Ryugu Kingdom
- Region
- Fish-Man Island
- Controlled by
- Neptune
- Notable residents
- ShirahoshiKing NeptuneOtohimeFukaboshiManboshiRyuboshiMinister of the LeftMinister of the Right +3 more
- First seen
- Ch. 609
- Name meaning
- 竜宮 / 龍宮 Ryūgū = Ryūgū-jō, the undersea DRAGON PALACE of Japanese folklore (the Urashima Tarō tale) — the sea-floor palace of the dragon-god RYŪJIN and his daughter, the princess OTOHIME. Oda maps the whole Fish-Man Island royal family onto the myth: the queen is named Otohime directly, the king is the 'Sea God' Neptune (the Ryūjin / Poseidon figure), and the realm itself is the Dragon Palace. The oarfish-prince Ryuboshi's name (リュウグウノツカイ ryūgū-no-tsukai, 'messenger of the Dragon Palace') is a second embed of the same Ryūgū root.
Fish-Man Island (undersea monarchy) · first appeared: Ch. 609
Profile
The fish-man/merfolk monarchy of Fish-Man Island, captioned “The Kingdom of Ryugu, Fish-Man Island” (Ch. 609 p. 4). Ruled by the Neptune royal family; its royal seat is Ryugu Castle / Ryugu Palace (captioned p. 7), home of the three princes (Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi) and the Neptune Army. A royal gondola from the palace patrols the island’s inlets (pp. 6–9). The kingdom contains a coral-inlet mermaid district and a separate Fish-Man District (the poor, supremacist-aligned quarter).
Etymology
Confidence: high · 竜宮 / 龍宮 Ryūgū = Ryūgū-jō, the undersea Dragon Palace of Japanese folklore (the Urashima Tarō tale) — the sea-floor palace of the dragon-god Ryūjin and his daughter, the princess Otohime. Oda maps the entire Fish-Man Island royal house onto the myth: the late queen is named Otohime outright, the king is the “Sea God” Neptune (the Ryūjin / Poseidon figure), and the realm itself is the Dragon Palace. The oarfish-prince Ryuboshi’s name (リュウグウノツカイ ryūgū-no-tsukai, “messenger of the Dragon Palace”) embeds the same Ryūgū root a second time. Sources: Wikipedia — Ryūgū-jō; Wikipedia — Urashima Tarō.
Key chapters
- Ch. 609 — first appearance: the Straw Hats reach Fish-Man Island proper, the “Kingdom of Ryugu”; the royal princes and the Neptune Army are introduced; the royal gondola patrols the inlets.
- Ch. 610 — its port town Coral Hill and the upscale district Fishverly Hills are shown on Camie’s tour; the kingdom is established as protected by the Emperor Big Mom in exchange for monthly sweets (having lost Whitebeard’s protection after the war, p. 13); King Neptune (the Sea God) and the mermaid princess Shirahoshi are detailed, as is the Vander Decken IX threat (pp. 10-13).
- Ch. 611 — its king, the Sea God King Neptune, descends from Ryugu Castle on his pet whale Hoe to personally invite the Straw Hats (pp. 9-11). The New Fish-Man Pirates state their intent to seize “the throne of Fish-Man Island” from the “weak sea god” Neptune (p. 17).
- Ch. 614 — the Straw Hats occupy and breach Ryugu Castle (see evidence below).
- Ch. 615 — the Shell Tower (north-east section of Ryugu Castle) is named as the New Fish-Man Pirates’ assault target and the structure housing the confined princess Shirahoshi; a secret passage connects Fish-Man Island to the castle; the castle is “said to be impregnable” yet has weathered years of Decken’s weapon-fire (pp. 13-15).
Cross-links
- Fish-Man Island — the island the kingdom occupies
- Neptune — the ruling royal family
- King Neptune — the Sea God, its king
- Coral Hill — its port town (the mermaid-café coast)
- Fish-Man District — the separate poor quarter (base of the New Fish-Man Pirates)
- Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi — the three princes
- Shirahoshi — the mermaid princess