When Richie the Lion gets distracted by Usopp’s egg, we are shown the importance of feeding one’s troops. The Art of War by Sun Tzu makes numerous mentions of feeding troops, including bringing supplies & foraging, (2.9), choosing fertile land to invade (11.21), and observing enemy soldiers (6.4, 9.29, 9.34). It is also known that when active duty soldiers within the US Military start receiving meals of steak & lobster, they will likely be deployed into combat soon thereafter.
The Straw Hat crew shows great confidence in each other whenever they temporarily abandon one another. Each one has enough faith in each other’s abilities that they know they will meet up again later on. When Nami & Usopp arrive at the Gullwing Mary first, they quickly depart because the Marines are hot on their trail & Mohji is trying to start a fire. Even if they have to sail around for a bit, there is no doubt they will reconnect with Sanji, Zoro, & Luffy, but they have to stay safe & alive now in order to do that, by any means possible. In fact, when Sanji catches up with them, he quickly parrots the same idea, leaving behind Luffy & Zoro, and then we see it again when Zoro is fighting Tashigi & Luffy leaves him behind.
Part of what makes them so connected & in-sync is their shared knowledge of their individual goals, which they clearly state in this episode. The 5 characters have 5 goals each as unique as another, and they all benefit from each other in achieving their own goals. Ultimately, there is no single shared goal between any of them, but their independent interests each align in such a way that they directly benefit from the alliance. It is advantageous to know that one’s fellow adventurer needs you as much as you need them, creating equality.
Usopp’s line “do we have to go there in the middle of a freaking hurricane like this?” hints at the enlightening truth that things worth doing are difficult and difficult things are worth doing. If it were easy to get to the grand line, anyone could do it, but because it is difficult, it is more prestigious & rewarding of an activity. What’s more, facing adversity can help prepare us for challenges still to come, as well as make us feel more grateful later when things are going easier. During a bike ride, I once coined the phrase “sometimes you have to ride your bicycle through the rain to remember how the sun shines,” and I still think about it all the time when times are tough.
Last note, the Devil fruit seems to be more and more common. It is obviously only certain main characters who have these powers, but it is not as wildly rare as I thought I had been led to believe. Of course, Luffy & crew would be less likely to encounter other people with Devil fruit powers if they just stayed in their small island villages their whole lives, but there is much less of a reverence for these strange abilities than I previously expected. It is almost more similar to an obtainable upgrade for anyone with enough desire (or money) to do so, and not a legendary mythical prize.