Nakama

"Nakama" (仲間) means comrades, friends, and people who are considered closer than family. It usually is referred to by one's shipmates/crewmates, and the term comes up a lot when Monkey D. Luffy is talking about his crew.

Most other pirates don't treat their so-called "nakama" with as much respect as one would normally expect. There are some exceptions, like Foxy's crew, Arlong Pirates and Buggy's crew, after Buggy's fight with Luffy. Others, like Don Krieg and Crocodile, don't have any respect for their crewmates/associates (but still knowing that they are essential for maximam sucess) while some pirates even willingly kill their own nakama such as Kuro. One would say that "good" pirates in One Piece treat each other with respect; the Straw Hat Pirates are the obvious example, but this is also exhibited by the Red-Haired, Whitebeard and Rumbar Pirates.

Although "nakama" can be heard quite often during the original Japanese material, it is almost non-existent in the English anime and manga. However, some fans, while doing fansubs, feel that, since the word has such an impact on the show, the word nakama should remain as it is, and not be translated to something like "shipmate" or "crewmate". Many fans who know Japanese, however, prefer the word to be translated. In a sense, it is mostly a fan-term.