Sabaody Archipelago

Sabaody Archipelago (シャボンディ諸島, Shabondi Shotō) is an area close to the Red Line. Though it is called an archipelago, it is actually a massive mangrove forest growing out from middle of the ocean with each tree of the forest serving as an "island" for which people live on. Since it is just a forest and not an island like those found in the Grand Line, it has no magnetic pull for which to affect a Log Pose. Its name comes from the Portuguese word Sabão meaning soap, and corresponds to its unique environment wherein soap-like bubbles come out from trees.

Due to the place being in close proximity to the part of the Red Line bordering the first half of the Grand Line and the New World, it is a highly visited rest stop for all sorts of travelers to prepare before entering the New World. Aside from its unique environment and it being a booming business hub, it is notable for the World Nobles who visit there and a thriving slave trade supported by them. One notable slave hunting group are the Flying Fish Riders whose headquarters are several kilometers from the area.

Geography
The Sabaody Archipelago is, in actuality, a massive mangrove forest in the middle of the ocean made up of 79 separate trees known as Yarukiman Mangrove. Their name is a pun on the Japanese phrase," Yaru Ki Manman", which means being pumped up or motivated. The Yarukiman Mangrove trees are the largest mangroves in the world and are strong enough to grow from the bottom of the ocean to the top. They don't sink into ocean during high tide like other mangrove trees, and the texture on their barks has such a distinct look that they resemble large candy canes. Each tree is called a "Grove" and serves as an "island" for which people live on. People can get from one Grove to another via the various bridges built connecting around the many tree roots.

Each Yarukiman Mangrove tree is capable of producing a special resin, which is blown into bubbles when the trees "breathe out" through cellular respiration and photosynthesis. These bubbles can only exist in and around the Archipelago. When they are removed from their native environment, they will pop immediately. Due to the fact that this knowledge is not widely known outside Sabaody, many of the local shop keepers in the archipelago often sell bubble based merchandise to unsuspecting tourists who don't know that they would be wasting their money on products that easily burst outside the archipelago.

The 79 trees are divided into several different areas, with each one dependent on the number of the area.


 * 1-29: A lawless area where pirates and bounty hunters run amok
 * 30-39: Sabaody Park, an amusement park with bubble-based attractions
 * 40-49: The tourist area, filled with shops and souvenir stands
 * 50-59: A shipping area
 * 60-69: Local headquarters for the Marines
 * 70-79: A hotel town

The location of the mangrove forest is crucial in the travels through the Grand Line due to its approximation to the only two crossing points on this side of the world. Although there are several paths that traverse the equatorial ocean, the only two points that cross to the other side (Mariejoa and Fishman Island) are on the exact same place, with one at the top of the Red Line and the other in a hole in the depths of the ocean. Because this the only point where one can cross into the New World, the location of the Sabaody Archipelago makes it ideal for anyone who needs to prepare to cross this section of the ocean by either means. Thus, everyone from the high-ranked nobles to the traversing pirates use the Sabaody Archipelago as a rest and preparation point as they look back on their previous journeys and prepare to enter the New World.

Culture
The people native to the Sabaody Archipelago have learned to live both within and alongside the trees and the large bubbles that they create. Each tree houses a different use, many of which are for the various commerce for those who visit the area. Like the trees, the bubbles are also used for many different and varied means, going from transportation devices such as bubble bikes called Bon Chari, to personal hotel rooms, to even special helmets used by the World Nobles to prevent them from breathing the air of commoners.

For those who wish to move further along the Grand Line, the mangrove is important in order to stock up on supplies and prepare themselves for the journey to cross the Red Line. Most normal travelers generally stay here and wait until they are given permission to cross the Red Line on foot by Mariejois. The rest, such as pirates, must typically seek "coating mechanics" found around the archipelago to cover their ships in the special resin produced by the trees. It is this resin that allows ships to go underwater to Fishman Island.

Slavery and Discrimination
Due to the proximity of the archipelago to the holy land of Mariejoa, World Nobles are sometimes seen going around the place. While they provide to the mangrove wealth and prosperity, their views on commoners makes life horrible for both the inhabitants and visitors alike. Since they see commoners as completely below them, World Nobles generally expect absolute obedience shown. Anyone that crosses their path is expected to bow and give way for them. World Nobles also do what they like around town without question, whether it be shooting civilians on sight or taking them against their will. Anyone that doesn't coincide with what they do is punished severely.

Because of how World Nobles view commoners as nothing more than things that they can freely do with, this supports and legalizes a booming slave trading industry that caters to their desires, a pratice that is normally banned in the rest of world. As a result, the mangrove is home to many kidnapping gangs and bounty hunters who do business with the trade. These various slave traders would thus capture anyone who presents a fine prize and sell them for the highest bidder to do whatever they desire. Once sold off to a World Noble or to a someone just as rich enough to afford a slave, these slaves, from ordinary people to even the fiercest of pirates, are treated like trash after capture.

While people from all sorts of trade suffer from Sabaody's slave industry, the ones that suffer the most are Fishmen and Merfolk. This stems from the fact that Sabaody still holds onto the old notion that these races are classified as just another type of fish. This notion was abolished two hundred years before the current storyline when the World Government allied with Fishman Island. Sabaody however still practices this horrid fact along with slavery. As a result, since Fishmen and Merfolk are seen as nothing more as fish, they are captured regardless if they are criminals or not. Most of them are thus forced to stay away from the mangrove. This is such a horrible thing especially as the childhood dream of most of them can only be found in the mangrove. This being to ride the large bubble ferris wheel in Sabaody Park. Those that dare to venture into the mangrove to do business, fulfill their childhood dream, or otherwise, must wear disguises and pretend to be human else they be captured.

Pirate Activity in Sabaody
Being the last stop before going to the New World, Pirates land on Sabaody to prepare for the dangers that lay ahead. They however can't do things as freely as they did before reaching the mangrove. Due to the mangrove being practically next door to both Mariejois and Marineford, pirates are in the most dangerous possible place to be in when in Sabaody. Aside from the multitude of strong bounty hunters and kidnapping gangs native to the mangrove, they have to be aware that they may be attacked at any moment by either Marines or by the World Government itself. In fact, because of the proximity to the World Government and it's forces, notorious pirates don't even get to roam freely on Sabaody as they are captured by the Marine forces that are normally stationed in the mangrove, unless these forces are attending something else.

With the various dangers before them in Sabaody, pirates must therefore restrain themselves else they attract unwanted attention onto themselves. They can't pillage or even have fights amongst themselves. Above else, they shouldn't attack any of the World Nobles that frequent the mangrove. Should they attack a World Noble for whatever reason, a large number of Marines led by a Marine Admiral is dispatched to eliminate any and every pirate within the mangrove. This fact did not, however, keep Luffy from punching one in the face after Hachi was shot by him.

Technology
Everything in this island is bubble-based, with the bubbles from the Yarukiman Mangroves used in a variety of fashions. The bubbles can be manipulated into a cart known as a Bon Chari by simply sitting on it. Many other bubbles are used for the rides and attractions of Sabaody Park, including the ferris wheel, drop tower and roller coaster. Bubbles can also be transformed into individualized hotel rooms at certain lodging areas on the island.

Translation and Dub Issues
Before the actual Romaji spelling of the archipelago was revealed, the name of this location was translated as the "Shabondy Archipelago" by various scanlation groups based on the Japanese pronunciation of the word.

Shabon, pronounced [ɕabon], is the direct romanization of what's written in katakana (シャボン). But, as stated before, it's actually the Portuguese loanword Sabão, meaning soap. Sabão is pronounced [sɐˈbɐ̃ũ] in Portuguese, ending with a nasal vowel, similarly to the French translation savon (French being another roman language).

Japanese people automatically pronounce any "sa"-like sound (as in sardine) as sha, and replace any nasal vowel by a compound of 2 sounds, the second being the final "-n". So, Portuguese Sabão just finished pronounced as Shabon in Japanese. As English doesn't have any nasal vowel too, it would also be hard for English native speaker to pronounce the second syllable in Sabão. The same goes for Filipinos who pronounce soap as "Sabon", only without the "-h" in it.

To have a glimpse on the actual Portuguese pronounciation of Sabão, watch this video clip where comic actors are repeatedly singing "Sabão Crá Crá" at the begining.