AND!!! i'd also like more about odessa. does she exist in the manga/anime canon, and/or only in the opla canon? love the moodboard for her intro post, btw. pink haired characters >>>>>>
Hiii!! Thank you for asking about my girl!!! She's all that been on my mind for the past week. I adore you for asking about her and give me a reason to yap.
First let me answer the question about if she exist in the canon of the anime/manga: I would say yes and no. When writing Odessa story I will lean more into the LA story built as I haven't watched the anime. I'm just getting started now and I'm noticing all the differences between the two, opla is more fast paced that the anime, but I could use some details (and also can't help but think how Odessa would fit in the anime setting) and eventually when I surpass the S2 of the LA in the anime, I can think of what Odessa might do in later seasons. There's a whole of material lol.
Odessa comes from a long line of writers, journalist and historicians. Her name is a whole reference to her background as Saga is how commonly big series of books are denominated, also one piece is divided by sagas and Odessa intends to write all of her adventures with the Straw Hats, so it felt fitting. H. comes from History, Odessa is the Straw Hat chronicler and most knowledgeable person, but is also a reference to Homer as Odessa's name is inspired by Homer's The Odyssey, which is also an epic story just like One Piece is. Also Odessa's sister is named Ilia after The Iliad.
I'm still figuring out Odessa's parents, as for now, they're death because of a fire that burn down the family's manor to the ground into ashes, but you never know, there could be some kind of plot twist along the way. The only reason why Odessa didn't die in the fire is because she was running away when it happened.
Odessa is from Loguetown, and like I say before she's from a family of writers. So from a young age she started writing, her first book being published when she was 10 years old. Her books were often very fairytale-esque, with dreamy, idealistic and fantastical tones, it rapidly became her signature, in contrast her sister, Ilia, had a more gritty, realistic, tragedy-based tone. This soon became a comparison point to their parent as they were always comparing their sellings, their reviews, it became a competition sooner than later, specially to Ilia.
Though as Odessa grew up became bored of always writing the same thing all over again. One day, in the city, when she was signing some of her books to her fans, she was witness of a marine abusing of an elder man, Odessa tried to defend him but the marine told her to get on with her business and let him do his "job". After that, everytime Odessa went to the city she saw more and more how corrupted the Marines in Loguetown were and she decided to denounce it in the only way she could. Writing.
She announced then, that she was working on a secret project, not even her parents or sister, could get a peak of it, until it was published. And it gained on her the rage of the current Captain of the Marines of Loguetown (who was not Smoker at the time), as she not only published it in all the libraries of the city but also sent a direct copy to the Fleet Admiral.
This also was not well received by her parents, as they were very close of mind and all about reputation. They treated her harshly, telling her that this will cost her career and will be banned from publishing another book, Ilia also blamed her for crossing her own reputation as her sails were starting to decrease.
After all this, Odessa took the decision of leaving her home, to finally write whatever she wanted without the high expectations of her family. But as she was getting into the ship, she saw in the distance a smoke from the direction of her house, when she got there it was all ashes, nothing was left. She thinks it was the marines and the captain but as she has no proofs.
Three years later, she's working in a little island, Shells Town, for their newspaper. Odessa is no longer inspired by anything. He hated everything she writes. Only little tales she writes for the newspaper. She absolutely hates the marines there, specially Captain Morgan but she doesn't have the courage to write nothing against them anymore. That's until she witnesses Zoro's fight with Helmeppo in the bar. So when she comes back to her little office, she finds herself writing an article about the fight and how corrupt the marines are there, but she scratches it. Signing in instead the tale she always write. Or so she thinks.
And that's how the story begins with her being dragged in the Luffy's shenanigans and joins the Straw Hats rather fastly as being with them just makes spark with inspiration to write. She becomes their chronicler/researcher and intends to write everything that they do in their adventure to find the One Piece.