Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week's lesson will look at some of the awesome animals of One Piece. Things sure have gotten lively for the Straw Hats since they arrived at Zou and met the Minks!

NEKO (ねこ)

This is one we've covered before, and any true manga/anime fan will probably already know it, but NEKO means "cat." When I think about a cat though, I don't picture the Cat Viper! This large, lasagna-loving feline is one of the best recent additions to the cast! You can't help but smile when Cat Viper acts like a regular NEKO.

INU (いぬ)

INU means "dog." Oda Sensei did a fantastic job showing the traditional battle between a dog and a cat and then using the resolution to hype up the power of the samurai from Wano. These fierce beasts have been fighting for years, but all it takes is an order to get along from Momonosuke to make them friendly again. And whose eyes didn't water when it was revealed that the Minks were so loyal to the Kozuki clan that they almost died for it?

TONAKAI (となかい)

TONAKAI means "reindeer" and is the animal species of the cutest member of the Straw Hats, Tony Tony Chopper. It's likely that the "Tony" part of Chopper's name is based off of the word TONAKAI. It was really nice to see Chopper meet other beings that are similar to him in the Minks. Is love in the air for our favorite doctor...?

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