A firearm is a tube-shaped weapon designed to launch projectiles at high speed through the ignition of an explosive powder. They are renowned not only for their destructive power, but for being markedly easier to use, carry, and conceal than most melee weapons.
In the world of One Piece, firearms are extremely popular weapons, second only to swords. Fighters who specialize in the use of firearms in combat are generally known as Gunmen. Particularly skilled gunmen tend to be Snipers as well.
Diagram of a flintlock's mechanisms from the Volume 9 SBS.
At the world's current technological level, the typical firearm is a flintlock (フリントロック,Furintorokku?), consisting of a single tube—commonly called the "barrel"—tapering into a wooden handle at one end. This tube is rigged with three external mechanisms:
A flashpan (or firegrate), which holds the powder that launches the projectile
A hammer, which holds a shard of flint that ignites the powder
A trigger, which allows a single pull of the finger to move the hammer into igniting position
Most often, flintlocks are loaded with round shot—solid spherical projectiles made of metals such as iron or lead. In normal circumstances, these can easily break flesh and bone, and cause immediate death if launched against a vital organ.[3] Additionally, more advanced models may utilize pointed (also known as "conical") or explosive shot for increased power.
However, these advantages are not absolute, and may be counteracted by any number of defenses, from armor[4] to Devil Fruit abilities[5] to simply well-honed reflexes.[6] In addition, particularly durable, determined, and/or lucky individuals have been known to survive even multiple shots at point-blank range without any of these measures.[7] Finally, like all projectile weapons, flintlocks can only hold a limited number of shots at any given time, and are not easily reloaded.[8]
(It remains unknown whether flintlocks also become ineffective in the rain or otherwise damp conditions, as their real-life counterparts—even when users took measures to keep the flashpan dry—frequently did.)
Despite these drawbacks, flintlocks and firearms in general continue to be widely used by civilians, outlaws, and professional soldiers of every standing, and are heavily associated with power even by combatants who favor other (or no) weapons. Some—particularly Monkey D. Luffy—have been known to name their attacks after various makes and models.
Types
The basic technology behind firearms has been used to craft many distinct weapons, of widely varying size, power, and capabilities.
Pistols
A pistol (ピストル,Pisutoru?), in the broadest sense, is any firearm designed to be held and operated in one hand. More technical definitions tend to identify them (in contrast to revolvers) with internal ammunition chambers, fully integrated with the firing barrel.
Pistols are the smallest, lightest, and simplest type of firearm, and correspondingly the type most often seen in civilian hands. However, they are far from unknown to seasoned combatants (who often wield specialized models, such as dual-barrels that fire two shots at once).
Named Pistols
Yellow Gun (黄色い銃,Kīroi Jū?): A pistol shaped like the number "7", and is designed to fire dice-shaped bullets that explode on impact. Used by Mr. 7.[9]
Gero Gero Gun (ゲロゲロ銃,Gerogero Gan?): A pistol with a muzzle shaped like a frog's head, and fires frog-shaped bullets that explode on impact. Used by Miss Father's Day.[9]
Flash Guns (閃光銃,Furasshu Gan?): Dual-barreled flintlocks with ornate design, and Flash Dials installed within to hide the shots with a flash. Braham uses two of them.[10]
Dr. Hiriluk regularly carried a pistol in his "medical" bag. While he identified it as a tranquilizer gun[16], this may have been a lie, as he drew blood when firing it at Tony Tony Chopper.[17]
World Nobles wield gold-plated single-barreled pistols. Aside from its more grandiose-color, it functions no different than the standard flintlock gun. Saint Charlos wielded such firearm,[6] and (in the anime) so did Saint Mjosgard.[19]
Donquixote Doflamingo wields a single-barreled, obsidian black pistol with luxurious gold plating. He loaded it with lead bullets to inflict lead poisoning.[21]
Yasopp holding a flintlock pistol, with a wide-flared muzzle.
Gin's shotgun-esque pistol.
Krieg revealing his two dual-barreled pistols, along with his armor's built-in guns.
The pistol Arlong used to kill Bell-mère.
Miss Father's Day's Gero Gero Gun.
Mr. 7's Yellow Gun.
Braham's Flash Guns.
Nero's derringer guns.
Saint Charlos's gold-plated pistol.
Caesar Clown's double-barreled pistol.
Donquixote Doflamingo's ornate flintlock pistol.
Revolvers
A revolver (リボルバー,Riborubā?) closely resembles a pistol in size and shape, but carries its ammunition in an external cylinder with multiple chambers. To fire, a loaded chamber must individually align with the barrel; after a chamber has expended its shot, the cylinder is rotated (either manually or by trigger pull, depending on the specific design) until the next chamber aligns.
Though more internally complex—and thus, more difficult to maintain and repair—than most pistols, revolvers are also sturdier, and able to carry more powerful shots.
Vito wields a pair of large, black revolver flintlocks.[23]
Mr. 5's Flintlock .44 Caliber 6 Shot Revolver.
Vito's revolver flintlock.
Charlotte Pudding's Walker 36 Caliber Percussion Revolver.
Rifles
A rifle (ライフル,Raifuru?) is a long-barreled firearm designed for more accurate long-distance shooting. Due to their size, rifles are typically operated with two hands, and mounted on the shoulder (or some other stable surface) when in use.
(It should be noted that "rifle" technically refers to a specific type of barrel design that fits the barrel's interior with spiral grooves, producing a spinning and stronger shot. However, common parlance has accepted it as a generic term for almost any long-barreled firearm, including "smoothbore" designs.)
Rifles are standard-issue weapons for most military forces, particularly Marine infantrymen. They are also favored by a number of individual snipers.
Benn Beckman carries a rifle as his primary weapon; though he has only been seen using it as a makeshift club in battle, he has implied at least twice that it is still in firing condition.[25][26]
Benn Beckman with a rifle resting on his shoulders.
Van Augur's rifle, Senriku.
Hammond's trawl net rifle.
One of Rock and Scotch's rifles.
Orochi holding a rifle.
Bazookas
A bazooka (バズーカ,Bazūka?) is a large, shoulder-mounted weapon designed to launch explosive or other specialized missiles. They are typically used against enemies or vehicles too large or well-armored for other firearms to penetrate.
(The term "bazooka", much like "rifle", once referred to a specific make of weapon, but has long since become a generic term for many different weapons sharing only a few common traits. Those of One Piece, in particular, often bear a closer resemblance to the hand-mortars of the 17th and 18th centuries.)
Named Bazookas
Shokuatari Meatball (食あたり砲弾,Shokuatari Mītobōru?): Patty's lobster-shaped bazooka, wielded against especially dangerous visitors to the Baratie.
Burn Bazooka (燃焼砲,Bān Bazūka?): A Skypiean weapon that can launch both conventional shells and (if equipped with a properly-charged Breath Dial) huge columns of flame. Wyper is the best-known user of this weapon, though Conis also managed to acquire one by unknown means.
KX Launcher (KXランチャー,Kē-Ekkusu Ranchā?): A weapon designed to launch needle-tipped missiles carrying ultra-lethal poison, developed by Caesar Clown.
Rindo's bazooka, equipped with a giant harpoon as ammunition.
Curiel's various bazookas and guns.
Jalmack's bazooka-styled rifle.
Mounblutain's bazooka, one of the smallest seen thus far.
The KX Launcher.
Gatling Guns
A Gatling gun (ガトリング銃,Gatoringu-jū?) is a multi-barreled firearm that can, through a combination of internal rotating mechanisms and gravity-fed ammunition, fire (and reload) hundreds of shots within a minute.
Due to its complex design and high capacities, the typical Gatling gun is usually even larger and bulkier than a bazooka. As a result, many of their wielders possess either Devil Fruit abilities (e.g.Caribou's Numa Numa no Mi) or prosthetics that can physically integrate them.
Certain firearms are thus far too unique or unorthodox to be classified with the above.
Notable Examples
Don Krieg's Wootz steel armor boasts two gun barrels under each shoulder shield, and six lining the main carapace. Through unknown means, he can fire all of these at once while wielding his dual-pistols.[13]
His left shoulder shield also contains many built-in projectile launchers: a large one in the center for his infamous MH-5 shell, and a dozen smaller ones along the rim for shooting spears.[41]
As "Mr. 8", Igaram wielded a saxophone with a built-in shotgun.[42] He also installed multiple gun-barrels into his hair curls, loaded with explosive shot and activated by his necktie.[43]
Franky's cyborg body incorporates several built-in firearms, presumably fueled by Cola:
His "BF-36" model incorporated a bazooka in his left arm ("Weapons Left"), an explosive pellet-launcher in his left wrist ("Beans Left"), a pistol in his left index finger ("Ouch Finger"), and mini-cannons in his shoulders ("Franky Destroyer Cannon").
His current "BF-37" model incorporates multiple gun barrels in his left knuckles ("Weapons Left"), as well as cannons and rocket launchers in his shoulders ("Franky Rocket Launcher/Cannon").
Duval's harpoon gun, which shoots harpoons laced with scorpion venom.
Saint Rosward possesses a cane gun, presumably for self-defense.
Artillery refers to heavy military ranged weapons. They're not usually meant for handheld purposes, unlike firearms.
Cannon
A defense cannon used in Marineford.
A cannon (砲,Hō?) is an often large, heavy piece of artillery that uses explosive material, such as gunpowder, to launch projectiles of considerable size compared to bullets, such as cannonballs or bombshells. Cannons can be mobile or stationary, and may vary in size, sometimes requiring the operation of more than one individual to work properly. Cannons predated portable firearms for several years, having been an indispensable weapon in military and naval warfare through centuries due to their power and range.
Long-range cannons utilized by the Beasts Pirates, made in Wano.
Cannons also see widespread use throughout the series, as practically every ship is equipped with at least one cannon as a defensive measure, be they Pirate or Marine ships. Most crews, be they pirate or Marine, have one or many people whose jobs are to maintain and operate the cannons. These people have been referred to as Cannoneers. Most crews have at least one or multiple cannoneers, depending on the the size of the crew and the numbers of cannons available on a ship. The number of ships under a crew's control plays a factor, with examples including Marine Fleets and pirate fleets who have several members operating the cannons. Marine cannons appear to be more technologically advanced as they can function like gun turrets, allowing for better aiming. The Beasts Pirates, meanwhile, have special long-ranged cannons that can fire precise shots from afar. Cannons are also commonly found in other military structures such as Marineford.
Named Cannons
Royal Drum Crown 7-Shot Bliking Cannon (ロイヤルドラムクラウン７連散弾ブリキング大砲,Roiyaru Doramu Kuraun Nana-ren Shotto Burikingu Kyanon?): A multi-barreled cannon owned by Wapol, having been stored somewhere in his former castle.
Demi Cannon (デミ・キャノン,Demi Kyanon?): A cannon meant to be installed onto ships, used as a handheld cannon by Tilestone.
Gaon Cannon (ガオン砲,Gaon Hō?): A cannon that fires a powerful air blast.
King Cannon (キング砲,Kingu Hō?): A non-canon cannon mounted on a four-wheeled tank, capable of firing devastating shells.
Tank
Chopper riding the Brachio Tank V.
A tank is an armoured vehicle usually equipped with a mounted cannon and treads that allow it to traverse rough terrain.
Due to the heavy controversy surrounding gun ownership—and media depiction—in the United States, 4Kids Entertainment has used a number of different censorship methods on the many firearms featured in the anime:
Arlong gun is censored.
Those that inflicted no story-significant violence (e.g.Don Krieg's pistols and most Marine rifles) were usually recolored and/or modified to seem more toy-like, but allowed to fire uncensored.
Those used in story-significant threats but not fired (e.g.Kaya's pistol) were usually replaced with "lesser" weapons such as slingshots.
Those that inflicted story-significant violence (e.g.Arlong's pistol) were usually removed entirely, and the corresponding scenes rewritten to reduce or avert the violence.
Dialogue was also thoroughly censored to remove most explicit mentions, and firearms-themed attacks often renamed. Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Pistol, for instance, was changed to Gum Gum Blast.
Guns and gunplay have fascinated Eiichiro Oda from a young age, tying into his love of Westerns. Indeed, his debut work Wanted! (predating One Piece by nearly five years) starred an outlaw gunslinger as the protagonist.
Several attacks, such as Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Grizzly Magnum, are named after models and concepts introduced long after flintlocks became obsolete in real life. Whether this means models like the LAR Grizzly Mag pistol (or some in-story equivalent) exist in the world of One Piece remains to be seen.
↑One Piece Anime — Episode 1, Alvida—the first antagonist depicted in the anime—wears a pistol in her sash, though she is not seen using it.
↑ 3.03.1One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 1Chapter 1 (p. 31) and Episode 4, One of Higuma's men holds an undaunted Shanks at gunpoint, only to be gunned down by Lucky Roux—the first gun death depicted in the series.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 1Chapter 5 (p. 17-18) and Episode 2, Morgan's men fire a half-dozen rifles at Luffy, only for Luffy's rubber body to bounce the shots away. Luffy would repeat this tactic several times in later adventures, though never against pointed shot.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 3Chapter 25 (p. 16) and Episode 9, Luffy reminisces about Yasopp's shooting skills. Note that the anime moves this reminiscence to his first meeting with Usopp, before the introductions of Kaya and Kuro.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 4Chapter 27 and Episode 11, Usopp unsuccessfully tries to flee with Kaya, and is shot at by the mansion staff for his troubles.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 16Chapter 141 (p. 12) and Episode 85, Hiriluk unveils his "tranquilizer gun" (麻酔銃,Masui-jū?) in the home of a terrified "patient". In the manga, Hiriluk uses it on the man's wife to stop her from calling Wapol's soldiers; this does not occur in the anime.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 16Chapter 142 (p. 19) and Episode 85, Hiriluk fires at a heartbroken Chopper, inflicting a shallow wound on Chopper's cheek.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 39Chapter 372 (p. 4) and Episode 260, Nero pulls out a pair of derringers against Franky.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 63Chapter 625 and Episode 545, Mjosgard wielding a normal flintlock in the manga and a gold-plated one in the anime.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 67Chapter 666 (p. 4) and Episode 592, Caesar pulls out a dual-barreled pistol to threaten Law.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 73Chapter 729 and Episode 661, Doflamingo firing his lead bullets loaded pistol at Law.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 14Chapter 124 and Episode 76, Mr. 5 pulls out the Flintlock .44 caliber 6 shot revolver.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 24Chapter 222 and Episode 146, Van Augur using his Senriku to shoot down seagulls at very far ranges.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 1Chapter 1 (p. 35-36) and Episode 4, Beckman clubs a dozen of Higuma's men unconscious with his rifle, before cocking the weapon at Higuma himself.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 18Chapter 160 and Episode 113, Lassoo is revealed to be a giant gun that has eaten the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Dachshund.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 48Chapter 464 (p. 6) and Episode 359, Absalom using his bazookas for his "Shisha no Te" technique.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 53Chapter 517 (p. 3) and Episode 411, Rindo wielding a bazooka with modified ammunitions.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 60Chapter 588 and Episode 502, Jalmack shoots down Sabo's ship with his bazooka-rifle.
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 7Chapters 61–62 and Episode 27, Krieg fires a barrage of spears to drive Luffy back so he can fire the MH-5 unobstructed. While this "technique" is unnamed in the manga and anime proper, many promotional materials call it the "needle machine gun" (ニードルマシンガン,Nīdorumashingan?).
↑One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 12Chapter 107 (p. 18-19) and Episode 63, Igaram using "Igarappa" against Zoro (and several Baroque Works agents aiming at them both). Shortly after, Zoro identifies the weapon as a shotgun (散弾銃,Sandan-jū?).
