One Piece ( English )

Premise
The series focuses on Monkey D. Luffy, a young man who, inspired by his childhood idol and powerful pirate “Red Haired” Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue Sea to find the titular treasure and proclaim himself the King of the Pirates. In an effort to organize his own crew, the Straw Hat Pirates,[Jp 1] Luffy rescues and befriends a swordsman named Roronoa Zoro, and they head off in search of the One Piece. They are joined in their journey by Nami, a navigator and thief; Usopp, a sniper and a pathological liar; and Vinsmoke Sanji, a perverted chef. They acquire a ship named the Going Merry[Jp 2] and engage in confrontations with notorious pirates of the East Blue. As Luffy and his crew set out on their adventures, others join the crew later in the series, including Tony Tony Chopper, a doctor and anthropomorphized reindeer; Nico Robin, an archaeologist and former assassin; Franky, a cyborg shipwright; Brook, a skeletal musician and swordsman; and Jimbei, a fish-man helmsman and former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Once the Going Merry becomes damaged beyond repair, the Straw Hat Pirates acquire a new ship named the Thousand Sunny.[Jp 3] Together, they encounter other pirates, bounty hunters, criminal organizations, revolutionaries, secret agents and soldiers of the corrupt World Government, and various other friends and foes, as they sail the seas in pursuit of their dreams.

Main characters
Monkey D. Luffy
Main article: Monkey D. Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー・D・ルフィ, Monkī Dī Rufi) is the primary protagonist of the One Piece series. At age seven, he admires and tries to join the pirates of the “Red Haired” Shanks. Ridiculed and rejected, he inadvertently eats their treasure, the Paramecia-type Gum-Gum Fruit (ゴムゴムの実, Gomu Gomu no Mi), which gives his body the properties of rubber. His reckless efforts ultimately lead him into grave peril causing Shanks to lose an arm while rescuing him. After this, Luffy gives up on joining Shanks, resolving instead to start a crew of his own and become King of the Pirates. Displeased by Shanks spoiling his grandson, Garp takes Luffy to be raised by Curly Dadan and her mountain bandits, who he strong-arms into taking him in. During Luffy’s time there, he becomes a sworn brother with Ace, Garp’s other ward, and Sabo, a local runaway noble.

Ten years later, and still wearing Shanks’ treasured head covering, Luffy forms and captains his own pirate crew called The Straw Hat Pirates and sets sail for the Grand Line, quickly gaining infamy as “Straw Hat” Luffy (麦わらのルフィ, Mugiwara no Rufi). Eventually, after his strength proves insufficient to save Ace from execution, he spends two years on a secluded island, learning the use of the three colors of Haki as well as his rubber ability’s fourth Gear from Silvers Rayleigh, before heading to the New World. Due to his infamy, he is one of the pirates who are known as “The Worst Generation”.

Luffy is voiced by Mayumi Tanaka in the anime series. In the 4Kids Entertainment English adaptation, he is voiced by Erica Schroeder. In the Funimation Entertainment English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Colleen Clinkenbeard.

Roronoa Zoro
Main article: Roronoa Zoro
Roronoa Zoro (ロロノア・ゾロ) is a swordsman who uses up to three swords simultaneously, holding one in each hand and a third in his mouth. Traveling the seas in search of Mihawk and making a living as a bounty hunter, he becomes infamously known as “Pirate Hunter” Zoro (海賊狩りのゾロ, Kaizoku-Gari no Zoro).

Eventually, he comes into conflict with Helmeppo, the spoiled son of a navy officer. To prevent the harm of innocent civilians, Zoro allows himself to be incarcerated temporarily, while Helmeppo plots to have him killed. Zoro is saved from execution by Luffy in exchange for becoming his first crewman. At that point, Zoro makes it clear that he would turn on his captain if he ever stepped between him and his dream. He is known for his awful sense of direction and constantly gets lost when traveling.

In the anime television series, his voice actor is Kazuya Nakai.

Nami
Main article: Nami (One Piece)
Adopted and raised by navy seaman turned tangerine farmer Belle-Mère, Nami (ナミ) witness their mother being murdered by the infamous Arlong, whose pirate gang occupies their island and extracts tribute from the population. Striking a deal with him, Nami, still a child, but already an accomplished cartographer who dreams of drawing a complete map of the world, joins the pirates, hoping to buy freedom for her village eventually. Growing up as a pirate-hating pirate drawing maps for Arlong and stealing treasure from other pirates, Nami becomes an excellent burglar, pickpocket, and navigator with an exceptional ability to forecast weather.

In the anime television series, Nami is voiced by Akemi Okamura.

Usopp
During his early childhood, Usopp (ウソップ, Usoppu) is abandoned by his father, Yasopp, who leaves to join the Red-Haired Pirates. As his mother, Bachina, falls ill, Usopp starts telling tall tales, expressing his hope that his father will return and take them out to sea. Even after his mother dies, Usopp does not blame his father for leaving. Despite his cowardly disposition, he strives to become a great pirate.

Usopp is recognizable for his long nose, a reference to the fact that he tends to lie a lot. He is a gifted inventor, painter, and sculptor.

In the anime series, his voice actor is Kappei Yamaguchi.

Sanji
Born as a prince of Germa Kingdom, Vinsmoke Sanji (ヴィンスモーク・サンジ, Vinsumōku Sanji) is routinely ridiculed by his genetically enhanced siblings and is locked away by his father Judge for being a disgrace. With help from his sister Reiju, he escapes and flees Germa, a floating kingdom composed of several ships, after it enters the East Blue and his father permits it.

While serving as an apprentice cook on a passenger ship, nine-year-old Sanji stands up to a boarding party of pirates led by the infamous “Red Foot” Zeff. During the encounter, Sanji is swept into the sea by a massive wave. Zeff jumps in after him because of their common dream of finding the All Blue (オールブルー, Ōru Burū), a legendary area where the East, West, North, and South Blue seas meet, containing every kind of fish in the world. While castaways together, the pirate saves Sanji’s life yet again by giving him all of their food. After their eventual rescue, Sanji stays with Zeff for several years and helps him build a floating restaurant, the Baratie (バラティエ). Zeff in turn makes him a first-rate cook and teaches him his kick-based fighting style.

Eventually, he becomes infamous as “Black Leg” Sanji (黒脚のサンジ, Kuro Ashi no Sanji).

Sanji’s standard appearance is wearing a well-fitting black suit with a skinny black tie. His hair always covers one of his eyes and he is usually smoking a cigarette.

In the Japanese no 1 anime television series, he is voiced by Hiroaki Hirata.

Tony Tony Chopper
Tony Tony Chopper (トニートニー・チョッパー, Tonī Tonī Choppā) is a doctor and a blue-nosed reindeer. The power of the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit (ヒトヒトの実, Hito Hito no Mi) provides him with the ability to transform into a full-sized reindeer or a reindeer-human hybrid.

Rejected by his herd because of his blue nose and eating the Devil Fruit, Chopper is rescued by Drum Island’s quack doctor Doctor Hiriluk. While developing a potion to create cherry blossoms when in contact with snow, Chopper is heartbroken when Hiriluk falls ill with a deadly disease. After Hiriluk’s death, Doctor Kureha takes him in as his mentor. After the Straw Hats arrive at Drum Island and take Chopper with them, Kureha uses Hiriluk’s potion to turn the snowy sky into cherry blossoms, fulfilling Hiriluk’s life mission. When complimented, Chopper acts flustered and sometimes yells at the person who complimented him to stop trying to make him happy. A running gag within the series is when other characters mistake him as a Tanuki, and he angrily corrects them, pointing out that he is a Tonakai (Japanese for “Reindeer”).

His voice actress is Ikue Ōtani.

When creating Chopper, Oda wanted a mascot who is both cute and very weak.

Nico Robin
Main article: Nico Robin
Being raised in Ohara (オハラ), home of the world’s oldest and largest library, Nico Robin (ニコ・ロビン, Niko Robin) becomes an archaeologist at the age of eight.

Called “Devil Child” (悪魔の子, Akuma no Ko), traumatized, and with a bounty on her head, Robin lives a life on the run, unable to trust anyone. Two years later, Robin further hones her Devil Fruit powers to the point she can create a full-bodied duplicate of herself.

In the anime television series adaptation of the manga, Robin’s voice actress is Yuriko Yamaguchi.

Franky
The son of pirate parents who abandon him at age nine, Cutty Flam (カティ・フラム, Kati Furamu), nicknamed Franky (フランキー, Furankī), is taken in as an apprentice by shipwright Tom, who built Pirate King Gol D Roger’s ship Oro Jackson and also secretly holds the plans for a devastating ancient weapon.

In the anime television series, his voice actor is Kazuki Yao.

Brook
Already a pirate before the time of Roger, “Humming” Brook (ブルック, Burukku) first enters the Grand Line as a member of the music-themed Rumbar Pirates. Leaving their pet the infant whale Laboon (ラブーン, Rabūn) at Reverse Mountain, they promise to return after sailing around the world.

He is an excellent musician, who says that he can play any instrument, although he is usually seen playing the violin.

The idea of a skeleton musician was first conceived by Oda in 2000, about the time of Laboon’s introduction and more than half a decade before the first appearance of Brook.

He is voiced by Chō. Ian Sinclair provides his voice in the Funimation English adaptation.

Jimbei
Jimbei (ジンベエ, Jinbē) is a yakuza-esque whale shark-type fish-man.

In the Japanese anime television series, Jimbei is initially voiced by Daisuke Gōri, later by Katsuhisa Hōki. In the Funimation English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Daniel Baugh.