so what did we learn?
the hunting game:
now, garlic. he is just like shanks in so many ways. literally every single thing we found out about him in this chapter is ALSO a piece in the shanks's character puzzle:
the hunting game:
- is a long-standing tradition, i.e. not a recent invention
- it's a game where the CDs hunt the local residents - the slaves are some kind of a bonus addition for the tournament held 38 years ago in particular, they don't have to always be part of this game
- it's basically the rite of passage into becoming WG-owned (the conditions probably vary from country to country). i'm quite certain that many if not most WG-affiliated countries have gone through this
- it's a game that is not held for the sole purpose of the CDs having depraved 'fun' - they 'play' it to acquire more land and resources. i agree with those who have hypothesized that wano was targeted in the past but the tournament couldn't be held there bc ryuuma and co. had different plans. the CD armada we saw tells us 2 things: there are many, many CDs participating or cheering from the sidelines, and there's going to be a lot of loot that they'll be taking back to marijoa.
- the game has rules: apparently, even if you are a CD participant, you can't do just whatever you want. or rather, you can, but you'll be penalized. not sure what garling did wrong by killing the native king - maybe he started too early? but he got punished for it - whatever the 10 000 point deduction translates to in the CD culture.
- there's a prize. it's probably different every time the tournament is held. this time, the prize is apparently kuma. honestly, just one slave - albeit a 'unique' and strong one - seems like a pretty shitty prize for all the effort of participating in the tournament...
now, garlic. he is just like shanks in so many ways. literally every single thing we found out about him in this chapter is ALSO a piece in the shanks's character puzzle:
- they look very alike
- they are both conventionally handsome, pretty even
- both carry a sword
- both elicit fawning and adoration in the gullible masses
- both can be ruthless when they deem it a necessity
- both care about a certain type of fairness (equality): garling points out that the point deduction he received is 'good enough of a handicap for other CD contestants to have a shot at winning' - basically, he did something that put him on equal footing with others. his skill of hunting and slaughtering defenseless people (the god valley king was unarmed) is obviously superior to that of his fellow CDs, so now that he got that point deduction, other players are not at a disadvantage anymore. shanks also made a big deal out of kidd pirates being at no disadvantage due to their recent fights in wano ('have they recovered fully?')
