All Marines Are Bastards, especially Nezumi | #onepiece

[TBSkyenShorts]

1. I have no idea why I wrote "Nezuko" in my script and I blame gremlins
2. The arc of every "good" marine in the story is a progression of finding out that the government is evil and that they cannot pursue justice while working for it, because it keeps trying to force them to engage in corruption and oppression, and the only way to do good is to openly defy it and fight against it.

[tophatgeo]

A big thing which the manga has really been hammering in this most recent arc is the idea that you CANNOT fix the Marines/World Government from within its rules.

If you're a Celestial Dragon who stands up for "lesser beings" you get executed.

If you're an admiral, you can disband the Warlords but only because the marines have a new stronger weapon to compensate for losing them.

If you're a government scientist looking too deeply into stuff that'd inconvenience the status quo, you and your entire life's research will be torn to pieces.

There's no winning against them

[samfivedot]

One of Oda's greatest strengths is writing villains that you REALLY want to see get punched in the mouth

[Gamemaster]

"All Marines Are Bastards" I'm sorry Kobi, that means you too.

[lyonsin]

It also to note why luffy could never be marine. Due to his nature he could never sit down and be compliant to the abuse of power and oppression that the marines lay out.

[dunphug]

Marines like Smoker & Fujitora who often go rogue and try to inspire change from the inside to follow their own justice, still ultimately serve a WG that commits a super atrocity like annually. Theyre arguably doing their best but still

[griffinforsgren]

I think part of what makes Nezumi work is that he's contrasted with Pudding Pudding from a few chapters earlier, showing the difference between a marine who tries to do good even while working for a corrupt system and a marine who fully accepts and abuses the corruption of the world in which they live.

[ShootingStar]

Man that panel really does capture how a military hierarchy can be more important to even the mooks than being a good person. Its a shame boys with well meaning hearts like Kobi end up thinking the marines are the "Good Guys" because they grew up in areas where Pirates who enjoy being blatant terrible people and the Marines could hide their abuses while doing their "job" overlapped.

[githyanki]

This is actually really important to understand. All marines are bastards, not because becoming a marine magically makes you a big ol meanie, but because to be a marine, you have to become a part of a system of opression, and you have to be ok with that. Smoker can be nice, Koby can be kind, but they are both part of that system.

Also, its notable that both Smoker and Kobys heroic moments come when they disobey orders. They can be heroic, but they have to stop being marines to do it. That is important.

[emryscaster]

“Including the one you’re thinking of right now”… Cora-san?

[GT-xwrg]

I mean I would count Jaguar D. Saul under a genuine good marine, Becuase when he actually was given a corrupt and horrific order who chose to refuse even being locked up for disobedience, and eventually breaking out, and actively trying to help stop it and save people himself.

Man was genuinely a good person who just happened to join a corrupt group.

[isauldron]

You're just as crazy as Akainu if you believe this unironically

[MrSolomonGaming]

One thing about Nezumi...
If he hadn't exaggerated the Straw Hats ruining his schemes for a quick buck as a corrupt Marine contact for Arlong, Luffy would've never gotten his first bounty until quite some time.

[connerrose]

The only Marine that could be argued should get a pass is Fujitora. Guy joined the marines to abolish a screwed up system, succeeded, chose to let Luffy go and even helped him at the end, and helped slaves escape Marijoa during the attack. Idk where he is now, but there's no way they just let him get away with that last one.

[aureliodeprimus]

I really like how the german dub straight out calls him "Kapitän Ratte" (Captain Rat) and gives him a rat-like squeaky voice to emphasize that.

[LordVanOskuro]

To be fair, it's not until a certain Archeologist's plight that we learn that the corrupt are the norm. Until then the Marines really did seem to have some morality to them.

[TheRevolverKnight]

You are one of two YouTubers that I credit in getting me into One Piece. I just made it to the timeskip so I just wanted to say my thanks.

[MousaThe]

Yeah, I’ve had days where I’ve in full confidence said the same word multiple times in a speech only for it to be the wrong one.

[delojin]

One the hypest things about the denouement of the Arlong Arc, which I’m not sure if it’s on purpose, is that the chapter which deals with Nezumi after Luffy beats Arlong is called “the other enemy”. And yeah, beyond all the other pirates, from the future encounters in the Grand Line to the Yonko, the Navy/World Government ARE the final enemy!

[aegis]

One Piece is a Dystopian Fantasy that hides as a shonen and this panel is a great representation of that