Going Merry

The Going Merry was the first full-sized ship owned by the Straw Hat Pirates, a caravel that served as their main transportation through the East Blue, and the Grand Line up until Water 7. It was often affectionally referred to as simply Merry (メリー) by the crew.

Originally designed by Kaya's servant Merry, it was gifted to the Straw Hats for defending Syrup Village against the Black Cat Pirates. Over time, it came to be loved by the crew as a home and as a friend, so much so that she eventually developed a life of her own and became a genuine crew member. Unfortunately, the Going Merry took an inordinate amount of damage during her "lifetime", being blown up, impaled, sliced up multiple times, and partially eaten by Wapol. Eventually, the Merry could no longer continue and after helping the Straw Hats escape Enies Lobby, it received a Viking funeral.

After its destruction, the Merry was succeeded by the Thousand Sunny, a ship specially built by Franky (and the Galley-La Company) to maintain the "soul" of its predecessor.

Ship Design and Appearance
The Going Merry had a jib and a central steer rudder. The ship's armaments consisted of four cannons, one in the bow pointing forward, one in the stern, and two pointing to either side. They were rarely used, as the Straw Hat Pirates usually preferred to run away or engage in hand to hand combat. After the Arlong Park Arc, the Going Merry gained three tangerine trees from Bell-mère's orchard, a memento of Nami's home. As the crew traveled through the first half of the Grand Line, the ship received more and more damage and gained several metal patches to hold her together at places that could not be nailed back together: prominent examples are Merry's figurehead and the mast, which was torn off several times. Several spots of the guardrail were damaged and missing, leading the crew to patch them up with wood-boards, which was done rather crudely due to their lack of experience in carpentry. By the time it reached Water 7, the keel was damaged, which was considered to be irreparable in the long run, thus dooming Merry. In the Skypiea arc, the body of the ship had wings and the sheep figurehead was dressed as a chicken.

Despite the incredible amount of damage the ship accumulated over its travel through the Grand Line, it had a miraculous resilience in that when Kaku released it to drop down a waterfall, it did not smash apart, but instead landed on its side, undamaged from the fall. With Iceburg's expertise in patching it up to extend the limited time it had, the Going Merry was able to sail through the treacherous storm of the Aqua Laguna, all the way to Enies Lobby and back before finally succumbing to its limits.

In volume 11 of the manga, Oda presented various schematics and explanations of each part of the ship. These included everything from Merry's figurehead to the kitchen.

Meeting Room, Lounge, and Helm


This is the room with the most functions in the entire ship. It serves as the meeting room, lounge, kitchen and helm. Here the whole crew can do a number of things. Temporarily, Usopp used this room for his Usopp's Workshop.

The steering pole used to manoeuvre the ship is located in this room. It has a sheep's head similar to the one used for the ship's figurehead. By tilting the pole left or right, the rudder at the stern will move in that direction.

Men's Room


The men's room of the Going Merry is located below the deck of the ship right below the mast. It is quite large and untidy. This room is normally crowded due to the fact it is shared by Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji to sleep. It is accessed through a hatch next to the mast. There are a total of five hammocks located here to sleep on. There is an emergency exit that connects to the women's room in case something should happen.

Storage Room and Cannon Deck(aft)


A storage room and a cannon deck are located under the lounge of the Going Merry. This is where the crew keeps all their cargo such as beer barrels, water barrels, rations, and treasure boxes in storage. Any treasure that Nami cannot keep in the women's quarters is kept here as well. The room also houses two cannons facing each side of the ship.

The bathroom and the women's quarters can be accessed from here. Some towels can be found next to the bathroom's entrance for when one finishes taking a bath. The hatch going down to the women's quarters had a latch to keep out prying eyes.

The steering shaft that is used to steer the ship can also be seen located above this room.

Women's Room


The women's room of the Going Merry is located under the storage and cannon deck. This is where Nami and Nico Robin (and for a time, Vivi) usually sleep. It was originally designed by Merry for Kaya's use, resulting in its beautiful and well-decorated design. The room is accessed through a hatch that leads to the room above. This hatch had a lock. There is an emergency exit that connects to the men's room located here in case something happens. This hatch, however, is not normally used and is usually locked.

After the Arlong Park Arc, a bar was added here by a carpenter from Cocoyasi, Teru-san.

Cannon Deck(fore) and Anchor Room


A cannon deck can be found below the front deck of the Going Merry. It also serves as the room where the anchor is stored. Various weapons such as swords can be stored here. It also contains giant oars and life preservers for use when called for.

The cannon here was notably used to fire at Laboon before the Going Merry rammed into him and broke her figurehead.

Bathroom


The bathroom of the Going Merry is located below deck, next to the rudder of the ship. It is accessed through a door leading to the storage room. This door had curtains for privacy.

The bathroom features a shower, a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. When Robin was frozen by Aokiji, the bathtub was used by Chopper and Usopp to thaw her out. The water in the bathroom is drawn up by a special machine located underneath the stairs on the top deck. There used to be two of these machines, but Luffy broke one.

Care must be taken after using the shower. After cleaning themselves, the crew must make sure to thoroughly clean the bathroom with a rubber wiper in order to prevent the ship from being weakened by moisture.

Luffy's Favorite Seat


The figurehead of the Going Merry is a sheep. This is where Luffy likes to sit most of the time while sailing. Why he likes to sit there considering his inability to swim is a complete mystery. When the figurehead was temporarily broken upon impact with Laboon, Luffy expressed how mad he was and attacked the whale. The figurehead is also found on top of the ship's steering pole in the main room. This design is also used for the figurehead of the Mini Merry II.

Throughout the series, the figurehead would sometimes show signs of expressions like a regular person. These have ranged from comical to sad.

Nami's Mikan Trees


After the Arlong Park Arc, three orange trees from Bell-mère's grove were added to the top of the Going Merry. The fruits they bear are satsumas (Citrus unshui), but are usually translated as tangerine or oranges. Nami treats them with care, as they are mementos of Bell-mère. They provide the crew with Vitamin C as well as serve as decorations for the ship.

Aside from Nami taking care of them, Sanji also protects these three trees from those who might otherwise harm them or steal the fruit (e.g. Luffy).

After Luffy and Usopp's battle in Water 7, these trees were moved to the hotel room where the Straw Hats were. They were luckily found by the Galley-La shipwrights and moved to a safer location before the Aqua Laguna hit.

They, along with the rest of the Straw Hats' belongings, now reside on the Thousand Sunny.

Commissioning
The Going Merry was first conceptualized by Merry approximately two years after Gold Roger's execution, roughly contemporaneous with Shiki's escape from Impel Down.

Syrup Village Arc


After the defeat of the Black Cat Pirates at Syrup Village, the Going Merry was given by Kaya as a gift for saving her from Kuro, her caretaker. The ship was originally designed by Merry for Kaya as a luxury vessel and bore flags with his insignia on them before being replaced with that of the Straw Hat Pirates. This marked an important event for the Straw Hats as they had acquired for the first time a proper pirate ship. After a touching moment in which Usopp joined the crew, the Going Merry then set off for the future voyages that lay ahead.

Baratie Arc
At first, the voyage was very easygoing. Many trivial tasks at the beginning, like the design of the jolly roger and placement of items were the crew's biggest worries. It was not until they met Johnny and Yosaku on board the Going Merry that a more serious issue occurred. Having accidentally shot their boat while testing the ship's cannons, the two bounty hunters showed to the crew first hand the consequences of scurvy with the state that Yosaku was then in. Johnny, in a fit of desperation, turned his swords on the crew and chopped off part of the railing on the Merry's upper deck. This made the entire crew realize that they needed a cook in order to protect themselves from the disease as well as starvation due to the way Luffy and sometimes Zoro ate. Yosaku was given a supply of Vitamin C-rich limes to cure his scurvy, and Johnny repaid the Straw Hats for their kindness by fixing the damaged railing. Luckily the crew was informed by the bounty hunters that the ocean going restaurant, Baratie, was nearby. This vessel would be the perfect place to acquire a cook. The crew set off on their journey to stock up on food and gain a chef. During a raid by Don Krieg, which was further complicated by the appearance of Mihawk, Nami stole the Going Merry and headed back to Arlong and his crew, bringing the ship and the crew's treasures with her.

Loguetown Arc
After the battle with Arlong, the Going Merry was later reclaimed and given three mikan trees, which were planted on top of the ship's cabin, where they remained. The Merry then continued on her voyage towards the Grand Line. While sailing towards their destination, the crew made a stop at the last island in East Blue before entering the Grand Line, Loguetown, in order to stock up on supplies for the journey ahead. This stop had something important for everyone. After docking the ship on a shore far from town in order to avoid drawing the attention of the Marines stationed there, the crew went into town to complete their tasks. This trip, which was already then made complicated by the reappearance of Buggy the Clown and the pursuit of Smoker's Marines, was abruptly ended with the appearance of a massive storm. This storm stopped the Going Merry from being burnt by Mohji and the Marines, as matches could not be lit, and the Marine's gunpowder supply was wet.

After escaping from Loguetown, the crew then held a small ceremony on board the Going Merry before entering the Grand Line while the storm raged on, symbolized by placing their feet above a barrel. The entire crew vowed to accomplish all of their dreams. With that done, the Going Merry was then navigated towards Reverse Mountain, the entrance to the Grand Line.

Reverse Mountain Arc
After the Going Merry traversed Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line, the ship immediately encountered an Island Whale named Laboon. After crashing into the whale's side and knocking the figurehead off, an infuriated Luffy punched the whale in the eye. The whale, angered by this attack, swallowed the entire ship and most of the crew. Luffy was not swallowed along with the rest of the crew and the ship but instead found a trap door on the whale's side and went in.

While inside the whale, the crew met Crocus, as well as Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday. After they got out of the whale, Luffy broke the mast off the Going Merry and attacked the whale with it. Both the whale and Luffy fought until Luffy called off the fight, announcing that it was a draw. Luffy then told the whale that he would return to Reverse Mountain to finish the fight and that the whale was not allowed to hit his head against the mountain anymore. The mast was reattached with the first of many tin plates that would coat its multiple fractures, and the figurehead was repaired in a similar manner.

Whisky Peak Arc
Nami learned about Log Poses from Crocus, and the crew then escorted Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday back to their home island, Whisky Peak, unbeknownst to them that the two were really planning something. After several events on the island where the crew learned about the secret organization, Baroque Works, its doings, and the true identity of Miss Wednesday, the Going Merry was then steered away from Whisky Peak with two extra passengers, Vivi, who disguised herself as Miss Wednesday, and Karoo, Vivi's pet spot billed duck. The Going Merry then sailed in the direction of Little Garden via the Log Pose where the crew experienced more Baroque Works related endeavors.

Little Garden Arc


After surviving the battle brought about by Mr. 3, the Going Merry and its crew left Little Garden and headed in the direction of Arabasta using an Eternal Pose left by the aforementioned villain. They left Little Garden for their journey to Arabasta but not before the ship was temporarily swallowed by an Island Eater, which was shortly blown to bits by Dorry and Brogy. The journey to Vivi's homeland was at first smooth sailing until it was discovered that Nami was sick. This sickness, which no one in the crew could treat, forced the Going Merry and her crew to make a slight detour to the nearest island to find a doctor, Drum Island.

Drum Island Arc
After defeating Wapol and his men (during which Wapol had bitten a piece of the ship's side), whose ship they encountered earlier before coming to Drum, the Going Merry acquired a new member to her list of occupants; the reindeer doctor, Chopper. With that, the crew continued on its journey to Arabasta. While journeying to Arabasta, the ship accidentally took on board another passenger due to Luffy and Usopp's fishing techniques and some steam created by an underwater volcano. This person, Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, entertained the crew until his ship and crew came to the Going Merry to fetch him back. Upon learning the identity and powers of this person, the crew and their companions decided to protect themselves using an X mark placed on each of their right forearms and some bandages covering it. With this, they swore aboard the Going Merry as friends.

Arabasta Arc
After reaching Arabasta and docking in Nanohana, the Going Merry briefly took on board another passenger, Luffy's brother, Portgas D. Ace. After a short meeting with Ace about Blackbeard, the Going Merry was steered to the south western shores of Arabasta, across the great river, where it remained for some time. After Crocodile was defeated, it was learned that Mr. 2 had taken the ship. Learning about this the crew sped across the vast desert to retrieve their ship. Upon reaching the ship, it was learned that Mr. 2 had taken the ship not as an enemy but as a friend. He had taken the ship in order to safeguard it from the various Marines that were then searching around the island for the Straw Hats. With the crew back on the Going Merry and the Straw Hats' business with Baroque Works finished, it was time to leave Arabasta.

Leaving Arabasta was a real obstacle for the Going Merry. Being pursued by the various Marine ships under Captain Hina, the Going Merry suffered heavily from battle damage. The metal poles that were shot from the Marine ships pierced the ship's side thus creating large holes in the Merry's frame. Fortunately, however, the reformed Mr. 2, along with his crew, was able to draw away the Marines then by pretending to be the Straw Hats thus saving the ship from further damage. After all that, the Going Merry was steered to the north eastern part of the Arabasta. Here the Straw Hats were to meet up with Vivi in case she wanted to join up with the crew. Vivi was at the meeting place; however, she declined the offer for the sake of her country. The crew wanted to respond to Vivi from aboard the Merry; however, they could not due to a nearby Marine ship. Not wanting to get Vivi in trouble, the crew instead responded by showing off their X marks to Vivi. With that sign of friendship, the Going Merry and its crew sailed away from Arabasta.

The escapades with Baroque Works had left the crew of the Going Merry very tired and lonely due to the fact that Vivi wasn't coming along. However, one last surprise came along from all this: the former vice president of Baroque Works, Miss All Sunday, had stowed away aboard the Going Merry. Having met her before leaving Whisky Peak and identifying her as a past enemy, the crew did not know what to do. The woman, whose real name was Nico Robin, surprisingly asked to join the crew due to actions done by Luffy. This, Luffy accepted and the Going Merry gained another occupant from this series of events involving Baroque Works.

Jaya Arc
After the events with Baroque Works, the Going Merry and her crew shortly experienced an incredible sight. A ship fell out of the sky. This ship, later identified to be the St. Briss, apparently came from a sky island called Skypiea. This idea of this island seemed quite impossible. However, it appeared to be the next destination on the Log Pose. With this new sensation, Luffy decided to steer the Going Merry to Skypiea, but there was one slight problem. The Going Merry was not capable of going into the sky. Unable to do anything, the ship was instead steered into the direction of Jaya where the crew hoped to find some answers. Around this time the Going Merry started to show noticeable signs of damage, such as makeshift wooden repairs to the hull and scraps of steel holding the mast together, leading some members such as Zoro and Sanji to suggest they get a new ship, something Usopp vehemently denies due to its origins.



After several events in Jaya involving Bellamy in which the ship was temporarily broken by one of Bellamy's attacks, the Saruyama Alliance modified her into Going Merry: Flying Mode. A brass brace was attached to the place where Bellamy had rebounded off the ship and split it open, along with four new brass plates on the port and starboard railings to reinforce the Merry. It was also given a rooster motif: wings, a tail, and a decorative red cowl with a cracked eggshell decoration hiding the broken bit of its figurehead.This new design of the Merry was intended so that it could easily maneuver on the vertical current called the Knock Up Stream. This current was the only way the ship could reach her next destination. Guided by the South Bird and escorted by Shoujou and Masira's ships, the Going Merry was taken to the spot where the Knock Up Stream would occur. Once there, the ship was catapulted into the sky by the current. The Going Merry literally flew as it journeyed to the sky. After a momentous journey into the sky, the ship finally landed in the White Sea where the Straw Hats' adventures in the sky would begin. Unfortunately, the Merry's flying modifications did not hold up for long, as its wings broke off from the force of the landing.

Skypiea Arc
After a brief encounter with a masked warrior and a seemingly errant knight, the Going Merry traveled across the White Sea towards Heaven's Gate. There, the Going Merry was transported to the White White Sea by the speedy shrimp. Once in the White-White Sea, the Going Merry docked on the shores of Angel Island. Several events caused by the crew happened on Angel Island which ultimately led to the Going Merry to being carried off by a super-express speed lobster deep into Upper Yard, the territory of Skypiea's God. This series of events caused the Straw Hats that were left on Angel Island, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp, to head out into Upper Yard to reclaim their ship and rescue their friends. As for the remaining Straw Hats aboard the Going Merry, they could not do anything to the giant lobster without falling victim to some pursuing sky sharks, so they allowed the lobster to carry the ship until it placed them upon a sacrificial altar surrounded by water-like clouds. There they decided to explore the rest of Upper Yard, leaving Chopper to guard the Going Merry.

While waiting for the others, Chopper encountered one of the priests of Skypiea, Shura the Sky Rider. Desiring to maintain the balance caused by the other sacrifices (Nami, Zoro, and Robin) leaving the ship, Shura went to the ruined altar of Shandora, where offerings would be taken by the Super-Express Speedy Lobster. He attempted to sacrifice Chopper and began attacking him along with Fuza, and their scuffle began to damage the Merry. The priest, having no respect for the ship, lit the ship's mast on fire. Desperately, Chopper broke the mast and threw it into the clouds in order to prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the ship. This seemed like a dangerous situation for the Going Merry; however, before the priest could continue his attack on it, her then sole defender, the knight errant, Gan Fall, appeared to fight him off. The battle between these two, however, ended with Gan Fall being defeated and Chopper diving into the clouds surrounding the altar to save him, although as a devil fruit user, he lost the ability to swim. Fortunately, the Going Merry wasn't further harassed by the priest as he was then called at that moment to be somewhere else. The Going Merry, then and there, would remain on the altar in its damaged state until the rest of the Straw Hats returned.



After the entire crew rejoined one another and had a party with some wolves, something mysterious happened to the Going Merry. While the rest of the crew was asleep, Usopp went off to relieve himself. As he finishes doing his business, he sees someone apparently repairing the ship. Wondering who it might be, Usopp tried to get a better look at the person. Suddenly without warning, the person then looked at Usopp with nothing but a smiling featureless face. Horrified by the sight, Usopp wakes the rest of the crew to alert them to what he thinks is a ghost. Seeing no one near the ship, the rest of the crew dismisses Usopp's claims as nothing more than his imagination and go back to sleep. The next morning, however, the crew awaken to a surprising sight. The Going Merry, though still not perfect, was apparently repaired by someone overnight. This was very surprising as most of them knew for sure that no one else was up repairing the ship. What was more surprising was that the one who repaired the ship restored it to its non-flying mode. This was a design that only the crew themselves knew since entering Skypiea. Regardless of who repaired Merry, the crew decided to press forward on their adventure in Skypiea.

After using a sky shark to drag the ship off the altar, it was decided that the Going Merry would be steered to the southern part of Upper Yard. The crew had decided to split up into two teams and that there they would meet up again after getting the gold. However, things did not go as planned when the Merry set off. Enel, the self-proclaimed God of Skypiea, appeared on the ship and took out Sanji and Usopp. Later the ship was turned into a battleground for Nami and Gan Fall against Satori's triplet brothers, Hotori and Kotori. The battle was won by the former. After several events, the ship was left in the protection of Conis then later her fox, Su. Throughout the terror that Enel had brought about with his plan to destroy Skypiea, the ship swayed uneasily against the waves of clouds that were created. It stayed there on that spot for some time, even after the final battle between Enel and Luffy, until the crew returned with bags of gold they supposedly "stole" from Skypiea.

After all the excitement in Skypiea, the Going Merry was steered into the direction of Clouds End. There, the Going Merry and her crew left Skypiea, with the aid of a balloon octopus and a hoard of gold. It then safely returned to the Blue Sea down below to continue its voyage.

Water 7 Arc
After the ship returned to the Blue Sea and the events the crew experienced in Long Ring Long Land, the Going Merry's crew had reached the fabled city of water, Water 7. This Venice-like city was renowned for its shipwrights and shipyards. So great were these, that not even pirates dared to attack them at risk of not having their ships repaired or worse. This city was a great opportunity for the Straw Hats in many ways. Ever since the damage caused by the marines during the Straw Hat's escape from Arabasta, the Going Merry had continued to sustain heavy damage caused by a number of events. Even though the crew, most notably Usopp, was able to patch up the Merry, the repairs done to the ship were below standard. Here, the Straw Hats could finally fully repair the ship properly. Even better, they also hoped to gain a new member for the crew from the abundance of shipwrights within the city. This they hoped would help maintain the ship fully. With these high hopes, they docked the Going Merry on a shore near the city.



After renting some Yagara Bulls and exchanging the gold they acquired from Skypiea for a total of 300,000,000, Luffy, Nami, and Usopp proceeded to Dock One where they met Kaku, and then later President Iceburg of the Galley-La Company and two other foremen working there. Seeing as they were customers then, Kaku decided to check out their ship. Unfortunately, upon returning, the shipwright brought bad news. The Going Merry was now irreparable.

This, as Kaku explained, was because the keel (which is like a ship's backbone) was broken. This was the most critical part of the Going Merry, and it being broken meant the ship could never be fixed again. This meant the ship would practically sink on the way to the next island. Luffy, not wanting to accept this, insisted that the shipwrights repair the ship regardless of the cost. It was then, however, that Luffy and Nami realized that Usopp was missing, along with two-thirds of their money intended to repair the ship. This was done by the Franky Family, a gang of bounty hunters that earlier had attempted to raid the Merry with Zoro on it.

After discovering that Usopp had been taken and beaten up by the Franky Family for the money, Luffy, along with Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper, decided to raid the gang's hideout to reclaim the money, as well avenge their fallen comrade. However, when they trashed the place, they discovered that the money that could have been used to repair the ship had been taken far away from Water 7. With this turn of events and the facts given by the Galley-La company, Luffy made the hard decision to instead buy a new ship. This decision, however, did not go over well with Usopp. Having repaired the ship so many times, Usopp had come to treasure the ship to a point where he considered her as part of the crew. Thus, he could not accept as it seemed to him like the crew was abandoning one of their own. This disagreement with Luffy's decision eventually led to Usopp leaving the crew and a battle between him and Luffy for ownership of the Going Merry. This battle in the night was an intense one for both combatants. This was because Usopp had known Luffy more than the latter's previous opponents, and was able to come up with some strategies to battle Luffy for the ship. However, despite all the effort Usopp put into it, Luffy beats him. Even though he was the victor, Luffy let Usopp keep the ship as an act of pity. The next morning, Luffy and the rest of the crew take their belongings off the ship, leaving Usopp alone with the Going Merry.



After the intense battle from the night before, Usopp continued to desperately repair the Going Merry, despite his lack of carpentry skills and equipment. Eventually, Usopp is "kidnapped" by the boss of the Franky Family, Franky, in order to draw out Luffy whom the latter had a brief battle with. Usopp and the ship are then taken to Franky's secret hideout under the bridge. Despite being enemies, the two bonded together and Franky allowed Usopp to continue repairing the ship. However, after hearing Usopp plans to use the Going Merry to go back home, Franky began to dismantle the ship despite Usopp's protests. The underworld boss told Usopp the same reason Kaku told him as to why the ship could not be repaired anymore. Usopp, knowing this all too well, replied that he knew already that the ship could no longer be repaired but did not have the heart to accept it. It is then that Usopp revealed to Franky about the mysterious spirit that he saw. Realizing what Usopp was talking about, Franky explained to Usopp that the spirit he saw was a Klabautermann, a manifestation of a ship's soul brought about when it has been loved and cared enough. Franky explained to Usopp that the Going Merry is a ship whose final job now is to carry its crew to one last island before it could sink. Should she not be able to do so, the ship would have failed in her duty. She, he explained, would be happier to simply be dismantled at an island than to sink with her crew onboard. This explanation made Usopp realize how much more of a crewmate the ship was. However, it also led to a heated debate between him and Franky on whether or not the ship should be dismantled. Before the debate could get any more heated, Franky's hideout was breached. The intruders who barged in were Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno, four of the shipwrights of Water 7 who were then revealed to be secret undercover agents of Cipher Pol 9.

After a brief struggle wherein the agents took down Franky in order to get the blueprints of the ancient weapon, Pluton, the Going Merry was put in a dire situation. One of the agents, Kaku, explained that even though the agents were undercover and not truly shipwrights by trade, they had studied up on the job rigorously in order to function as shipwrights well enough to avert suspicion. The group's judgment that the ship needed to be scuttled was a legitimate call by professionals who had the knowledge needed to make it. As one last act as a shipwright, Kaku cast off the Going Merry out into the sea where the fury of the Aqua Laguna was currently besieging Water 7. With a mighty fall from the hideout, the Going Merry plunged into the raging sea.

Enies Lobby Arc


After the discovery of CP9 and its intentions, the Straw Hats and their allies leave Water 7 and are drawn to the judiciary island, Enies Lobby, to battle against the World Government and the numerous forces stationed there. This invasion ultimately leads to a massive battle on the Bridge of Hesitation between the pirates and a horde of Marines deployed by the Buster Call ships.

The battle was very intense due to the fact that most of the Marines weren't the run of the mill kind plus there was also the impending danger of the Buster Call cannons. Just when it all seemed hopeless, the Going Merry suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Let's go everyone...!! Back to the sea of adventure again!! I came to take you home!!

Without hesitation, the Straw Hats and their allies boarded the ship and made a desperate escape. With a little thrust from Franky's Coup de Vent and a little gate closing thanks to Sanji, the Going Merry and her crew escaped from Enies Lobby leaving the Buster Call ships to deal with the whirlpools. With this, the battle in Enies Lobby was won.

Having escaped Enies Lobby on the Going Merry, everything seemed right in the world for the Straw Hats. Unfortunately, the joy was short lived. The Going Merry suddenly broke apart in the middle of the ocean. Fortunately, a Galley-La ship carrying Iceburg and other workers appeared to rescue the passengers on board the Going Merry in time. Upon reuniting with the president since they left Water 7, Iceburg revealed the Going Merry's sudden appearance at Enies Lobby. After they had left Water 7 for Enies Lobby, Iceburg found the ship beached on one of Water 7's shores, surprisingly undamaged from the fall. The ship then apparently asked Iceburg to fix her. Iceburg, though shocked at hearing the voice and found the damage to be irreparable, reluctantly complied, using his expertise to patch up the ship enough for it to sail for a limited time. To his surprise once again, the ship thanked him and then suddenly set off by itself into the raging seas, braving the storm that was then going on. He also told them that the ship was now in a state completely beyond repair and needed to finally rest in peace and that she was a special ship, treated with care.



With heavy hearts, Luffy set the ship on fire and the Going Merry was given a Viking funeral; Luffy, unaware of Sogeking's identity, thought it would be better if Usopp was not here for this, fearing he would be unable to take it. The Straw Hats stayed to see Merry off, not wanting it to leave lonely. As the ship was burned, snow appeared and the Merry spoke to her crew. Despite the crew feeling like they really did not take care of the ship to the fullest during her time with them, the Going Merry did not hold any hard feelings towards them. This, as she explained, was because the crew actually did take care of her, and for that, she was grateful. As Merry apologized to the crew that it wanted to take them "a little further", Luffy cried back that they are the ones who should be apologizing for their way of treating the ship; Merry assured them it was happy. With her last words and a tearful goodbye from her crew, the Going Merry was finally destroyed, and an invaluable member was forever lost.

Legacy
On board the Thousand Sunny, Franky announced that the Thousand Sunny will carry on the spirit of Going Merry. This is shown more literally when Franky later introduced the Straw Hat Pirates to the soldier dock system and it was revealed that channel 2 houses the Mini Merry II, a four passenger steam boat almost identical to the original Merry, so much that Usopp declared that she was Merry's "reincarnation"; the main differences are that it is much smaller and has a steam engine with paddle wheels.

Usopp, who was so dedicated to saving Merry that it blinded him from the truth to the point of nearly severing his ties with the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, came to realize his mistake upon Merry's funeral. Although difficult, he accepted that he had to let the ship go, and eventually went to apologize to the crew before being re-accepted.

When Usopp, Chopper and Brook were riding on the Mini Merry II, Brook asked about the little ship's design. Remembering that Brook was recruited after the Going Merry's demise, Usopp recounted to him about how the Merry was their first ship and all the adventures they had together. Touched by the Going Merry's life story, Brook cried that he would have wanted to meet the ship. When back abroad the Thousand Sunny, Usopp caught a glimpse of Merry's Klabautermann, and shed a tear for the ship that he loved so much.

The ship of the Barto Club, the Going Luffy-senpai is clearly a homage to Merry, possessing a similar name and design.

Anime and Manga Differences


In colorspreads and certain covers of the manga, it is shown that Going Merry's figurehead and most of her body is colored just brown. In the anime, she is more colorful.

In the manga, the Going Merry had been accumulating damage on her voyage in the Grand Line, with the most notable damage happening with the Straw Hat pirates encounter with Laboon (the figurehead breaks and Luffy tears off one of the masts to use as a weapon), Wapol (an entire part of the ship's side gets eaten by him) and later taking heavier damage while escaping from the Marines during the Straw Hat's departure from Arabasta (several massive iron harpoons pierce the ship). In the anime, this damage is more or less completely fixed, and they sustain most of it from their adventures in the Rainbow Mist when the ship is catapulted out of Ape's concert, tearing apart from the shockwaves it endures.

Real-life Counterpart


In 2003, a replica of the Going Merry, which may not be fully functional, was created and has been present at a number of exhibitions sponsored by Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Fuji TV, in Odaiba, Tokyo. The 2005 incarnation of this live-action replica is designed to show the beating the ship had taken up through the Water 7 Arc.

Merchandise
Going Merry figurines are presented in several merchandise series, including One Piece Wobbling Pirate Ship Collection and One Piece Super Ship Collection.

Trivia



 * Until Usopp drew the crew's Jolly Roger, the ship sailed under Merry's personal Jolly Roger.
 * Caravel class ships were one of the few ships designed for sea travel that also could travel inland via rivers. Due to their lightness, caravels were faster and more agile than many of the bigger ships. As such, merchants favored them highly despite their low cargo hold. Yet despite their advantages, as the Going Merry implied, they were fragile vessels that could not take as much battering as many other vessels could.
 * The Going Merry was voiced by Houko Kuwashima, and in the English dub, by Brittney Karbowski.
 * The Going Merry referred itself as "Boku" (僕), a masculine pronoun used by males, usually meant to be humble and for boys (or young males).
 * Despite its initial color scheme and design, on the Cover Page of Chapter 967, the ship was seen with a white figure head.

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