Well here it is, the crew profile I've been waiting to do! Just the thought of making the image you see above is what made me want to start making these additional pirate crew guides. Isn't that neat? What a cool design! I'm not talking about my work of course, I mean Oda's! Not only that but what a great batch of villains!! Especially right on the heels of someone as 2-D as Krieg. Amazing villains and an overall amazing arc! Easily my favorite in the series and that which started my love-affair with One Piece. If you take anything out of this, please enjoy the artwork here. You don't need to compliment me or anything and I don't even think it's that great compared to what some people can whip together in half the time, but I did spend a lot of time on these images. I doubt you'll see many of these elsewhere since ALL of them (except the ones near the bottom) are SUPER Frankenstein images made from bits and pieces of multiple pictures. Not tooting my own horn, but I am proud of my work ^_^ For instance, stare at the words 'Arlong' above and you'll see what they form.
Okay, some special thanks is needed! Of course first up is Stephen. You should know by now he's the reason for the season and he even helped with some personal input this time so major dittos. My bud Kenny Wong is always on the spot for questions like, "Do you know what color Arlong's mark is on the flag?" AP poster EGX is always happy to lend his thoughts on design and last but certainly not least my fantastic and wonderful girlfriend Haruka who as usual fields my innane questions on double-meanings into the early morning hours is also part of the reason I can make these so complete.
Aaaas always, please make sure that my words stay right here. Granted page numbers and the like are not my property and I am always happy to inspire writing but the sentences which I wrote myself are my work. Everyone who has come here has respected this simple request and things are much different from my DBZ days, but I still think it needs to be said. I appreciate your understanding. Enjoy!
Ship Profile
Ship Name: ?
Ship Type: ?
Basic Crew Data
Crew Members with Known Bounties: 1
Total Bounty of Crew: 20,000,000 Belly
Number of Destinations Visited on Grand Line Route: ?
Most Active Region: Conomi Islands
Arlong the Saw
Bounty: 20,000,000 Belly
Age: ?
Birthday: ?
Height: ?
Sign: ?
History of Arlong
Even after thousands of years of evolution, humans remain such fragile beings. Something invisible to the naked eye can kill us without proper medication, exposure to the elements can break our bodies and we can’t survive much more than a minute or so under water, (a substance which covers most of our planet), without any assistance. Arlong knew these simple truths and he used them to break the will of any human unfortunate enough to cross his path. Arlong was a ‘Fishman’, a race of fish-like human species more human than merpeople for their ability to survive on land, but unlike humans, able to breath underwater. The raw power of sea creatures remains perfectly preserved in their bodies and dwarves the strength of any human. The Fishmen and Fishwomen are by all definitions, a very powerful race. It is well-known that many of them live together with mermaids on a certain island on the great stretch of sea known as the Grand Line but evidently some were simply not content staying put. Some saw that their natural gifts could assist the humans and worked side by side crossing boundaries and giving humans new hope for the future. But not all of them followed such noble causes.
One of those who sought to profit from their obscene strength and adaptability was the Whale Shark Fishman Jinbeh. He formed the Fishman Pirate Crew, a force that wrought unspoken horrors, the likes of which gained him the unlikely support of the World Government and Marines, securing himself a position as one of the Seven Armed Seas, privateers who relinquished their title as official pirates and gained the ability to freely attack other pirates under the condition that they share their plunder with the World Government. When this allegiance was formed Jinbeh’s crew disbanded and went their separate ways. Jinbeh’s decision to leave behind his Jolly Roger resulted in a catastrophe that no one could have imagined occurring on a quite island in the calmest of seas, East Blue. Arlong, one of Jinbeh’s crew members famous for possessing a strength almost as great as Jinbeh’s, founded his own crew, the Arlong Pirate Gang. With an ambition for nothing less than a slow takeover of all the seas in the World, Arlong began his quest with an inconspicuous and disturbing source of income to fund his ambitions, forced 'tribute' payment from humans in exchange for their lives.
Eight years ago, Arlong came to East Blue from the Grand Line and headed for the Conomi Islands where he quickly established himself as the unofficial dictator of all villages in the region. He and his crew marched into each village in the chain of islands and demanded payment in exchange for sparing the villager’s lives followed by monthly payments. Of course he also created a new set of laws to instill obedience in the humans under the pretext of being for their own 'protection'. Arlong and his gang spread like a virus through the archipelago taking control of 20 villages, but what would prove to be a fateful meeting took place in the most unlikely of places, Cocoyashi Village.
Arlong and his crew stormed into the village’s small harbor with a fury sinking every village boat and immediately declared his supremacy over their lives before there was even any hope of a chance to retaliate. His demands were 100,000 Belly to spare the life of each adult and 50,000 Belly for every child...every month. Having collected from each villager listed on the town roster, a whopping 25,000,000 Belly, Arlong was ready to leave and return to what would become known as his base of operations, Arlong Park. However, as fate would have it, the crew’s musician Pisaro saw smoke coming from the outskirts of the village and of course this sparked Arlong’s interest. It was in fact coming from the home of Bellemere, a former Marine who left the village years ago only to return with two children orphaned by a war. She never registered herself or the children with the town roster and would have been temporarily spared the wrath of Arlong and his thugs had it not been for her cooking a special meal that day.
You see, Bellemere had just been in a fight with the youngest of her adopted daughters, Nami. The family never had much in terms of wealth beyond the mandarin orange grove they owned and Bellemere often sacrificed her meals so that her daughters could eat properly. Frustrated by seeing her adopted mother suffer, Nami complained about Bellemere’s actions which began a bitter war of words that ended when Nami declared they weren’t even a real family to begin with. Bellemere slapped Nami which sent her crying out into the rain alone. Meanwhile Bellemere seriously considered the error in her own actions and sent Nami’s adopted older sister Nojiko after her. In order to mend the broken bond between them Bellemere began to cook a feast of roast duck and vegetables with her own special orange sauce, stew and every child’s favorite, omelet rice. These purest of intentions led to an event that would change Cocoyashi Village forever.
Arlong marched to the source of the smoke and found Bellemere’s house among the mandarin trees. He knocked on the door and after being invited in by a voice from within, stepped into the small home only to find himself knocked flat on his back with a rifle aimed straight down his gullet. Bellemere was a former Marine after all. Unfortunately her bravery alone wasn’t enough to overcome the beast. With the power of ten men, Arlong bit her rifle to pieces and swiftly reversed the situation by thrashing her violently and crushing the bones in her left arm. Seeing that her struggles were useless Bellemere agreed to pay 100,000 Belly as Arlong still wasn’t aware of Nami and Nojiko. Even though the table in her home had three places set, a quick lie from other villagers about being invited over for dinner saved the children’s existence from being revealed. However, in the end, it was Bellemere herself who declared the money wasn’t for herself, but for her two daughters. A tearful Nami and Nojiko watching and listening from afar burst into the crowd and hugged their mother with tears in their eyes. It didn’t matter whether or not the same blood ran through their veins, they were a family and Bellemere would rather die than deny her motherhood. And that she did. Promising to spare the lives of the children, Arlong made Bellemere his first example and shot her in the head in front of her children. Her final words were,
“I love you.”
Unfortunately for the children, their ordeal was far from finished. Arlong’s swordsman Hacchan found several maps inside the home of Bellemere, maps drawn with incredible accuracy and skill. Arlong was impressed with the work and didn’t even have to ask who drew them before Nami demanded he hand back her maps. Despite her young age Nami was in fact a genius cartographer and Arlong saw the perfect place for her in his plans to dominate the seas of the World. He took the girl onboard with him where she witnessed the power and ferocity of the crew as they sunk 5 Marine ships with ease. Realizing that no help would come and that any struggle was futile, she knew her only choice was to listen to Arlong’s offer. Although Fishmen have no problems gathering data on the seas, few of them and certainly no one Arlong surrounded himself with, had the experience or intelligence to create accurate maps. If Nami became a member of his pirate gang and drew maps for him, he would take care of her and give her the opportunity to save her village if she managed to raise 100,000,000 Belly. Whether or not the offer was legitimate or not, having experienced the raw power and cruelty of the Fishmen firsthand, what other choice was there than to accept? Arlong designed a room specially for Nami at the peak of his resort-like base Arlong Park. The room was filled with all the materials she could ever desire for drawing maps and it was there that she spent most of her childhood, drawing maps based on data gathered by the Fishmen until her fingers bled but never shedding a tear since that fateful day. Arlong also branded Nami with a tattoo on her left shoulder, the mark of his crew and watched closely after her. He knew that as she grew older her trips to gather ‘data’ were really just excursions to steal money from local pirates. She encountered many different crews over the years but never one quite like that of a young and aspiring pirate from Dawn Island.
Meanwhile Arlong bought his own safety from the Marines by paying off the corrupt Captain Nezumi to which he even let slip the secret location of Nami’s substantial stash of pirate treasure. Naturally Arlong was more than willing to keep his promise to Nami, that is, if she ever actually brought him the money. Unfortunately, Arlong’s pride and faith in the superiority of his evolved race would soon become his undoing when he double-crossed Nami and angered her new pirate friends. He would find that the human spirit is something that can be beaten and broken but will never die and even a boy has the power to send a would-be empire crashing down on itself…quite literally.
Notes on Arlong:
Arlong is One Piece’s Piccolo Daimaou. I can’t think of any way to make a better comparison than that. Dragon Ball had its fair share of villains and all of them were really nasty guys but they all had their quirks or weaknesses which made some of what they did forgivable or at least human. Even the visious Tao Pai Pai his habit of bickering over the prices. All of that was well and good until along came a real villain, Piccolo Daimaou. We would eventually come to see in the series (even though it is doubtful the author had such a plan to begin with) that the character was indeed, evil itself. Now when we look at some of One Piece’s first offerings, Buggy is clearly an entertaining character from first sight, Captain Kuro had pieces of poo drawn on his outfit and surrounded himself with a…unique…crew, and meanwhile Krieg’s pitiful situation in his introduction brings him right down to the level of any normal human.
And then came Arlong.
If you pour over the manga with a microscope, you will not find a single redeeming quality in Arlong. I feel quite secure in stating that he is truly a heartless bastard. Author Eiichiro Oda pulled out all the stops when he created Arlong a creature that has no regard for human life because of his superior heritage. As of this writing (Spring 2006) One Piece has been going on for almost a decade and Arlong was first introduced approximately 7 years ago; in my opinion, there has yet to be another villain in the series as cold-hearted as this monster. He is what all English-speaking manga readers yearn for somewhere deep down inside. Sure, we love Japanese comics partly because of the fact that their villains actually have motivations or qualities that make them vulnerable or forgivable. But deep in our caveman and cavewoman souls, every once and a while we want to see someone with a heart so black and twisted it could only work on paper. Arlong is the perfect comic book antihero and my favorite One Piece villain.
If you ever see Arlong or any of his kind called a 'Merman', that source is totally incorrect. The kanji used to spell Arlong's race is unique to One Piece. The individuals are called gyojin which is the reverse of the Japanese word for Merman or Mermaid, ningyo. There are in fact mermaids in the One Piece world! Sanji first mentions their existence in Volume 8 (p132) and later on we actually see one of the beauties ourselves. I also frequently use the term Manmer myself but...I guess if I had to choose which one sounded better, Fishman wins for the simplicity of its translation even though Manmer sounds more exotic.
In Japanese there are different ways of counting different items. Pieces of paper, books, tubular objects, etc. Naturally this applies to people as well. Although it isn't anything terribly original for a monster villain such as Arlong in manga to do this, it is worth noting that his method of counting humans is the way Japanese people count animals. So let's say there were four people. Normally one would count them in Japanese as yonin or 'four people'. However, Arlong would say, yonhiki or 'four animals'.
Arlong's strength is mentioned in passing by Yosaku to have been nearly as great as that of the Fishman Pirate Crew Captain Jinbeh and that Arlong's personal strengths surpass that of Don Krieg's (Vol. 8 p133). Elsewhere, Johnny states that Fishmen have the physical strength of 10 humans from birth. Therefore it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that an adult like Arlong who is considered a monster even among Fishmen, can lift a two-story wooden home and hurl it like a shotput.
Many One Piece fans bash the Hong Kong DVDs because of their poor translations. However, in the case of Arlong, they may actually have hit the nail on the head. It may be that Arlong, written in katakana as a-ron, was actually intended to mean 'Evil Dragon'. In Japanese the character for evil is frequently pronounced aku, however in Chinese it is romanized as e and pronounced like the 'er' in the English word 'whether'. In Japanese, English 'er'-like combinations are quite frequently written in katakana as a-, I know this quite well since my last name is Werner and is always written in Japanese as Wa-na-. As for the second part of his name, no self-respecting Dragon Ball fan should have forgotten that Shenron is the Japanese equivalent of Sheng Long where long means 'dragon'. So there you have it, is this really the case? Maybe not, Oda hasn't said anything about it and this kind of information hasn't come up anywhere else that I've seen but I'll keep an eye on it.
Arlong's distinct laugh is, "Shyahahaha!"
Whether Oda intended this or not isn't clear but by giving Arlong six gills he made Arlong a member of Genus Pliotrema. Apparently, of the two genera sawsharks are classified under, the separation exists because of the number of gills. Pliotrema have the rarer six while Pristiophorus have five. Although sawsharks are only found in a few places throughout the World, they are found around Japan but the Pliotrema (Arlong) can only be found around South Africa.
Arlong uses his nose in an attempt to spear Luffy and this is actually somewhat of an accurate representation of how these creatures really catch their prey. The long barbels of the 'saw' act as sensors to identify prey as the shark sifts through mud or sand. When prey is 'felt' it swings the 'saw' back and forth to disable the prey and make for an easy catch.
If you find yourself in a fancy Japanese restaurant, ask what kind of fish the kamaboko is made from and you may find that sawfish was used in creating it. Kamaboko is pureed fish meat that has been steamed into loaves. Traditionally the loaves are cut into slices called naruto and placed into soups. When you had a bowl of ramen from a decent Japanese restaurant you probably saw a white and pink sliver in your bowl, that's naruto. Commonly these are made from white-fleshed fish but sawfish is also a popular ingredient!
Note Arlong's tattoos and his Jolly Roger, they all seem to have a general Tribal theme. This isn't just Arlong, note that other Fishmen in the gang like Hacchan have such tattoos and completely unrelated Fishmen seen later in the series also share similar Tribal-like tattoos. Although it is certainly a shared characteristic, it remains to be seen whether Oda was simply 'into' the style at the time and ran with it or not. Note that on his color spread for Chapter 70, Zoro also sported an intricate Tribal design on his arm and characters from Skypiea and ancient Shandora also had Tribal tattoos. Now if Oda intends to run with the fact that ancient races shared this style of marking one's body we should all throw money at him but at this point it simply remains to be a style popular with Fishmen.
While on the topic of tattoos, as of this writing (Spring 2006) this has yet to be verified but it is quite possible that the sun-like tattoos seen on Arlong and three of his Fishmen officers were the mark of Jinbeh's Fishman Pirate Crew or some sort of status symbol within the crew. The real noggin' scratcher comes from Volume 22 where we see some another Fishman who was most likely a member of the same crew and also sported the same mark. We shall have to wait and see!
I hope you noticed that even though I sometimes refer to Arlong's buddies as his crew, the official title I used was Pirate Gang. That's because among the pirates in One Piece, Arlong's group was the first to have such a title. Previously the crews were named '____ Kaizokudan', which is literally 'Pirate Crew'. Then along came Krieg with his 'Pirate Fleet'. Well Arlong's crew was officially named Kaizoku Arlong Ichimi or literally Pirate Arlong Gang indicating that Arlong was/is a pirate and his crew is his gang. HOWEVER, I went with The Arlong Pirate Gang to make sure there was a stronger feeling of pirate throughout the crew since his official title is 'Captain' and not the traditional word for the leader of a gang. Now if you pay close attention to his crew, their attire and even their facial expressions, you'll see that a lot of them with flashy button-down Hawaiian shirts, square jaws and short cuts that all resemble the mid-late 80's-90's image of low-level yakuza commonly known as chinpira or simply punks. Yes folks, these are the things that keep me up at night so I can make an accurate title for the group.
Even though Arlong's teeth are pretty tough, Luffy manages to shatter them, at which point they grow right back! Sharks really do grow new teeth and they're constantly doing it. In fact, once a fully grown tooth reaches the front row of a shark's mouth it may only last 10 days before being replaced by a new one.
Ever felt shark skin before? Some advice, rub from front to back and never reverse! Trust me. Upon close inspection one may notice tiny little 'teeth' along the shark's skin called dermal dentacles. These have several uses and one of them is as a line of defense against anything that might attack it. Rubbing these teeth in the opposite direction is essentially like scraping your hand across sandpaper. Now imagine if a thrashing shark rubs its entire body up against you. Ouch! However, these little teeth also serve to reduce drag on a shark's body as it swims through the water. In fact, this same principle has been implemented in airplane wings to reduce drag during flight! Of course Oda may not even have considered that tid-bit when he designed Arlong's flying attack but it certainly makes for a good explanation!
Strength and Weaknesses
Arlong is a beast. His personal strength is obviously superior to any normal human's and his ability to breath on land or underwater is certainly an advantage that makes him or any of his kind deadly in the sea.
Even though Arlong is a demon in the ocean, drop him in a lake and he might have some problems. Freshwater life has a different balance of salts in their body than Saltwater life. If their environments are shifted they are unable to maintain the osmotic balance in their bodies and will quickly tire or could even die. The pH balance and temperature differences between the two environments are also quite important and could quickly kill an aquatic life-form unsuited to such conditions. This is the World of Science speaking though and not Oda. If Oda wanted Arlong to breath in freshwater, I'm sure he could.
When Arlong becomes angered his pupils straighten into lizard-like eyes. Nami comments that in all her years with Arlong she only saw such an expression on his face when he fought against Luffy. Sanji also comments that it's the look of a berserk sea monster. Lucky for Arlong, in this state he doesn't lose control of himself. It seems to be more of an advantage in his favor since he simply focusses on pummeling his opponent. During this state is where we also see that he can wield a giant saw-blade, The Kiribachi.
Arlong may have one of the darkest hearts in One Piece but he at least he knows how to treat his friends. Now, this also has something to do with his racist views since it's highly unlikely he'd ever respect a human that he couldn't bend to do his will but his crew are indeed valuable to him unlike other villains like Kuro who could care less for their safety.
Arlong mentions that his race is an evolved one which indicates they followed the humans and are therefore a 'superior' species. Yes, it's true they have much greater strength than normal humans but it would appear that the typical Fishman or Fishwoman isn't booksmart. Now there's certainly proof that this isn't the case with all of the Fishmen and women but the majority of what we've seen in the series have supported this notion, especially Arlong who used a little girl for something he and his gang couldn't accomplish by putting their heads together.
Arlong is pretty good at messing with people. He destroys the town Gosa as an example to the other 20 villages that pay him tribute to give their 'morale' a little boost. Of course when he says he'll kill you if you don't pay up, he will kill you. His paying off of the Marines keeps his base nice and cozy from any serious attacks and not to mention his money-gathering in the weakest of seas, East Blue, is an excellent cover. Man, what a bastard!
Arlong Spoilers
Hmmmm, any spoilers for Arlong? I don't think so. At least not yet anyway...
Arlong's Attacks
| Attack | Translation | Used Against | Location in Manga | Special Notes |
Tou-su Gamu | Tooth Gum | Luffy | Vol.10 pg186 Vol.11 pg9 & 13 | Arlong pulls out two sets of his teeth and places them in his webbed hands using them like extra mouths to chomp down on an opponent. A strange name for the attack, I'm not sure what Oda was trying to get across. He uses the kanji for tooth ha but writes gums in katakana. The word for gum(s) in Japanese is haguki (lit. tooth stem) so maybe he was going for some kind of translation. My best guess is that utilizing the translation mentioned above it is a play on hagami which is literally 'tooth biting' or as we'd say, "grinding your teeth". |
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Shya-ku ON DARTS | Shark ON DARTS | Luffy | Vol.11 pg20, 22, 24, 30 & 32. | Arlong launches himself at his opponent in a sea to air attack. He aims his nose straight at the victim in an attempt to skewer them. The kanji same for shark is underneath the romanization. Arlong can also launch himself from solid ground if need be. |
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Kiribachi | Kiribachi | Luffy | Vol.11 pg39-41 & 44 | A giant saw-blade that can even cut through walls in Arlong's hands. Could be a couple meanings here. Kiribachi could mean 'Saw-Bee' as there is a similarly named bee, Yamato Hakiribachi or Japanese leafcutting bee. However, the more amusing translation of kiribachi is, fanny pack! |
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Shya-ku ON Tou-su | Shark ON Tooth | Luffy | Vol.11 pg60 | Arlong opens wide exposing his razor-like teeth and begins spinning then launches himself mouth-first at his opponent. I imagine it would drill through whatever Arlong connects with and is probably his most powerful attack. The kanji for shark is used again and unlike his other 'tooth' attack, here the kanji reads haguruma which literally means 'toothed vehicle' but is really the Japanese word for 'gear' or 'cog'. Hence all that spinning. |
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Officially Listed Battles Fought
- Luffy VS Arlong [Chapters 82-94]
Yet to be Listed Conflicts
The last published One Piece guide (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as a list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is officially acceptable.
Unlisted Conflicts
The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.
- Arlong VS Gen [Chapter 72]
- Arlong VS Usopp [Chapters 72 & 88-89]
- Arlong VS Marines [Chapter 75]
- Arlong VS Bellemere [Chapter 78]
- Arlong VS Nami [Chapters 80 & 81]
- Arlong VS Sanji & Zoro [Chapters 87-88]
- Arlong VS Zoro [Chapter 89]
Arlong Pirate Gang Officer: Hacchan
Bounty: ?
Age: ?
Birthday: ?
Height: ?
Sign: ?
Notes on Hacchan
Sometimes you just know there are characters Oda creates purely for his own enjoyment. Such is Hacchan better known as Hachi. Hachi is an Octopus Fishman who is one of Arlong's 4 Officers. He has a quirky sense of humor and is somewhat neurotic but nevertheless he's a dangerous foe to cross paths with. Hachi serves two main purposes at Arlong Park, he acts as a taxi service for guests who he carries about in his octopus pot (more on that later) and he also cares for the gang's sea monster Mohmoo whom he calls using his mouth as a trumpet. Little is revealed about Hachi's past but he probably has more personality than any member of the gang including Arlong himself.
Notice that Hachi carries guests to and from Arlong Park in a large pot. This isn't just a random creation by Oda, it's a real device called a takotsubo commonly called an 'octopus pot'. This is a pot used by fishermen in Japan for (wait for iiiiiit) catching octopi! The pots are lowered to the ocean floor where at night, octopi, known for crawling into tight crevices at night, will enter the pots and may be pulled up the next morning. Incidently this is also the name of a heart condition found in a number of elderly Japanese women. The left ventricle of the heart takes on a shape similar to the type of pot in question. Aaaaand it also refers to a type of closed-society lifestyle. Anyway, I hope you see the irony of an octopus carrying people in an octopus pot.
Hachi is kind of a live-wire. He tends to ask answer questions he asks before anyone can answer and he ends up talking to himself and even asking himself questions. It's almost hard to take him seriously when even during fights he constantly mixes up traditional lines with unexpected endings. Example, "If you thiiiink I'll ever forgive yoooooou....you're right!" You get the point. He also likes to refer to himself as "charming" and "captivating". Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe because of all those wavy tentacles.
Hachi is a master of the Six Sword School techniques. He claims to be the greatest swordsman on Fishman Island...excluding one person. Who is that person? As of this writing (Sprng 2006) One Piece fans are still waiting with bated breath for the answer.
The pointy spikes on Hachi's head are really just tufts of hair, not part of his body.
According to one of his one-way conversations, Hachi is partial to whole-roasted pig on a stick.
He may be a bit odd but he can be observant. He was the one who noticed three places set at Bellemere's dinner table and also found the maps that Nami drew. Of course he completely missed the fact that Zoro took down half of Arlong's crew right under his nose but hey, cut the guy a break.
It would seem that he uses his spare time to fish. (Volume 9 pg28)
This may be some wishful thinking on my part but since Oda is a fan of comedians it would appear that in Volume 9 page 138 panel 1, with his bottom set of arms, Hachi is performing the 'komanechi' stance popularized by comedian/Director Beat Takeshi where he mocked gymnast Nadia Comaneci's thrusting pose. Am I reading way too much into this? Maybe, but he's incorprated sight gags from popular comedy in the series before!
Sadly Hachi was the one who carried a kicking Nami away from her sister and away from her home to Arlong's ship.
Each one of Hachi's swords weighs 300kg or 661 pounds!!!!!!
Oh yeah....Hachi means 8. haha.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Hachi's pretty badass. Seriously, he's built like an ox and is powerful enough to move a small mountain underwater. And his Six Sword School techniques are pretty powerful! He obviously isn't on par with someone like Mihawk who cut right through Zoro's blades, but he uses his six blades well too bad the blades themselves aren't very strong. Actually, it's neat to see that he also has a number of interesting and useful defensive techniques without his swords. He's certainly a worthy opponent!
Even though his absent-mindedness seems like it could be a handicap, it seems to work in his favor by throwing his opponents somewhat off-guard.
Hachi can take a lot of punishment. Even after his main battle he still continued to fight on until it became absolutely impossible for him to move about.
For all his strength, Hachi is terribly afraid of being flicked by rubberbands.
Hacchan Spoilers
Pretty cool stuff here in Hachi's Spoilers. I'd suggest you hold off unless you've read up until the very start of Skypiea.
Hachi's Special Attacks
| Name of Attack | Translation | Used Against | Location in Manga | Special Notes |
Takohachi Burakku | Takohachi Black | Luffy, Sanji & Zoro | Vol.10 pg30 & 50 | Hachi spews octopus ink over his opponent(s) blinding them and leaving them subsceptible to another more dangerous attack. Takohachi simply means 'octopus eight'. It could also be him naming himself as 'Octopus Hachi'. I'm not sure if it is in reference to anything else. Before this attack he announces Shikai Zero or 'Zero Field of Vision'. |
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Takuhachi Burakku On Za Rokku | Takohachi Black on the Rock | Luffy | Vol.10 pg32 | After covering his opponent in ink he smashes a huge rock over them. Obviously the octopus ink is stamped 'on the rock'. |
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Tako San Ren Shin Ken Shira Ha Dori | Octopus Concentrated Three Timet Blade Interception | Zoro | Vol.10 pg53 | Okay, here we go. This defensive manuever is supposed to work by Hachi grasping his opponent's sword between his three sets of hands during a downward slice, immobilizing his foe. Well, Zoro cuts straight through this block. Now, the translation of this is somewhat tricky. It's supposed to sound like a superfluous move and it does. It literally sounds like this: Octopus Three Continuous Concentrated Drawn Blade Grab. If you just look at Shinken Shirahadori it is a common move in samurai comics and films where an unarmed individual grabs the blade in mid-slice between his palms. Hachi being an octopus has THREE chances to grab it, but misses all of them. |
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Takohachi Namba- Nain | Takohachi Number Nine | Zoro | Vol.10 pg54. | Hachi raises nine fingers and jumps to avoid an attack however, he stays suspened against a surface, like a ceiling or wall, by using his suckers. The gag here? Kyuuban means 'suction cups' in Japanese but it also means 'Number 9'. |
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Takoyaki Panchi | Flaming Octopus Punch | Zoro, Nojiko & Macro's Gang | Vol.10 pg59, 83 & 157 Vol.23 pg47 | Hachi launches a Fist of the Northstar-style continuous punching attack at his target. The name could really just be translated at Takoyaki Punch as takoyaki are really just fried octopus snacks, but this sounds more threatening. |
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Takoashi Kiken | Octopus Arm Miracle Swords | Zoro | Vol.10 pg70 | Hachi waves his 6 arms in a blinding fury and rushes his opponent. I love the name of this attack. First let me say it does not say 'arms' it says 'feet' but in English we call the appendages of an octopus its 'arms'. Although the kanji kiken reads as 'Miracle Swords', another spelling of kiken means 'danger' and 'octopus foot danger' is an expression for putting to many extensions into a single electrical outlet! |
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Takotsubo no Kamae | Octopus Pot Stance | Zoro | Vol.10 pg75 & 80. | One of the Six Sword School techniques, Hachi forms a defensive barrier with his swords that resembles an octopus pot. |
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Shin Shun - Tako Age - Taikai | New Spring - Open the Octopus - Break It Apart | Zoro | Vol.10 pg75-76 & 81. | A Six Sword School combo technique that follows Octopus Pot Stance. Hachi receives his opponent's attack with New Spring, breaks away their swords and leaves them vulnerable with Open the Octopus and then bashes them in the chest up into the air with his head for Break It Apart. Yet another play on words, if you bring it all together and change the kanji, Shinshuntakoage Taikai or 'The New Spring Raising the Kite Festival' is actually a festival in for Ibaraki Prefecture welcoming the new Spring on New Year's. |
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Rokutou no Warutsu | Six-Sword Waltz | Zoro | Vol.10 pg78 | One of the Six Sword School's secret techniques, Hachi winds himself into a spinning blur of blades and launches himself up into the air to attack a supposedly defenseless opponent. Usually follows Break It Apart. |
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Officially Listed Battles Fought
-
Hacchan VS Zoro [Chapters 84-86]
Yet to be Listed Conflicts
The last published One Piece guide (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as a list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is officially acceptable.
Unlisted Conflicts
The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.
- Hachi VS Marines of the 77th [Chapter 75]
- Hachi VS Nami [Chapter 79]
- Hachi VS Luffy, Sanji & Zoro [Chapter 83]
- Hachi VS Usopp [Chapter 89]
- Hachi VS Nojiko [Chapter 89]
- Hachi VS Sea Monster [Chapter 192]
- Hachi VS Great Octopus Mash [Chapter 205]
- Hachi VS Macro's Gang [Chapter 208]
- Hachi VS Octopako [Chapter 223]
Arlong Pirate Gang Officer: Kuroobi
Bounty: ?
Age: ?
Birthday: ?
Height: ?
Sign: ?
Known Data on Kuroobi
Originally, when I was writing a first draft of this profile, I had a whole paragraph right here declaring my hatred for Kuroobi. But I just deleted it. I gotta say, after researching some of his moves, I grew to like his character just a teensy bit. I still could care less for him as a villain and all, but I like some of the stuff Oda did with him. So anyway, yeah.
Kuroobi is a Ray Fishman and probably the sharpest tack in the lot of Arlong's Fishmen compatriots. He's the first to seriously doubt Nami's loyalty to Arlong and also seems to hold humans in as much contempt as Arlong. Maybe that's something to do with rays being closely related to sharks huh? He exhibits time and again that he's a no-nonsense fighter and is totally loyal to Arlong. He claims to be a 40th Level Fishman Karate expert aaaand you should be pleased to know that his name actually means 'black-belt'.
I spent about 10 minutes switching the spelling of Kuroobi's name back and forth between different translations before I finally decided on this one. Let me explain, as his name is written in katakana I wanted to write it so that it wouldn't appear like a romanized Japanese word. So I came up with Kurooby, but then I realized, people will just read it the 'oo' like kangaroo. So then I came up with Kuroeby and Kurobey but both of those lost the double 'o' sound which is important. Finally I was sure that Kuro-oby would be the way to go until I trashed it because even though it carries the pronounciation, it just looks dumb! So as long as you all know it really sounds like 'Kuro - oby' where the two o's are pronounced like in 'crow', we're all good. The things I worry over in attempts to be accurate.
Calling out attacks in karate is traditionally accompanied by a vocal, "Ei!" Actually a Ray (the creature) is called ei in Japanese. So when Kuroobi calls out "Ei!" he's....well you get the picture. Bet Oda stayed up all night thinking that one up.
During Nami's flashback we see that Kuroobi is also skilled with a sword and can use his cartilaginous arm-fins as shields to deflect bullets.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Ever notice how it's really hard to move underwater? Well being underwater doesn't affect Fishman Karate, in fact depending on the move it can be even stronger! For a human to face a Fishman underwater in battle is suicide. But surely they must have some weak point...
Being part ray, Kuroobi is not affected by quick changes in water pressure. Most real rays live on the ocean floor but typically in coastal areas and not in deep waters.
With his body being mostly thick cartilage, Kuroobi can absorb and dole out a great deal of punsihment, especially with his large arm-fins.
Kuroobi likes to announce his attacks and talk way too much during the fight like any good karate stereotype. Is this a strength or a weakness? I'm sure you'll enjoy reading and finding out for yourself.
Kuroobi Spoilers
He actually has a spoiler but if you read the Hacchan spoilers then feel free to go ahead and check this out.
Kuroobi's Special Attacks
| Name of Attack | Translation | Used Against | Location in Manga | Special Notes |
Hyakumaigawara Seiken | Hundred Tile True Punch | Sanji | Vol.10 pg61 | Apparently a standard Fishman Karate punch to the stomach with enough power to break through 100 tiles. |
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Wantou Giri | Arm Blade Slash | Sanji | Vol.10 pg94 | Kuroobi slams his arm-fin in to the back of his opponent's neck. |
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Itomaki Kumite | Devilfish Sparring | Sanji | Vol.10 pg95 | Kuroobi wraps his queue around the waist of his opponent giving them no chance to escape so he can pound on them. Itomaki is the Japanese word for Devilfish now known as the Manta Ray but it can also mean 'a spool of thread' which is what his opponent looks like when they're tied up. |
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Kaisoku Harakudashigeri | Sea-Speed Stomach 'Drop' Kick | Sanji | Vol.10 pg96 | Even though this attack is simply a high-speed kick to the stomach which is even stronger underwater, this attack is AMAZING. Okay, stay with me. Kaisoku written with different kanji can mean 'High Speed'. Although haradashi could mean, 'drop of the stomach' it really means 'laxative'. Furthermore the word kick is pronounced keri but in combinations it becomes geri which could also mean diarrhea. Put it all together and you've got: 'High-Speed Laxative-Induced Diarrhea'. The man is a genius. |
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Kaka Kakato Otoshi | Fire Flower Heel Drop | Sanji | Vol.10 pg97 | Kuroobi spins and plants his heel on the head of his target. Kaka here sounds more threatening as 'Fire Flower' but can also means 'splendid'. Kakato otoshi (heel drop) is also a real move in karate. |
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Kachiage Haisoku | Rising Thrust-Kick | Sanji | Vol.10 pg97 | Kuroobi delivers an inner-sole kick to the chin of his flailing opponent. Kachiage is an opening move in Sumo wrestling where the attacker uses his elbow at a 90 degree angle to attack the chin or shoulder of his opponent. Here the attack is done with the inner sole of Kuroobi's foot, hence haisoku. Kachiage is also a term for welding the ceiling of a ship. Being made of so many strange terms, this attack name is also quite 'fishy' and sounds like it has a hidden gag I have somehow missed. |
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Joudan Bakushou | High-Rank Exploding Palm | Sanji | Vol.10 pg98 | A very painful-looking open-palm attack delivered below the chin of an opponent. Thankfully this gag is easy to understand. When written in different kanji joudan means joke and bakusho means cracking up. I personally wouldn't be laughing after that. |
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Appakushi Chokka Kouro | Death by Pressure Plunge | Sanji | Vol.10 pg101 | Kuroobi takes his human victim to the surface and then plunges to the depths of the sea at high speed. This causes a condition known as Nitrogen Narcosis where increased pressure causes nitrogen to have an adverse affect on nerve transmission. It results in a state similar to intoxication and depending on the severity of the effects, it may kill an individual. Appakushi literally mean 'Pressure Death' and chokka kouro means 'course directly below' |
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Senmaigawara Seiken | Thousand Tile True Punch | Sanji | Vol.10 pg107 | A stronger version of Hyakugawara Seiken, this is Kuroobi's killer move and the essence of Fishman Karate. It's supposedly strong enough to shatter 1,000 tiles and can kill a human in one shot but, we never get to see what it looks like. |
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Officially Listed Battles Fought
-
Kuroobi VS Sanji [Chapters 84-86]
Yet to be Listed Conflicts
The last published One Piece guide (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as a list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is officially acceptable.
Unlisted Conflicts
The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.
- Kuroobi VS Marines of the 77th [Chapter 75]
- Kuroobi VS Gen [Chapters 78 & 79]
Arlong Pirate Gang Officer: Chuu
Bounty: ?
Age: ?
Birthday: ?
Height: ?
Sign: ?
Notes on Chuu
I like Chuu a lot! He's probably one of the most neglected major villains in One Piece which is a shame since his character design is pretty sweet. Given his distinct facial features, meaning his protruding mouth, for simplicity's sake I would say that Chuu is a Garfish Fisman, more on that later. He's pretty much the laidback and silent type, or at least that's how he comes across. Oda may simply not have needed to use him much. Whatever the case may be, when the going gets tough, Chuu gets going. His specialties are 'water gun' techniques where he fires water from his mouth under high pressure. Again, a pretty neat villain but sadly under-developed.
Now about his name. Based purely on his protruding mouth I'd have to say Oda intended for him to be a Garfish. Check it out on Google Image Search and you'll see what I mean. However, when Japanese people mention his species, kisu, they are more often than not referring to the Japanese sillago known properly in Japanese as the shirokisu. The two fish look very different and have vastly different lifestyles. Not to mention, shirokisu is commonly used for sushi and is popular for having a "delicate" flavor.
We aren't done with his name yet. I mentioned above that Garfish is widely accepted as kisu which is commonly written in kanji but when written in katakana it looks just like the word for, "kiss". Hence those big beautiful lips. Furthermore, a chu in Japanese is a quick peck on the cheek or lips.
When speaking, Chuu has a tendency to actually utter a little "chu" between long sentences. It sounds like he's giving a little kiss while talking and depending on how serious the situation at hand is, it's kind of a funny juxtaposition.
Looking at the scene where Chuu first arrives at Cocoyashi village with the gang, it would appear that he can wield a sword somewhat competently as well. However, whether that was for show or not I promise you we will never know.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Chuu's almost perpetually hands-in-pockets low-key temperament makes him great as a fighter who won't lose his head in battle. However, the kind of 'unusual' tactics he has to put up with from a certain someone forces him leave himself open to attack and lose his cool...literally.
His 'water gun' techniques are quite powerful and can even bore holes in trees. It's almost as if he has an industrial strength power washer for a mouth.
Based on the strength and nature of the attacks that ultimately took him down compared to the other Fishmen officers, it would seem he is the weakest of the three (and considering he can kick a tree in half that's nothing to be ashamed of) but this is purely speculation that will no doubt have me in hot water with Chuu lovers. Get it? Hot water.
Chuu Spoilers
Sorry folks, no need for Chuu spoilers.
Chuu's Special Attacks
| Name of Attack | Translation | Used Against | Location in Manga | Special Notes |
Mizudeppou | Water Gun | Marines of the 77th, Usopp | Vol.9 pg7 | Chuu fires high-pressure water at his opponent from his mouth. The water is under such high pressure that it acts like a bullet. The name of the attack is literally how to say 'squirt gun' in Japanese but given the name of his second attack, gun seems more appropriate. |
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Mizu Taihou | Water Cannon | Usopp | Vol.10 pg124 | Chuu sucks a vast amount of water into his body and then expels it in one massive blast. It has enough power to plow through a forest. |
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Hyappatsu Mizudeppou | Hundred-Shot Water Gun | Usopp | Vol.10 pg126 | Chuu fires a volley of water shots at his opponent. |
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Officially Listed Battles Fought
-
Chuu VS Usopp [Chapters 83-88]
Yet to be Listed Conflicts
The last published One Piece guide (Grand Data File Blue) covered events through volume 24. The following are my opinion of battles that occurred post Volume 24. As soon as a list is published, I will alter this data to reflect what is officially acceptable.
Unlisted Conflicts
The requisites for some battles are questionable. It appears that if only one punch (or kick or whatever) is thrown, then it does not count as a battle (except in the very first bout listed). There are also different types of conflicts, (meaning other than throwing punches or kicks), which are not listed. These are my opinion and were not officially listed.
- Chuu VS Usopp [Chapter 73]
- Chuu VS Marines of the 77th [Chapter 75]
Former Arlong Pirate Gang Officer: Nami
Bounty: ?
Age: 18
Birthday: July 3rd
Height: 5' 6.5"/169cm
Sign: Cancer
Known Data on Nami
Nami became a member of Arlong's gang for the sole purpose of gathering enough money to pay Arlong the 100,000,000 Belly which would free her village from his control. She worked as a cartographer for Arlong since she was 10 years old. She was branded with the mark of Arlong's crew in the form of a tattoo on her left shoulder. She is famous in Arlong's gang for being a backstabber to her own people just so that she could survive but surely things aren't as simple as they seem. For more information on Nami might I suggest reading her complete profile on this page.
Other Gang Members
Mohmoo:
A Sea Bull monster from the Grandline. Note that he's named a kaigyuu sea monster which is really 'Sea Cow' and just like English the name refers to a Manatee. He's officially a soldier for Arlong and is quite ferocious in sea battle but is quick to humble himself before anyone stronger than he is. Hacchan feeds Mohmoo and apparently one of his favorite foods is barbeque whole-pig-on-a-stick.
Kaneshiro:
Kaneshiro is the crew's Shipwright. He's a Goldfish Fishman and the kanji for 'gold' can be seen on his forehead and as a fancy tattoo on his chest. Get it? Gold-fish.
Pisaro:
Pisaro is the Arlong Pirate Gang's Musician and an Ocean Sunfish Fishman. He can always be seen holding maracas in both hands which he often shakes. He was the one who noticed smoke coming from Bellemere's chimney.
Nuke:
Nuke (pronounced 'new-kay') is a Carp Fishman and is the Commanding Officer of Social Parties. The kanji for 'love' on his forehead is an expression of enthusiasm towards his job. It's also a joke since carp in Japanese is pronounced koi and so is the word for love. His name may be a shortening of a Japanese term for a fool.
Shioyaki:
Shioyaki is a Salmon Fishman and Head of Banquets. That's probably why he's always carrying around a bottle of sake. Shioyaki also means 'fish broiled with salt', and in Japan it's a common method of preparing salmon.
