The Karasumaru is a Dial Boat owned by Conis, briefly used by the Straw Hat Pirates to explore Skypiea.
Appearance and Design
The craft is small—able to fit about three average-sized humans at most—and mostly black, with its figurehead shaped after an open-mouthed crow. It contains a small helm to steer with, and a single wicker seat for the driver. In its center is an ersatz mast, which holds a parasol instead of sails.
For propulsion, it uses two Breath Dial "engines" positioned on either side of its rudder; these are activated by a foot-pedal beneath the helm. Should manual propulsion be necessary, it is also equipped with a set of oars.
History
Skypiea Arc
The Karasumaru was Conis' main form of transportation before she mastered waver-riding. She lent it to Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp after Enel's forces abducted the Going Merry—and the other Straw Hat Pirates—to Upper Yard.[1]
Despite its small size, sluggish speed, and lack of armaments, the Karasumaru survived Upper Yard's many deathtraps.[2] It then entered the Illusion Forest, domain of the priest Satori; as part of his Ordeal of Balls, Satori knocked all three Straw Hats overboard and set the craft on automatic propulsion, threatening to permanently strand them in the forest.[3] After a long, tiring battle, the trio defeated him and regained control of the craft.[4]
After the Straw Hats reunited on Upper Yard, the Karasumaru was tethered to the Merry, presumably to be returned to Conis.[5] Though Conis was never actually shown retrieving it, it was no longer tethered by the time the Merry was ready to leave Skypiea.[6]
Translation and Dub Issues
"Karasu" (カラス?) is a katakana rendition of the Japanese for "crow" (鴉 Karasu?), while "maru" (丸?) is a traditional component for Japanese ship names most often meaning "ring" or "perfect".
As "maru" is also commonly found in pet-names, several fan translations interpret Karasumaru as "Little Crow". In contrast, the Viz manga romanizes the name literally, while the Funimation anime refers to it as simply "the Crow".
Trivia
- The single "feather" sticking up from the crow's-head is likely a play on "ahoge" (アホ毛?), a slang term for exaggerated cowlicks that (particularly in anime and manga) signify stupid or eccentric characters. The "aho" (アホ?) component, a common Kansai term for "idiot", is also a common Japanese onomatopoeia for a crow's call.
References
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 26 Chapter 244 and Episode 158, The Karasumaru is introduced.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 26 Chapter 245 and Episode 159, The Karasumaru encounters many perils on entering Upper Yard.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 26 Chapter 246 and Episode 160, Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji face the Ordeal of Balls.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 27 Chapter 251 and Episode 164, Usopp uses his newly-invented grappling hook to help himself, Luffy, and Sanji regain the Karasumaru—with some difficulty.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 27 Chapter 255 and Episode 168, While the others go searching for gold on Upper Yard, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji try to steer the Merry onto an exit route.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 32 Chapter 302 and Episode 195.
External links
- Gondola – Wikipedia article about gondolas in general, the type of vehicle the Karasumaru is based on.
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