#crocouncle

I think this is our first proper map usage. And honestly good call from Oda to decide at a certain point with so many different characters to add the occational map to show where everything and everyone is.

Also nice showcase of: we were right next to where we wanted to go originally (and if they did Luffy wouldn't have gotten his water and would have never won against Crocodile).

Thankfully Zoro was stopped before he could add a dozen chapters extra to the story.

Also Sanji in the middle of the desert when it's apparently not hot enough lighting a cigarette.

The (sun) god demands a sacrifice for his help. Seriously I didn't notice how early this came up. Feed Luffy and you will be freed.

a few things on this exchange: 1) the hand would be the least of my issues, the gigantic missing chunk out of the torso is far worse

2)the fact that a child is willing to fight because he lost basically his hope and sees no way out 3)the most important message imo: We are afraid. None of us WANTS to fight. We have to. They know what they are doing, they know how dangerous and awful it is, but they know they have no choice. It's an insanely strong message.

(Not pictured: Cobra making it utterly clear that they will not attack the rebels because they are his people. He was a wonderful king.)

(on the other side) It is a bit funny with how unsubtle Crocodile has been so far in front of the people. Sure they view him as a hero but he puts zero effort into looking like one. It does nicely showcase how blindly the people do follow the WG without knowing what they are truly doing. Even Smoker doesn't trust Crocodile and he's a marine, simply because once a pirate always a pirate. And Crocodile isn't the nice sort.

a) Karoo being awesome b) nice reminder of Bon Clay for later

Love the panel here. Crocodile huge and grinning in the background having the (not actually it turns out) last laugh and Cobra in the front not falling for his plans, smaller but determind.

I love the oversight we get. It's also nice that we accidentally put everything right in order. Alabasta is luke 95% pure luck of it working out. Seriously between Galdino screwing up, then surviving the bananawanis, the right information at the right time, Luffy's waterdrop and Robin's decision it's a whole lot of: Luffy shouldn't have made it at all.

Chapter 168

What a lovely justice system. Made a good dance performance your crimes are gone.

We have the first climate baton version and it fits Nami perfectly.

Showing off Usopp's creative crafting skills

Sanji being an idiot. It's so nice to have him go from here to "Help me Robin!" The character growth

Call me PRINCE Charming. Sure thing Mr. Foreshaddowing

Comedy gold. Idiots, all four of them. And it pairs so nicely. Luffy just had a very important conversation with Vivi about how she needs to see what they are up against, Usopp just made Nami a cool new weapon, Smoker figured out something is off about Crocodile and none of them notice what's up until half a conversation later.

The rest of this comedy and storytelling bit is amazing too.

Zoro telling everyone to get ready to run, Tashigi having to pay for Usopp and Luffy, the Baroque works sure will notice -cut to the Baroque works noticing and of course:

At this point he could have just put up a gigantic neon sign that says Crocodile with an arrow pointed towards him. (And he has the nerve to complain about Buggy.)

Time for Sanji to leave this ark and go off to come back with absolulty important stuff to save the day.

And here we have Zoro incapable of fighting a woman.

Did they switch arks?

Chapter 169

It's Coby and Luffy all over again. It's so cute.

The amount of water Crocodile has around him is so insane. Not only because everyone else is dying, but it shows his confidence. His one weakness here and he's surrounded by it, yet completly unbothered.

They deserved that. They really deserved that. It's wonderfully funny, but I also cannot get that artwork out of my head where Nico Robin pulls Crocodile away from the right way because he falls for his own trap.

Our first introduction to seastone. Also Smoker a logia user having his own weakness on him as a weapon is both cool and insane. Just like Zoro here. He was so ready to fight him if needs be.

(Something about Impel Down.) I love how this is in a way brought back later during the Impel Down break out, if we're stuck together, we might as well work together.

There's also the two panels (this and the next one) that show the two sides in this. Crocodile is right they might as well be friends (or at least allys) because they are indeed on the same side, Crocodile however is on the other side.

This is officially the first time they meet, for anyone who likes any theories about those two being related. (I'm personally a Croco-uncle fan, as much as I love Crocoparent i doubt it will be canon now that we have Triotama.)

Pell is cool, always likes him

He is very off with that number. Like comically off. You could probably made a tune to "We didn't start the fire" to them. Sadly I am utterly tone deaf. Anyways here a just a few natural, manga canon devil fruits that let you "fly" in some way: Flacon, Phoenix, Albatross, Rhinocerus Beetle, Hornet, Pteranodon, Nika, (probably Kitsune), Itsumade, Azure Dragon, Smoke, Sand, Rumble, Soot, Gas, Fire, Snow, Chop Chop, Kilo Kilo, Flower, Clone, String, Magnet, Op, Float, Spin, whatever Lafitte has. If he means only bird fuits we have currently 3 (Flacon, Phoenix, Albatross) in canon. Maybe Lafitte is the 4th.