Chapter 654: GAM

[thewonderer]

Group of whales or slang for woman's leg,take you pick.

lol WTF how would it stand for any of those?

[Pookiez]

it's not an acronym.

[CaptainPaige]

lol WTF how would it stand for any of those?

Gam, as in Gammon. So basically pig legs!

[1000sunny]

Why do all the whales have scars on their head? I thought Laboon only had the scars because he rams his head into the Red Line.....

[Primo11]

Why do all the whales have scars on their head? I thought Laboon only had the scars because he rams his head into the Red Line.....

Most likely they were doing the same as laboon. Trying to break through the red line to find him.

[Shezar]

lol WTF how would it stand for any of those?

gam



Pronunciation: (gam), [key]
—n. Slang.
a person's leg, esp. an attractive female leg.gam



Pronunciation: (gam), [key]
—n., v., gammed, gam•ming.

—n.
1. a herd or school of whales.
2. Eastern New Eng., Naut.a social meeting, visit, or the like, as between whaling vessels at sea.

—v.i.
1. (of whales) to assemble into a herd or school.
2. Naut.(of the officers and crews of two whaling vessels) to visit or converse with one another for social purposes.
3. Eastern New Eng.to participate in a gam or social visit.

I choose those two because for me are related to the chapter.

[CaptainPaige]

....Wait, I have a feeling this 'Gam' question was solved about five times now.

[GiantGuy]

This cover story seems to be dedicated exclusively to the Straw Hats' friends. Baskerville, Hannyabal, Macro, Momonga and the like probably won't appear at all. Same for the people that live in the places where the Straw Hats were sent by Kuma.

Wapol is the only exception, because his current status seems to be relevant to a future arc.

Speaking of which, I've always thought the cover story characters were the ones that were mostly NOT relevant for future arcs. All of them are people who are staying put at their respective islands, not traveling around the world. Please do notice that no (current) pirates and marines (except for Rika) appear in the cover story. They are almost all some sort of civilians.
I think the point is that these characters are not leaving their islands, so they will not meet the Straw Hats again unless the Straw Hats visit them. Of course, I know they could still be relevant to the plot, but not to the journey of the Straw Hat Pirates (at most indirectly). The marines and pirates traverse the seas, and most of them are in or will probably go to the New World where the protagonists will meet them. So their changes during the two years will be shown in-story.
Except for a few things like Wapol's fishy new kingdom, Alabasta preparing for Reverie and the mysterious man seen with Crocus, to me it's more like some fun trivia pages that show what x character has been during the timeskip, because I doubt we'll see e.g. Kiwi, Mozu, the Usopp Pirates and Rika in the story again before the very end, if at all.

I think it's more likely that Bas, Kerville and Princess got some other position in the World Government. If they still reside in Enies Lobby, we might see them. And it could be quite awesome if Oda actually remembers Spoil. He was the reason that 3/4 of the Thriller Bark arc happened, after all.

[skr]

Hehe I get the feeling Nami would use Chooper as a Loofah/ sponge or as a 'towel' to dry herself off.

As for the Scars on the Whales, my original idea was that they just hit random things while swimming through currents like that Whitestrom. Although it wasn't shown, I assume a current like that would move a lot of flotsam and jetsam, a bit like the knock up stream. And if the whales understand humans speech or Chopper translates, the Island Whales could swim the Fishman Island route and retrieve Laboon ^_^

I liked that chapter though my first impression was that it was a very laid back one.
The one liners by the crew at the end of the chapter really psyched me up for the new world and the new adventures. "...like the entrance to Hell"

Also I wonder how exactly the Sunny would handle sailing through a sea that is on fire.

[Renegadesoul]

Also I wonder how exactly the Sunny would handle sailing through a sea that is on fire.

By the air route? Coup d Burst? They also have Zoro's pound cannons to part some way in the sea of flames.

[Katzztar]

Most likely they were doing the same as laboon. Trying to break through the red line to find him.

I agree, in reality, whale songs reach for a lot of miles under water,esp some ultra low frequencies that humans can not hear. Since Island Whales are so large, and Oda throws much logic on its head when it suits him, if we assume that this type of whale can make their vocalization heard on opposite side of Red Line. They could have heard the young Laboon's cries and he heard theirs.

That would explain why Laboon was hitting the Red Line at the Twin capes, besides it being the location he was left at. After all, if he really was trying to go find the Rumbar Pirates, then why not swim off in the direction he saw them sailed off in, traveling the Grand Line. Instead he was trying to go in the opposite direction. Maybe its because he heard his pod on the opposite side and thats why there are some whales on the other side with scars on thier heads.

Also I wonder how exactly the Sunny would handle sailing through a sea that is on fire.

By the air route? Coup d Burst? They also have Zoro's pound cannons to part some way in the sea of flames.

^I agree, both Coup de Burst and Pound cannon have been shown to deal with localized problems, but both also have disadvantages.
Coup de Burst - while it can send them a long distance in air, they need to see where they are going to land, be bad if hidden behind the wall of flames is an island or more flames,
Pound Cannon - we don't know how far or wide an area it can clear. though this chapter gave a good idea!

Don't forget the Gaon Cannon or that Oda can show somethign new.

[Zarnikon]

By the air route? Coup d Burst? They also have Zoro's pound cannons to part some way in the sea of flames.

I doubt it, Nami will use something she learned on Weatheria to bypass or stop the flames.

[RomanceDawn]

I like how people are treating the tornado of flames as if it is something that is canon in the manga.

Edit: never mind, wrong thread, thought we were talking about something else.

[Renegadesoul]

I doubt it, Nami will use something she learned on Weatheria to bypass or stop the flames.

Ussop may have some fire extinguishing seeeds hidden somewhere.

[bentot1380]

which of way should the SH will choose? exciting...

[adamsforsheriff]

Just to address the scars on the whales, it's not common for whales in arctic regions to get their heads torn up by polar bears that wait around breathing holes.

Exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-RKRNSG_c

[Pookiez]

Just to address the scars on the whales, it's not common for whales in arctic regions to get their heads torn up by polar bears that wait around breathing holes.

Exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-RKRNSG_c

not uncommon?

[adamsforsheriff]

not uncommon?

Haha, well, it's uncommon, making it fanciful and worthy of an adventure manga! Do you buy that...?