#komusou

Ooba Minori

𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 : Komusou ( Jinrikisha )

Summary:

Flash fics and ficlets for the One Piece Justice Zine Flash Challenges. (Ficlet 3)

Kin'emon had advised that the tengai—the woven bamboo bascinet worn by wandering monks—was the best disguise for Law. It suited his temperament. Kanjuro taught Law some of the shakuhachi pieces played by the monks to pass checkpoints. Detection was to be avoided at all costs.

Word Count: 498, Rating: T.

Characters: Trafalgar Law, Kanjuro. Canon compliant.

Of course attending a Christian school doesn’t mean you’re a Christian, and there are plenty of Christian schools in Japan. And donning the garb of a komusō, monk doesn’t mean you’re a Zen Buddhist, especially as it was a disguise worn by many rebels, particularly in the Sengoku period of the Edo period (I’m using wiki here. I’m not an expert).

But the move from monotheism to polytheism (even in imagery), and from a stable, nuclear family and from being an inhabitant of an affluent town (although Law’s parents were obviously helping many people), to taking on the role of a mendicant monk with their oftentimes vow of poverty and lack of property, and their 

“lifestyle of constant pilgrimage, meditative shakuhachi playing and begging for alms” 

really contrasts Law’s origins.

Like Law’s parents, komusō, monks did have roles as healers and of being of service (healing through the shakuhachi playing), but the transience in terms of not being tied to the earth (or to material goods), I suppose—of being required to constantly wander—suit the man Law has become. 

He knows better than anyone that nothing lasts forever, and I’ll remind everyone again that one of his hobbies is wandering (how else is he gonna attend all those Stealth Black comic-cons?).

In the anime, they played the shakuhachi in this scene and focused on Law’s steps as he approached Hawkins in the anime...really sold me on the concept.

I’m sure he does some pillaging  while he’s out and about (gotta stockpile the rare coin collection), but who knows with these pirates? Oh man, I’ve just realised that his two hobbies clash with one another in this particular analysis. Ah well, warrior monk onwards. 

By the way, this is also from the wikipedia page:

The priest were known first as komosō, which means "straw-mat monk". 

!!! If they’d kept that up, at least in English, we’d have the Straw hat Monkey and the Straw-mat Monk. 

A little more about the etymology below:

Later they became known as komusō, which means "priest of nothingness" or "monk of emptiness".

I know that Law’s meant to be German etc., but Oda had said earlier he wasn’t giving nationalities to anyone, and Law’s just so Japanese in so many aspects, but yeah, whatever headcanon you have for him, that’s cool, but One Piece is naturally enough steeped in Japanese history and culture, and Christianity has a part of that too.

Wano’s animation of traditional Japanese aspects is truly beautiful. 

I can’t remember this komusou (wandering monks, who meditated by playing the shakuhachi, and who were often also ronin or ninja in disguise, due to the fact they could wander and they were heavily concealed) 

from the manga in this part of the story, but I don’t remember everything. Not sure if it’s filler or not. (The wiki says it is).

Law’s disguise is that of a komusou, but this isn’t Law.

But, it makes me even more thirsty to write that Zoro and Law (ZoLaw maybe?) AU based on aspects of this. The soundtrack is gorgeous too. Like when Law went to challenge Hawkins, the shakuhachi is a constant in the background until battle and dialogue. 

The anime had a blurred quality to it, but it could be my screencaps too! Sorry. I might have the order a little incorrect too.

The  sound of footsteps as well, in this case, through the fallen leaves.

Zoro of course deflected this blade shot from the shakuhachi. Then our komusou went into full attack.