvious when she understands how terrible of a life simple, powerless civilians lead here. All the woman can do is rely on her wits, the vague future of this world she remembers, a parlor trick with Tarot cards and a hope for some luck. She will take on different names and identities, cheat and lie and bargain to move Ace from Baterilla to East Blue. (and maybe also accidentally change a few other kids' futures as well)

Part 2: in between here and there

In a world where Ace and Sabo never met, Sabo's been living in Gray Terminal on his own for the past 5 years.

He doesn’t need anyone. At all. He's fine on his own.

He doesn't even like other people and everyone in the Terminal knows not to approach him - or else.

But this fucking smiling kid whose name he refuses to remember just won't leave him alone. He is not getting the pipe-to-the-face message.

Gods, this Luffy's so, so annoying.

Part 3: The kids are not alright

Sanji thinks that Sabo is a mean bully. Sabo thinks that Ace is an entitled brat who's had it easy in life. And what Ace thinks - well, he keeps that a secret from most people.

Sibling Sympathies by HyperbolicReverie

Ace gives her a look like she’s given him the best thing to ever grace the sand, sea or sky, and she’d be lying if it wasn’t horribly endearing. Like some sort of incredibly combustible puppy. “You. You are my new favorite,” he says frankly, jabbing a finger in her direction and gesturing expansively with his mug of water. “I missed out on three years of stupid little brother antics and this is exactly the kind of story I want to hear, so I can lord it over him, as is my right.” He flops back against the railing, chuckling. “A fucking barrel,” he wheezes.

If there was one thing Nami hadn't been expecting, it was that feared pirate Portgas D. Ace was just as much of a loveable dork as his little brother.

Eternal Flames by frayingthreads

Ace was good at many things. He was a good older brother, a Captain, and a friend. None of these changed the fact that Ace never thought much of himself. A story of how Ace first started dying before he started living. Rated T for mental health issues.

Flashy Brotherhood by Airuna

Buggy stops at a bar in East Blue and there’s this angry looking kid asking about the Captain. Asking what would have happened if the Captain had a kid. And everyone starts laughing like the idea is ridiculous. Like Roger hadn’t taken in two street rats and given them a home.

can you make it stick? by kingcorv

Ace might be a demon. Gol D. Roger wasn’t a demon, but this has very little to do with him.

or: Ace, Roger, and legacies

Ships

Shanks/Ace

Tonight Tonight by allthatmay

When Ace falls into the hands of the Celestial Dragons, he is gifted to the heir of the Figarland family, Shamrock Figarland. It's clear that the cold and calculating Shamrock has absolutely no interest in Ace, and yet a midnight encounter between the two of them turns their dynamic on its head. By day, Shamrock treats Ace like he's hardly worth the food he eats, but at night, it's as if he different person entirely...

“Given you've yet to drown yourself in the bath, I’ll keep the door open. But keep it discrete, mind. This whole affair, in fact, should be our little secret. Do you understand, Ace? You should never speak of it.”

We Start Where I End by chromochaotic

"Guess I worry, Chief. Just, think about it. Whether you can live with that regret.”

Then Beckman left his captain to ruminate. His last glimpse was one of Shanks at the table, eyes sliding to his sake. Yet, he didn’t drink it; only stared into its surface, eyes going soft at the reflected, dancing flames.

—

Shanks enacts a last ditch plan, sparing Ace's life. The thing is: no one seems to know why, least of all himself.

Now, thrown into a future he'd never envisioned, Ace realizes he's not the only one learning to live again.

The Shace Selection by allthatmay

A collection of my Shanks/Ace Tumblr prompts!

1] Modern-day meet cute. Shanks is Luffy's father; Ace works in a daycare. (1730 words, G) 2] Modern-day meet cute, NSFW, part two. Ace and Shanks have been dating for a few weeks. (2073 words, M) 3] Pirateverse fluff. Shanks is sick. (896 words, G) 4] The Spades' cat. Shanks has to play nice with the Spades' giant lynx. (1138 words, G) 5] Time travel. Shanks has lost his arm; Ace is a day too late. (580 words, G).

Fatal Attraction by allthatmay

Ace has issues. Shanks can see right through him. [Now with a sequel!]

“Sometimes,” Shanks starts slowly, those eyes of his boring into Ace’s, “fucking's as simple as that, fucking. But every so often, you meet a certain type of person. The ones who'll drink up every little affection you give them ‘til they’re so cock-drunk they can’t imagine being anywhere but underneath you, and you haven't even fucked 'em yet. You savour those ones.” His head tilts, spilling red hair across his fierce gaze, and he smiles, all teeth. “Ones like you, little flame.”

The Colour of Hibiscus by allthatmay

[sequel to Fatal Attraction]

Five times Ace finds Shanks, and one time Shanks finds Ace.

It’s only after Ace has left, pink-eared from the provocative whistling of the Red Hair Pirates, that he realises Shanks has sneaked a piece of paper into his pocket—a vivre card. He pauses in shock outside of the inn, flipping the card over. On the back, written in a line of blocky chicken scratch, it reads: “So you can always come back to me.”

Marco/Ace

The Apartment Above The Auto Shop by AnorLondo00

Edward Newgate had a terrible habit of hiring fatherless, trouble-making punks in need of direction to work at his auto parts garage.

Recently, he’s hired a 20 year old who’s currently on parol and struggling to raise his 12 year old brother on his own.

When Marco (29) moves back to his home city, he’s hesitant to trust the new hire, who’s living rent free above Pop’s auto shop.

Pardus by ImperialMint

After becoming the latest victim of the Fear-Fear Fruit, Ace has some tough truths to face up to. Good thing he's great at ignoring what he doesn't want to face!

Children of the Sea by OneEyedRaven

When it comes to Ace, Marco can't help but think of the old saying: Love is a hurricane.

(Time-traveling Ace, told from Marco's POV.)

Lie to me by Zorika

Having a secret is always hard. Especially when every lie you tell your soulmate shows up on their body. It doesn't stop Ace from trying to hide, and Marco from puzzling over the clues Ace leaves on Marco's skin.

It takes 7 lies to unveil Ace's misery.

That's Not Me Mister Pirate by Dluku

Portgas Ace didn‘t know what was going on anymore. One moment he was in his dorm room chilling on Netflix and eating snacks and the next he was running from an uniformed hoard of people shouting how they‘re going to kill him.

It was not exactly what Ace imagined doing on a Sunday before school, even though he admits that school was not his biggest problem anymore looking at the hoard clad with swords out to get him.

Though the only thing on his mind now was how he didn‘t want his sweats to get caught in the approaching bushes as he swerved from the dirt path of the port into a forest.

Adrenalin to thank his body was listening to him and his feet practically flew over the uneven ground and roots littering on the floor of the forest. Ace absentmindedly registered the hoard calling out his name, or his not name? It was slightly different because the men were adding something in between his first and last name, sadly it was lost in between many shouts and his blood rushing in his ears as Ace bolted through the forest trying to lose the crowd of armed men.

Masked Deuce/Ace

don't stare too long by glasskoi

Ace splutters into his tankard of ale. “Two years!?” Deuce groans. “Do not make this into a thing, I swear to god.” “No, no, I'm just saying,” Ace laughs, “I mean, that’s nearly as long as you’ve known me!” He’s not wrong. The last time Deuce had a fling was two and a half months into sailing on Ace’s crew, and he’s been in a dry spell since. Truthfully, he hasn't even been thinking about it until recently. Ace is more than enough of a handful to worry about.

Or: Deuce is straight, so he's absolutely not going to fuck his captain in the back of a club.

Sanji/Ace

moth, meet flame by JoJolightningfingers

“You’re feisty; I like feisty. It’d be fun. I’d show you a good time. It might help you relax a little. And, you make the best damn lamb shanks I’ve ever put in my mouth, and I gotta pay you back for that somehow.” Ringing silence. Sanji’s half-finished cig drops from his slack lips and rolls into the sea, another tragic casualty of familiarly insane logic. What, is it hereditary or something? “There are,” he tries weakly, when it’s clear that Ace is done and waiting for a response, “so many other ways to do that.” Impishly, Ace tallies up another finger. “And you blush cute.” “I’ll gut you.” “But I taste bad.” “I won’t know that until I try.” Glee lights up Ace’s face. Sanji weighs the merits of going overboard to retrieve his cigarette.

Or: Ace fucks around. Sanji finds out.

Sabo/Ace

A Different Beat by allthatmay

Ace has a nightmare. Sabo helps redirect his anxiety.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” Sabo breathes, and Ace’s heart thunders. “Tell me you don’t want me, Ace, or I swear I’ll take everything from you.”

you would never break the chain by BadTimeChronicles

In another life, Ace was a pirate. Life wasn't always easy, and it might have ended tragically, but he was lucky to be loved by so many. That's all that mattered.

In this life... all he's got are memories no one else has, the ghost of who he used to be, and a connection to a man he'd never wanted anything to do with back then. He tries to make do. After all, he was loved once. Maybe it can happen again.

(Of course, it might be easier if he let it.)

match, light, and spark by ruche

On Baltigo, the Revolutionary Army HQ nurses Ace back to health after the battle at Marineford. Sabo struggles to find the perfect time to reveal who he is, and Ace wonders why blondie seems to know just how to get under his skin.

Luffy/Ace

The Illicit Clinch Trilogy by brainrot_16

Part 1: SUCKERPUNCH (The Illicit Clinch Trilogy: Round One)

Love hits like a sucker punch.

A forbidden passion ignites when fourteen-year-old Luffy falls hard and fast for his magnetic older foster brother, Ace, forcing him to confront a truth about himself he never dared to acknowledge. Meanwhile, haunted by his own taboo desires and the fear of losing everything, seventeen-year-old Ace grapples with his own longing for Luffy.

As they navigate a dangerous path of self-discovery, they risk it all—their family, their future, and their very selves—to discover the true depths of their feelings.

Will their illicit love eventually burn bright, or will it ultimately be consumed by darkness?

Part 2: DROPKICK (The Illicit Clinch Trilogy: Round Two)

Pain hits like a drop kick.

Months of isolation and loneliness have left fifteen year old Luffy yearning for connection, while his feelings for Ace just continue to grow, much to his grandfather's dismay. Friendship seems to come to Luffy in the form of a boy, the eldest son of Garp's superior officer. However, as Luffy spends more time with his new friend, something sinister begins to stir just below the surface.

Meanwhile, eighteen year old Ace's rise to stardom masks a downward spiral, fueled by the pain of separation and the pressures of his newfound fame. He lives two lives: the mask he shows to the public, and the truth he drowns in alcohol. Desperate for exile to end, Ace has no choice but to wait and slip farther away from reality.

Their love was the spark that lit the fire, but will Ace and Luffy blaze through what life throws at them, or will they drown in the waves agony?

Slipstream by forsitvenire

In which Ace grows up ahead of Luffy and Luffy doesn't handle it well (until he does, with some additional help).

Near Death Experiences by monch_monch

"Were we... lovers, in our past life?" Ace asked, with some level of trepidation.

Luffy's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Were we what now."

Paradeisos by chromochaotic

Two years after Marineford, Ace finds himself with one last regret regarding Luffy: that they spent so much time apart. The urge to mend that divide drives Ace to make a special request of his brother.

1 -- Watsonianly the purpose is to mark them as sacrifices that belong to... ghosts and demons and beings of the astral plane. Narratively it has fallen by the wayside since Flora largely neutralized it.

I believe for most of the story it was the explanation for Guts' Beast of Darkness, a lot of his implausible strength and fighting ability, and his theoretical ability to defy fate - Skull Knight explains that the brand puts him a step outside reality, giving him one foot in the interstice. The conclusion I drew from this based on other Berserk worldbuilding was that Guts' astral body, which sort of like reflects his psyche I think, has an influence on his physical existence, allowing his own rage/inner darkness to power him slightly and gain form and voice.

However! It seems that has been dropped or I was wrong to draw those connections lol because our new explanation is that Guts was just ~born that way. So now I don't know what the brand is for. Maybe we'll see someday.

2 -- The answer to this is basically just, that's how Miura wrote it. I'm not sure what you're referring to specifically by everything getting worse though - he did have to fight a bit of a war with Ganishka? I wouldn't say that was worse than the Conviction arc status quo though. Then he fused the real world and the astral world, resulting in fantasy creatures roaming around everywhere, if that's what you're referring to. He did that to give humanity an enemy to unite against and make Falconia a safe place people would flock to.

And apostles and the Godhand are different beings, so the rules are different. The Godhand are beings of the astral realm or whatever and could not physically manifest in the real world without reincarnating the way Griffith did, but apostles are physical beings in reality. It's not just about Femto/Griffith changing form, it's about physically existing.

3 -- The behelit Guts is carrying, or all behelits? They're magic stones that allow for people to make a sacrifice and become a monster or, if they get the extra special crimson behelit, a Godhand. The behelits do this by essentially opening a tunnel into the astral realm and allowing the Godhand to appear. The behelits are also indications of fate - fate dictates where a behelit is, and ensures it eventually falls into the hands of someone fated to become a monster or demon. Guts' behelit is an ominous sign that Guts, or someone close to him, is likely to make a sacrifice and become a monster, or at least get the opportunity to do so after falling into despair.

Narratively Guts' behelit serves as foreshadowing and a reminder that Guts is never too far from becoming a monster.

As for the second half of this question, pre-Fantasia arc, witches and monsters and elves etc existed but were scarce. Puck explains at some point in the Conviction arc that most people can't even see elves and stuff like that because they have no belief in them and no experience with the astral plane. Farnese is only able to see Puck after having her worldview rocked by a bunch of magic shit happening.

Witches, as we see with Flora, lived isolated lives using magic to be hard to find, so it makes sense that we never saw any during the Golden Age. Guts and co start seeing more magic stuff post Golden Age because Guts has a foot outside reality after the brand and the sacrifice, ghosts manifest around him thanks to the brand, etc.

So yeah, these magical beings live away from humanity, in their own little pockets like Flora, mostly invisibly like Puck, or in big communities like Elfhelm, closed off to regular people.

(Yeah we were introduced to Puck because he was being tormented in a bar and Guts saved him - Farnese being unable to see him because of her initially rigid worldview was probably kind of a retcon. But you can explain it by suggesting that since the town Guts is in in chapter 1 is being terrorized by an apostle, maybe that area is more open to seeing magic.)

4 -- Plotwise, the Ganishka conflict introduced a few things that are relevant now, like Daiba, and Kushan in general. It established NeoGriffith's attitude towards humanity and his general vibe. It also allowed NeoGriffith to become a big hero who saved the world so that many people would follow him without question. Ganishka's leveled up form, Shiva, provided an apocalyptic threat that allowed humanity to unite and ally with apostles, and killing Shiva allowed Griffith to fuse the real world and the astral world, bringing fantasy creatures into reality to further his goal of building an empire.

Thematically it also provides a contrast to the 100 year war in the Golden Age, showing how powerful and untouchable Griffith is in comparison to his human self, but also how empty he is. The fact that it was an easy victory for Griffith with very little tension is a way of separating him from his more vulnerable humanity.

Honestly I enjoyed that half of the Millenium Falcon arc much more than Guts' side of the story so I'm glad the whole war plot was there.

5 -- We don't know what Skull Knight's role narratively is yet, except for being an occasional mysterious guide to Guts who shows up to explain stuff sometimes. There are hints here and there - we know for sure now that he's the 1000 year old former emperor of Midland, Gaiseric. We don't know if he was a former sacrifice like Guts, if he was a former incarnated Godhand. We do know he used the Berserk armour too much in the past and it fucked him up. We know his goal is to trap the Godhand in the "vortex" they're called to when someone makes a sacrifice (presumably inbetween the astral realm and the real world), as he explains in the troll cave scene with Slan, chapter 218 or thereabouts iirc. Flora suggests he's using Guts for his own ends. Eventually we'll probably learn what his whole deal is.

6 -- The Berserk armour was made by some dude we meet in Elfhelm, and it gives the wearer superhuman abilities by essentially removing their ability to feel pain and allowing them to fight through broken bones and stuff. This is dangerous to the wearer, and it saps their lifeforce, and without a lot of magic help is liable to essentially take over the wearer's humanity and turn them into their inner monster. With Gaiseric his representation of his inner darkness was a skeleton, with Guts it's a hound.

So it has a lot of drawbacks theoretically and narratively it allowed Guts to kick more ass and gave Miura room for more epic fights with more scary opponents, while still creating tension through the threat of Guts losing his humanity and becoming a monster while wearing it.

But since that still hasn't gone anywhere and Guts is fine, I do think it ended up just being a convenient RPG power up lol, unless something dark still happens with it in the future.

7 -- Kinda both? It's literally given form thanks to Guts being a step outside the real world after the Eclipse (or because he was born that way, whatever) but it is a manifestation of Guts' trauma and rage. It essentially represents the part of Guts that wants to fight so he can lose himself in battle and not have to think.

Which is basically his coping mechanism.

8 -- We don't know for sure but with the recent chapter it seems like Griffith kidnapped Casca for the same reason he invited Rickert to join the Hawks, ie he's lowkey trying to recreate a piece of the past he destroyed. I'm sure that's not the logic he's using consciously - maybe he tells himself he wants her as bait, or as someone who can babysit him when he werebabies out lol. But he seems to be missing the past just as much as Guts does, and I guess Casca represents that to both of them.

As for moonbaby, best guess is it's the fetus that was created when Guts impregnated Casca, then Casca got raped and miscarried the now demonized fetus, that fetus was eventually used to create NeoGriffith's human flesh (when he hatched from the behelit-apostle at the end of the Conviction arc, after that apostle ate the fetus). And now on the full moon, when magic is most powerful, the spirit of the kid takes over his body or whatever.

It sucks imo.

8 -- I like Sonia. I think she's funny, and she represents one of my favourite themes of the story - the isolation and loneliness of seeing the world differently/being on another plane of existence, which parallels Griffith. She also provides opportunities for Griffith to be more personable and patient and basically normal-seeming, which I enjoy seeing. Not necessarily because it's genuine, but because it shows that he's not just an aloof saintlike figure, he's also able to be likeable.