Posts made by Kuraudo Sutoraifu

Kaido or Blackbeard imo. Both have some sort of past connection to Whitebeard. If it's strongest to date then it's probably Kaido since it seems like he's up next.

Poun D. with the smile?!

@S.C.:

Shrugs

Still Paramecia…....somehow.

Gotta be awakening. But if that were true then why did Oda redact it from a Logia? Seems like something he would have had in mind when designing Katakuri.

@FelRes:

Has it been two weeks yet.

Ughhhhhhhh, gets me everytime. Prolly just anxious the arc is (hopefully) nearing its end.

Yeah, it seems pretty obvious for story and realistic reasons that heat is Pedospero's weakness.

While I don't have any concrete answers, I think it's definitely possible. I think it's next to impossible that Oda had all these ideas as unique story entities in the first few years of OP and more realistic that he is drawing on his past work to influence newer arcs.

That being said, I thought Zou was really well done, and "original".

@Maju:

I still wanna know how the hell nami knew that zeus would like her black balls..she says something like "thunder attracts thunder"..but it seems like something out of the blue with no real reason behind it.

Same here. Seemed pretty convenient, but there's probably some magical Weatheria explanation.

@Galaxy:

SBS Volume 85 addressed some of this.

Hmm, yeah I remember this. So Garp was nearing 40 by the time she started having kids. I'm sure she fought him and others at some point. Cool how most of her crew/kids barely played a part in her rise to emperor status.

I wonder how old the Charlotte kids are. Like when Mom mentioned Garp back at Fishman Island she was probably fighting him in his prime when he was like 40 or something, so if she had her first kid in her twenties then Perospero and the early ones were probably just kids. Kinda cool imagining Mom fighting off big names like Garp and Sengoku and establishing herself.

That being said, she would have been Pirate Queen by now if Katakuri was in charge from the womb on.

Pudding just grew 100% more annoying. Her character has been so erratic with minimal focus.

I always imagined a scenario where Vivi would take a "leave of absence" from Alabasta to join the strawhats. Maybe at the Reverie (during the eventual defence of the Straw Hat pirates by the notable members present) Vivi will declare her intention to join them until they find the One Piece. Perhaps we'll learn something about the World Government and an impending peril that Vivi thinks only the Strawhats are capable of solving/defeating.

Let me dream damn it!

@maxterdexter:

We have the full moon thing with the minks, whatever climax at wano is going to be, it needs the full moon.

I need this in my life.

@Kaido:

Big Mom never let Jinbe go, which is why he's rebelling.

Jinbei: "Actually, never mind about that wheel."
Big Mom: "Oh okay."

Nah, seems too weird. We'll see!

@Dranza:

Carrot is imitating the strawhats and is figuring out what it means to be like them, to be their nakama. She's got a vicious side to her as well which Chopper doesn't have, her electro is unique to her race, her sense of adventure is something Luffy would admire, her gender will be very welcome as it's becoming a sausage-fest. She has a lot going for her and it's a bit unfair for people to just set her aside because of personal bias. She's awesome. Before this arc some people were saying Jinbei was bland and some are still saying it but are now having to reconsider because he's inevitably going to become a member or they're hoping he gets "killed off". Jinbei dying will add absolutely nothing to the story, nothing.

Assuming Jinbei is actually lying about losing some life to Big Mom, I could picture a situation where Jinbe only has like 1-2 years left which would add some urgency in finishing the story and finding the One Piece. I would personally hate this outcome, but I can't believe for a second that Jinbe actually backed down against Big Mom and she let him go without any actual consequences.

As for Carrot, hoping it's a one-two join situation. I'm still holding out hope for more development on Pudding as a potential ally once we know her backstory and if she's tied to Bege in any way.

Seems like Carrot is just going to tag along anyway. Doubt she'll be satisfied on what she's seen of the ocean after this arc.

Hurry up and get my man Jinbei in there. Hoping we see some Jinbe Sanji teamup action in regards to planning and strategy. Maybe's Jinbe's role will be Helmsman/Strategist? Luffy definitely won't be able to lead his alliance in terms of tactics.

Carrot got some interesting moments with everyone else in the crew. Reminded me of when Kinemon had the pervy reactions along with Sanji and Brook before Dressrosa.

@Count:

Oh, it definitely doesn't solve everything. I don't expect Sanji to pull a complete 180 and be completely optimistic lol. He might still need a bit more convincing from Luffy. But the point still stands that he's no longer at the bottom of a despair-riddled trench anymore. Reiju literally gave him a bit of hope, and even if Sanji tries to deny it until Luffy comes, he still knows it's possible to escape now. I never meant to make Reiju's words seem like a solution to absolutely everything. It's the fact that Sanji even heard optimism like this in general so soon that can be argued as flawed story pacing.

Everybody's been predicting the apology meal. And I get how difficult the Zeff situation is, and the revelation isn't bad on its own. It just gets that connotation when revealed alongside the cuffs lol. Honestly, the cuffs didn't need to be implemented in the first place. The Zeff conflict was plenty and more compelling as is, even though Sanji prizes his hands a lot.

It is nice. But Sora is basically Usopp's mom combined with Scarlett. I expect more creativity from Oda than that. As for what type of portrayal, nothing really comes to mind off the top of my mind. Besides maybe hanging out with his brothers and seeing them make fun of him (as well as potentially abuse a servant), yet have Sanji not even try to fight back this time. Or maybe even have Sanji interact with Pudding a bit by meeting after the reveal scene, but the latter puts up her usual facade of optimism and we have to see Sanji struggle to play along knowing the facade. Either would have been effective. Regardless of whether I can offer a suggestion, it doesn't make the critique invalid at all.

I wish we saw more out of Nami on that front since she can relate to how Sanji pulled a facade like he did. But all we get is her getting upset, getting emotionally broken by Big Mom, and panic when Luffy tries to recklessly pull his hands apart to escape. I expected more out of her character development and bond with Sanji than just slapping him, especially compared to how much Luffy is fixated on his cook. Luffy's will is amazing though. I loved how he called Big Mom's story about Lola boring and specified that it was her own fault she can't become Pirate King lol.

It will be enough to keep Luffy standing, at least. And don't underestimate the power of nakama.

Awesome points. You've expressed everything that bugged me about this chapter and then some. Fingers crossed for something from Nami like what you've described.

Cool thread! Seeing the list of characters really hits home how many there are in this series…

Best Moment of the Year Definitely the Road Poneglyphs revelation. We haven't had anything substantial said about Raftel for years, and it was an incredible surprise. A reminder that this series does have an end and that now we're getting closer to it. Character of the Year Undoubtedly my man Sanji. Hard to choose anyone else; the flashbacks and personal struggles have made Sanji into a whole new character for me (well not yet technically). At the same time he's equally pissed me off because this arc is basically Baratie on steroids. In that arc, Sanji (for a moment) refused to fight because the Baratie ship would be damaged and Zeff would be killed. Despite Luffy lecturing him on the point of sacrificing one's life for others, here he is again doing the same thing. BUT, the difference is Sanji's backstory. The mixture of helplessness and degradation he's gotten from his sibling and father have completely justified his actions imo. This is just Sanji being Sanji and not wanting to cause anyone any trouble at the expense of his own joy and dreams. Oda has done an excellent job, and I can't wait to see where Sanji ends up next year now that he's lost everything. Best New Character of the Year So if Big Mom doesn't count, then I'll go with Charlotte Pudding. I was someone who was suspicious of her from the start, but only for the potential in where the plot could go regarding Sanji. Pudding was built up to be the nicest One Piece character ever, and the only saving grace in Big Mom's demented family. She represented someone the Straw Hats could relate to, and I was super interested to see what would happen if that rya of hope was suddenly taken away. I can't think of another female character as sinister as her besides Big Mom herself, and together they feel like fresh villains. Can't wait to see if Pudding has anything else up her sleeve. Best Fight of the Year Luffy vs. Cracker, no contest. The hype was unreal when Cracker's bounty was revealed, to Luffy going G4, to Cracker revealing his true body and powers, to the hilarious conclusion. The fight represents a milestone regarding enemy hierarchies in my opinion. Also, it shows once again that pure strength doesn't always equal victory. Yay for Nami and Luffy teamup! Best Surprise of the Year "Raizou is safe!" Did not see it coming. What an incredibly emotional moment.
Quote of the Year "Without you, I won't…I can't be Pirate King!"

People say Luffy has no character development...well here it is folks. This journey is as much about himself as it is about his friends at his side. Luffy can't just get another cook. The fact that he acknowledges this, and Sanji's contribution to the team, is awesome.

Funniest Moment of the Year
Luffy jumping off of Zou and everyone's reactions. "Bye!"

Shame of the Year
Off-panelling even a single moment of Big Mom vs. Brook. C'mon! I've been waiting forever for this!

Worst Character of the Year
Vinsmoke Judge. What a fucking ass hat. I don't think I've disliked a character as much as him in the entire series. Maybe Spandam? Whatever, this guy is gonna get destroyed and it'll be great. Yonji also deserves a mention for being hilariously jobberish.

Worst New Character of the Year Gonna go with Randolph. For the hype of showing him with Amande and Diesel (lol this guy too), he ended up being chump change.
Worst Fight of the Year
Wouldn't even call the Brulee stuff a fight. I'll go with the Vinsmoke brats vs. Sanji. Fucking infuriating and blue-ballsish moment for Sanji fans who just know he can kick their asses. Ugh.

Worst Surprise of the Year
Sanji's chivalry coming from Zeff. I had hoped his Mom would have been a bigger influence, but given the way the story is going it makes sense to build up character traits to Zeff to keep Sanji in this shitty situation.

@Kaido:

There's also no reason for Sanji to kick Pudding, given that she is going to kill him and not his crewmates. Kicking her during the ceremony would just lead to a wtf reaction from both his family and Big Mom, and probably lead to Zeff's death. Doing so before the ceremony would probably have the same results as well. Instead, he needs to find a way where he can expose Pudding's deception, and even so, it's going to be quite the tricky path because he's directly in the middle of a brewing conflict between two organizations he doesn't like that will directly affect him and his crew. We shall see what he comes up with, and also how Jinbe will affect matters going forward.

I'm not talking about Sanji randomly turning around and kicking Pudding out of nowhere. I'm talking about in the heat of the moment, a battle, a confrontation, he'll attack back. Exposing her deception isn't mutually exclusive to her fighting Sanji in any way.

@Screwtape:

Seriously, Sanji isn't going to hit Pudding. It would be out of character and destroy the reinforcement of the recap flashbacks we had of his training with zeff about such. Sanji most likely will have a plan that will upset her scheme. It's more his style, he will help the Vinsmokes, this will no doubt get him and zeff out of their hold. This is his avenue out of here and back to the SH's. Now if Oda had some pearls [which he doesn't] he would have Sanji kick the teeth out of pudding for being evil alone. She is no lady but a wayward dame. Pudding will be for a Nami or Reiju and Luffy will save the day getting most of the glory even thought this is suppose to be a Sanji arc.

But that's the whole point of this arc. The flashbacks show who Sanji has become, but look at him now. He's broken and discarded all the things that make him happy for the sake of saving his friends and Zeff. What more can he do? Watch everyone die while Pudding and Big Mom go to town? C'mon.

I seriously think Oda is going for a massive character change in Sanji with this arc. At the end of it all, Sanji is going to be his own person with his own dreams that will support his friends the way he wants to and not because of chivalry or some righteous sense of selflessness he never developed for himself. As for Sanji kicking Pudding, see above. I think it's entirely reasonable for them to have a standoff before this all ends.

@Mastello:

Sanji isn't going to kick Pudding. That would be completely out of character. Sanji doesn't hurt women, period, even if it kills him. After all that he's been through during the series, Sanji isn't going to break and start kicking women now just because one deeply hurt him personally. That would be pretty selfish and hypocritical from him. Sanji's better than that.

I disagree.

I think the entire point of this arc is for Sanji to begin to act out of character and transition into something new. At this moment he has nothing, and no one to turn to. He's forgone his crew and his dream just to protect his friends, and goes further than that to claim that Pudding is his only ray of hope in the world. In previous scenes we see him heart eyed and yelling Pudding-Tswaaaan, only to be crushed once again. Pudding even drives it home further by making fun of his exact expressions and sayings, mocking his character. Sanji can't catch a break, and imo he's now at his lowest point that he's going to be reminded of who he really is regarding what he believes in and his dreams. Sanji has to start thinking for himself, because it's this pure selflessness he acquired from wanting to please the people who treated him good in his life and the small mannerisms he picked up from Zeff that have hurt him again and again.

This doesn't mean that Sanji is going to start beating women and treating them like crap, but maybe when his life or the life of his friends is on the line he'll pick the right choice. I'm not saying he's going to kick her out of revenge, but that he'll kick her in the heat of the moment at this arc's climax.

It's like that one quote from Avatar, if you've seen the show that's like: "When we're at our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change."

@Chrior:

I see 2 possibilities for CC's future. Either the Marines or another 3rd party swoop in by the end of the arc in order to take down Big Mom and they take CC with them, possibly linking it to Vegapunk's plot, or for some reason, he finds himself with the SHs once again and finds out he's headed straight to Kaido, who also wants him. I'd like the first one very much. He's fulfilled his comedic role, he's fulfilled his villainous role… time to fulfill his plot linker role and give us Vegapunk already.

Buggy, in need of Giants to fill the void Hajrudin left, picks up Caesar Clown for his crew. Those two are a match made in heaven.

Sanji kicking Pudding is going to be delicious. Also does this count Pudding out from a proper fight? Her ability doesn't seem to be something she can use in battle aside from mind games. If she could manipulate memories from a distance it might make for some cool fighting.

@sgamer82:

The theory I've favored, and seen sprinkled about here and there on my way to this page, is that Pudding is pulling a double-bluff and trying to trick everyone for precisely that reason of screwing up Big Mom's rep.

I've felt for a long time that Pudding had the potential to be a Spanner in the Works regarding everyone's plans, since she's central to so many of them. Now, whether she's genuine about her evilness or not, she's fulfilling that role. If she's genuine she just exposed herself in front of Sanji without knowing it, and not in the sexy way. Sanji called her his Ray of Hope because she as the only good thing in this effed up situation. Now that's no longer true and he has lost a major reason to cooperate.

If she's bluffing, then it could well be that Pudding is plotting to put an end to Big Mom's arranged marriages by damaging her reputation beyond repair. She may not realize how potentially suicidal that is, or she does and it's not stopping her. It also has the added benefit of keeping Sanji and the Straw Hats out of the crossfire, since the consequences will fall on her.

Bluffing also explains the single biggest issue I have with her being for real: Why tell Reiju? That entire scene could've played out with one of her siblings almost exactly the same way, but Oda used Reiju, someone with a vested interest in stopping the plot Pudding just described. If she's bluffing, and is out to disrupt things as much as she can, then telling Reiju, and roughing her up of needed, serves her purpose.

Yes exactly, I think so too.

If it turns out to be true, I wish Oda added a scene where Sanji told Pudding about Reiju when he was describing his shitty family. Would give Pudding a reason to target her. Though I suppose Oda could just as easily say they were spying on the Vinsmokes the whole time.

Imo Pedro and Carrot will lead a pirate crew to serve under Luffy. Assuming Momo can't get control of Zou and the Minks form the One-Shot-Trunk Pirates

Oda left it too long, causing us to second guess. Would be interesting to re-read this arc knowing this twist would happen, though.

@Lord:

Now I wonder if Pekoms knew about the plan, cause I doubt he would sit on vital info like that.

Yeah good point, probably something that he should have mentioned at the start.

I think anyone who believes this sudden turn with Pudding is a plot hole or doesn't make sense is fooling themselves.

Every single enemy in One Piece has underestimated Luffy. If every antagonist (maybe barring some Crocodile moments) took Luffy seriously at the start then Luffy would have died looong ago. Big Mom and her crew are one of the strongest in the world, and have literally nothing to fear from letting Luffy sail into their territory. Big Mom even says it herself, she was curious when Luffy showed up without his full crew. Combine that with the fact that she literally has eyes everywhere, why would it matter if Luffy came to WCI? He's got a 500m bounty, his crew is inexperienced, and she has an entire army at her disposal on top of her own powers.

Now we as readers know this is not the case, and Luffy will obviously beat all odds, but think of it from Big Mom's perspective. Now factoring in Pudding, now we know she's been fucking with them from the beginning. Considering that the overall theme of Big Mom's crew seems to be insanity, it's very much in Pudding and her mother's nature to fuck with things for pleasure, not because it's logical to do so.

Now let's look at Pudding and all the red flags Oda has put down.

1. Pudding never got an Oda-Box.
2. Pudding gave a very shady retelling of her first meeting with Sanji that was half-assed. Shit like "oh his black legs" and "oh his heart eyes" while the meeting itself was entirely silhouetted for us, the readers.
3. We knew all along Pudding was the three-eyed girl. The scene we first see her in is with Big Mom eating people (homies, likely) as they scream out and she closes her eyes like "bitch, really?". Given this, it was strange how she suddenly got super afraid of Luffy being a "scaredy pirate" and threatening them with a knife when her mom is a fucking Empress of the ocean.
4. Pudding gives them a map that will magically get them to WCI. Now this works a lot better than Big Mom saying "sure come on in, I wanna see what you're made of" because it's more organic. Luffy and co. feel like they have a shot at getting into WCI and they go for it, as opposed to being threatened right from the start. Again, Big Mom and Pudding send them to the seducing woods where all sorts of fuckery happens. An "inescapable" maze where Big Mom can watch them get worn out while tormenting them at the same time with Brulee's annoying powers.
5. Pudding doesn't show up at the coast. We're given a scene of her saying "there's something I have to do", but nowhere is this indicated that this is meeting up with the Strawhats.
6. Pudding acts "different" when her hair is down. Notice that she says only her "family" know about her true personality. In all the scenes you see her in, she's around other people including her attendant in the chapter where she's on the balcony. Now I'm not sure if this is a mistranslation (someone here mentioned this), but I'd be surprised if it's actually only Big Mom that knows as opposed to the family. This would explain why she puts up a front in front of Opera in these latest chapters. Why does she hide it? Who knows. Doubt she could function well in society being all kinds of fucked up otherwise.
7. Pudding had a third eye she was hiding all along. Throwing herself at Sanji's feet as this genuine, caring person while hiding shit from him is fishy.

It's like this, if I'm playing with my food I can eat it whenever I want. It's not going anywhere, and it's either going to be on my plate or in my belly when I so choose to eat it. I can fuck around with my mash potatoes all day long before I eventually eat them. Same principle. Luffy poses no threat to Big Mom and she could have taken him out any time. Is that a plot hole? No. Big Mom, and apparently Pudding, enjoy messing around.