Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece immerses fans in a captivating fictional universe filled with a diverse array of characters, locations, and interwoven narratives, creating a unified story. Due to the intricate lore and extensive serialization of the One Piece franchise, it’s natural that several questions remain unanswered.
One of the most compelling unresolved mysteries is the Oykot Kingdom. This location is significant as it is where Bell-mère discovered Nami and her adoptive sister, Nojiko, approximately 20 years prior to the current timeline in the series. Nami is a crucial character within One Piece, and her backstory is intricately tied to the mysteries surrounding the Oykot Kingdom.
The Oykot Kingdom’s Connection to Nami’s Backstory in One Piece
Bell-mère Adopted Nami and Nojiko After Finding Them in Oykot
In One Piece, the origins of Nami and the identity of her biological parents remain undisclosed. Both the manga and supplementary sources, including various databooks, have not provided any clarity on this matter. The only known detail is that Nojiko, slightly older than Nami, found her as an infant, and Bell-mère, a low-ranking Marine officer, took them in as her own children.
So far, One Piece has primarily focused on the events that followed their adoption rather than exploring the origins of its main female character. When Bell-mère rescued Nami and Nojiko, she was critically injured from a fierce battle occurring nearby.
This incident unfolded in the Oykot Kingdom, located in the East Blue. The area was under siege by pirates, and the Navy dispatched a unit to combat them, with Bell-mère among the Marine forces. The resulting confrontation was a brutal clash, leading to a staggering loss of life on both sides and significant destruction across the region.
Severely wounded, Bell-mère lay among the ruins and bodies, resigned to her fate. However, a determined two-year-old Nojiko, carrying Nami as an infant, inspired Bell-mère to rise again. She chose to protect these two little girls, bringing them to her hometown, Cocoyasi Village, and adopted them as her daughters.
In the years that followed, Bell-mère dedicated herself to raising Nami and Nojiko, prioritizing their welfare even at her own risk. Ultimately, when Arlong and his Fish-Men invaded Cocoyasi Village, threatening its residents, Bell-mère sacrificed her life to safeguard Nami and Nojiko, showcasing her profound love and commitment to them.
A Strange Incident in a Mysterious Place
The events in the Oykot Kingdom leave numerous questions unanswered. The manga reveals little about this location, to the extent that its name and geographic placement were disclosed only through the Vivre Card databook.
Specifically, the identity of the pirate crew that attacked Oykot remains unknown. While pirate raids on countries are not uncommon, the response from the Navy raises intriguing questions. Despite the chaos faced by the Marines defending the Oykot Kingdom, no reinforcements were sent to support them.
Consequently, Marine forces and the pirate crew ended up decimating each other. Even more peculiar is the fact that Bell-mère survived this catastrophe yet never reported her survival to Marine Headquarters, nor did she divulge the presence of the two surviving children she had found. Instead, she chose to resign from the Marines, which is particularly strange considering her pride in being part of the Navy.
This raises the possibility that the Oykot Kingdom hid something significant from the World Government, which the pirates may have inadvertently discovered, leading Imu and the Five Elders to take drastic measures to silence the events.
They dispatched Marines to eliminate the pirates but intentionally withheld essential reinforcements, resulting in mutual destruction and devastation across the kingdom.
This may explain Bell-mère’s decision to sever ties with the Navy. It’s also worth noting that Bell-mère seemed reluctant to reveal the true circumstances of how she discovered Nami and Nojiko in Oykot, telling Nami instead that she found her beneath a bridge.
The mysterious connections of the Oykot Kingdom to the One Piece narrative have also been addressed in the live-action adaptation by Netflix. In this series, Nami is seen examining a map marked “The Sea King of the Great Oykot.”
The map illustrates the northern side of Oykot, which resembles a serpentine creature, akin to a similar depiction in the cover of One Piece chapter 937. This could have major implications, considering that all transitions in the show, especially regarding deviations from the original material, were developed in collaboration with Eiichiro Oda, who served as one of the executive producers for the project.
Is There Something Behind Nami’s Birth?
Interestingly, the name Oykot Kingdom, where Nami was discovered, is Toyko spelled backward. It is plausible that Eiichiro Oda, as a Japanese creator, intended to connect the name of Japan’s capital to something significant within the grand context of his work.
Nami’s role as the female protagonist suggests that her background might be crucial to the unfolding story. Ultimately, Luffy’s journey towards becoming the Pirate King might see Nami by his side as the Pirate Queen. She is frequently depicted wearing a crown and behaving like royalty alongside Luffy.
In terms of appearance and personality, Nami bears similarities to a young girl portrayed in Oda’s pre-One Piece stories and illustrations. Within One Piece, she is the second member to join Luffy, following the introduction of his first mate, Roronoa Zoro, making her the first female companion on Luffy’s adventure.
Reportedly, Oda had contemplated creating a film focused on the events in Oykot prior to Nami’s birth but ultimately abandoned the idea. While this decision doesn’t provide conclusive statements, it suggests that the creator has specific plans for Nami’s origin story.
The question of why Nami was abandoned and who her real parents are continues to be a mystery, as it is unlikely Oda connected her background to a random conflict in an inconsequential land. Typically, Oda intricately weaves subplots into the main narrative, indicating that there is likely more depth to Nami’s backstory than meets the eye.
Ultimately, it is also possible that Bell-mère desired to change her life, choosing to prioritize the care of Nami and Nojiko out of pure love and affection. Love, after all, is a spontaneous emotion that doesn’t necessarily require a rational explanation.
From the moment Bell-mère encountered them, Nami and Nojiko became the center of her world. Strong-willed and independent, Bell-mère would likely have resisted the idea of relinquishing her beloved adoptive daughters’ care to anyone else, even to the Navy, an organization in which she took proud service.
Nami’s backstory is deeply rooted in the notion of family, depicting a happy life shared among her, Nojiko, and Bell-mère. They acknowledge their lack of blood relation yet dismiss its significance entirely.
With this context, the subtle message of this narrative might be that there is no hidden meaning to uncover; Nami’s genuine lineage may not hold importance as she perceives her adoptive family as her real one.
As fans look ahead, there is clear interest in uncovering whether there is a hidden secret surrounding Nami’s origins. Notably, every first member of the Straw Hat Pirates has significant ties to prominent figures within the One Piece universe.
Luffy is the grandson of the “Marine Hero” Garp and the son of the Revolutionary Army leader, Dragon. He also possesses connections to “Red-Haired” Shanks, with potential lineage tracing back to Joy Boy.
Meanwhile, Zoro is Mihawk’s disciple and confirmed as a direct descendant of Ryuma, the legendary swordsman, while Usopp is the son of Yasopp, a notable member of Shanks’ crew. Sanji is a former prince of the Germa Kingdom, being the son of scientist Vinsmoke Judge, prominent in the MADS group alongside Dr. Vegapunk.
Among the so-called “East Blue Straw Hats,”Nami is the only member who does not seem to share such notable relationships. Given her essential role, this peculiarity fosters the anticipation of a major revelation regarding her character from Eiichiro Oda.
Oda is known for creatively tying minor details to the overall narrative, suggesting that Nami’s biological family may possess significant relevance, similar to the connections explored with Vivi’s Nefertari Family, who evolved to reveal critical ties to the main plot.
Ultimately, the enigmatic figure of Cat Burglar Nami still hides many mysteries, particularly her extraordinary ability to sense, interpret, and forecast weather conditions. Fans are hopeful that the final saga will indeed unfold the complete backstory of Nami, including what transpired in the Oykot Kingdom before Bell-mère located her.
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