#ch145

I love this in the manga. 

The anime framed it as a joke, even adding a line that went like ‘don’t vomit while you’re saying my name!’ that killed the mood. Here, it’s completely serious from the moment they fell. The only exception being Natsu’s face, and that’s perfectly fine. 

 takes a deep breath

Okay, so I think everyone who reads One Piece knows that Hiliruk’s final speech is pretty important. It’s perhaps the single most important monologue given in the entire series, and what’s more is that it’s not something Oda pulled out of his ass. There’s a famous line in the Hávamál that echos the sentiments presented here pretty closely:

“Wealth dies. Friends die. One day you too will die. But, the thing that never dies is the judgement on how you have spent your life.”

Oda has said in many interviews that he was inspired by Vikings, and I think on a structural level One Piece most closely follows Norse mythology. Not only are there places like Elbaf and various giant world trees, the world at large is barreling toward an inescapable war that’s promised to reshape the earth--perhaps literally. But at the same time the world is promised to be reborn into something else. Hopefully something better. 

I’m pretty adamant about interpreting One Piece through the lens of the Romantic tradition, but a case could also be made for calling it a Norse-style epic. Not that I am in any way qualified to do that, but the point stands. 

And it all hinges on this speech. When we finally hear Roger’s last words to Rayleigh (I won’t die, partner) the reader automatically makes the connection to Hiliruk’s speech. This entire story wouldn’t exist if Roger didn’t feel the same way Hiliruk does here. Or perhaps it’s the other way around, and the thief who admired pirates so much took note of the fallout surrounding the Pirate King’s execution. It’s hard to say. 

And really, this is what the World Government is trying to do in regards to the Void Century. They are literally trying to make the world forget the existence of the Kingdom that existed before them. Then, and only then, can they truly be victorious. Which is why they’ve been so ruthless hunting down anyone with the knowledge of the poneglyphs, and why it’s so important that the Ancient Kingdom’s final message was written on unbreakable stone.

So much of the One Piece world is inspired by the generation that came before it. The instances can be small, such as Usopp’s desire to go to sea, or they could be very large indeed, if the theories connecting Blackbeard and Rocks D Xebec are true. 

But inheriting a person’s will does not make you a carbon copy. Luffy is not Roger. Chopper is not Hiliruk. Jinbe is neither Otohime nor Fisher Tiger. They each have their own distinct powers, personalities, and ways of accomplishing their goals. 

Also, most likely, a telegram will get to Diedrich.

I also wonder how long will Lau stay around for... Will he be the place to “rest and gather their thoughts” or will he be... more?

This exchange:

Suggests to me that Sebastian intended for them to show up later, not while the carriage was still headed to the Yard. He wanted a jail break (if they were not quickly released), not a carriage break.