is most recent chapter of the manga has really got me wondering exactly how this is going to truly be "The year of Sanji." While the plot of WCI is definitely centered around conflicts involving our beloved swirly brow, I still feel like there is a
lot of ground to cover.
That being said... I understand we are right in the heat of the action and that a lot is about to go down, as expected.
Katakuri: "lol, balls."
What interests me is there hasn't been any real
growth thus far from Mr. Prince.
What we
have seen:
- Reveals on his family and his relations to them
- Elucidating and expanding an already tragic backstory
- Following the extreme highs and lows of his arranged marriage with Pudding
- Weighted decision making (choosing between sacrificing himself to save the crew vs risking to immediate join with Luffy, his love for pudding versus keeping his wits about him, etc.)
- A combination of events that break him emotionally, but with Luffy's help he renews his determination.
While it certainly is growth and excellent character development, it is not
Year of a protagonist worthy. cues plot armor
For a member of the future Pirate King's crew, and especially being in one of the two monster trios (the other being Jimbe and his left and right testicles), Sanji has to grow a lot by EoS to meet/surpass Yonkou commander level.
Clearly this arc we have seen Soul King flex his muscles repeatedly and show us why he's the greatest skeleton in the seas... Oh! But he doesn't have any
muscles to to begin with! Skull Joke! Yohohohohoho!
I believe Oda is setting up something massive for Sanji, especially considering his lackluster showings thus far in the New World (albeit he's had to take on Vergo, Doffy, his father + army members, etc)
I propose the idea that Vinsmoke Sanji is going to develop and display conqueror's haki during WCI, if at the very least a small glimpse of it.
This is largely based on Rayleigh's explanation of haki, where as Armament and Observation can be trained, Conqueror's requires an actual development of the individual, their very soul.
That's because it's the spirit itself of its owner. You can enhance it only by developing yourself.
Here are the things Sanji
has done or probably
will do that is developing himself:
- Would rather sacrifice himself to be married than putting his nakama in danger
- Is coming to terms with his dark Vinsmoke past - is showing charity by trying to save his family that doesn't deserve it.
- Had his heart treated worse than the worst scum of Gangster Gastino (why is he so bad anyway? We just barely met this character...)
- Huge shift of where he can choose priorities and obligations over his love of women.
- And just something worth noting, from when he was a kid feeding his mother and small animals to feeding Gin not wanting anyone to starve, to being nice to Pudding even when he knew she was plotting to shoot him, he always has carried a kindness that befits a gentleman and just a wholesome attitude that is "Conqueror's haki spirit" worthy imo.
Here is
why Sanji getting it would be good for the story:
- We know the first mate of Roger's crew has displayed Conqueror's haki, so it is safe to assume Zoro will develop his own as well (very likely at Wano - "Year of Zoro"). We know ve
LMAO REDDIT BACK IN WCI WAS FUCKING FUNNY
