Sanji has been struggling against Killingham, as the Holy Knight’s regenerative abilities render all of Sanji’s attacks futile. Unable to use Conqueror’s Haki, Sanji has suffered a setback that I don’t think anyone expected.
First, I must mention this chapter’s title—I find it so beautiful that it’s pure poetry: “A love that desires death has no value.” This is undoubtedly directly related to Sanji’s personality. Given everything he’s been through, we see that Sanji is capable of sacrificing himself for his comrades, but the root of that runs much deeper. It’s not simply that someone who sacrifices themselves for others has no value—it goes much further than that, because we’ve seen Sanji put himself on the line when it comes to saving his nakama.
And as we’ve seen in Wholecake or in his flashbacks with the Okamas, Sanji has been carrying the weight of his past—something he must grapple with but hasn’t yet been able to overcome. The burden of his family, the abuse from his father and brothers—Sanji has grown up with experiences that have deeply affected him.
What’s interesting about Sanji’s character—and what this chapter shows us—is that Sanji recognizes the value of others; he’s capable of sacrificing himself for them. He understands the inherent worth of others, yet at the same time, he’s capable of despising himself, of treating his body and life as expendable. Even Luffy told him that “dying isn’t a way to pay off a debt.” So we’re left with a character who faces an interesting dichotomy: loving others while feeling contempt for himself.
One notable aspect of this chapter is that it shows us the difference between being willing to die and wanting to die. As we saw in the flashbacks, Sanji seemed to want to die; it seemed as though he wanted to put himself in that line of fire, as though he was seeking out that situation—which is a mistake. Sanji didn’t need to put himself in harm’s way; he could have looked for an alternative to the situation.
I thought this episode was absolutely wonderful. The truth is that Sanji’s character is one of the best in One Piece; the contradictions he presents are fascinating to analyze and discuss. And this episode has given us an even deeper insight into Sanji’s way of thinking.
Rating: 94/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/anime.
