Random neat thing that re-reading the early One Piece chapters reminded me of: the three relationships that I consider to be Asta's most important in the series are established through these special lighting nice side view panels.
Rival. This btw is partly why I'm not too hot on how quickly Yuno just accepted ruling Spade as a possibility but whatever, the rivalry can be updated to who'll make a better country or something I guess (or maybe he doesn't even take the throne, who knows). Still curious to see how Asta reacts to the Yuno reveals.
Mentor. Love this because it's kinda easy to forget as you first read/watch through and get far in but when you see it again, it's like damn Yami straight up believed in Asta becoming the WK from the start. Not just seeing him as being a big gamble that could maybe pay off, just plain telling him what to do (and Yami does not give people tasks they can't achieve).
And btw, to become Wizard King you must first become captain so I wonder what that means for Yami for the future. I don't want him to die cause I love him but Asta has been positioned as a successor to Yami in many ways in the series, from his sword and ki based fighting style (and now cloaking his swords in anti-magic) and post-timeskip design to how his arrival motivated the Bulls in an unprecedented way and some of them like Vanessa and Gauche were curious about what Yami saw in him (Vanessa even mistakes him for Yami in the Witch Queen's throne room when she wakes up). That makes his death a realistic possibility, even if it's not the only one. One way or another Asta's gotta become captain. I guess Yami's fate depends on if Asta becoming captain is something that we'd see in the story or part of one last timeskip to the epilogue.
Partner. As a Noelle fan, I love how Asta in the story is Noelle's number one fan from the beginning, offering her the first genuine praise she's probably heard her whole life. It's been cool to see them almost always paired up on missions and each get stronger throughout the first saga while proving their doubters wrong and Asta's reactions to each of Noelle's successes have been a pleasure.
Don't know if the author intent was specifically like "this is how imma show these are the most important relationships" or whatever but I just really like them and find them fitting lol.
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There's also some dumb kid who gets a similar shot after the first mission. Maybe he's Asta's Luffy/Konohamaru haha. We'll see if he pops up again somehow)
