The world of One Piece might be a whimsical fabrication, yet, its morbid overtones and tragic heroes are gruesomely realistic.
For an optimistic adventure shonen series about a pirate crew sailing the unpredictable waters of a fantastical land in search of a mythical treasure, One Piece has a surprising amount of unsettling real-life connotations. While traveling through the Grand Line, the Straw Hat Pirates are exposed to many disquieting narratives and realities of their unjust world that might hit too close to home for some viewers.
The world of One Piece might be a whimsical fabrication, yet, its morbid overtones and tragic heroes are gruesomely realistic. These are some of the most disquieting instances when One Piece gets too real.
10. The Fish-Men Island Arc Introduced A Society Purged By Systemic Discrimination & Hatred
In early One Piece, most fish-men encountered by the Straw Hats were downright evil, and their place in the world’s hierarchy was unclear. However, the Fish-Men Island arc finally sheds some light on the gruesome history of fish-men, revealing that their isolation from human societies is a result of discrimination, slavery, and bigotry.
Generations of disdain between fish-men and humans created such monsters as Arlong and Hody. Yet, it’s the all too real issue of racial prejudice that’s responsible for fish-men being cast away from society.
9. Sanji’s Backstory Is A Heartbreaking Tale Of Abuse & Neglect
Sanji’s backstory might be the most layered and complex out of all the Straw Hats’. If the tragedy of Zeff sacrificing his leg to keep Sanji from starving wasn’t gruesome enough for a kid to endure, the abuse he went through as the Vinsmoke heir is bound to haunt the man forever.
When Sanji failed to meet Judge’s expectations as a superhuman experiment, the Germa King became disenchanted with his son. Sanji spent most of his childhood dwelling in a prison cell, abused and ridiculed by other Vinsmokes.
8. The Annihilation Of Ohara Showcased Just How Despicable The World Government Is
It’s no secret that the World Government represents the ultimate evil in the One Piece universe. Yet, seeing just how far those in power are willing to go to preserve their totalitarian status quo is still unsettling. The Ohara Incident is the most horrific example of the World Government’s corrupt, cruel nature.
The Buster Call ordered on Ohara for their research into the Void Century resulted in a genocide of an entire nation, all to preserve the secrets of the government and discourage others from challenging their authority.
7. Forcing Slaves To Build The Tequila Wolf Bridge Is A Cruel Sisyphean Task
An enigmatic location in the One Piece world, Tequila Wolf is a bridge construction site that aims to connect islands together. Considering that Tequila Wolf has been under construction for the past 700 years and the only people working it are slaves and criminals, most admit that the bridge will never be completed.
While not much is known about Tequila Wolf’s current status, its implications are horrific. Thinking about all the laborers who died for this impractical idea posed by the World Nobles is utterly depressing.
6. Senor Pink’s Backstory Dives Into Some Shockingly Heavy-Hitting Themes
For all of his silly looks, Senor Pink might be one of the most tragic characters in One Piece, his story meditating on themes of loss, doomed love, and the world’s cruelty. Senor Pink used to have a son and a wife, from whom he hid his identity as a pirate.
Unfortunately, a series of unforeseen accidents killed his kid and left his wife in a vegetative state. Overwhelmed by grief and heartbreak, Senor Pink started dressing like a baby to return a smile to his wife’s blank face.
5. The Gray Terminal Incident Is A Powerful Metaphor For Social Segregation
It’s no shock that the One Piece society is plagued by inequality. Yet, just how far the people are willing to go to avoid the rage of the World Nobles is utterly terrifying. The city of Goa’s lawless community, the Gray Terminal, is a depressing example of society turning its back on its less fortunate members.
However, if outcasting unwanted people wasn’t bad enough, the rulers of Goa went as far as to burn the entire Terminal down with all its inhabitants in preparation for a visit from the World Nobles.
4. Experiments On Children Are Carried Out In The One Piece World
In the Punk Hazard arc, the viewers meet Caesar Clown, who, for all of his cartoony villain theatrics, represents some of the most disquieting connotations about the One Piece world. A scientist of sorts, Caesar was working on the gigantification procedure, a method to turn regular-sized people into giants.
Yet, as the subject for his experiments, he chose literal children, drugging them with addictive narcotics and conducting inhumane tests to spike their growth. Disturbingly enough, a successful gigantification procedure is a dream shared by the World Government.
3. Nami Had To Watch Her Adoptive Mother Die
Growing up in Cocoyasi Village with her step-sister, Nojiko, and adoptive mother, Bellmère, Nami had a bright and loving childhood. Unfortunately, their idyll was destroyed when the fish-man pirate Arlong took over Cocoyasi and began demanding tribute from every adult and child in the village as the price for their survival.
Arlong’s seizure of power led to Bellmère being murdered right in front of Nami’s eyes when the woman tried to protect her kids. The loss of Bellmère is a tragedy Nami carries with her to this day.
2. The World Nobles Terrorized Regular Citizens Enough To Create A Vicious Cycle Of Hate
The World Nobles is one of the most despicable classes in One Piece. Living above the law, they treat commoners with unbounded cruelty. The only things such behavior breeds are fear and hate, which backfires even on the World Nobles who strive to change the status quo, as showcased in the Donquixote Family backstory.
Even after Homing Donquixote renounced his World Noble title and moved to live a simpler life with his family, the people persecuted, lynched, and crucified them, unable to contain their hatred for the World Nobles.
1. Slavery Is A Sickening Constant In One Piece’s Society
Slavery appears in anime awfully often. Yet, they rarely present this gruesome practice with the same revolting realism as One Piece. The World Nobles treat other races and even their fellow humans as objects, arranging slave auctions at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Owners mark their slaves with the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon brand, declaring them less than human. Even if slavery is technically prohibited by the World Government, no one can stop the Celestial Dragons from purchasing slaves and treating them as horribly as they want to.
Src: cbr.com
