#ideals

Selma to Montgomery March, Montgomery, Alabama, 25 March 1965. Dan Budnik. Gelatin silver.

PKMN Black - Dragons’ Gifts

⭐️ This was gonna be a bonus panel in the last DxP comic, but I felt it more fitting to give it its own post.

According to the leaked lore about Reshiram & Zekrom (see below), it was said that the Dragons gifted their Heroes with ancient wisdom / knowledge - this is my interpretation of what that was.

More info (set after BW):

N would often use his gift to help others (mostly Pokémon) figure out what it is they want, helping them visualize their hopes & dreams out of appreciation of that struggle from his own journey.

Ansy rarely ever uses her gift (especially not on people close to her, unless they directly ask her), but it’s handy for strangers whose intentions are iffy or otherwise aren’t what they seem.

One of Luffy's first big developments as a Leader, was when Vivi taught him the lesson that as the boss, for the sake of his own ambitions and friends, and even himself, he had to learn to know when he had to let things go.

This is a critical, yet often overlooked part of his character, but it really showcases again and again through the series where Luffy time and again makes friends or allies out of former enemies... All harkening back to this lesson Vivi taught him.

Probably the most ironic example being when this very lesson is the reason why luffy, pragmatically let Crocodile go free despite having burned Vivi's Kingdom to the ground, something he was still pretty peeved about.

It's one aspect where Luffy proved himself superior to his brother Ace, and by extension Roger, neither of which were ever able to let things go.

There is a time for retribution, there is a time to be the bigger man, and there is a time to run.

Those who do not understand this ends uo dead in the grave.

Luffy, fittingly enough, being a rubber man and all, has learned this lesson well, and is flexible when faced with challenges in life.

But as I said, there is a dark side to this approach.

And that dark side is showcased the best in his grandfather, Monkey D. Garp.

Garp, Like Luffy is able to let things go... But in his case letting things go is him being able to live with things like the world nobles slaughtering hundreds of thousands of people and not only not doing anything about it, but laughing and enjoying himself under the sun while it happens.

Its standing aside and letting his fellow marines butcher innocent and completely unrelated pregnant women and children in their hunt for Roger's child... Despite his self proclaimed belief that children are the single most important thing in the world that must be cheriahed and protected at all costs.

This is who Monkey D. Garp is.

He is a man able to let things go, so long as it doesn't happen directly in front of his face.

On the flip side, Garp also lacks Luffy's will to stand bg his principles, showcased best during the Whitebeard War, when, after committing himself to stand by as a Marine, he falters the moment he has to actually fight his grandson.

Garp is not only able to just let things go when it's convinent, but he doesn't have the spine to actually stand by his ideals and choices.

When the consequences of Garp choosing to stand by the Marines comes home to roost, and Ace does die, he snaps, and in that one, brief moment, he commits himself to killing Sakazuki in retaliation, choosing family over the marines...

But it doesn't last. Very quickly, Garp lets it go. By the time the war ends, he, as he always does, resigns himself to this being yet another thing the Marines does that he is able to live with.

The marines does indeed matter more to him than his family ever did.

When Dadan bests the shit out of him, the reason Garp isn't able to either bring himself to fight her, is that he knows she's right.

He is an old geezer who, no matter what ever the marines and the world government does, no matter how much it strains with his own beliefs and ideals, he will ALWAYS let things go in the end.

Family, ideals, right and wrong does not matter to him as much as the Navy does.

There is a part of him that strains against that, who wants to be better.

But deep down he knows. He wont be better.

He will always be Garp, the Hero of the Marines.