Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Arlong (阿龙) |
| Alias(es) | “Shyarly’s big brother”; Governor Arlong; Minister Arlong |
| Species/Race | Sawshark Fish-Man |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Ryugu Kingdom; Neptune Army |
| Occupation/Role | Minister of Culture; former Governor of the East Blue; former Neptune Army external-patrol officer |
| Status | Alive |
| First Appearance | 14 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Neptune Army recruit | 204 | Enters closed training early, treating the turbulent era foreseen by Shyarly as an opportunity to earn merit. His association with Shyarly earns him unusually intense “genius-level” training. 204 |
| Rudimentary Armament Haki | 294 | Has completed Fish-Man Island’s elite training and mastered a basic form of Armament Haki before his East Blue assignment. He has made no progress in Observation Haki at this point. 294 |
| Practical Armament Haki use | 341 | Coats his saw-like nose in Armament Haki, cutting through Kuro’s claw blades while physically overpowering him. 341 |
Background
Childhood and Neptune Army service
At thirteen, Arlong became responsible for his one-year-old half-sister, Shyarly. Unable to care for her alone, he reluctantly agreed to place her in an orphanage established by King Nereus, feeling guilty despite wanting to do right by her. 176
Arlong had little attachment to the father who never raised him, but retained genuine concern for Shyarly. After graduating as an above-average student, he enlisted in the Neptune Army and volunteered for its external patrol units. Shyarly warned him through divination that harsher battles were approaching, but Arlong saw war as a chance to distinguish himself through merit. 203 204 237
Shyarly’s exceptional reputation became an unwanted burden. Other soldiers began calling him “Shyarly’s big brother,” and expectations that he possessed comparable talent led to punishingly intensive training. Though he lacked the special abilities of several contemporaries, he endured the training and continued working to improve. 204 237
Water 7 and the East Blue
While assigned to transport materials to Water 7, Arlong personally delivered timber, Treasure Tree Adam material, and alloys to Tom. He recognized that his talents lay more in commerce and logistics than direct combat, proposing a public timber display and insurance coverage to attract desperate shipbuilders and secure profitable contracts. 237 238
Arlong was later assigned to lead an East Blue exploration team with Hatchan, Kuroobi, and Jack. He secured a fifty-year lease for land near Cocoyasi Village through negotiations and bribery, intending to establish a lasting Ryugu Kingdom presence rather than simply occupy the area. 294 296 297
His project became Ryugu Park, an amusement park built around his childhood longing for the Soap Bubble Park on the Sabaody Archipelago. Arlong paid high wages, bought out local tax rights, purchased village goods above market price, and sought to make Cocoyasi’s residents welcome the Fish-Men rather than fear them. 238 297 298
Arlong drove Major Nezumi’s Marines from Cocoyasi after they attempted to seize supplies without payment. He forced them to compensate the villagers, strengthening Ryugu Kingdom authority in the East Blue. 299 300
Ryugu Park became a major East Blue attraction and the foundation of Arlong’s “entertainment empire.” He expanded it with dinosaur and giant-themed areas, considered partnerships with performers, and later developed themed tourism projects for Sabaody, Dressrosa, and other Ryugu Kingdom interests. 301 306 331 332 340
After completing temporary cultural-development work outside the East Blue, Arlong was appointed Fish-Man Island’s Minister of Culture. His responsibilities expanded to tourism routes, regionally distinct Ryugu Parks, and Tesoro’s sea-entertainment ventures. 328 349 351
As Minister of Culture, Arlong supervised projects beyond Cocoyasi, including a North Blue Ryugu Park centered on tokusatsu and hero themes. He retained strong ties to the East Blue park and returned there after completing field work, overseeing the Giant Zone and the hiring of Panz Fry and Lily Enstomach. 340 351
Arlong later learned that Buggy’s former circus troupe had been pirates in disguise, but did not pursue the matter because they had caused Ryugu Park no actual harm. He also declined to intervene directly in Alabasta’s conflict with Crocodile, citing Ryugu Kingdom policy, while forwarding Nami’s request through Tesoro to Jinbe and Yamato. 352
He later recruited Nami to prepare detailed naval charts for Fish-Man Island’s defensive planning, citing the need to protect their people amid rising instability. 387
Personality
Arlong is ambitious, status-conscious, and strongly motivated to prove he is more than “Shyarly’s big brother.” He welcomes difficult military service and political responsibility because both offer him a path to personal merit and recognition. 204 237
He is highly practical with money despite frequently spending his own salary on banquets, liquor, amusement parks, and support for fellow Fish-Men. He prefers clear compensation, profitable agreements, and visible results over empty promises. 237 294 313
Arlong cares deeply for his kin and subordinates. He watches over Jack, supports Hatchan’s crew, worries about Shyarly’s safety, and rescues stranded sailors when possible. 294 306 311 312
His outlook toward humans is more cooperative than it was in the original timeline; he deliberately builds trust with Cocoyasi Village and invests in Nami’s future. However, he still displays deep racial pride and hostility when humans insult Fish-Men or act superior toward them. 297 300 341
Although he is willing to work with humans and pirates when doing so benefits the Ryugu Kingdom, Arlong remains careful to follow national policy in politically sensitive disputes. He is particularly suspicious of people whose motives appear too selfless or unclear. 352 387
Abilities & Skills
Sawshark Fish-Man Physiology
Arlong is an elite ordinary Fish-Man soldier rather than one of Fish-Man Island’s exceptional monsters. His shark traits give him formidable physical strength, sharp teeth, and unusual recovery.
- Fish-Men possess average arm strength approximately ten times that of humans. 14
- As a shark Fish-Man, Arlong rapidly regenerates lost teeth; this allows him to replace teeth knocked out in battle with little lasting effect. 14 295
- His sharp teeth can bite through Kuro’s metal claw blades. 341
- His saw-like nose can be used as a close-range cutting weapon. 341
- He can flick water droplets with sufficient force to function as bullet-like projectiles. 340
- He is outmatched by elite fighters such as Jinbe and Jack. 237 294
Armament Haki
Arlong has basic Armament Haki training and can apply it offensively.
- Uses Armament Haki to reinforce his saw-like nose against Kuro. 341
- The reinforcement lets him slice through several claw blades without injury. 341
- He has not demonstrated progress in Observation Haki. 294
Seamanship
Arlong is capable of handling ships and understands ocean routes, though he does not consider himself a navigator.
- Fish-Men are natural helmsmen, using their strength and sensitivity to currents to control vessels effectively. 28 300
- He can sail small boats and evaluate dangerous routes that ordinary human crews struggle to navigate. 300 311
- He relies on trained navigators for specialist work and invested in Nami because of her superior aptitude. 300 306
- He recognized that Nami’s charting knowledge allowed her to identify inconsistencies in Kuro’s purported shipwreck route. 340
Commerce and Administration
Arlong’s greatest talent is recognizing profitable opportunities and turning them into long-term influence.
- Organized the Water 7 timber display and insurance plan that generated bids, deposits, and Ryugu Kingdom revenue. 237 238
- Secured Cocoyasi land rights and tax arrangements before launching Ryugu Park. 296 298
- Uses generous wages, purchases, and benefits to improve relations with local communities. 297 298 313
- Developed tourism attractions, including dinosaurs, giants, themed specialties, and potential circus partnerships. 301 331 332 340
- Oversaw cultural and entertainment projects across several regions, including a North Blue Ryugu Park tailored to local tokusatsu culture. 351
- Delegates specialized work to trusted personnel, including Hatchan, Tesoro, and local Ryugu Park staff. 332 340 352
Relationships
- Shyarly — His younger half-sister. Arlong worries about and supports her, but resents being known primarily as “Shyarly’s big brother.” 176 204 237
- Nereus — King of the Ryugu Kingdom. Nereus assigned Jack to learn under Arlong and later promoted Arlong to Minister of Culture. 294 351
- Nanamo — His direct superior in the entertainment sector after Ryugu Park was placed under her authority; she later assigns him further cultural-development work. 306 328
- Jinbe — An old acquaintance and stronger fellow Fish-Man. Jinbe supports Arlong’s Water 7 business plan while teasing him about Shyarly’s nickname. 237 238
- Hatchan — A trusted subordinate and longtime companion who serves alongside Arlong in the East Blue. 294 296 311
- Jack — A powerful junior assigned to Arlong’s squad for guidance. Arlong mentors him on restraint, tactics, and the dangers of relying on reckless combat habits. 294 306 311
- Nami — A Cocoyasi navigator whom Arlong mentors and supports with books, tools, practical lessons, and later employment mapping naval waters. 298 300 387
- Bell-mère — Nami and Nojiko’s adoptive mother. She declines Arlong’s offer to recruit Nami into the Ryugu Kingdom, prioritizing her daughters’ safety. 313
- Tom — Water 7 shipwright who receives valuable shipbuilding materials delivered by Arlong. 237
- Tesoro — A fellow Ryugu Kingdom entrepreneur with whom Arlong collaborates on entertainment and tourism projects. Tesoro also relays Arlong’s communications to Ryugu Kingdom personnel in the Grand Line. 340 352
- Panz Fry and Lily Enstomach — A Giant father and daughter hired for Ryugu Park’s Giant Zone. Arlong welcomed them to Cocoyasi after they arrived with Elbaf goods. 340
- Kuro — An infiltrator at Ryugu Park. Arlong captures and defeats him after Nami identifies inconsistencies in his story. 340 341
- Buggy — Buggy’s pirate crew once infiltrated Ryugu Park under the guise of a circus troupe. Arlong initially considered employing them permanently and later forgave the deception once he learned their true identity. 301 352
- Sanji and Zeff — Arlong and his crew rescue them after they survive eighty-three days stranded on a rock. 311 312
- A Jian — Cocoyasi Village’s sheriff and Ryugu Park’s head of security. Arlong works with him to maintain order around the park. 297 306
Notable Quotes
“For me, the hardest part of fighting you is figuring out how to capture you without killing you.” 341
Trivia
- Arlong’s childhood dream of a free amusement park was inspired by the Soap Bubble Park on the Sabaody Archipelago. 238
- He personally “inspected” every Ryugu Park attraction by spending an entire day riding them. 300
- He initially believed Kuro’s movement technique was Soru, mistaking it for a World Government connection; it was actually a similar technique called Silent Step. 340 341
- Arlong is prone to spending his Neptune Army income almost as quickly as he earns it. 294
- He considers being addressed as “Shyarly’s big brother” a longstanding personal nightmare, despite openly acknowledging Shyarly’s talent. 341 387