Nakama Revisited

Anyone that’s been following my blog over the years knows of my love for the anime series, One Piece. One Piece is an ongoing series that has released episodes every Saturday since 1997. I joined the journey 14 years ago and I’ve watched it every week since.

One of the major lessons I learned from one piece is Nakama, or friend, a recurring theme in the show.

In an early scene in the series, Usopp, the sniper on the Strawhat crew takes a 4 ton hammer to the head from Mr. 4. As the smoke clears, he’s still standing, bones broken, face bloodied, on the verge of death and gives an epic speech:

There is a time when a man will not run from a fight.

That time is when his Nakama’s dreams are laughed at.

Luffy won’t die.

I know that he’ll become the Pirate King.

I know he will!

And I won’t let you laugh at that.

Usopp’s known as the coward and the weakest on the Strawhat crew. But in this scene he showed his true strength by defending Luffy’s honour in his absence.

I first watched this scene when I was 13 years old. I remember crying when I first watched it, I teared up again watching this clip today. Usopp taught me what it meant to be a true Nakama and what a true Nakama looks like.

A Nakama fights for you in rooms you aren’t in.