Oda Explains The Importance Of The Merry’s Death Scene

This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

Summary

• Merry suffered irreparable damage in the Grand Line
• Klabautermann spirit led Merry to save the crew in Enies Lobby
• Oda’s decision to humanize Merry was challenging but successful

The Going Merry was the first ship of the Straw Hat Pirates and one that has etched its name in One Piece history over the years. Crafted by none other than Merry as a caraval, fans know the Going Merry to be a beloved part of the family, despite being just a ship. The Going Merry took Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to the Grand Line, starting its journey from Syrup Village in the East Blue. One of the biggest things that the Going Merry is remembered for is its brave sacrifice in Enies Lobby.

Eventually, the Going Merry gave out and ended up dying, being burned by the Straw Hat Pirates in the Grand Line. Naturally, handling the death scene of the Going Merry was not easy for Oda. After all, the ship was humanized greatly by the author. On paper, this might look ridiculous. However, Oda managed to pull this off in marvelous ways, and this is something that he is proud of to this day.

How The Going Merry Died In One Piece

• The Merry Had Suffered Damage Beyond Repair
• The Merry Died In The Grand Line

The Going Merry, being the first ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, was battered as it continued journeying across the Grand Line. First things first, the Going Merry was certainly not the biggest of ships, and for the Grand Line, the Straw Hats certainly needed something bigger and more grand. But, the Going Merry did its best, just like any other member of the crew. The Going Merry took the Straw Hat to the treacherous sea of the Grand Line and sustained heavy damage every now and then.

I’m sorry, but your ship cannot sail anymore. – Kaku

What made things even worse was the fact that no member of the crew was a shipwright and, as such, could not fix the damage that was done. The Going Merry didn’t just go on any adventures. Venturing across treacherous seas is one thing, but flying through the sky and then doing 10,000 m leaps is completely another. Merry sustained more damage than any ship ever could, and that is precisely why it was irreparable, as was made clear in the Water 7 Arc of One Piece.

Despite Merry being cast aside by Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, it persisted and the concept of Klabautermann came into play. Fans know that Oda doesn’t shy away from writing miracles into his story. That is precisely what happened with the Straw Hat Pirates in the Enies Lobby Arc when they faced certain doom. After defeating all their enemies, the Straw Hats were essentially stuck on this island, due to Luffy not being able to move, and at the same time, there being no way out. However, this is where the Going Merry sailed itself all that was down to the island.

As was explained by Franky previously in the Water 7 Saga, the Klabautermann is the spirit of the ship itself. It is believed that it can be seen rarely, and makes itself known if the ship is handled with love and care. The Going Merry was treated with so much love that it rescued the Straw Hat Pirates from Enies Lobby despite not being fit to sail anymore. Sailing across the treacherous sea of the Grand Line one more time, the Merry came to Enies Lobby and rescued all members of the crew, taking them to safety. But, eventually, halfway through the journey, the Merry broke down and this essentially marked her death. The Straw Hat Pirates gave Merry a tearful funeral in the Grand Line, and had to make peace with the fact that the ship could not continue moving on for any longer. Following this event, the Straw Hat Pirates got their second ship, named the Thousand Sunny, which is intact to this day.

Oda’s Brave Decision Of Humanizing The Merry

Oda Knew He Had To Land The Death of Merry Properly

Oda’s decision to humanize Merry was a double-edged sword. On paper, this decision looks almost bizarre. Giving the ship human-like emotions, and having it rescue its caretakers almost felt like too much of a fantasy. It sounds cheesy to some and it is incredibly difficult to pull off something like this in a dynamic story such as One Piece.

But, Oda certainly went ahead with that idea and pulled off something that the fans remember to this day as one of the greatest moments in the entirety of One Piece. Just about every anime fan who hasn’t watched One Piece feels confused as to why the fans of the series rate a ship so highly. But, upon watching One Piece, they all end up shedding tears for this ship. Such is the power of Oda’s writing, and it is safe to say that despite having high expectations from his own idea behind the Merry, Oda surpassed himself. Here’s what Oda has to say about his delivery of the entire scene surrounding the Klabautermann.

The Klabautermann of Going Merry was pretty fantastical even in OP. If readers said, “Ships don’t talk,” it would be the end. I did the best I could, but I didn’t know how attached readers would be to the ship. The response I got was far better than I had expected. – Oda

Did Oda Succeed With The Merry Plotline?

Oda Delivered A Phenomenal Plotline With The Merry

Clearly, Oda succeeded in humanizing the Merry in One Piece. Had Oda failed, the Merry would go on to become one of the worst writing decisions in One Piece. Instead, it goes down as one of the very best and makes the Water 7 Arc as good as it is. From being tied to the tension surrounding the Straw Hat Pirates all the way down to being linked to the reason for the survival of the crew to this day, the Going Merry did it all.

Giving the Merry such importance was one of the best decisions that Oda ever took, and to many fans, this is what sets One Piece apart from other stories. Oda manages to pull off something almost ridiculous and a beautiful manner and encapsulates it within the realms of what is possible in the One Piece world. Truly, the delivery of the Merry plotline is yet another proof of how much of a master Oda is when it comes to character writing.

The funeral had fans in tears, and the importance of this moment was such that it forced the entire crew to grow in profound ways. This was a massive loss for the Straw Hat Pirates, but one that they had to endure to grow stronger. Oda is a master of emotional writing, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to any fan that he was able to successfully pull this off. In the future, fans can expect something similar from the Thousand Sunny, if the need ever arises.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1134, is set to be December 22, 2024.