Something One Piece does well is take the time to show the many different reactions different people have to grand sweeping changes. Fishman and mermaids are still bought and sold as slaves in Sabaody under the radar by the cold-blooded world nobles and government elites, and Sabaody in particular still harbors a vile disgust for the people of Fishman Island. Until 200 years ago, fishmen did not have human rights, as they were classified as "fish." Although on paper they now equal citizens, the embers of history have not gone out. This is an aspect of One Piece that's been previously alluded to but is only now finally addressed upfront. Many remember this chapter for being the introduction of Silvers Rayleigh, but there's something learned about in this chapter that may be more important: the deep-seated prejudice that fishmen and mermaids have faced for centuries. The Straw Hats are now scrambling across Saobody, looking for their new mermaid friend Camie who has seemingly been kidnapped. Part of what makes the Saobody arc so memorable is that the island itself is delightfully glamorous and inviting, but the arc itself deals with such heavy subject matter as class divides, discrimination and human trafficking in an unflinching matter. Crocodile is contorted with jagged linework on his coat, which does a great deal to emphasize the impact of this hit. Luffy can't seem to get hit on Crocodile, but on the very last page, as Crocodile is drenched in water, Luffy unleashes a GUM GUM BAZOOKA on the sand-sand devil fruit user. The way Oda approaches the end of this chapter also feels so rewarding. There's such joy to be had watching Luffy's limbs stretch across the page. This chapter has some of Oda's strongest fight choreography. Her smile and laughter as Luffy swallows all his water is the most joy she's expressed at this point. In retrospect, the way Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin) reacts with curious amusement to Luffy's determination to defeat Sir Crocodile could be a direct foreshadowing of her eventual joining of the Straw Hats. Nearing the climax of the Alabasta arc, Vivi and the Straw Hats are trying to find the bomb that Crocodile hid somewhere in the capital while Luffy is having his rematch against the Shibukai.
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