Nakama



"Nakama" (仲間) is a Japanese word that directly translates to friend, comrade, and under some context such as One Piece, crewmate. Many fans of the series believe the word means "people who are considered closer than family", though that is not a part of the official dictionary definition of the word.

The special bond the word has come to represent for the fans, comes from the way Luffy's crew members, in particular, treat each other. However, Luffy and his crew are simply good to each other. This is shown often as most other pirates do not treat their so-called "nakama" with as much respect. There are some exceptions, like the Arlong Pirates and Buggy Pirates, after Buggy's fight with Luffy. Others, like Don Krieg and Crocodile, do not have any respect for their crewmates/associates (but still know that they are essential for maximum success) while some pirates even willingly kill their own "nakama", like Kuro.

One would say that "good" pirates in One Piece treat each other with respect, the Straw Hat Pirates being an obvious example. However, this is also exhibited by the Red Hair Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, Rumbar Pirates, and, oddly enough, the Blackbeard Pirates. Foxy, on the other hand, treats his crew differently. He has a rather massive crew of 500 members, and is perfectly willing to risk his crewmates in several games known as the Davy Back Fight. In these games, one can be forced to become someone's "Nakama" against their will.

Conversely, one of the tightest knit crews in the entire series, the Whitebeard Pirates do not often refer to each other as "Nakama", but act as though they are family, referring to their captain as "Father" (Oyaji). Amongst the Whitebeard Pirates, the one iron rule is not to kill one's comrades, and when Marshall D. Teach broke that very rule, he was condemned by every member of the crew to death, but he escaped and murdered his former "father" as well.

The majority of fans who watch fansubs, feel that the word has such an impact on the show, and thus the word nakama should remain as it is, and not be translated to something like "shipmate" or "crewmate". However, there is nothing in the Japanese language that suggests the word has this special meaning, so it is basically a fan-term to the English speaking fanbase, as Oda has never made any comments in interviews or SBS answers that would lead credence to it.

"Nakama" was first left untranslated by a fansub group known as "Kaizoku Fansubs", during the Arlong Park Arc. Since then, many other groups have left the word untranslated. This tradition has also moved on to other anime and manga. Though hardly translated by fans, it's always translated by official English versions.