The Mind-Blowing Real-World Messages Hidden in One Piece

Highlights

One Piece explores real-world themes such as racial prejudice and inherited hatred, with fishmen being looked down upon by humans, leading to a cycle of hate and racism.

In certain regions of the One Piece world, the concept of slavery is portrayed where individuals are acquired and traded to the World Nobles. These World Nobles show a particular interest in fishmen and mermaids, subjecting them to a lifetime of suffering, torment, and degradation.

Within the One Piece universe, the World Government practices strict censorship, manipulating the narrative and actively suppressing crucial information, including the forbidden history of the Void Century. This behavior demonstrates distinct characteristics of an authoritative governing body.

While One Piece is a fictional story in a made-up world with made-up characters, it still draws inspiration from the real world. From characters based on real people, such as the original trio of Admirals who were inspired by actual Japanese actors, to fictitious locations that bear similarities to real places on Earth (like Arabasta resembling Egypt and Water 7 resembling Venice), the series is filled with various real-world influences.

However, in this article, we will not be discussing individuals or locations. Instead, we will delve into the exploration of some of the darker real-world themes present in this enduring series. Without further ado, let's begin.

Racial Prejudice & Inherited Hatred

One Piece is renowned for its expansive and vibrant universe, which encompasses an array of captivating locations. However, what truly distinguishes this fictional world is the remarkable diversity of races that inhabit it. In addition to humans, there are Giants, beast people, fishmen, and even individuals with extraordinary limb joints, among many others. Though more accurately described as different "species," for the sake of brevity and clarity, we will refer to them as distinct "races" throughout this article.

Given such a heterogeneous populace, it is inevitable that certain regions of this world are plagued by a form of racism, particularly in areas dominated by human inhabitants. Regrettably, the fishmen race often falls victim to this reprehensible prejudice. Despite possessing immense physical strength and the ability to thrive underwater, many humans in One Piece view them merely as talking fish, undermining their true worth. This narrow-minded perspective perpetuates an ongoing cycle of pain and suffering for both sides.

Slavery & Abuse of Power

Unfortunately, similar to real-life racism, children often inherit their parents' prejudices, perpetuating a multi-generational cycle of hatred and bigotry. While these children may not harbor any inherent animosity towards fishmen, the influence of their parents and the surrounding community leads them to adopt racist beliefs. In turn, fishmen who have experienced the cruelty of humans, like Arlong and his crew, develop a deep-rooted resentment towards humanity, unintentionally passing down this animosity to a new generation of fishmen, such as Hody Jones and his gang, who have never had any interactions with humans. This perpetuates the cycle of hate and racism that persists to this day.

Although racism is more widespread, One Piece depicts the persistence of slavery in its universe. However, unlike the universal racism faced by the fishmen, slavery is localized to specific regions (notably the Sabaody Archipelago) and can affect individuals regardless of their race or gender.

In One Piece, slavery functions as a profitable enterprise. Slave traders acquire slaves from various sources and sell them to the World Nobles, also known as Celestial Dragons. Individuals may become enslaved if they are unable to settle their debts or if they are captured by hunters and then sold to slave traders. Ordinary humans typically become slaves due to financial reasons, while individuals with unique attributes such as strength or fame, as well as people from different races like giants and fishmen, are enslaved for the latter reason.

In contrast to the widespread prejudice against fishmen, nobles and slave traders highly value them as slaves, recognizing their superior physical abilities. However, mermaids are particularly coveted and sought after by the nobles, often leading to conflicts throughout the series. Regardless of whether one is human, fishman, or any other race, enslavement results in a lifetime of suffering, torment, and debasement.

So why does the government permit such barbaric practices to persist in this modern era? The truth is, not only does the World Government allow it, but they actively assist the nobility in their quest to possess slaves. The celestial dragons, direct descendants of the World Government's founders, must be safeguarded at all costs, hence the nobles' behavior as if they rule the world. This represents one of the numerous instances of power abuse depicted in One Piece.

Censorship & Authoritarian Government

In addition to the already devastating impact of a government endorsing the abhorrent slave trade, the World Government is also grappling with a far more urgent concern that remains largely concealed from the public eye – the insidious presence of extreme censorship.

The World Government, as the sole governing body and controller of the powerful Marine force, has complete control over the dissemination of information to the public. This control explains why the rest of the world remains ignorant about the slave trade in the Sabaody Archipelago. While they grant some freedom of the press to certain newspaper companies like "Big News" Morgans' publication, they retain authority over specific information, particularly if it portrays them and the celestial dragons in a negative light.

Among the World Government's most strictly taboo subjects is the Void Century. They not only prohibit its discussion but also employ the full might of the Marine to suppress any attempts to research it. This was demonstrated in the tragic case of Ohara's inhabitants and is currently happening to the esteemed scholar Dr. Vegapunk. Despite Vegapunk's long-standing loyalty and numerous contributions, the government swiftly dispatched an entire fleet of Marines, including CP0 and an Admiral, to his doorstep upon discovering his research on the Void Century. Their intention is to eliminate him without hesitation. These extreme measures clearly reveal the authoritarian nature of the government in the One Piece world.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.