@MDL:
I shouldn't care about anyone I don't know, regardless of incident context. Got it.
Case in point I never mentioned anything about not caring.
But come on, you are projecting your own firefighter relation/example from a real life scenario towards this one panel.
So it is more meaningful for you, that's fine.
But that scene was also about Majestic doing it for Momo and the future generation and not just because of his job.
You are projecting your own values into that panel and okay, that means the panel succeeded in invoking certain emotions out of you.
I'm not talking about second hand empathy here because second hand empathy is easy.
If we get into that debate, to what extend is second hand empathy even?
Am I supposed to feel sorry for all those nameless people in the many sob stories from One Piece?
How is it even remotely reasonable to now place the spotlight on readers to demonstrate second empathy when it is the job of an proficient author to actually, I don't know, be able to create it?
So I'm now a weaker fan, possibly a near psychopath or "I don't get it" because I didnt feel sorry for this one guy that had no presence.
Maybe I was too harsh to use the word cheap but seriously, it is easier to kill off an very low to near nil emotionally invested character(in this case much much lesser).
If you're gonna pretend that Crust and Majestic is going to get more than a panel or dialogue bubble after all this, then good for you.
Did Horikoshi killed off Majestic because he wanted to hype the scene/Gigan up, easily boost the tension of the scene or did he do it because he wanted to give off that hero theme (tragic but noble aspect) you've spoke about?
I'll give you, at best a mix of two, but you got to be kidding me if you tell me this is supposed to be the scene for the grandeur of whatever your impression is.
Yes I feel bad for them but the fact is that they were killed off because it is sure as hell easy to kill off nameless heroes to create tension rather than to kill off, say, anyone's parents or a close figure that I'll have to then think of a chapter or two for.
That's what I meant by it is what it is.