I laughed. I cried. I jumped for joy. It's impossible to depict succinctly what One Piece and its colorful characters have meant to me throughout the course of my life. In that way, Megumi Ishitani encapsulated something in the emotional abstract. We may be singular, isolated pebbles on a long string of road but the impact any larger rock could have will send resonant waves. No matter what schisms or differences form, these ideological divisions don't make us any less human. Echoed trauma, shared dreams, mutual respect. A rich tapestry showing firsthand what it means to fall in love with One Piece on both a conceptual and a literal level. A long corrupt government creating rules and justifying cast iron atrocities the little people could never break alone. Pirates are freedom. Pirates are willpower and choice personified. The superpower of bonding and friendship. Bounce back like rubber from any and all challenges. Always get back up. The communal puzzle isn't going to solve itself. Don't let anyone take that joy and agency away from you.🧡