Cold hands, warm embrace
"I'm sure he's got nothing to do with me!" says Luffy and I was waiting for him to say it. For him to hear all of this Nika lore and declare that, nope, I don't care, I'm not Nika, I'm not a liberator. It's just such a Luffy thing to do. But I know many fans actually will be shocked with Luffy's answer here or will just dismiss it. I have seen many opinions before that Luffy was always a liberator by choice, so becoming Nika is just natural course of events for him and he will have no problem embracing his role in the bigger scheme of things. Some even complained they hate that Luffy is Nika because they don't want Luffy to be the "fated hero" but instead a "from nobody to the king of the world" trope. But nope! Luffy just noped all of this himself.
Luffy is not a liberator and he's not an altruistic hero, he doesn't go from island to island aiming to save people, and if you think he wanted to, then please remember Fishmen Island and how unhappy he was with the idea of being a hero:
And now if you think Luffy changed since then because Dressrosa happened, then please remember what he asked of Momonosuke in Wano:
Yep, that's right. Luffy still *doesn't have any interest* in becoming a hero. If you think he's alright with that and changed his mind, then you're just not paying attention to him, sorry to say that. Luffy has been pretty consistent about this too and now he declared it yet again in Elbaf. It's the third time already.
You just think it's not a big deal because he so easily changed his mind in Fishmen Island, but it happened only because he had an actual reason to do that. Jimbei promised Luffy all the meat he wants. He gave him a *personal reason* to act like a hero, which is why Luffy agreed. And he did the same in Dressrosa. He wouldn't liberate that country if he didn't get attached first to Law and Rebecca (yes, in this order), and his crew to tontattas. They always do it for someone particular, for their friends. It's the same in Wano too, Luffy's constant motivation is Tama, Momo and Kinemon. He wants them to be happy, most of all, and he even says as much when he defeats Kaido: "I want a world where all of my friends can eat as much as they like".
There, he doesn't do it altruistically because he hates oppresion and villains who thrive on pain of common people and he can't stand seeing it. Yes, he probably thinks it's unfair, but he also grew up in Goa Kingdom, the very definition of unfair regime. He saves oppressed people only when they are his friends or has some other personal interest involved. He defeats the Marine base in Shells Town for Koby (and Zoro, later). He defeats Don Krieg so he can repay his food debt to Baratie. He defeats Arlong for Nami. He fights Wapol for Chopper (who saved Nami) and who he already considers his friend because of that. He fights for the Giants (Little Garden) and Vivi (Alabasta), Conis (Skypiea), Robin (Water 7 and Enies Lobby), Brook (Thriller Bark), Hachi (Sabaody) etc. Though, he does make friends rather easily, so usually it's not that big of a deal. But he isn't going out of his way to places he reads about in the newspapers that need to be liberated, he instead cares more for his own dream. He doesn't enter a certain island with the idea in mind that goes like "if I see some injustice here, I'm gonna bring this shit down". It's the other way around. He makes friends and realizes they're unhappy.
He wants them to be happy again and to live without regrets, and that's why he brings the shit down, whatever it is that makes people he cares about feel so unhappy. Because he thinks this is at least something he can do for his friends. Luffy doesn't think he can do a lot of things, he can't do much at all, but he can do one thing: beat up a guy when needed.
He knows how regret feels like ever since he believed Sabo died, he's not gonna sit there and do nothing next time something like this happens. That's why it's so important for him, to make sure his friends are happy. And that's why he beats up people and liberates countries. It's not for justice, he simply wants his friends to be happy.
But wait a moment, Luffy also wants freedom. Yes, he does. He wants to be the King of the Pirates, because for him it means to be free. And that's how he actually speaks about Nika as well:
He wants the freedom for himself. Isn't it funny that he thinks he already achieved it though?
And before you're disgusted by how selfish Luffy actually is, hear me out: Luffy is simply not a martyr. He won't die or sacrfice himself for the world to liberate it. He will instead die for the world if he thinks that will make his friends happy. Preferably though, he would want to survive and eat that meat with them, and be happy together.
Still, if you want him to be a liberator of a whole world it is actually possible, you just need to make it personal for Luffy, like I suggested. For example, put a person or multpile people who want to save/destroy the world (whichever option you fancy) on Luffy's crew. Luffy always cares for dreams of his crewmates and will always support them (because fullfilling their dreams will make them happy), so he would become a liberator if that helps them. But he would do it for them, not for the world.
Luffy is not a hero because he has a golden heart and a strong sense of justice. He's a hero when his friends are in danger instead, because instead of a golden heart, he simply has a big heart and makes friends wherever he goes. A martyr-like hero who sacrfices himself for people without caring for his own wellbeing is noble, but it's also not a healthy mentality, believe it or not. For starters, if you never care enough for yourself and are ready to throw your life away for a concept, what will happen with people who love you and care for you? Is it fair towards them to throw your life away without caring who you're leaving behind and how they will feel about it? Do you even care then for their feelings if your pursuit of greater good is more important to you? You can save the world and make people you love sad and unhappy, and like they don't even care anymore to live, because you were the one who made them happy and now you're gone. Did you save the world for them or destroyed it for them instead, as the result?
Luffy has his own interest in saving his friends too: so he's not alone again. Humans aren't selfless beings, but it doesn't automatically make us bad people either. And sometimes, while pursuing selfish things, we do something that appear to be extremely selfless. But at the bottom of it: we also do it for themselves, even if it kills us.
Tokyo Babylon taught me that every act is selfish, even if it appears like we do it for someone else: we simply want to feel better about ourselves then. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as we don't lose the sight of other people's feelings on our way. We can always share, after all, and that sharing is the bridge between the lone islands that people are.
Luffy, if he dies, will also say, just like Seishiro: "I didn't do it for you. I did everything by my own choice". For myself. Despite the fact it is also true he does it to make his friends happy. Being selfish and being selfless is like two sides of the same coin and both choices can end up actually hurting people. In the first case, because you care too much about yourself and too little about feelings of others, and in second case because you care too little about yourself and still too little about feelings of people that love and care for you. Can you spot the thing in common here?
How I feel after making a comic about mother feelings while having zero of them:
If Kunikida comes back (which I hope he does), I think it might have something to do with the book, more specifically the page that was with Fukuchi before he died. We don't know what happened to the page after the divine being's appearance, but if it hasn't, I don't know, disappeared, it could still be used to reverse the damage caused by the divine being, perhaps even bringing back those who were killed by it.
literally though the fundamental misunderstanding that characterizing chuuya as someone who is too extroverted, or cant help getting attached, is. because he could actually! very easily!!! he already has trust issues! & it’s such a huge thing that for him, the fact that he has not yet become verlaine or become dazai is a choice, an effort, often at the expense of himself
I know we're all super focused on the God Knights and everything going to absolute hell on Elbaf right now but if we could circle back for one quick moment..!
Loki has a friend(?) he talked to while he was locked up?? And we still don’t know who it is ?? (Or at the very least I sure as hell don’t)
Let us re-examine these panels
Firstly, Loki has a cold resistant Den Den. Who gave it to him? It couldn’t have been the locals since yknow *gestures vaguely* they can’t stand his ass and I highly doubt he had it on him when he got locked up. We can also safely rule out the friend since Loki says they’ve never met face to face.
Secondly, this mystery person seems quite polite and uncertain. Wanting to make sure they’re not bothering with their call despite this clearly not being their first conversation. Loki is quite happy to have someone to talk to clearly (he clearly loves his forest friends but good conversationalist they do not make). He also states they’ve been friends for a while (which could mean anything since we now know how not great Loki is with time especially if this person is a human).
Thirdly, this traumatic experience mystery friend face. We don’t have to clues right now to figure it out nor can we guess since we don’t have the character's age to tie it to something we already know. Whatever it was it still scares them terribly. It even bothers Omen Of Disaster Loki so it must have been serious.
Of course he does say he’d would have shut shit down because he’s Loki! And the newly named Shaggy (a nickname on Loki's part or a real name 🤔🤔) rebukes that idea. Loki calls them weak, stating that shooting to kill is the only way to guarantee one's safety, showing mercy gives them a chance at revenge! Gee, I wonder who that awfully specific concept could be talking about!
That display of cruelly and aggression does not throw Shaggy off even slightly, instead choosing to thank his friend and remark that they’ve noticed the kindness that leaks beneath all that anger and hate the accursed prince barks out. This sets Loki off, quickly starting a one-sided shouting match about how he is not kind! Not even slightly! The very idea is sickening and disrespectful! Never dare to speak to him like that ever again! Just you wait until he is free, he’ll show everyone!
Shaggy's response to this is very telling. Not fear, no ellipses, just a calm ‘Please don’t shout.’ It’s the first part of the conversation where there is no hesitation on Shaggy's part.
I know people believe Shaggy is Gaban and while I could also see that happening ig I really don’t think he’d talk/act like this. We also don’t know if Shaggy is even a guy because while the Den Den does have a beard of some sort it could very well just be a snail that doesn’t change faces (also woman can have beards!!). If I had to pick a pre-existing character for it to be I might pick Saul (kind king that he is) or Kiringham (came for the mission, stayed for the conversation).
There are also no current hints on species, the chances of it being a giant are pretty slim but not impossible (also I really like the idea of Loki having a little buddy).
In conclusion:
Come forward and speak the whole class bestie, I promise we won’t jump you!!
SHE'S BACK!! SHE'S BACK!! SHE'S BACK!!
I think it would be funny if everyone collectively just didnt care to change in to their work clothes for the plot of dead apple cause imagine Chuuya fighting that big ass dragon still in his dog themed pajama pants 🐶
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