u/omega_crimson_123

I'm going to be direct, while I'm not one of those who think the Elbaf arc is terrible, the truth is that putting four flashbacks in the same arc is already too much at this point, especially considering the way it was done.

First, because it feels strange to see them as a kind of flashback within another flashback.

While in principle that shouldn't be bad, the truth is that, just like with Kimetsu, it kind of breaks the rhythm of the arc itself.

I mean, at first I didn't pay much attention to it because, well, I've already resigned myself to the fact that the current One Piece isn't going to go back to what it used to be, and the pacing problems at this point in the manga are almost normal.

Although things have gotten worse lately, because Egghead already explained that when the Straw Hats are on screen and are the focus, things end in conflict, subplots started but not developed, an impossible situation, a new random power of the villain or the antagonistic group, a victory barely achieved only because Oda has no idea how to resolve conflicts without inventing new things while generating more plot holes, leaving more questions and mysteries unresolved.

These problems in Elbaf didn't disappear, but some extras were added, such as Usopp and Jinbe being useless, or well, to be fair, outside of the trio (Luffy, Zoro, Sanji) and now Brook, the crew was basically just filler, and things are retconned in the next 3 chapters, like some specific things in Harald's flashback.

I would also say that things like the regeneration of the Holy Knights were among the worst things Oda could have included, especially with the issue of the marks that generated questions about how Shanks was able to cut off his arm so easily as he did; we don't know if it was because the mark was of the lowest category or because it's one of those things that Oda didn't think much about.

I'd also say that things like the Saints' regeneration were among the worst things Oda could have included, especially with the whole marking system that raised questions about how Shanks could cut off his arm so easily. We don't know if it was because the marking was of the lowest category or if it was just one of those things Oda didn't think much about. Besides, of course, he caused more problems with Haki as a power system, making people believe for about half a year that if you didn't have advanced Conqueror's Haki, you couldn't kill any of them. And even though later on Oda kind of tried to downplay it, the truth is, seeing how Loki had to kill Harald, people didn't quite buy the idea that there were other ways to defeat them.

All things considered, the beginning of the arc wasn't bad. Loki's introduction was good, and Rocks and Harald's storyline was quite good, although I didn't really like that Saul is alive. I can understand why people liked that reunion with Robin; good for her, I suppose, since she's basically been just there for show since the beginning of the New World. And at the beginning, the pacing was more consistent than in the previous arcs.

Now, why did I mention Kimetsu at the beginning of the post? Well, if before we all complained that for every new arc there was a new flashback, or even in the movies that it broke the rhythm, well, the same thing ended up happening, only in a more exaggerated way.

If we all agree that Kimetsu sometimes went a little overboard with them, we also have to accept that One Piece is going through the same thing. At first, with the first flashback, there wasn't so much of a problem; the issue arises when we have a flashback within another flashback.

And what about that?

It's that after introducing himself to Imu in his new form, he basically decided to introduce another character in the middle of an anticipated fight in the manga.

And although some will say that:

"Finally, we're getting more Straw Hat content, isn't this exactly what most people complained about wanting?"

Yeah, but the timing is terrible. All these new characters, a new kingdom, what's up with that? We just came out of the biggest flashback in the manga.

How am I supposed to be excited for Brooks' flashback if they ramp up the intensity in Elbaph and then suddenly decide to take a detour in the middle of the story?

At least show us that Luffy joined the fight, or that Loki lost, or something conclusive before taking that detour. Did we literally leave the main story in the middle of the fight?

And the truth is, there was a better time to have done that if he had wanted to anyway; Oda should have done it during Brook's fight against Imu/Gunko.

Because from what it seems right now, Onda is using a tactic to keep Imu talking, but he'll reveal the entire Void Century himself while they fight. Of course, the reader won't understand any of this because he inserted the flashback into the fight, so we probably won't even know what they talked about.

The same problem we basically have with Robin, meaning she keeps the information about the Poneglyphs to herself and basically leaves the reader in the dark, saving it for when Oda needs Robin to tell the story of the Void Century (let's hope she at least tells it herself haha).

But in addition to this, there is a problem that, while some in this sub have noticed it, has mostly gone unnoticed by most until now; it is definitely bad writing.

For me, this chapter also highlights a fundamental problem for the crew. They don't talk to each other beyond the most superficial things, yet we're still supposed to believe they're close friends, almost like family.

So you're telling me that in all the time they've sailed together, it's never occurred to anyone to ask Brook about his childhood or his time as a royal guard? No one has ever asked how Brook ended up becoming a pirate? No one has ever been even remotely curious about what the world and piracy were like during his youth? Brook is over 50 years older than Roger!

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Has Robin ever told Luffy that she trained with her father? Has anyone ever asked Zoro how he lost his eye during those two years of training? How come no one ever asked Sanji about his childhood before he joined Baratie? It's as if the crew couldn't care less about each other's personal histories, but that's not how real people behave with those they consider close friends and family.

I even feel like the crew doesn't take the time to reflect, share information, and recap afterward between islands.

And the normal response would be: well, but they don't have enough time to get to know each other, so it's normal that everyone tells half-truths or doesn't even talk about it.

Generally, when people tell you half-truths about their past, it means they don't trust you enough to tell you the whole story.

There's no reason not to tell the truth about who you are, unless you think the people around you will react badly to that information or judge you harshly for it. The fact that you might feel "ashamed" about the discovery means you believe the people you tell will treat you differently because of it, which speaks volumes about the quality of your relationship.

There's no way to spin this without it meaning one of two things: either the Straw Hats simply don't care enough about their crewmates to ask them basic, fundamental questions about their lives, or the Straw Hats don't trust their crewmates enough to share that information.

Imagine if one of the Straw Hats were found out to have been gay all this time, and none of them knew. Imagine if one of them were found out to have a child, or a wife, and they hadn't told anyone.

This is one of the problems with telling instead of showing. We're told the Straw Hats are a very close-knit family who would live and die for each other, but imagine having a relative you'd live and die for and knowing absolutely nothing about.

This is made worse when you remember the Straw Hats already know each other and have been together for less time than Luffy has known Rayleigh, or Zoro has known Perona. I'm sorry, but there's no excuse for this. It's just bad writing.

Well, at least they talked a little, I suppose. But at least with Luffy, it's clear he doesn't particularly care about his crewmates' pasts, and it's not unreasonable to say that attitude extends to the others. In a world with as much suffering as One Piece, it's probably best not to delve too deeply into someone's childhood in case you stumble upon some unnecessary trauma. Except that this logic actually contradicts what we've seen in the series.

I mean, at least in the pre-timeskip, while they didn't share everything, the more time passed and they lived together, the more their relationships as a crew progressed. If Luffy hadn't met Nami and hadn't found out anything, he probably wouldn't have cared in the slightest, just like with Zoro's ambition, just like with Usopp's backstory, and just like if Luffy hadn't been interested in the slightest in saving Robin from CP9. In that sense, things are just the opposite.

Let me explain in a little more detail.

That Luffy doesn't care is one thing. The rest is another. Robin? Nami? I mean, Chopper? Nosy Usopp?

Anyway, you've got it backwards. "Not questioning someone's childhood in a world with so much suffering" is actually wrong. People who have experienced severe trauma often share that trauma with each other as a way to bond.

Look at the testimonies of Holocaust survivors or conversations between war veterans, or even most therapy groups. They don't shut down about the atrocities they lived through; on the contrary, they share them and use that opportunity to create closeness through shared pain and grief.

In fact, I would say that not talking about your horrible childhood or past traumas with your closest friends means that those supposed close friends aren't close at all. It means your friendship is superficial, down to the last detail.

And this shouldn't be the case in the current manga, because you're basically going against the first part of the story, where getting to know each other, sharing moments, caring for others, and basically being minimally interested in your comrades was necessary for that separation in Sabaody to feel so strong.

I mean, I doubt the first half of the pre-timeskip story would have happened if no one had wanted to get to know each other better. I'm not saying they should tell each other their whole story at once, but that as they delve deeper, things should unfold more naturally: ambiguous dialogue that hints at their past here, a deep conversation about their experiences there, and then, as their journey progresses, at some point someone might be interested in sharing a personal anecdote revealing things little by little, but in a meaningful way.

And a few final issues I need to discuss regarding the idea of ​​the last chapter and the beginning of Brook's flashback itself before closing the topic for now:

The problem with Oda's writing style isn't that he throws flashbacks in everywhere, but that he never hints at them at all. They were implying his past was... like, 700 chapters ago? I mean... if his past is relevant to the current arc, then he should gradually drop hints, starting with the previous arc or something.

Loki's storyline made sense. Even Harald and God Valley's storyline, kind of made sense, but I'd prefer they started with Imu instead of it being a flashback within a flashback.

And Brook's storyline? Oh, and you look like this girl I knew. Then they give you a pause for like 20 chapters or something. And then boom! Flashback. It really isn't fluid at all.

And I'll add that I don't like that Brook's backstory is somewhat connected to Imu simply because it was lazy writing.

He could have had a backstory as a royal guard for some princess, and that would have been fine.

Now, only Nami (and maybe Chopper) doesn't have a special lineage or connection, at least not yet.

And well, that would be all for now. I more or less feel what I think about the current Elbaf arc, with its pros and cons. I'm not saying this ruins it or makes it garbage, because we still have enough Elbaf to last until next year at the current pace. These are just my observations about things and problems that One Piece is accumulating over time, and that doesn't look good. But I'm not stating anything definitive for now because the arc isn't over yet.

Anyway, have a good weekend and goodbye.

I mean, yesterday was supposed to be the last day of the model (in theory), but I still have it.

Or have they delayed its release again? I ask because maybe someone other than me saw a new date or something, but I haven't seen anything like that, nor any announcement about it or anything similar.

Does anyone have any idea what might be happening?

On one hand, I've always noticed that when I read a DxD fanfic on FanFiction.net featuring a character from another universe, the character from that universe was always the strongest. Things like Naruto, Madara, or Fate servants like Gilgamesh, just to give a few quick examples of what I've read.

On one hand, I always read in the comments against the authors who idolized other verses and always heavily nerfed DxD.

I mean, whether this is true or not, well, I don't know, that's why I'm asking. I mean, I know something about the series because I watched the anime a long time ago, but I don't remember much anymore, and I downloaded the novels to start reading them (because I also want to write a fanfic when I read the novels and start writing next year since there are more than 20).

But anyway, aside from that, going back to the question, how strong is the verse in reality?

So, what levels do each faction have or operate at? What declarations or feats does each one have? How heavy are the haxes in the verse?

And lastly, although I downloaded the novels out of curiosity and because people were arguing so much about power levels on FanFiction, and this last question doesn't have much to do with the beginning, but... are they worth it? I mean, I'll read them anyway, but it's better to go in with lower expectations if things don't seem that good.

And well, that's my question. I hope you have a good day/afternoon/evening, or whenever you read this, have a good weekend. Goodbye.