One Piece Diaries #62: Marineford #1

Honestly, some of these episodes were a bit of a drag. Several of them consisted of a bunch of shots of random people who had either just been introduced or hadn’t been introduced at all fighting, interspersed with showcase power moments from characters like Akainu and Aokiji. During those episodes, I found myself struggling to pay attention and repeatedly checking the timestamp to see when I’d be released. That was a little disappointing since Marineford has been so hyped up, but it does go with the territory for older, long-running anime. I know to expect this, I just don’t like it.

But these episodes also had some great moments, so I’m going to talk about a few that stood out to me.

The first is Ace’s backstory. His mother held him in her womb for 20 months to make sure that nobody suspected his connection to his father, Gol D. Roger. Naturally, she died almost immediately afterward.

I’ve never been pregnant, but I’ve heard a lot about the process from other people. I’ve also had some painful reproductive health issues. Oh, and I’ve spent time with 20-month-old babies! So the idea of carrying a kid inside of you for that long is viscerally horrifying, and I’m sure it would be even more so to someone who has given birth! Rouge is a total badass and I’m glad she got her moment to shine.

I wonder if the series will ever address the probable developmental issues that realistically would have happened for Ace. Minus the typical nine months, he’d be eleven months – nearly a year – old. At that age, babies are starting to walk, use one or two words at the same time, and eat solid foods regularly. Not being exposed to the outside world might make it really hard for him to meet those milestones later on.

Also, there would probably be some physical health challenges – his skeleton couldn’t have been developing properly with so little space to grow, he wouldn’t have been receiving appropriate nutrition for his age, and his immune system wouldn’t have the exposure it needed to develop.

There was a real-world example of a woman named Wang Shi who supposedly stayed pregnant for 17 months, but in her case, the child was developing extremely slowly. Ace, presumably, would have developed on schedule.

I did notice that Ace’s child voice sounded incredibly nasal. I’m not a medical expert, but I can see how, say, chronic sinus infections or allergies could result from immune dysregulation caused by not having exposure to the outside world for that long. Yes, I know that it’s just the unintended consequence of Daisuke Sakaguchi trying to sound like a small child, but let me have my theories, damn it!

I find this whole thing fascinating, but you’re here to hear about One Piece, not read an essay about pregnancy and child development.

So let’s move on to another thing I liked.

As long-time readers of this column know, I have a soft spot for Helmeppo and his stupid little butt chin. Seeing the war through his and Koby’s eyes made the whole thing feel more grounded. I liked their ultimate conclusion: we are too weak to stand up against our enemies, and we aren’t going to be cannon fodder now, because we have bigger dreams that we want to achieve when we get stronger. That’s a hard bargain to make with yourself, especially when you value bravery and loyalty the way that they do. But it’s the right thing to do. The fact that Akainu murders someone for making the same choice only underscores how much it’s the right thing. I don’t know what they’ll do from here on out, but I still appreciate the ideas presented here.

To close out, here’s something I had mixed feelings about: the story of Little Oars Jr. I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, being able to build sympathy for a character we just met using a single flashback is truly impressive. The anecdote about Ace being one of the few people who thought about Oars Jr’s needs and made him a gigantic hat to deal with them was very sweet. It not only explains why Oars cares so much about Ace but also characterizes Ace as a truly thoughtful person. But it also happened so fast that I kind of felt emotionally manipulated. Like, the formula felt quite present. The whole scene felt like a SCENE – not as organic as some of the other emotional moments in the story have been.

This could be me nitpicking because I’m a writer too and being able to see the techniques that were used can sometimes make them less effective. It may have worked brilliantly for other viewers, and if so, that’s awesome. I didn’t totally dislike it – like I said, mixed feelings.

Even though these episodes were a mixed bag, I’m excited – and nervous – about what’s to come. Luffy’s dramatic entrance after falling off a frozen wave, boat and all, has hyped me up to keep watching. I know this arc will feature a lot of important moments, and I’m looking forward to discussing them with you all!