I'm not sure how Oda
should've handled them. I'll say how I'd of liked the Supernova 11 to be handled, though.
I'd keep all 11 Supernova per canon, but scramble some things up. Mostly giving each Supernova some relationship and an end goal. And something that has always bothered me a tad is their bounties. I'd give them a healthy boost to keep them relevant. Not anything insane, but a solid 50m per Supernova would do them some good.
Since Luffy and Zoro won't encounter most of them until after Dressrosa, it doesn't make them very promising rivals if Luffy's
already overshadowed them bounty wise. Though some—in X Drake's case—would probably have their bounties doubled.
First major change I'd make is with
Law & Bonney. I'd introduce them together as a pair of pirates in an alliance, even back in Sabaody. Tying them together makes sense, considering how similar they are. Both have ties to Shichibukai, who coincidentally were introduced together. Both have ties to the World Government, both come from countries likely devastated. And both have connections to a Fleet Admiral (
Sengoku and Akainu respectively).
This introduces the idea of pirate alliances and the fact that Law isn't above such things. So, when it happens later with Luffy, there's a bit of foreshadowing. Likewise it allows Bonney to be a bit more proactive in the series. In Dressrosa with the Revolutionaries, Bonney can hint at her lore and connections to Kuma when around Sabo. It's similar to Luffy/Zoro and Kidd/Killer, but it's a bit of a twist. So those two pairs can keep their own distinct dynamic that separates them from the rest of their Generation.
I'd also make some loose connections between
Capone & Urouge in the Post Time Skip. Capone is depicted as a ruthless schemer and I'd have this better reflected in the manga. Instead of Urouge just randomly venturing into the Big Mom Pirates territory to battle Snack, I'd have this orchestrated by Capone. Bege has an agreement with Urouge to let him pillage Tottoland and sends him where Snack's island is. After defeating Snack, I'd have Bege betray and bring Cracker to Urouge in order to curry favor with the BMPs, giving a bit of a reason as to why he's chief of the security at the Wedding.
During WCI, I'd have Urouge get free and Capone ultimately die after betraying Germa/the Straw Hats. Really hammer home the short sightedness of some Supernova while reinforcing positive themes such as friendship, bonds, and all that. It also emphasizes the dangers of approaching a Yonkou even with the best laid plans and enormous help—foreshadowing for the battle against Kaido in his own territory. Urouge would end up taking a voyage for Skypeia with every intention of leaving the adventuring behind. Not everyone being made out for the New World and this intense pirate race for the One Piece.
So 2 Supernova are gone, out of the story. Fat trimmed and we learn a valuable lesson from each.
X Drake himself would just serve a bigger purpose in Wano as a double agent, fight someone and then return to the Marines to join Koby & Garp. His role would align more with SWORD and the final arc. He goes further to paint a promising future for the Marines and the Navy beyond the corruption of the Tenryuubito.
Basil Hawkins would replace Weevil as a Shichibukai, per Oda's original draft of the New World. I'd push Hawkins as the negative version of Law, like Kidd/Killer are for Luffy/Zoro. Both are hax, both are from the North Blue with Mink crewmates. I'd reinforce that by making them Shichibukai contemporaries. Give him some excuse for becoming a Shichibukai—it allows Hawkins to expand the amount of voodoos dolls he can make by traveling freely and making use of civilians in popular ports or something. He's a very practical character after all and it's better to use strangers than his own crew. It also gives more ammunition for removing the Shichibukai system. Law, Crocodile, Hawkins and Doffy all removed from their post for betraying the trust of the WG in a year—In Hawkin's case, for linking up with Kidd/Killer and later Kaido.
I'd still have Hawkins join
Kidd and
Killer in an Alliance.
Scratchman Apoo too. I'd really want to press the union of the best of the Supernova to challenge and fight a Yonkou. It's just a really cool idea that I don't think got enough attention. Hawkins can still join Kaido as per canon, but I'd have him take a less antagonistic role against Killer. Maybe even letting Killer go or boosting his & Kidd's strength while remaining subdued and more neutral in the Onigashima raid. Apoo however can stay exactly how he is in canon. I would have Hawkins take Apoo and turn him into one of his many lives, if only to bring Apoo to heel and make Apoo obey Hawkins.
And I think I'd close out the Supernova chapter in One Piece by having the two largest factions of'em fight after Kaido is beaten. I mean, Kaido goes down or is killed and during the calm after the battle is settling, Kidd's crew goes to remove the Straw Hats & others to take out a rival.
It also provides the Straw Hats a chance to learn from what they saw of Bege in Whole Cake Island and anticipate this betrayal, a good set up from back then that lets the Straw Hat alliance know there
isn't any way around this conflict.
- Eustass Kidd
- Killer
- Basil Hawkins
- Scratchman Apoo
VS
- Monkey D. Luffy
- Roronoa Zoro
- Trafalgar D. Water Law
- Jewelry Bonney
With Hawkins there, you can always make the excuse that Kidd's crew is being boosted to match Luffy's. But you'd have a Captain v. Captain, partner v. partner, Hax Pirate v. Hax Pirate and then Bonney & Apoo's unusual devil fruits going against each other.
So Wano ends with the last of the opposing Supernova taken out and all that's left in Luffy's way for the Pirate King title is Blackbeard.
In my opinion, introducing 11 Supernova at Sabaody was fine, but not all of them should have made it out of the TS.
I agree. It's a bloated group but I like the fact there's enough contendors for the Pirate King title from the newest generation of Pirates. Because honestly, Luffy has only been fighting the Silver Generation up until that point. Knowing he has contemporaries, possibly more successful than him, is really good at expanding the world. It implies a whole lot is happening beyond the scope of the Straw Hat's immediate journey.
Which adds a charm to their adventures, because it's not what's making the gears of fate turn. They're just events. It's quaint.
And I know in the past
@Owl Ki made good points about grouping the Supernova into more cohesive crews instead of splitting them amongst each other. That's a real good solution as well.
