Karoo

Karoo is Nefertari Vivi's pet super spot-billed duck, a fleet riding bird (one of the fastest modes of transportation available in Arabasta). Alongside his owner Vivi, Karoo infiltrated the organization known as Baroque Works. With her, he ended up traveling with the Straw Hat Pirates for most of the Arabasta Saga after their cover was blown. He is the leader of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops in Arabasta.

Appearance
Karoo is a duck of yellow-brown plumage, with black-tipped wings and tailfeathers. Typical of his species, he bears a black band around his bill and stands roughly as tall as the average human; his feet are tetradactyl, with ostrich-like talons (unlike the webbed feet of normal ducks).

His default wear consists of a blue-and-white chullo (typically unbuckled), pink goggles, and a large saddle carrying multiple saddlebags. When travelling, he prefers to wear a barrel-shaped canteen around his neck, complete with drinking-straw.

Personality
For the most part a comic-relief figure, Karoo is generally intelligent enough to grasp most human speech and situations, but often engages in bizarre—sometimes dimwitted—behavior, up to misinterpreting some of Vivi's simplest commands. As a counterbalance to his headstrong mistress, he is also easily frightened, easily shrinking—if not outright fleeing—at signs of danger.

At the same time, Karoo is undyingly loyal to Vivi, and by extension both the Arabasta Kingdom and the Straw Hat Pirates. In times of need, he has always embraced this loyalty over any fears, unflinchingly risking his life on multiple occasions, up to and including using his own body as a shield. Karoo's loyalty to his friends has also made him very determined to help in any way he possibly can both in and out of battle.

Examples of this include how he helped Luffy and Usopp to defeat the Baroque Works agents in Little Garden, how he arrived with the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops to help the straw hats out of the desert and save Vivi from Mr. 2 Bon Kurei in Arabasta. Despite this, Karoo, like Vivi genuinely cared for the straw hats and became very attached to them, as he tearfully parted ways with them alongside Vivi, and has been seen happily keeping tabs on their exploits alongside her as well.

When given the opportunity, he can also prove something of a glutton, and has been known to ignore Vivi's orders on conserving water even during long desert travels.

Nefertari Vivi
Karoo has been the pet and friend of Vivi since the princess's childhood. He has always been attached to her, even joining her in infiltrating Baroque Works. In Arabasta, he shows his love for her by protecting her from the rebels and taking her over to Alubarna.

When given a command, he sometimes does exactly what he is told to do such as extending one hand, and sometimes does exactly the opposite such as drinking a large amount of water despite Vivi telling him to conserve his water in the desert.

Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops
Karoo is the leader of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops. The troops are very loyal to Karoo and Vivi, so much so that they assisted them and the Straw Hats in traveling through the desert, and later in the fight against Baroque Works. The newest member, Matsuge, also helped in the fight against Baroque Works and has been very close with the two ever since, even sometimes seen shopping with them.

Straw Hat Pirates
Karoo never held any true hostility for the Straw Hat Pirates, even when Vivi opposed them as Miss Wednesday; once they became allies, he was accepted aboard the Going Merry as easily as his mistress. The crew's carefree nature delighted him, and he especially enjoyed the company of Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper (who could, uniquely, translate all his articulations into human speech). Despite his generally combat-shy nature, he also made every effort to help them battle Baroque Works, serving as Usopp's mount on Little Garden and proudly donning their arm-sign to deflect Mr. 2's impersonations.

In turn, Karoo was appreciated by the Straw Hats as a valuable—and amusing—friend, no less a crewmate than Vivi. Even so, they were not above occasionally bullying or exploiting him (Luffy and Usopp even using him as fishing bait in at least one instance).

Abilities and Powers
All right! Show him the powers that put a panther's to shame!

As captain of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops, Karoo boasts the peak of his species' natural speed and stamina (famed as the highest among all of Arabasta's land creatures), and well-trained in carrying and acclimating riders. With only a small supply of water, he can cross many kilometers of desert in less than a day; when pushed to his limits, he has been known to outmanuever gunshots, and even scale sheer cliffsides with his talons.

Karoo's body is also remarkably durable as a whole, capable of surviving a stampede of fully-loaded warhorses—compounded by a bullet wound—completely unarmored. His wings, while incapable of genuine flight, are strong enough to keep himself (and a rider) aloft for several seconds if beaten quickly; their pinion feathers are dexterous enough to act as makeshift fingers, and manipulate tools as complex as scissors.

Nevertheless, Karoo possesses very little capacity for actual combat, even when directly coordinating with Vivi. At times, he has been known to confuse manuevers as simple as charging a stationary enemy.

Past


Only two years younger than Vivi, Karoo has lived as her personal pet for at least eight years, and is possibly her oldest friend and companion. In time, he was appointed captain of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops, an elite group of Super Spot-Billed Ducks used for special assignments by Arabasta's royal family.

When Vivi learned of Baroque Works' plot against Arabasta and infiltrated its ranks as "Miss Wednesday" (along with Igaram, "Mr. 8"), Karoo followed his mistress, serving as her faithful battle-mount.

Whisky Peak Arc


Within two years of infiltration, Karoo, Vivi, and Igaram were established at Whisky Peak, a frontier town populated entirely by Baroque Works' lower-ranked bounty hunters and assassins. When the Straw Hat Pirates dropped anchor, the town launched a collective attack, but were singlehandedly beaten by Roronoa Zoro; Karoo's efforts were especially incompetent, as he misheard nearly all of Vivi's commands, and eventually ran her (and himself) straight off a rooftop.

Shortly after, Vivi and Igaram were confronted by Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, revealing that the head of Baroque Works had learned of their infiltration, and ordered their immediate deaths. As the pair attacked, Karoo took Vivi on a panicked sprint through Whisky Peak, narrowly evading the Officer Agents until they were (semi-accidentally) defeated by Zoro and Monkey D. Luffy.

Ultimately, Karoo and Vivi would escape Whisky Peak under the protection of the Straw Hats—the result of a hasty, desperate negotiation between Igaram and Nami. Though privy to none of the details, Karoo ironically agreed quicker than Vivi, and boarded the Going Merry long before her or the Straw Hats.

Little Garden Arc


Per the standard Log Pose route, the Going Merry next reached the savage, prehistoric isle of Little Garden. Intrigued by its jungles, both Luffy and Vivi disembarked to explore, obligating Karoo to reluctantly join them. Together, they encountered many extraordinary creatures, culminating in the dueling Giants Dorry and Brogy. At first terrified, Vivi and Karoo cautiously accepted the Giants' good-cheer and hospitality, all the while unaware that Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine—now joined with Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek—had already pursued them to the island.

Working in secret, the Baroque Works agents laced Dorry's drink with explosives, severely injuring the Giant and turning his suspicions on the Straw Hats and Vivi. Panicked, Karoo fled into the nearby jungles, only to be captured by Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. As the pair cajoled him to call for Vivi, Karoo realized he was being used to bait a trap, and stubbornly resisted, even as they started beating him. His effort was in vain, however, as Dorry soon pinned Luffy under a mountain, allowing Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine to directly overpower and abduct Vivi.



Having passed out during the beatings, Karoo was discarded beside the helpless Luffy and a similarly-beaten Usopp. However, Luffy's drive to save Vivi and avenge the Giants revived him, and he painstakingly dug Luffy free with his bill. Rallying anew, Karoo and the two Straw Hats rushed into battle against their Baroque Works adversaries—now the captors of not only Vivi, but Nami, Zoro, and Brogy as well.

While Luffy fought Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek—as well as the giant candle-set designed to suffocate their captives—Karoo and Usopp fell back to (relative) safety, providing support fire while dodging Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. Once Karoo was attuned to carrying Usopp, they easily outpaced the agents, but were eventually downed by Mr. 5's invisible breath-bullets. Nevertheless, Karoo gathered the strength to follow one more order from Usopp: to sprint around Mr. 3's candle-set and crisscross it with an oil-soaked rope. This gambit helped Luffy burn down the entire set with a single flame, freeing the captives just seconds before full suffocation.

Outmaneuvered, Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek fled deeper into the jungle, with Karoo and Luffy—still determined to avenge the Giants—in pursuit. After Mr. 3 was downed by Luffy, Karoo found and drove off Miss Goldenweek by himself. He and Luffy then took her remaining rice crackers and threw a small party with Usopp and the others.

Drum Island Arc
Within a day of leaving Little Garden, Nami fell ill, spurring the crew (at Vivi's insistence) to detour in search of a doctor. During this time, Karoo helped watch over the bedridden Nami until the Merry chanced on the permanently winter-bound Drum Island. While the rest of the crew disembarked, Karoo stayed behind with Zoro to guard the Merry; to his horror, Zoro soon grew bored, and began a new training regimen of ice-swimming through the local rivers.

Fearing that Zoro would freeze in the frigid waters, Karoo jumped after him, but only succeeded in freezing himself. He was not discovered until Nami was cured and the crew returned to the Merry with new recruit Tony Tony Chopper; after a horrified Vivi revived him, his explanations were translated by Chopper, earning Zoro (who tried to claim it an accident) a fresh beating from Nami.

Arabasta Arc
As the Merry resumed course for Arabasta, Karoo joined Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper on a kitchen raid, emptying all the food stores in one night; for this, all four were heavily punished by Nami and Sanji. Over the next few days, they were forced to fish for new provisions—a fresh ordeal for Karoo, as Luffy and Usopp decided to use him to bait their lines. Unsurprisingly, Karoo failed to attract any fish, though he did by sheer chance "catch" a passenger from an adjacent ship: Baroque Works' Mr. 2 Bon Kurei. This brief encounter alerted the crew to Mr. 2's shapeshifting abilities, and Karoo joined all the others in donning a white armband (with hidden "X") as proof of their true compatriots.

On reaching Arabasta proper and confirming civil war was imminent, Vivi sent Karoo on a special mission: while she and the others tried to conciliate Koza's rebel army at Yuba, he was to cross directly to Alubarna's royal palace with a letter detailing everything known of Baroque Works and Crocodile's plans. Despite the desert's many perils, Karoo succeeded in record time, receiving much praise (and water) from Chaka, Pell, and Nefertari Cobra.



By the following day, unfortunately, Baroque Works' endgame was proceeding apace, with Luffy defeated and nearly killed by Crocodile, Cobra kidnapped from the palace and impersonated by Mr. 2, and the rebels (who had quit Yuba months earlier) closing in for a total assault on Alubarna. Sensing that the crew needed further help, Karoo led the entire Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops to meet them on Alubarna's outskirts.

Thinking quickly, the Straw Hats collectively voluntered as decoys, each riding a duck (and donning an identical cloak) to lure away the Officer Agents posted near Alubarna's gates. This allowed Vivi and Karoo to meet the approaching rebels alone, but all hopes of conciliation were dashed when a Baroque Works agitator in the Royal Guard "accidentally" fired a cannon on the rebels, obscuring them in smoke. With only seconds to react, Karoo threw himself atop Vivi, using his own body to shield her from the rebels' charging horses.

As the rebels flooded Alubarna, "Usopp"—actually Mr. 2—met Vivi and the badly-trampled Karoo, callously dismissing the latter. Suspicious, Vivi confirmed his real identity through his (lack of) arm-sign; to their mutual surprise, this revived Karoo enough to speed Vivi away. With Mr. 2 in pursuit, the adrenaline-rushed Karoo managed to scale the almost-sheer Alubarna plateau, even using his pinion feathers to climb over the top. On entering the city, Karoo was quickly downed by a stray bullet; nevertheless, his efforts allowed Sanji and two of the other Spot-Billed Duck Troops enough time to double back, and head off Mr. 2.



With Sanji battling Mr. 2 (and Vivi rushing ahead), Karoo was delivered to medical attention by his troops, and spent the rest of the war recuperating. After Baroque Works was defeated and the war ended, he recovered enough to join the others at the Nefertari family's celebratory banquet. The next day, he proceeded to carry Vivi through one last secret mission: a shoreside farewell to the departing Straw Hats. Though the crew could not answer aloud (for fear of Marines overhearing), all of them raised their arm-signs as a vow of friendship—a vow passionately returned by Karoo and his mistress.

Gedatsu's Accidental Blue-Sea Life
Karoo and the Spot-Billed Duck Troops later enjoyed the geothermal baths of Ukkari Hot Spring, owned and operated by Goro (Toto's brother and Koza's uncle).

Post-Enies Lobby Arc
Karoo was later seen when the Straw Hats received their bounties after the Enies Lobby incident.

Post-War Arc


After the Summit War of Marineford, Karoo and Vivi read an article about Luffy's second appearance at Marineford, looking surprised by Luffy's actions.

From the Decks of the World
Karoo and Matsuge ate apples and walked around with Vivi while she greeted the townspeople.

From the Decks of the World: The 500,000,000 Man Arc
As the disclosure of Luffy's new bounty after his victory over Donquixote Doflamingo reached Arabasta, Vivi seemed to be happy to learn how her friends are doing while Karoo carefully added the recent news article about the Straw Hats to a scrapbook.

Zou Arc
As the time for Levely approached, Karoo accompanied the Nefertari Family to Mary Geoise alongside Chaka, Pell, and Igaram.

Levely Arc
On the way to the Levely, Karoo received the news of Luffy's exploits at Totto Land.

The Arabasta Kingdom participants later arrived at Mary Geoise. At the castle, Karoo accompanied Vivi as she conversed with Rebecca and Shirahoshi about Luffy. After Donquixote Mjosgard stopped Charlos from enslaving Shirahoshi, Karoo stood close to Vivi as Mjosgard promised to protect Shirahoshi during the Levely.

Major Battles

 * Karoo, Miss Wednesday, Mr. 8, Miss Monday, and Mr. 9 vs Roronoa Zoro
 * Karoo, Monkey D. Luffy, and Usopp vs Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, Mr. 5, and Miss Valentine
 * Karoo vs Miss Goldenweek
 * Karoo and Nefertari Vivi vs Mr. 2 Bon Kurei

Merchandise
He is featured alongside Chopper in the One Piece Desert Kingdom Mascot Keychain/Cellphone Strap collection.

Playable Appearances

 * Grand Battle! 2
 * One Piece: Going Baseball
 * One Piece Treasure Cruise
 * One Piece Thousand Storm

Support Appearances

 * Grand Battle!
 * Legend of the Rainbow Island
 * Aim! The King of Berry
 * One Piece: Grand Adventure
 * One Piece: Unlimited Adventure
 * One Piece: Gear Spirit
 * One Piece: Gigant Battle
 * One Piece: Burning Blood
 * One Piece: Great Pirate Colosseum

Non-Playable Appearances

 * Grand Battle! Swan Colosseum
 * Big Secret Treasure of the Seven Phantom Islands
 * Grand Battle! 3
 * Grand Battle! Rush!
 * Dragon Dream!
 * One Piece: Pirates Carnival
 * One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World
 * One Piece Romance Dawn: The Dawn of the Adventure
 * One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X

Translation and Dub Issues
His name appears to be derived directly from karugamo, a term that most commonly refers to the Eastern spot-billed duck. While often romanized as Carue in early fan translations, it is rendered Karoo in all officially-licensed English sources; the latter spelling was eventually confirmed canonical by the Vivre Card series.

The original Japanese anime and - to an extent - the Funimation dub typically stress the first syllable of his name when speaking it aloud (i.e. "KAH-roo"). In contrast, the 4Kids dub typically stresses the latter syllable (i.e. "Kuh-ROO").

Trivia

 * In the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th fan polls of most popular characters, Karoo was ranked the 22nd, 47th, 53rd, 63rd, 55th, and 75th respectively.
 * His favorite foods are cold water and volti.
 * Despite his long absence from the series and ambiguous status as an "official" Straw Hat Pirate, Karoo - alongside Vivi - continues to appear semi-regularly in the manga's cover illustrations.
 * In addition, he was - again alongside Vivi - the first character outside the crew to be featured in one of the anime's eyecatchers. However, this practice stopped after the Arabasta Saga.
 * Karoo may have been inspired by the Chocobo, a fictional flightless bird commonly featured in Square Enix games (particularly the Final Fantasy series) as ground transport.
 * While probably not a direct inspiration, his name is also shared with the Karoo, a semi-desert region in South Africa.

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