Dreams and ambitions hold a lot of importance in One Piece. Almost every character has a goal set in mind that defines their actions and their way of living life. The perfect example of this is the protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy. He wants to become the Pirate King because he loves the freedom that comes with the title.
This is why he is on a journey to find the One Piece treasure and fulfill his dream. In fact, every Straw Hat member has a specific goal in mind that they want to accomplish along with helping their captain, as his goal needs a lot of help and support. However, there is one other Straw Hat Pirate whose goal feels even more difficult than Luffy’s.
This member is none other than Jinbe, the helmsman of the crew. Ever since Jinbe’s character is introduced in the story, he has always worked towards making a better world for his fish-men brothers and sisters, who have been a subject of racism and slavery. But this won’t be easy at all.
The Real World Themes of Racism and Slavery in One Piece
Eiichiro Oda is quite famous for addressing real-world issues in One Piece, and it is also one of the main reasons why fans connect with it so much. The series has portrayed many real-world problems, but the ones that got the most attention in the series were racism and slavery towards the fish-men.
Ever since One Piece started, the fish-men have been criticized and hated for their different looks and abilities. They have been mistreated and abused to the point that they started rebelling, which caused a lot of stir in the One Piece world. However, their problems are not so small. These conflicts have only fanned the flames of racism towards fish-men.
Numerous characters have attempted to resolve this issue by attempting to build healthy relationships with one another, whether they be humans or fish-men, but all of their efforts have been in vain. Humans’ hatred towards fish-men in One Piece far exceeds any kind of peace talks or actions.
Jinbe’s Goal To End Racism And Slavery Feels Impossible
As One Piece fans know, Jinbe has been a first-hand victim of the brutal racism and slavery that exist in the series. However, he was saved by his former captain, Fisher Tiger. Thus, Jibe decided to follow his former captain and fulfill his dying wish of coexistence and equality between humans and fish-men.
But if history is any indication, Jinbe’s goal would be next to impossible to achieve. Humans’ hatred towards the fish-men in One Piece has been deep-rooted for hundreds of years.
Even if Jinbe takes years to promote peace between the two, he won’t be able to completely abolish these problems.
Additionally, the Celestial Dragons have used these problems for their personal motifs, and they won’t let peace prevail so easily. Thus, Jinbe has a long way to go, and his path in One Piece would be filled with large-scale hurdles that would be difficult to cross.
As of 16th August 2024, you can watch One Piece on Crunchyroll.
