(no subject)

[moveyourdeadfros]

We open this chapter with Hina and Smoker. Hina barhopping. Smoker suggesting they all it a night. He actually believes he wears the pants in their relationship, that’s adorable.

The chapter starts with Bluejam telling the boys what’s what and how the world works: that Sabo was lucky being born a noble, that he wishes he could have been born a noble, and that nobles probably hate and look down on trash-city citizens. This prompts Luffy and Ace to rage and Bluejam, in a stunning display of smooth operating for a One Piece villain changes his tone and tells the boys that if they really consider Sabo their brother, they should give up on him and let him live the high life. He then proceeds to be even MORE strangely competent for a minor One Piece villain by telling them he’s willing to overlook their previous history since he likes strong guys and could use them for a small job. We then see Ace and Luffy help Bluejam set up various boxes all over Grey Terminal, which can in no way lead to anything bad happening, while Luffy complains it’s not fun without Sabo. Ace tells him to stuff it and that they aren’t smart enough to make a call on what’s best for Sabo, and that if Sabo hates it in High Town he’ll be back. Oh Ace, you and your zany, crippling inferiority complex.

We then cut to Sabo who isn’t exactly having the time of his life, as he’s unwilling to tell the policeman interrogating him that it was really ACE and LUFFY making him do all those horrible crimes, which coincidentally is the only way for his family to avoid a most unsightly blemish on their family's record. When Sabo refuses to squeal daddy pursue other means of conviction:


Dad of the year material, folks. But Sabo does not yield, insisting on taking the blame for his actions whereupon daddy relies on his old friends Benjamin, Franklin, Gustav, and Selma to bail him out of the situation… maybe that simile loses something when One Piece-verse probably doesn’t print PRESIDENTS and beloved writers on their bills… ah, moving on. Sabo returns home, washes up and goes in where he meets this smarmy douche:


His name is Stelly, and if you don’t want to punch him already then Oda isn’t doing his job. He’s the replacement Sabos family adopted if Sabo never made it home. Fun times. Later that evening Stelly makes a case for why his face should get punched in if his looks alone didn’t do it for you, when he mentions it would have been better if Sabo hadn’t come home since then, ”Trash Burning Day” would have taken care of him and made things easier for Stelly. When pressed for information Stelly reveals that since the Divine Dragons are about to make a visit, Goa wishes to clean up it’s kingdom to appeal to them. The best way to reach this goal? Why, burn up the trashdump before they get there of course!


… I’m not even gonna touch on why that is the stupidest plan any villain in One Piece has ever had. I guess all the competence in Goa went to Bluejam. Sabo is understandably not down with a plan that involves torching everyone he ever cared about, and sneaks around in order to verify the rumors. He manages to jump out of a three-story tall building and ninja-sneak into a guard complex to overhear their plans, all while wielding a large iron pipe he hammer-spaced up AND a giant top hat. Sabo is ten years old and already a bigger badass than most people could EVER hope to be. Back at the Treehouse of Bittersweet Memories, Luffy wonders where Sabo is and Ace tells him to be quiet and that this may be for the best. Oh Ace.

Back in High Town life goes on it’s normal pace, and Sabo starts to doubt that what he heard was really true. Surely, the denizens of High Town couldn’t all be such complete monsters that they’d just go on with their lives while planning massive murd- oh who am I kidding? He runs away and questions the entire high town on it, and they’re ALL in on it. Wow. Just… wow.


Also, king-dudes whole face isn’t shown. Odds of this being important: WAY high.

So Bluejam spills the details of the plan he’s set up and Ace and Luffy lets him know that they are in no way down with that shizzle. Bluejams competence has apparently slipped away off-panel because apparently he thought they’d react like this and yet still went ahead and told them. Het hen says they can’t leave now that they know too much, so would they kindly tell him where they have buried all that lovely loot of theirs…

And so night falls and the curtain rises on the greatest tragedy that the ordinary citizens of Goa has ever witnessed: Grey Terminal set ablaze. The local police/army/whatever tells the citizens to stand down while they handle the fire… by letting the Bluejam pirates mercilessly gun down whoever tries to run for safety, and seconds later the whole mountain is consumed by fire, with no paths of escape available. Bluejam muses on how the good life is starting from now on out, because the king told him that they would all be made nobles and live in High Town if they STAYED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GATE AND SET THE MOUNTAIN ON FIRE AND SHOT EVERYONE WHO TRIED TO ESCAPE TOWARDS THE CITY.

I take back everything positive I’ve ever said about Bluejam, for when he heads back for the gate it’s closed because the king ISN’T an idiot and knows how to tie up loose ends. THERE’S a competent villain. Ace manages to cut Luffy and him free of their bonds and tries desperately to find a way out, while telling Luffy that crybabies get left behind in order to make him shut up- prompting this from Luffy.


… Oh captain.
In the town the citizens are told Bluejam set the fire in order to keep the World Governments inspection squad away. Sabo makes it to the gate only to be tossed right back on his ass by the guards, and all hope seems lost! But then someone walks up to him and…


No. It can’t be…


Oh crap. OH CRAP. IT IS.


OH SNAP SON- DRAGON IN THE HOUSE. And so our chapter ends with a veeery familiar dialect and set of high heels telling Dragon, who apparently grew up in Goa, that the preparations have been made and their plan is about to begin…

Well. WELL. Dragon peeps, this shit just got REAL. At the start of this flashback I thought this would be all about Ace and Luffy, and was ever so skeptical about it. I thought to myself that I couldn’t see how this would really ADD anything to the plot or further it in anyway, but that I would withhold judgment until it was over since who knows, Oda just may surprise me.

And surprise me he DID. Dragon and Iva where there on this fateful night, and for me this flashback just got WAY more intriguing. Possibly because holy shit- Sabo might not die! He might have become a badass revolutionary! IT’S POSSIBLE ALRIGHT LET ME HOPE. Shit is about to get real, and I for one can’t wait until next week, when we near the dramatic conclusion to this story…

Comments

[ilikebiggunz.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping that Luffy's other Bro pulls through this. Because dammit Oda, don't make me love a character and then yank him away in one story.

[moveurdeadfros.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we've had TWO somewhat major characters die so far: we do not need to have our hearts stomped on a THIRD time. Even if it's oh so good every time he does it.

[ilikebiggunz.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, we have Stockholm syndrome. It's the only explanation.

That or he's really, really, really good at this.

[alwaysuserubber.livejournal.com]

MAN THE GOVERNMENTS HERE SUCK

NO WONDER EVERYBODY'S A PIRATE

[aguidingoath.livejournal.com]

I SAY, YEAH. Burning down a whole MOUNTAIN of trash. That won't. That doesn't.

HOW MUCH INBREEDING IS GOING ON HERE PEOPLE?

[alwaysuserubber.livejournal.com]

COBY NEEDS TO CLIMB RANKS FAST AND FIX THIS MESS