@Kaworu:
Phew. Guess I have to go into dissection mode, not something I necessarily have time for for a debate that probably doesn't even need to be had.
So first of all, I'm being polite to you here by even going with this. I only need for there to be suffering, preferably immense suffering.
But I'll go along with your 2 alternate routes you took instead of what I am focused on, suffering.
Danger: I'll give you this one since danger can sometimes not directly lead to suffering. Though sometimes it can. It's the middle of the night. You feel danger in a bad neighborhood. You get stabbed. The sense of danger you felt was accurate with the suffering you later experienced.
Turmoil: copied from the dictionary: (noun. a state of great commotion, confusion, or disturbance; tumult; agitation; disquiet: mental turmoil caused by difficult decisions.) I would consider suffering to be very easily able to cause mental turmoil.
I mean, it didn't have anything to do with his dream? It's what prompted the 2 years of training that allowed him to even be able to achieve his dream.
Like Sabaody or Impel Down or Marineford or Little Garden or Jaya?
It's entirely possible, yup. The anime director said a while back that the ending will be sadder than Ace's death.
Sure sure.
You needing it has nothing to do with the chances.
Explaining what suffering and turmoil are also has nothing to do with the chances of it happening.
Little Garden or Jaya? No, not really suffering. They were in danger, they, as usual, were able to overcome it. Taking the beating from Bellamy has nothing to do with suffering but avoiding it, since fighting a fight not worth fighting would have meant more mental strain and would have gone against his personality shaped primarily by Shanks.
Impel Down and Marineford had nothing to do with his dream. And while you can make an argument for Shabody since it was on his route to Raftel technically, everything he did also had nothing to do with his dream really, but i can give you that one since it was an expression of Luffy´s personality.
Yep being sad and requiring a death for that are two separate things, also he said touching, same as the editor, pretty much not implying a sad or happy context.
And considering we will get Brook-Laboon reunion, every Strawhat thinking of their mentors upon achieving their dream, and quite possibly the execution of those scenes, yep very touching.