Bearded Lady

Fillai·3/28/2017, 6:58:34 PM·5 votes·5,415 views

Maybe my statement could be stupid, but I want to ask if I am the only one that can't see Nagakabouros (can't remember how to spell it) as a god, and on top of that, as a good entity, when Illaoi speaks about it I just see some kind of sect and the fact that Nagakabouros is shown as a mass of tentacles which reminds me of Old Gods from World of Warcraft and Illaoi use force to spread her religion (by that I mean pulling out the soul of somebody) doesn't help either... hmm so I just wanted to share this weird thought :)

40 Comments

RiotWAAARGHbobo3/28/2017, 9:56:23 PM9 votes

I think good and evil are pretty subjective.
If the only way i can help you is to hurt you... is that evil or good?

I've always thought of Illaoi as someone naturally prone to be altruistic... but serving a religion that does not fit in our traditional norms of good and evil.

LordHippoman3/28/2017, 9:36:32 PM8 votes

Nagakabouros and Illaoi are both not really necessarily good.

All she gives a damn about is "Motion", things must constantly be changing and evolving. That's why she liked Gangplank when he was climbing his way to the top of Bilgewater, but didn't care about him when he became the Pirate King and got settled in it. He stopped creating "motion", and may have even hindered it. In her color text, when he comes back to ask for her help after being destroyed by MF's plots, she sees that he's back into it and allies herself with him once again.

The Test of Nagakabouros isn't really spreading her religion either. It's her way of testing if someone is capable of "motion". If their soul is strong enough to survive it, they're likely to cause it, regardless of if they're worshippers or not. If they aren't, well, they weren't going to do anything anyway, it's not a huge loss. She's a hedonist, valuing pleasure and ambition. Morality is pretty secondary.

At least, that's what she SHOULD be according to Nagakabouros. You can see a little of her sympathetic side when she worries if Gangplank will survive the test. She's still human, and seems like she has good intentions most of the time.

moogle8903/30/2017, 12:32:37 PM5 votes

Illaoi : "Good? Evil? Why should we care for such things?"

Chembaron Yamada3/28/2017, 8:25:09 PM4 votes

There is the quote from aurelion sol for her saying "You do not understand your god, Illaoi". Always had the vibe for me that illaoi thinks nagakaborous is about life and passion... but that is actually not true.

Kotex4/2/2017, 7:33:34 AM2 votes

Illaoi is someone that i've also thought about in that her philosophy makes sense to me. The actions of one should create a reaction in all--be it a good action or an evil one. Judging a person by the karma of their actions doesn't matter if those actions are negligible. Things and people are to simply means to an end to realize your goal. Just like her Eye of God. Stepping on it and hitting people with it might appear disrespectful, but it is nothing more than a tool to be used. If she has to step on it, or hit people with it to make a statement, it is serving it's purpose. The same is for good and evil actions. They are tools to use for what you want and what you dont. Motion is not good or evil, it is change, action and and desire. I really like how Hippoman put it saying if you are strong enough to survive motion, you are strong enough to cause it. Illaoi "Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens"

If a good man survives an evil mans actions, that will (or should) strengthen him to change them, like a good man's actions will require an evil man to be strong enough to disrupt them. It is a cycle that keeps the world moving, changing, growing and thats what's truly important to her religion and the betterment of the world as a whole.

Even if people view her to be an evil entity, what matters is what they do about it. If they don't like her or her views it would be their motion to destroy her. As it would be her motion to defend her convictions and destroy them. Both actions keep her strong, and require those who wish to oppose her to grow strong enough to be able to. It reminds me alot of the Closed Fist philosophy from the xbox game Jade Empire. That philosophy was if you want something, earn it, or take it using your strength and disregard for those who are not strong enough to help you or themselves. She talks about using your strength to take what you want and destroy would you detest, not out of good or evil, but simply because doing so will create motion and move people to comply or resist, but they can only truly make a stand in compliance or resistance if they are both physically and mentally strong enough to do so.

As for Nagakaborous specifically she also talks about what her god truly stands for. Illaoi "My god is not love, it is a kick in the pants." "Many gods ask for worship. They are weak gods." "There are kind and gentle gods..... Mine isn't one of those." To highlight a few instances where she mentions how Nagakaborous operates. They are not a good entity but they aren't one of evil, but that still leaves their actions and influence up to perception and interpretation to those they affect. If nagakaborous affected someone in a negative way, theyll perceive it to be an evil god. If nagakaborous affected them positively then theyll be thought of as good. Nagakaborous is neither and it's purpose is not to BE either. It's purpose is to make you move. If it needs to be perceived as good or evil in order to move people thats just a benefit.

Illaoi "Names don't matter. Action does."