Sanji’s Germa Exoskeleton and His Eyebrows
In the Wano arc, wearing the Raid Suit awakened Sanji’s Germa exoskeleton.
He could shrug off every bone in his body breaking and even snapped Queen’s sword with his neck, yet he feared becoming a cold-blooded monster like his brothers.
This is the scene that the self-homage on page 3 of chapter 1197 comes from.
At that time, a mook’s bullets hit his head several times, and he was fine with that too ↓
I think this scene is the source of the homage in the last scene of chapter 1197, when Sanji’s Haki “came into being” and he says, “Now I feel like I could shatter even bullets.”
How Sanji’s Eyebrows Changed
By the time he fought Queen in earnest, the swirls in his eyebrows had moved outward, forming a sideways “6”, the symbol of “Germa 66.”
After defeating Queen he passed out. When he woke up, the swirls were back inside.
After that, whenever he used Diable Jambe, the exoskeleton appeared and the swirls moved outward.
In chapter 1197, the first time he shatters the Longinus, the swirls in Sanji’s eyebrows seem to have moved outward and the exoskeleton to have appeared.
But a tiny bit of black Conqueror’s Haki lightning leaked from that leg, and a “Pari!” sound was clearly drawn.
This is the memorable moment of Sanji’s Conqueror’s Haki awakening.
Starting with a small “Pari!” instead of a sudden “Bari bari!” feels like a first Conqueror’s Haki, and it’s adorable.
Cover Page Analysis
Cover page request: “Zoro bursting into laughter at Sanji, who has been turned into a child by Bonney’s ability.”
Zoro, who awakened first in Wano, is the adult, and Sanji, who awakened Conqueror’s Haki in Elbaf, is the child.
As usual, Zoro is probably teasing him from above with something like, “So you’ve finally become a full-fledged fighter, Mr. Number 4. Here, have a candy as a reward.”
The words written on Zoro’s T-shirt are in Gaelic:
Is tú mo
chathsciath,
rop tú mo chlaidheb
Their meanings are…
Is tú mo chathsciath: You are my battle shield
rop tú mo chlaidheb: Be my sword
As a whole, it means “You are my shield in battle, and may you be my sword,”
which describes the roles of the two wings that Sanji mentioned at the end of the chapter.
But I think the candy Zoro is holding carries a very deep meaning.
Sanji and the Candy: A Bitter History
Speaking of candy, it’s Perospero’s ability.
And speaking of Perospero, he’s the reason Pedro blew himself up…
The very man who cornered Sanji’s family at the tea party.
The one who saved them from that crisis was Sanji, who couldn’t abandon his brothers because they were family, even though they were trash.
Furthermore, “Candy” is also the nickname Queen Ivankov of the Kamabakka Kingdom uses for her people.
So for Sanji, candy means:
- The enemy who killed Pedro, who gave his life to save him
- A symbol of the softness that kept him from cutting ties with his trashy family
- A word that marks him as Ivankov’s disciple
So the candy that should be sweet is a symbol of very bitter memories for Sanji.
I feel a deep meaning in this cover page, where Zoro tries to give it to him.