Today I wanna present a hypothesis that seems backed up by the text: Domi Reversi isn’t a separate power from the Covenants, but is instead it’s first phase.
In the first image, we can see that Domi Reversi is explicitly called a “Covenant.”
In the second image, it’s differentiated from a Depths Covenant by the latter’s voluntary nature. However this framing, especially DR’s inclusion in a “trinity” poses it as a forced version of the same thing.
In image 3, we see that Tama’s power functions this way, starting as forced loyalty which eventually gives the victim a choice to stay under it. There’s a very overt parallel between the “Reversi” game motif and the use of Shogi to depict the flipping of Beast Pirates to Tama’s side during the Onigashima Raid.
Most interestingly, image 4 shows us the reveal of Domi Reversi’s most basic rule: a person gets flipped when caught between 2 demons. However, we don’t get to see how Dorry gets flipped. This gives us 2 possible explanations:
The latter seems more consistent with what’s established, and would also hold more implications. One of these is that underneath that comically tall hat, Gunko has horns like every other Domi Reversi Demon (other than Rocks which is its own can of worms).
The other implication is that every single person with a Mark has been under Domi Reversi at some point, meaning Gunko, Harald, and Shanks. This is incredibly important because it would mean they all did something for Imu before getting their seals.
Much like Dorry’s flipping, Harald’s Shallows Covenant was gained off screen, meaning we have no idea what the initial marking looks like. However, the scene was immediately preceded by him killing on behalf of the WG, which is exactly what DR is for. I’m not necessarily saying that Harald was under DR in that particular scene, but he was explicitly upholding an oath of servitude, which is basically a covenant in itself.
Bottom line, its very possible that Harald was under Domi Reversi, woke up to find a Mark on his arm, and went to Mariegeoise for an explanation, which would explain the scene in 1167 much better than a scenario in which he received the mark and then asked what it was. My scenario would also justify all the off screen developments.
All of this matters because of Shanks. The assumption that a Shallows Covenant can be gained without serving Imu in some major way is largely based on the fact that Shanks was the first person we saw with it, and few people can imagine Shanks the pacifist killing on Imu’s behalf. However, if I’m correct, it would mean Shanks definitely did some dastardly deed for Imu. This is backed up by images 5 and 6 where Shanks says he couldn’t resist Imu while in Mariegeoise. Even from a meta perspective, a scenario in which he gained access to Mariegeoise for free is one where his Mark basically means nothing.
This hypothesis would effectively explain the entire flashback; it primarily centered Shanks, Rocks, and Harald. With Shanks, we saw a powerful, respected character with the lowest mark. With Rocks, we saw a powerful, respected character under direct control, and with Harald, we got both. By realizing that Rocks’s situation was the prerequisite to Harald’s, we can get a full picture of Shanks’s.
A picture of a man who was next in line for the same power as Harald; a power that would not only make him permanently compromised and unpredictable, but would also allow him to, say, have a body part severed but retain access to it. So, reader, do you think Shanks could dodge a promotion for 2 years straight? Let me know in the comments!