One Piece Season 2 Episode 6 “Nami Deerest” sees the Straw Hats set everything aside to save Nami. And they do it not because they owe her for her navigation skills or the great advice she gives. All of these people put their own worries or the fate of a kingdom to the side because Nami is crew. They value her friendship, her strength, and her faith in them. That’s something that goes beyond friendship and knocks on the door of love. Not romantic, but familial.
And I know I said it in the previous episode, but I’ll say it again, it all comes down to choice and found family for One Piece. And that’s what these people are. And together they balance each other out and make the world a little bit less scary because they’re at each other’s sides. Because none of them would be able to get this far without each other. And if that’s the main lesson that you take away from this entire show, good. Because no one does it alone, they never should have to.
Luffy Stepping Up As Captain
All of Season 1 of One Piece focused on Luffy forming his crew. Season 2 is especially focused on the building blocks of being a captain. Because Luffy’s dreams have gotten him this far. They are powerful. But he doesn’t know everything. And in “Nami Deerest” he learned multiple lessons from his crewmates. Because he doesn’t pretend to know everything. He knows he doesn’t. Instead what he does is take their council, ask them what they want to do, and puts his faith in them.
Even if they find the one piece somewhere in this journey, I don’t think that’s going to make him the King of Pirates. What will make him the King are these lessons that he’s learning on The Grand Line. It’s also his continued curiosity, joy, and generosity that has left a mark on not just his Straw Hat Pirates, but on everyone he meets. Basically what I’m saying is that Luffy has a good PR machine working for him with every person he meets because he’s such a delight.
Combine him being a delight with those lessons on how to be a better captain, and Luffy’s going to be an unstoppable force of good that’s going to change the face of pirates as an institution. Because when we entered this world it was very black and white thinking. Pirate’s bad, Marines good. But Luffy is proof that preconceived notions about someone hurt everyone and that you can pave your own way, no matter what groundwork has been laid down by the previous generation. And if you have some friends to stand alongside with you, even better. Nothing’s going to stand in your way.
Vivi Flashbacks
Ever since Vivi joined the Straw Hat Pirates, we’ve been getting little glimpses into who she is based on her actions. And that’s fine and all. But nothing compares to flashbacks. And that’s exactly what we got in “Nami Deerest.” And what we learned is that Vivi has always been a precocious and curious person. And maybe when she was younger she was a little bit more adventurous in the same way that Luffy is. But it was a jarring encounter with the king of Drum Island and the advice of Igaram that led her to understand an important lesson in ruling: avoiding a battle is in some ways winning the battle.
You saw that come to life of course in the past when she diffused the situation with that coward “king” Wapol, who is literally the biggest villain of this entire show. I don’t care. He hit a kid. That’s my hot take. Since then, Vivi hasn’t let cowards like him stop her. Instead she’s used all the lessons that she learned in life to get her where she is now. And she taught Luffy a valuable lesson in how being the captain means making the tough decisions, yes. And within those tough decisions comes a knowledge of when you should pull back.
One of the biggest decisions that Vivi also made in this episode was deciding to go and get nami help. And this character development, it doesn’t feel rushed for Vivi. Because she’s always been a good person. A good, fierce, and loyal person. It’s just that she wore that mask of being Miss Wednesday so well that before we knew it, we were in love with her and her character. But I will admit that I worry about where this road is going to lead for Vivi. Because that coward king is going to return. And when he raises a hand to her, she’s not going to back down or use diplomacy. She’s going to fight back. But what is his devil fruit power?
Additional Notes About One Piece “Nami Dearest”:
- I know Miss All Sunday is evil but she looks hot AF
- Wow this jaw. Wild.
- Oh no Nami is sick
- And Sanji taking care of her
- FOUR DAYS AGO
- That genuine fear in Sanji’s eyes
- Nami is a force to be reckoned with. And to see her knocked down hurts.
- Zoro. Uhmmm you’re not cold?
- “You know, everybody else has got a shirt on.” – Usopp
- Acting like Zoro is the only skilled pirate on the grand line. Use that Marine training, please.
- Love that Vivi is putting her mission aside to help nami
- Girlhood
- ALSO A FLASHBACK?!!
- Who is that Abraham Lincoln dude?
- Or the one with the sombrero with a cactus??
- It’s the hot guy from Heroes aka Sendhil Ramamurthy!!!
- Damn Igaram looked hot always
- Miss Thursday. Ohhhh you’re weird. Love it.
- Nooooo that was too quick of a death.
- Vivi got shot. Wow, Sanji jumped over her to protect her without a doubt because he knew Usopp had Nami.
- And she was right to pull back Luffy.
- Impulsiveness won’t help. Diplomacy is part of being a great captain
- I shouldn’t be surprised they’re climbing that wall with no equipment. Sanji just killed a T-Rex
- THAT LITTLE SH*T SMACKED A CHILD
- The guard Dalton was thereeee
- Awww Usopp and Vivi. It’s true. You can’t carry it alone. That’s why you have a crew
- Bro Sanji almost died and Luffy caught him with is f*cking mouth
- “Just get her to the top.” -Sanji
- “Save my friends.” – Luffy
- Zoro making friends. Maybe he isn’t as bad at socializing
- Tony Tony chopper is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen
- Katey Sagal is looking gooooood.
- Oh Luffy in a towel. Wow. Just wow.
- *clears throat*
- The future King of the Pirates has a girl swooning
One Piece Season 2 is now available on Netflix.
What did you think about One Piece Season 2 Episode 6 “Nami Deerest”? Let us know in the comments below!
Make sure to read all our reviews for One Piece Season 2:
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 1 Review: ‘The Beginning and the End’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 2 Review: ‘Good Whale Hunting’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 3 Review: ‘Whisky Business’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 4 Review: ‘Big Trouble in Little Garden’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 5 Review: ‘Wax On, Wax Off’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 6 Review: ‘Nami Deerest’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 7 Review: ‘Reindeer Shames’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 8 Review: ‘Deer and Loathing in Drum Kingdom’
