@ProGoddess
Enjoyed reading the analysis, it's very agreeable. Though Big Mom appears to give a semblance of choice, she still coerces others to capitulate to choices that benefit her, and if not, she sees it as betrayal.
We also learn of Big Mom's insecurity being that she interprets anything not in her favour as betrayal; Jinbei even tried to appease her by offering a Poneglyph, she still felt sour about it and as per usual, expressed her gratuitous nature to punish in spite of her understanding of freedom.
The trading of 2 months of one's life was also very telling of what kind of ship Big Mom is running when they're having to shorten their lives slowly, rather than pay taxes (I'd assume they still have to pay taxes despite paying with their lives bi-yearly).
When we analyse deeper on Big Mom's governance, it just gives one a feeling of helplessness. Imagine if we do not have the law of human rights (in our world) to protect us and we have an evil monarch ruling over us, it would be like a living hell or a hell on earth.
Big Mom's seemingly choices is as good as
no choice given. Thinking back about Jinbe, the roulette that was presented, would anyone call that a choice? Yes, it is - only in Big Mom's eyes. Wherever spot the dice lands, Jinbe is going to lose something - an arm, a leg, his life or the lives of others (like his crew-mates for example). You are right, every choices provided are in favour of Big Mom, and only for her alone.
Her regular consumption of human "lives" or life span will ultimately reduces the number of inhabitants in her country and obviously the mortality rate will be much higher than any other country due to its population's premature death. Though Big Mom may have acquired many husbands and forcing her children to marriage, that may not be necessarily mean a higher fertility rate. From what the manga has shown so far, she seems to have only one or two kids (or maybe 3 or 4?) with each husband. Though this fact is not established yet, but it does not give an impression that she conceives many children with each of her husband. Lola and Chiffon are two of them from Mr Pound. I'm not sure about Brulee and Cracker, but Brulee calls Cracker "big brother." So it may seem that they may come from the same father. Of course I can't rule out that both of them acknowledge each other and on friendly terms which is why they will address each other as siblings. It's like Purin who addresses Lola as her elder sister. Likewise for her other siblings whom she has no ill feelings of.
Besides Big Mom herself, her children who have already married - we have also not seen many of them have children. The only grandchild is from Bege and Chiffon. Well, I guess it's still early too speculate further. We shall wait and see then.
Though some of the above-mentioned may be more of my speculation, we do know the ulterior motive of Big Mom's arrangement of political marriage of her children. But in terms of her empire as a whole, I do feel alike like you, in that she has the inner fear of losing what she owned and claimed. Her nation and people are her wealth and asset. Without the people, Totto Land is just an empty and deserted land. Somehow I think she is fearful of losing it.
In every nation, every citizens (with some exceptions) have to pay taxes. I reckon, besides the mandatory contribution of their life span, there may be other forms of tax collection and at the minimal, in the form of money. Other forms of payment I suspect could be free labour or slavery, paying regular tribute and contribution through specialise trade such as manufacturing and production (an example would be Candy factory in Fishman Island), or rations of food and supplies, and a portion is mandated to contribute to Big Mom's empire, and so on.
Thanks
@ProGoddess for the initiative.
I don't know if anyone has already said it, but I realized that tge forest, or at least the homings are important to BM, as there is some kind of tree on her flag. First I thought that she had some kind of DF related to it, but now I see that it's not the point.
Haha!
As far as the story goes, Seducing Woods seems to be the only forest that is in Whole Cake Island. You may be correct there, as the forest could be important to Big Mom. Since there is a particular tree-person as well as her daughter, Brulee, being there, it could be a place of "persecution." In Chapter 836, Brulee clearly states that no one has ever leave the forest alive. In other words, if any intruders come to Whole Cake Island without Big Mom's approval, they will/may be dealt with in this forest.
On another way of looking at it, the forest is like a "live being" as we can see all the trees, plants, and everything else are able to move. These are all thanks to the souls taken by Big Mom from the common people. I guess the significant value of this place could be due to the fact that multiple souls are scattered there which have created a living forest. Obviously these "homies" are also Big Mom's army. As long as they are
alive, intruders and enemies will definitely be slaughtered (like what Brulee said). Well, our Straw Hats and friends are an exception. Even then, we have Carrot and Chopper being caught. Brulee would have killed them if her mother has told her so in the first place. They are kept alive solely because of Big Mom's beast collection.
The tree on the Big Mom Pirates' flag could represent Seducing Wood. The middle represents Whole Cake Island, while the other surrounding pieces symbolise each part of Whole Cake Island or Totto Land.
