Highlights
- Minks are a mysterious race native to Zou, living on the back of the gigantic elephant Zunesha.
- Minks are a warrior race with unique abilities like Electro and Sulong, enhancing their strength and agility.
- Mink society is divided into day and night rulers, with a unique system of governance and communication.
The world of One Piece is home to many interesting and colorful characters. A lot of this is because many races exist that live peacefully with one another, making it a very cohesive and fascinating world filled to the brim with people of different backgrounds. One such race that calls the Grand Line home is the Minks, a mysterious species native to the island of Zou.
These people have lived on the back of the mysterious gigantic elephant named Zunesha for over 1000 years and are incredibly wary of outsiders, making them one of the most elusive races in all of One Piece. The Straw Hats crossed paths with some notable members quite before the events of the Zou arc, so let's break down these people and see why they're so important for the series.
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History Of The Minks
First Appearance | One Piece, Episode 392, "New Rivals Gather! The 11 Supernovas" |
|---|---|
Debut Date | March 8, 2009 |
Story Arc | Sabaody |
The Minks are a mysterious race that lived on the back of an ancient and gigantic elephant named Zunesha. The civilization has existed for over 1000 years and established the Mokomo Dukedom, which is the name of the civilization on Zou. This Dukedom was initially ruled over by someone called Hitsugisukan, though they were later succeeded by a system calling for a 'Ruler of the Day' and a 'Ruler of the Night'.
Though their exact origin is unknown, they are similar to Fishmen in the sense that each member of the race takes the traits of an individual animal. However, they are not as varied, since the members take only after mammals. For all the years of their existence, they have remained isolated from the rest of the world due to the mobile nature of the island on which they live. However, unlike many other races, they do not hate humanity, instead thinking of them as 'lesser minks' who aren't as powerful as them.
Since ancient times, Zunesha has carried the entire history of Minkdom on its back!
Mink Biology and Abilities:
Minks are a mammalian race that pride themselves on their fur coats, seeing them as a sign of joy and their standing in the world. The female members of this race look more human-like with some discernable, animalistic traits, while the males look far more bestial and feral, though in terms of temperament, they are largely the same.
Moreover, Minks, though they're humanoid, are far stronger compared to the average human, as they're explained to be a warrior race. Depending on the animal that the Minks are based on, they each have intrinsic abilities that make them far stronger or more agile compared to regular humans and are trained to hone their skills from a very early age. This practice ensures that each Mink is a powerful warrior.
Minks also have a unique and mysterious ability known as 'Electro', which allows them to naturally produce electric shocks from their body. This ability can also enhance their other combat abilities, making them stronger or their instincts sharper, even allowing them to cause paralysis and electrical burns to their opponents.
Finally, Minks have another ability called 'Sulong', which is essentially a transformation that they can undertake upon gazing at a full moon. This form has the Mink's hair growing even longer and turning all white and them growing significantly larger in the process. This transformation enhances the strength and speed of the Mink as well as increases their perception and the power of their Electro.
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Societal Structure
The Minks of Zou divide their day into two halves that are separated by 12 hours. Each time of the day is under the governance of a different duke who, unlike many other practices, is chosen by merit, not blood and the dukedom can be passed onto anyone else in the tribe by the current duke if they believe them to be worthy of the title. In the past, there was only one duke who ruled over the entire tribe.
However, this system was eventually changed to accommodate 2 rulers at the same time, as one would rule throughout the day and the other throughout the night. The guardian of the Whale Forest held equal authority as the duke, so this position went on to become the ruler of the night. Their jurisdiction also applied to the times of the day when they ruled, as the residents of the day were diurnal while those of the night were nocturnal.
This is incredible! Is this really the back of an elephant?
Communication between the two rulers was scarce. However, when it needed to be carried out, special officers called the Kingbirds were the only ones with the authority to travel between the different times of the day and were the main source of communication between the two dukes. The dukedom had 2 main fighting forces; the Inuarashi Musketeer Squad led by Shishilian and the Guardians led by Pedro.
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One Piece (1999)
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda
- Number of Episodes
- 1082+
