Among the most notorious and influential characters in the world of One Piece will be Arlong. The main antagonist of the Arlong Park Arc, he is a fish-man pirate who makes his mark rather significantly on the early parts of the series, breaking ground that would prove to affect the story and the characters in lasting ways.
Background and Appearance
Arlong is a shark fish-man, easily recognizable through his sharp fangs and the overall dominating appearance of the character. Being a fish-man clearly sets him apart from human characters in the story and forms the core of his backstory and motivations. Born and raised in the Fish-Man District of Fish-Man Island, Arlong's experiences definitely shaped the kind of world outlook he holds today and developed an intense hatred toward humans.
Arlong Pirates
As the captain of the Arlong Pirates, he carved out the reputation of being the East Blue's greatest pirate, while his crew of all fish-men was known for inhuman strength and cruelty, minus Nami. With Arlong at the helm and such a powerful crew backing up behind, they could do whatever they pleased in the East Blue and travel with an iron fist, instilling fear wherever they went.
Arlong's Powers and Abilities
Arlong is incredibly strong for a fish-man. His shark ancestry grants him extraordinary strength, speed, and durability both land-based and sea-based. He has razor-sharp, regenerating teeth and a staff nose. In addition to his enhanced physiology, his combat experience allowed him to be an opponent worthy of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Bounty and Notoriety
Before the coming of the Straw Hat Pirates, Arlong had the highest bounty in the East Blue. This fact shows his reputation and his threat toward civilians and the World Government. His bounty was the standard of pirate strength in the East Blue; hence, his defeat at the hands of Monkey D. Luffy showed how important it was.
Arlong Park Arc
The Arlong Park Arc is one of the most significant early arcs in One Piece. It creates Arlong as a main antagonist and explores the tragedy in Nami's past, which is all connected with the actions of Arlong. This arc forms one of the most important aspects of showing that the series is capable of handling complex themes and emotionally charged stories.
Arlong's Ideology and Racism
One of the most marked traits regarding the character of Arlong is his deep racism against humans. All his experiences and beliefs led him to consider humans as inferior beings who were to be used or disposed of. It is this racist ideology which props up a lot of his actions and drives the central conflict in the Arlong Park Arc.
Relationship with Nami
Arlong and his relationship with Nami represent a very important part of the character and the story as a whole. He enslaved her in her childhood to draw him maps, all the while hypnotizing her with the promise of freeing her village. This abusive relationship forms the core of the emotional setting for the Arlong Park Arc and also represents important character development for Nami.
Impact on the One Piece World
Arlong's effect does not even conclude with his defeat at the hands of Luffy. Rather, his actions and ideology were indicative of much larger problems within the One Piece world, particularly in terms of tension between humans and fish-men. His actions in the East Blue, many years since he had passed into legend, still resonate throughout the series in character motivations and through wider themes.
Arlong in Adaptation
In the Netflix live-action adaptation of One Piece, Arlong is introduced in the final arc of the first season. It tries to maintain the spirit of Arlong's character: most notably, his ruthless streak toward humans and his history of enslaving Nami. Bringing in a fish-man character into a live-action format has been the subject of debate among fans.