The second most prominent race of One Piece next to humans, Fishmen are some of the most subjugated on earth. These hybrids of Fish and human have all the intelligence of their landbound peers with the advantage of ocean adaptability. Unfortunately, the Fishmen also have a long history of slavery and fear, as the world of One Piece hasn’t been entirely kind to them.
This article contains spoilers for One Piece, so watch the anime on Crunchyroll or read the manga on Viz to catch up!
What are Fishmen?
While they’re called Fishmen as a whole race, this also includes Mermaids among the numbers of the Fishmen. These beings are often a one-to-one hybrid of whatever fish they’re born with the features of and a person, completely at random. A Shark Fishman for example, could have an Octopus Fishman or Pufferfish Mermaid as a child. The odds are really all over the place for what a Fishman child could come out as, and that has to make paternity tests really, really hard.
Still, the Fishmen are incredibly strong, no matter what kind of fish they’re based on. They have great strength, able to flip a house with seemingly no issue when they want to. All Fishmen and Mermaids of course can breathe underwater, and increased speed/maneuvering ability when in water. This strength that they have makes them a favorite for slaves of the World Government, since they can do more than regular humans.
Fishman Island
The Fishman home of Fishman Island is located far under the sea, all the way underneath the Red Line. It still manages to get sunlight thanks to the roots of the Eve, the Mother Tree, which brings light down through the roots that surround the island. Fishman Island itself is also encased in a massive bubble which allows everyone to stay dry while visiting, as well as makes the entire island friendly for humans.
Above the mainland of Fishman Island, in another bubble, is the castle of the Ryugyu Dynasty. They live here along with much of the ancient treasure of the Fishman Kingdom. Meanwhile, below on the Western side of Fishman Island, the massive boat Noah sits. This makes up what’s known locally as the Fishman District, which is a more rough-and-tumble part of the town.
Ryugu Kingdom
The Ryugu Kingdom is still led by King Neptune, a powerful Shark-Merman who rules alone after the passing of his wife. Queen Otohime herself was much beloved, a small Mermaid with a big heart, and the two have four children together. Their sons, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi are all fiercely protective of their little sister, Mermaid princess Shirahoshi. While she’s massive, she has all the heart of her mother and more despite her troubles.
When the Straw Hats meet her in the story, Shirahoshi is locked away in her tower thanks to Vander Decken IX. His Devil Fruit ability with the Mark-Mark Fruit allows him to throw things at her, no matter where they are, and he does it constantly to torment her. All because she refuses his advances, and won’t marry him. Which, when looking at the situation, is pretty obvious why.
Joyboy’s Promise
The Poneglyph left in the Sea Forest is one that contains crucial history from the Void Century. More specifically, it contains a long apology letter from Joyboy to the Fishmen, telling them he’s sorry for not fulfilling his promise. This promise was to bring them to the surface, somehow involving the massive ship Noah and the Ancient Weapon Poseidon. Nobody knows yet what keeps him from honoring the promise, but theories persist that it’s part of Joyboy’s eventual demise.
The promise to bring them to the surface stems from the long history of Fishmen as a subjugated race. These are people that have been bought and sold for centuries, lives worth less than dirt to the ones that use them. It’s not just a historical thing either, and still continues to this day in the main story, as the Straw Hats see firsthand on Sabaody Archipelago.
Slavery of Fishmen
Fishmen have been held in slavery for centuries, even before the Void Century. This seems to be the basis of everything that Joyboy wanted to help them within the Void Century, trying to free them from the tyranny of those above. His fight was in vain though, and it failed. Now, the practice of slavery for not only Fishmen but humans as well, is alive atop the Red Line in Sacred Marijoa.
These slaves are the architects and builders of Marijoa, with their bodies laying the foundation for the sacred city atop the Red Line. Fishmen’s lives are treated as less than dirt, with no penalty for killing them above the water. The Celestial Dragons got away with the systemic abuse and murder of the Fishmen for centuries, and even now some Fishmen still bear the Claw of the Celestial Dragon brand that signifies it.
Poseidon
The Ancient Weapon that the Fishmen have held for generations only appears in Mermaids of the Royal Family every few decades. This goes around, it resides in Princess Shirahoshi, the giant Mermaid and youngest child of the Ryugu family. She’s a big baby when she first comes into the story, which Luffy names her Wimpy-Hoshi for, but throughout the Fishman Island arc she grows into a brave princess much like her mother. In doing so she also starts to harness her power of Poseidon, shown during the final battle of the arc.
This power allows Shirahoshi to call and command the Neptunians and Sea Kings from around the oceans. These massive creatures, monstrous in nature and stronger than any creatures in the Grand Line, will obey Poseidon’s every command. When there’s a small check-in with some of the Neptunians after the arc, they even mention how much they love the current Poseidon, saying Shirahoshi is one of their favorites in a long time.
Fisher Tiger’s Raid
The legendary Fishman Pirate Captain Fisher Tiger was just one of many slaves taken atop the Red Line. He was only there for a year, branded with the Claw of the Celestial Dragon much like others before he decided enough was enough. Fisher Tiger and other slaves lead a breakout on Marijoa, freeing thousands in the process and stealing a ship to return to Fishman Island. Here they receive aid from Otohime and the Fishmen, covering up their brands in the process with the symbol of the Sun, which Jimbei adapts for his crew’s name, the Sun Pirates.
This raid frees many characters that play huge parts in the modern-day story, including Boa Hancock and her sisters. Koala of the Revolutionary Army is also one of the slaves freed, and Fisher Tiger forms the Fishman Pirates to take her back home. Unfortunately, this will be a formative moment in history for both the Fishman Pirates and Koala.
The Fishman Pirates
When Fisher Tiger tells those around him on Fishman Island he’s forming a pirate crew, Arlong, Jimbei, and others jump to join him. They’re all loyal to his cause, and take on the same Sun Brand so nobody can distinguish who is a former slave from who isn’t. They’re all fiercely loyal to Tiger, though Jimbei and Arlong often butt heads on their treatment of humans. Koala turns out to be a formative aspect of Jimbei’s respect for humans, and many of the Fishman Pirates grow close to the young girl during their travels.
It’s all for nothing, unfortunately, because Koala’s village betrays them to the Navy in order to keep her safe. Kizaru and a Marine group assassinate Fisher Tiger when he delivers the young girl, and when told he needs a special blood transfusion from a human, Fisher Tiger declines. Despite how much he pushed for the redemption of humans, Tiger couldn’t take their blood in the end thanks to his own prejudiced heart.
Arlong
One of Fisher Tiger’s go-to pirates was also one of the One Piece’s earliest big bads. Arlong was fierce, even more so in his past before coming to Coco Village to terrorize Nami’s family, and it shows in his flashbacks. Arlong already has a hatred of humans before Fisher Tiger is killed, but seeing it up close is just another nail in the coffin for his vendetta. Arlong is apprehended for one of his multiple crimes against humans and thrown into prison, which makes him even more volatile toward them.
After Jimbei negotiates for his Warlord of the Sea position, it’s one of his terms that Arlong is set free. This leads him to the East Blue and Coco village, beginning his reign of terror. From the Fishman District down below the Red Line all the way to Coco Village, Arlong’s path of hatred has carved a jagged, violent course.
Who is Jimbei?
Jimbei is considered the first mate of the Fishman Pirates, and he’s the first Fishman appointed as Warlord of the Sea. Jimbei harbors Fisher Tiger’s love for humanity, and believes that they can be great allies and friends to the Fishmen. The Warlord position he takes is solely meant to protect his home of Fishman Island, keeping it safe from enemies of the World Government and the Gorosei themselves, much like Amazon Lily does. Jimbei’s honor proves too great to his friends though, and he forsakes the Warlord title to help Ace and Luffy at the battle of Marineford.
After the Marineford War he completely revokes the title, and goes on to join the Big Mom Pirates to guarantee safety for the Fishmen. After Straw Hat Luffy saves his home in a prolonged fight with Hody Jones, losing enough blood to require a transfusion, Jimbei offers his own to help. With this he also pledges to join Luffy’s crew, fulfilling Fisher Tiger’s dream and eventually the promise of Joyboy.
Hody Jones
Of course, many Fishmen don’t feel the same as Jimbei does. Some feel resentment for humans and the situation they’re in, believing that the humans are responsible, and this leads to Hody Jones. The only times he’s interacted with humans are to use them in his plans, using them to frame a massive false flag operation against the Ryugu Kingdom. Hody Jones assassinates Queen Otohime, and that sets the spark for his later attempt at a coup.
When Jones eventually does try to rebel, it leads to a huge fight with Straw Hat Luffy and the Ryugu dynasty. It’s here that they find out exactly what Hody Jones has against humans- nothing. His hatred is based solely on stories from others like Arlong, and he’s had no personal issue to take up with them. It’s the type of generational hatred at work in the real world, translated to One Piece.
Luffy’s Promise
When Luffy defeats Hody it opens the door for Joyboy’s promise to finally come around. Luffy, a human, saves the Fishman District and Noah, along with the Ryugu Castle and the main island, all from one overzealous Fishman supremacist. After their battle Luffy even tells Shirahoshi that he’ll come back for them, to fulfill the promise that Joyboy couldn’t. It’s one of the first times he takes on the duty of Joyboy, and he’s going to do it a lot more before the next few arcs are over.
Luffy takes it upon himself to tell Shirahoshi she’ll come to the surface one day and walk without fear. That time is getting closer too, because the final saga is coming in hot with major revelations and battles. The Fishman Kingdom has a huge role to play, especially with the recent breakdown in political ties at the Reverie.
Fishmen at the Reverie
It took all of five minutes atop the Red Line for a Celestial Dragon to try and take them as slaves. Saint Charlos sees Princess Shirahoshi when the Fishmen arrive for the Reverie, and decides immediately that he needs her to be his. All he wants is to take her as his own, throw her in a tube of water, and keep her around to watch while she sits cramped. It’s the nightmare existence of most Mermaids taken by the Celestials, and Cipher Pol 0 almost makes it Shirahoshi’s reality.
Thankfully Donquixote Myosgard saves them, before the Straw Hat Fleet members present make a scene out of it, and things calm down. Later he earns a harsh punishment for it, but this also drives the Fishman Kingdom away from the Reverie in anger and fear. Not that it will matter for very long, as this is likely the last Reverie that will ever happen.
The Fishman race is at a pivotal turning point in history, poised to take their rightful place above ground alongside humans. Their incredible strength is already a guaranteed ally to Luffy in the final battles ahead, and many are cheering on the Straw Hats mission from their home below the waves. The Fishman people are some of the most important in the world of One Piece, and they’re going to make sure to have their say in history this time.
