Recently, I’ve been watching a lot of One Piece, and really enjoying the ride. I’m currently in the Skypiea arc, so I only know the first seven Straw Hats well enough to draw these comparisons, which are likely far too niche for anyone to read on.
Pulchra is a planet that I’ve invented and developed throughout my undergrad. More can be read about it on the page dedicated to the world and each of the celestial bodies that orbit it, all of which are called the Mirabliss Moons, but none of this information is crucial to the understanding of this article, as this is the first public introduction of many of these gods.
On planet Pulchra, there are twenty-five gods in total. They may be scattered about, some of them hiding away for decades at a time– but they’re all there.
The gods of fire and ice have each been banished to where only Prim, the god of creation, knows. Because of this, Ignis and Gelu aren’t currently considered Pulchran gods, since they aren’t on the planet. They are still gods in every right, other than this. Without further ado, let’s begin!
Monkey D. Luffy as Quie, God of Dreams
Anyone who’s seen One Piece can already tell that this one makes sense, even without knowing anything about Quie’s personality. One of the youngest gods, Quie is a wonderer and a wanderer– often disappearing for long stretches as they chase whatever dream has struck them recently. They have their head in the clouds, constantly.
Similarly, Luffy is known to get lost for periods, but always manages to be there when it’s important, like a good captain. He is driven by his dream to become King of the Pirates, and finds other people with strong dreams to join his crew. Luffy values dreams above all else, the same as the god of the domain, which in Pulchra is Quie.
Both Quie and Luffy possess great power, which can change the tide in a battle, but they also both have goofy dispositions the majority of the time. To know them is to love them, and to be frustrated with them.
Roronoa Zoro as Odi, God of Hate
Despite the domain they rule, Odi is not a spiteful person through and through. Their hatred is what motivates them, and they feed off of hate itself, but they also love and fight for those they care about. Odi is a shapeshifter, constantly adapting their form for what suits them best in the moment.
Zoro is similarly motivated. Even when he is protecting his fellow Straw Hats, he seems to hone in on his hate for his opponent or for the idea of failure. He fights for honor, and even though he is filled with love for his friends, he maintains his grumpy disposition. Additionally, he can don his bandana and reveal himself as the deadly swordsman he is.
Odi and Zoro share a driving force and a wish to bring honor to themselves and their loved ones. While their means of action may be messy at times, with lives lost or feelings hurt, they each have a distinct goal that they are working towards.
Nami as Rellis, God of Knowledge
Rellis, like Quie, is a member of the youngest generation of gods. Despite being a newer god, their wisdom dates back past their birth and into other lands. Their favorite pastime is meditating or writing beneath a traveling volcano that erupts golden elixir.
Nami was the most difficult to choose, as she also shares quite a bit in common with Delmira, god of healing, who is also commonly referred to as the god of sex– but ultimately, those values are more surface-level. Unfortunately, sometimes Nami’s character is shoved aside a little so that she can appeal to the male gaze. Regardless, the Nami I know and love is the one who teams up with her enemy so she can be an inside force against them, scheming the entire time, which takes a lot of wisdom.
Nami and Rellis are both thinkers who are most content by themselves with a pad of paper and a pen. For Nami, it’s mapping the entirety of the world, while for Rellis, it’s expanding on philosophies. Both are valuable skills– important, since they’re both so obsessed with gold.
Usopp as Verit, God of Truth
While most domains have a natural opposite, the god of truth rules over both sides of their own. Both truths and untruths fuel Verit in equal but opposite measure– and they can even bend the line between the two, when they so desire. They have a love for justice and also for hope, which are the most common reasons they use this power.
Usopp can be called a storyteller, truth-bender, or liar– but only for the greater good, or to make others smile. He values courage, though he occasionally struggles with it, and dreams of being a warrior of the sea. Above all else, he values hope and loyalty. The tales he tells usually have vivid details and make an impact on those around him, even if most of the Straw Hats know he’s fibbing.
Both Verit and Usopp are careful when and how they use their abilities to bend the truth, ensuring that it is done with a greater purpose. They share a lot of commonalities in terms of values, though Verit maintains a focus on justice, while Usopp’s are rooted in rallying hope.
Sanji as Caritas, God of Love
The natural opposite of Odi, god of hate, Caritas is a god who is motivated only by the love they hold for those around them. Again, they are not inherently loving through and through– often giving hard lessons to the ones they care for, or protecting them viciously. Caritas is never really interested in romantic love, but in a deep, platonic bond to others.
Sanji takes care of all those around him, cooking nutritious meals for all of the Straw Hats to enjoy, with special attention to the ladies on board. He is a skilled fighter, with his love often being what puts him up to his battles, or affecting their result. A certified lover boy, Sanji is all about the ladies, but is also a respectful, chivalrous gentleman.
Explaining the feud between Sanji and Zoro, their opposite motivations are embodied in their Pulchran gods, who have butted heads as long as they’ve both been alive. Caritas and Sanji share their focus on their interpersonal relationships and the way they act upon them.
Tony Tony Chopper as Evinel, God of Light
Evinel, as their domain would suggest, is a ray of Sequorshine for Pulchra. They carry the heavy weight of being the only sort of light magic, since Ignis, god of fire, was banished– but they maintain their positive, sunny disposition. Eternally playful and youthful, Evinel is very wise, but this is often forgotten due to their burden and whimsy.
An eternal child, due to actually being a reindeer, Chopper is a bright spot in every scene he’s in. He’s hilarious and adorable, which is such a big part of his character that sometimes even he forgets what an absolutely brilliant doctor he is. Yet, he is constantly saving the lives of his fellow crewmates and of minor characters. Chopper is a great addition to the Straw Hats, due to his sunniness and the unmistakable joy he brings to the show.
Chopper and Evinel are both essential pillars of their communities, who show that even when someone carries the burden of maintaining life or light, they can still be a ray of positivity for those around them.
Nico Robin as Flori, God of Life
The second oldest god– preceded by only Prim, god of creation– Flori is a wise and powerful deity with some level of control over all living things. They are a mentor and a parental figure, though they never have any children of their own. Haughty from centuries of ruling at Prim’s side, Flori is an old-fashioned but open-minded god who loves all living things, especially their fellow gods, fiercely. They will do what they must to protect them all.
Robin is the oldest of the Straw Hats, with years of pirating under her belt, and joins up with the Straw Hats when she is betrayed by her former captain– an enemy of the Straw Hats. She becomes the team mom, earning the love of all of her new crew by protecting them with her strange powers of flowering her own limbs on anything she can see.
Robin and Flori are both uniquely powerful characters among their casts, who mentor and guide their younger friends. They are also both willing to follow and listen to those people, though, knowing that wisdom comes from many things– age, experience, and life.
Thank you for reading, and hopefully you learned something about One Piece or, ideally, some of my Pulchran gods.
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