You mean like his "brother" Ace? I take that more as a learned trait / gag.
The only time they look 'similar' is Luffy's G4 to a younger Garp, but Luffy's G4 is a blown up imagination of something - probably imagines Garp in some way when he is imagining the strongest form and moulds himself into it.
I think as time has gone on, we've come to see that the Mythical Zoans are actually the "strongest" devil fruit in terms of out-of-the-box ability. They just get way too many powersets that something like the paramecia need to awaken in order to compete. I also think there might be something going on like with Conqueror's Haki. It's a 1 in a million power, but so many people in new world have it. But that's just a consequence of the new world being the place where everyone with the power ultimately ends up.
I think it's similar with the zoans. The majority of the upper-tier Zoans made it to the new world. Regarding how many mythical zoans we're going to see, I'm going to guess 20 more, assuming the Gorosei are mythical zoans too.
It's interesting to see the difference in perspectives. I would never call the Logias a group of classical elements.
Snow and Ice? Lava? Sand, which is just fine earth? Gas?! Every single gas in existence?! (That one flat out goes into the periodic table of elements.)
No, the Logia elements have a weird logic to them.
When I think about this, what I really wonder is how does Oda make the distinction when deciding which is a paramecia and which is a logia?
Why is poison a paramecia when synthetic gas is beneath a logia?
Why does Mochi get called a "special paramecia." Because of Katakuri's mastery pushing him to have logia-like properties. Why does "diamond" stay at the paramecia level when it's a naturally occurring substance?
Something I would suggest is that the majority of the Logias actually are not pure elements. They're the product of reactions or combinations.
Ice and snow are frozen water.
Smoke is produced when wood is burned. Soot is the other state you can get.
Swamp is a combination of water, plants, and earth mixing together.
Lava is superheated earth.
Gas encompasses an entire state of matter.
Sand can be seen as a combination of wind and earth. Croc's powers also expanded to desertfication, so he ends up with a biome power like plant and swamp.
If we try to tackle the tricky ones:
Fire is plasma, born from a chemical reaction, and also comprised of super-hot gases.
Electricity is the product of moving electrons.
Plant encompasses a whole kingdom of organism.
The Light we see is actually less classical element and more hard scientific. We don't see any interactions from it that you would see in typical fantasy.
Blackbeard's darkness is associated with gravity, and it does have similarities to Caribo's swamp. I would say that Blackbeard actually has the most 'fantasy' style interpretation of the element.
As One Piece went more toward the scientific with Vegapunk, I've become a little more open to the idea that the Logias have to be seen under a scientific lens, as opposed to a fantastical one.
I do fear though that Oda never really thought about it, and only designed the powers as the need raised. Maybe one day Vegapunk will give a proper definition of the Logias.
O you really did a nice job there!
I‘d like to add in some small details but I vastly agree.
I think element is simply the wrong term Oda used, inorganic matter and organic matter/ compounds (animals excluded) would be a way to describe it by using scientific terms.
I think Blackbeard is Oda‘s interpretation of dark matter and black holes, cause the latter are known to have an enormously strong gravitation (and cause he even named one attack after lol).
Considering light I‘d describe it as a form of energy. In recent science it is described as an electromagnetic wave. Simply spoken a polarized particle (boson) travelling at the speed of light in a wave-like pattern.
And IIRC sand is a term used for rock fragments of a certain size range.
That would mean we need to an extreme jump to cover it. I'm not sure we would do that this chapter =s
What if it's a Vegapunk clone? Or maybe one of the giants is a clone of someone ridiculous.
It's interesting to see the difference in perspectives. I would never call the Logias a group of classical elements.
Snow and Ice? Lava? Sand, which is just fine earth? Gas?! Every single gas in existence?! (That one flat out goes into the periodic table of elements.)
No, the Logia elements have a weird logic to them.
When I think about this, what I really wonder is how does Oda make the distinction when deciding which is a paramecia and which is a logia?
Why is poison a paramecia when synthetic gas is beneath a logia?
Why does Mochi get called a "special paramecia." Because of Katakuri's mastery pushing him to have logia-like properties. Why does "diamond" stay at the paramecia level when it's a naturally occurring substance?
Something I would suggest is that the majority of the Logias actually are not pure elements. They're the product of reactions or combinations.
Ice and snow are frozen water.
Smoke is produced when wood is burned. Soot is the other state you can get.
Swamp is a combination of water, plants, and earth mixing together.
Lava is superheated earth.
Gas encompasses an entire state of matter.
Sand can be seen as a combination of wind and earth. Croc's powers also expanded to desertfication, so he ends up with a biome power like plant and swamp.
If we try to tackle the tricky ones:
Fire is plasma, born from a chemical reaction, and also comprised of super-hot gases.
Electricity is the product of moving electrons.
Plant encompasses a whole kingdom of organism.
The Light we see is actually less classical element and more hard scientific. We don't see any interactions from it that you would see in typical fantasy.
Blackbeard's darkness is associated with gravity, and it does have similarities to Caribo's swamp. I would say that Blackbeard actually has the most 'fantasy' style interpretation of the element.
As One Piece went more toward the scientific with Vegapunk, I've become a little more open to the idea that the Logias have to be seen under a scientific lens, as opposed to a fantastical one.
I do fear though that Oda never really thought about it, and only designed the powers as the need raised. Maybe one day Vegapunk will give a proper definition of the Logias.
You make a lot of good points. You're right they aren't classical elements in the way other stories have fire, earth, wind, lighting, earth/metal etc. Honestly with your detailing it out I don't know if there is even a common theme that strings along all the logia we have in the story anymore.
They are pretty much just Paramecia that Oda has decided to call Logia. It used to be that the first Logia we saw were all at least naturally intangible but then he introduced Aokiji who was solid and could be hit. From that point on you could definitely make the argument why couldn't a Paramecia like Jozu or Luffy (before we found out the fruits nature) that are made of some material be a Logia. You're example of Katakuri and Mochi powers is a prime example of this.
I think its an interesting idea you have about them being reactions etc. But I honestly think its hard to use that to distinguish between Logia and Paramecia since the same can apply to a lot of Paramecia, especially if you mix in man-made reactions/combinations which a lot of Paramecia fall into.
Darkness is an interesting one but to me is the most scientific interpretation of all of the different Logia. Darkness is the absence of light, and the only true darkness is empty space (all matter radiates something, even black holes). And since gravity is the warping of the fabric of spacetime, darkness being a gravity power to me makes sense. Sure there has to be some liberty with actual physics e.g. how does space without mass get warped to generate gravity but to me if a logia can manipulate their element Blackbeard just warps the spacetime himself to do so.
All the other logia to me are much more magical and less science to me. Even the light one always didn't make sense to me with things like a kick at speed of light sine light is massless. A kick would do nothing since it would have no weight. Lasers also just pierce and shouldn't cause any explosions so the more of Kizaru's powers I see the more magical and interpretation of light and its properties that I see. The Flame Flame fruit in this sense is more scientific to me since its just plane old fire.
As for the meta direction of explaining DFs through internal world science via VP vs leaving them magical, I actually was super disappointed in Egghead. We got pretty much no answers on the origins of DFs or how they operate. We got more magic than anything.
Since there are ice and snow logias, meaning aqueous logias do exist, I‘d love to see an acid logia. Like nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid or hydrochloric acid.
An acid logia could be cool. Would be similar to magma in that you'd need haki to even touch them. Similarly could be cool to see other liquid states of matter that aren't water (water I just think is a no no due to it being DF weakness).
I think my favorite part in this last chapter of the year is Luffy talking like a Yakuza when thanking Saul. It's subtle, but to me it's a sign of him taking his leadership role more seriously.
Hint from WorstGenHQ:
In the comment section someone asked him if there will be a chapter this week to which he replied “most likely“
My guess on the hint is evil Shanks using an aura like Saturn did in order to incapacitate giants that were approaching him after seeing the black lightning striking into the castle.
Of course it might be Luffy who already gets served as Harry Potter is the main character as well but I just hope it‘s not the case, lol.
Tired of Luffy getting a beat up early to hype the arc‘s villain.
Hint from WorstGenHQ:
In the comment section someone asked him if there will be a chapter this week to which he replied “most likely“
My guess on the hint is evil Shanks using an aura like Saturn did in order to incapacitate giants that were approaching him after seeing the black lightning striking into the castle.
As long as we don‘t get a df revealed to be behind all this, it sure looks like magic to me. But just thinking back to when Joyboy‘s Haki canceled the summoning I still think there must have been some kind of df at play.
Everything in One Piece has been explained as either racial abilities or DF.
Raizo was introduced as a ninja and we learn his ability is just another DF.
Bepo is introduced and we learn he’s just a Mink.
Highly doubt Oda is going to introduce “magic” into One Piece in the home stretch. At least not outside of Imu and the Elders who seem to be anomalies of the past.
Everything in One Piece has been explained as either racial abilities or DF.
Raizo was introduced as a ninja and we learn his ability is just another DF.
Bepo is introduced and we learn he’s just a Mink.
Highly doubt Oda is going to introduce “magic” into One Piece in the home stretch. At least not outside of Imu and the Elders who seem to be anomalies of the past.
There's a whole class of non-haki, non-DF abilities that just don't make any sense but are nonetheless in the world of One Piece. CP's techniques aren't haki, as far as we know. Skywalking makes no sense. Elizabello's King Punch, Lao G's weird thing that was like Life Return, *gestures wildly at Miss Goldenweek and Django*, etc. I was just mentioning elsewhere that Water Seven's shipwrights have similar insane superhuman feats bordering on magic.
I dunno, this whole transmutation circle thing is so visually distinct from anything related to DF we've seen before and on such a massive scale. It seems Oda tried to make it distinct on purpose, considering just how much of the fandom immediately jumped to "...wait is this magic now?"
Actually, one of the guidebooks imply Rokushiki is based on Armament Haki.
Using Tekkai, CP9 agents could harder their bodies like steel, and with Rokuogan allowed them to emit an burst of energy from their firsts. That's very much like Armament Haki.
Besides, the Vice-Admirals were stated to use Haki, and we saw them using Rokushiki techniques.
I dunno, this whole transmutation circle thing is so visually distinct from anything related to DF we've seen before and on such a massive scale. It seems Oda tried to make it distinct on purpose, considering just how much of the fandom immediately jumped to "...wait is this magic now?"
The Gorosei introduction boxes are distinct from Devil Fruit users, it doesn't list them as Devil Fruit users, just the name of the creatures they turn into. That imply they are something else.
Actually, one of the guidebooks imply Rokushiki is based on Armament Haki.
Using Tekkai, CP9 agents could harder their bodies like steel, and with Rokuogan allowed them to emit an burst of energy from their firsts. That's very much like Armament Haki.
Besides, the Vice-Admirals were stated to use Haki, and we saw them using Rokushiki techniques.
Not with real-world physics. But within One Piece world, it's not magic, it's just hitting the air with such strength someone can walk on it.
Just a super strong punch.
The soul exists in One Piece world, as confirmed by Brook's Devil Fruit.
Hypnosis.
They are just super talented, with superman strength and street.
Out of all examples, I'm surprised you didn't mentioned Wanze creating ramen out of his nose. That does seem like an absurd ability.
The Gorosei introduction boxes are distinct from Devil Fruit users, it doesn't list them as Devil Fruit users, just the name of the creatures they turn into. That imply they are something else.
