@theackwardstation:
As I said in the first part of the post you're quoting, we can't pretend that we understand every nuance about these characters, especially about them 40 years ago.
But we can discuss if it match the rest of what we know about the characters and if it improve or diminish them.
Whatever made them join Rocks can be completely inside the scope of their personalities and drive,
And that's what we should establish. Not wether or not Rocks was awesome.
A good example is that I think that Big Mom wouldn't have joined and someone replied to me that she might have joigned because she found others of her size something she's been missing since she was a kid. Something we actually know about Big Mom. We disagreed but he actually gave me a reason that is related to what we know about Big Mom not we didn't see it so it's ok.
and they were young too and thus a little different from today.
Them being young should be take into account but it shouldn't be a reason for anything goes.
Furthermore, we still have to know the context that lead to the formation of that crew, since we know that at least some of them were already pirates before, like Linlin.
New information might reframe the discussion later but we do the current discussion with current information
I'm only highlighting that Rocks is probably someone that have the means to guide people or at least persuade them. Those folks don't follow him randomly.
Which is what we are discussing. What did they saw in him or what did he give them to make them his followers. Instead of just handwaving it away based on his great charisma. I have to suppose they didn't suddenly lose their brain cells when they met him and actually had agency in joining.
Zoro is an excellent example, by the way. He liked Luffy since the beginning, but he only accepted to follow him as long as their journey made him closer to becoming the strongest swordsman in the world. Maybe he would accept the proposal of another captain too if Luffy never showed up in his life, even if this alternative reality failed him. It was only arcs later that Zoro became completely devoted to Luffy above his own dream.
See in your example you take Zoro personality into account and come up with Luffy failing him to explain their eventual falling out. You don't just handwave his personality away because his new boss is awesome. You search an explanation that matches the character. Which is what we should do.
In the same way, at first these future Yonkou probably decided to follow Rocks because he could help them achieve their goals, and that's how he recruited all these young talents… except that Rocks never had the charisma and integrity to make them as loyal as the Strawhats are.
Now that's a real theory. They joined to achieve their golas together. I disagree but it an actual theory that tries to look at why the character did it instead of discounting what we know of them.
And let's not forget that people grow stronger in stronger crews. Certainly being in that overpowered crew gave these guys the experience they needed to rule the New World later in their lives, and that's why we know them.
I don't think anyone complained the yonkos were weak.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
@wolfwood:
Well i mean if it was a captain alliance i could see it more clearly. But he was their captain and they his crewmembers. And even then why would the Whitebeard who, until further retcon, only wanted a family benefit from world conquest? It's not a solid fit methinks.
I could see Whitebeard boarding a ship for adventures in his young years before later settling in and making a family. I always saw him as a family man not a let's save the world man so I have no problem with him travelling with assholes. I don't think he minds the killing. My problem is more why did they all end up being in that one crew. Even freaking captain John that is legendary to Buggy was there.
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Croc or Enel would never.
