Before i begin: Yes, I am using these blogs as a subtle way of hiding a message or eight right under people's noses. But I'd hate you to think that that's my only motivation. I'm also hoping to express theories and speculations, without worrying that I'm just going to get 20 comments telling me this blog's going to be deleted.
Onwards. There's no crowd of drunken teenagers outside tonight, so no swearing. What I would like to talk about today is a little thing called the World Government. More specifically, the almost incredible control they have over the countries of the world of One Piece. If you lived in a country where there were consistent attacks by pirates, of course you'd join the Marines when you reach the strapping age of nineteen (or whatever the limit is). But if you lived in a country where there was no attacks, no strife, nothing but peace - like that place shown before the Marineford battle, the one with the nun and the happy children - what reason have you to listen to 5 old men who almost certainly don't care about you or your country?
A notable example is Wano Country, but even there they at least have strong warriors to guard the land. What about places like Dawn Island, with Goa Kingdom? The Gorousei would have no reason to protect it - most of the populace do no work either from poverty or from being a noble. The only possible reason I see for protecting it (disregarding Garp's independent actions) is the public outcry if they let it be overrun. But then again, these are the same Gorousei who deliberately covered up escaped level 5 and 6 prisoners from Impel Down. They could almost certainly stop the papers printing a story that they'd abandoned a kingdom because it was of no worth - right? This is in a part of the world where a bounty of twenty million is considered high, so nobody would care if the resources were better used defending important things.
Such as G-8. It may not be canon, but the point is clear - the World Government prefers to have central points of strength from which to respond, rather than smaller localised bases on every island. So why, when faced with danger that they could be better protected against, do the citizens continue to blindly follow their rules? I can only think of a pair of reasons: fear or ignorance. And I will explore these further in my next blog.
Can you see the code in this one?