Historically, ONE PIECE has placed a strong focus on characters and the situations that allow for their development. Luffy's drive to become the King of Pirates is the catalyst by which he sets out on his adventure. His companions subsequently join him on his journey as it allows for them to accomplish their own personal agendas. The development of their relationships with one another through trial and tribulations have allowed them to become a group that operates beyond their own scores. The entirety of the Whole Cake Island arc was a testament to this old paradigm, but with the most recent chapter has lead to a significant amount of reevaluation. In retrospect, Whole Cake feels more and more like a send off for a relic of plot development. Ever since CH.900 we have seen a significant increase in world building, and although new mysteries have come to light, we now know more about the world inhabited by Luffy and his companions than ever before. Of course, that's not to say that Oda has abandoned his use of character development as he does still use well known characters to bring us up to speed on a variety of topics. There is no denying, however, that Oda's begun to expand his range in order to bring together a wealth of new plot pieces, information, and secrets through new avenues of storytelling.
We didn't even know that there was a relationship between Kaido of the Beasts, and Charlotte Lin Lin beyond their mutual position as Yonko. Given the military might of the World Government, it often seemed a little strange that they would simply let powerful pirate crews own and divide islands between themselves. Admittedly, the Marines appear to be an organization that is vastly understaffed with capable individuals frequently on assignment to locals without the influence of these prominent pirates. It made sense then that the Shichibukai were developed as a means to bolster Marine forces. Why bother having a specific classification for these four pirates then? Hina's conversation with Garp, and the interaction between Kaido and Lin Lin shed some light on this relationship between the most powerful pirates and the World Government. The Rocks/Locks, depending on translation, is a pirate crew with which Lin Lin, Kaido, and even Shakky seem to have a relationship. Though it remains unspecified as to who their captain was, their dissolution inevitably lead to the current state of affairs within the world of piracy. By virtue of their position as long time pirates, and even compatriots, we see that their relationships assist in cementing their position as some of the most formidable pirates across the Blues. Whether their dissolution was enabled by Gol D. Roger's location of the One Piece, or another event, this tidbit of information questions what we know about characters who have been briefly introduced. The earlier perceptions of Shakky, Lin Lin, and Kaido have been disrupted by these revelations, and appear to have a connection with both Garp and Roger. Keeping in line with the history of the Yonko, Shanks' appearance at the end of this chapter was exceedingly surprising to observe. Given that the majority of Yonko have overwhelming Devil Fruit powers, it has always appeared strange that Shanks has managed to maintain his position despite a lack of these same powers. Many speculate that his physical capabilities and use of haki have enabled him to fight on a level that rivals his contemporaries in the New World. We now see that in addition to whatever capabilities he may currently be hiding, his relationship with the Gorosei is bereft of the violence that might accompany the arrival of pirates unaffiliated with the Marines or Shichibukai. Without the presence of Blackbeard D. Teach in this chapter, many continue to speculate that Shanks has information on the fearsome pirate that he intends to share with the leaders of the Celestial Dragons. Given Eustass Kid's current predicament, others believe that Shanks is either the young man's father or that Kid is himself a privateer working for the government which in turn have lead Shanks to talk about saving the young pirate from Kaido. Still other feel that he intends to talk about Luffy, but as of yet his intentions remain obscure at best and confusing at worst. Whatever the case, our perception of Shanks has been pulled into question by Oda's final panel, and depending on how it is handled, readers may come to feel very differently about the red haired pirate in chapters to come. The emphasis on history continues to retain its position as a driving force for the story as the Empty Throne takes the spotlight from the early ages of piracy. Pangea is the name for a supercontinent that once existed on ancient Earth, and in naming the castle after this landmass Oda appears to be linking the Red Line to our real world equivalent. The concept of the Empty Throne itself is one that stems from our earliest ideas of democracy wherein people collectively come together to make agreements and accords. Given the power displayed by Celestial Dragons throughout ONE PIECE, and the treatment of other non-human species this idea comes off decidedly hypocritical. The physicality of the Throne, however, marks yet another important piece of information building upon the history of Oda's world. Twenty founding members came together to create the World Government with each placing their sword at the foot of the Throne in order to protect it is what we are told by the attendants leading the Reverie ceremony. The Empty Throne itself appears to be a sword of its own making, and the upward positioning of the blade appear to indicate that the original twenty members may have been subjugated by another more formidable power. There continue to be more questions than answers with each new chapter of ONE PIECE. Eiichiro Oda has built up a glorious world for his characters, and at long last has begun to share his vision with his readers. As Reverie progresses we continue to learn more about the World Government, the Marines, the Revolutionary Army, the Yonko, the Shichibukai, and leaders from across the Blues. Yet, despite these parcels of information, Oda continues to obfuscate his more tantalizing secrets. With Dragon waiting in the wings to disrupt events, and the question of THE HAT still very much unanswered, this arc is rapidly turning from an open and shut courtcase to a full blown murder scene as of yet untouched by human hands. How will Oda surprise us next? What is Shanks doing on the Red Line? These are questions that will hopefully be answered next chapter! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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