Mugisal - Mugisal - Tumblr Blog

this one was done in response to the results of the persona champions polls going on on twitter

Chapter 1124 Analysis: The Burden of Responsibility

I’ve seen a lot of people picking apart this interaction and what it tells us about Zoro’s character and the story, but while I’ve seen some good analysis in isolation, I find that a lot of it misses the overarching point and what’s really going on. Half the fandom seems to be pissed at Zoro and saying his comment comes from emotional immaturity, which isn’t entirely wrong. The other half are saying that Zoro’s words are correct and he’s acting as he always has, seeing the truth of the situation and holding Luffy accountable, which also isn’t entirely wrong. Both of these angles are correct in their own ways, but both of these seem to only look at and analyze the behavior of one of these characters, deeming them correct and the other wrong. Those in the first camp see Zoro as solely in the wrong, while those in the second camp see Luffy as solely in the wrong. However, I believe both of these takes miss what Oda was trying to convey with this minor interpersonal conflict.

Luffy and Zoro are both flawed characters. Luffy is a person who wants freedom from everything, which sometimes leads into a desire to be free of responsibility entirely. However, he also wishes to be a Captain with a crew and to be seen and respected as said Captain. That means he has responsibilities to uphold for the sake of his crew and all those under his protection. Now that he is an Emperor, that responsibility extends beyond his crew to his fleet and his territories as well. A big part of Luffy’s journey throughout the manga has been learning what it means to be a good Captain to his crew and he has been growing every arc in this, learning that his duty is greater than he thought and changing to be better. Now that he is an Emperor, those responsibilities are greater than ever before, but he hasn’t yet grown to shoulder them because it’s still so new.

Zoro, by contrast, is a person naturally bound by duty and responsibility. He takes promises and vows incredibly seriously, laying his life on the line for his own and expecting the same of others. For him to follow someone like Luffy and dedicate himself to him and his dream comes with the expectation that he will do all he can to honor his responsibilities as a Captain. This has its upsides as it leads to him being incredibly loyal and dedicated to Luffy and his goal to an almost obsessive degree, however it also means that when Luffy falls short of his duty, he is just as hard on Luffy as he would be on himself. And not just Luffy. This extends to other members of the crew to a lesser extent, especially Sanji who he sees as an equal and trusts to protect the crew in his absence. Which is one of the main reasons he was so upset when Sanji appeared to have just up and left them at a critical time when they had angered two Emperors, and all that for what appeared at the time to be something rather selfish and trivial in comparison the wellbeing of the crew.

The crew must respect and follow the Captain, but in return, the Captain must act in a manner that engenders that respect. In Zoro’s own words: “[He] may be an idiot, but he’s still the Captain... [and] a crew that doesn't respect their Capatin and a Captain who doesn't deserve that respect...is destined to fail!” But respect isn't inherent, it's earned, and it is only given so long as the person in authority is acting in a manner deserving of it. If they cease acting in a manner that does, that respect is revoked. This is a core theme of One Piece, so it’s no accident that this would be a core aspect of Luffy’s growth as a Captain as well.

Luffy being upset isn’t showing weakness, and Zoro has never acted like it is. He was not weak in Water 7 when Usopp left them. He was upset, but he took it on the chin and remained a firm foundation for the crew. Zoro was able to provide him the support he needed to do that, but he also didn’t treat Luffy as wrong for his emotions or for crying over Usopp’s departure. Zoro isn’t a monster. He is kind and he has compassion and he was just as upset as everyone else. But he is also pragmatic, sometimes to a fault, and has a tendency to shove down emotion for the sake of what he sees as the reality of the situation. That’s what he communicated to Luffy in Water 7. The crew was falling apart and Luffy needed to remain strong or else they really would be destroyed. They aren’t playing at being pirates. They entered into a race with very serious real-world dangers and consequences. Luffy, as the one leading them into it head first, needs to be able to keep a clear head and take things standing up so that he can be the anchor for the crew in times of struggle and hardship. To act in any other way would be an incredible insult to the people who chose to dedicate their lives to following his dream. 

If Luffy was simply upset, Zoro would not be reacting like this. The problem isn’t that Luffy is showing weakness by being upset, the problem is that Luffy is choosing to wallow in that upset, leaving his crew in the position of placating him. That is showing weakness and a lack of emotional discipline necessary for a good leader, and is inappropriate for a Captain. I know the Straw Hats aren’t a traditional crew so they’re not going to always follow traditional roles and that is fine, great even. But there still need to be boundaries, especially now that Luffy is an Emperor. He cannot act as he always has, he has more responsibility, more lives under his care, and his crew is in more danger now than ever before. 

Zoro’s words were harsh, and the fact that he said them to other crew members instead of to Luffy’s face was absolutely wrong of him; it undermines Luffy’s authority in a way Zoro usually never does. He isn’t off the hook for that at all, because talking like that about his Captain when he is seen as the defacto first mate by the rest of the world - and even the crew, to some extent - is very bad for crew cohesion and morale. If he were a part of a different crew with a different Captain, what he did could have been viewed as borderline mutinous, so this man does not get a pass here. It was immature and it was incredibly inappropriate. But his words also weren’t wrong. Luffy wasn’t acting like a very good Captain, and Zoro wasn’t acting like a very good first mate, and, one could even argue, the latter is a natural consequence of the former. A crew is only as good as its Captain and if a Captain is not acting as he ought, the crew will not act as they ought. This does not at all excuse Zoro’s behavior, it’s simply stated to point out that Luffy bears the burden of responsibility when it comes to leading and disciplining his crew.

As a Captain, Luffy is not just responsible for the physical wellbeing of the crew, but also their morale and cohesion. By allowing himself to wallow in upset, as perfectly understandable as that upset was, he is unintentionally forcing them to take on that role with him, when it is his responsibility as the Captain to be their rock in situations like this. Luffy wasn’t the only one that failed their objective. The whole crew failed, and by acting as he did, he put the onus on them to emotionally support him while they themselves were also upset. It’s not responsible or mature, and it’s not fair to those under him, either. You cannot ask someone to follow you into hell and then leave them to bear the emotional burden of those consequences not only for themselves, but for you as well. The crew relies on the Captain to be strong in times of crisis and they can’t keep relying on Zoro to be their anchor, because he’s not the captain. It would undermine Luffy’s authority and leave a crew that is constantly placating a man who would be viewed less as a leader and more as an emotionally volatile tactical nuke. If he wants to be the one in charge, he needs to also fulfill the responsibilities of the one in charge, and he wasn’t doing that here. That is the burden of a Captain and it is a heavy one to bear, but it’s a burden he chose for himself nonetheless and he needs to grow to bear it.

Luffy’s big heart and boundless compassion is one of the greatest things about him. He loves people quickly and he loves them deeply and that is never something we would ever want to change. It is, in many ways, his greatest strength. But he cannot allow himself to be ruled by his emotions anymore. What Luffy needs to find is balance. It’s okay for him to break down in private and allow himself to grieve, but he can’t do it publicly in a way that affects the rest of the crew, especially now as an Emperor. He needs to find one person who he can be vulnerable with so that he can be the backbone for the rest of the crew. Thematically it would make sense for it to be Zoro, Sanji, or Nami, but, for multiple different reasons, I don’t think they would be the best choices at the present moment. I think his best choice for now is Jinbe, his helmsman, the man who saw him at his lowest, helped him through his grief, and knows better than anyone else the burden of being a Captain. He can offer much needed compassion while also remaining level-headed and steering him in the right direction. I do think the other three have the potential to become that person for Luffy - Zoro, especially, who has already been shown thematically to be the one to take the Captain’s pain upon himself - but it will take some growth and development for them to get to that point.

Luffy and Zoro are both wrong. They are not wrong in their feelings, but they are wrong in their actions as they both acted inappropriately for their stations. Oda is showing us a case where both the Captain and the defacto first mate are not acting as they should right as the race to Raftel is beginning. This isn’t good. This is a huge problem. These two need to find a way to grow and develop together as a cohesive unit or it’s going to cause potentially catastrophic issues later down the line. Both are right in their feelings, but wrong in their actions. Oda used Zoro to show that Luffy is not acting as an Emperor should and Jinbe and Franky to show that Zoro is not acting as a first mate should. This is a problem that needs to be addressed on both fronts, preferably together at the same time.

I’ve seen people saying Zoro is in for a world of hurt soon, and I absolutely agree, but he’s not the only one. Luffy needs to grow here, too, and it’s going to be painful not just for the both of them, but for the rest of the crew, because when those two are at odds, the whole crew is in a crisis. It may seem small right now, but something like this can easily snowball into a disastrous avalanche if left unchecked. This wasn’t a good look for either of them, nor was the way it was resolved (or not, as it were). Lilith’s explanation sort of came as a copout. Luffy didn’t pull himself together for the sake of his crew, he did because he was told that they hadn’t actually failed, which means this problem wasn’t addressed. Also because of this, Zoro’s frustration was rather quickly placated and his comment appears to have gone unaddressed as well. This leads me to believe that Oda was using this to show us two big flaws Luffy and Zoro have an how they come in conflict so that he can revisit them at a later date in a situation with higher stakes and actual consequences. 

Zoro being upset that Luffy is "moping over one geezer dying" specifically is rather significant, not because he is being intentionally callous, but because Vegapunk wasn’t a close friend of the crew. If this is how Luffy behaves when they failed to save “one geezer,” what about if they were to lose a close friend like Vivi? What about a crew member? What if, say, a crew member became a danger to the rest of the crew and another was forced to kill them to protect the others? What then? Will Luffy be able to become the anchor the crew needs in order to navigate something like that, or will he fall apart and the crew alongside him? There is no doubt in my mind that Zoro’s promise to Sanji isn’t a constant companion, right alongside his promise to Kuina and vow to Luffy. There is no doubt in my mind that Zoro wasn’t thinking about this very potential scenario when Luffy was breaking down in this chapter. Absolutely none. Especially not with how Sanji has been acting lately.  If anything, I believe that this, far more than his own personal upset over their failure, is what drove him to react this way in the first place. Zoro is always looking forward to the potential dangers to prepare and protect the crew and this is a close and personal one, a ticking time bomb that would be utterly catastrophic if there is no way to defuse it. 

I know no one likes to think about the elephant in the room, but Zoro is always thinking of the elephant in the room. It’s his job to. And this is a crucial detail that I think has been completely left out of this entire discussion which I believe completely changes the context of the situation. What if they lose Vivi? What if they lose Sanji? What if they also lose Zoro because he had to kill Sanji or dies trying? What if they lose a crew member to any one of their future enemies? What will Luffy do then? Will he be the Captain the crew needs if he can’t even do it when all they lost was “one geezer?” Those are the sorts of thoughts that would trigger Zoro to talk like he just did behind his Captain’s back instead of to his face. After all, his promise to Sanji is one of the few things he is keeping secret from Luffy. It may seem like an overreaction here considering the stakes are so low at the moment, but it’s not if we consider the potential future dangers of Luffy’s behavior for those under him. Was Zoro's behavior immature? Yes. But likely fueled by a constant anxiety over the crew’s wellbeing? Also yes. 

Zoro isn’t just upset they failed, he’s worried for the future wellbeing of the crew. It’s not just about image. Every single time he has acted like this it was because there was some perceived future danger to the crew. In Water 7 it was their cohesion and their ability to follow Luffy in times of crisis, in Punk Hazard it was their lives and physical wellbeing against the much-stronger opponents they were facing, in Zou it was the same but with the added context that they had made themselves active enemies of two out of the four Yonkou. So why would it be anything other than that now?

And honestly, it was about time something like this happened. These two have been too cohesive as of late while still having a lot of unaddressed, conflicting character flaws. It was about time there was some obvious friction of this magnitude so that it could be addressed. When they get on the other side of whatever Oda is planning to throw their way to excite this conflict, they and the crew will only be stronger for it. And I, for one, am very interested to see how this looming disaster is going to play out.

Drifting Stars Masterlist Ⅱ

I never thought there would be a part two of this solely because of the limited number of fanfictions there actually are for this au. Yet here we are, four months later and somehow able to make this post. Same rules apply; general order of favourites, you are all entitled to your own opinion, add any I may have missed, and that's kinda it.

Onward!

Disconnected by DarrowWyrlde - 4th part of a series, 2 028 words, 2/13

Ok so this one probably should not be in this post at all since it's not drifting stars and more of a lost legends fic. I only put this one here because it's still about Mabel in the multiverse and who knows, maybe that's why you read drifting stars. I don't have much else to say, just thought I'd put it here.

Drift Away by GravityUniverse115 - oneshot, 1 174 words, 1/1

This one was written well despite it being fairly short, the only catch being that it - again - is not entirely drifting stars. It is about Mabel going through the portal, but it is written more as a concept in comparison to a typical oneshot. If someone did write a fic based off of this tho I would definitely read it.

The Drifting Star by Booblybaba - standalone, 35 337 words, 15/?

This was your typical drifting stars fic, I don't have too much else to say except that it was good and that it ends just as I was getting into it. It was a bit fast paced but again, not bad.

Into the Unknown by MintGreenMare - standalone, 31 681 words, 22/22

Finished and Drifting Stars does not go in the same sentence, and yet this fic exists. Fully complete, 100% resolved. It only took like 9 years for someone to actually finish writing one of these. It did take me a bit to get into it compared to other stuff I've read, mostly because it feels more like a collection of oneshots as opposed to a whole fic, but I did still enjoy it.

Ad Astra by Queen_Mab - standalone, 103 406 words, 18/?

So many people go crazy for this fic and I kinda get why, the worldbuilding is done really well and the stuff going on back in Gravity Falls is a lot more interesting than just Dipper and Stan rebuilding the portal. The only setback for me is that it feels unrealistic and was almost pushed too far in some aspects. But again, I get the appeal and do wanna see what would happen next.

Save That Light by Mezzorellasticks - standalone, 11 293 words, 5/?

I'm surprised there aren't more fic's with some of the concepts in this one. I won't spoil it but I could see this happening to Mabel more than once and yet no one has written about it. Some parts felt a little off in terms of character but overall it was pretty cool.

A Familiar Face by Missintroverted - 1st part of a series, 2 350 words, 1/1

This is another fic that's not entirely drifting stars but at the same time kinda is. Instead of Mabel being fully related to Ford, it's another version of her but older (possibly a relativity + reverse portal version). I thought it interesting and I enjoyed the interaction between the two.

Among The Stars by Maviiigirl - standalone, 4 603 words, 2/?

This fic follows the typical outline so far; Mabel falling through the portal, Ford being an awkward dumbass, the two figuring out what's going on before any proper multiverse madness occurs. But the way it was written was really good, that and the fact that this author also wrote a very good oneshot which gives me hope for the future of this fic.

A Little Help by Maviiigirl - oneshot, 3 130 words, 1/1

I thought this oneshot was so cool. Mabel being all responsible while internally panicking and Ford being delusional was actually so funny to me. Some parts were a little quick but overall I thought it was really well done. I kinda wanna see it be continued just to see what Ford would say when he woke up tho.

That's mostly it, if I were to compare the two list's I'd say the quality of the fics from the other one are far better, but these one's are a lot more recent meaning there is hope that some of them will be continued.

I didn't mean to insult any of these, I find my main problem with fanfiction is the way the characters are written and the way characters bond, especially since many are rushed and often there isn't enough time allowed for certain emotions to properly form before diving straight into hurt/comfort. I understand tho, I struggle with that a lot in my writing too.

Anyway, here's the first masterlist if you wanna look at those too :))

Zoro and Growth

Recently, I’ve been thinking about a certain green-haired swordsman and trying to understand things from his perspective. One issue I’ve noticed is how he often falls victim to misconceptions. Being one of the most popular characters in the fandom means there’s a prevalent but narrow view of him that isn’t always favorable. This is true for all One Piece characters, but Zoro’s loyalty and steadfastness are particularly emphasized by fans, sometimes to the detriment of recognizing his growth.

People often say that if Zoro had been present during the Whole Cake Island arc, he wouldn’t have tolerated any of what happened, especially Sanji’s actions. They claim he would’ve acted as he did in Water 7, not letting Sanji return without a proper apology. However, I don’t think that’s accurate.

Before the time skip, the crew didn’t fully understand each other, and they all had room to grow stronger. Even Luffy wasn’t fully up to par. During this time, Zoro was subconsciously doubting the process, and the crew was often taking on more than they could handle. Now, post-time skip, Zoro understands the Straw Hats’ dynamics better. He trusts that Luffy is strong enough to lead and handle situations, even in his unique “un-Captain”-like manner.

I believe that if Zoro had been there during Whole Cake Island, he would have trusted Luffy’s decision to get Sanji back because Sanji is their nakama and none of them are perfect. Zoro’s growth is evident in his trust in Luffy and his understanding of his crewmates. He likely wouldn’t have been as harsh with Usopp’s return either, recognizing Usopp’s way of handling things and knowing an apology would come eventually.

The Straw Hats are built on friendship, and post-time skip, Zoro supports this more than ever. He works in the best interest of the entire crew, not just Luffy’s. Misconceptions about Zoro stem from how the fandom often portrays him, missing the nuances of his character growth. So, yes, post-time skip Zoro is a version I prefer because he clearly prioritizes the well-being of the whole crew.

This is mostly me rambling and being confused about a part in Cleo's and Grian's episodes, but I... I don't think Cleo really Gets it when she talks about the Mounder's loyalty, like she says/implies they're not very loyal.... but..... I think back to the other seasons and all 3 of them were loyal (2 to her at one point), maybe not completely in the same style as her loyalty but, they were loyal. They are all Desperately loyal. The way loyal people betrayed are. Desperate.

It comes up in their episodes a lot. "Mounders for life." People expect Joel to uuuuhhh go slightly feral, but he never goes after his group. When Gem tries to get him to guess Pearl's task he's the first one to purposefully waste his guess on her. He never attacks them as red. He trusts them with stuff like his enchanter and spawner, and Every Episode since joining them goes and does the bonding question he started. Bdubs runs around with Etho and Cleo because of course he does, but when it comes to choosing he stays with the mounders. When Gem comes with her boogey curse task, Bdubs does Not go after Pearl. He tries pushing Gem and then Impulse away from Pearl and Joel, until Pearl blows up and then neither are there for when Joel is killed. When Martyn says to be a Big Dog means renouncing your old alliances, Bdubs says no. And he traps Etho/Cleo/Grian's base, knowing full well, commenting on the fact, that it might kill Etho or Cleo. And Pearl? Pearl's never gone after any of her teammates. Not in past seasons, not in this one. She constantly pushes she wants Joel or Bdubs (and slightly Mumbo) to win. When boogey or red, she doesn't go after them, even offering that when she's down low, they can perma-kill her for the hearts. But I think the biggest Moment that really showed their loyalty was when Mumbo turned red and attempted trapping their base and such. They don't make any comments about him leaving or betraying them. There's surprise and a bit of "Mumbo!", but Pearl mentions almost directly afterward that if he'd asked they would have helped him. Mumbo goes after them, and they still want to help him.

There's another post out there about how the last 3 Mounders didn't go after Mumbo, because they know how it feels to get kicked out of the group when they go "red", and I think those are the points Cleo/Etho/Grian & to an extent Scott remember when saying the Mounders aren't very loyal. I mean the biggest, and most likely influence, is Pearl in Double Life. Cleo and Scott remember Pearl "not caring" about the whole soulbond deal and then going slightly crazy, and Pearl remembers being left for... not being around.

All the perspectives show relationships and people in varying different lights, and so there will always be some difference, but I still find it so odd that it's Scott and Cleo to call out the Mounders "lack" of loyalty.

AAAAH this series has me in a chokehold-- the angst, the drama-- I just gotta talk about Scar's final episode! I can't stop chewing on the ideas it's spawned in my head.

I mean, Scar and Bdubs' dynamic has to be addressed. They felt like proper siblings in this. From the way Scar was like an older brother praising his younger sibling's efforts, to Bdubs boasting about his success to get his older brother's approval. . .

And for Scar, I might even go as far as to say that he was protective. How he was constantly in a state of hypervigilance about their safety. How he was constantly offering resources and support.

(gosh, I can feel the possible fanfics boiling beneath my skin)

And the fact that Scar went and killed Cleo for her favoritism, rather than taking out his jealousy on Bdubs.

Not to mention that Scar was absolutely brutal this entire season (this last episode in particular) yet to Bdubs he was almost gentle in this last episode. This is the same Scar who looked at Etho, his "father", and saw nothing more than an animal he needed to put down. The same Scar who pushed Bdubs into a pit of zombies for the giggles.

Yet when it came down to their red lives, Scar was more than willing to set aside his need to bully Bdubs and instead look out for their little group. (Even if Scar never planned to really end up in any group specifically, I feel he was more than happy to side with his brother.)

And Bdubs was also more than happy to have Scar join their group-- even after being pushed into the zombie stream. (I like to think this is because, while Bdubs was angry at Scar at the time, he more easily forgave Scar because of their familial ties.)

And in the end, it just feels like a sibling relationship-- you'll fight over petty things like they're the end of the world, but when the end of the world actually arrives you stick together and are as thick as thieves.

I'm just dying to see art or read fics about this complex dynamic and their messy past. I feel like there's so much potential.

I have so many thoughts about this last episode and this is only skimming the surface.

Thinking about how one of the First Big Things that Bdubs does in Secret Life is find himself a horse, trying to race anyone else to getting it for himself.

And one of the Last Big Things he does is give his horse to Joel, so Joel can chase down his own targets faster and have a better chance.

thinking about how joel normally leaps into battle and gets himself killed alone, but this time when he said "where are all my teammates?" and bdubs said "i'm with you joel" he was, and joel didn't die alone

thinking about how bdubs spent so long building his base but he referred to it in his last title as 'mumbo's world' because despite it being his base he didn't build it for himself, he built it for mumbo

thinking about how pearl told gem she was a mounder for life and how much she meant that, she knew gem was one of the strongest players left in the game but she refused to leave her boys for gem because she was so committed to this team and having one of them win it for the all of the others

thinking about how loud mumbo screamed when scar led the wither into their base because he didn't want the tower they created together destroyed despite he himself destroying it partially with all of his failed traps against his teammates

thinking about the mounders and how it truly was for life for all of them. may they rest in peace.

joel probably felt the same emotions after accidently shooting bdubs as you do when you accidently kick your dog

except here his dog immediantly drops dead moments later

its probably best he died right after him thats alot of emotional baggage

Bdubs giving his horse up to Joel meant so much to me actually. And Joel accepting even though he hates horses. Mounders made me feel so much this session.

FYI for everyone who doesn’t know secret life episodes will come out in around 4 hours. Pearl confirmed that all the lifers (minus Scar who might upload early and Impulse who confirmed on stream that his episode won’t come out until Saturday) will upload their POVs together at around 12pm CST

Said it before, will say it again. The way people are forgiving others because their violence is just a result of a task and no one feels the need to be violent outside of them is what’s making the server so peaceful. They don’t see each other as the ones responsible for what happens to them, like what happened with Pearl immediately teaming with Gem after she killed her. There’s no time for real interpersonal drama when you have to worry about following the orders of the fabricated drama. The lack of regen also disencourages players from attacking directly unless it’s really worth it, so they avoid it when they know the other isn’t fully at fault.

On one hand I’m happy no one perma-died today but on the other hand I want drama and revenge arcs

who’s ready 4 serect life??? 😍😍

Delusional secret life predictions:

1. Bdubs

2. Pearl

3. Grian

4. Cleo

5. Joel

6. Scott

7. Tango

8. Etho

9. Scar

10. Skizz

11. Impulse

12. Martyn

13. Gem

14. BigB

I need the mounders to hold a funeral for Mumbo at the beginning of next sesssion <\3