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INTEREST: One Piece's Oda Gives His Thoughts on Critical Turning Point

If you look at all the other Strawhats and their backstories, spoiler[nearly all of them experienced the tragic death of someone they loved, which helped shape the people they are today. I always wondered why Luffy never had the same thing in his backstory. Now we know: because for Luffy, it was going to happen during the series instead of in a flashback. Losing his brother is the crucial turning point that forces Luffy to become serious about being Pirate King, just like each of his crewmates went through a major turning point in life when they lost their loved one.]

So when Oda says he planned this for a long time, it seems almost obvious. It's a very logical progression for Luffy's character to go in.

If he says it, I'll take his word for it. One Piece has a clearly (or as clear can be) defined ending, regardless of whether or not the mid-point or "in-between" material is planned or not. But I have to credit to his memory and story planning. spoiler[I honestly never thought we'd see the likes of Buggy and Crocodile again. And as far as Ace's death goes, I think it makes sense considering Luffy is largely devoid of a 3rd dimensional character. He's very simple and easy to understand. The way I see it, Ace (and to a larger point, Shanks) is like the guiding point to his character development. He had to learn the limits of his own ability in order to progress through the New World, which is about the level of which Shanks's fighting potential. He's still the same Luffy, but at least he understands the weight of which leading to be a Pirate King holds.]

Wyvern wrote:

If you look at all the other Strawhats and their backstories, spoiler[nearly all of them experienced the tragic death of someone they loved, which helped shape the people they are today. I always wondered why Luffy never had the same thing in his backstory. Now we know: because for Luffy, it was going to happen during the series instead of in a flashback. Losing his brother is the crucial turning point that forces Luffy to become serious about being Pirate King, just like each of his crewmates went through a major turning point in life when they lost their loved one.] So when Oda says he planned this for a long time, it seems almost obvious. It's a very logical progression for Luffy's character to go in.

spoiler[Actually, Luffy (and Ace himself, too) did have a tragic experience in his past, as well: Sabo's death. Even if he isn't dead, probably, as hinted in the manga at the end of the ASL flashback, both Luffy and Ace believed Sabo died anyway.

So, at this point Luffy has two tragic events in his back-story, plus Shanks' sacrifice for him (losing an arm is not really like dying, but still enough for Luffy to feel remorse, and to strive not to delude him).
Furthermore, the character of Sabo and the way he was written makes me think that Oda planned much more ahead than what he revealed so far... which leads me to believe that also Ace is still alive, someway. This, mostly for two reasons:
1) Someone in Marineford put a cloak on Ace's back, as if out of respect... but which Marine would do that, considering their previous behaviour and the fact that they were fighting Blackbeard, at that point? Why wasting time to cover Ace's back?
2) Therefore, to cover Ace's back could have been someone who wasn't really a Marine... for example Sabo himself, or some other from the Rebels, sent there by Sabo and/or Dragon. Why doing that, though?
Well, if someone had a power (obtained eating a Devil Fruit) which allowed them to turn the matter (even biological one) to its original state, for example ten minutes earlier, the wound on Ace's back would disappear, so they had to cover his back to avoid revealing what they were doing.
If this is true, or if something similar happened, I think the person who covered and healed Ace also gave him some drug to put him into a state of apparent death, in order for Shanks to later retrieve his body without someone thinking Ace was still alive (what better way to save someone whom the World Government wants dead, if not making everyone believe he is?).

I also believe that both Shanks and Law could work for the Rebels, or at least collaborate with them when really needed. This would explain why both arrived at Marineford more or less at the same time, and their actions (especially Shanks', since he had tried to save Ace even before, when he went to talk with Whitebeard).
Probably, Dragon knows something really important about the "D"s, and needed Ace alive, or maybe it was just Sabo who convinced him... After all, Sabo left everything behind, at only ten, to be really free and not to be contaminated by the noble's way of thinking. Thus, I can't see him not doing anything to save one of his brothers, in a situation like that. Maybe Sabo also knew of Ace's tatoo, made to remember him... how would Sabo feel, everything considered?
If Sabo didn't save or at least try to save Ace, he could have had his reasons or impediments, of course. Yet, if Luffy managed to arrive at Marineford without his companions and, even if helped by many, in a desperate physical state, I don't understand why someone Like Sabo, who is older, wiser and smarter (like he showed when he was a child), and with maybe better contacts and informants (thanks to Dragon), couldn't do anything for Ace.]

Oda will surprise us... I am sure of it. Or at least, I want to believe it, since the turning point of the manga would sill have its impact on the main character, but the ending of the manga could be happier, if what I think is true, or if something similar happened.
It could work, as long as it is well-written and planned from the start... but considering the quality of One Piece so far, I'm not too worried about it.

If someone wish to reply to me, please don't talk about information revealed after volume 62, since I only read up to it.

Thats an interesting theory. spoiler[As much as I want Ace to still be alive though I don't think he is. I don't think Oda would do that simply because he built Blackbeard and Whitebeard up so much, more so Blackbeard. Plus I think it is safe to say the Blackbeard pirates are going to be the final villains the strawhats will face. ]

Ichigo77 wrote:

Thats an interesting theory. spoiler[As much as I want Ace to still be alive though I don't think he is. I don't think Oda would do that simply because he built Blackbeard and Whitebeard up so much, more so Blackbeard. Plus I think it is safe to say the Blackbeard pirates are going to be the final villains the strawhats will face. ]

spoiler[If he isn't, though, how would you explain the cloak scene?
About Sabo, there could be some believable reasons for him not having gone there, even if not ideal for his type of character (as we know him up to when I read, at least), but if Oda bothered to show that cloak scene, and almost out of panel not the less (like the third cup, Sabo's one, was barely visible at first), it must be needed for something...

I will admit that, initially, I just didn't want for Ace to be died, but re-reading the volumes and thinking about the details, there are things that made me suspicious about what really happened at Marineford.]

I could be wrong, of course. However, Oda already proved many times that he doesn't forget about any detail and that he plans ahead a lot... so I could be right, too (or at least partially right).

Hmm spoiler[What cloak are you referring to? What Blackbeard did? I just paged through vol 59 but didn't see anything and have to get to bed so I didn't have time to page through the other volumes.]

I don't like the fact that Robin has been become white whereas before she had a tanish color and that slicked back hair style is just terrible. At least Nami looks similar to her younger version while Robin seems to have had plastic surgery.
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