One Piece: A Primer, and the parallels to eCash

Maybe you’ve never heard of the manga/anime called One Piece, but without realizing it, you’ve probably seen some of the characters on t-shirts, car decals, or as toy figurines subtly displayed in your favorite ramen joint. I know I have. Ever since I became a fan of the series a couple of years ago, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve encountered Luffy, Zoro, and the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates while out and about. But recently, I’ve been noticing another phenomenon that I find far more interesting than seeing them on toys and apparel. Apparently, the Straw Hats’ famous Jolly Roger (the pirate flag in the center of image above) has become a symbol used to unite Gen Z protestors in rebellions around the world. It was seen in Indonesia back in August, then in Nepal in September, and this morning, I saw a video of protestors storming the presidential palace in Mexico City and the first thing that caught my eye was the One Piece flag waving above the crowd:

So I thought I’d write an article about what One Piece is, how and why I fell in love with the series, and what I think of it being used to unite Gen Z protestors around the world.

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