Giojin Island
This page is not finished
Please don't read this yet π.
The Sun Treeβ
In the Fishman Island arc, fans learn that the submerged island, residing on the ocean floor, sustains the vitality of its citizenry via an immense tree that siphons sunlight from the surface. The tree itself also forms the roots of the Mangrove trees, essential to daily life on the Sabaody Archipelago.
This is reminiscent of the Yggdrasil the world tree of Norse mythology. Just as the Sun Tree tethers the worlds of One Piece, Yggdrasil binds all of the worlds that shape the Norse myth.
Various mythologies, especially Siberian shamanic systems and Nordic Mythology had trees supporting worlds in a way similar to Sun Tree Eve supporting Fishmen Island
Queen Otohimeβ
Among one of the most tragic character backstories in the series, Otohime, as a character, could be regarded as merely plot fodder to amplify the tension between humans and Fishmen; and unless one is versed in Japanese mythology her metaphorical significance is void.
Borrowing heavily from the Japanese myth Toyotama-hime, who flees the sea to marry a surface dweller, Otohime also serves as a symbol of interspecies unity. Toyotama-hime also correlates to another ancient Japanese character also named Otohime in the fable of Urashima Taro.
Toyotama-hime, as mentioned in the previous entry, is the daughter of the famous Japanese sea god, or kami, known as Watasmui. Although presented as a dragon in the traditional folklore, his name and size are a direct inspiration on the bumbling Wadatsumi in One Piece. Unlike his predecessor Watasumi, Wadatsumi is gullible and weak.
The Flying Dutchman: The true legend of the Flying Dutchman takes place off the coast of Cape Town. A captain named Van Der Deckon set sail after unloading all of his cargo, though his crew begged him not to. He sailed straight into a hurricane; the weather was so horrible that he had to leash himself to the helm to prevent him from being swept over board. In the midst of the storm he called out βGod cannot even make me change my mind!β and swore that he would sail on until he reached the end of the earth. Shortly after he said these words a ghost appeared on the ship, and the crew dropped dead and when the captain tried to shoot this figure his arm withered. The ship went red in color and disappeared. It is said that it still sails the waters.
Toyotama-hime: Her name mean βluminous jewelβ also known as Otohime. She is the Japanese goddess of the sea daughter of Ryujin. She helped a hunter find his hook, and he found love with Toyotama-hime and they were married. Her husband began to long to return to the surface world. She was pregnant with his child and consented, so long as he would promise not to watch when she gave birth. He agreed and built a house for them to live in, and at the time of the birth, his curiosity got the better of him and he looked. He saw a huge black dragon holding a tiny baby. Toyotama-hime, who had changed to her dragon form of to give birth, was ashamed, and she left him and the baby and returned to the sea.
Madame Sharleyβ
Shyarly is based on the Amabie, a mythological Japanese mermaid that could predict future events.
Amabie γ’γγγ¨ is a legendary Japanese mermaid or merman with a bird-beak like mouth and three legs or tail-fins, who allegedly emerges from the sea, prophesies either an abundant harvest or an epidemic, and instructed people to make copies of its likeness to defend against illness.
God in Fish-Man Islandβ
The Flying Dutchman and its captain, Vander Decken, were said to be cursed by God for the captain's atrocious acts after suddenly going deranged and killing his crew one stormy night, as well as spitting at God. They were cursed, forever to sail the ocean, never able to make landfall.
The royal family of Ryugu Kingdom is based off of deities of the sea: King Neptune is named after the Roman God of water and the sea, Queen Otohime is named after the daughter of Ryujin, the Japanese God of the sea, and Princess Shirahoshi is the current form of the Ancient Weapon, Poseidon, which is named after the Greek God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses.
Hody Jones and his subordinates believe that they were chosen by the heavens to obliterate the human race and to change the entire culture of the Fish-Men race when they got their hands on the Energy Steroids.