Vinsmoke Family

The Vinsmoke Family is a powerful and infamous family of Underworld killers, and the family from which Sanji hails. They are the reigning royal family of the Germa Kingdom, as well as the former dynastic conquerors and rulers of North Blue. As an adjunct to their rule over the Germa Kingdom, they are also the commanders of the Kingdom's Underworld army, Germa 66.

Overview
In the past, the Vinsmoke Family managed to conquer the entire North Blue with their military might. They continue to rule over the ocean-going Germa Kingdom, and still possess the authority and privileges of royalty, including the right to attend Reverie. Furthermore, their patriarch is powerful enough to directly influence the bounty system, by both increasing bounties and changing their conditions of capture.

The Family currently conducts its primary operations within the Underworld. Their army, Germa 66, is so technologically advanced that even the Yonko Big Mom is interested in them. Although the exact nature of its Underworld activities is currently unknown, the Family has been shown leading Germa 66 in mercenary operations against other military forces, in return for payment. Their prominence and infamy throughout the Underworld is great, but their notoriety also seems to extend beyond the Underworld, with Brook and Robin both recognizing the Vinsmoke name.

Members
The family is currently known to consist of a father (the family patriarch), at least four sons (of whom Sanji was formerly the third before he left), and at least one daughter. The patriarch is a man infamous throughout the Underworld.

The family's most distinct physical feature is their curly eyebrows.

Past
Sometime in the past, the Vinsmoke Family ruled all of North Blue with their military might. Presently, while they no longer rule over any land, they still retain the influence and status of royalty. There is a fictional tale, circulated in comic strip form, that depicts their conflict with the Marines; it is later explained that they were chosen as the model for the comic's villain group because the Vinsmoke name was once considered synonymous with evil.

Sometime before he was nine years old, Sanji migrated across the Red Line from North Blue to East Blue: a considerable journey, given the geographic circumstances. When Sanji was nine years old, the cruise ship he was working on was attacked by the Cook Pirates and then sunk in a storm. Sanji and the pirate captain, Zeff, were marooned on an island, where they almost starved to death. After their rescue, Sanji worked under Zeff as they built the Baratie, with Sanji becoming the sous chef. Ever since Sanji left the family, his father has been searching for him.

Ten years later, Sanji left Baratie to join the Straw Hat Pirates, taking part in their pirate activities and earning the attention of the World Government. When he received his first bounty, there was no photograph of Sanji's face, so a crude drawing was substituted; as a result of the misleading image, the Marines that Sanji's father sent after Sanji went after Duval instead. However, when Sanji received his second bounty two years later, it contained a picture of his real face and Sanji's father ordered both an increase in the bounty amount, and the change of bounty condition (from "Dead or Alive" to "Only Alive").

Zou Arc
Some time between the Straw Hat Pirates' encounter with the Big Mom Pirates off the coast of Dressrosa and the Big Mom Pirates' arrival on Zou, the Vinsmoke and Charlotte Families entered into a political alliance that was to be sealed with an arranged wedding between the third Vinsmoke son, Sanji, and the 35th Charlotte daughter, Purin. Sanji, shocked that his past had been brought up again, deduced that his father was also responsible for the changes to his bounty. Intent on tying up all loose ends from his past, Sanji reluctantly left Zou to confront his family at Whole Cake Island.

Totland Arc
Luffy and the Sanji retrieval team first encountered Germa 66's ship as they entered Big Mom's territory. Upon seeing him aboard the ship, the team initially mistook Vinsmoke Yonji for Sanji, due to the similarities in their appearance, but Yonji introduced himself while claiming that his relationship to Sanji was a secret. When Yonji refused to hand over an antidote for the dying Luffy's poisoning, Vinsmoke Reiju intervened and saved Luffy by absorbing the toxin. After a brief discussion of the Vinsmoke Family's history with Brook, she and Yonji returned to their ship and agreed not to report the team's presence out of concern that it might jeopardize the wedding.

Three days before the wedding, Germa 66, led by the first two sons of the Vinsmoke Family, ended a two-year civil war on Broc Coli Island on behalf of one of the sides. After confirming their payment, they were informed that Sanji had arrived on Whole Cake Island and promised an unseen individual, via Den Den Mushi, that they would arrive on the island the day before the wedding.

After the Germa Kingdom began to assemble at Whole Cake Island, Sanji reunited with his father, sister, and younger brother for the first time in 13 years. The meeting proves to be hostile on Sanji's part, as he rejects Reiju's efforts to convince him to accept his royal heritage, overpowers his brother, and argues with his father.

Trivia

 * The Vinsmoke Family's naming convention, based off the names of the known Vinsmokes, appears to follow the pattern "(number) + j + vowel": Rei(0)ju, San(3)ji, and Yon(4)ji.
 * Although all known members of the Vinsmoke Family share the characteristic curled eyebrows, Sanji is currently the only known member with eyebrows that curl in a clockwise direction (to the right side of his face), while the others curl counter-clockwise (to the left side of their faces).
 * All known members of the Family have an epithet with a color in their name, Yonji's being "Winch Green" (ウインチグリーン) and Reiju's being "Poison Pink" (ポイズンピンク). However, Sanji's epithet "Black Leg" (黒脚) differs fundamentally from the others because it is written in kanji, not katakana.
 * "Vin" is French for "wine".

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