I love these retrospective looks into all the nakama. It's a beautiful way to see what Luffy and the crew means to everyone and to see how much they've grown since the beginning of the series. So, a few characters have masters of sorts and a few have knowledge bases. - Zoro is going to learn from Mihawk.
- Sanji has Ivan as a sensei of sorts.
- Luffy from Rayleigh.
- Robin from Dragon.
- Usopp will learn new techniques and train his strength with Heracles'n sensei.
- Nami will learn from her resident sky grandpa as a climate sensei.
- Then we have Chopper and Franky who will learn from the huge databases around them.
- And finally Brook who's going to materialize a guitar into existence and learn to rip mean guitar solos.
Our babies are going to get strong!!!
As always it was great to see Brook again, and I sincerely hope he has a bigger role when they meet up again! I absolutely find his inclusion in the beginning and closing of Thriller Bark to be amazing. It was so emotional and powerful and it was already near the end of Brook's own story. What he represents with Binks Sake spoke to me and I still sing it to lift my mood. Luffy found him interesting and not scary, and for the first time in 50 years let him spend time with a pirate crew and invited him aboard, then he helped him get his shadow back and fought for him which was the thing that was haunting him and stopping him from fulfilling his promise, and Luffy even brought the news that his last remaining nakama is still out there waiting. Luffy brought the miracle that Brook waited 50 years for!! And that's so perfect, it's clear why he feels so indebted and so happy to be friends with Luffy. He didn't get to see them fight the government for Robin but he was totally moved upon seeing Sanji and Zoro try and die for Luffy's and each others sake, he was, imo, seeing his old crew in them. <3
Robin's retrospective reminded me of how her character arc and flashback was reminiscent to Nami. It broke the formula of getting crew members and we got to see her introduced with mystery in Alabasta, she teamed up with Luffy for Skypiea but never totally fit in, and then in Water 7 she decided it was her time to run away again. Like Ace she was always told she didn't deserve to live, she had the guilt and weight of her people on her shoulders, and everywhere she went brought along destruction. She didn't believe she deserved to live or deserved to have friends, and that was super well explored in the three arcs it took to finally move her into true nakama territory! When Luffy declared, we will literally fight the world for you so realize you deserve and want to live and be a part of this crew! It's so great, she sees how strong Luffy is and loves that nutcase side of him and loves that she has a place where she belongs! Of course she would go meet Dragon to grow stronger under him for the Straw Hats sake. I mean, they all fought with their lives on the line for her with no hesitation!
Usopp was respected for his strength by the crew, they enabled him to fight and fought with him. They brought him aboard and gave him a chance to become a brave warrior. And through them he got so strong. Even when he fell off and got in a fight with the crew Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy especially all made him realize his worth and picked him back up, stronger than ever. Of course upon realizing the dangers of the sea he would train with his new friend to make sure Luffy will become the pirate king, in fact, he will become the real sniper king!! A line which made me tear up. Luffy fights with his all for those around him and inspires them to do the same, the sniper king and the strongest swordsman are obviously needed for the pirate kings crew. Aww. :)
I always adored Zoro's development, the way he naturally butts heads with Sanji until they slowly become true brothers, the way he bonded with Usopp with small nice gestures and comforting words until finally he forced Usopp to be the man he wants to be and apologize to Luffy. The way he learned to value the crew and Luffy over his own life and ambition, and now pride. It's been slow and hardly ever overt but it has forever been steady and powerful!!! Zoro, in moments of meeting him, saw just how beautiful Luffy is, both are nutcases which are willing to die for their ambitions and from the beginning they practically pledged as the original duo that they would fulfil their dreams. Now, Zoro even prioritizes the crew and Luffy over his own dream and pride and the fact that Zoro would swallow his pride like that was enough to make Mihawk laugh and agree. Maybe Mihawk does see his younger self in him. |