Merry

Merry is Kaya's butler, and the original designer of the Going Merry.

Appearance
Merry is a tall, formally dressed butler whose most distinguishing feature is his lamb-themed appearance. His hair is curly like a lamb's fleece and has two lamb horns sticking out of it; these have been seen shorter 20 years before the start of the series. His lips also resemble those of a lamb's. Even his collar has a fleece around it.

After the timeskip, Merry has grown his hair out somewhat longer and has also grown a light mustache and goatee. His horns are also bigger.

Personality
Merry is a dutiful butler who sees his mistress' well-being the top priority. It was for this reason that he previously saw Usopp as an untrustworthy and negative influence on Kaya, and even threatened him with a gun while declaring him a criminal. Merry is also friendly and loyal with his fellow colleagues whom he trusts, as he was cordial and jovial with Klahadore when regarding Usopp's claim about former being a pirate as ridiculous, while happy with tears when Klahadore found the present that Kaya had prepared for him, considering their mistress' thoughtfulness and perceptiveness.

However, when Klahadore revealed his true colors as the pirate Kuro, Merry realized his mistake and affirmed his loyalty to Kaya by screaming for her to run for her life. He was logical to understand that the household was not the only ones in danger, thinking of the well-being of the entire village, and that it would be better to just give Kuro the entire estate and fortune as a negotiation standpoint for sparing their lives (unaware that Kuro required Kaya's death to ensure a smooth transition into a life of peaceful luxury).

Kaya
Merry is a very dutiful and empathetic servant to his mistress, willing to fight and even die for her. He was logical enough to persuade her to just hand over her fortune and estate to Klahadore in order to preserve their lives.

Usopp
At first, he is very antagonistic towards Usopp, who would constantly jump over the fence and hedges of Kaya's mansion and tell her eccentric stories as Merry felt that Usopp's lies would somehow corrupt Kaya. When Usopp felt he had no time to explain Klahadore's betrayal to Kaya and tried to force her to leave the village, Merry immediately came to her defense and fired a gun at Usopp, wounding him in the left arm without killing him. Merry knew the tragic story behind Usopp's chronic lying - it is the only thing that helped him cope with the death of his mother, whom he tried to save from her sickness by lying that his father, Yasopp, had returned to be with his family. He does, however, change his view of Usopp after being attacked by Kuro, when he tells Kaya that Usopp had been telling the truth.

Usopp, in particular, holds a strong attachment to the ship that Merry designed for the crew, to the point where it once blinded him from the inescapable fact of being irreparable, and he nearly severed his bond with the crew over that.

Kuro/Klahadore


At first, Merry trusted his fellow butler Klahadore, as they both see their mistress' well-being as the most important factor. They had a friendly relationship during the three years of serving their mistress together. They also both saw Usopp as an untrustworthy liar who only loves to cause trouble, and as such, Merry refused to believe Usopp's claim that Klahadore was a pirate attempting to steal Kaya's fortune, and even laughed it off as something ridiculous when discussing it with Klahadore. However, when his colleague revealed his true colors, Merry's trust and liking instantly turned to fear and hate.

Kuro, in turn, showed no genuine sympathy for Merry from the beginning, and even attempted to murder him for no necessary reason, but instead for the sheer pleasure under the crescent moon. If anything, Kuro was rather disappointed that Merry managed to cling onto his life despite that attack.

Abilities and Powers
Though not known to have any combat skill, Merry was durable enough to survive a direct attack from Kuro's Cat Claws. He also possesses some skill as a shipwright, given his designing of the Going Merry (though it remains unknown whether he was physically involved in any part of its construction).

Weapons
He is known to carry a pistol in defense, and be able to shoot with some accuracy.

Past
In his youth, roughly two years after the execution of Gold Roger (contemporaneous with Shiki's escape from Impel Down), Merry began designing a prototypical Going Merry. When he began serving Kaya's estate is unknown, though he has lived in Syrup Village long enough to learn of Usopp's background from fellow villagers, and ultimately completed the Going Merry as a luxury vessel for Kaya.

Syrup Village Arc
When the Straw Hat Pirates arrived at Syrup Village and—on Usopp's advice—began approaching Kaya for a proper pirate ship, Merry alerted Kaya's most trusted servant Klahadore. Later in the day, thinking matters settled, he collected a pair of eyeglasses Kaya had custom-ordered for Klahadore—a gift to mark his third anniversary at the estate.

Around this time, Usopp accidentally learned that "Klahadore" was actually the notorious Captain Kuro under masquerade—ready to pursue a massacre of Syrup Village and usurp Kaya's inheritance. His ensuing warnings were, predictably, rejected by the village, with even Kaya thinking he was only lying out of spite; when the desperate Usopp tried to evacuate her by force, Merry deemed him a kidnapper, and drove him away with a pistol. Only at Kaya's pleading did Merry refrain from further shooting, instead directing a mob of villagers to chase Usopp off the estate.



That night, Merry related these events to a returning "Klahadore", who—excited by the crescent moon and the impending invasion from his former crew—casually confirmed Usopp's words and destroyed Kaya's gift. As the stunned Merry tried to scream a warning, Kuro donned his Cat Claws and attacked, leaving the defenseless man to die in a pool of his own blood.

Miraculously, Merry survived well into the next day, when he was found by a horrified Kaya. Despite his wounds, Merry managed to explain the situation to her, reluctantly concluding that the village's only hope was for her to freely surrender her inheritance to Kuro. Kaya immediately agreed, and though she ultimately failed to appease Kuro, her presence distracted the Black Cat Pirates enough for the Straw Hats—and the Usopp Pirates—to completely defeat them and save the village.

After Kuro and his men were driven off, Kaya returned to Merry, and mended his wounds while relating everything. As she finished, she made two requests on Usopp's behalf: that the village's near-invasion (especially Usopp's role in stopping it) be kept secret, and that the Straw Hats be given the Going Merry. Relieved at his mistress' safety, and astonished by Usopp's selflessness, Merry readily agreed.



Once Merry had stocked and prepared the ship for launch (and explained its workings to Nami), the overjoyed Straw Hats quickly boarded it, stopping only to accept Usopp as their newest crewmate. As the quartet sailed away, Merry noted that Kaya was actually heartbroken by Usopp's leaving; gently, he shared what he knew of Usopp's past and dreams of piracy, and urged her to draw strength from a dream of her own. Heartened, Kaya resolved to become a doctor for the village.

Arlong Park Arc
Some time after the fall of Arlong Park, Merry rushed a copy of Luffy's first wanted poster to Kaya. To his bemusement, Kaya noticed only the poster's accidental photographing of Usopp.

From the Decks of the World


Merry was seen protecting Kaya from a group of suitors as she continued her medical studies.

Translation and Dub Issues
His sheep-like appearance is a pun on his occupation, as the Japanese term for butler (執事) sounds nearly identical to the term for sheep (羊).

Per standard policies, the 4Kids-dubbed anime edits his pistol to seem more toy-like, and removes the scenes where he actually fires at Usopp.

Playable Appearances

 * One Piece Treasure Cruise

Non-Playable Appearances

 * One Piece: Become the Pirate King!
 * Birth of Luffy's Dream Pirate Crew!
 * Aim! The King of Berry
 * Dragon Dream!
 * One Piece (Game Boy Advance)
 * One Piece: Pirates Carnival

Trivia

 * Merry is the first civilian character depicted with a personal Jolly Roger: a caricature of his own face, underlaid by the word "GO!"
 * This was the original flag attached to the Going Merry, until Usopp replaced it with the Straw Hats'.

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