@Tamiel:
It is not about a contigency of a contigency. I agree with you to some extent. Luffy probably took the 6 months and made his Gear Fourth limit to what it is now, I imagine him using it for the first time and only lasting a minute or so. At least to believe credible challenge and growth. And within those 6 months, he might have developed Tankman and other variations for gear fourth. However, as powerful as the transformation is, I think it was barely enough to make him a contender in the New World, maybe among the top ones.
I am talking about something he discovered during the breaking of this limit, maybe something that happened once and he has absolutely no control over. Something that might need awakening to be complete. Anyways, the flashback with Rayleigh could just be a prelude to the different versions like Tankman. Which is why I stand by this ~new techinique~ a bit less. However, I have already seen Luffy be humbled and telling his crew to escape. I don't see how someone whom went through that, would go against an admiral knowing the technique he used to barely defeat Doffy is not enough(considering he also mentioned the emperor's when he talked about not running away anymore.) I say it like that because I know that Doffy never stood a chance, but that is a conversation for another day.
Meh. That's still oddly convenient and out of nowhere, even if it isn't an ability he's mastered. That's pretty much what The Voice of All Things is for Luffy right now anyways in terms of being an ability he has no control of at the moment.
And that's the thing. Luffy is stupidly stubborn. He's been like this throughout the entire series. Look at how Luffy has been provoking Big Mom this arc even though he couldn't even beat Cracker without Nami's help (and let's not get into a redundant debate as to whether Luffy could defeat Cracker on his own or not, we should stick by the facts that as far as we know, Nami was a huge essential asset). He's prideful, instinctive, stubborn, and plain dumb. It's just who he is. His first impression made right before entering he New World was declaring war with a Yonko. He's not going to stand running anymore because the timeskip was meant to help everyone catchup and not get effortlessly curbstomped. It's not enough to guarantee them winning battles at all, but it's meant to at least give them a fighting chance. And in Luffy's primitive mind, that's more than enough to rely on. When things become as dire as Sabaody, he might be humble enough to recognize that everybody needs to run away. But for now, it won't happen. Because Luffy actually has a chance. Just a small indefinite chance. But it's more than enough for someone like him. Luffy's the type of guy to keep on trying to surpass himself rather than accept his limitations.
And Zoro wanted to fight Fujitora too. As an inferior crewmate to his captain that got attacked by Fujitora and couldn't break the Birdcage (although Fujitora couldn't either, but the guy does not know when to accept his limits due to all of the nonsense he spouted about cutting it and pulling weight), he's even more of an idiot and goes to show how he and Luffy just have an ignorant meathead perspective on battling if it isn't a completely one-sided match.
Well considering how powerful the devil fruit users are in this arc. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get at least a clue in on how to learn awakening. I think awakening by Kaido is a given almost~
That's very much possible. I wouldn't mind it. It would be better to build that up soon rather than in the middle of Wano Country, where Luffy will probably decently master in time for defeating Kaido.
This is in part why I cannot fully commit to an alliance with Big Mom, or her being ~good all along~. Before Whitebeard died, the four emperors were at a stalemate, but also the world in a way. Thanks to Whitebeard whom never seeked glory the seas were balanced. If we had 3 ~honorable~ great pirates: Big Mom, Shanks and Whitebeard, then it just takes out the threat level a bit. On the other hand if it was only Shanks and Whitebeard and when the latter died and Blackbeard came in: then it makes sense that everything is so chaotic now. We have three ~bad~ emperors and only one ~good~ to balance things out. No wonder the marines moved their HQ, things are at their worst(as of now).
So, I agree, Big Mom is all about deals, however ONLY IF she has the most to gain about it. We have been constantly been hinted that everytime she got screwed out of one, it was the worst for her. Roger becoming king and then the alliance with Elbaf. As much as a truce with Luffy could work, we obviously know that Luffy got the Glyphs and his cook back. But then what will Mama ask in return? Part of the reason why the Strawhats ~could~ save her is all because the Strawhats are messing everything up. So them saving Linlin, her family and her territory would be because they caused her to do it in the first place. So those events cancel out, what could Luffy offer Linlin that she would accept to let them go and what would she ask in return. That is the type of truce I imagine between them, and to keep the omnious presence Big Mom has. At least that is how I imagine if that route is explored.
On the other hand, if they escape and end up weakening Big Mom's forces further, that could be enough for her to not be able to commit any troops to Fishman Island and the Baratie, because other players would start attacking her.
But Whitebeard is no longer relevant in the story, and he's not an easy guy to make a deal with given how he talked to Shanks. He's not a bad guy, but not entirely a good guy either. And Big Mom has all sorts of shady stuff and backstabbing going on with her modus operandi. At this point, she does not have to be a "good" Emperor. Just a bad/neutral one where Luffy, in a typical pirate fashion, makes a compromise with due to lacking options. Just like the alliances he made with Bege and Crocodile.
Big Mom doesn't know they stole the Poneglyphs, and she doesn't care about Sanji in and of himself. Just the clone technology. Jimbei may complicate things a bit, as well as how much blame she may place on the Straw Hats for ruining the wedding before stuff goes to hell and they have to save the day. And she does not need to be the one with the most to gain. That can easily be the Straw Hats in a deal where Big Mom is forced to make a compromise in order to not lose more of her resources after all of this chaos. And Pudding is a wild card in general that is probably the key to all of this, whether she's manipulated Linlin's memories or will do so at the end of the arc to save the Straw Hats or whatever. It's all a bit hazy, but it's pretty doable.
That's doubtful, considering how she sends out random mooks in her crew to destroy entire islands. Look at Bobbin and his bounty. It's not like she would have to give up a Sweet Commander. The Baratie is mad weak. And that would be a pretty lazy and convenient solution to all of the questions this arc, Big Mom not going anything without any of the tension being resolved at all even though the Straw Hats pissed her off as much as possible. We need some payoff here.
Nothing exists; even if something exists, nothing can be known about it. Even if something can be known about it,
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