Why is it that nobody can cut the bird cage strings?

[M3J]

how do we know the strings regenerate? I don't remember that being mentioned or shown, nor a capable swordsman trying to cut through the strings. Unless they tried and failed, I don't take that as a fact because again, we're getting things from the characters' point of view, not the author's. Author could just as easily write that the cage can be cut, but the characters assumed otherwise because of faulty information or whatnot.

We know heavy blunt objects can't damage the strings, as the meteor failed to do anything. However, what about sharp objects wielded by capable people, like Zoro, Mihawk (example, I know he's not on the island), or Fujitora? It's not like we saw them try.

 

[hokageji]

Yea, jsut read the part where someone outside cannot enter the cage as well, so looks like Drake was outside when the cage was put-up, so no one has esacped the cage so far.

 

[sir_rocky]

Well i would say that Fujitora isn't doing anything because Doflamingo is a shichibukai and he doesn't want to openly oppose him, he is probably just trying to protect the people without making it a fight between the navy and a shichibukai. So far there is no imminent danger so he is maybe hoping that Luffy will solve this for him.

As far as Zoro is concerned i think that he just doesn't want to try it. Strawhats helped a lot of ppl along the way so some might confuse them to be heroes but, as they themselves said, they are not. They are pirates and fight for their own friends and goals. They usually make a friend and by helping them they also save everyone else but that was not their intention.

Zoro fought Pica because he was in Luffys way and now after that is done he doesn't really have a reason to go try destroy the birdcage. Maybe if someone asks him to try he will but not because he is some hero who will try to save everyone.

 

[keeper1h]

I just forgot: Doflamingo's strings have already been cut, twice!

First Kyros (chapter 743)
then Abdullah and Jeet (chapter 752).

So his regular strings are just as weak as... Wanze's noodles.
But that's not the case of Birdcage strings.

I also noticed how those clones were connected to Doffy by the top of their heads - when they are sewered in two parts, the upper half still moves, while the lower one drops dead... unless he needs it again, so I guess that he can regain control of his disconnected strings.

And I also noticed how Doflamingo ends up as the center of his birdcage every time he changes it's structure - Maybe he needs to extend a nearly invisible string that connects him to the center of the Birdcage to shrink it, and this is what enables him to have direct control over it. But this string act just like a bungee jumping rope, slowly attracting the point where is attached towards Doflamingo.
(This does not contradict the Haki theory: you can imbue an object with haki and make it retain it for a while, just like Kuja's arrows.)

 

[Hannibal Psyche]

Perhaps it just can't be cut; when Doflamingo used it to trap Corason and Law, the marines were unable to get out and it doesn't seem like anyone was sent to intervene. Perhas there wasn't an Admiral there to cut it which is one of the reasons an Admiral was sent this time, it's either it just cant be cut or it requires obscene strength.

 

[milek]

Law never tried. He can cut anything under his bubble, its a shame that he didnt tried to do it.

 

[kkck]

Law never tried. He can cut anything under his bubble, its a shame that he didnt tried to do it.

Well, what's cut by laws ability is cut in a different way from regular cutting though. Even if his ability cuts the string it probably won't looseits qualities so to speak. Unlike normal cutting it could be put back to the way it was. Doflamingo seems to be able to control strings without being connected to them, such as when he uses his awakening, so that would further reduce the effectiveness of laws cutting.

 

[Hannibal Psyche]

Well, what's cut by laws ability is cut in a different way from regular cutting though. Even if his ability cuts the string it probably won't looseits qualities so to speak. Unlike normal cutting it could be put back to the way it was. Doflamingo seems to be able to control strings without being connected to them, such as when he uses his awakening, so that would further reduce the effectiveness of laws cutting.

What if the only way to disable the Birdcage without defeating Doflamingo is by cutting the cage in 1 swift attack? It'll explain why it's not an option because too much collateral damage.

Also I wonder if Doflamingo's stamina gets drained because of this Birdcage technique ,r limited to using Birdcage once every 24 hours or something similar.

 

[Notice me Escanor senpai]

What if the only way to disable the Birdcage without defeating Doflamingo is by cutting the cage in 1 swift attack? It'll explain why it's not an option because too much collateral damage.

Also I wonder if Doflamingo's stamina gets drained because of this Birdcage technique ,r limited to using Birdcage once every 24 hours or something similar.

I really doubt that, because unlike Luffy DD has mastered his DF. He uses the awakening, which enables him to turn things around him into strings. And he was aware of Luffy's weakness, so my guess is that DD is able to use his fruit in the most efficient way, while making sure his stamina doesn't get drained too much.It certainly appears so since even though the birdcage is up, he's still able to use the awakening, so the cage prolly doesn't drain much of his stamina.

 

[kkck]

I really doubt that, because unlike Luffy DD has mastered his DF. He uses the awakening, which enables him to turn things around him into strings. And he was aware of Luffy's weakness, so my guess is that DD is able to use his fruit in the most efficient way, while making sure his stamina doesn't get drained too much.It certainly appears so since even though the birdcage is up, he's still able to use the awakening, so the cage prolly doesn't drain much of his stamina.

I think the bird cage is much like the ability used by vanderdecken to move the giant boat. It does not need additional affort on his part once the technique is used. Techniques he uses while he fights and actively controls should be draining him though.

 

[Notice me Escanor senpai]

I think the bird cage is much like the ability used by vanderdecken to move the giant boat. It does not need additional affort on his part once the technique is used. Techniques he uses while he fights and actively controls should be draining him though.

That's what I'm thinking too. Overall I'd say he's a better user than Luffy, who while he can come up with destructive techniques, simply takes too many risks, and he can't use the awakening yet, so it should be the next step in his powerup. But it could be that he would be able to reach it under some pretty rare circumstances which are unknown to us at the moment.

 

[Hannibal Psyche]

That's what I'm thinking too. Overall I'd say he's a better user than Luffy, who while he can come up with destructive techniques, simply takes too many risks, and he can't use the awakening yet, so it should be the next step in his powerup. But it could be that he would be able to reach it under some pretty rare circumstances which are unknown to us at the moment.

Doflamingo has had his DF since he was 10 and is now in his 40s. I doubt having a DF for many years guarantees learning all about your DF, it's probably dependent on one's talent to be innovative because Luffy (as protagonist) doesn't have 20 years to wait.

If I had to guess, I'd say it depends on the user's level of control being at a certain level before awakening for this reasons:

Spoiler

• Doflamingo analyses Gear 4 and realizes Luffy can't control his DF perfectly, so he's having to control his DF to greater degree with Haki.
• Doflamingo has assessed Luffy's control of his DF and deems him fairly capable, but not capable enough.

I'd assume he was alluding to awakening because he said all this before talking about it. With that said, imo it's most likely that Luffy has to reach a certain level of control of his DF before his DF will be able to awaken.

Also, I wonder if it's the DF that awakens or the user? Sounds a bit like the DF has to acknowledge you before you can awaken or before it awakens.

 

[Notice me Escanor senpai]

Doflamingo has had his DF since he was 10 and is now in his 40s. I doubt having a DF for many years guarantees learning all about your DF, it's probably dependent on one's talent to be innovative because Luffy (as protagonist) doesn't have 20 years to wait.

If I had to guess, I'd say it depends on the user's level of control being at a certain level before awakening for this reasons:

Spoiler

• Doflamingo analyses Gear 4 and realizes Luffy can't control his DF perfectly, so he's having to control his DF to greater degree with Haki.
• Doflamingo has assessed Luffy's control of his DF and deems him fairly capable, but not capable enough.

I'd assume he was alluding to awakening because he said all this before talking about it. With that said, imo it's most likely that Luffy has to reach a certain level of control of his DF before his DF will be able to awaken.

Also, I wonder if it's the DF that awakens or the user? Sounds a bit like the DF has to acknowledge you before you can awaken or before it awakens.

That would be like saying that the DF has a will of its own which is not clear at the moment. DD only says that the awakening can be achieved under rare circumstances. He doesn't even say if it's how long a user had his DF, because it could be possible that someone like WB had it for so long, and it wasn't awakened...
Rather I think it's the will of the user to surpass himself, as well as the circumstances like a life threatning situation. Maybe even wanting to be one with the DF, or to just use one's surroudings, be one with the world, that kind of stuff.
One thing is for sure, DD is one of the very few people who know about the awakening that were shown so far, and him attaining the awakening could be thanks to his experience, but also and mostly his knowledge about DFs that is very vast.

 

[Hannibal Psyche]

That would be like saying that the DF has a will of its own which is not clear at the moment. DD only says that the awakening can be achieved under rare circumstances. He doesn't even say if it's how long a user had his DF, because it could be possible that someone like WB had it for so long, and it wasn't awakened...
Rather I think it's the will of the user to surpass himself, as well as the circumstances like a life threatning situation. Maybe even wanting to be one with the DF, or to just use one's surroudings, be one with the world, that kind of stuff.
One thing is for sure, DD is one of the very few people who know about the awakening that were shown so far, and him attaining the awakening could be thanks to his experience, but also and mostly his knowledge about DFs that is very vast.

The way I understood it, emphasis was put on the DF regarding awakening and seems to imply the user has to meet certain requirements of the DF; it may not explicitly be that it has a will of it's own.

I also don't think he meant awakening was rare, it's the fact that it can affect surroundings other than the user itself that's rare occurence. I'm sure there are many DF users that are awakened such as the Admirals and I'd be surprised if someone like Whitebeard wasn't awakened. I see it as Haki or CoC, it's rare except where there's a high concentration of top-tier fighters.

I'm inclined to believe it's as a result of how well one controls their DF going by the the order of things following to his boasting about awakening.

 

[Fox666]

Interesting that you mentioned Whitebeard. He showed three ways of using his Devil Fruit: using vibration to power-up his fists or weapons, directing the vibration on a certain direction to create a earthquake or tsunami, and grabbing the "air" to toss the land itself. The later one seems to be the most unique, so my bets are on it.

 

[milek]

Blackbeard, he can suck it all in black hole. Only problem is how big black hole can he produce.

 

[Notice me Escanor senpai]

Blackbeard, he can suck it all in black hole. Only problem is how big black hole can he produce.

As big as the island maybe.

 

[keeper1h]

Yes, Blackeard can make the cage disappear, the problem is that anything contained in it would suffer the same fate.
Speaking of him, he's the only Logia that can't escape from the cage, by turning in a form so thin to be unaffected by the strings.

 

[ced13]

None Logia user can get out by getting thinner. Or else Sabo would've done it to call reinforcements or something

 

[keeper1h]

Good point, but why they can't? Rubble can pass through strings.
Also, Transponder Snails can pass between the strings, so someone could put the snail out of the cage and would still be able to make a call somehow.

Maybe Doflamingo can sense if something alive is trying to do this trick, and he can close that particular gap like a pair of scissors. Or maybe no one dares to try... Weird.