follow me into the rain

Funny, I have managed through the big battle and the war between Pirates and Marines fine and liked most of it, but this flashback arc is slowly but surely breaking me. Not sure how much more I can take, to be honest.

So far it makes sense for me (although I can't much explain why) that we get this flashback now after Ace is dead. But I really wish Oda would stop with themes like torture and the likes for the time being. The idea of a child being so abused is pushing all my 'bad' buttons.

For some reason I can't warm up to Sabo at all. I dislike him.

Not sure why there should be a comparison between the crews' childhoods. In the end doesn't it come down to how the character themselves judge and review their early childhoods and its hardships? I find it rather interesting that no matter the hardships they all experienced love and affection at one point or another and they also had a 'most important person' who gave either counsel or support.

I personally feel somewhat 'betrayed' by how the happy childhood art I have been seeing around LJ or dA about Luffy and Ace. (like the icon on the top of the comments.) That breaks my heart more than I could ever put into words. Everyone has assumed that they had a 'Happy Days' alike childhood and now this. To be honest, Ican't bear looking at that kind of art anymore because now thanks to Oda's big flashback arc I know 'better'. *feels bitter*