Mink Tribe

The Mink Tribe is a race in the One Piece world. They were first mentioned in the list of slave prices Duval gave Sanji. They live on Zou and have stayed isolated for 1000 years.

Appearance
Minks are humanoids with animal features. Similar to fishmen and merfolk, each individual takes after a specific animal. So far, the animalistic traits of the minks have all been fur covered mammalian. As such, fur, which they refer to as 'mink' (hence their race's name), covers most of their bodies and is considered their pride and joy. Females tend to look more like humans, while males tend to look more bestial. In some ways, they resemble Zoan Devil Fruit users' hybrid forms. They possess humanoid hands and feet, but those based on animals with paws will also possess paw pads on their palm and up to their first knuckle. It is unknown if the same applies to their feet.

Abilities
Minks have a variety of abilities like humans. Some are very agile and can leap incredible distances, while others are incredibly burly and strong. Overall, it seems that a mink's strength is dependent on the animal they take after. They have also shown to be extremely stealthy if they choose to be, being able to completely surround Monkey D. Luffy, a proficient user of Kenbunshoku Haki, without him even realizing it.

All minks are natural born fighters that are able to use a skill that produce electric shocks known as Electro (エレクトロ) from a young age, and maintain their strength in old age. Some of them have weapons that can channel their skill. The Mink Tribe are noted to have extremely quick recovery rates.

Interspecies Relationships
Minks are valued as slaves by humans, and the standard price for a Mink Tribe member is 700,000.

They have been known to refer to humans as lesser minks (少ない毛（レッサーミンク）). They believe humans are ordinary monkey minks with fewer hairs and they assumed both races are the same. They don't seem to have a grudge against humans, with some minks even admiring them or at times attracted to them. The Mink Tribe have been shown to be very honest with their desires, naturally pursuing things that their animal traits stereotypically like, such as bananas for primate minks, fluttery cloth for bull minks or bones for canine minks. They tend to show affection to others in the form of 'minkship' (most likely derived from skin ship or friendship), which includes cuddling, nibbling, licking or exchanging clothes.

The Mink Tribe is thought to have a closed door policy, isolating themselves from humans for over a millennium. However, they actually are quite welcoming of guests visiting their country, for whom they ring their bell upon arrival. They also have access to newspapers and are thus informed on events going around the world. Furthermore, there are some who have even left the island to live outside, as evidenced by Bepo who left at a young age and joined the Heart Pirates, and Pekoms of the Yonko Big Mom Pirates. Also unlike other closed-door policy countries (such as Amazon Lily and Wano Country), Minks are very knowledgeable of Devil Fruit powers, as Nekomamushi knows down to detail that Jack ate an Ancient Zoan variant of the Zou Zou no Mi, although it is possible he gained this knowledge after leaving Zou and sailing the seas with Inuarashi.

The Mink Tribe of Zou are extremely loyal to those they have deemed as friends, to the point that they are willing to lie and sacrifice their own culture and well-being in order to protect them. This is best shown with their special relationship with the members of the Kozuki Clan from Wano Country, long-time friends who they consider family.

The minks do not eat meat from anything with fur given their mammalian appearances, but they do not have problems eating non-furry mammals like hippos. Their diet also includes amphibians, reptiles and fish. It is unknown if minks that take after herbivorous animals are herbivorous themselves.

While they don't seem to differ among themselves, Wanda does claim they recognize the different species as she referred to several members and herself as "Canine Minks" (犬のミンク).

Culture
Minks take great pride in their fur which they refer to as 'Mink' and it seems to be an important aspect of their race's identity. The Whale Forest is a sacred place to the minks of Zou which they have revered for generations, and because of this, it is constantly under the protection of one of the dukes of the Mokomo Dukedom, Boss Nekomamushi. Duke Inuarashi has also indicated that the Minks of Zou revere several deities. However, the details of their spiritual traditions remain unknown.

The minks consider the exchanging of clothes as a "Sign of Friendship".

Trivia

 * The way that the minks would sacrifice their lives to save the life of a friend is very similar to the way Luffy would sacrifice his life to protect the treasures of his two brothers from the Bluejam Pirates.
 * It is also in that scene, the latter would yell at the former for doing something so needless, when the solution was just right in front of them.

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