Sea Beast

Sea Beasts are a class of large aquatic mammals that inhabit the Grand Line, notable for their uncanny resemblance to surface mammals. The first Sea Beast encountered in the series is the Sea Cow Momoo.
Though somewhat similar in habitats and behavior, they should not be confused with Sea Kings, the (generally) larger and more vicious non-mammals that also inhabit the world's oceans.
==Overview==
===Appearance===
Their appearance is generally based around mammalian surface animals, such as cats, cows, elephants and many other kinds of mammals. The main difference between them and their surface counterparts are the added scales along their bodies, their fish-like fins and tail fin instead of legs and/or tails, and the ability to breath underwater, presumably through gills. The majority of sea beasts are gigantic in size, easily being around the size of a kraken (which can have an estimated length of 300m) and even their young can be quite huge. However, smaller sea beasts such as the Sea Squirrel exist as well, which are only a bit larger than humans.
===Behavior===
While not as aggressively carnivorous as Sea Kings (which are, in fact, one of their natural predators), most Sea Beasts will indiscriminately attack smaller animals, including both humans and merfolk. Nevertheless, they are much easier for powerful individuals to intimidate and domesticate; around Fish-Man Island in particular, they are commonly captured and harnessed by experienced pirates for underwater transportation, with the New Fish-Man Pirates being known to own an entire pack.
In addition, at least a few types of Sea Beasts have displayed high enough intelligence and sapience to form their own underwater towns, complete with law enforcement systems.
===Sea Beast Weapons===
The Sea Beast Weapons are cyborg Sea Beasts which guard Egghead under the command of Vegapunk.
==Variants==
===Sea Cow===
 greatly resemble normal, land-based cows, with curved horns, fleshy noses, and "patchy" coloring—though they are still carnivorous, with appropriately sharp teeth. So far, the only known specimen is Momoo of the Arlong Pirates, who stands at a height of 36 meters (118'1" feet) and a weight of 16 tons (32,000 lbs).
They are classified as type "A" creatures, "Big Friendly". This stands somewhat in contrast to their behavior of attacking and overturning ships, though it has been indicated that they do not actually eat human beings.
Sea Cows are the only Sea Beasts known to be capable of moving on land (as the Arlong Pirates had let Momoo rampage inland through Gosa Village). The fish-like scales on their bodies are actually their hardened skin, protecting their vital organs from external attacks as an armor. Besides helping them swim as fast as 70 km/h (43.5 mps), their fins contain retractable bones sharp enough to act as claws.
Just like normal cows, sea cows have four stomachs; bacteria and parasites dwell inside them, digesting anything the cows choose to eat, including poison from venomous animals, making these creatures essentially immune to food poisoning.
Their name may be a pun on real-life , which are commonly referred to as "sea cows".
===Sea Cat===
, like ordinary cats, possess large, pointed ears, slit-pupiled eyes, distinct lips, and front limbs ending in paws—which they sometimes raise in a "beckoning" gesture, akin to a , upon surfacing. While grown specimens are as large as any other Sea Beast, juveniles—the only juvenile Sea Beasts depicted thus far—are "only" slightly larger than the 3.01m (9'10") Jinbe. 
They are classified as a type "A" creature, "Big Friendly". Despite their preying on ships, the Kingdom of Arabasta considers them religiously significant ("endangered" in the 4Kids dub), and strictly forbids them from being harmed. Notably, the Tomb of the Kings contains multiple statues carved in their likeness. The anime extrapolates that the switch to open the mausoleum's secret entrance is also built into a Sea Cat statue.
A particular lost sea kitten played a significant role in the cover story Solo Journey of Jinbe, Knight of the Sea. Jinbe eventually helped it reunite with its parent. 
Their name may be a reference to the , colloquially known as in Japan due to their cat-like calls.
===Sea Boar===
A appeared in Hatchan's cover story, where Hatchan saved it from an attacking sea monster. It turned out that earlier the Sea Boar had eaten Camie and Pappag, and spat them out shortly after being rescued.
===Sea Monkey===
The are sea creatures with monkey-like faces. Found after returning from Skypiea and before arriving at Long Ring Long Land island, they have powerful flippers that can cause tidal waves. The Fanged Toad Pirates' ship sank due to the waves they created.
They may be a reference to the marketed as novelty pets by many American toy companies (hence their species name being rendered purely in katakana—a convention used for no other Sea Beast).
===Sea Raccoon===
A is a type of giant Sea Beast living in Paradise. One was briefly encountered by the Straw Hat Pirates between Thriller Bark and the Red Line; while the accuracy of their statement is unclear, the pirates believed it could transform.
In the anime, the Sea Raccoon is instead a small animal. However, its transformations are limited to its original size, roughly that of a real raccoon, such as transforming into a doll-sized Nami. Nukky is the only known Sea Raccoon.
Both versions are visual puns on "umidanuki", the Japanese word for beaver.
===Sea Rabbit===
A is a sea creature resembling a rabbit. One was discovered near the Red Line by Luffy, Brook, and Robin traveling in the Shark Submerge III, and was consequently defeated by a Gomu Gomu no Rifle. Upon defeat, it spat out Camie and Pappag. Its birthday is October 19th.
===Sea Hippo===
A is a massive sea creature with the face of a hippo. There was a Sea Hippo among the victims of the Stomach Baron.
===Sea Lion===
 possess faces and manes like those of normal lions (though, unlike Sea Cats, all four of their limbs end in flippers). By estimate, a typical adult is 55m (180' 5") long.
A Sea Lion was part of the New Fish-Man Pirates' army. It was later ridden by the Flying Pirates during their attack on the Ryugu Kingdom. After the pirates' defeat, the Sea Lion returned to its home in the ocean to live alongside other Sea Beasts in the New World, sleeping in underwater ruins. After the ruins were moved by Wadatsumi, it, alongside the other Sea Beasts, took misguided revenge on a nearby town; however, after Jinbe mediated the dispute, it began living near the town and temporarily acted as a replacement fishing boat for the townfolk.
A Sea Lion also appeared as one of the Sea Beast Weapons.
It may be based on the , a mythical creature in heraldry with the head and front limbs of a lion and the tail of a fish, or the merlion, another mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It is a visual pun on real-life "".
===Sea Bear===
 possess faces and fur like those of normal bears. By estimate, a typical adult is 50m (164') long.
A Sea Bear was seen under the command of the New Fish-Man Pirates, and appearing alongside many other Sea Beasts under the crew's command. It was on a rampage, but stopped when some fish-men frightened it with fire. After the pirates' defeat, the Sea Bear returned to its home in the ocean to live alongside other Sea Beasts in the New World, sleeping in underwater ruins. After the ruins were moved by Wadatsumi, it, alongside the other Sea Beasts, took misguided revenge on a nearby town; however, after Jinbe mediated the dispute, it began living near the town.
The kanji for sea bear can mean "" in Chinese, which the sea bear somewhat resembles.
===Sea Squirrel===
A is a large sea creature resembling a squirrel. One was seen under the command of the New Fish-Man Pirates, and was ordered by Hammond to attack Luffy, though it was easily pacified with Supreme King Haki.
===Sea Pig===
 possess faces like those of normal pigs. They are notable as the key ingredient in at least one Attack Cuisine dish: the Hormone Soup with Sea Pork.
A Sea Pig lived alongside other Sea Beasts in the New World, sleeping in underwater ruins. After the ruins were moved by Wadatsumi, it, alongside the other Sea Beasts, took misguided revenge on a nearby town; however, after Jinbe mediated the dispute, it began living near the town.
The name may be a pun on the Japanese word for , the kanji of which literally translates to "sea pig".
===Sea Dog===
 is a Sea Beast resembling a dog. In Solo Journey of Jinbe, Knight of the Sea, one is seen working as a police officer, wearing a police hat and badge and even possessing a mustache. A second Sea Dog, resembling a bulldog, appeared in an underwater town alongside other Sea Beasts.
A "sea dog" is a mythical beast of English heraldry that resembles a dog with fins, webbed feet, and a scaly tail. In real life, the term can refer to a literal dog at sea (like on a boat/ship). used to be called "sea dogs" and sometimes still are. It is also a slang term for a veteran sailor. There was a group of English privateers authorized by Queen Elizabeth I to raid England's enemies called the .
===Other Variants===
Though not yet formally named, several other Sea Beasts were depicted among the New Fish-Man Pirates' forces, including:
*A Sea Giraffe, which served as Hammond's—and later Hody Jones'—primary steed. One Sea Giraffe appeared as one of the Sea Beast Weapons.
*A Sea Elephant, which served as Dosun's primary steed.
*A Sea Rhinoceros, which served as Zeo's primary steed.
*A Sea Gorilla, which served as Hyouzou's primary steed.
*A Sea Leopard.
Later, several more Sea Beasts were encountered by Jinbe during his encounter with a town of Sea Beasts, other unnamed ones including:
*A Sea Lamb
*A Sea Koala
*A Sea Horse, strongly resembling a "King" Yagara Bull.
In the waters between Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, there lived a Sea Owl.
Around the waters of Whole Cake Island, there lives a Sea Tiger. The animal may be based on the , a mythical creature with the body of a carp and the head of a tiger. 
A group of Sea Beasts were cyborized by Doctor Vegapunk to guard the waters around Egghead. One of them resembled a Sea Reindeer while the others include cyborg Sea Beasts like a Cyborg Sea Lion and a Cyborg Sea Giraffe.
==Translation and Dub Issues==
The VIZ manga initially translated Momoo's class as the more generic "sea monster", with the term "Sea Beast" not being used until the translation of Volume 17's SBS (which confirmed that Momoo and creatures like him belonged to a category distinct from Sea Kings). Interestingly, the original Japanese term, , is used in real life for ordinary s such as dolphins and whales; it remains unknown whether those of One Piece (e.g. Laboon) are also categorized as such.
(As an aside, it should be noted that this Kaijū is not the used to describe and other classic Japanese film monsters, though the two are homonymous.)
==References==
===Notes===
==Site Navigation==
ca:Monstre Marí
ru:Морские Звери
Category:Animal Species