Most people think Water 7 is just the warm-up arc before Enies Lobby, but that’s missing the real darkness. Enies Lobby gets all the spotlight for Robin’s “I want to live!” moment, yet Water 7 itself is where the Straw Hats were actually broken. What looks like setup is really one of the most devastating stretches in the series.
Misconception 1: Usopp vs. Luffy Was Just About a Ship
A lot of fans brush off the fight as “Usopp being stubborn about the Merry.” Actually, the Going Merry wasn’t just wood and nails. It was their home, their pride, and the comfort that carried them across the seas.
When Usopp challenged Luffy, it wasn’t a silly disagreement—it was a clash between friendship and leadership. Usopp fought with the desperation of someone losing family. Luffy fought with the weight of being captain. And when it ended, there was no victory. The silence afterward made it clear: even though Luffy won, the crew lost something bigger.
Misconception 2: CP9 Came Out of Nowhere for Shock Value
At first glance, CP9 feels like a sudden twist—the quirky shipwrights flipping into assassins. In reality, the reveal works because it mirrors the entire theme of Water 7: trust turning into betrayal.
The city that once welcomed the Straw Hats flips against them overnight. Friends become enemies, allies turn into hunters. The Straw Hats didn’t just lose one crewmate—they lost the support of an entire place. It’s the same story Naruto fans recognize when Sasuke leaves the village, except here it’s layered betrayal from every direction.
Misconception 3: Robin’s Departure Was Simple Betrayal
The moment Robin walks away is often remembered as a setup for her Enies Lobby rescue. But in reality, this “betrayal” is one of the darkest sacrifices in the series.
Robin wasn’t abandoning her crew out of disloyalty. She was tearing herself away because she believed it was the only way to protect them. What looks like cold distance is really self-destruction. That’s why it hits so hard—she wasn’t betraying them at all. She was showing love in the most twisted way possible.
Misconception 4: Water 7 Was Just Transition to the Real Arc
People often say Water 7 is just the stage-setting before the bigger showdown at Enies Lobby. Actually, this arc forced the Straw Hats to face something worse than any villain: each other.
Usopp breaking off, Robin leaving, the city turning on them—this wasn’t the usual “crew sticks together” formula. It was trust collapsing under pressure. By the end, the Straw Hats weren’t just preparing for a rescue mission. They were climbing out of emotional rubble.
The Real Picture People Miss
Water 7 wasn’t filler before the hype. It was the gut punch that made Enies Lobby matter. The Going Merry fight wasn’t about a ship—it was about trust. CP9’s reveal wasn’t just shock—it was betrayal written into the world itself. Robin’s departure wasn’t abandonment—it was sacrifice disguised as betrayal.
Most people remember Enies Lobby as the emotional climax, but the truth is Water 7 is where the Straw Hats were actually broken. That’s why it still hurts more than people admit.
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