One Piece Chapter 663

[dethorats]

So...663



XD I'm glad I got that ficlet out before the chapter was posted because I had a feeling it was too serious and would be borked and sure enough...

Okay, gonna focus on what I liked first: LUFFY...every expression in this chapter but for some reason especially that shot of him playing with the kids and also being disappointed about losing his centaur legs.

Smoker and my dear awesome Tashigi. TASHIGI! TASHIGI! No, I have nothing constructive to say. I <3 Tashigi! Notice that Zoro did NOT freak out, although was there time for it? Curious.

Law's deadpan expression for everything. Okay, I'll admit it. I was kind of anti-Law just because fandom was all over him when he hadn't really done all that much yet and he reminds me of a damn hipster. But this arc is too awesome. Yeah, I think he's cool now. There. I said it. Doesn't change how I feel about Magneto (Kidd) however.

Random Tanuki powered samurai. Seriously, WHAT IS UP WITH THAT GUY?! I have zero predictions about where Oda's going with him. Can't even begin to guess.

Chopper-in-Sanji's-body! Loving the facial expressions! So cute!
Nami-in-Franky's-body! Buttoning the shirt, making his face look like that! Actually socking Sanji-in-Nami's-body (I couldn't believe she did that!)!

Mysterious plots and foreshadowing for next chapter! I am so psyched for this plot! I anticipate all sorts of things and impacts for the future. Seriously, getting good plot vibes. Anybody think we'll get a Law flashback out of this? Or maybe one for between Aokiji and Akainu? Or, most likely, Cesar Clown and Vegapunk.


Things that I'm on the fence about:

Sanji-in-Nami's-body: Okay, I expected the heart eyes and the nosebleed (though I'd hoped Nami's body would resist the impulse). I also expected Sanji ogling himself. Honestly, that's the first reaction I think anyone would have. Not saying I'd pull down my pants if I suddenly ended up a dude's body but yeah, I'd check out whatever part of myself was on display. (Also, if I had the opportunity and privacy, yeah, I'd check out the below-the-belt area. Sorry, but I would. It's a once in a lifetime chance and I'd assume the dude would be doing the same in my body and would be okay with that.)

Now, about him pointing those beautiful bosoms at everyone else...that's a different story. I get the humor. I get the shonen. I do! But somehow this bothers me way more than Thriller Bark when everyone else spazzed out and cried foul. That was pure horror movie trope in Thriller Bark. It fit every genre cliche and that's what the early part of Thriller Bark was all about. So I was down with that fan service. It made sense in context.

And while Sanji's actions DO make sense to a degree from within a shonen manga body-swap context (oh hell yes they do, whether anyone wants to admit it or not), from a characterization standpoint, I'm disappointed in Sanji. Bitterly disappointed to the point where I feel the need to fic about it to make myself feel better. Although why I should care since Sanji's not exactly my fave anyway...(Seriously, I'm holding out hope that Oda will have a point to all of this eventually, but in the meantime it's a bit hard to take). On the other hand, I'm impressed with Nami's overall reaction and the callback to Alabasta, which I see as fitting in a weird way. I know Nami's not in charge of her body, so people are calling foul for that reason, which I completely get, but she's making the best of it since she can't exactly thump Sanji into unconsciousness. I anticipate the chef is gonna suffer once they're back in their rightful bodies. Also, somehow I'm more offended that Sanji's smoking, even with her permission. WTF?! Poisoning her lungs like that?!

Anyway, I'm super excited for next week. All this chapter lacked was more Zoro, but I feel that way every chapter.

Comments

[velshtein.livejournal.com]

and he reminds me of a damn hipster
lmao law can definitely pull off the hipster!pirate look

[dethorats]

It's the hat and the sideburns and the hand tattoos and that coat. XD But he's been growing on me. The whole 'heart' thing is pretty awesome.

[drcalvin.livejournal.com]

Notice that Zoro did NOT freak out, although was there time for it? Curious.

I found that there were two instances of a weird lack of Zoro-reaction-shot here, first re Tashigi and then about Sanji-Nami-Chopper-Franky. It's making me wonder if he's managed to keep a perfect Mihawky deadpan while internally laughing and/or freaking out completely Oda is setting something special up.

he reminds me of a damn hipster

Yes! HE HAS A HIPSTER LOOK! I'm so glad I'm not the only one to think that ^_^

[dethorats]

You know, I was a little surprised he wasn't sporfling along with Luffy and Usopp at the four of them. Or at the least smirking. Then again, he already seems to be on alert mode, what with Law there and Smoker and the unknown variables...maybe something has his hackles up and his danger senses tingling so he's just super focused instead.

Although I still find the lack of Tashigi action slightly weird. Then again, maybe he could already sense Smoker in her body and it didn't set off his warning bells?! Hard to say, really. But it's interesting.

XD Law is the biggest hipster ever, except for maybe Doflamingo (who may or may not have been his boss or ally at one point given the similarities in the jolly rogers, etc.). That's alright, though, he's been pretty awesome in these chapters so I have to admit I like him.

[drcalvin.livejournal.com]

maybe something has his hackles up and his danger senses tingling so he's just super focused instead.

Oh, I like that idea! I found it a bit odd, since Zoro seems to have generally opened up since the time-skip, that we don't see any reactions to all this crack, but your suggestion makes sense. And while Luffy's in leggy-loss depression, I guess he needs to keep an extra intense eye out for danger, heh

Could it be that he didn't recognize Tashigi as Kuina? I mean, they have a physically similar build, but their spirit/personality is also similar. Smoker probably pings way different on Zoro's swordsman-o-meter

given the similarities in the jolly rogers

Someone told me that Oda had said that the round Jolly Rogers are just typical of that sea (North Blue, ithink?). But who knows, maybe they used to know each other

Oh god.... the image of Doflamingo as Law's "Shanks" is bloody scary!

[monkfish17.livejournal.com]

I object to that last statement.

There wasn't nearly enough Robin in the last chapter....

or Brook for that matter. I honestly was expecting him to ask SanjNami hir panties. Ah well. I guess him and Robin can pwn Law with their awesome powers next chapter. (doubt it'll happen)

[sherriaisling.livejournal.com]

In regards to Zoro's reaction to the events of this chapter, or rather his lack thereof, I wonder if it could have anything to do with his only having one eye now. He's really go to be more alert to potential dangers now than ever since he's got a large new blind spot to cover for. And I'm sure his alertness level must already be cranked to eleven anyways, since Luffy is fond of both Law and Smoker, which means that he's that much more likely to walk everyone into something dangerous.

One Piece has always been one of the very few series where I love (or at least love-to-hate) virtually every character. I actually find it very hard to play favorites among the main characters, and, as such, my "favorite character" is normally whoever is being either the most awesome or the most failtastic at the time. However, following the time skip, I'm finding it a little hard to like Sanji as much as I do everyone else. I just sort of feel like his character is developing backwards.

His inability to fight a woman is something that has put his nakama in danger in the past, back when he couldn't put up any sort of fight against Kalifa, and two years later his issues have just gotten worse, what with the whole actually needing medical attention to cope with his nosebleeds back at the start of the last arc. Now, since I don't think that I've ever truly been disappointed in Oda, I'm still hoping that Sanji will become more nuanced in his attitude towards women (thought, really, one would think that his time with Iva and company might have been the place to start making things better instead of letting them get worse...)

His actions in this chapter are a little confusing to me, honestly. He goes on and on about respecting women and wanting to protect them, and I don't see how his actions in Nami's body have been either. Fondling Nami's body, and doing so for the world to see, is hardly respectful and, as you said, smoking in her body is anything but healthy which means that he is, at the moment, the biggest threat to Nami's safety. And it isn't even like he's physically craving nicotine since Nami isn't a smoker. (To be fair, Smoker puffing away at those two cigars in Tashigi's body really put me off too.)

Other thoughts:

I'm pretty thrilled to have an arc taking place on a (half) winter island again. I love the way that everyone looks in cold weather clothing and I like Chopper's brief moment of pleasure last chapter at being back in an environment similar to that which he grew up in before everyone got body swapped. (It made me seriously consider writing something about all the time he must spend grooming his fur after time spend in weather which reindeer aren't built for.)

Luffy asked about the whereabouts of Bepo, who, if I recall correctly, has always been pretty much glued to Law's side. Now obviously this could be nothing (and, in fact, I'm basing it on virtually nothing), and I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it if Luffy hadn't asked about the bear, but I wonder if Law's thing he wants to get back could be his crew.

For some reason, I don't think this arc feels like the place for an Aokiji and Akainu flashback. I think we'll have to get at least some background on Cesar Clown (and likely Vegapunk) and possibly something to do with Law and this thing that he wants to get back.