No one ever dies in One Piece*.

*Except if there's a two for one special.

Why does everyone always say that? The show's entire story line is centred around someone dieing.

No one ever dies outside of flashbacks.

In flashbacks, they drop like flies.

Zoro is using swords. I'm pretty sure mooks die.

That's true. Mooks die everywhere.

There was that one guy who ran the ordeal of spheres that Sanji murdered with an axe kick to the head. If he didn't, then that guy's brothers are lying liars.

They're not really dead, they're pretending. I mean, those guns aren't real, that would be sending a bad message to the children!

That just makes it more shocking when someone actually dies. See episodes 312 and 483 for reference and possibly tears.

Yeah, honestly, in manga/anime/serie where characters die everytime everywhere, it's usually not long before it stop giving a ratshit about who is dying.

Well said. if they just kill a character every chapter, when someone die i'm just "yay, obviousely he was going to die. that's what people do in this serie. And i end up loosing investment in the characters fate.
Now a serie where non-flashback death are kept rare? it manage to make you feel for the death of a boat.

Congrats, DT.

Wonder how long it'll be, before the players begin their eventual lean away from dealing lethal damage by default?

Why would they? Nami confirm-killed Usopp to make their plan work in Page 818.

It's different since they're playing D&D, and anyone important enough to have a name probably has enough money to buy a scroll of Raise Dead.

That makes you wonder how DT is gonna deal with Marineford

have to many character die to many time, so that they don't have scroll of raise dead left. Impel down and Marinford could easely justify that.

That makes you wonder how DT is gonna deal with Marineford

It's actually extremely clever how they've handled death. the lack of death pre you-know-what allowed a sense of innocence and character focus that something like, say dragonball (probably not a great example, just the first i thought of), wouldn't allow in the middle of a fight. whereas in other stories the combat is about keeping yourself alive, here its somehow even MORE personal and often about learning about the characters and a sense of their accomplishments. It's always been a part of the series (backstories galore), to keep it grounded, but it was never relevant. then IT happens. since then we've started picking up pace in the whole death thing from arc to arc, and it's hitting all the harder for it. as a reader it's cruel, but as a writer it's genius! people are dying and they aren't supposed to and it's a clear sign of just hoe much things are changing. and it's not cheap either, Oda's earning it.