Merfolk

Merfolk are shown in the world of One Piece as one of the two major races that inhabit the Sea, the other being the Fishmen, and seemed to be ruled by an individual know for now only as the Mermaid Princess.

Appearance
Like the mermaids and mermen of folklore, their upper half is that of a human while the lower half is that of a fish. As demonstrated recently by Kokoro, mermaids may walk on land as when they are thirty years old, their tails split into two. Like the Fishmen, they are based on the different fish of the Sea; for example, Kokoro is an Icefish Mermaid.

Inter-species Relationships
Unlike the Fishmen, the Merfolk are peaceful, and prefer their race to remain a secret. They often are rumoured to aid drowning sailors, plucking them from the sea and taking them to safety.

Mermaids and Mermen are friends to the fishes of the sea, fun loving and usually get along with most people, including Fishmen (even though Fishmen can often take advantage of the Merfolk's good nature).

Like Fishmen, Merfolk face dramatic discrimination in certain areas due to past history between them and humans. While the World Government has attempted to bridge the gap, they are still considered valuable in areas where slavery is still legal in this world. A captured female mermaid under 30 (when their tail splits and they can walk on land) that is sold in auction in the Sabaody Archipelago can go for a starting price of 70,000,000 Beli. The wealthy who buy one usually keep them as a trophy.

Overall Strength
They appear much weaker then the Fishmen, however it is difficult to tell their strength considering only two so far have made an appearance. Merfolk are also the fastest swimmers in sea.

Translation and Dub Issues
Often the term "Fishmen" is mistranslated from Japanese to "Mermen," however the two species are very different. This is because the Kanji for Fishmen (魚人) is just the reverse of Mermen (人魚). Their translated name, "Manfish" is how the Japanese describe the Merman and Mermaid of legend, they do not have a word for it.