Carrot : The Sentry
One Piece has depicted the importance of multiple post related to the sea.. The importance of a cook, the importance of a doctor and many more...
The latest addition happened during Zou and Whole Cake with the Sentry. And through this post, one character shined : Carrot.
But why is the Sentry so important to the life of the crew?
The importance of a sentry
It's crucial to mention that the post of Sentry is like a coin with two face. This post is really two posts in one : One passive and one active. The side of the sentinel and the side of the look-out.
THE SENTINEL:
This is the active part of the sentry post. It consist in gaining mobility over the ennemy in order to infiltrate and destroy them rapidily. This role is important as it acts as a protector of an area (that can be either a ship or a town). As such, sentinels will also play the role of guards at the entrance of the protected area. Sentinels are vital as they are the first line of defense and recon.
With Carrot, this role was mostly depicted in two instances:
First on Zou in chapter 804, as Carrot was - with Wanda - the sentry protecting the entrance of the Mokomo Kingdom. On this instance, Carrot tried to eliminate the threat quickly..
The second occurence of the sentinel side of the job was depicted during chapter 888 and 889. This time Carrot transformed in order to "cut the throat" of her target (Daifuku's fleet) by taking all the wheels, therefore eliminating the threat of the fleet.
Also and during the Totland arc, you can sometime see Carrot playing the role of Ship's guard. Funnily Carrot is the first one to go behind the ennemie's barrier in whole cake (the mirror world), her and Chopper will be the first one to dismantle the ennemies from the inside.
THE LOOK-OUT
This is the passive part of the sentry post. The look-out side is all about observation. Without a good job as a look-out, the sentinel would be ineffective. Maybe even more so that the sentinel part, the look-out part is primordial. The look-out on the ship is the one who spots threats from a long distance. The look-out must spot Islands rapidly but also ships and threats, sometimes dozen of minutes before the actual encounter.
A good look-out must be able to see with precision very far. For that reason, the best look-out will be the one with the best vision possible. And, if we assume that the One Piece world is similar to our earth with it's curvature, the best look-out is the one that can go the highest.
Here are the differences of distance to hozizon in relation to the eyesights levels (if we assume that we are on a clear sky):
- A strawhat on the deck (around 5 meters above sea level): 7,98 Kilometers
- A strawhat on the lookout (around 56 meters above sea level): 26,7 Kilometers
- A strawhat that can jump high and fast (around 156 meters above sea level): 44,6 Kilometers
This is the importance of a look-out. The higher the protagonist can go, the better the job.
Concerning Carrot, she was depicted during whole cake as a look out on more than 40 panels. The first occurrence happened during her introduction in chapter 804
The second, and most impressive occurrence happens just after, in chapter 805 when Carrot is able to jump hundreds of meters and spot Luffy through the forest:
In this occurrence, Oda shows the importance of going high to be a good look-out.
Concerning Carrot, her ability to jump very fast and high and her ability to float while in mid air makes her a very good look-out and her Sulong transformation mixed with her rapidity and intelligence makes her a very efficient sentinel. Of course there are characters that can fly, be fast or see far.. but Carrot is overall by design, one of the best sentry there can be. And all of that was depicted by Oda with just a few pages.
A very efficient and cinematic introduction
Indeed there is something quite exceptionnal with the way Carrot was introduced. Her introduction was very efficient and very cinematic. If - like me - you have that feeling too, that's for a good reason: All screenwriters knows how important the sentence "show don't tell" really is. Visual comics and manga are ruled by the same rule. A good writer will always make his points through visuals first as it is the most efficient method to transmit a message. One Piece and Eiichiro Oda are good examples of this. Almost all the introductions of the strawhats are crafted around that simple rule "show don't tell". Therefore, it makes each apparition very impactfull in term of storytelling.
Like all the strawhats, the introduction of Carrot (in fact, all her introductions, she had two) are no exception to this primordial rule. With only a few pages, Oda introduced Carrot as a great fighter, a great Sentry and a great representation of the Mink tribe.
First, Oda puts us directly at the place of an unknown character. Through her eyes and binoculars, we can see the straw hats being observed.
This introduce the Minks as a vigilant race and that strange creature as a Look-out.
After a brief moment on Luffy, Oda comes back to the strawhats, this time with exclamations points. There is a threat coming and this threat as probably something to do with that strange creature we saw before. A clash is inevitable.
Zoro prepares himself, but the unknown character is very fast and wants blood.
And it looks like.. a rabbit?
The panel is striking. That girl not only avoided Zoro, but she avoided him while changing direction mid air.
A question comes immediately to the dilligent reader: Did that rabbit just flew ?
While still focusing on the rabbit girl, this time Oda chooses to show us her weapon. A glove with big sharp claws going down straight to Zoro's neck.
Visually, this girl is not afraid.. at all.
Zoro managed to block it but we see that there is a struggle.
That's because this girl is not only strong, but her weapon seems to creates electricity.
Oda finishes the strike with that girl's name : Carrot.
Oda could've chosen to end the introduction of Carrot here with the end of this chapter, but he choosed to add one more thing in the very next chapter (805):
With not one...
... and not two...
.. or even three...
But FOUR panels! Only describing the superhuman jump of Carrot that ended up on a look-out action.
By doing that, and by making Franky make a statement about this incredible jump. Oda made sure that Carrot made a impact on the reader.
The message is clear: the minks are fearless, and this look-out girl is special.
This is what I call a very cinematic introduction. Mainly with visual, Oda makes strong point about diverses subject and makes a protagonist shine. In this instance it was Carrot, but you can also see this type of introduction with Zoro, or even Nami.
Here, only with Nami's monologue and visuals, Oda created one of the best navigator there can be.
A passage of the torch
On top of all that, Oda created something quite special through the Sentry post, something we are not use to, if we are talking about the post of the strawhats.
Indeed, through the story, through this post and only with little pannel and the subtext here and there, Oda created a sub-story between two protagonists:
This subtext story is simple: this is the passage of torch between a mentor, and a student. Pedro and Carrot.
Verly early, Oda sets up the bases:
Pedro is a Jaguar Mink who - for some reason - likes hights.
It is worth noticing that the first time we see a glimps of Pedro, the Mink was also doing the Job of a Sentry
Actually, Pedro will play this role during a part of the Totland arc.
After the second introduction of Carrot. Pedro placed himself naturally on the look-out post.
After a little while. Carrot finally jumps up to the crow's nest to ask Pedro to switch post.
This is the moment where Carrot become the real student, but she is not narratively a real look-out yet as Pedro si still there if necessary
Then comes the Tragedy. From this moment. Carrot as no more mentor, but the message of Pedro is clear:
"One Day, you will understand the true importance of keeping Luffy and his crew alive here so that their voyage can go on. Listen to me, Yougara Keep moving Onward!!"
In the narration, this is the moment where Carrot takes the torch. After those events and a revitalizing speech from Jinbe, Carrot dries her tears and jumps back to where she belongs:
The look-out post.
Finally, Carrot is ready to prosper as a Sentry and fight for and in the memory of her mentor.
This is the moment of the transformation and an explosion of symbolism...
Indeed. The Sulong transformation is where the duality of the Sentry post takes all it's meaning.
And starting that moment Carrot will not only be the one who observe, but the one who is being observed.
I will come back to those symbolism later with the review/analysis of chapter 888.
Later !
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