In the
world of One Piece, humanity is divided into many unusual races and
tribes. Among them is the Longarm Tribe, a race best recognized for one
remarkable physical characteristic: each arm has two elbow joints.
This
unusual anatomy gives members of the tribe extraordinarily long arms and allows
some of them to develop unique fighting styles. The tribe's most famous members
include Scratchmen Apoo of the Worst Generation and Ideo, one of the captains
of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
What
Is the Longarm Tribe?
The
Longarm Tribe, known in Japanese as Tenaga-zoku, is a human-like race with
abnormally long arms.
Unlike
Giants or Fish-Men, Longarm Tribe members generally look like ordinary humans
apart from their unusual arms. The key difference is that each arm contains two
elbow joints instead of one, creating an additional section of the upper arm.
The
tribe first appeared in the manga in Chapter 498, during the Sabaody
Archipelago storyline.
The
Two Elbows Are a Unique Biological Feature
The
most fascinating aspect of the Longarm Tribe is that their extra length is not
simply exaggerated anatomy.
They
actually have two separate elbows on each arm.
According
to information revealed in the SBS for One Piece Volume 110, the two
elbows even have different names. The elbow closer to the hand is called
Tomohiji, while the one closer to the shoulder is called Koihiji.
This
gives the members of the tribe an unusual range of movement.
Their
additional joint can also be incorporated into their fighting techniques.
Scratchmen
Apoo: The Most Famous Longarm
The
best-known member of the Longarm Tribe is Scratchmen Apoo, also known as the
“Roar of the Sea.”
Apoo
is the captain of the On Air Pirates and one of the Worst Generation. His
official ONE PIECE profile identifies him as a Longarm Tribe member and
user of the Oto Oto no Mi.
Apoo's
Devil Fruit allows him to turn parts of his body into musical instruments and
use sound as a weapon.
His
Longarm anatomy makes this fighting style even more distinctive.
His
arms can transform into instruments such as trumpets, while his fingers and
teeth can be incorporated into his musical attacks.
This
creates a highly unusual combination:
Long
arms + musical weapons + sound-based Devil Fruit.
Ideo:
The Longarm Tribe's Powerful Boxer
Another
major Longarm Tribe member is Ideo, a powerful boxer who appeared during the
Dressrosa Arc.
The
official ONE PIECE character profile identifies Ideo as an XXX-Class
boxer and captain of the Ideo Pirates. He later became the captain of the 4th
Ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
Ideo's
fighting style makes excellent use of his unusual anatomy.
He can
fold his extra arm joint near his shoulder and suddenly extend his arm to
deliver incredibly powerful punches.
His
nickname, “Destruction Cannon” Ideo, comes from the enormous destructive force
of his punches. The official profile states that his full-powered punches can
blow away numerous people at once.
The
Longarm Tribe Has Its Own Fighting Advantages
The
tribe's unusual anatomy gives its members several potential advantages in
combat.
Extended
Reach
Their
long arms allow them to attack enemies from distances that ordinary humans
cannot reach.
Unusual
Attack Angles
The
extra elbow gives Longarm fighters a greater range of movement and makes their
attacks harder to predict.
Powerful
Punches
Ideo
demonstrates how the additional joint can be used to build momentum and
generate tremendous punching power.
Flexible
Movement
The
extra joint allows the arms to bend and move in ways that normal human arms
cannot.
These
advantages become especially effective when combined with specialized martial
arts or Devil Fruit abilities.
The
Longarm Tribe and the Longleg Tribe
One of
the more interesting pieces of world-building in One Piece is the
relationship between the Longarm Tribe and the Longleg Tribe.
The
two races have a long-standing history of conflict that reportedly stretches
back more than a thousand years. However, the relationship is not universally
hostile, and the series has shown cooperation between members of the two
groups.
This
becomes particularly interesting because a Longarm and a Longleg can produce a
hybrid known as a Longlimb Human, a race possessing characteristics associated
with both groups.
Longarms
in Totto Land
The
Longarm Tribe is also among the races represented in Big Mom's Totto Land.
Big
Mom's territory is notable because she attempted to create a country where
members of different races could live together.
Longarms
and Longlegs are both among the races that have been shown as part of this
diverse population.
This
provides another example of how Oda uses Totto Land to showcase the enormous
racial diversity of the One Piece world.
Known
Longarm Tribe Members
Some
known members of the tribe include:
- Scratchmen Apoo
- Ideo
- Ganryu
- Sancrin
- Joseph
- Diesel
Ideo
is also particularly important because he eventually becomes part of the Straw
Hat Grand Fleet.
Longarm
Tribe vs. Ordinary Humans
At
first glance, Longarm Tribe members can appear to be ordinary humans with
unusually long arms.
Their
biology, however, is distinct enough to classify them as a separate race.
This
is similar to other races in One Piece whose bodies retain a largely
humanoid appearance but possess specialized physical traits.
For
the Longarms, that defining characteristic is their double-elbowed arms.
Why
the Longarm Tribe Is Interesting
The
Longarm Tribe is not one of the largest or most prominent races in One Piece,
but it demonstrates an important aspect of Eiichiro Oda's world-building.
Rather
than giving every race completely alien characteristics, Oda often creates
subtle biological differences that can completely change how a character
fights.
A
Longarm can have a normal human body and face while possessing a completely
different combat style because of one anatomical difference.
Apoo
takes advantage of his arms through music.
Ideo
uses them for boxing.
That
shows how the same racial trait can produce very different fighting styles.
Final
Thoughts
The
Longarm Tribe is one of the more unusual humanoid races in One Piece.
Their
defining feature is simple but fascinating: two elbow joints on each arm,
giving them exceptionally long arms and unusual movement capabilities.
Characters
such as Scratchmen Apoo and Ideo demonstrate two completely different ways of
using this anatomy. Apoo combines his long arms with the Oto Oto no Mi to
create devastating sound-based attacks, while Ideo uses his extra joint to
develop an explosive boxing style.
The
tribe's connection to the Longleg Tribe and the existence of Longlimb Humans
also add another layer to the racial diversity of the One Piece world.
In a
series filled with Giants, Fish-Men, Minks, Lunarians, and other unusual races,
the Longarm Tribe stands out by proving that even something as simple as an
extra elbow can create an entirely different way of fighting.
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