User blog:Kaido King of the Beasts/The Sixth One Piece Character Popularity Poll Pre-Show!

Gatz: Welcome, one and all, to the sixth One Piece character popularity poll spectacle! I'm your host, Gatz!

Itomimizu: And I'm your host, Itomimizu!

Gatz: Itomimiz-who?

Itomimizu: Excuse my co-host, he's just trying to crack a joke. Anyways, we're here as part of the One Piece 20th anniversary celebration! Throughout its 20 years, One Piece has introduced hundreds of characters. Characters that have made us laugh, made us cry, made us nosebleed, and so much more. To that extent, the citizens of Japan have voted in their favorite One Piece character as part of a big popularity poll.

Gatz: ...I wasn't joking. Who are you?

Itomimizu: What do you mean, who am I? I'm Itomimizu, the Davy Back Fight announcer!

Gatz: Davy Back Fight? Isn't that filler?

Itomimizu: NO! And I'll have you know, that unlike you, I placed in the fourth and fifth popularity polls! And I'll remind you that Oda introduced you loooong before the fifth poll took place...

Gatz: Yeah, but that was before I got my breakout role! I'm betting on a top 50 placement, at least. What have you been doing?

Itomimizu: Ah...uh, I was in the Nebulandia special...wait, what are you looking up?

Gatz: Your poll placement. Interesting...you placed 122nd in the fourth poll, and 137th in the fifth. Both times those were last place, meaning you got only one vote in each of these polls!

Itomimizu: Well, glad to know I at least have one dedicated fan. Poo. Though what if...the fan is Oda himself?

Gatz: Then say goodbye to your placement, because Odacchi is sure to vote for me this time!

Itomimizu: Enough banter, we've got an audience to engage. Why don't we go through the top 10 characters from the previous poll?

Gatz: Sounds like a deal! The fifth poll, which was released in December 2014, just a tad bit before I launched to stardom. A record 69,472 votes were cast! Though I anticipate it'll be broken not too long from now.

Itomimizu: In tenth place, is...Boa Hancock! WHAT?!

Gatz: Hubba bubba yeh...

Itomimizu: Gatz! Stop looking at the color spread! Anyways, I don't believe it! It's been forever since Hancock appeared, why does she rank so high?

Gatz: Because she's the most beautiful...lady of the seas...

Itomimizu: Sounds legit. Especially since this is Japan we're talking about.

Gatz: Being the main character's star-crossed lover certainly has its appeal too...Lucy is a lucky one...

Itomimizu: Who's Lucy? Is Hancock a lesbian???

Gatz: In ninth place, we have...Bartolomeo! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

Itomimizu: ...I thought you said Japanese people liked pretty characters

Gatz: I'd expect them to at least vote for polite ones! That scoundrel made a mockery out of my arena! Guess dickriding on Lucy gets people places...

Itomimizu: Lucy has a dick??

Gatz: Coming in at eighth place, it's...Nami!

Itomimizu: Back to standard beauty, I see.

Gatz: Nami's the highest ranking female character on this poll, which is notable considering that she hadn't appeared for an entire year when it was released. With her bigger role in the current arc, she's much more likely to rise even higher!

Itomimizu: Though if characters more prevalent in the current arc are more likely to get votes, your Top 50 aspirations might take a hit, Gatz-san. What's it been, two years?

Gatz: Pff, two years is nothing. Lucy was still hot shit after two years!

Itomimizu: Lucy's always been hot shit.

Gatz: I just hope Odacchi didn't introduce any inferior replacements for me...

Itomimizu: In seventh place is...Chopper! Hey, I know him! He used to be on my crew!

Gatz: Aww, why'd you let him go?

Itomimizu: Not our choice! He was too cute to pass up.

Gatz: That could be said for the voters of Japan. Chopper was also gone the year preceding the fifth poll, and he has a more major role now. Must be a cute arc...I wonder how Lucy's doing...

Itomimizu: Lucy's cute too, it'll be fine. Now, ranking at Number 6 is...HOLY SHIT, HOT STUFF?

Gatz: Why is your nose bleeding?

Itomimizu: Just, ah, an allergic reaction...anyways, sixth place is Portgas D. Ace!

Gatz: Ooh, I know him! His Devil Fruit was a prize in my colosseum.

Itomimizu: I lub Ace...

Gatz: Seems like a lot of Japanese people agree with you, even if he's dead. Perhaps he causes this nosebleed allergic reaction for whatever reason.

Itomimizu: Nah, nah

Gatz: He does look a lot like Lucy...

Itomimizu: Lucy? I'm not following you...

Gatz: We're entering the Top 5! In fifth place, it's...LUCY???

Itomimizu: What? I still don't know what you're going on about, but you just said this Lucy looked like Ace. This...Sabo doesn't look like Ace at all!

Gatz: Oh yeah, my mistake. This guy was actually pretending to be Lucy.

Itomimizu: Now that's a Steve Harvey moment I wouldn't want. Though, outside of appearance, this guy isn't really too different from Ace. They have the same flame powers...Ace looks sexi-er, better when using them, though...

Gatz: I've heard rumors this guy literally lives and breathes Ace. It's like he's his reincarnation or something.

Itomimizu: So we essentially have one character taking up two spots in the Top 10? I feel like burning something, even if I like those two...I guess I understand why your "Lucy" is associated with these fire guys...

Gatz: Maybe one of their voters will vote for you this time, you never know. Anyways, at fourth place, we have...Sanji!

Itomimizu: That guy was a ball!

Gatz: And he's currently balling out...we just had a year dedicated to him! Just like 2015 was the year of Gatz!

Itomimizu: More like the three long, dreadful weeks of Gatz. Anyways, I'm projecting a big upswing for this guy, even though he can't go much farther up.

Gatz: Hmmm...he's got some stiff competition, though...especially when the guy directly above him, in third place, is his rival Zoro!

Itomimizu: Considering the focus has switched among the two, it's not too out there to say Sanji might overtake him.

Gatz: Perhaps. But really, Zoro is a Japanese fan's wet dream. He's a badass swordsman, and that alone causes Japanese dudes and chicks to stuff the ballot boxes like a mobster on Election Day.

Itomimizu: That's hard to argue. The guy lives and breathes everything the fans love. But he's only at third place? Who could have overtaken an ice-cold, nerves-of-steel, flashy muscular male swordsman?

Gatz: Only another ice-cold, nerves-of-steel, flashy muscular male swordsman, but this time even more handsome

Itomimizu: and with a bigger sword!

Gatz: You would care about sword size. In second place, it's Law!

Itomimizu: Now, this really shouldn't be a surprise. In addition to being the guy that most Japanese people would want on a body pillow, this popularity poll took place right after we saw his moving flashback, which was almost as moving as the time Usopp was by his bedridden mom.

Gatz: Like Ace, this guy will likely continue to be on a hot streak after he tragically met his doom

Itomimizu: Wait, what? He hasn't died!

Gatz: Huh...but multiple sources have told me...

Itomimizu: Seriously, those guys are just pranksters who only know that tired old joke. Law isn't dying...not yet, anyway.

Gatz: Well, until then, I guess he's not getting anywhere because girls everywhere will still have the burden of his presence on their hearts.

Itomimizu: Well now...how about the first place winner?

Gatz: Oh yes! Let me get on this! It's the one, the only, the hero of the colosseum and eventually the world! It's...LUCY!

Itomimizu: What?? What have you been droning on about this Lucy? There's no one named Lucy in One Piece!

Gatz: Oh yeah, that's just a codename for Luffy.

Itomimizu: You could have just said that! Everyone knows who Luffy is and no one cares about his nickname except for you!

Gatz: Oh...that would've been good to know earlier.

Itomimizu: Back on topic...I do admit, it's quite notable for the main character to rank number 1 in all of the popularity polls so far, and not get overshadowed by his supporting cast.

Gatz: It is indeed...and I'll be the one to take down my idol! ...Eventually.

Itomimizu: Focus on getting votes first. Although I suspect Japan will recognize me as the better announcer.

Gatz: We'll see...we'll see. Results of the sixth One Piece character popularity poll will be released this Thursday, August 3rd, along with Chapter 874!

Itomimizu: Who do you think'll rise up?

Gatz: Hmm, Big Mom has been impressive so far. As a main arc villain she has the potential to do well.

Itomimizu: Nah, she ugly. Top 100 at best.

Gatz: How dare you! I'm quite sure there are people who find Big Mom...aesthetically appealing...ahhhh...

Itomimizu: Wat

Gatz: Er, nothing. Your predictions.

Itomimizu: In terms of new villains, I'm thinking Katakuri. The muscles, the tattoos, the biker outfit, just the bod...

Gatz: Wat

Itomimizu: Er, anyways! Y'know, it doesn't seem fair that only Japanese people can really cast a vote for this poll. Doesn't Oda understand that Americans are his most important fanbase?

Gatz: I'm Catalonian...but I do have a solution!

Itomimizu: Never, ever expected to hear that.

Gatz: VIZ Media is hosting an online poll of its own! Just click here to vote! They seem to have preconceived notions about what characters people are going to vote for, but don't be afraid to prove them wrong by putting my name in the write-in slot!

Itomimizu: Ah, nice! You had better act fast though, as results for that are probably gonna come pretty soon too. You'll have a week, at most.

Gatz: And until then...we wait. The power is in the hands of you, the fans. Who did you vote for/who would you want to vote for? The power is in your hands.

Itomimizu: And with that, the pre-show ceremonies are concluded. These are your hosts, Itomimizu and Gatz, signing off!