@Robby:
Yes, it would soften the story and weaken the sacrifice. So? Just gave you dozens of examples of Oda doing just that. It doesn't matter that the story is stronger if a character stays dead, Oda hurts his story all the time by having them survive.
Absolutely no one is saying the story would be better if Pedro survived. Just that… Oda is Oda.
And I gave you the examples of Oda knowing better, of him keeping someone dead when it was vitally important.
It'd be one thing if Pedro was THE sacrifice, THE thing that let the crew escape, THE way past the final obstacle. But he was just one of a dozen sacrifices during that escape, and not even the most important one, just one of the middle ones.
What deaths have ever impacted the entire crew this heavily before? Only the mentors and Ace. Pedro was absolutely the most important, the most mourned of the sacrifices of WCI. Pekoms didn't even get a mention as they left, so you KNOW that means he's alive even if Pedro is not.
If Sanji's family and Jinbe and the fishmen and Pound and Pekoms and Baum and Bege and his crew are all going to be fine, (and we have confirmation on most of those now) then what does one sacrifice in the middle matter or even count for dramatically that all the rest don't?
The tears that were shed, the actual raw emotion that Oda laid out on the page when Pedro and Pedro alone died. That’s what.
Again, where did you get "he's going to show up from the battle" from? He doesn't need to be at the battle. Just the party so everyone can be EXTRA happy and relieved.
Because the Straw Hats don’t generally get that privilege themselves. They didn’t with Pell, they didn’t with Bon. They, the samurai and the Minks are stuck together until the Straw Hats leave Wano, and Pedro isn’t going to come while the Straw Hats are still there.
Oda put the clear deaths on camera. And showed the bodies. And had main characters witness it. Ace had a multipage death scene. In Luffy's arms. Showed his vivre card burning out. Had the chapter title declare his death. Whitebeard had narration boxes. He really left no doubt with those.
Even if Peros was not a main character, he had major investment to get revenge. Why would he need to get it from Pedro’s friends if Pedro himself was still alive for him to torture? Why put himself in range of BM's rage for lying unless he had a personal vendetta to fulfill?
The creating of gravestones is pretty significant and that can absolutely be considered Oda putting his mark down on that one but… why did he hide the body? Why no final speech as death was actually setting in?
He clearly gave his final speech to Carrot as they were running, part of which was, funny enough, in flashback form over the actual explosion.
**Pedro: Carrot. Try not to be startled by this turn of events.
Carrot: Huh?
Pedro: I have a suspicion…that Luffy and his friends…are those whom our people and the Kozuki Clan have awaited for centuries. The ones who will guide us to the dawn of the world!
Carrot: For centuries…?!**
I presume it continued directly from this point.
**Pedro: I had a feeling this would be…my final voyage!!
Carrot: What do you mean, Pedro?
Pedro: One day you will understand the true importance…of keeping Luffy and his crew alive here so that their voyage can go on!! Listen to me, yougara… Keep moving forward!!**
All that was before he tells her, “Help get the ship ready to sail, Carrot!!” I could read into that line a whole lot more, but I won’t.
His words were shown at the moment of his death because it only made sense to her at that moment. “One day you will understand…” In the same way, I think she has yet to truly understand what her mission is, why the Straw Hats are so vital. I think that's what she’ll come to understand on Onigashima.
