Author: Roderick J "Jay" Friz

The Race For One Piece is On! But Where Do the Contender’s Stand?

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A Look At Where Everyone Stands in the Race for the One Piece

The state of One Piece right now could best be summed up by a quote from Dr. Strange: “We’re in the endgame, now.” After 25 years of twists, turns, laughs, and tears, Eichiro Oda’s preparing to take his legendary masterpiece into its final phase. The moment the Wano Arc ends, fans should expect nothing less than a race to the finish line that is Laugh Tale. The grand prize: not just the One Piece, but the truth about the Void Century and the history of the world. It’s going to be a very tight race, though, with the most powerful pirates competing to make it to Laugh Tale first.

While the Straw Hat Pirates come out of Wano as the crew of one of the Yonko, they’re facing stiff competition from their fellow pirates. With the manga on break this week, now’s the perfect time to look at where the top contenders each stand in terms of strength, power, and how close they are to reaching Laugh Tale.

Buggy and his New Alliance Are a Major Wild Card

One of the first enemies that Luffy ever fought, Buggy seemed destined to become comic relief as the rubber wonder moved on to bigger enemies. Then came the events at Impel Down and Marineford, which outed him as a former member of the Roger Pirates, gave him instant notoriety, and earned him the title of one of the Seven Warlords. The loss of that title, though, didn’t diminish his power. Somehow, the Clown got elevated to the status of Yonko alongside Luffy and former crewmate Shanks!

Despite the world thinking he’s a mad genius, fans know that Buggy’s a joke. However, he’s a joke that’s managed to talk former Warlords “Hawkeye” Mihawk and Crocodile into working with him as part of his new group, Cross Guild. Even more brazen, though, is that his group put bounties on the Marines. That takes guts!

With the amount of power and influence that Buggy has gathered, albeit unintentionally, he could stand a serious shot at finding the One Piece. He’s also got the motivation: due to getting sick at the penultimate island, Buggy never got to see Laugh Tale. Now, he could change that, either on his own, or by forming an alliance with another Yonko.

Shanks is Throwing His Lot into the Ring.

What can be said about Shanks that hasn’t been said already? He’s a former member of the Roger Pirates, the man who inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and one of the four Yonko. After his recent display of Conquerer’s Haki in Wano, though, Shanks has elevated himself to Giga-CHAD levels of awesomeness! And this is while he only has one arm.

Until now, Shanks has shown no interest in reaching Laugh Tale or finding his former captain’s treasure. However, with Luffy now standing alongside him as a fellow Yonko, that attitude’s gone right out the window. Having thrown his proverbial hat into the ring, Shanks is setting himself up for a confrontation with Luffy. Given how his mastery of Conquerer’s Haki ranks among the strongest in the world, Luffy’s idol might also be one of his biggest obstacles to finding One Piece. Or, he might end up being a powerful ally. 

Trafalgar Law Knows Almost as Much as the Straw Hats Do.

The Straw Hats have been allied with Trafalgar Law for what’s likely been a few months in-universe. From the fan’s perspective, though, it’s been about a decade of having Law hanging out with Luffy. While the Straw Hat’s antics may annoy him at times, this alliance has been nothing but good for the captain of the Heart Pirates. Not only did he get revenge on Doflamingo, but he managed to learn almost everything the Straw Hats did about Laugh Tale and the Road Poneglyphs. 

While he may not be a Yonko, that doesn’t change the fact that Law took down Big Mom alongside Kid. That along makes him one of the toughest pirates alive. Add in the fact that he has access to at least two of the Road Poneglyph’s (three, if Luffy shared the one from Big Mom with him), and he’s got a good chance of making it to Laugh Tale. 

Kid Seems to Have His Own Lead on Finding One Piece

The last few arcs have been absolute hell for Captain Kid. His first alliance to take down Shanks ended when he got betrayed and captured by Kaido. To add insult to injury, his first mate, Killer, got force-fed a SMILE fruit, rendering him permanently smiling. No wonder he promised not to trust anyone outside of his crew again. However, that didn’t stop him from joining the Alliance that raided Onigashima, and that saw him and Law take down Big Mom. 

Law and Kid now stand on equal footing regarding power and prestige, and thanks to the former, Kid now has a copy of Wano’s Road Poneglyph. While this alone won’t be enough to get him to Laugh Tale, he already seems to have another lead in the form of someone with “flame marks.” How this will factor into the race to Laugh Tale remains anyone’s guess, though.

Blackbeard Is Luffy’s Greatest Threat

Of all the rival’s that Luffy has to face to reach One Piece, his greatest will likely be none other than Marshall D. Teach, AKA Blackbeard. It’s likely Eichiro Oda always meant for Blackbeard to be Luffy’s last and greatest obstacle to becoming King of the Pirates. After all, Blackbeard is, in essence, a natural foil to Luffy.

Let’s recap. Both Luffy and Blackbeard started forming their crews around the same time. Both kept said crew’s small in number, but filled with highly capable individuals. Furthermore, each has gone on to have a massive impact on the world in different ways. Lastly, both are now Yonko with a fleet of thousands of pirates ready to fight for them. The big difference between them is that unlike Luffy, Blackbeard seemingly wants to be the Pirate King for the power it will give him.

Given how Blackbeard’s directly responsible for the events that led to Ace’s death, it’s safe to say that Luffy hates his guts. Given all of this, a showdown between the two is coming. And when the dust settles, only one of them will be walking away.

Luffy is Closer Than Ever to Finding One Piece

The boy who will be a king, the second coming of Joy Boy, and the newest Yonko, Monkey D. Luffy. We’ve followed Luffy from the beginning, seen him go from a rookie upstart to a rubber-hosed demigod of freedom. The Wano Arc marked a turning point in Luffy’s growth as a fighter, going from not being able to lay a scratch on Kaido to besting the strongest beast in the world. He’s more than earned the right to be called a Yonko by now.

We all know that Luffy’s the one who will be King of the Pirates, but just how close is he? Crew filled with people who can go toe-to-toe with the best the World Government can throw at them? Check. Awakened Devil Fruit powers? Check. Three of the four Road Poneglyphs meant to reveal the way to Laugh Tale? Check. It’s plain for everyone to see that Luffy’s the closest to finding the One Piece right now. Should he make it past the might of his fellow Yonko, then his dream of being Pirate King will be within his grasp.  

Wano Country Was Peak One Piece. Change my Mind

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Uncategorized

Ten Greatest Moments From One Pieceโ€™s Wano Country Arc

After four years and 150 chapters, One Piece nears the end of the story of Wano Country. The biggest arc of the legendary manga to date, Wano Country had it all. The protagonists ascended to new heights of power. Fans got even more clues to the mystery surrounding the One Piece. And Luffy essentially became the Shonen Popeye.

With an arc that saw almost everyone share the spotlight, itโ€™s hard to decide which moments were the best.

Kaido One-Shots Luffy

Everyone knew going in that Kaido would be the strongest Luffy faced up to that point. However, I don’t think anyone expected him to lose so easily. After getting the attention of the drunken Kaido, Luffy hits him with his strongest attack, only for Kaido to knock him out with little effort.

This moment hammered home the point that Luffy still wasn’t at the level of the Yonko. Fortunately, instead of killing him like a smart villain would, Kaido threw him in prison, where he trained to get even stronger. Dumb move, Kaido.

Yasuie Gets the Last Laugh on Orochi

One Piece is known for having some reprehensible villains, but Orochi might be among the worst. Unfortunately for the heroes, he was also very cunning. When he gets word about the upcoming rebellion, he wastes no time in arresting anyone involved. It’s only thanks to the sacrifice of Lord Yasuie that the heroes even get some breathing room.

By allowing himself to be publicly executed by Orochi, Yasuie convinced everyone that the coming rebellion wasn’t real. As a result, he died making the brutal tyrant look like a paranoid fool. He got the last laugh after all.

Zoro Gains the Blade of Oden

After Yasuieโ€™s death, Zoro found his sword Shusui stolen by a thief who was determined to return it to the frame of its previous owner where it belonged. Needless to say, Zoro got it back without much effort. Then, Oden Kozukiโ€™s daughter, Hiyori, offered a trade. In exchange for returning Shusui, she would give Zoro one of her fatherโ€™s two swords, Enma.

To say Enma is a powerful sword is an understatement. Enmaโ€™s downright terrifying, able to split off an entire section of the coast in one swipe! That is insane!

Oden Kozukiโ€™s Introduction

After hearing people gush about how great a man Oden Kozuki was, fans finally got to meet him at the start of Act 3 of the Wano Arc. After failing to leave Wano once more, he crashes the funeral of an old friend and proceeds to use his crematory pyre to boil himself some Oden.

This one scene tells people a great deal about who Oden was. Heโ€™s loyal to those he considers friends and will always honor them, even if others might not understand it. No wonder he fit right in with the Roger Pirates.

Oden Recalls Reaching Laugh Tale

Speaking of the Roger Pirates, the Wano Country Arc gave fans the most detailed chronicle of their final voyage to date. Told through the journal of Oden himself, fans follow the Roger Pirates all the way to Laugh Tale, the supposed final island of the Grand Line. While we donโ€™t know yet what they found, it was enough to make them all laugh until their sides split. Hopefully, One Piece fans the world over will laugh and cry the same amount the day the series comes to an end.

Odenโ€™s Legendary Hour of Execution

If people thought the way Gol D. Roger went out was amazing, then Oden Kozukiโ€™s death rivals it in terms of badassery. Sentenced to death by boiling oil, Oden endures the burning pot for over an hour while holding his retainers above him in a battle for their freedom. While Orochi decides to kill them anyway, Oden ensures his retainers escape before allowing Kaido to kill him. It was less an execution, though, and more of a sign of respect to the man who came closest to ending Kaido.

The Raid on Onigashima Begins!

This was a moment years in the making. After struggling to gather enough people to challenge Kaido, the Alliance of Pirates and Samurai finally marches on Onigashima. In a moment thatโ€™s equal parts badass and cathartic, the Red Scabbards sneak up on Kaido and plunge their swords into his chest. They fail to kill Kaido, but itโ€™s still awesome to finally see them about to make Kaido face Justice for his crimes.

Luffy Pummels Kaido into the Ground

Luffy is the man who will become King of the Pirates, and that means he has no time to deal with a mere Yonko. In the series 1000th chapter, Luffy faces down the likes of Big Mom and Kaidoโ€ฆonly to ignore them and focus on his fallen friends. Then, to add insult to injury, Luffy pummels Kaido into the ground. And unlike last time, it hurts the beast. All hail the King, people.

Kid and Law Defeat Big Mom

Big Mom is one of the most sadistic, sociopathic pirates in all of One Piece and one of the strongest. Her grudge against Luffy meant that a fight between them was inevitable, or so it seemed. In one of the greatest team-ups in the franchise, Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law show just why theyโ€™re part of the Worst Generation of Pirates. The fight is close, but in the end, the two take down the Yonko, sending her into a magma chamber far below Wano Country.

Luffy Awakens His Devil Fruit

Since the reveal that Devil Fruits could awaken to get even stronger, fans waited for the moment when it would happen to Luffy. When the moment finally came, it didn’t disappoint. Pushed to his absolute limits by Kaido, Luffy wound up awakening his Devil Fruit and gained a power that made him a rubber-hosed God in the mold of Popeye. What followed was one of the silliest fights in Shonen history as Luffy proceeded to wreck Kaido. Joy Boy has returned!

Why You Need to Read Diligence of the Shield Hero!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Fanfiction, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink Interviews Allen Blaster, author of the Shield Hero fanfic, Diligence of the Shield Hero.

In 2019, The Rising of the Shield Hero made waves in the anime community. It was a different kind of Isekai, one where the hero wasn’t an ace that succeeded at everything but one that struggled in a world out to get him. It proved very popular. Then we got the second season earlier this year, and it felt like all that potential went down the drain. 

I would’ve been very disappointed in how the second season turned out…if I had watched it more. However, I have already found something else to love. A fanfiction for Shield Hero that’s so good that it surpasses the official series: The Diligence of the Shield Hero. For the last year, I’ve known the fanfic’s author, Allen Blaster, fairly well on Discord. Thus, when I wanted to interview him for D&A Anime, I was delighted to hear him say yes. I hope you enjoy this interview about one of the best fanfic one could expect to find and the one behind it. 

Interview

RJ: Thank you again for doing this interview, Allen.

Allen: Alright.

RJ: First thing’s first, though: what made you want to get into writing fanfiction in the first place?

Allen:

This pretty much sums up why I got into fanfiction in the first place. I am a sucker for teenage romance. And after reading a lot of it, I decided that I wanted to try my hand at writing my own.

RJ: You really are a fan of Ren and Wyndia, huh?

Allen:

RJ: So, Allen, when did you discover The Rising of the Shield Hero? Were you a fan of it before the anime came out or did that lead you to become a fan?

Allen: I discovered it in June of 2019 thanks to the recommendation of a good friend. I only recently watched anime with some roommates like Code Geass and Attack on Titan, and decided to give it a shot. I binged the entire first season throughout one night, and the rest was history.

RJ: Nice. So, why don’t you tell us a little about your series, Diligence of the Shield Hero? For the readers that haven’t read it yet. Like, what’s it about and what sets it apart from the official series.

Allen: It starts with Naofumi learning of the rape accusation before he was accused and what happens to him after that because he ran away. Then it evolves by kickstarting character growth for the other Heroes earlier on due to how events go down well, focusing not only on Naofumi but on the other Heroes and their parties too.

RJ: And it’s all the better for it. Now the series has an ensemble cast that can carry their own weight.

Allen: I feel that is one issue the anime had regarding its second season. Ironically enough, I’m staying more true to the characters and events from the light novels than they were. There was so much content they cut from the Spirit Tortoise Arc that further established Eclair, Granny, and even the other Heroes like Ren.

RJ: What was your inspiration for writing this fanfic?

Allen: Obviously not the entire thing. It started out with me just wanting to write a start that’d allow for Raphumi to develop because I loved them so much in the anime. I ended up loving them even more after reading the LN’s and seeing how much Raphtalia meant to Naofumi there. Then, after the first arc, I ended up writing more and more, continuing down the rabbit hole to see where the path would go

RJ: Plenty of people would think shipping Naofumi with Raphtalia Is weird due to her technically being ten. Do you think it is?

Allen: I have a whole freaking thing on my fanfiction profile explaining why this is stupid. I sum it up as “if you want to argue another race’s age instead of how quickly or slowly they mature being the primary thing that makes them legal, you are advocating for Baby Yoda to be made legal.” In short, I don’t find it weird at all, and what I find weird is people trying to inflict human standards on a race that isn’t human, to begin with.

RJ: Fair enough. Btw, did you know that your fic’s tv tropes page says it’s better than canon?

Allen: Yes, I do know that. And it is fine for people to have their opinions. But I don’t prefer people using that message to spread word of my fic around. Despite its shortcomings, I love the anime, and I love the light novels it’s based off of even more. I cannot put into words how much the original story means to me.

RJ: How were you able to make Bitch even worse than she was in canon?

Allen: I didn’t. I simply allowed her more opportunities to be herself. 

RJ: With more screentime?

Allen: And the version of events that played out. The first real big change up was nothing stopping Motoyasu from being made the Lord of Lute (Riyute) Village. So there was nothing to stop Malty from doing what she was going to do there.

RJ: Where do you get inspiration for all your original characters? Because there are quite a number of them.

Allen: The inspiration sometimes comes from them getting introduced into the story for an event and me thinking about them in general. That was how my Hakuko OC Dou-Lon ended up getting added to it. Other times, I start with a concept for a character like Altara, and then, later on, I had thoughts that led to a parallel with Darth Vader’s transformation. And I look at what I wrote and realize I can fit it in easily.

RJ: Alright, last question: Who’s cuter, Raphtalia, Filo, or Raph-Chan?

Allen: Wyndia, Lol.

He really likes Wyndia, a dog demihuman that the anime has yet to introduce. 

Click here to read the fanfic for yourself. Updates Every Monday

Kazuki Takahasi, Creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dead at Age 60

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Filler Posts, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

A Fan Remembering the Man Behind Yu-Gi-Oh!

Officially, my first anime was the original Pokรฉmon. That introduced me to the franchise and the idea of anime. However, it would be another anime that affirmed my lifelong passion for the medium. That anime was Yu-Gi-Oh!

I was obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh! as a kid. I dressed up like Yami Yugi for Halloween. I watched almost every episode, played the games, and spent my allowance money on card packs. It felt like the coolest thing Iโ€™d ever seen up to that point in my life. And while I would move on to other works, Yu-Gi-Oh! has always held a special place in my heart.

Which only made it harder when I woke up on a Thursday morning and learned that Kazuki Takahashi, the mangaka who created Yu-Gi-Oh!, had passed away. He was 60 years old.

Like many fans, I mourned his passing. This man gave me a big part of my childhood and created one of the most popular franchises in the world. More than that, though, he was a man who loved games and how they brought people together.

Beginnings

Born on October 4th, 1961, in Tokyo, Japan as Kazuo, Takahashi had two great interests growing up: manga and games. Takahashi loved games because he considered them a chance for the players to become the hero. For a little kid who canโ€™t do much regarding the world around them, thatโ€™s extremely appealing.

When Kazuki left high school, he knew he wanted to become a mangaka. However, there was a problem with that in the 1980s. The Shonen demographic was bursting with fighting manga, leaving little to help him stand out. As a result, success eluded him for over a decade until he got his big break with Yu-Gi-Oh!

Itโ€™s Time to Duel!

Debuting in Shonen Jump in 1996, Yu-Gi-Oh! was an example of โ€œwriting what you knowโ€ done right. Working on his love of games, Kazuki gave us Yugi, a weak and friendly boy who gained the ability to create โ€œShadow Gamesโ€ where the winner could punish the loser. Initially, the manga would feature different games with each new arc. All of that would change, though, when Kazuki introduced a card game called Magic and Wizards. Western audiences would know it as Duel Monsters.

Takahashi meant for the card game to appear in only two chapters. However, Shueisha got so many fan letters about it that Takahashi chose to make it the main focus of the series. From that moment on, Yu-Gi-Oh!โ€™s popularity would explode. Within two years, Toei picked it up for its anime series

Yes, thereโ€™s a Yu-Gi-Oh! made by Toei in the 90s. Unlike its successor, though, this focused on the pre-Duel Monster days and never got exported out of Japan. However, the following year, Konami agreed to make Duel Monsters into an actual card game. Thus, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game was born.

International Phenomenon

The following year, the second anime adaptation came out. This time, it exclusively focused on Duel Monsters. Once it became licensed overseas, nothing would stop Takahashiโ€™s creation. It became an international phenomenon on par with that of Pokemon.

By the time the manga ended in 2004, Takahashi had gone from a struggling mangaka to the creator of a franchise beloved the world over. Movies, video games, and a successful card game he helped to create. Whether fans knew his name or not, many knew the name of Yu-Gi-Oh!

After Yu-Gi-Oh! came to an end, Takahashi continued to help oversee his creation as the anime and manga continued with the ongoing sequel series. In between then, Takahashi worked on a few one-shot and limited series manga. One included a two-chapter manga written as part of this collaboration between Shonen Jump and Marvel in 2019. All of that came to an end, though, with Takahashi’s passing.

Takahashi Found Dead

On July 6th, Kazuki Takahashi was reported by a passing boat to be floating a thousand feet off the coast of Okinawa. The Japanese Coast Guard found him not long afterward. Heโ€™d been dead for several days.

At the time of this posting, there’s an ongoing investigation into Takahashiโ€™s death. He was found wearing snorkeling gear, and it was confirmed he arrived several days earlier on his own. As the authorities continue investigating, though, the world mourns Takahashiโ€™s passing. Fans young and old, and those who worked on Yu-Gi-Oh!, have taken to social media to mourn his passing, myself included.

Thank You, King of Games

While Takahashiโ€™s passing deeply saddens me, his legacy will last for decades. Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most successful franchises and will likely continue for many more years. Of all his contributions to the world, though, Takahashiโ€™s greatest is the trading card game his manga created. Played by millions worldwide and constantly added to, the gameโ€™s become a staple of pop culture. In 2009, Guinness named it the top-selling card game in the world, and Konami shows no signs of stopping it.

I never could get rid of my old Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards, even though I’ve long since moved on from the franchise. I’m glad I didn’t. Yu-Gi-Oh! was my childhood. Takahashi created Yugi, and his alter ego because he wanted them to embody the idea that when you play a game, you can be the hero you aren’t in real life. That’s a powerful concept, and it’s made the world a much better place for it. Takahashi may be gone, but fans will forever remember him as the King of Games.

Shout-outs to Roderick J “Jay” Friz for this awesome article about Kazuki Takahashi. His work has touched the lives of millions of childhoods all over (including ours). May he Rest In Peace.