The crew is getting a power ranger.(Long but worth it read)
Oda is cooking up something for the vinsmokes, and the Germa. I'm just trying to point out the ingredients I can spot and smell.
There I a lot of opposition about Sanji and his vinsmoke heritage. I've read people don't want him getting a raid suit for aesthetic reasons or to say any acceptance of the vinsmokes would make him morally compromised.
Sanji is hurt and has a low opinion of his family. What he's saying is said in universe from his perspective. You don't often think kindly about someone who has wronged you and will be more willing to accept the bad things people may say about them.
The world government as a whole is evil. They are the villains of the story. What we hear from characters is often a twisted representation of the truth. Thier in universe opinion on the matter, which is influenced by world government propaganda.
The celestial dragons and world government take a tribute from nations... Regardless if they can afford it. They would rather you pay and screw over classes within the population. Ie splitting the nation into two like sorbet or goa. They are not good people, and the system is there to extract things from their nations. So remember that as you read this theory.
Take a close look at Sanjis dark timeline comparison. There are several things to make note of. Age 40 good timeline he isn't picky, dark timeline at 40 hes saying the same thing. He doesn't care what he eats. But it shows that he's not like light Sanji who takes meticulous effort to craft meals. The light version picky means he will eat any dish. The dark version picky shows he no longer applys effort.
The 60yo light time line shows he found all blue. He achieved his goal and looks like an extension of his of his light self at 40. His dark self goes onto continue not caring. He's willing to pollute the very sea his light self would fish from. Again just him not caring or having any standards for himself.
The biggest detail of note is that he looks exactly like judge in his dark timeline. Oda isn't doing this to reuse it. He's doing it to show us that at any wrong turn, Sanji could have turned out like judge. If he hadn't met zeff who showed him kindness, his heart would have continued to be corrupted. That's the take away.
The Germa are important to world lore. They are a nation of science, and more often than not science goes hand in hand with progress.
This is where judges life takes a "where things went wrong" path.
Look at the flashback for reference. He's just like a light version of who he is. He doesn't wear the mask, his demeanor is drawn with him. He's even wearing a tie like Sanji here. As the cover story progresses you see them fight because vegapunk is superior. That's about when vegapunk gets approached by the world government and judge slowly begins to walk the dark timeline.
Judges dream is to reunite the north blue. Sanji and his brothers were always a means to accomplishing that dream.
Remember Sanjis mother sora was judges wife. Regardless of her decision, we can assume that she did in fact love judge. So you gotta wonder when they fell in love, was it before his dark timeline?
We don't really get much of sora. But she's clearly a kind woman with a good conscience. We are led to believe that she died as a reaction to whatever chemicals she ingested. But I'm willing to bet she died of love sickness. Imagine how she must have felt to witness the mat she loved drift into a dark timeline. That's like losing the love of her life. Which is a what oda usually has as a prerequisite for love sickness death. Candelle was also very ill then after marrying reuvan she healed. One could presume love sickness is catchable as well as curable.
I don't know for sure if the sora referenced here is Sanjis Mom, but I don't think the choice to use the name is purely a coincidence or throwaway decision. The implication here would then be that Sanjis mom was a marine who left the navy. With the fact that judge managed to escape and they recruited vegapunk, it's possible the change of heart was caused by witnessing some world government hypocrisy.. ie recruiting the man to study the science they were seeming as dangerous.
Just a guess though.
The Germa once conquerored the north blue in the past. As the narrator tells us this, without context we are led to assume it's an evil act. But we must also take into consideration the distant past was likely like a lawless land. Conquering really all depends on context.
Here Sanji reacts in disgust to this painting. We are told that judge vanquished 4 kings in the north blue. As readers, without context and based on Sanjis reaction a main character we are led to believe this is all malice. That is Sanjis in universe opinion.
But like I said above, you gotta take context into account. Were these good kings? Were they abusing their nations to appease the celestial dragons? Did they even care about their subjects? A good or bad king all depends on context.
It's no coincidence oda tells us through another mouth that 4 nations are now seeing independence together from the world government. If what judge did was truly evil, he would have taken the nations for himself. And while we cannot definitively say that they are the same 4 nations in each panel. It's definitely not unlikely as oda is weaving a story together in layers.
These were in all likelihood 4 nations who were being subjected to cruelty and inhumanity. Making judges actions righteous and not evil.
Look at how Sanji immediately assumes the Germa science was going to make him evil. This point of oda writing this was to show us Sanjis opinions and assumptions about his own family.. the fact that Queen was the culprit all along and Sanji didn't lose any memory shows us it has no effect on his psychology or personality. Sora gave Sanji the chance and a conscience. Which also means his brothers can unlock empathy the same way he unlocks genetic modifications.
Sanji making any kind of public attack wearing the suit will do exactly what judge wants. Everyone in the north blue knows who stealth black is. Thus any attack and rebellion against the world government will further unite nations who may be afraid.
Again without context of the Germa rule in the distant past, we don't actually know how nations would feel. But if they see someone from the Germa standing up to the world government, then they will feel like they can unite together in hope. Ie believe in the strawhat crew because of their history with germa. And Sanjis acting as a representative for both.
Many fans argue that Sanji doesn't need a suit or they don't want him to have one..just look at how much damage he took from one hit from Imu. Whether he needs it or not. He's already stated it canonically.
Pride will get people killed.
As reiju is about to die, she's makes a clear statement, there is still good to be found in their bloodline. The implication being the vinsmokes were good in the past. Since judge is the vinsmoke, we know the reference isnt to soras good nature. Sanji is their chance at redemption.
Oda already told us through their mouths. A very tongue in cheek line. They are going to re-establish the hierarchy. Sanji is going to be the next Germa nation king.
The uncertainty referenced in the latest chapter is about his heritage. Of course he will get conquerors. But first he needs to establish his sense of self. Sanji is a vinsmoke. Judge is his father. He was always royality. But the qualities about a king are a strong sense of self and a will to follow it anywhere it leads. Not everyone can walk the path of a king. It's not literal. But I'm Sanjis case it is, as he knows hes a Prince.
Sanji is one who witnessed vegapunk die. He's also the one(of two) who's father has a direct connection to vegapunk.
Everything oda does is meticulous. Hes like something knitting together a sweater. He's not going to leave a long string that leads no where. Every strang has its purpose.
Neo mads was shown to mourn vegapunk. And now the vegapunk clone is the exact age as when he left mads. Him rejoining them at the age they remembered him leaving is just going to fuel thier desire to surpass him.
They may pretend to hate vegapunk, but both went on to a dark timeline after losing his influence in their lives.
Lilith directly says they don't have the facility to extract him. Her original plan was to build one in elbaph. But now that the world government has declared war that's not exactly a viable option. It takes time and resources to build, something they don't have instant access to.
But neo mads would.
Sanji taking the vegapunk box to the Germa fits what he always does.. he goes on a side quest.thay ultimately benefits the main goals of the arc. Going there will get him a new raid suit. He cannot be so prideful. He needs all the help he can get. The line from gaban supports this. His uncertainty is about who he is and his family.
Sanji will be the child to accomplish judges Will. The dream of uniting the north blue. Who will support the "new world government" post one piece. Sanji will just end up having the Germa kingdom sit in all blue rather than take any territory.
