#chromalami

Art for the second chapter of the second Law novel. What's Penguin got a hold of baby Hakugan for. Trespassing in the designated chef's kitchen? I'll need to read it (put it into translate). Also, lookit, seems that Law meets Kikoku, which is fitting, given that the title of this instalment is Kikoku no Toki (Kikoku's hour // Kikoku's time). Here is a post on twitter from the author, Sakagami Shusei (/坂上秋成) . Art is by Nishimura Kinu (西村キヌ).

Sometimes I wonder if the scene above is widely known? Or the one below.

In the scene above, chapter 525, Ace is in Impel Down awaiting execution. Garp gestures with an open palm, trying to explain what he knows about Roger, Ace's biological father, but Ace doesn't want to hear. I know, in theory, Garp could have busted Ace out of prison (we hope), but his face tells of his disconcertion with the situation that Ace is in. (The anime is a different creature). The scene above is followed in this post by the scene below from chapter 551 where Roger asks Garp to take care of his unborn child (Garp has a recent flashback, then a more distant one. He's on Ace's execution platform).

Before I go further, I want to say that I'm not particularly a fan of the marines, but I am a fan of nuanced writing, and the complexities of humans and humankind. I also try not to think about things in a polarising manner. Systemic abuse and injustice exists in institutions, and is rife in institutions such as the military, but I don't think that all members of institutions are systemic abusers due to belonging to the institution, although you can argue that by dint of being in the system they perpetuate it. However, people also have many reasons why they're in a system, including that many might not recognise that they are part of one that can generate harm. I also believe that people can change, but that not all people do. Anyway, back to the meta and Garp. I've recently seen some discourse stating that Garp spoke badly to Ace about Roger, and I'm not all across the board with One Piece, so I might have missed it. In the manga scenes I could dig up, the opposite seemed to be true.

Returning to the panels above, Roger selects Garp to look after Ace because he knows how vindictive those at the top are, and after recent God Valley reveals, the upper echelon stop at nothing to not only wipe out clans, but to force the members of those clans to wipe out each other. Roger also trusts Garp as much as any of his shipmates (important for later in this post). From recent chapters, we also know that Roger and Garp fought together at the behest of a possessed Rocks to stop him (Rocks) from slaughtering a truckload of people—civilians, pirates, slaves, marines, and celestial dragons, one presumes. We assume that Garp and Roger also know that Imu ordered possessed Rocks to kill his own wife and child (they fortunately escaped, but I don't know if or when Garp and Roger learn that).

Obviously, Garp did not succeed in fulfilling the request as seen in the panel above where Ace is set to be executed, although he did up to age 20. But Garp's face on the side panelling where

I am bound to be way off track and I'm sure it's been explored and discounted before, and that there is some logistical logical reason why this cannot be, BUT, as far as we know, King is the last of his line, right? (discounting the seraphim for now).

And the Lunarians have the ability to create fire (flame). (chapter 1022 above).

Imu and the Celestial dragons consider themselves God's, and Mary Geoise is called the Holy land (1022, above). Before the holy land it was God’s land ( Marco remembering WB's words: could depend upon translation too). Anyway, back to the flame:

King's attitude is pretty condescending, and the language he uses (in the scans at least) for his attacks is the language of royalty. (chapter 1035). I know that King was caught and tested on for endurance's sake (screen shot below):

But possibly he was tested on for more. I don't think that Kaidou uses similar entitled terms, although he is the one to give King that name. Has King come from or is he of the original Celestial Dragons (like the ones on God’s Land before the 20 families arrived, taking the literal meaning of the word celestial and dragon?) , and did the 20 families, under possible-(traitorous) Lunarian Imu adopt a similar attitude? Imu gaining the family name Nerona along the way? (Edited in).

What if King's ability to create fire beyond (or maybe even linked to) the fire on his back is from the mother flame? That the fire on the back is maybe passed along genetically, as seen by the seraphim, and possibly the ability to create fire also is. HOWEVER, there is only one lunarian (King) and maybe Imu left? Imu left his people to create the World Government. The devil's deal was maybe the loss of this ability, or no-one being around to show Imu how to harness/create this energy? The mother flame comes from a mother? Maybe there is something beyond creating weapons with the energy from the mother flame. Maybe it would also stop the exhaustion that Imu seems to experience when transforming into the akuma no mi (or maybe devil's fruit) form. York is definitely the unreliable scientist in the chain of production of an artificial/replica mother flame.

Loved this chapter. Others will cover things in detail, so I'm going to concentrate on one of my favourite pirate crews:

The Kuja Pirates, and its various

empresses. Gloriosa and a very young

future empress, Tritoma (in between Shakky and Boa Hancock). Who is gathering fan mail for

Lady Shakky! Future empress. Roger (and it seems his crew, that's Scopper in the bottom left corner of the picture above) are plaguing the Kuja pirates to

"Davy Jones" Shakky away from the Kuja pirates (Roger looking like Shanks and Ace there). But Gloriosa is in love with Roger. She's powerful too, and I don't know if it's ironic or not, but (separate from Roger Pirate attacks), feels that her beauty is a burden.

(Referring to the same panel as above. BUT, it could be some Boa Hancock hubris. BUT, at the same time, Elder Nyon is wise, and much smaller, and has not kept beauty in the stereotypical way that Shakky has). Anyhoo. On with it! Future Empress Shakky

Lays everyone low with a look (and fighting <- edited in, in case folks thought I didn't notice). A lot more conflict than with Boa Hancock (as in Hancock's victims immediately turn to stone, so don't bicker <-also edited in), I think. And Roger is no match for her (nor Gaban).

Also, awesome speech, Shakky, but also, some horrible foreshadowing regarding Hancock and her sisters:

where Shakky tells a defeated Roger that she'll never submit to another's captivity. Yes. And then takes all of Roger's crews' treasure and food:

Look at her smoking enough to put Sanji to shame too (picture before last). Shakky is maybe top of my goddesses, but they don't have to compete! Also, I know you caught these, but let's highlight:

Pure adulation with Shakky. I'm with you. I am noting that Gloriosa is also adored, but not by

Roger, who, typically, only wants what he can chase after (like Garp!), not who he could actually have. Although, I'm guessing that Rouge blew him away. But Shakky only has deadly eyes for

Rayleigh. Who confirms that he's on a crew of idiots (but both Sanji and Zoro would say that, and they're both right). And Rayleigh thinks he's immune, but he is not, and Shakky has a wink that rivals Iva's. In the aftermath

Gloriosa falls to Love Sickness. Shakky being extremely worried for her. The Kuja themselves seem to only have eyes for their leaders, and well enough! I'm not sure how Gloriosa survived (or how she ended up with Rocks Pirates at the God Valley Incident? Maybe she turned to vengeance against Roger?) and so Shakky is named

the new empress. I'm guessing that both Shakky and Gloriosa left the Kuja for a while, which is how they survived, whereas sweet Tritoma:

-- what happened to her? (Image taken from SBS). ____ Shout out to my story for the One Piece Tarot Zine (zoom in). It features Shakky and touches upon the empresses. It's a short piece, but I think it's powerful. Art to accompany it can be found on AO3 and at this link (it's gorgeous art) 👇

Does anyone think that the owl (Biblo)

might somehow be, or be connected to

Professor Clou D. Clover?

OR, kinda seems to have a passing semblance to

Ange? (just might be glasses / teacher / librarian / stereotypical bias.

Also, love to see Lilith's Vegapunk brain reminder (and previously, with Franky power-ups)...

BUT, Oda always introduces kickass female characters, and then nerfs them with domesticity.

I am hoping that both Lilith and Bonney get to contribute. Remember Lilith's introduction and impulsiveness?

(chapter 1162) Of course, she was shown to be a contradictory sweetie who mourned the loss of the other satellites, and being over the top was played effectively for laughs, but she definitely was a loose canon, befitting the 'evil' satellite title.

BUT, for sure, she's not in Imu's class (but does have Vegapunk's genius / is Vegapunk). Therefore, I hope that Oda doesn't just token hand-wave towards that situation. He's set it up. Exploit it, lad (or lass). Let Lilith shine. She's hilarious.

Bonney couldn't age-regress Saturn, but she could do this

to Saturn. True, with Luffy's help, but she does have the ability to embody Nika. Again, she's in no way a match for Imu, but she did (help) take out a member of the gorosei, and has always

been clever with her devil fruit. Also, where's Kuma? Just a thought, if Bonney can age-express the Elbaph kids to adults, that would be an extra army of giants who might have more power against Killingham's power, and the God's Knights in general.

While we're talking about cuties, how about this one? (below)

Ragnir seems to have some past connection to Imu, as does Loki's zoan form. Ragnir's not having any of it.

Don't believe the hype, but the God's Knights (or Killingham) seem to think that Gunko might've kicked the bucket:

I'll put the whole page in (above), because there are a few things I want to mention. Brook and Shuri / Gunko need to have a reunion (will she be her actual age?), so I don't think she's dead.

Sommers mentions that Imu's body is not meant to be out and about in the wider world. Very interesting, and -- not least of all, at all, Killingham has summoned this:

The God of Rain, "What I find most scary", Dream demon, Zaza. We're told at the beginning of the chapter that Zaza is an onomatopoeia for the sound of heavy, constant rain.

Zaza is brilliant, isn't she/it/they? And I love that the God's Knights (and Celestial Dragons) have their very own children's fears, as outlined by Rosinante when talking to Law about

about the Will of D, and the warning that holders of that initial bring to the Celestial Dragons (including the God's knights). And how the threat of the Will of D. is used to make children behave.

So, Zaza is maybe the more authentic bogey-being, born from Killingham's fears (although, I would have liked to have seen what his dream/nightmare image of those who hold the intial D might have been), and I can therefore forgive Zaza's sudden appearance and explanation (below)

keeping this childhood fear/manifestation in mind, and also because their design is so cool! Also, new thought, you know who lived above the clouds and who might fear/have feared such a deluge of rain? Perhaps,

Lunarians? Perhaps King is aptly named (I know it's not his birth name). And perhaps the mother flame sought is to replace/replicate that which was lost during a previous Zaza attack (or even of seas rising?) if it’s related to the flames Lunarians have on their beings. Just a digression. That much rain also brings about the need for Noah's ark, right?

Current known count of the holders of the Will of D on Elbaph Island:

2; Jaguar D. Saul, Monkey D. Luffy, and possibly Clou D. Clover if he is somehow embodied in Biblo?!? (just a long shot). Current number of Nika: 2? If Zaza strikes the fear of God into the God's Knights, what might some Ds thrown into the mix do to them, and then a D who is also Nika? Honestly, Zaza they brought upon themselves, but all their fears are ready to 'bring about a storm' (I hope).

Special shout outs, Zoro and Sanji passing each other, with complete trust in each other, living up to being the wings of the Pirate King, yada, yada, yada.

And, Sommers is such a revolting character, but he's also funny a lot of the time (he's not forgiven, though). Love his black 'omen/maki' halo hovering overhead while he declares how great he is (below).

Super Summers it is! Hubris before the fall. His thorns were rolling out behind him in another scene.

(Village scenes with Dr Chopper, and Gerd getting her fingers reattached, and Rodo simping, etc., also good).

Am also definitely agreeing with the folks drawing comparisons between the manifestation of Moria's powers, and the demonic bullets/explosions Imu sends out, although a different end result.

I’ll probably be crucified for this, but I think that Dragon has more parallels with Usopp, or an Usopp-like character, than Luffy in this chapter, and that is in no way an insult to him or Usopp. I think he is, or was, more a lover than a fighter, and more likely to gauge a situation and act when it has absolutely pushed him to the brink.

In 1165, Dragon is rectifying a terrifying situation, but he doesn’t have Garp or Luffy’s instantaneous and almost continual brashness, confidence, and wish/tendency to fight (for fun and fury) at the drop of a hat. (Nor, at the moment, physical strength. Usopp would need to use a weapon too).

But he comes through when he needs to come through, and how. I feel—like Usopp, like Nami, or, more calculated, like Robin (much younger)—he first gauged the situation on God Valley Island after being thrust into it, and tried to make the reality he wished to happen (and believed in) fit into a reality that completely disrupted and disintegrated that belief.

It seems to me that Luffy never had that naivety, or the awareness to have that naivety burst, and Luffy is able to extract himself and others from bad situations fairly quickly (initially anyway), due to this ability to mostly act instinctively. Further to that, he has the strength to forcibly fix a situation (punching a Celestial Dragon), and to be so unaware and so confident that he generally has no fear of what the outcome of such actions might be. (Yes, he was not successful at Marineford or saving his friends at Sabaody, but he did not hesitate to try and change the trajectory in either situation, and did pretty amazingly at Marineford, despite the final and tragic outcome). Dragon knows all too well, from a thousand angles, what the outcome of his actions and inaction could and will be. So I’m pondering if: Luffy instinctively knows what is right and wrong? Garp only thinks he knows? And Dragon is cursed with understanding that actions have repercussions for all involved. I fully condone (to use his words) Dragon’s actions in mutinying in 1165 and, like Jaguar D. Saul after him, acting for the rights and lives of helpless, innocent and persecuted citizens and slaves. However, I feel that that he will still mourn his platoon if they do end up executed due to his actions. Garp is faced with this conundrum, obviously. Luffy chooses not to enter the navy so he’s never faced with this choice (of betraying one group for another; although Bon Kurei’s supposed sacrifice could kind of be analogous). Anyway, that’s a bit of an aside.

Luffy helps others out along his journey, and pledges to help others, like Vegapunk, but has, for example, no interest in understanding the Will of D. or the Void Century (the latter, going from the conversation with Rayleigh in Shakky's bar in Sabaody).

But it seems that Dragon is ultimately all over that (although, considering how earnestly the Revolutionaries were talking about stopping the rise of whoever finds the one piece (after Vegapunk’s transmission) I’m not sure how much he knows).

As seen above, he was at Ohara (after the Buster call) paying tribute to Professor Clover after the World Government executed him. Dragon was a good friend with Vegapunk. He grows into a man who is in the business of knowing what is going on (because once he knew so little).

I feel Garp has some knowledge of these things, given his generation and God Valley, but Luffy’s feet-first and head-strong approach, and competitiveness with rivals, and cavalier attitude toward established (or hidden) history / current affairs / fellow pirates’ names, seems more aligned to Garp (and Roger) than Dragon. True, though, Luffy and Dragon act on injustice when they see it, but we see—and this is what makes young Dragon (and Usopp) so appealing or understandable as characters—they do it scared.

We’re not privy to Dragon’s inner dialogue at present (chapter 1165), and extreme circumstances have driven him to extreme acts (which will save the remaining civilians/prisoners on the island, which is a good thing. And will send a message to the government, which is also a good thing), but he’s still young, and not yet super-powered like Luffy and Garp, so I hope he’s still a little or a lot scared in his braveness (or when he comes down from the adrenaline rush) so that he keeps his humanity.

Also, haven’t seen him pick his nose or have a sleep attack once 😄 Not to say it won’t happen. Luffy has "inherited" a lot of Roger's outlook too, and yeah, maybe Dragon represents those times when Luffy is reflective, and I’m not saying Luffy has to be an exact copy of Dragon, I’m just saying that he’s not that close of a copy for me yet. But, yeah, as said in another meta when Dragon lost Shamrock, I think (or maybe it was in tags), Dragon’s reckoning with the horrors of God Valley and his role as a soldier there (and all that implies), and his loss (of the babies, but also of his belief in himself and the world he had served and seemingly believed in to that point) was his Luffy-overcoming-the-loss-of-Ace / regaining-his-will-to-live-love-and-fight moment, despite the absolute horror he’s witnessed. From Clover, to Sabo, to Kuma, to Logue Town, it seems Dragon’s retained the ability to love. Thank fuck for that.