#ch344

This exchange between Iceburg and Robin goes a long way in showing some of the more insidious evil of the World Government’s propaganda machine. Iceburg is a good dude, he has personal reasons not to trust the WG, and yet he believes the story of the Ohara devils. Probably, in part, because Tom was also worried about the potential danger Robin was to the world, but still. Ohara was known as one of the greatest academic institutions in the world, only for that reputation to go up in smoke just because the Government said so.

Another thing Oda does a really good job of this arc is filtering character’s actions through the lens of their individual beliefs and values. Iceburg’s opinions on weapons and weapon systems is something he believes in very strongly even as a young man, with the death of Tom only solidifying his view on the matter. Franky, obviously, has always felt very differently, and in the end turns himself into a human weapon. What trips Iceburg up is then he goes so far as to say that Robin should forget learning about history if there’s even a chance of the Ancient Weapons being revived, when that’s never been her intention.

When evaluating Robin’s choices during Water 7, I think it’s important to point out she didn’t actually know CP9 was going after the blueprints to an ancient weapon. She cooperated with the World Government fully knowing she’d be arrested, tortured, and executed, but not knowing that after years of killing anyone with any connection to the weapons, the WG had switched policies and was trying to awaken them for themselves.