Re: Latest Episodes Discussion
I think Toei is doing a good job within their designated constraints (one chapter an episode). Some people may have an issue as far as the lack of action went, but there were some double spreads in the manga and likewise a few pages of characters staring back at Whitebeard being stabbed.
It was difficult for anyone to adapt a chapter with hardly any dialogue or action near the beginning, let alone stretch it out to the 20 minute mark. The bystanders at Sabaody basically summed up everybody elses' thoughts as far as Whitebeard's injury went.
Toei did a good job sucking me in during the second half, to convince me that their plan was nearly full-proof. It was no coincidence that Aokiji decided to freeze up the entire sea. Sengoku knew that Whitebeard would be standing at the front of his men during the battle. Akainu, who is notorious for his negotiation abilities, was able to convince Squardo into thinking Whitebeard was nothing more than a scumbag who sold out his men for glory. The Allied Pirates, who were fighting outside the bay, were closed off by Aokiji's glaciers. Last but not least, the Pacifista were sent out to obliterate the Allied Pirates and their ships one by one.
The plan was so brilliant that even Whitebeard's Allied Pirates, who promised to give up their lives for him, were convinced that Whitebeard sold them out as well. As long as the bystanders had doubts in their hearts, as long as the momentum of the Whitebeard Pirates was disrupted, as long as the World's Strongest Man is in ailing health, the plan would be a complete success. No longer was it a joint effort to save Ace, but rather it was a fight for utter survival: the most basic instinct a living creature has.
It is for this reason that Sengoku decided to allow Buggy and his men to continue broadcasting the war, just so the viewers around the world can see this one last act of sabotage. It was only after Whitebeard was stabbed (which was conceived all around the world) that the World Govenment decided to act out on their brutal massacre. At this point, Sengoku saw it best to order Aokiji to interrupt Buggy's Den Den Mushi and its broadcast.
I have to admit, we have never really conceived that much of Sengoku's strategy making as far as the scope of the story went. We knew that Sengoku and Whitebeard were both brilliant strategists, but only until this plan came to fruition that we (the readers and anime viewers) finally received justification as to why Sengoku was deemed the Fleet Admiral.
Whitebeard's message at the end of the episode was absolutely epic. Some people may label him as a "monster," or a "devil," or the "strongest man in the world," but he is a human just the same. If his heart fails to continue beating, his body will eventually wither away and die. Many of us would have thought that Whitebeard, known far out in the world as a savage and brutal pirate, would have beaten down Squardo for his errors in judgment.
However, it is because Whitebeard embraced his foolish follower as family that shows that even an intimidating leader can reciprocate bonds of love. The viewers got a glimpse as to how important family is to Whitebeard. He's certainly not a pirate known for giving up on his nakama. It is precisely this reason that Whitebeard and his men exerted themselves on saving the life of their own crewmate, in the midst of World Government territory.
Very good episode. Oda is such a genius craftmaker, weaving together such a brilliant story and connecting the fans closer to his world. The second half of this episode definitely redeemed the first 7 minutes of utter silence and redundancy.
