One Piece's Creator Redeemed The Villain That Fans Hate The Most

Fish-Man Island isn't many One Piece fans' favorite arc, but creator Eiichiro Oda gave a shocking villain clue that illustrates how deep the plot can be. After One Piece's time skip, Luffy and crew study Fish-Man Island's underwater culture.

[{"selector":"#anim-c88a040f-b1e8-406e-81a1-b8e802471246","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66e71ec3-7755-497c-a2f6-05f5da7ca267","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-102.55754%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bea7d4d1-de6e-46f8-ae28-a079f4e74d57 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.875850256654858%, 18.38235294117647%) scale(1.3676470588235294)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The novel, usually full of lighthearted adventures, began to explore heavier issues like slavery and racism, which Oda wasn't sure his fans were ready for.

[{"selector":"#anim-c72b7077-a380-4d9b-a5d5-43af908da695 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-13.667662809374841%, 19.379844961240313%) scale(1.3875968992248062)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-779d7228-5a71-4218-b3f6-1d5a46a008e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6c7e63ca-5d48-47d5-9ddf-52e775f1891f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.06667%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Throughout the narrative, One Piece villains have engaged in heinous acts of cruelty and deception; Hody Jones of Fish-Man Island is perhaps the most vile of them all.

[{"selector":"#anim-62188c8e-e6ad-4cb5-8b2d-2966ded20950 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-20.753946661587154%, 21.55172413793103%) scale(1.4310344827586206)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-366172b8-3dab-4bf3-bf55-40950644e4f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95b4105f-3b46-49d4-b0a1-26d9e43879d0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.37635%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Some fans found the first major time skip opponent unthreatening. Although rarely explored in Shōnen series, the villain embodied a complicated theme: deadly prejudice.

[{"selector":"#anim-562b8107-e519-4248-b6d9-221a5530cc1c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 19.23076923076923%) scale(1.3846153846153846)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a85003b-5e9c-41e3-b32c-a2984cf6e594","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fef7a500-ebe8-4838-81ab-50750d0d77dc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.24234%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-6451dda4-1e79-4a24-9970-e6d5b47d23fa [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-24.261080599494488%, 24.50980392156863%) scale(1.4901960784313726)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98e38a50-7ad2-450b-b09a-8042677fd1d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-abe487c5-8ae0-4895-bf1d-84b8db4fecfd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.26667%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Naruto and One Piece, Shonen Jump's biggest hits, address teen issues. Fish-Men's bigotry and wrath may not appeal to ordinary Shōnen Jump readers, according to Oda in an interview.

As they grow up and encounter the good and evil of the real world, readers will recognize the difficult subject matter in his books, the author says.

[{"selector":"#anim-dad7559c-25c1-481a-bef3-3e86cdb595ba [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-14.84568432322243%, -11.88342150970856%) scale(1.423728813559322)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89aac910-c3b1-4d3e-b672-845889ae6735","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3203aa81-4e2e-42f7-b24e-1d541babc739","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-110.94674%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-d2bc06be-01e0-41b5-ab96-6df6b7dd5716 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-2.670940170940174%, 20.833333333333336%) scale(1.4166666666666667)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b9d79f6-e032-41cd-b3a5-8e7b7f0500c1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5b8fba03-9a39-42f1-90f3-336bcb4c5ac9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-103.09278%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Fish-Men Island isn't One Piece's first storyline with unexpectedly mature themes. Throughout the novel, the evil Celestial Dragons have done the worst things to innocent people and Fish-Men.

Treatment fueled Hody Jones' anti-human sentiment. Fish-men Island may have outlived Oda's super-powered pirate comedy. This means he can "...add some seriousness to the theme."

[{"selector":"#anim-b2461ce2-f0fc-4d94-84e0-9dfe96ac0154 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(4.1460168631601846e-12%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-446c5078-c819-43da-b770-162adece4b83","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8d4578a9-5bb3-487d-9736-1133285ca8a9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.37635%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Fish-People like Queen Otohime tried to improve human-fish relations. Hody recruited an army of Fish-Men after humans betrayed his lord, fueling his hatred for humanity.

[{"selector":"#anim-62db5b9f-5d38-4185-956b-7132827052da [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.4210854715202004e-14%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eeea7ea3-158b-4431-974d-a6a53b8f2926","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4994bed6-e146-4d00-8ebe-4f8441e1b57f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-107.24234%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

One Piece's darkest stories have more evil Celestial Dragons than Sabaody. For millions of mature fans, Eiichiro Oda has perfected his fun-to-hate One Piece villains and emotional themes

[{"selector":"#anim-d1bdf3c6-b51b-4cd9-ad7d-32abcbcd9c93 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-1.4286960480370234%, 17.12328767123288%) scale(1.3424657534246576)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4da2f93d-e75c-4aff-9b3f-693faa16f247","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2cd22d34-cb07-4b93-a682-5c2f337dc738","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-109.91254%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Also See

[{"selector":"#anim-270907ac-943a-4bbf-911c-25cf43616352","keyframes":{"transform":["rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","none"],"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0a7e2ec-9a9a-403c-850d-ae8f2f4c1ea1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0207a50a-030d-46ca-ac6b-39c27aa9de72","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 363.94345%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Swipe up