People have really been letting Garp have it lately, but really, he's not a bad person, he just chose a different path than, say, Dragon. While the younger tries to change things from the outside by force, Garp's trying to do damage control and whatever he can from the inside. It's kinda like the views of Lelouch and Suzaku from Code Geass, except Garp isn't that naive. Both have the same goal, to make the system more just, but they disagree on the methods.
That said, I wonder if Dragon still feels this way or if he has realized that things aren't so simple, so black and white? I mean, he left Luffy to Garp's care, so if we take that in to account, one would have to think that he has changed his mind at least on some level, right?
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What a panel to start with! Seriously, just love the aesthetics of Garp, Roger, & Rocks laid out. This whole scene is amazing honestly, Rocks's inner monologue punctuating the short, brutal end. Love love love the point plenty of people have already made about this one. If Rocks inspired more loyalty in his crew, maybe one of them would be able to have saved him. This idea will be even more chilling when we see the wound it leaves on Harald.
Fascinating. Great contrast with both Whitebeard (old) and Oden (platterhead-forme). The former was a father making a noble sacrifice to ensure his sons' retreat. It would have been an insult to his sacrifice to not honor it. Izo ultimately made a similar choice. If he left Kiku in a Straw Hat's care and CP0 was after them...think about it. Oden's final act though inspired such fanatical loyalty some of his retainers were still willing to bet it all 20 years later. That's the real one, but honestly not the biggest thing that had me thinking back to Wano:
It's not just the curtain motif y'know? Though oh my god the curtain motif. It's the sunken island too, remember this stretch of the flashback covers the ending of a cover serial that started with dumping Onigashima into the sea. In all the talk about Moria we did sorta move past that being the first major happening but it's interesting symbolism that applies here.
Say it with me class, God Valley is fascinating for how well it builds off of concepts we've already seen late in our main crew's journey. But in a way that retroactively makes us think about those prior scenes in a new light. I really want to see where the next leg of Harald's story goes because a really clear symbol like the curtains has me piqued about the reality we are contemporary with the long doldrums of Oden's flashback and the gang building Kuri. Seeing Oden's story told by someone other than Oden could be absolutely fascinating.
Still, yet again Dragon steals the show. Oda's making really good work out of his practice with the Sibling Samurai and their penchant for short, high impact scenes that don't need a lot of elaboration. This is seriously as telling as that cute little moment about her guilt tripping Izo in 1012 in terms of like, a very quick scene that now tells you everything you need to know about Dragon & Garp.
I do wonder if Dragon has softened over the years and realized why Garp stays where he is. It's also excellent to see that spelled out this chapter. I'd still like to see these two with Luffy's birth and all, did they have a similar thing as Roger & Garp? But this scene says so much with so few words.
Though of course...how would Loki or Scopper know any of that stuff with Garp? We finally get back to Harald and holy hell this is heartbreaking. The death of Rocks had a tremendous impact on Harald. He really spells it out himself, let one of his best friends die and stood aside. Sunk cost tells him there's no choice but to double down and make that sacrifice mean something. First, the good. He's done with Elbaph's bullshit and recognizing both of his sons. But he's just hoping they'll get along, of course Loki's going to be spiteful of losing the one thing he had over Hajrudin. It's obviously going to exacerbate things especially when Harald continues to focus on the outside world.
The contrast with Oden gets deeper. Oden could be clueless with the retainers but he was phenomenal with the family. The silver lining to being bottled up in Kuri is he had a lot of good years at the end just hanging with the kids. Getting to know the retainers as adults. And of course his dancing was quite similar to Harald ripping his goddamn horns off! Dude...fuckin' metal. Also fascinating as a rebuttal to Otohime, someone so frail like her could not make a gesture like this. So let's see where this goes, God Valley took a while but if anywhere deserves the ultimate mega-flashback it's Elbaph.
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Pretty sure it's gonna be Loki who's gonna "put them back into play." He and Luffy would make a really destructive team after all...
...But enough of that. Look how happy he is when talking to Rocks! The big guy (well, little guy from Loki's point of view I guess) was probably his first friend.
Some thought I've had about how the Rocks Pirates, WB, Kaido and Big Mom in particular, responded to losing their connections with Xebec, and his death. Those three are given the most focus in regards to that.
Whitebeard appears somber here, while Kaido and Big Mom seem to not realize how much being part of Xebec's crew gave them fulfillment, looking hopeful. Being part of the crew may have kept them from spiraling into obsession in recreating her sixth birthday for Linlin, in the present, every time someone leaves her crew, she gets worse, and begins inflicting punishments for those who want to.
And depression/fixation on dying in a way which the world would not forget or be able to erase, as Xebec was, in the case of Kaido. Him seeing the WG/Marines also killing Roger and Whitebeard fueled his worst traits in a similar fashion as what people leaving did for Big Mom's worst traits.
A factor as to why I feel that Big Mom and Kaido may not have realized how much losing Xebec would negatively affect them, is the nature of their recruitments. A Davy Back fight and Whitebeard being the one to invite Kaido. Xebec himself did not invite Kaido.
There is not a wholesome sense of trust and loyalty forged during their recruitment in both cases, and unlike Whitebeard, who also joined via Davy Back fight though has Sphinx Island he wishes to care for, Kaido and Big Mom both lack a positive connection with their home island, having been banished from Elbaph and sold to the WG by their respective homes. Whitebeard's connection to Sphinx helped to keep him grounded after a tragic separation from his crew.
Domi Reversi being able to be translated as "return home" as in the place of one's origins, fits well with all of this I think. Xebec returned to God Valley, Kaido and Big Mom cannot or do not wish to, and Whitebeard still supports his home.
