#gaimon

Whatever Luffy's dream is, it's gonna be about BUYING the whole world!

He's not calling it the gum gum fruit, but the fruit OF the gum gum tree. Remember how in the early sketches, Merry was the name of the gum gum spirit from the tree? The creation of Nika is gonna have something to do with this tree, here's to hoping this will be explained in Act 2 of Elbaph (we're still in Act 1 imo). I am convinced it's going to be linked to the forest god from the Harley.

The afro and boxer joke reminds me of the Davy Back fight as well, Gaimon was even reminiscing about boxing!! He's a lot more of a seasoned and knowledgeable pirate than most people assume, perhaps he fought in Davy Back fights himself back in the day.

I am convinced that something like this is going to happen on Laugh Tale, the real question is to *who*. But at the same time, was the loot of the chests ever that important in the first place? Oda established in Orange Town how there's two types of great treasure; sentimental value (Luffy) vs material value (Buggy). They're both of equal value, and I believe the One Piece is going to have both types. Perhaps Buggy will get all that loot first if he does claim the One Piece first (and if he really is Joyboy's son, then that'd add sentimental value, too). Luffy would find it hilarious anyway if the One Piece loot was claimed by someone else who was faster than him.

I know that Oda said that the One Piece isn't about "the friends we made along the way", however sentimental value IS created through deep bonds of relationships! Luffy's hat is important to him because Shanks, his FRIEND, entrusted it to him. Which btw Nami was fixing at the start of the chapter, too. The One Piece is of course something tangible, but it'll have great sentimental value attached to it. It's going to be less about Joyboy himself, but about his friends, and that's what makes the One Piece a much greater treasure than all the loot surrounding it. Just how Gaimon's REAL treasure is the forest and its inhabitants, or rather his friends who he's been protecting from poachers for 20 years. So while the One Piece isn't about "the adventure and friendships we made" as an abstract concept, it'll still be about it in the form of a physical reward. But most importantly, it'll be about having fun and enjoying yourself!

I have a feeling this is foreshadowing for Joyboy's story, too. The last time someone got to hear his story was 20-something years ago, which is a bit longer than Gaimon being stuck in that chest. But did anyone ever ask Joyboy himself back in the day? Did Roger even get the full story? And what if Joyboy is stuck in a treasure chest himself and that's what Davy Jones's locker looked like all along?

Backseat Storytelling: One Piece