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Ahoy! This here is the 112nd Featured Article.
"Scratchmen Apoo" has been featured, meaning it was chosen as an article of interest.
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Scratchmen Apoo[5] is an infamous music themed pirate from the Grand Line and captain of the On Air Pirates. He was one of eleven pirates who were referred to as "The Eleven Supernovas" on the Sabaody Archipelago; whose bounties were higher than 
100,000,000 before the timeskip.[1] After the timeskip, his bounty has been raised from 198,000,000 to 350,000,000.[4]
Appearance
Being of the Longarm Tribe from the Grand Line, one of Apoo's distinguishing traits is his incredibly long arms. Each of these long arms possesses two elbow joints instead of just one, making them much longer than a normal person's. These arms make it possible for him to utilize his Devil Fruit powers without the need to contort the said limbs, whenever he converts them into makeshift instruments.
Apoo also has a rather broad chest cavity, which may aid him in producing deep and bellowing drum-like sounds. Apoo's lower jaw is also somewhat wider than the upper half of his face, similar to Itomimizu of the Foxy Pirates. Besides these, his most distinguishing attributes are his unique physical characteristics and the objects adorned on him, all of which are music themed or related. His teeth have a unique look to them as they resemble piano keys. His fighting stance is also music themed as he appears like he's moving his hands in the same way a DJ would move theirs when mixing music on turntables.
He wears a set of orange headphones with his name on either side over his ears and hairstyle similar to Jabra's, where the hair on his scalp has been pulled tightly so that his roots resemble lightning patterns. A red Chinese garb with crew's Jolly Roger 音 (oto, 'sound' or 'music'?), at the center of a large flower-like print splayed across the chest area, as well as on his back. Apoo also has a yellow scarf around his waist. He also has what seems to be the design of a green rose sewed on front of his left shoulder.
As a child, he had significantly shorter hair and a rounder face. His hair was also combed into a pompadour in the front, with his braid in the back. His attire was a less elaborate shirt and bow tie. His teeth also lacked the dark markings that make them resemble piano keys.
After the timeskip, he wears a set of black headphones, and changed to a different garb that has the kanji moved to the right side of his pants, ropes as buttons for the shirt, and epaulets on his shoulders.[4]
Gallery
| File:Apoo as a Kid.png |
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Personality
Apoo seems to be a passive individual who would not seek to harm others without a good reason. As a result, he is normally defensive during confrontations as seen in his postponed brawl with Eustass Kid at a Sabaody Archipelago bar. Despite this, Apoo can be very ambiguous at times, meaning he cannot deny himself as audience to a good brawl, should the opportunity present itself. When facing an opponent that's too strong for him, he prefers to run away. However he enjoys provoking and taunting his enemies before leaving.
He also proved to be quite perceptive, since he claimed to have sensed an immense murderous intent momentarily emitted by Roronoa Zoro, shortly before Zoro attempted to attack the World Noble Saint Charloss after the latter attempted to shoot the former.
He hates it when someone tells him the obvious, such as when a crew member stated that the crew was running in the air, while they were running away from a pack of savage boars in the New World.
After the timeskip, Apoo seems to have become very cautious, believing that when summoned by an enemy he should be ready to fight, and when Killer invited him to discuss the possibility of an alliance, Apoo believed Kid to be hiding a sniper, which resulted the On Air Pirates captain to wreak havoc on Kid's base and attacking one of his crew members.[4]
Abilities and Powers
Scratchmen Apoo is a martial artist of sorts. His fighting stance generally consists of him waving his hands in front of him like a DJ. Not much is currently known about his abilities, as he has not demonstrated any fighting skill to the extent of the other Supernovas, save for his brief brawl with Eustass Kid, where the two caused a building to tumble down and his attack on Admiral Kizaru. Apoo displayed acrobatic jumping skills on both occasions.
Devil Fruit
Apoo using his Devil Fruit power.
Apoo appears to have a Devil Fruit connected with music. This ability, which he refers to as Tatakau Music (戦う音楽（たたかうミュージック）, Tatakau Myūjikku?, literally meaning "Fighting Music"), allows him to transform his body into various musical instruments (such as piano keys on his teeth or turning his arm into a saxophone) which he can play. By playing specific notes and tunes, he can release music that causes damaging effects to his opponents, the type of damage being determined by what he plays, and seems to have hypnotic effects. Apoo can turn into instruments in seconds.[6]
Attacks
- Tatakau Music: Scratch Shan Don (戦う音楽（たたかう・ミュージック） スクラッチ・ 斬（シャーン）・爆（ドーン）, Tatakau Myūjikku: Sukuracchi Shān Dōn?, literally meaning "Fighting Music: Scratch Shan Don"): Apoo morphs his limbs into various instruments, and emits a dance-like musical number which he raps over. This was first seen being used against Admiral Kizaru.
- Shan (斬（シャーン）, Shān?, literally meaning "Beheading"): Apoo releases a sound wave that can slice his opponents. In the anime it is the sound of a cymbal. This was first seen being used against Admiral Kizaru. "Shan" is an onomatopoeia that symbolizes quick and silent sounds, like a slash. In the Viz Manga, this is called Slash.
- Don (爆（ドーン）, Dōn?, literally meaning "Exclamation"): Apoo releases a sound wave that can cause an explosion near his enemy with devastating effects. In the anime, it was the sound of a drum. This was first seen being used against Admiral Kizaru. "Don" is a Japanese onomatopoeia that symbolizes a strong noise, like an explosion. In the Viz Manga, this is called Boom.
History
Summit War Saga
Sabaody Archipelago Arc
Apoo and Kid conflict on the Sabaody Archipelago.
After a long voyage following one of the Log Pose routes of the Grand Line, Apoo and his crew came to the Sabaody Archipelago to prepare themselves for the New World. While there, he had a little squabble with Eustass Kid in Grove 24. Knowing full well what would happen if they caused an incident in Sabaody, Apoo asked Kid to postpone their battle until they met in the New World, of which Kid agreed to.[1]
As Apoo continued his stay in Sabaody, he and his crew witnessed some of the cruelty imposed on the inhabitants by the World Nobles. While witnessing Saint Charloss abuse a citizen, Apoo was suddenly shocked when a newly-arrived Roronoa Zoro tried to defend the man. Fortunately for Apoo and his crew, Jewelry Bonney stopped Zoro and faked the swordsman's death in order to prevent an incident from occurring. Though danger was averted, Apoo sensed a strong killing intent from Zoro as he witnessed the scene.[7]
Upon hearing of Luffy's attack on a World Noble, he seemed reluctant to leave, asking if only the Straw Hats will be targeted by the coming Marines. Also, like X Drake, he seemed eager to find out which Admiral would be dispatched to deal with the Straw Hat crew's actions. Despite the best efforts of his crew to get him off the island, Apoo insisted on seeing the Admiral in action and feels that he should anger Kizaru before he runs away.
Later on, a brawl erupts between Kizaru, a Pacifista, Basil Hawkins, Drake, and Urouge, which Apoo excitedly begins to watch. As the battle unfurls, Apoo gets to witness the three captains' true power, including Drake's dinosaur Zoan Devil Fruit ability, which he states he has never seen before.[8] He also witnesses Urouge felled by Kizaru and Hawkins blinded by the Admiral before nearly being killed.
Apoo is struck down by Kizaru.
Apoo then intervenes and saves Hawkins by emitting sounds played on various body parts, which were being used as instruments as he rapped over the music.[9] His ability not only stuns and mesmerizes Kizaru, the other captains, and possibly the Pacifista, but also badly damages the Admiral. Apoo releases a sound wave likening to the cutting tone of a cymbal, which travels down and cleanly slices Kizaru's right arm off. After this attack, he pounds on his chest, releasing a loud booming drum-like sound which also produces a visible sonic wave. This causes an explosion around Kizaru's midsection and he collapses on the ground in two parts.[10]
While Kizaru is incapacitated he attempts to flee the scene, however, the Admiral reanimates himself using his Devil Fruit ability and catches him by teleporting with his powers, then kicks him through a building.[11] Apoo is left on the ground, defeated and badly damaged.
Marineford Arc
He was seen watching Ace's execution televised at Sabaody, meaning that he managed to escape capture by the Marines. It is made apparent at the very least that Apoo's crew sailed away from Sabaody and came back because one of his crew mates was complaining how they came back to see Ace's execution only for the broadcast to be cut off. Apoo correctly assumes that the Marines stopped the broadcast because there is something that the Marines did not want society to see.
Apoo is among the Supernova crews that gathered some distance from Marineford to witness the end of the war between the Marines and Whitebeard's forces. After the war ends, Apoo is seen angrily wondering why Trafalgar Law would go save Luffy, mentioning that Law has a vicious reputation and that Luffy is a rival.
Post-War Arc
The On Air Pirates running literally "on air" in the New World.
Weeks later, Apoo and his crew had made it into the New World and stopped at a spring island. They are seen running in fear from a stampede of monstrous boars, running toward the end of a cliff. Apoo commanded his crew to jump off the cliff, but much to everyone's surprise, they ran off the cliff and seemingly on thin air while the boars continued to chase after them.
Pirate Alliance Saga
Punk Hazard Arc
Kid, Apoo and Hawkins meeting in the New World.
During the events surrounding Punk Hazard, Apoo is revealed to have arrived (on invitation) at Eustass Kid's base in the New World. In one of the main rooms, he was shown tearing the place apart claiming to believe there was a sniper hiding, while Basil Hawkins sat at a nearby table patiently. Once Kid arrived and objected to his treatment of the base, the two captains quickly begin fighting leaving Killer taken aback and trying to calm them down. Hawkins stands to leave, but Killer stops him. After doing so, Killer then reveals their intention to create an alliance with the On Air and Hawkins pirates.[12]
A newspaper later revealed that the three captains came to an agreement and formed an alliance. The group was confused on how the information got out, but put that topic to the side. They then started plans to take down a Yonko.
Major Battles
- Apoo vs. Eustass Kid (postponed)
- Apoo, X Drake, Basil Hawkins, and Urouge vs. Kizaru and a Pacifista
Merchandise
Apoo in World Collectible.
He has only appeared in the Anichara Heroes, One Piece Amazing Log Collection, One Piece Super Deformed Figures and World Collectable series. He has not appeared in any other merchandise yet.
Trivia
- Apoo's name is derived from real life Chinese pirate Chui A-poo.[13]
- The name "Scratchmen" might be a reference to the act of scratching, a DJ technique in which sounds are manipulated by moving a vinyl record upon a turntable.
- Like many One Piece characters, Apoo has his own unique laugh, which is "Apapapapapapa", closely resembling Apachai's laughter from History's Strongest Discipline Kenichi.
- Like the other members of the Longarm Tribe Apoo's appearance is based on a Japanese mythological monster called a Tenaga whose most notable characteristics were long arms.
- Apoo appears as a Support Characters in One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World
- He is the first member of the Longarm Tribe to appear in the series. He is also the only known member of the Longarm Tribe to have eaten a Devil Fruit.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 498 (p. 15) and Episode 392, Scratchmen Apoo is introduced.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 68 (p. 82), the Supernovas' pre-timeskip ages and heights are revealed.
- ↑ SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 60, Apoo's birthday.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 68 Chapter 677 (p. 7) and Episode 603, Apoo seen after the timeskip.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 61 Chapter 595 (p. 5), Scratchmen Apoo's romanized name is revealed.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 509 and Episode 402, Apoo reveals music-based abilities.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 499 and Episode 393, Apoo witnesses Zoro attempt to attack a World Noble.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 509 and Episode 402, Apoo witnesses Drake transforming into a dinosaur.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 509 and Episode 402, Apoo reveals music and sound abilities.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 509 and Episode 402, Apoo blows Kizaru up.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 510 and Episode 402, Kizaru defeats Apoo, Hawkins and Drake.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 68 Chapter 677 and Episode 603, Kid, Hawkins and Apoo meet up to create an alliance.
- ↑ SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 52, fan Question: Do the Supernovas' names come from real life pirates?
External links
- Disc jockey - Wikipedia article about the type of person Apoo resembles.
- Chui-Apoo - Wikipedia article on the pirate who Apoo is named after.
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