Shoujou

“Salvage King of the Seafloor” · Big Boss · alive · Captain of the Shoujou Pirates · bounty 36,000,000 berries

Profile

“Salvage King of the Seafloor” Shoujou — captain (Big Boss) of the Shoujou Pirates, bounty 36,000,000 berries. Runs a salvage-diving operation crewed by giant black-furred apes (“Utan divers”) aboard the salvage ship Morinohito in the seas off Jaya. Claims to be 25 years old and to have never cut his hair (p. 14). Openly aspires to surpass Crocodile and become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Brother of Masira; together the two are the “Big Ape Brothers” who control the sea around Mont Blanc Cricket’s home. Wields a sound-wave/voice attack, “Havoc Sonar,” that can break a ship apart (pp. 16-18).

Provisional note: this (early-VIZ) translation renders him “Shoujou”; the brother kicked off-page is “Masira.” Reconcile against the 224–225 notes for which sibling appeared first.

Etymology

Shoujou (JP ショウジョウ Shōjō, kanji 猩猩) is named for the shōjō — a legendary red-faced, red-haired, sake-loving ape of Japanese/Chinese folklore that lives by the sea; the same word means “orangutan” in modern Japanese. The folkloric shōjō’s defining trait is its love of liquor, which maps onto the boisterous, hard-drinking salvage-ape register of the character. He is the higher-ape counterpart to his brother Masira (マシラ / 猿, plain “monkey”); the two are the “Big Ape Brothers” of the Saruyama Alliance (猿山, “Monkey Mountain”). Source: One Piece Wiki; Wikipedia, Shōjō (folklore).

Arc-by-arc updates

Jaya epilogue (Ch. 303)

• Pledges loyalty to Mont Blanc Cricket as the Saruyama Alliance ends its seafloor search (pp. 2-3).

Skypiea — hears the bell from Jaya (Ch. 299)

• With Mont Blanc Cricket and Masira, hears the Golden Bell of Shandora ring from the sky on Jaya and weeps with joy (pp. 13-14).

Jaya — Knock-Up Stream launch (Ch. 235)

• Co-reinforced the Going Merry into its “flying version” (pages 3–4).
• Commands the Utan divers, who submerge to read the currents and confirm the giant current / whirlpool forming “at ten o’clock” — the sign of the Knock-Up Stream (pages 14–15).
• Helps tow the Merry into the whirlpool’s center (pages 16–17).

Jaya (Ch. 231)

• Uses “Havoc Sonar” against the Bellamy Pirates but is overwhelmed (pp. 10–12).
• Defeated alongside his brother Masira; found wrecked on the beach (p. 16).

Jaya (Ch. 230)

• With Masira, reinforces the Going Merry overnight and then confronts Bellamy’s crew as Mont Blanc Cricket’s bodyguard when they demand his gold (pp. 8, 19).

Jaya (Ch. 229)

• Named (with Masira) by Mont Blanc Cricket as the diver who will reinforce the Going Merry so she can survive the Knock-Up Stream (page 10). Only referenced by name here; not clearly shown on-panel in ch. 229.

Jaya (Ch. 228)

• Bursts into the boss’s house in a panic with Masira (pp. 1-4), assuming the Straw Hats came to kill their boss. Named as one of Mont Blanc Cricket’s two self-appointed henchmen and a member of the Saruyama Alliance; he and Masira saved Cricket during his solo dives and revere the Noland story (pp. 15-16).