Summary
There’s no denying that Eiichiro Oda’sOne Pieceis home to one of the richest and best built fictional worlds ever created, and this is perfectly exemplified by its inhabitants. Of course, there are several pirates and marines who are constantly fighting against each other, but, what about everyone else that is stuck in between them?
The truth is thatOne Piecefeatures a fair share of extremely important figures who are regular civilians that can’t engage in battle because they never ate a Devil Fruit or aren’t able to wield Haki. Furthermore, the following eight characters had an enormous influence on the plot and on other people, despite their blatant lack of fighting abilities.
8Makino
Luffy’s Caring “Older Sister”
EveryOne Piecefan is aware that“Red Hair” Shanks was Monkey D. Luffy’s role model and biggest inspiration during his youth. However,Makino’sinfluence on the young pirate should never be forgotten because she’s part of the reason as to why he’s so kind-hearted nowadays.
Makino is just an ordinary bartender living in Foosha Village who took care of Luffy whenever the Red Hair Pirates attended her bar, and she was always nothing but very friendly to him. She even took the time to visit him when he was living with Dadan and the mountain bandits, taught him and Ace good manners and made clothes for both of them. Because of all this, Makino inadvertently became the closest thing to a big sister that Luffy ever had.
7Kaya
Usopp’s Close Friend And A Brilliant Doctor In Training
For many years, Usopp took the time to visitKayaand tell her fantastical stories in order to make her feel better while she was stuck at home with an illness. Over time, the two became very close friends, and she was basicallythe only person in Syrup Village who appreciated Usopp and his tall tales.
Despite her weak physique and inability to fight, Kaya stood up for herself after learning of Klahadore’s betrayal, and she eventually decided to become a doctor, so other people don’t have to suffer like she did. On top of all that, Kaya (and her butler, Merry) gave the Straw Hat Pirates their first ship, the Going Merry, which means that she has been extremely important for their journey.
6Genzo
Nami’s Often Forgotten Father Figure
Nami was basically raised by two people: Bell-mere, her brave adoptive mother who sacrificed herself for her, andGenzo, the respected sheriff of Cocoyasi Village. He may not have always met eye-to-eye with Bell-mere and her parenting methods,but it’s clear that he really cared about Nami and Nojiko, especially after the Arlong Pirates took over the village.
Even though he is a sheriff, Genzo is not much of a fighter, and yet he was still courageous enough to try and oppose Arlong on more than one occasion, which is why his body is filled to the brim with scars. When Nami was finally saved by the Straw Hat Pirates and decided to go with them, he made sure that they were not going to hurt her. Genzo is always looking after her, seeing as he literally wore a pinwheel on his hat for many years only because it cheered her up when she was a baby, which became an important symbol for Nami, to the point that she included it in the design of her new tattoo.
5Dr. Kureha
The Brilliant Doctor Who Taught Chopper Everything He Knows
Kurehaisa 141-year-old woman who is one of the most brilliant medical minds in the entireOne Pieceworldand yet, it seems that she has never engaged in battle. But she doesn’t really need to, because she has years and years of precise medical knowledge that can help make everyone feel better.
Despite her over-the-top personality and strict methods, it is quite clear that she is a sympathetic soul who cares deeply for her patients and her colleagues, to the point that she took care of Tony Tony Chopper after her good friend, Dr. Hiriluk, tragically passed away. Kureha is basically Chopper’s mother, and he would never have become the genius doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates if it wasn’t for her teachings.
4Iceburg
A Talented But Eccentric Shipwright Who Grew Up Alongside Franky
MostOne Piececharacters manage to be both cool and goofy at the same time, andIceburgis a perfect example of this formula. On one hand,he’s a talented shipwright who learned everything he knows from the legendary Tomand who eventually became both the president of the Galley-La Company and the respected mayor of Water 7.
But, despite his impeccable work and prestigious reputation, Iceburg is also an eccentric and immature man who picks his nose, cancels his meetings because he feels like it and carries his pet mouse (named Tyrannosaurus) everywhere. The combination of the two sides of his personality makes Iceburg into a unique and weirdly charming character that proves that not everyone inOne Piecehas to be a powerful fighter in order to stand out.
3Morgans
A Deceitful Journalist Who Controls The Flow Of Information
The reputation of pirates and marines in the eyes of the general populace is an underrated factor of theOne Pieceworld. And one of the key figures who controls the information that is available to the public, much to the displeasure of the World Government, is none other than “Big News”Morgans,the president of the World Economy newspaper. For starters, one thing that makes him interesting is the fact that he actually ate an Albatross Devil Fruit, yet he only uses it to hide his real identity, and not for fighting.
Morgans is quite fascinating because he’s actually a morally gray character: He may manipulate information in order to sell more newspapers, but he has also proven that he doesn’t trust the World Government on multiple occasions, like when he didn’t let them control the information he wrote about and when he helped Vivi hide from them after King Cobra was murdered. Not to mention that he was the first person to declare that Luffy was the “Fifth Emperor” before anyone else did, which was a huge narrative development.
2Kouzuki Hiyori
A Clever Manipulator Who Used Her Looks To Avenge Her Father
Kouzuki Oden may have been one of the most powerful swordsmen in theOne Pieceworld, but his daughter,Kouzuki Hiyori,didn’t follow after his steps.She’s actually a tragic figure who had to live in a country that was destroyed by Kurozumi Orochi and Kaidoafter they murdered her father, and yet she managed to grow up into a beautiful and intelligent woman who infiltrated Orochi’s forces without using brute force.
Hiyori managed to steal Orochi’s heart by hiding her identity and becoming a famous oiran known as Komurasaki. This act served her very well because she eventually managed to trick him, capture him and tell him how much she despised him in one of the most satisfying and emotional scenes in the entire Wano Country Arc. Denjiro may have finished the job, but he could only do it thanks to Hiyori’s brilliant planning and unbreakable resolve.
1Dr. Vegapunk (Stella)
The Most Intelligent And Influential Person In The Entire World
Doctor Vegapunkis the perfect example of the fact that not everybody inOne Pieceneeds to be able to fight in order to make an impact on this wonderful and complex world. With his brilliant mind (which was enhanced by his Devil Fruit, the Nomi Nomi no Mi), Vegapunk was able to make all sorts of scientific contributions, from discovering the secrets of the Devil Fruits, to creating powerful bioweapons like the Pacifistas and the Seraphims.
Even though he was employed by the World Government, his lack of fighting didn’t prevent him from going against them in his eternal search for knowledge and truth, especially when it comes to the Void Century. Unfortunately, Vegapunl’s determination is what led to his abrupt death, but he still lives on, not only in all the people he managed to impact with his research and his findings,but also in all of his satellites, who also prefer to never engage in battle.
