I want to say a little bit about my feelings that went into making this graphic.

Jinbe is such a moving character to me. Jinbe, from the first time we met him in Impel Down, was a good person. He was in Impel Down because he protested the war and refused to fight against Whitebeard, who was the one protecting Fishman Island from the waves of pirates that swept over it after Roger’s death. He was stern nonetheless, refusing Ace’s request to look after Luffy if anything happened to him because Luffy had yet to earn Jinbe’s respect. But while stern, he cared about doing the right thing and honoring the wishes of those who cared about him. He stopped Luffy from fighting with Blackbeard because saving Ace was more important, he stood at Whitebeard’s back and defended him as though he were a member of the man’s crew, his heart broke when he saw Ace and Whitebeard die, and he was ready and willing to sacrifice his body and life to protect Luffy. And after the war it was Jinbe who reminded Luffy of what he still had left to live for. Jinbe is a damn good person.

But it wasn’t always that way. Jinbe hasn’t been shown to have ever been a bad person, but he was a different person. A person weighed down by resentment and hate.

I can’t argue with Jinbe about this. He and his people were forced to endure discrimination, exile, and slavery at the hands of humans, and Jinbe saw no qualms with killing any human who would kill them for fighting for their freedom. I’m not about to tell Jinbe he was wrong, even though in terms of brutality he was nearly on par with Arlong himself. So, while justified, it took a toll on him. In his backstory, the only point he smiled before meeting Koala was when Fisher Tiger returned for the first time in years. Despite the events of his backstory happening 12 years ago (when Jinbe was 34 instead of 46), his eyes look so much older

(age 34)

(age 46)

Despite aging 12 years, his eyes only look younger, less heavy and worn down, than they did before.

A lot of things changed Jinbe. Fisher Tiger’s death changed him. Otohime’s death changed him. Whitebeard placing the island under his protection changed him. Seeing the hatred Arlong refused to compromise on changed him. And Koala changed him, and it’s that relationship that holds the most special place in my heart because it is the relationship that started it all. Jinbe always respected Otohime as his queen, but before meeting Koala her goals were empty words to him. It was Koala that began the process that made Jinbe into the man he is today, a man who gladly gave his blood to save a human’s life (on multiple occasions)

And that’s why I love their relationship so much. Koala cracked the shell around Jinbe and gave him the ability to open up to new ideas, new relationships, and gave him a chance he never would have otherwise to be the man who can sacrifice so much for the sake of others, regardless of their species.