第133回：Is that…

When we didn’t get a glimpse of Oden by the end of Chapter 959, I knew that meant Oda-sensei had a killer idea for his reveal and he did not disappoint! The cremation of a body in modern Japan is a very private immediate-family ceremony and so see Oden eating...well…oden on top of a man being cremated is nothing short of jaw-droppingly audacious.

But thinking back on his classic role-model characters, we shouldn’t be surprised. Almost every role-model in One Piece’s flashback stories appears to have a side of them that defies social norms of modern society via bold and uncompromising character traits.

A pirate throws his arm away to rescue a child.

A former Marine uses her body to manipulate men.

A man leaves his family to do live a life of freedom.

A grizzled pirate eats his leg -his namesake- to save a boy.

A thief endangers the lives of humans in attempts to save them.

A Marine betrays duty for what he believes is right.

An otherwise jolly shipbuilder physically assaults his own ‘family’ member.

A queen goes on a drunken tirade against the people she represents.

The only odd ones out are Brook -who was already an adult in his flashback- and perhaps most glaringly, Zoro. We don’t know about Brook’s childhood in a ‘certain’ kingdom and perhaps the impetus for Zoro to join the Isshin Dojo in the first place is linked to a certain unconventional role-model!

Wait just a darn second… Is… Is that Wadou Ichimonji?? Th-that would mean Denjiro is…!!!