Things That You Would Like to See in the Manga
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http://reactiongifs.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/infinite-yes-daniel-bryan.gif
Only hopes at this point may be Mihawk or Shiliew of the Rain.
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lelouch vs Schneizel, Code Geass
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Only hopes at this point may be Mihawk or Shiliew of the Rain.
I'm sure there are a few Yonko Commanders who are decent with a blade too.
Look at Vista.
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I'm sure there are a few Yonko Commanders who are decent with a blade too.
Look at Vista.
I hope he fights against people who wield the blade more often. I mean, whenever he fought a fruit user it always made the fruit user look lame that they couldn't defeat a mortal blade user. Like Kaku couldn't defeat him even with all his enhanced Zoan user strength. Mr 1, touted as being immune to swords fell in one move and was clearly being thrown around for a lot of the fight. And the Zombie Samurai was immune to being stabbed.
Beyond fighting people unsuited to him he always ends up with some kind of handicap too. Either he's tired from prior fights, he's missing a blade, he's fighting at a range ill suited to his swordfghting. It just kinda feels like he's never gone purely toe to toe with someone with relatively even odds and skillset types. That's why I wanna see him fight Shiliew or something.
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lelouch vs Schneizel, Code Geass
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I hope he fights against people who wield the blade more often. I mean, whenever he fought a fruit user it always made the fruit user look lame that they couldn't defeat a mortal blade user. Like Kaku couldn't defeat him even with all his enhanced Zoan user strength. Mr 1, touted as being immune to swords fell in one move and was clearly being thrown around for a lot of the fight. And the Zombie Samurai was immune to being stabbed.
Beyond fighting people unsuited to him he always ends up with some kind of handicap too. Either he's tired from prior fights, he's missing a blade, he's fighting at a range ill suited to his swordfghting. It just kinda feels like he's never gone purely toe to toe with someone with relatively even odds and skillset types. That's why I wanna see him fight Shiliew or something.
Kaku took him to the limit before being overwhelmed by Asura, it's not like Zoro just had normal sword stuff going on and that was it.
Daz Bones had Zoro collapsed and drenched in blood before one final attack that finally allowed him to cut steel.
Yeah, Ryuuma was immune to being stabbed…and he ended up purified by fire.
I'm just looking forward to Zoro actually getting smacked around a little, after he's taken such a lovely NW holiday until recently and been given critical acclaim for it.
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Kaku took him to the limit before being overwhelmed by Asura, it's not like Zoro just had normal sword stuff going on and that was it.
Daz Bones had Zoro collapsed and drenched in blood before one final attack that finally allowed him to cut steel.
Yeah, Ryuuma was immune to being stabbed…and he ended up purified by fire.
I'm just looking forward to Zoro actually getting smacked around a little, after he's taken such a lovely NW holiday until recently and been given critical acclaim for it.
I knew all of those things? What did you think I was saying. I was just stating that I didn't like any of the set ups for those fights because they're SO unfair that the enemy actually looks weak for failing to defeat him.
Mr 1 only does as well against Zoro as he did because he was utterly immune to swords, not because he was intensely skilled. Certainly not as skilled as Zoro was.
Kaku pushed Zoro to the limit but Zoro's meant to be human, how on earth is he going blow for blow with a dude with the strength and size of a girafffe on his side on top of sword skills that were giving Zoro a hard time earlier while Kaku was in human form.
and Ryuuma fought Zoro while Zoro was missing one of his swords. So he was not only immune to Zoro's regular attacks through no earned skill of his own, but he was also fighting a weakened Zoro in general.
Am I really off base here? I don't know. Everything about Zoro's fights bug me because he's played up as having no real super powers beyond being good with swords.
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lelouch vs Schneizel, Code Geass
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I knew all of those things? What did you think I was saying. I was just stating that I didn't like any of the set ups for those fights because they're SO unfair that the enemy actually looks weak for failing to defeat him.
Mr 1 only does as well against Zoro as he did because he was utterly immune to swords, not because he was intensely skilled. Certainly not as skilled as Zoro was.
Kaku pushed Zoro to the limit but Zoro's meant to be human, how on earth is he going blow for blow with a dude with the strength and size of a girafffe on his side on top of sword skills that were giving Zoro a hard time earlier while Kaku was in human form.
and Ryuuma fought Zoro while Zoro was missing one of his swords. So he was not only immune to Zoro's regular attacks through no earned skill of his own, but he was also fighting a weakened Zoro in general.
Am I really off base here? I don't know. Everything about Zoro's fights bug me because he's played up as having no real super powers beyond being good with swords.
Except that he can create demon apparitions, hear the voice of materials and know how to cut them, use flying slashs and shit etc.
Zoro is not a normal human in any way, shape or form.
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Except that he can create demon apparitions, hear the voice of materials and know how to cut them, use flying slashs and shit etc.
Zoro is not a normal human in any way, shape or form.
I thought making slashes fly was just a byproduct of being incredibly muscular? That's what Brook seemed to be implying when Zoro and Ryuuma did it.
And okay, I'd like Zoro to not be human, but I dont know what he is or how he works. I don't know why he can survive the things that he can or how. I don't know how he can summon Asura, why he doesnt do it more often, what the rules of it are and what it's cost is. Id be fine with him being inhuman but I don't know what his rules are.
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lelouch vs Schneizel, Code Geass
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I thought making slashes fly was just a byproduct of being incredibly muscular? That's what Brook seemed to be implying when Zoro and Ryuuma did it.
And okay, I'd like Zoro to not be human, but I dont know what he is or how he works. I don't know why he can survive the things that he can or how. I don't know how he can summon Asura, why he doesnt do it more often, what the rules of it are and what it's cost is. Id be fine with him being inhuman but I don't know what his rules are.
He's just the absolute pinnacle of human conditioning it seems.
He's like batman but with no cowl nor sense of direction.
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Robin learning haki and doing some powerlifting. Then snapping (logia) necks like there is no tomorrow
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You should definitely go search for "Robin Rokushiki" on Deviantart bro (or on google image…)
Woah, thanks for that! Some of those blew my mind on what would be possible! Fuck Sanji's speed! Four legged Robin speed is where it's at!
To keep it at the current situation and her current abilities Robin could just use Gigantesco Mano, hurl herself over the Pica statue with her giant arms and then just glide with her wings of arms to land where Luffy's at.
When she first met The crew on the boat and showed her powers, she already seemed to have the deadliest power ever. Scratch the snapping necks, just the balls clutch technique would be enough. That Franky scene just got to be the most painful to watch in all of One Piece.
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Someone to kick Zoro's ass post time-skip. Without him holding back in any way.
I came to this tread to post this. Seems I was too slow.
He is just too arrogant in my taste.
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I came to this tread to post this. Seems I was too slow.
He is just too arrogant in my taste.
I'm not really up on post-time skip stuff all that well, bt has Sanji had a decent fight yet either?
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I would like to see a princess that isn't completely nice or downright evil. A bit of a twist in the princess template. Though it's more likely we will see another princess who looks like Nami…
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Zoro getting truly tested in WanoKuni. I think he's technically the best fighter in the crew, so i think an opponent with a new style/skillset in Wano would bring out the best in him. I'd like to see what Burgess is up to among all this chaos, maybe scheming something behind the scenes.
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I'm not really up on post-time skip stuff all that well, bt has Sanji had a decent fight yet either?
Nope, he did fight Vergo for a little while, but he almost broke Sanji's legs.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Zoro getting truly tested in WanoKuni. I think he's technically the best fighter in the crew, so i think an opponent with a new style/skillset in Wano would bring out the best in him. I'd like to see what Burgess is up to among all this chaos, maybe scheming something behind the scenes.
Yeah, i want Wano to be Zoro's arc. To me, he seems so arrogant and one dimensional since the timeskip.
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@God:
Nope, he did fight Vergo for a little while, but he almost broke Sanji's legs.
They had one real exchange and Sanji's leg fractured a bit.
Bear in mind this was after his body had taken a beating while was occupying Nami's, and then going to toe to toe with a CoA-Rokushiki Master.
"He nearly broke Sanji's legs" makes it sound a lot worse than it actually was.
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They had one real exchange and Sanji's leg fractured a bit.
Bear in mind this was after his body had taken a beating while was occupying Nami's, and then going to toe to toe with a CoA-Rokushiki Master.
"He nearly broke Sanji's legs" makes it sound a lot worse than it actually was.
Nami's body was injured, not Sanji's. Why was Franky ok when he went back to his body when he abused Chopper's body, yet when Chopper came back he needed Law to carry him.
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They had one real exchange and Sanji's leg fractured a bit.
Bear in mind this was after his body had taken a beating while was occupying Nami's, and then going to toe to toe with a CoA-Rokushiki Master.
"He nearly broke Sanji's legs" makes it sound a lot worse than it actually was.
Who occupies Sanji's in the mean time?
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Someone to kick Zoro's ass post time-skip. Without him holding back in any way.
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zoro promise to luffy he will not lose.
NEVER GIVE UP.
STRAGHT EDGE MEANS I BETTER THAN U.
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NO
zoro promise to luffy he will not lose.
You can get your ass kicked then still make a comeback. Just because he won't ultimately lose doesn't mean he shouldn't at least be suitably challenged.
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Luffy goes through puberty
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NO
zoro promise to luffy he will not lose.
You mean when he faced Mihawk in EB?
There were still moments afterwards where Zoro got his ass kicked (Kuma, Kizaru, influenced by Perona's ghosts(!)) I don't see a problem if it would happen again after TS.I need a sig
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I think Zoro meant he'd never lose to another swordsman. His thing with Mihawk was different since he was putting his pride as a swordsman on the line, and it got shattered when he lost.
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They had one real exchange and Sanji's leg fractured a bit.
Bear in mind this was after his body had taken a beating while was occupying Nami's, and then going to toe to toe with a CoA-Rokushiki Master.
"He nearly broke Sanji's legs" makes it sound a lot worse than it actually was.
Yeah, I should have explained a bit better.
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I'd like to see Smoker become a lot stronger, and master Full Haki over his body after seeing how far behind the others he is at Punk Hazard.
I'd also like to see Luffy learn to stretch corners with his arms, like sharp directions. Similar to how T-Bone can make 90 degree slashes.
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I'd like to see Smoker become a lot stronger, and master Full Haki over his body after seeing how far behind the others he is at Punk Hazard.
I'd also like to see Luffy learn to stretch corners with his arms, like sharp directions. Similar to how T-Bone can make 90 degree slashes.
I'm confident Smoker will get very strong. He's pretty much Luffy's biggest rival/antagonist. They're building him up to bet he one that will catch Luffy when all is said and done (if Luffy will ever be caught that is). I can also see them promoting him a rank or two over the course of the series.
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I'm confident Smoker will get very strong. He's pretty much Luffy's biggest rival/antagonist. They're building him up to bet he one that will catch Luffy when all is said and done (if Luffy will ever be caught that is). I can also see them promoting him a rank or two over the course of the series.
1 rank higher would be Admiral, and 1 more he'll be Fleet leader. The highest I can see him going is Admiral which I doubt he'll take because it limits his freedom. I honestly see him joining the Revs as things are looking now.
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1 rank higher would be Admiral, and 1 more he'll be Fleet leader. The highest I can see him going is Admiral which I doubt he'll take because it limits his freedom. I honestly see him joining the Revs as things are looking now.
Possible I suppose. But with his history with Luffy I just envision him to be the marine that brings Luffy in. I can see a very epic fight at Raftel between the two. I just refuse to accept anything else. I'm stubborn like that lol.
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Possible I suppose. But with his history with Luffy I just envision him to be the marine that brings Luffy in. I can see a very epic fight at Raftel between the two. I just refuse to accept anything else. I'm stubborn like that lol.
I definitely agree that there will be a final fight and it will be grand… but at Raftel? Not so sure about that. By then he will have already fought his final opponent, Shanks/Sakazuki/Blackbeard. Unless Oda starts giving him superman powerups I don't see Smoker making the progress to become stronger than them and give him a decent challenge at that point, but hey it's not impossible. I'd like if that happened.
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Luffy goes through puberty
Well he could have gone through it in the TS but is back to normal now.
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@Pk:
Well he could have gone through it in the TS but is back to normal now.
OH NO WE MISSED IT
sadlife -
I'm confident Smoker will get very strong. He's pretty much Luffy's biggest rival/antagonist. They're building him up to bet he one that will catch Luffy when all is said and done (if Luffy will ever be caught that is). I can also see them promoting him a rank or two over the course of the series.
Ha ha… Nope.
You are forgeting: Marine.
Smoker is not gaining relevance any time soon. Punk Hazard showed us that. Only pirates can be relevant.
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Ha ha… Nope.
You are forgeting: Marine.
Smoker is not gaining relevance any time soon. Punk Hazard showed us that. Only pirates can be relevant.
Jesus, Darth.
Just because Smoker didn't have the strongest physical display on PH doesn't make him irrelevant to the story.
That was dripping with cynicism, even for you.
Especially considering Isshou's role in the arc we're actually on at the moment.
_"_Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!" - Auron
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Jesus, Darth.
Just because Smoker didn't have the strongest physical display on PH doesn't make him irrelevant to the story.
That was dripping with cynicism, even for you.
Especially considering Isshou's role in the arc we're actually on at the moment.
Funny you should mention that, since he is just being off-paneled. :ninja:
I'm going to bet you now, that we won't see Smoker again for more then a page before the final arc.
Exactly the same way it was during Pre-TS.
I love my marines, but it quite obvious that they are all going to act as incompetent idiots while having an upper hand, and will stop only when they stop having it, and can be overpowered.
Oda is free to prove me wrong.
So far, he did not.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
And Fujitora, while I love him to death as character, honestly seems like Oda brought him because he felt he should, and then had no idea what to do with him. It ties to everything Dressrosa related feeling as if it was written on a daily basis, and not planned ahead.
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I'm confident Smoker will get very strong. He's pretty much Luffy's biggest rival/antagonist. They're building him up to bet he one that will catch Luffy when all is said and done (if Luffy will ever be caught that is). I can also see them promoting him a rank or two over the course of the series.
I'd say that role has already clearly been given to Coby since Water 7. Coby and Luffy's relationship seems just like that of Garp and Roger, who we're friends as well. Smoker is anything but a friend of Luffy and is arguably already lagging behind in power already. If anything Coby is set up to be the most powerful marine in the end.
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I'd say that role has already clearly been given to Coby since Water 7. Coby and Luffy's relationship seems just like that of Garp and Roger, who we're friends as well. Smoker is anything but a friend of Luffy and is arguably already lagging behind in power already. If anything Coby is set up to be the most powerful marine in the end.
Okay, this is even more silly.
Coby?
The guy that got knocked by Luffy in a single blow?
He has haki, but that means nothing, since everyone has haki.
His growth would have to be ridiculous to reach Smoker, much less Luffy.
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This post is deleted!
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Funny you should mention that, since he is just being off-paneled. :ninja:
I'm going to bet you now, that we won't see Smoker again for more then a page before the final arc.
Exactly the same way it was during Pre-TS.
I love my marines, but it quite obvious that they are all going to act as incompetent idiots while having an upper hand, and will stop only when they stop having it, and can be overpowered.
Oda is free to prove me wrong.
So far, he did not.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
And Fujitora, while I love him to death as character, honestly seems like Oda brought him because he felt he should, and then had no idea what to do with him. It ties to everything Dressrosa related feeling as if it was written on a daily basis, and not planned ahead.
Smoker had prominent roles in 3 arcs pre-timeskip. So I don't really get what you mean.
We'll definitely get a respectable amount of Smoker between now and the final arc.
Now you're talking about the marines acting like idiots, but that isn't relevant to their overall relevance. The fact that they have prominent enough roles to be displayed as idiots kind of goes against what you're saying in the first place.
Once again, you're not talking about relevance. Whether you feel Fuji's actions have been slapdashedly put together or not, he's still had a good portion of screentime and relevance to the plot of the arc.
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@Devil:
He'll be an Admiral by the end of the series, won't he?
Absolutely definitely for sure without a hint of doubt whatsoever.
_"_Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!" - Auron
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Okay, this is even more silly.
Coby?
The guy that got knocked by Luffy in a single blow?
He has haki, but that means nothing, since everyone has haki.
His growth would have to be ridiculous to reach Smoker, much less Luffy.
Yes, Coby. An admiral could kill Luffy in one blow pre TS, doesn't mean Luffy won't ever catch up, I don't know why this is so hard to comprehend? It's simply obvious Oda has set Coby up to be one of the strongest if not the strongest marine in the end. Coby will grow ridiculously at some point if he hasn't already post TS, remember his physical growth from East Blue to Water 7? Ridiculous right?
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Okay, this is even more silly.
Coby?
The guy that got knocked by Luffy in a single blow?
He has haki, but that means nothing, since everyone has haki.
His growth would have to be ridiculous to reach Smoker, much less Luffy.
2 and a bit years ago he was a fat little boatscrubber for Alvida.
Now he's a Marine captain.
That's pretty insane growth.
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Smoker had prominent roles in 3 arcs pre-timeskip. So I don't really get what you mean.
We'll definitely get a respectable amount of Smoker between now and the final arc.
Rob…
Introduction in Loguetown.
Alabasta.
Nothing for... more then three hundred chapters.
Two chapters of Marineford.
And considering all of the other ways Oda threats those two arcs like Alabasta... Yeah. Him not appearing again before the final of the series is not a unreasonable prediction.
Now you're talking about the marines acting like idiots, but that isn't relevant to their overall relevance. The fact that they have prominent enough roles to be displayed as idiots kind of goes against what you're saying in the first place.
You, on the other hand, seems to be thinking they relevante by simply being present. And that is not the case.
Once again, you're not talking about relevance. Whether you feel Fuji's actions have been slapdashedly put together or not, he's still had a good portion of screentime and relevance to the plot of the arc.
Screentime, yes. Relevance? I disagree. I disagree completly. Unless you mean that him being stopped by Sabo is him being relevante.
If Fujitora does not break through Sabo, he might as well be a non-entity. If his role will boil down to arresting Doflamingo at the end of the arc, then he has been irrelevante to the proceeding, and nothing would've changed if instead he just showed up at the end of Dressrosa and went "I hate those dem Shichibukais, I sure do", while arresting him.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
2 and a bit years ago he was a fat little boatscrubber for Alvida.
Now he's a Marine captain.
That's pretty insane growth.
The problem with that is that Luffy and Smoker won't stop growing either.
Coby is now where pre-timeskip Smoker was. Or less, even, considering Enies Lobby. He is barely above average grunts, all things considered. Tashigi and Bastille should be maing example of that.
And where he stands now, the real trouble in advancing begins.
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Rob…
Introduction in Loguetown.
Alabasta.
Nothing for... more then three hundred chapters.
Two chapters of Marineford.
And considering all of the other ways Oda threats those two arcs like Alabasta... Yeah. Him not appearing again before the final of the series is not a unreasonable prediction.
He was the main antagonist of the Loguetown arc.
He had a prominent role in Alabasta that included apprehending Crocodile.
In amongst all the marines that got pretty glazed over at Marineford, he had another fight with Luffy and had him beat, before scrapping with Hancock.
Who cares if there was a gap between them?
Would it be better to make unrelated jumps over to Smoker while the SH's were in Skypiea or Water 7?
You, on the other hand, seems to be thinking they relevante by simply being present. And that is not the case.
No, I think they're relevant when they're actively involved in and affecting the story. Which they are.
Screentime, yes. Relevance? I disagree. I disagree completly. Unless you mean that him being stopped by Sabo is him being relevante.
If Fujitora does not break through Sabo, he might as well be a non-entity. If his role will boil down to arresting Doflamingo at the end of the arc, then he has been irrelevante to the proceeding, and nothing would've changed if instead he just showed up at the end of Dressrosa and went "I hate those dem Shichibukais, I sure do", while arresting him.
Yep, stripping Law of his Shichibukai title and then capturing him, actively stating his intent to try and dissolve the Shichibukai at the Reverie this year, taking a whole different approach to incidents like Alabasta/Dressrosa, fighting the second in command of the biggest threat to the World Government…yep, he's completely irrelevant if he doesn't smash Sabo into tiny little top hatted pieces.
Are you serious?
_"_Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!" - Auron
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He was the main antagonist of the Loguetown arc.
He had a prominent role in Alabasta that included apprehending Crocodile.
That's hillarious, you giving him credit for something even he himself didn't want to take credit for.
In amongst all the marines that got pretty glazed over at Marineford, he had another fight with Luffy and had him beat, before scrapping with Hancock.
Who cares if there was a gap between them?
Would it be better to make unrelated jumps over to Smoker while the SH's were in Skypiea or Water 7?
It would be better to make Smoker part of one those arcs. Like Water 7.
But regardless. Not counting his introducing arc. One appearence at the beggining of first half of Grand Line, one appearence at the end.
How did you reach a conclusion that something completly different will happen now?
Not to mention that every relevant marine had more screen time during marineford then Smoker. I'm pretty sure Helmeppo had more screen time then Smoker during that arc.
No, I think they're relevant when they're actively involved in and affecting the story. Which they are.
Involved? Okay, I'll give you that. Affecting? Yes, but at the same time it is made abundantly clear that they need pirates to accomplish anything positive, and they are quite incompetent at accomplishing their own goals, Akainu excluded.
Yep, stripping Law of his Shichibukai title and then capturing him,
Could've been done by flamingo and a random grunt, if Alabasta is anything to go by. Fujitora was completly unneeded in the whole process.
Not to mention that Law escaped immediatly afterwards, with Fujitora being completly unable to stop him.
actively stating his intent to try and dissolve the Shichibukai at the Reverie this year,
Could've been a throwaway line during short scene of him arresting Doflamingo, and nothing would change.
And you were talking about him being relevante to this arc, and not some events in the future.
taking a whole different approach to incidents like Alabasta/Dressrosa
Something that stands contrary to his goals, and to everything he was shown to be beforehand. Altough I admit, law officer taking the side of mass murderer is certainly new approach to justice.
fighting the second in command of the biggest threat to the World Government…
Fight that nothing will come out off, except for both of them being busy while Doflamingo is defeated by Luffy. And it is the first time I saw an obvious off-paneling of character being shown as them being relevante.
yep, he's completely irrelevant if he doesn't smash Sabo into tiny little top hatted pieces.
Are you serious?
Yes, because at the time of this writing, Dellinger had more actions with lasting consequences then Fujitora did.
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I kinda hope that Tashigi gets to make something of herself rather than being almost entirely useless.
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It would be better to make Smoker part of one those arcs. Like Water 7.
This actually couldn't have happened. Not only with Smoker, but with anybody. Oda wisely chose to keep Water 7/Enies Lobby very self contained. Not a single character from any previous arcs (barring Aokiji, but he was just introduced) shows up here. The reason is because this arc was so centered around the Straw Hats, and part of what makes Water 7's atmosphere is how unfamiliar and isolated everything feels. We don't know any of these new characters we're introduced to, and it makes it feel as if the Straw Hats are truly on their own.
Anybody appearing from previous arcs, I feel, would have diminished Water 7. It would have made it feel just a little bit familiar, when the whole thing was supposed to feel sort of oppressive and wrong.
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This actually couldn't have happened. Not only with Smoker, but with anybody. Oda wisely chose to keep Water 7/Enies Lobby very self contained. Not a single character from any previous arcs (barring Aokiji, but he was just introduced) shows up here. The reason is because this arc was so centered around the Straw Hats, and part of what makes Water 7's atmosphere is how unfamiliar and isolated everything feels. We don't know any of these new characters we're introduced to, and it makes it feel as if the Straw Hats are truly on their own.
Anybody appearing from previous arcs, I feel, would have diminished Water 7. It would have made it feel just a little bit familiar, when the whole thing was supposed to feel sort of oppressive and wrong.
Post-Enies Lobby then?
You are not going to tell me that there was absolutly no way for Smoker to be included in anything else then Marineford and Alabasta, are you?
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I kinda hope that Tashigi gets to make something of herself rather than being almost entirely useless.
And that, my good fellow, is what Freedom calls unrealistic expectations…
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Post-Enies Lobby then?
You are not going to tell me that there was absolutly no way for Smoker to be included in anything else then Marineford and Alabasta, are you?
Well, he could have showed up in the post Enies Lobby arc, but I don't see what the point would have been. There was no room for him cause we already had the festivities, Garp showing up and revealing all his crazy stuff, and them eventually evading the Marines. I doubt Smoker being there would have changed anything, they'd have just avoided him too and we'd be talking about how pointless his inclusion was for that part.
After that, I don't see how Oda would have fit him in on Thriller Bark. I can see how Smoker could show up at Sabaody, but there's a problem here too. The main thing that happened was the Supernovas were introduced, and Kizaru finally shows up. While this does seem a good a place as any to have Smoker show up, I think there's a similar thing going on here like Water 7. We needed to see Luffy get his ass handed to him by opponents we'd never seen before, since they represented the dangers moving forward. Smoker was always a danger from the past, but he was constantly playing this cat and mouse game with them. Luffy struggling against Smoker instead of Sentomarou wouldn't have felt right. Sabaody was all about setting up Luffy's current rivals (the supernovas), and really how outclassed he was by the Marines. I think putting Smoker in here wouldn't have worked for that, though, even if he is a danger to Luffy.
So besides that there's really only Impel Down left, cause he sure wasn't going to show up on Amazon Lily. I don't see how Oda could have worked him here either, but it does make sense for Smoker to be on Marineford due to the crazy stuff that would have happened. My problem is, I don't see where Oda could have thrown Smoker into without it seeming utterly pointless. He would have felt like a tacked on element as opposed to an essential part of that arc. In all of those arcs, there were other things going on, big things, that prevented any outside characters from interrupting. A lot of big reveals and moments, and lots of build up of Luffy's opponents in the very near future being too much for him to handle.
I mean even on Marineford Luffy couldn't even handle Smoker, since he didn't have haki. If Hancock hadn't intervened Smoker was definitely on the upper hand in their brief fight. For me, it was enough to see him there, to see that Smoker had grown. One thing is, if you put him in any post EL arcs up until Marineford, his inclusion can't do anything aside from giving Luffy some trouble, and Luffy eventually evading him. Especially since Luffy couldn't even touch Smoker. That would get old. Fast. So I think it makes sense he showed up at Marineford, where him being antagonistic toward Luffy actually makes sense considering the fight, and where it's okay that Luffy can't do jack shit against him because he couldn't really do jack shit against anyone there.
