#op 1158

Because why doesn't Rayleigh want anyone else to know about Shakky's letter?

"I figured I should talk to you one on one Roger "

He knows this would upset Roger & he wants to discuss it in private AKA this is a serious & delicate situation.

At no point does Rayleigh deny having feelings for Shakky. He simply comes up with the convenient excuse of not wanting to be "tied down" as Roger angrily & in jealousy says " Well I do!!". He's trying to show Roger that he has nothing to worry about from him.

Rayleigh's face when Roger proclaims he's "not giving up" is the biggest clue. Oda gives him that ultra sunny & happy background, BUT he juxtaposed it with his thought bubble. "........" typically indicates some type of unspoken feeling or an awkward pause of some sort. Rayleigh is suppressing his true feelings & is putting on a fake smile. Trying to convince himself that this is what he wants.

Finally, why tf is Ray going to such extremes as to not be in the same vicinity as Shakky? He even lies about "not feeling good" while he stays behind, gets drunk, & sings Binks' Sake which is famously bittersweet. Man is coping hard.

IMO, Rayleigh is trying to be a good friend/first mate by suppressing his own desires for the sake of Roger. Roger in turn is being a selfish brat & not realizing that he's technically the random love interest meant to be an obstacle for the endgame couple.

HOWEVER, I do think by the end of God Valley Roger will realize the error of his actions. I'm willing to bet we will see Ray's mask slip or perhaps Roger will witness a moment between the two after she is safely rescued. Just think about Kinemon & Tsuru after she almost got eaten by that giant boar.

It will be at that moment Roger finally sees Rayleigh's true feelings & he will back off & offically let go of Shakky. I will be honestly surprised if Rayleigh doesn't make clear once & for all he does love Shakky during an incident where she is all but confirmed to be kidnapped. Oda loves to showcase the strength of his couples' bond by giving the man a dramatic "rescue the girl" moment.

It would also be a nice parallel to when Rayleigh pulled up to Amazon Lily to rescue his pseudo daughter Hancock. That might've not been the first time he has come to a young woman's rescue.

Notice how after this, Oda frames Rayleigh, Hancock, & Shakky close together? This isn't Ray's first rodeo. 👀

This even puts a more pleasant spin on Rayleigh's introduction words:

Not only have I recently seen people say a more accurate translation would be,

"I can't just ignore a beautiful young girl "

it's important to remember Rayleigh was in the middle of helping Camie who just recently been abducted & put up for auction.

He was quite literally seeing a young girl being scared & abused by the CD's. Could this have reminded him of his wife?? Since it's all but confirmed that Shakky was kidnapped in a similar manner? 🤔

Also, remember how we love to say Rayleigh & Shakky are in an open marriage because of this dialogue?

Knowing what we know now about Shakky's past....was this another tongue in cheek moment from Oda? Is it possible that Rayleigh likes to spend his time freeing young women from slavery on the Sabaody Archipelago? Did Rayleigh & Shakky specifically move here so they can help trafficked women? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

One Piece spoilers below. Chapter 1159 😤

Spoilers filled | Just my raw thoughts, not a theorist 😌

Okay so first things first—the cover story. Yamato again, and I screamed when I saw Kozuki Moria. WHAT. The place is labeled his resting place, and the Kozuki symbol is everywhere. I can't help but wonder: was he actually a Kozuki? Did he resurrect himself with his Devil Fruit? That would explain so much, like how he had Ryuma's corpse on Thriller Bark. And Ryuma is such a big name in Wano. Honestly, if Moria was meant to embody a fall-from-grace justice figure from Wano, that’s wild. Huge fall for his character, though 😭 Also, if he is a Kozuki, could he read the Poneglyphs? That would change so much.

Then we go back to the pirate love triangle island arc. Roger is still chaotic, Rayleigh is out there thinking about his feelings for Shakky (for her? for his freedom? for Roger? yes). Honestly Rayleigh is so bad ass but also such a good character ! But you can also tell Roger will step aside for his bestie. Then Rouge will enter the scene. I know we won’t get much more about her in these chapters, but she’s always been one of the most intriguing women in One Piece to me. Mysterious, strong in her own quiet way. I hope we get to know more !

And also, I keep thinking how much young Roger looks like Ace—it hits emotionally every time.

Shakky is thriving with her bar and using pirate labor to fund it. We love to see it. Her little showdown with Rocks and Roger was hilarious. And Teach is born amid all this chaos. Also, Whitebeard being annoyed at all the noise and his moustache breaking walls ?? I lost it. All the big names at the same bar? Insane.

Now for the real heat: Rocks vs Harald. That fight was brutal. And yeah, I was sad for Rocks despite understanding Harald. They were definitely equals in strength, which makes the coming tragedy even more painful. Especially knowing this ends in betrayal and death.

Ida and Loki? Cutest duo. That scene gave me hope for the kid.

And then... Garling. Ugh. He finally arrives on God Valley and finds “something valuable.” He’s the one who suggests holding a tournament there. Then we hear about the mysterious mother of the twin girls. So many questions. Did he lie to the inhabitants? Is this consensual? Is he targeting these kids because they’re special? Does he want to use the tournament to seize them? That kind of dismisses the theory of Shakky being kidnapped as the “prize” for the tournament, since he says something valuable is already there.

What if that “valuable thing” is a Devil Fruit? Maybe the Gomu Gomu no Mi? Could the giants be protecting it? Or—could the valuable thing be Shanks and Shamrock??

So many layers. It's still all fuzzy, but so intriguing.

One thing I loved in this chapter is how different the old generation feels from the current one. Roger and Luffy share the same will, but they are very different people. Same with Rayleigh and Zoro. Even Rocks and Teach—Rocks actually seems cooler and maybe even more loyal than Blackbeard. It’s their goals, not personalities, that link them.

Also, it’s fun to explore this world before the idea of the One Piece even existed. No legendary treasure. Just clashing visions of power and freedom.

Anyway, amazing chapter, and please Oda don’t stop this flashback yet. This flashback is literally an inception at this point: we went from Harald’s story, to Rocks’ madness, to Rayleigh and Shakky’s love saga, and now?? We’re teasing Shanks and Shamrock?? I know Loki is part over three minutes but I just want to know all the meaty stuff.

∘₊✧──✧₊∘ more on OP ∘₊✧──✧₊∘

If you’re into OP analysis, I also wrote:

Freedom isn’t always peaceful – rage and resistance in One Piece & AOT

Yes, One Piece is political and that’s what makes it great

Why I don’t like the politics of Skypiea – a decolonial read from a One Piece die-hard

Gecko Moria was Born somewhere in West Blue & He Was Raised in Ringo NOT Flowers Capital where Kozuki Family lives. Moria fought against Kaido to protect HIS VILLAGE

The Answear might be Gecko Moria was Adopted By Kozuki Sukiyaku But Raised by Ringo Citizens