Jinbe/Personality and Relationships

Personality
Jinbe is a fishman of great pride and honor. He is known to the World Government as a pirate-hating pirate, possibly due to the actions of the pirates in Fishman Island, kidnapping fishmen and merfolk to sell them as slaves. However, he has great respect for Whitebeard and his crew as he sees them as a completely different story. Because of what Whitebeard had done for his homeland, Fishman Island, he understands the damage a war between the World Government and Whitebeard would cause. He knows that places like his home, which are protected by simply being part of Whitebeard's territory, would suffer the most should Whitebeard lose the war. Also, despite originally hating pirates, he did not spare a second thought of becoming one in order to aid his brethren Fisher Tiger.

Despite his pride, Jinbe appears to put his priorities and principles over his honor, and is not above retreating from an otherwise unfinished battle (despite being shamed or openly mocked by an opponent) if it was for the sake of the greater good. He also does not seem to hesitate from encouraging others to do likewise for a similar cause, as seen when he pleaded and managed to convince Luffy to prioritize Ace's safety first over avenging his brother's loss against Blackbeard. Jinbe has also displayed great humility regarding his personal strength and status, a trait most unique among the Shichibukai. This was made apparent by his willingness to even lose his status for his refusal to fight against the Whitebeard Pirates.

Also, unlike his former crew mate Arlong, the fact that he is willing to aid a human (Whitebeard) as well as team up with others separates him from the other fishmen. Where as Arlong would never dream of such a thing (even Nami's recruitment into his crew was near slavery), Jinbe proves to be able to treat some humans as equals and also acknowledge when he owes one a debt. While he is a fishman with great emotional control, he is empathetic and understanding of the pains of others, such as being brought to tears when Luffy broke down from losing his brother in front of him after he had awoken from the battle at Marineford. Jinbe is also capable of crying aloud when someone dear to him is lost, such as Ace and Tiger.

His personality in the past dramatically contrasts with the apparently tame temper in the present. In a flashback showing a battle between the Sun Pirates and Marines, Jinbe was shown to exhibit excessive brutality to enemies that even made Arlong ask him to stop. He seems to be a no-nonsense person and appears to be quite passive at times. Though he did not agree with Arlong's thinking that humans always looked down on fishmen, he noticed that they always seemed to be afraid of them. After asking a former human slave named Koala why that is, she said it was because they did not know much about them. Jinbe stated that the unknown was scary and remembered Otohime talking about how fishmen do not know anything about humans.

Jinbe also adamantly believes that true strength should come from hard work and experience, as shown when he reprimanded Gekko Moriah for implanting the shadows of others into himself in order to increase his strength, stating that all he really did was get bigger, and when he referred to the power that Hody Jones received from strength-enhancing pills as "fake power". He can, however, see potential within those who use such cheap methods, as when he told Moriah to grow stronger after defeating him.

Originally, Jinbe was doubtful of Otohime's ideals, thinking that they did not mean anything. He even openly stated that he did not care about her petition. However, after listening to Fisher Tiger's speech about peace, Jinbe grew supportive of Otohime and even admitted about the trouble the Sun Pirates caused her and joined the Shichibukai to support her cause.

Jinbe shares the same perspective as Vivi on responsibilities. When Luffy asked Jinbe to join the Straw Hats, Jinbe refused saying that there are still things that he has to do. Jinbe's decision also resembles to Vivi's when he also asked Luffy to let him join his crew, if they meet again in the future. According to Neptune, Jinbe tends to take on too much responsibility and should learn not to.

Jinbe states that he does not really care who the boss is of his crew despite his leadership skills so long as they can protect the crew, as shown when he allowed the Sun Pirates to work under Big Mom for their protection.

While having a conversation with Ace in Impel Down, Jinbe says he does not lose hope even when a situation says otherwise believing a miracle will happen. This eventually became true when Luffy reached his cell to rescue Ace (although he arrived shortly after Ace was escorted to Marineford). Jinbe states he will not protect a stranger if they do not earn his respect.

As stated by his friend Hack, Jinbe's dream is for there to be friendship between humans and fishmen.

Jinbe is also completely selfless, having lived his entire life helping his fellow fishmen and merfolk in any way he can. This earned him immense respect from other fishmen such as the members of the Sun Pirates. Part of the reason why Jinbe refused to spin Big Mom's roulette was due to the fact the lives of his own crewmates would also be sacrificed in addition to his own.

Sun Pirates
As the second captain of the Sun Pirates, Jinbe is deeply respected by his crewmates due to his magnanimous nature and benevolence. Jinbe prioritized his crewmates' well being above all else, having joined the Shichibukai to allow some of the members who were formerly slaves to return home to reunite with their families. The main reason he refused to spin Big Mom's roulette is due to the safety of his crewmates being sacrificed rather than fear of his own life. The Sun Pirates deeply reciprocate Jinbe's dedication with absolute loyalty, and was perfectly willing to become enemies with Big Mom, an immensely dangerous Yonko, to help Jinbe break free from the Big Mom Pirates to join the Straw Hats.

Fisher Tiger
Jinbe was extremely close friends and also sworn brothers with Fisher Tiger. They grew up together in the Fishman District and Jinbe saw Tiger as family, evidenced by his habit of calling him big brother Tai. When Tiger attacked Mariejois and became an enemy of the World Government, Jinbe resigned from the Neptune Army and joined Tiger's crew to assist him without a second thought. Jinbe respected Tiger and his leadership a great deal. He was always thoughtful and receptive towards Tiger's opinions. He also seemed to care a lot about Tiger's well being and was not above showing brutality to the Marines who threatened his captain's life. It's been shown that Fisher Tiger confided to Jinbe about the "demons" that dwell in his own heart. When Tiger was fatally wounded and refused a blood transfusion due to it belonging to a human, Jinbe begged, to no avail, for Tiger to live and cried when Tiger died.

Arlong
While Jinbe and Arlong grew up together in an orphanage in the Fishman District, Jinbe, while a soldier of the Neptune Army, showed hostility towards Arlong when he was harassing the Fishman Island citizens, calling him scum and even trash, indicating that Jinbe frowned upon Arlong's distasteful attitude. Upon Jinbe's entrance into the ranks of Shichibukai, the Sun Pirates disbanded and split into smaller factions. Jinbe felt guilty about releasing Arlong into the East Blue, showing that he objected to Arlong's abusive treatment towards humans. Jinbe states that it was difficult for him to tell Luffy about his connection to Arlong, but after meeting Luffy again after two years, Jinbe musters the strength to reveal that he was the one who allowed the Arlong Pirates to run loose in the East Blue, and was quite shocked to hear that one of Luffy's crewmates suffered personally under Arlong's rule.

Aladine
Aladine became one of Jinbe's closest friends after becoming captain of the Sun Pirates after Fisher Tiger. Like Jinbe, he also understood Fisher Tiger's will. He is also understanding of Jinbe's reasons for not stopping Arlong. One of the reasons why Jinbe joined the Shichibukai was to allow Aladine, along with other members of the Sun Pirates who choose to, to return to Fishman Island as a government pardon. In return, Jinbe seems to greatly respect Aladine as he would make him his vice captain at some point in their travels.

In the Whole Cake Island Arc, Aladine and the rest of the Sun Pirates completely support Jinbe's decision to join the Straw Hat Pirates as it is clearly something he wants to do.

Hatchan
Jinbe worried over the well-being of Hatchan, seeing the octopus fishman heavily injured. However, it is apparent that Jinbe and Hatchan had not been in touch with each other since Jinbe was unaware that Hatchan escaped imprisonment before meeting him in the Sea Forest. Like Hatchan, Jinbe also carries the guilt of the devastation the Arlong Pirates caused in the East Blue because he allowed them to reside there.

Edward Newgate
Jinbe has a high respect for Whitebeard. Whitebeard claimed Fishman Island as his territory and, in doing so, saved it from the World Government and other pirate attacks. For this, Jinbe has expressed many times that he owes a great deal of gratitude to the Yonko and refused to participate in the war against Whitebeard, even if it meant losing his Shichibukai title and being imprisoned in Impel Down. Over the years, Jinbe's respect has grown to the point where he will readily declare himself as an adversary to anyone or anything with ill intent upon the Yonko's life, which is why he immediately engaged in battle against Ace on their first encounter, since Ace was out to assassinate Whitebeard at that time.

As for Whitebeard himself, the Yonko appears to have developed a sense of tolerance towards Jinbe, despite the fishman's Shichibukai status (Jinbe has even implied that he visits Whitebeard and his crew from time to time).

Portgas D. Ace
Jinbe and Ace were once enemies (since the latter wanted to kill Whitebeard), and nearly killed each other in a fight that lasted five days. Despite this, the two respected each other deeply and Jinbe was determined to help Ace's brother Luffy rescue him. Upon witnessing Ace's death at the hands of Admiral Akainu, Jinbe was fully prepared to give up his life in revenge and to buy even the smallest amount of time. He also mourned over Ace's death and even shed tears when telling Luffy that Ace was dead.

Silvers Rayleigh
Jinbe also seems to have developed a friendship with the Dark King. At first, Jinbe was surprised when he met Rayleigh in Amazon Lily. They cooperated in stealing a marine ship, circling around Marineford, and ringing the Ox Bell. Jinbe may have a good impression of Rayleigh, due to the Dark King's friendship with Hatchan.

Straw Hat Pirates
He was quite impressed by Luffy's recklessness of breaking into Impel Down in an attempt to save just one life (Ace's), a feat that not even Whitebeard had done. This makes him one of the very few pirates outside of Whitebeard's crew whom Jinbe respects. His respect for Luffy grew as they made their way out of Impel Down to save Ace in Marineford. He also seems to feel gratitude and guilt for Luffy's defeat of Arlong. Upon learning that Luffy is the Revolutionary Dragon's son, Jinbe did not show much surprise. During the battle of Marineford, Jinbe was shown to be just as dedicated to Luffy's well-being and safety as he was to Ace's. The reason is shown in a flashback where Ace asks Jinbe to watch over Luffy if he were to die, and Jinbe responds by stating he will only protect those he cares for. He is later seen saving Luffy from Akainu's magma attack, and escaping with him from Marineford thanks to Trafalgar Law. After Luffy woke up from his coma two weeks later on Amazon Lily, Jinbe was looking after him and saved him from his self-pity and self-inflicting injuries by telling him about the people he can still protect. This makes Luffy realize that he has not lost everything and he still has his crew.

As for Luffy himself, Jinbe's respect seems to be reciprocated, since the Straw Hat captain was seen explaining to his crewmates that he only managed to come back alive from the great war two years ago due to the fishman's protection prior to the time-skip. Also, while Jinbe began his talk about how he set Arlong into East Blue, Luffy pretty much stayed quiet and allowed Jinbe to explain himself before jumping to conclusions (although he fell asleep early into the story). Luffy even agreed to Jinbe's plan of making Luffy a hero even though Luffy does not want to be a hero only because he is Jinbe's friend. After the battle in Gyoncorde Plaza, Jinbe offers to donate his blood to Luffy, saying that the law of Fishman Island which forbid fishmen to donate blood to human does not affect him because he is a pirate. A conscious Luffy then asks Jinbe to join his crew. While he turned down the offer, he said that once he completed his unfinished task, he would meet Luffy again and then Luffy could ask him again.

For the longest time, Jinbe felt ashamed of what Arlong had done to Nami's village and that he did not do anything about it. Sanji in particular chastised Jinbe for allowing Arlong to destroy Nami's childhood (with Hatchan agreeing). After telling the history of Fishman Island's discrimination, Jinbe stated that he was willing to accept any punishment, but Nami told him she had no qualms against him or the fishman race as a whole (just Arlong). Jinbe broke into tears, saying he is indebted to her. Nami also refers to him as Jinbe-chan now. She also showed her support of Jinbe joining the Straw Hat Pirates someday since she was smiling when Jinbe said it.

As for the rest of the crew, since meeting them, Jinbe has developed a respect for them for helping him save his kingdom. He fought alongside the Straw Hats against the New Fishman Pirates to prove that humans and Fishmen can work together in peace. Even though Jinbe declined the offer to join the crew due to his affiliation with Big Mom and his own crew, he promised that once his unfinished business was done, he will return to the Straw Hat crew and join them. They in exchange respect Jinbe and wish for him to join.

In the Whole Cake Island Arc, Jinbe would save Luffy and Nami from being tortured by Charlotte Opera and free them from their captivity. When questioned about Big Mom, he stated that he decided to resolve his unfinished business with her by rebelling against her and aiding the Straw Hat Pirates. Jinbe would later request the Straw Hats to form an alliance with the Fire Tank Pirates in order to bring down Big Mom.

During the wedding ceremony, Jinbe personally told Big Mom of his official resignation from her crew to join the Straw Hats, which left Big Mom furious and Luffy overjoyed at his declaration. Jinbe even states his unyielding devotion for the crew of the future Pirate King in the face of one of the Yonko.

Emporio Ivankov
Jinbe and Ivankov were on good terms with each other from the time they met when Jinbe was freed from his cell. They both played key roles in the breakout (along with the other named characters of the breakout team) and throughout the war, they were seen together, aiding and protecting Luffy. After the war and before Ivankov left for Kamabakka Kingdom, Ivankov trusted Luffy to be in Jinbe's care.

Hack
Not much is known about his friendship with fellow Fishman Karate practitioner Hack, only that he is a dear friend and he shares the same dream as Jinbe, for there to be friendship between humans and fishmen. The only difference is that Hack wants it "by fists".

Fishman Island
Jinbe is a popular native of Fishman Island and was once a soldier of the Ryugu Kingdom; everyone refers him as "Boss Jinbe" (ジンベエ親分). He is always welcome at Ryugu Palace and comes and goes as he pleases, and even royalty like Fukaboshi and Shirahoshi know him well, and the former was willing to give his message to Luffy. However, after abdicating his Shichibukai position, Jinbe could no longer stay on Fishman Island. Even so, he is still respected by the citizens. King Neptune entrusted him with tasks which only Jinbe can handle such as maintaining relationship with other factions such as the Yonko.

Koala
During his time with the Sun Pirates they escorted a former human slave named Koala to her home. When he questioned her about why humankind is afraid of fishman she responds it was because they did not know much about them. The impact the young girl left upon Jinbe was the start of his belief in peace between fishmen and humans. He was seen playing and taking care of her, and was happy for Koala when she reached her home town at Foolshout Island. It is unknown if he is aware that Koala is a member of the Revolutionary Army along with Hack.

Trafalgar D. Water Law
Trafalgar D. Water Law rescued Jinbe and Luffy from the Battle of Marineford while also healing their injuries. Jinbe thanks The Surgeon of Death for his assistance but Law responds his wounds will reopen if he continues to move. After the timeskip he is surprised to read in a newspaper that Law has formed an alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates.

Boa Hancock
According to Hannyabal, despite the title of Shichibukai bestowed upon them, Jinbe had never personally met Boa Hancock prior to her visiting him and Ace at Impel Down. He was rather displeased with her at first, thinking she came to mock Ace, and that he distrusted her when she told them that Luffy was in the prison to save Ace. It is unknown what he thinks of her after realizing that she told the truth and, when in the heat of battle, she attacked Commodore Smoker to protect Luffy and openly stated that Luffy is her beloved. It seems that their relationship now is bordering neutral to friendly, as she allowed him to set foot on Amazon Lily as an exception, where no men, aside from Luffy and Silvers Rayleigh, were allowed before.

World Government
Jinbe was an enemy of the Marines and the World Government when he was with the Sun Pirates until he was accepted into the Shichibukai. As a Shichibukai Jinbe and his entire crew were given a pardon for their captain, Fisher Tiger's attack against the World Nobles, and their status as slaves nullified. Jinbe forfeited his position as a Shichibukai for his refusal to assist in the war against the Whitebeard Pirates and was incarcerated in Level 6 of Impel Down. He escaped from Impel Down and waged war against Marineford in order to prevent Ace's death, which ended in failure.

But by siding with Luffy and the Whitebeard Pirates instead of with the Marines during the Battle of Marineford, Jinbe once again became a willing enemy of both the Marines and the World Government. Sengoku was greatly distressed by Jinbe's choice and some Marines such as Akainu and Brandnew refer to Jinbe as a traitor. The Gorousei comments that Jinbe's renouncement of his Shichibukai title was regretful. After the war he returned to Marineford and helped Luffy to ring the Ox Bell.

Fleet Admiral Sakazuki perceives Jinbe as a traitor after his resignation from the Shichibukai and allying himself with Luffy. Although he was more interested in taking Luffy's life, he showed absolutely no mercy to Jinbe on the battlefield and attempted to kill him numerous times while Jinbe was protecting Luffy. Nonetheless, Jinbe is perfectly aware of how dangerous Akainu is, and wasted no time in warning the Straw Hats about how ruthless the Marines have become under his command.

Blackbeard
He also seems to be familiar with the most recent Shichibukai to relinquish the position, Blackbeard, presumably from back in the days when Blackbeard, as Marshall D. Teach, was still a member of the Whitebeard Pirates under 2nd Division Commander Portgas D. Ace. Currently, Jinbe is furious with Blackbeard for Ace's incarceration and execution, but he is prudent about his disposition and abilities. He briefly warned Luffy of Teach's history when he was still part of Whitebeard's crew, saying he was an individual who must not be antagonized recklessly. After the battle for Fishman Island he informs the Straw Hat Pirates of Teach's usurpation of Whitebeard's Yonko status and the Blackbeard Pirates search for people with strong Devil Fruit abilities in order to absorb them citing they would be invaluable targets.

Gekko Moriah
He also appears to be familiar enough with Gekko Moriah to be aware of his zombies' weakness to salt water, and used it to his advantage during their battle. The two engage in fight at Marine Headquarters, with Moriah claiming that he will steal Jinbe's shadow; however, the fishman lands a powerful hit on him before he can do so.

Hody Jones
Hody also considers that Jinbe and the faction of the Sun Pirates that follow him are an annoyance. Even though Jinbe had no idea that Hody was the one who actually killed Otohime (until Hody revealed it), he seems to be the only one outside the Fishman District to be aware of Hody's dark nature since he had been keeping tabs on Hody while he was plotting something in the Fishman District. During the confrontation at Gyoncorde Plaza, Hody states that he hates Jinbe the most for not being an enemy of humans especially after the death of Fisher Tiger. By assisting the very humans who defeated Arlong, the Straw Hat Pirates, Hody considers Jinbe to be lower than Neptune.

Caribou
When Caribou woke up, he attempted again to kidnap mermaids but was captured by Jinbe. Jinbe takes him in a coated boat up to the surface and eventually turns him over to G-5 Marine Commodore Yarisugi.

Vander Decken IX
No direct interaction is seen between the two but Jinbe is aware of Decken's obsession with Shirahoshi and his ingestion of a Devil Fruit. He assists Luffy by giving him Bubble Coral to engage him on Noah and defeats his underling Wadatsumi.

Charlotte Linlin
After Whitebeard's death, the remnants of the Sun Pirates, including Jinbe, would come to work under Big Mom, although she primarily let them do as they pleased. However, Jinbe is not loyal to her as he is thinking of cutting ties with Big Mom due to Luffy's invitation to join the Straw Hat Pirates, but he worries that her anger will spill to Fishman Island. As his crew and the townsfolk of Whole Cake Island suspected, Linlin did not take his request to depart her crew very well. Though she'll "allow" him to quit, she demands a heavy physical sacrifice in return and brought a roulette which will decide what he loses. Knowing that the roulette was rigged to ensure the deaths of himself and his crew, Jinbe took back his request to leave her crew.

However, Jinbe ultimately betrayed the Yonko by defeating Charlotte Opera as well as assisting Luffy and Nami in escaping their captivity and caused a rebellion against the Big Mom Pirates. Later on, Jinbe convinced Luffy to form an alliance with the Fire Tank Pirates in order to overthrow Big Mom at the Tea Party. During the wedding, Jinbe officially declared to Big Mom that he was leaving the Big Mom Pirates in order to join the Straw Hats. In response, Big Mom tried to take away his lifespan, but her power had no effect on him due to him showing no fear towards her which he explained was because he was joining the crew of the future Pirate King. Jinbe then toasted a cup of sake to her as a way to signify his departure from her crew. Further enraged by his defiance, Big Mom then resorted to brute force.

Crocodile
Among his fellow Shichibukai, Jinbe seems to have some sort of history with his former peer Crocodile and is noticeably upset upon realizing Crocodile is incarcerated in the cell adjacent his own. Upon their release, Jinbe told Crocodile to leave Whitebeard alone. Crocodile's only response was asking him if he wanted to fight. However in the late stages of the Battle of Marineford, Crocodile helps Jinbe and Luffy to escape from Akainu.

Wadatsumi
Because Wadatsumi and his crew aided Hody Jones in his attempts to take over Fishman Island, Jinbe considered him an enemy and fought against him with the Straw Hats, where he teamed up with Sanji to take him down. During Solo Journey of Jinbe, Knight of the Sea, Jinbe encountered Wadatsumi again where he learns of the latter posing as a sea god while taking offerings and throwing homes from the bottom of the sea to a nearby port town which unknowingly led to the sea monsters attacking the port town. Jinbe scolded Wadatsumi for his actions and watched as he and the sea monsters apologized to the people for the misunderstanding. With all hostilities put aside, Jinbe and Wadatsumi celebrated with the residents of the port town and the sea monsters. The next day, Wadatsumi asked Jinbe if he can accompany him on his journey, an offer which was accepted as the two were seen leaving the town together.

When Jinbe announced his intentions to join Straw Hat Pirates, he apologized to Wadatsumi for dragging him all the way for nothing but the latter states it was alright.

Capone Bege
Capone Bege seems to have some respect the former Shichibukai, knowing that Jinbe was not one to lie to him about Luffy coming to speak with him. Jinbe, who is well familiar with his past, believed that it is beneficial for Luffy to ally with him in order to take down Big Mom. When the negotiations went awry, Jinbe reminded Bege, Luffy, and Caesar Clown that they all shared a common enemy in Big Mom which helped forged the alliance between them. During the wedding ceremony, Jinbe protected Bege by taking the blame for being the one who told Luffy about Carmel's portrait.