Favorite Musicians in ONE PIECE
Jango’s moonwalk, Brook’s 45-degree “Zero Gravity” gag—
both of these tricks are directly inspired by Michael Jackson.
And just like how Vegapunk’s name and Shaka’s design reference Daft Punk, Oda often borrows from musicians he admires.
So what if the Gorosei, who many fans thought were modeled on planets, were actually inspired by musicians instead?
Let’s take a look.
Jerry Garcia
Jaygarcia Saturn may be modeled after Jerome John “Jerry” Garcia, guitarist of the American rock band Grateful Dead.
The resemblance is both in name and appearance. And if you translate the band’s name literally—“Grateful Dead”—doesn’t that sound fitting? The Gorosei look like the undead, preserved by Imu’s powers:
The “great dead” forced into immortality and displayed as rulers of the world… That’s basically the Grateful Dead.
Even the Grand Line (偉大なる航路) may echo the band’s name.
Their skull logo feels like a pirate flag, too.
And in the MV for their song “Touch of Grey”, the band members play as skeletons. Sound familiar? That’s Brook.
Bruno Mars
Marcus Mars could be named after Bruno Mars.
Real name: Peter Gene Hernandez.
He doesn’t look the same, but notice—his name has both Mars and Peter.
And Bruno Mars first broke out as a Michael Jackson impersonator. His stage outfits are famously MJ-inspired:
As mentioned earlier, Oda is clearly a huge Michael Jackson fan. So it makes sense he’d also be fond of Bruno Mars, the superstar who rose by channeling MJ.
Freddie Mercury
Topman “Worcury” could be modeled on Freddie Mercury, the legendary vocalist of Queen.
We already know Oda loves Freddie—just look at Ivankov.
His stage outfits and mic work are lifted straight from the We Are the Champions MV:
NAS
Ethanbaron V. Nasjuro may be modeled on NAS, the American hip-hop MC.
Real name: Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones.
His debut album Illmatic (1994) is considered one of the greatest in hip-hop history, praised for its lyrical mastery and raw street reality.
NAS is known for socially conscious lyrics, addressing identity, inequality, and politics.
His album I Am… (which includes Nas Is Like) even has a cover reminiscent of Alabasta:
Sheppard
Sheppard Ju Peter may be named after Sheppard, an indie pop band from Australia.
Their hit “Geronimo” depicts militia creating human-like weapons clashing with soldiers. The song celebrates chasing dreams boldly, with “Geronimo” symbolizing daring action. Doesn’t that sound very One Piece-like?
And of course, Geronimo is the most famous Native American name.
Oda respects the Kinnikuman manga by Yudetamago, which also features a character named Geronimo.
Native American History
Remember Miss Monday from Whiskey Peak? She might be based on Geronimo as well.
Whiskey Peak was modeled on Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. In real history, Taos was the site of Native American uprisings against white settlers.
Miss Monday, with her darker skin, standing up to Mr.5 in Baroque Works, echoes that. Her hairstyle and gun even resemble Geronimo’s.
Dark skin as a symbol of indigenous people:
And King too—also dark-skinned—was worth a 100M bounty just for being reported to the government. He may be one of the original inhabitants of the Red Line, survivors of the “land of the gods” Whitebeard once spoke of.
To the Celestial Dragons who call themselves gods, such people are the very ones they want erased from history.
This fits the broader theme of One Piece: real history, especially the Age of Exploration and white colonial invasions across the world.
The God Valley Incident itself seems modeled on American history—the massacre and hunting of Native peoples.
The God Valley Incident and Saint Garling
God Valley = Valley of the Gods, Utah, a sacred site for Native Americans.
In the American frontier era, white settlers did not treat Native Americans as human, massacring them and taking their land.
Wars with Native Americans broke out all over the continent.
So the God Valley Incident can be seen as a direct parallel to the Indian Wars.
One figure in particular seems to be the model for Figarland Garling:
Ernest Albert Garlington, a U.S. Army officer awarded the Medal of Honor for his role in the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Garlington → Garling. The name is strikingly close.
It seems likely that Garling is based on him.
English One Piece theories
Want more? Check out our full collection of English One Piece articles here.
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