Summary
Oppression is a recurring theme in theOne Pieceseries. This is often examined through the lens of power dynamics, where individuals with more wealth, power, or authority are perceived as mistreating those with less. Racism is a common lens through which oppression occurs in the narrative. Like with many fictional stories, this is explored through “Fantastic Racism” (orFantasy Racism), with non-humans typically suffering greater persecution under the World Government.
This social inequality is enshrined through both certain laws, such as the practice of slavery, which still exists in the storyline, and resulting cultural opinions.These specific races have been explicitly identified as persecuted groups withinOne Piece.
5Buccaneers
A Hybrid Species
Buccaneersare a humanoid species that are not as big as giants, but significantly larger than the average human. They are thought to have some connection to giants, with an apparent shared reverence for the Sun God, Nika, but the exact nature of this connection is unclear. They are identified as “hybrids” of multiple races, but the exact races have not yet been determined. Without a blood test, one cannot reliably distinguish a Buccaneer from a larger human. They are said to have committed a great crime in the past, resulting in their enslavement or death at the hands of the World Government. It is possible they or their forebears were aligned with Joy Boy, who could transform into Nika and fought against the government’s founders.
As a result, the race is on the brink of extinction, with Bartholomew Kuma generally considered the last of his kind. The World Government enslaved Kuma himself at various points in his life. He was converted into a cyborg as part of a pact he was forced into in exchange for Vegapunk curing his foster daughter, Bonney. Ironically, despite their persecution, they are now part of the World Government’s military strategy, thanks to Kuma serving as the blueprint for various Pacifistas, artificial clones of Kuma largely operated by the government. Dr. Vegapunk implied that there was something about Kuma’s physiology that allowed him to override a programmed shutdown switch, which subsequently resulted in him regaining full autonomy.
4Three-Eye Tribe
Potentially Enlightened
The Three-Eye Tribeis a thus far unseen race within the series. Seemingly, they are visually indistinguishable from ordinary humans, aside from the third eye atop their forehead. That said, the only confirmed member of the species is Charlotte Pudding, who has maternal human ancestry. Her father was one of Charlotte “Big Mom” Linlin’s husbands, and like all her other husbands, he was married explicitly for the purpose of having a child, and cast aside after their birth. Pudding suffered bullying from other children as well as her own mother because of her third eye, often covering it up with her hair as a result.
The Three-Eye Tribe is nearly extinct, but the existence of other members of the species is at least implied. Killer, of the Kid Pirates,is speculated to be a member, given that his forehead is never shown to the audience, but this is unconfirmed. Three-Eyes are distinguished by their ability to gain a “true awakening” of their third eye through presently unknown means, which is said to allow them to hear theVoice of All Things. If true, this means they could potentially “hear” poneglyphs and understand their significance as other known users have. It is possible this is the very reason the species was driven to near-extinction, as poneglyphs detail subjects the government forbids the study of. Charlotte Pudding seems unconfident that her third eye can “awaken” as she is merely half-Three-Eye, but the extent to which this is warranted has not been made clear.
3Lunarians
A Tribe Of Gods
TheLunarianspreviously dwelled atop the Red Line, a ring-shaped continent which borders most of the Blue Planet. They are humanoid in appearance, but share distinct traits such as brown skin, white hair, and black wings. They are capable of surviving in virtually any environment and can also ignite their bodies, controlling the resulting fire. When their body is not ignited, they become significantly faster. Arber, Kaido’s right-hand, more commonly known as “King,” is the only known member of the species at present.
Despite being identified as “Lunarians,” the connection between this race and the moon is currently unclear. That said, the various Sky Island tribes, namely Jayans, Shandians, and Birkans, are all winged humanoids who originate from the moon. However, there is not enough information available to determine if this is where Lunarians also originate, as they are largely distinct from the former three. Lunarians are heavily coveted by both the government and people who specialize in “collecting” races, such as Big Mom or slave owners. It is unclear what exactly wiped them out, but judging by the Celestial Dragons settling on their former territory as well as the discussion of their persecution, it was likely not an accident.
Beyond their natural members, Lunarians also make up the DNA of the Seraphim. The Seraphim are Pacifistas who are based on existing individuals, namely the Shichibukai, whom they were made to replace. Despite having non-Lunarian DNA from each Shichibukai, every Seraph appears to have the physiology of a Lunarian. Each Seraph’s Lunarian DNA comes from King, who was previously a test subject on Punk Hazard alongside Kaido.
2Fish-Men And Merfolk
Aquatic Races
Fish-men and Merfolkare largely interconnected species that tend to face the same struggles. They largely overlap in both genetics and physical traits, with the primary difference being that Merfolk have fish-like traits below the waist, whilst Fish-Men more often have them above the waist. Both species vary greatly, as they typically resemble different types of aquatic life, which reflects aspects of their physical appearance, such as size, coloration, and number of appendages, among others. Both species can breathe underwater and exhibit various distinctive traits, most of which are inherited from the fish they individually resemble.
It should be noted that despite various factors affecting their appearance, the fish they take after have little immediate genetic components determining the exact species that each individual will be; instead, they derive their dominant genes from distant ancestors. Franky’s mentor, Tom, took after a long-horned cowfish and was a Fish-Man. Tom’s younger brother, Den, is a Merman who takes after a bering wolffish. Most persecution towards Fish-Men and Merfolk comes from humans, who are quick to enslave them. There are also instances of friction between the two groups, such as the internal politics onFish-Man Island, specifically the conflict between the Fish-Man District and the Merfolk-ruled Ryugu Kingdom.
Nonetheless, the majority of oppression is derived from humans, who tend to value both races highly as slaves. Fish-Men and Mermen are valued equally as slaves, with each commanding an average of 7-digit funds. Mermaids, however, command 8-digit funds, with 30+ year-old Mermaids whose fins are “parted,” allowing them to walk on land, fetching an average of 10,000,000 belly. Younger Mermaids fetch even higher sums at 70,000,000 belly. Fish-Men, in particular, tend to be prejudiced against humans in response to this oppression, with certain radical factions, such as the Arlong Pirates and the New Fish-Man Pirates, being oppressive towards disadvantaged humans. The latter, however, had no direct experience with humans prior to adopting this ideology. However, other Fish-Men, such as Jinbe, wish to resolve the issue of their oppression without discriminating against humans.
1Virtually Every Race
Prejudice Enshrined in Law
Most species are persecuted,at least in part, due to the practice of slavery, which the Celestial Dragons widely practice. Humans are also enslaved, but are by far the cheapest kind of slave, averaging 500,000 belly. Dwarves, Minks, Longarms, Longlegs, and Snakenecks all have 700,000 belly as the going rate.Giantscommand even greater sums, with women averaging 10,000,000 belly and men capping even higher at a 50,000,000 belly average. “Rare species” and Devil Fruit users are identified as being sold at “market price,” with their value likely fluctuating based on both rarity and individual desirability.
Despite friction with humans, every race listed thus far is thought to share a common genetic ancestor, as most humanoid species have been proven capable of reproducing with them, as well as with each other in certain cases. This is likely in service of a greater lesson: although humans are more likely to walk freely than other races, who are often either enslaved or confined to their own communities, they all possess comparable intelligence, suffer pain, and are ultimately worthy of compassion.
That said, unfair systems within the series, such as the World Government, which has historically been less inclined to recognize the rights of non-human species, perpetuate these systems for the benefit of the largely human elite. The willingness of characters like Monkey D. Luffy to fight against these systems helps lend credence to the idea of them as heroes in this oppressive world.
