Jimbei (ジンベエ, Jinbē, spelled "Jinbe" on his bounty poster), also known as "First Son of the Sea" Jimbei ((海侠のジンベエ, Kaikyō no Jinbē), is a fictional whale shark Fish-Man in the anime and manga series One Piece, created and written by artist Eiichiro Oda. The character made his first appearance in the 528th chapter of the series, which was first published in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on January 19, 2009. He is the tenth member of the Straw Hat Pirates and the ninth to join, serving as their helmsman. Jimbei dreams of equality between humans and Fish-Men — he is from Fish-Man Island near the sea floor, and hopes to one day bring Fish-Man Island society to the surface under the sun.
Jimbei is originally introduced as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He is imprisoned by the World Government after he refuses to support the execution of his friend and Monkey D. Luffy's brother Portgas D. Ace. Originally Jimbei was a member of the Sun Pirates, which was formed to protect formerly enslaved Fish-Men and Mermen from being re-enslaved. Jimbei joined the Seven Warlords to obtain a World Government pardon for his crew members. This included those who were once enslaved, but also the Fish-Man supremacist Arlong who went on to do great harm to Nami's hometown.
Luffy frees Jimbei, who resigns his position as Warlord of the Sea. Throughout the story Jimbei serves as a commander under three successive Emperors of the Sea in order to protect Fish-Man Island: Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Straw Hat Luffy. He currently has the third-highest bounty in the crew after Luffy and Roronoa Zoro.
Creation and conception
Jimbei is based on an honorable yakuza gangster. Though he did not appear in the story until Chapter 528, Jimbei was first mentioned in Chapter 69. Jimbei was originally designed to look like an Umibōzu with a gallant but hotheaded personality suitable for a yakuza boss. He was originally supposed to be an actual antagonist, similar to Franky. In this conception Jimbei would have been Arlong's shadowy boss As an early member of the Straw Hats, Jimbei was going to be a Helmsman named "Saigo" and described as a good friend of Roronoa Zoro.
Abilities and powers
Jimbei's abilities include Fish-Man Karate & Jujutsu, super strength, water manipulation, Armament and Observation Haki.[ch. 528] A master of Fish-Man Karate (魚人空手, Gyojin Karate) and Fish-Man Jujutsu (魚人柔術, Gyojin Jūjutsu), he is capable of manipulating water as if it were a tangible cloth.[ch. 546] Jimbei can communicate with fish, an ability more usually associated with merfolk, allowing him to enlist the help of whale sharks.[ch. 547–549]
History
Sun Pirates
After growing up in a rough part of Fish-Man Island, Jimbei became a soldier in the nation's royal army. Jimbei's mentor Fisher Tiger frees many of those enslaved in the World Government's capital of Mery Geoise, turning him into a wanted outlaw. Fisher Tiger forms the Sun Pirates (タイヨウの海賊団, Taiyō no Kaizokudan). Jimbei, the members of the Arlong Pirates and the Macro Pirates unite under Fisher Tiger's Sun Pirates. Arlong and Jimbei considered Fisher Tiger a big brother, although they were not biologically related.[ch. 624] The Sun Pirates were made up of fish-men and mermen and attacked any pirate ship they saw, but no matter who is on it, they would never kill directly. Their Sun insignia was created to cover up the mark of the Celestial Dragon's enslavement, "Hoof of the Soaring Dragon". Fisher Tiger reveals upon his deathbed that he was actually enslaved and escaped, later returning to free other enslaved peoples, including Boa Hancock and her two sisters. With the Sun insignia, the World Government was unable to claim the slaves due to mass confusion over whether they were Sun Pirates or not.[ch. 620]
The Sun Pirates were made up of several Fish-Men and mermen. Fisher Tiger (フィッシャー・タイガー, Fisshā Taigā) was a sea bream-type fish-man who was the crew's founder. After he died from blood loss following an ambush by the Marines, he was succeeded as captain by Jimbei. Aladine (アラディン, Aradin) is a goatsbeard brotula-type merman who is the crew's doctor and became first mate during Jimbei's leadership. Aladine would later marry Charlotte Praline (シャーロット・プラリネ, Shārotto Purarine), Big Mom's 21st daughter who is a hybrid of a human and a hammerhead shark-type merman. "Saw-Tooth" Arlong (ノコギリのアーロン, Nokogiri no Āron), a sawshark-type fish-man and fish-man supremacist.[ch. 69, 71] Arlong's powerful jaws have rapidly re-growing teeth capable of rending stone.[ch. 90] His favorite weapon is the sword-like Shark Saw (キリバチ, Kiribachi) with its six tooth-shaped blades.[ch. 92] There are three Arlong Pirates officers: Kuroobi is a manta ray-type fish-man who also uses "Fish-Man Karate", and Choo is a Japanese whiting-type Fish-man who spits water as if they were firing bullets. Hatchan (はっちゃん), often called Hachi (ハチ), is an octopus-type fish-man first introduced as the first mate of the Arlong Pirates.[ch. 73] Being half octopus, he can spit large quantities of black ink and use suction pads to stick to walls.[ch. 83f.] He fights using six swords, holding one in each arm-tentacle.[ch. 84] After his crew is defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates, he escapes from captivity and opens a floating takoyaki restaurant.[ch. 182–228: chapter cover pages] He becomes close friends with Camie (ケイミー, Keimī), a kissing gourami mermaid, and Pappag (パッパグ, Pappagu), her pet starfish and master.[ch. 490f.] Hachi makes things right with the Straw Hat Pirates and reunites with Jimbei on Fish-Man Island.[ch. 620] The final faction of the Sun Pirates was composed of the former Macro Pirates (マクロ一味, Makuro Ichimi), formed by Macro (マクロ, Makuro), Gyaro (ギャロ, Gyaro) and Tansui (タンスイ).
While originally Jimbei and Arlong saw humans similarly, Jimbei would go on to clash philosophically with Arlong.[ch. 623] Jimbei believed diplomacy could resolve the inequality between Fish-Men and humans. The Arlong Pirates and the Macro Pirates split off from the Sun Pirates when Jimbei joins the Seven Warlords of the Sea.[ch. 624] In exchange for the World Government granting him Warlord status and amnesty to the Sun Pirates members who were once enslaved, Jimbei disbands the crew, freeing Arlong from his recent imprisonment in Impel Down.[ch. 69, 624] In time Jimbei would support the goals of Fish-Man Island's Queen Otohime to life in peace with humans and move Fish-Man Island to the surface.[ch. 621] One of Jimbei’s main characer traits are his selflessness and dedication to honoring his obligations. Although Fisher Tiger was betrayed by humans, Jimbei refuses to give up hopes of equality between species.
Whitebeard Pirates
After Jimbei became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he became close with Whitebeard, one of the four pirate Emperors of the Sea. A strong factor in their friendship came when the Whitebeard Pirates proclaimed Fish-Man Island a protectorate, deterring crimes by weaker pirates.[ch. 529]
Jimbei fought Portgas D. Ace to a draw in five days on Whitebeard' behalf.[ch. 552] Ace later informed Jimbei that Luffy was the pirate who defeated the Arlong Pirates, shocking Jimbei.[ch. 1102] When the World Government goes to war with the Whitebeard Pirates to execute Ace, Jimbei opposes the war because Whitebeard's death could destabilize Fish-Man Island. For his refusal to serve in the war, Jimbei is imprisoned in the underwater prison Impel Down.
Jimbei is then freed by Luffy during his mission to rescue his brother Ace. After the Impel Down breakout, Luffy and Jimbei head to the Summit War at Marineford and make their entrance in the war falling from the sky. Jimbei then resigns his position as Warlord of the Sea.[ch. 557] Luffy wins Jimbei's respect during the Summit War. Jimbei witnesses the death of both Portgas D. Ace and Whitebeard.[ch. 575][ch. 578] After Admiral Akainu kills Portgas D. Ace, Jimbei risks his life to save Luffy from the same fate, and in the process is burned by Akainu's magma power.[ch. 578] Jimbei was crucial in ensuring Luffy did not end up killed by the Admirals.
After the war ends, Luffy is distraught at the death of his brother Ace. Jimbei encourages Luffy to "remember what you still have", to which Luffy responds, "I have my crew!!"[ch. 590] Luffy decides his crew will train for two years to become stronger so none of them will be killed while looking for the One Piece.[ch. 597]
Big Mom Pirates
After resigning his position as Warlord of the Sea and with Whitebeard dead, Jimbei joins the crew of Emperor of the Sea Big Mom in order to protect Fishman Island from pirates.[ch. 649]
Two years later, Jimbei enlists the help of the Straw Hats to prevent the Flying Pirates and New Fish-Man Pirate alliance's coup d'état against Fish-Man Island's royal family. After they succeed, Jimbei saves Luffy’s life at Fish-Man Island with a blood donation despite the taboo on Fish-men donating blood humans. Luffy then invites Jimbei to join his crew.[ch. 648] Jimbei initially turns this invitation down, saying he must wait to sever ties with Big Mom.[ch. 649] Jimbei later befriends Wadatsumi (ワダツミ), a giant tiger blowfish-type fish-man who is a former member of the Flying Pirates. Wadatsumi and Jimbei deliver a Poneglyph from the sea floor to Big Mom.[ch. 785]
Straw Hat Pirates
Jimbei reunites with half the Straw Hats when Luffy, Nami, Tony Tony Chopper, and Brook go to Big Mom's capital in Whole Cake Island to rescue their crewmate Sanji. Big Mom initially refuses to accept Jimbei's request to leave her crew for the Straw Hats, leading to Jimbei to proclaim, "a man who would be crewmate of the future king of the pirates cannot afford to tremble in the presence of a mere emperor!!! ... As of this moment, I quit the Big Mom Pirates! I appreciate all you have done for me."[ch. 863] After cutting ties with Big Mom, Jimbei and the Sun Pirates save Luffy, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, and Brook from Big Mom's empire. Luffy tells Jimbei to reunite with his new crew in the Wano Country.[ch. 901] Jimbei keeps his word and joins the Straw Hat Pirates as the crew's helmsman when he reaches Wano.[ch. 976] Emperors of the Sea Big Mom and Kaido form an alliance to take down the Straw Hats, but are defeated by the Straw Hats' Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance.[ch. 1051] Jimbei becomes recognized as one of Emperor of the Sea Monkey D. Luffy's Senior Officers.[ch. 1058]
Thematic influence on One Piece
Jimbei first appears in the Impel Down arc, which stands in as a metaphorical hell modeled after Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. Jimbei’s treatment illustrates “the World Government as a corrupt and tyrannical regime that subjugates its citizens, engaging in practices such as slavery, torture, and arbitrary imprisonment.” Jimbei's character is seen as representing the theme of tolerance and anti-racism since he "rejects the discriminatory practices of the World Government and joins the Straw Hat Pirates, embracing more egalitarian values" as he "aims to achieve unity between humans and Fish-Men. His wisdom and strength make him a valuable addition to the crew," and "a symbol of unity within the diverse crew of the Straw Hat Pirates." The World Government tolerates the enslavement of Fish-Men, mermaids, and mermen, especially by the World Nobles. In one instance a World Noble even attempted to enslave Princess Shirahoshi of Fish-Man Island. One analysis highlights this incident as showing the banality of evil in One Piece regarding the theme of slavery during the 1500s.
Reception
Jimbei is one of the more popular characters in One Piece, ranking in the Top 20 of several Shōnen Jump character popularity polls. The highest Jimbei ever placed in a popularity poll was sixth place in the sixth Japanese Jump popularity poll, after Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. Jimbei ranked as the 18th most popular character in the next popularity poll, the first to be held worldwide.
Jimbei’s honor and resolve is a strong source of his popularity. One reviewer said his "most impressive feat is facing down Big Mom in her Life or Soul attack. She exerts her Soul-Soul Fruit power, which usually allows her to absorb the souls of those she chooses. This only works so long as they feel fear or doubt toward Big Mom though, and Jimbei shows none of that. He’s steadfast in his commitment to joining Luffy, so even while the army of Big Mom succumbs to her power out of fear, Jimbei stands tall." Another noted how Jimbei saving Luffy’s life at Fish-Man Island with a blood donation despite the taboo on Fish-men donating blood humans as "One of the series’ most memorable and striking images".
Notes
References
External links
- Jimbei's bio at One Piece's official website (in Japanese)
