Log Pose

A Log Pose is a specialized type of compass, a necessity for navigating the Grand Line (where the unique minerals in every island produce atypical magnetic fields that render ordinary compasses useless).

Overview


Unlike conventional compasses, the Log Pose does not affix to a single direction; instead, it "records" the magnetic field between a given island and the next-closest, and points to the latter. By keeping course with the needle, any vessel can pass from island to island in the ultimate direction of Laugh Tale. After reaching the next island and staying there for a given amount of time, the Log Pose will reset and lock on to the magnetism of the next island in the Grand Line.

The time it takes for a Log Pose to fully record an island's magnetic field and reset varies from island to island, on one island it might only take a few hours, on another it might take entire years. Despite this, most experienced sailors will rely on Log Poses over virtually any other navigational method, given their general immunity to the Grand Line's infamously bizarre climate and currents.

According to Nico Robin, the Log Pose should never be doubted. In the case of a Sky Island for example, one might think it's impossible for an island to be in the sky and assume the Log Pose is broken, however the thing you should doubt is not the Log Pose, but your own sense of what is or isn't possible. Wherever the needle is pointing, there will be an island.

There are some problems with the Log Pose though, for one thing, the magnetic "routes" displayed by Log Poses are strictly one-way and cannot be used to return to a previous island. Another problem is that it can only point to the island itself, if there are multiple land masses which are all connected as part of the same island, Long Ring Long Land for example, the Log Pose would not be able to differentiate them and it would not be possible to travel to the specific land mass you're looking for.

Paradise
The standard Log Pose used in the Grand Line's first half, also known as Paradise, consists of a glass orb, with a directional needle inside suspended by a thin piece of wire. In most cases, the device is mounted on a bracelet that a navigator can keep on their wrist at all times.

Because of the irregular sea currents in the Grand Line, a ship can get turned off course at any moment without anyone on the crew realizing. Because of this, the Log Pose must be checked much more frequently than a regular compass would be.

According to Crocus, Reverse Mountain and the Twin Cape are a great starting point, from there a Log Pose can record seven different levels of magnetism, each leading to one of seven different islands, each of which is the first island in one of seven different island chains that one can travel across to traverse the first half of the Grand Line. The seven paths gradually merge together into one over the distance of the Grand Line, eventually ending at Laugh Tale.

Interestingly, you don't actually have to go to island the Log Pose is pointing to in order for it to reset, any island other than the one you were last on will allow the Log Pose to record the magnetism. If you stay on this alternate island for however long it takes for the Log pose to reset, then the magnetism of the island it was initially pointed to will be lost and the needle will lock on to to a different island.

New World
While Paradise can generally navigated by a single standard Log Pose, the second half of the Grand Line, also known as the New World, requires more elaborate measures, due to the fact that some islands change or even completely hide their magnetic fields at random, which may leave a crew stranded if they rely on a Log Pose with only a single needle.

To safely navigate through the New World, a crew needs to have a Log Pose with three needles. Each needle records the magnetism of one of three different islands simultaneously, as opposed to the Paradise Log Pose, which only records the magnetic waves of one island at a time. This way, if you lose the magnetism of one island, you still have two backup options.

The stability of the needle reflects the stability of the island's magnetic field; if the needle is displaying erratic movement, it means that the island's magnetism is unstable. There are no guarantees, but as a rule of thumb, this likely means that there is something dangerous on the island, as disturbances in magnetism can be caused by abnormalities on the islands in the New World.



It is possible to navigate between islands to reach a farther island by following the change in direction or sensitivity of each needle as you go, as opposed to following only one needle to its island, as explained by Charlotte Pudding's map of the Totto Land archipelago which details the special route that members of the Charlotte Family use to reach Whole Cake Island.

The Log Pose can still be affected by the tampering of magnetic waves, as their function was warped within the Seducing Woods.

For unknown reasons, some islands cannot be pinpointed by Log Poses, making them extremely difficult to reach. Notable examples include Punk Hazard and Laugh Tale.

Other Variants
Larger mounted versions of a Log Pose can be found on ships such as the Thousand Sunny, as they have the Paradise version on its helm. Upon reaching the New World, they updated the large Log Pose to the appropriate version.

A variation of the Log Pose is the Eternal Pose, which always points to one specific island.

Reverse Mountain Arc


While Log (and Eternal) Poses have been used for at least a century on the Grand Line, the original five Straw Hat Pirates (Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji) were ignorant until they crossed Reverse Mountain and met Laboon and Crocus, as well as Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9.

Once driven off by the Straw Hats, the Mr. 9 unwittingly left his Log Pose aboard the Going Merry, where it was found by Luffy. Shortly after, Nami found her own compass malfunctioning wildly, prompting Crocus to explain the technology.

To Nami's fury, Luffy and Sanji accidentally broke the Log Pose Luffy previously found almost immediately after Crocus' explanation; fortunately, Crocus gave them a replacement as thanks for protecting and befriending Laboon. Subsequently, Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 re-boarded the Merry to beg transportation to the town of Whisky Peak; despite his crewmates' reservations, Luffy agreed, and Nami accordingly set the Log Pose toward Cactus Island.

Whisky Peak Arc
Even with the Log Pose, the Straw Hats' first day navigating the Grand Line proper proved grueling, with several currents completely reversing the ship's direction within seconds. Nevertheless, by holding true to its needle, they successfully reached Whisky Peak.

That night, Zoro and Nami discovered the town was a base for the criminal syndicate Baroque Works, and that Miss Wednesday was actually Princess Nefertari Vivi of Arabasta Kingdom, infiltrating it alongside her guard captain Igaram ("Mr. 8"). After an explosive battle and several hasty negotiations, the Straw Hats agreed to escort Vivi to Arabasta, via the conventional Log Pose route. Meanwhile, Igaram set sail for Arabasta by himself, using an Eternal Pose from Vivi, in hopes of decoying any more Baroque Works pursuers.

Amused by the gambit, Baroque Works' vice-president Miss All-Sunday easily sunk Igaram's ship, then boarded the Merry to mock the Straw Hats' efforts. Openly doubting that they could survive the Log Pose route, she offered them an Eternal Pose to Nanimonai Island, supposedly a shorter and safer stopover to Arabasta. To Vivi's surprise, Luffy immediately broke the Eternal Pose, declaring that he would not let an enemy set their course.

Though exasperated, the rest of the crew accepted Luffy's decision, and kept to their Log Pose.

Little Garden Arc
From Cactus Island, the Log Pose led the Straw Hats to Little Garden, where the Giants Dorry and Brogy revealed what Miss All-Sunday had tauntingly implied: Log Poses needed a year to record its magnetic field. The Giants themselves could offer no solution, possessing only an Eternal Pose set to Elbaf.

Ironically, this problem was solved by Baroque Works, the syndicate's head Sir Crocodile having dispatched Mr. 3 against the crew, overestimated his abilities, and (in preparation for Operation Utopia), sent him an Eternal Pose for Arabasta. While Mr. 3 was being defeated, the delivery was intercepted by Sanji, who took the Eternal Pose back to his shocked—but relieved—crew.

(However, this Eternal Pose would go unused for several days, as the Straw Hats were momentarily diverted to Drum Island when a sudden illness struck Nami.)

Jaya Arc
Shortly after leaving Arabasta—and narrowly dodging the falling hulk of the St. Briss—the Straw Hats were shocked to find their Log Pose pointing straight up at the sky. Though Nami suspected a malfunction, the crew's newest member Nico Robin spoke for the Log Pose and concluded that it was pointing to a Sky Island. This was confirmed when the Straw Hats excavated the St. Briss' remains, uncovering evidence of an island called Skypiea.

At the same time, the Straw Hats encountered the Masira Pirates, from whom Robin stole an Eternal Pose set to the nearby island of Jaya. Though aware that its own magnetic field could reroute their Log Pose entirely, the crew sailed there in hopes of further leads on Skypiea. Ultimately, with help from the Saruyama Alliance, they learned of the Knock-Up Stream and used it to reach Skypiea less than a day before their Log Pose could be rerouted.

Paradise

 * Mr. 9 (Lost, found by Luffy taken by Nami, destroyed)
 * Crocus (given to Nami)
 * Portgas D. Ace (confiscated upon imprisonment)
 * Galdino (discarded or lost)
 * Eddy
 * Zenny (given by the Straw Hat Pirates)
 * Golden Lion Pirates

New World

 * Minister of the Left (given to Nami)
 * Nami (given by Minister of the Left)
 * Smoker

Translation and Dub Issues
The 4Kids-dubbed anime (as well as video games) renamed the Log Pose and Eternal Pose to Grand Compass and Eternal Compass, respectively. While this renaming was kept by the FUNimation-dubbed anime's initial TV cut, both the uncut FUNimation anime and the VIZ Manga use the original terms.

In addition, to fit story changes that truncated the Reverse Mountain Arc to remove Laboon and Crocus, and completely eliminated the Little Garden Arc, the 4Kids anime extensively rewrote the context behind the Poses the Straw Hat Pirates acquire during the Arabasta Saga:
 * The crew's first "Grand Compass" (originally taken from Mr. 9) is depicted as an item that Yasopp deliberately left Usopp. Several of the Straw Hats recognize it on sight, and its workings are explained by Sanji, relaying experience from Zeff.
 * As the crew never drops anchor at Twin Cape, this compass is never broken, and Crocus' substitute is not needed.
 * The "Eternal Compass" that Robin offers the crew at Whisky Peak is said to lead directly to Arabasta, rather than Nanimonai Island.
 * The compass ultimately used to reach Arabasta (originally taken from Mr. 3's base on Little Garden) is depicted as a spare that Igaram gave to Vivi, which was "forgotten" until Luffy broke Robin's.

Trivia

 * Log Poses are implicitly useless outside the Grand Line, as the Straw Hats gave no reaction to Thriller Bark (an island originally from the West Blue).
 * Wristwatches modeled after Log Poses are (among many other One Piece references) commonly featured in the gag manga Me & Roboco.

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