Author: admin

Finishing the final episode of this “season” is a satisfying experience. I did some reading and learned that the millennial dragon arc were the first episodes written originally for the anime and not based on the anime, solidifying my theory that they are connected to the real world turn-of-the-millenium zeitgeist. Furthermore, I realized Apis and the rest of the crew’s attachment to these millennial dragons greatly contrasts the disrespect towards the sea cow beast back at Arlong Park. Perhaps we are now seeing a shift towards a more inclusive model of anti-fascist revolutionary behavior.

Apis’ parting words to the Straw Hats, thanking them for teaching her that “acting a little crazy isn’t such a bad thing,” emphasizes the core value of the crew: chasing one’s dreams no matter what. This theme is reinforced when the crew once again shares their individual goals as they climb the mountain canal. They all recognize the immense amount of sacrifice & loyalty it requires to pursue true greatness, and have imparted this wisdom onto young Apis as she begins her journey to preserving her family’s legacy in earnest.

What really stood out to me about the crew at this point is how well they all still get along with each other. It is difficult to ascertain exactly how long they have been traveling together, but it has certainly been long enough that their continued positive vibes are impressive. Long distance travel of any sort can take a real toll on relationships, whether planes, trains, automobiles, or boats, so seeing them still working together peacefully sets a solid standard for friendship. I particularly appreciated Sanji & Usopp being so close, hugging each other in joy & celebration, as they both tend to have some anti-social behaviors but have found some solace in each other’s company.

A trait that I tend to ascribe to a lot of media is the concept that certain cartoonish or silly elements of a story or narrative are simply a result of exaggerated storytelling. Assuming these adventures are based on retellings of true stories, then, much like real oral traditions, or the ones about the millennial dragons, some details may get altered here and there between recounts, often just to make things more interesting. When the Gullwing Mary flies over the top of the mountain canal and drops in the air, leaving the crew floating for a moment before falling to land safely back on their ship, this is just a hyperbolic visualization of the event. It was probably originally described as just going over a big wave and they all got bucked up a bit, but for entertainment’s sake, and to glamourize the heroes, it is now portrayed in such an outrageous manner that it gets laughs instead of gasps.

We see a similar trait play out with the characters’ abilities to fight through & recover from grievous wounds. Here, Luffy gets chopped up by Eric but continues going and never mentions the injuries again, but in earlier episodes, we have seen Zoro get viscerally impaled and then just keep going for multiple days & battles, and so much more. This is a metaphor for the trauma & emotional wounds we carry forward, which are also invisible. Although not physical, the mental wounds from traumatizing events also bleed out everywhere, over ourselves, our relationships, our whole lives, but life goes on. Taking time to heal damage, whether physical or emotional, can be difficult to manage when there is so much else happening all the time, but both must be addressed before either can really heal.

Last note, Nami has the best outfits. Although everyone else has the same clothes on all the time, Nami has a few different shirts & shoes and stuff, and today we see her bust out her pink rain jacket. I find this to be a realistic nod to a woman packing more clothes than the men on the ship would without drawing too much attention to it or playing it for laughs as a mockery.

Luffy catching the harpoon and throwing it back at Nelson is symbolic of the revolutionary act of turning the weapons of one’s oppressors back against them. This is not dissimilar to guerilla warfare in which we particularly utilize the advantages offered to us by our smaller stature when compared to the larger force. Having quick reactions to ongoing shifts on the battleground creates a tangible benefit, but a larger force typically reacts slower with sluggish movement. Between Luffy & Nelson, Luffy is a smaller, agile, target, making him more difficult to hit at range, while Nelson is not only larger, but requires the coordination of a dozen people to carefully move his throne around, leaving him vulnerable to the reaction attack.

When Sanji says, “take out the leader and the troops all run for cover,” it comes across as a direct insult against the Marines, but this sentiment is equally true of most groupings. Leadership is a rare & valuable skill, requiring not only skill & know-how, but the time to carry out the task, as well. In many settings, when the leadership fails to deliver, for one reason or another, the entire project can easily fall apart entirely. While most things worth doing require the cooperation of many people working together, they also need a unified & harmonious direction that is both firm in goal and flexible in method. The Marines may retreat upon the defeat of their commodore, but that is not a particularly shocking response from anyone.

Last note, the millennial dragons appearing once every 1000 years feels like a reference to the turn of the millennium in the year 2000. This episode aired in late February of 2001, but Apis & Grandpa Rio were introduced in the first few episodes of January, and, contrary to popular belief, the 3rd Millenium A.D. started in 2001, not the year 2000. This added context adds a sweeping feel of connection to the setting, even more emphasized when I noticed the baby dragon hatchling strongly resembled my own 9-month-old daughter. Earlier today, my wife & I were discussing Feng Shui, and I mentioned how when I was traveling in China, a child once informed me that Feng Shui is meant to make your home comfortable for a visiting dragon. She appreciated how I had rearranged the living room furniture, and I told her I just did what made me feel comfortable, so I guess that makes me the millennial dragon.

Nelson’s chain of boats represents systemic power in which people living “within the machine” are literally or metaphorically chained together, preventing others from leaving even if they want to. Some humans are just “plugged in” to the illusions & constructs of society and cannot comprehend the ability to think for themselves. What’s more, they cling to their false reality with such vigor, they will vehemently oppose anyone who seeks to change or leave the enclosure. The Straw Hats, then, represent radical thinkers challenging the presumptions of society without regard for civility, and society is quick to try to capture them and prevent them changing the status quo in any way that might make the average person uncomfortable, even if only for a moment.

The chains on the boats create a trap but make sailing the ship difficult, completely restricting their individual freedom of movement. The attachment of the chains removes any semblance of creativity or exploration from the different crews, keeping this homogenous group moving in a uniform line of conformity with a singular goal demanded of them by their leader. Luffy & crew, seeking their own personal goals, must battle the much larger force to discover any chance of success. We see this in our own lives whenever we try to alter cultural norms and are confronted by those who adhere to, and often benefit from, those cultural norms. The leaders of real society have convinced millions that upholding their prescribed course of actions will truly lead them to happiness, much like the Commodore is using his fleet of crews to pursue his own personal goal.

Last note, Grandpa Rio is able to finally find the energy to rise up, save Apis, & fly because of pure, unadulterated, love. Love can be a wildly powerful motivator for anyone, bringing us the confidence and focus to achieve possibilities that would otherwise be genuinely impossible. Humans, and, apparently, dragons, are primarily social creatures, and maintaining the safety of our peers & companions can trigger strengths & abilities we have never harnessed before. For many, it is easier to do something for a loved one than it is to do something for one’s self, shown here by Grandpa Rio using his energy to try to destroy the Marines to save his friends, rather than use it to find the Lost Island.

Usopp continues with the characteristic snark in this episode, calling the millennium dragon “useless.” To be perfectly frank, the audience currently has no idea what the value of a millennium dragon is, either. In any event, Apis calls him useless, and this in-fighting interaction portrays how we often perceive our reality. Upon first encountering someone or something, we fail to understand its value and will mentally push it aside to focus on things we do, in fact, recognize the value of. This schism can result in a negative outlook towards the newly encountered thing we don’t yet understand. As mentioned, Usopp has no idea what a millennium dragon is or does, and Apis has not seen Usopp being particularly heroic during their short time together.

While we all still don’t know what a millennium dragon is, Apis did witness things about Usopp she hadn’t noticed before. Soon after the aforementioned conversation, Usopp is the first Straw Hat to speak up that they would continue to help Apis & Rio find the lost island, filling the child with joy. Later, back aboard the Gullwing Mary, Usopp quickly calls out a plan to escape Commodore Nelson which Zoro believes would work, again impressing Apis.

Apis, of course, has her own majesty within, made evident when part of the group is on the speedy cart. She tells Luffy she is worried about Zoro, who calmly responds that Zoro will be okay, while Nami & Usopp are only discussing their own safety. Ultimately, Zoro was okay, but only because Apis relayed the message from the birds to Luffy, who then rescued Zoro, so both Apis & Luffy were correct in their assertions.

We see the continued inner-workings of Marine insubordination when the fleet captain wants to leave Eric behind at the mirage. The captain appears to be rather loyal to Nelson, and it seems Eric is from the world government and outranks the Commodore, and Commodore Nelson also seems to be suspicious of Eric, and Eric is unhappy with the fleet captain. This house-of-cards-esque scrawling of relationship lines appears to exist throughout every level of the Marines and is indicative of the levels of distrust, arrogance, graft, and corruption there is in the organization. There is a stark difference between this chaos and a more harmonious splinter-cell type grouping with checks and balances between differing wings or branches, although it is easy to see how the latter may devolve into the former.

Last note, during the combat of Zoro & Eric, we see them utilizing sticks and dirt as aids in battle and it evokes the image of 2 young boys fighting without any legendary weapons or devil fruit powers at all. Both adversaries are quick-thinkers who take advantage of anything they can in any situation, again taking notes from The Art of War. Seeing Eric rival Zoro’s ability, requiring rescue by Luffy, foreshadows continued trouble for the Straw Hats from this government agent.

The visions of flying dragons from Rio’s past are so vivid when contrasted with his current level of perception. Though his senses have dulled with age, his recollection of his youth is still ever-present in his mind’s eye. We all experience this as the neuroplasticity of our own childhoods wane into adulthood, leaving the memories of our formative years firmly implanted much deeper in our brain than new memories we form much later in life. The lessons & trauma & more that we gain in our first couple of decades on Earth have a profound effect on the rest of our lives, without question, and the choices we make during this time as a result ultimately shape us into the person we will be, with some exceptions.

A panel of Calvin & Hobbes from 1994 references this same phenomenon when Calvin’s dad says “Why is it I can recall a cigarette ad jingle from 25 years ago, but I can’t remember what I just got up to do?” Whatever we fill our heads with in our youth, good or bad, will stick with us forever, even as we lose our ability to actually function properly. This is why it is so imperative that we focus on positive media & literature, especially in what we provide to children. In a major sense, the amount of media & literature we have access to today has been wildly advancing with every generation, and there isn’t much specific precedence people who grow up with this level of access to film, advertising, pop music, cartoons, video games, fan fiction, internet porn, and more; these are uncharted waters into which our children wade.

Rio spent his youth on a peaceful island watching his fellow dragons soar through the skies. As such, he still has those memories to fall back to in old age. People who experience great trauma during those years will eventually return to those traumatic memories. This partially contributes to society’s particularly strong disdain for those who harm children because we all understand, if only subconsciously, that this will potentially truly ruin that human’s entire life due to those childhood traumas.

Now, that is not to say that anyone with some childhood trauma will be incapable of leading a fulfilled life. In fact, I reckon that most people, and certainly most interesting people, do indeed have a bit of childhood trauma, but that does not mean we should be encouraging & allowing such things to happen openly. Our 5 Straw Hats all have some significant childhood traumas, being almost entirely orphans and dealing with everything that entails, yet they are genuine heroes.

In a less than heroic moment, however, this episode includes the line “This is so unfair, we men do all the work” from Usopp as he complains about having to do manual labour while Nami walks in front, unburdened. This observation alludes to a power dynamic in which women have conspired to force the men to perform difficult physical tasks. However, this logic has some immediate fallacies, not the least of which is just that the average woman is genetically less-strong than a man. A more compelling argument, however, is specialization, a theme we have discussed in this blog previously. As navigator, Nami is better suited to walk ahead and ensure the group is heading the proper direction. What’s more, if she were left exhausted from carrying the heavy weight, she would be less able to perform other critical functions that she serves on the crew. Additionally, she is the most socially suave Straw Hat, and habitually walking ahead gives her the opportunity to best control how they are perceived by others, or engage in conversation with a passerby.

The mentality that Usopp demonstrates in this scene would generally be considered misogynistic in polite society, but it is also widely recognized as a factual truth, as well. This dichotomy presents society with a mirror on what we know is real and how we feel about it. There is little to disagree with in the notion that men are typically expected to perform manual labour, but most men would also express little disagreement with this arrangement in the first place. This is just a cultural norm informed by biology that persists across the planet Earth, and people of all sex & gender tend to have a negative outlook on someone who even brings it up, much less complains about it. As such, the rest of the crew more or less just ignores & glosses over Usopp’s remark, understanding that he has little worldly experience.

Last note, we are given a radical look at the difference between good & evil in how our characters view food waste. Although we have been shown Sanji’s attitude in previous episodes, this one has a fresh reminder when the pot of rice spills on Rio, resulting in Sanji having terse words with Apis. On the other team, we see Admiral Nelson having a meal on standby in case he gets hungry, and then knocking it to the ground in frustration without regard. These contrasting mentalities give powerful insight into their differing philosophies. The use & waste of any resource has more to do with culture than ability. Sanji works hard for what he has and makes it last in an efficient manner, whereas Nelson is living on easy money and doesn’t care if his garbage appears decadent. Marx would call this dichotomy the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.

Watching the Straw Hats timber the trees and build a giant cart for the dragon makes me think they could make money as a construction crew of sorts. Their assortment of skills is useful for more than just piracy & battle, they are in fact able to do quite a lot of things critical for society to function & prosper. On their adventures, they have more to offer than just fighting. However, this type of lifestyle lacks the glamour & excitement of their current lives, as well as failing to draw their attention thus encouraging the development of the aforementioned skills. That is to say, if the Straw Hats were not focused on improving skills to assist with their impressive goals, they would have never enhanced the ancillary skills that give them such advantages in everyday life.

This sentiment ties into the exchange between Apis, Luffy, & Nami:

Apis: “We’re all gunna die!”

Luffy: “Not if we keep our heads down!” (*immediately hits his head on a tree branch*)

Nami: “Take your own advice!”

Luffy is a fearless pirate who has a natural curiosity. As such, he would almost certainly not “keep his head down” in a literal or proverbial sense, even though he recognizes it as good advice. His gum-gum skills would allow him to easily keep a low profile but it is more his style to just keep his head out looking around, so he does that.

Last note, this is again an even more organized battalion of Marines, section 8, and just Luffy & Sanji alone are able to make very quick work of them. This type of power scaling, in which the Marines are somewhat infinitely more powerful than average people, yet the Straw Hats are somewhat infinitely more powerful than any Marine, creates a skewed sense of hierarchy while setting up for even more powerful threats in the future.

The Calm Belt is a revolutionary location requiring revolutionary thinking to bypass. It is a place of peace & serenity, but in the context of the open sea, this is a major problem. There is much to infer & learn from this concept, such as the power and influence that can be gained by simply doing nothing at the exact right time. Managing to accomplish our goals without movement is a valuable skill.

Our perspective on time changes as we age. Life appears to be much slower to a young person who has experienced less, while an older person with more experience will observe time to be going very very fast from their point of view. We see this demonstrated when the old man on the island says the pork buns will be ready soon, only 4 or 5 more hours to go, and the young Straw Hats are shocked by this waittime which they perceive to be much too long. This dichotomy can be difficult to transcend, but a young person with patience, or a quick older person, is most often viewed with reverence & respect.

The dragon can instantly tell that Luffy is a good person for a combination of reasons, including the dragon’s innate wisdom but also including the way Luffy radiates positivity wherever he goes. This is a show that explores some scenes & dialouge into excruciating details, yet it completely glosses over this little bit because of how obvious it would be to an ancient dragon that Luffy is a person of honor & moral justice.

Last note, I see that Zoro has 3 earrings to match his 3 swords. Gold Roger also lists 3 traits in his dying speech: wealth, fame, power.

It becomes more and more clear that the Marines are separate factions with individual goals and motivations, many of which are selfish and corrupt. This Nelson character is seeking an elixir, Smoker is quick to abandon his post, that rat faced guy taking bribes, Morgan’s nepotism, etc. Much like real world government enforcement agencies, the Marine chapters are ultimately just a gang of organized thugs. The bureaucratic high-ranking officer commanding the Section 8 fleet at the end of this episode is likely in that position resulting from nepotism and/or bribes, leaving him without basic understanding of sailing and demanding impossible results from his underlings. This is a natural type of incompetence that rises in power under fascism & other authoritarian governments.

Apis’ line “I survived escaping the Marines only to be picked up by a pirate ship” is a lovely take on a classic colloquialism. While one may be most familiar with “out of the frying pan into the fryer,” my favorite quote is Tolkien’s “escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!” from Bilbo in The Hobbit (1937). I find this concept perfectly describes a fantastically human experience of conquering one goal only to discover another equally or more difficult task waiting to be accomplished. There are, then, as many potential variations on this phrase as there are goals in the minds of humanity.

Last note, I appreciate the way the Straw Hats essentially gentle parent Apis and instill a sense of safety & love in their relationship is representative of their revolutionary approaches to life and their respect for the lives of all young people. All five members of the crew had difficult & non-traditional childhoods without much parenting so they are treating this child the way they wish they had been treated when they were lost children. This is deeply touching to me personally as I feel similar about my own childhood and the way I am trying to raise my own children. 

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.

The opening scenes with Alvida explore “pretty privilege” in which attractive people simply have an easier go of life and face less negative consequences for their actions. Because of her perceived beauty, the people in the crowd just sort of listen to what says, follow her orders, and the officers that show up initially are very hesitant to arrest her, being seemingly willing to disobey direct orders because of their attraction to the pirate woman.

Smoker letting the different groups of pirates finish their apparent in-fighting is indicative of how real governments will allow, and even encourage, conflict between other organizations & political entities before entering the battle. We have seen governments pay 3rd parties to interfere in wars, international or civil, to destabilize economies or regimes before taking advantage of the situation for themselves. On a smaller scale, the government also creates tension between different subsections of society, often along racial, cultural, religious, gender, or sexuality divisions, to both reduce actions against the state as well as to manufacture opportunities to arrest or otherwise legally punish dissidents or threats to their governmental authority.

Luffy’s stoicism is put to the test in this episode as he is threatened with death aboard the execution platform. Faced with such, he instinctively smiles, as he does during most difficult situations, in much the same way as Gold Roger. This smile is a result of his repeated behaviors that become natural habits. When challenges seem insurmountable, the straw hat captain smiles and perseveres, no matter what, and so even when it seems like there truly is no way out, he still has that bright smile on his face. We can all learn a thing or two from this; positivity & optimism can be superpowers.

Last note, it occurs to me that the name Gold Roger is very much a meme on pirates themselves, with 2 of their classic stereotypes combining to give him that moniker. If that is his birth name, he was absolutely destined to become the king of the pirates, but if it was a pseudonym of some sort, it is almost lazy, borrowing from the most basic contemporary cultural elements associated with piracy.