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Tightrope Walking Funan Bros

Character

A threesome of low-ranking pirates serving under Buggy, the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros are first encountered when Nami cheats them out of their loot and their ship. Greedy and quick to grovel before anyone stronger, they go on to dot the background of Buggy's crew, mostly in the anime.

Japanese Va: Tetsu Inada; Osamu Ryutani; Naoki Imamura
First Appearance (Manga): Chapter 8
Crew & Affiliations: Buggy Pirates
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Appearance

Three separate designs make up the group. Their leader is pale with sharp cheekbones and a firm jaw, topped by a black beanie that shows the crew's flag and a pale green pompom; he sports a deep V-cut orange shirt rimmed in purple, a green waist sash, and maroon shorts. Heavyset and dark-skinned, the second member has a round face and short brown hair, dresses in an open black vest with an olive sash and loose white pants, and is marked by an upturned unibrow, a matching beard, and an anchor pendant on his necklace.

The third member has lightly tanned skin and puffy orange hair fanned into an oblong shape with sideburns to match. His clothes are a sleeveless shirt striped in yellow and purple, a turquoise sash, and baggy pants of a dark gray, and he is noted for thick lips and heavy bags beneath his eyes.

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Personality

Greed motivates the three, who only agreed to help Nami because they thought treasure was involved. They are ungrateful and mean-spirited as well, repaying Zoro's rescue from a shipwreck by attempting to rob him, yet they collapse the instant they meet someone truly powerful. The moment they recognized Zoro, they apologized at once and fretted over the punishment Buggy might hand the three of them for showing up with nothing.

Their captain frightens them; they were too scared to admit Nami had robbed them, while still seeing Buggy as someone formidable. The anime turns this into open devotion, with the brothers weeping when they thought Buggy lost and celebrating each return, cheering his name even when he plainly schemed only for himself, though now and then they booed his mistakes. So bitter is their grudge against Nami that one wished her dead, and it carried over to anyone found in her company.

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History

Trouble starts for the trio when they draw up beside a small boat and spot Nami draped over its side faking seasickness. She pleads for food in trade for a chest of treasure, lures them aboard, and makes off with their ship and loot just as the storm she foresaw swallows the boat they were stranded on. Adrift, they hail a passing Zoro, and the leader rashly pulls a sword to demand the vessel, earning all three a thrashing. Once they learn he is the celebrated Pirate Hunter, they meekly row for him and pour out their tale of woe before leading him toward Orange Town. They meet him again after Buggy's downfall: lying in ambush for Nami at the harbor, they fail to spot Zoro among her companions until too late, then leap into the sea and swim off in terror.

Within the manga the brothers turn up only in the Orange Town Arc, so most of their later showings are anime-only or merely implied. The anime keeps them in the picture across Buggy's many misadventures, from Loguetown and Jaya to the Impel Down rescue scramble and the post-war reunion, where they are usually crying, cheering, or getting smacked by their captain for things he said himself. They also feature in the non-canon spin-off Buggy's Crew Adventure Chronicles, the 3D2Y special where they tearfully mistake Buggy's selfish orders for encouragement, One Piece: Stampede, and the alternate-world Boss Luffy Historical Specials, in which their gang keeps fumbling kidnappings and robberies against Boss Luffy. An early Color Walk sketch shows the orange-haired brother began as a pantomime-themed pirate called Top, paired with one named Big, names that eventually merged into the title of the crew's ship, the Big Top.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros in One Piece?

The Tightrope Walking Funan Bros are a trio of low ranking pirates serving under Buggy, first appearing when Nami cheats them out of their loot and their ship.

How did Nami trick the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros?

Nami faked seasickness aboard their boat, traded a chest of treasure for food, then made off with the Funan Bros' ship and loot just before a storm she had foreseen destroyed the vessel they were left on.

How do the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros meet Zoro?

Adrift after Nami's trick, the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros hail a passing Roronoa Zoro, and when their leader tries to demand his boat at swordpoint, Zoro beats all three before they learn his identity and beg him for help instead.

What is the personality of the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros?

The Tightrope Walking Funan Bros are greedy and mean spirited, willing to rob even those who rescue them, yet they turn meek and apologetic the moment they face someone truly powerful like Zoro or their captain Buggy.

Where did the name of the Tightrope Walking Funan Bros' ship come from?

An early Color Walk sketch shows the orange haired brother began as a pantomime pirate named Top, paired with another named Big, and the two names eventually combined into the Big Top, the title of the crew's ship.

Sources & Information

Looking for more on Tightrope Walking Funan Bros? The One Piece Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.

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This content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the One Piece anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.

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Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:

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  • Game pages: official box art for the One Piece console and mobile games, credited to Bandai Namco.
  • Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Eiichiro Oda.

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