The Ukrainian government has quoted none other than One Piece protagonist Monkey D. Luffy to keep morale high as the Russo-Ukrainian War continues.
The official Defense of Ukraine Twitter account posted an infographic, detailing Russia's total combat losses as of Sept. 30. The tweet also featured a Luffy quote, "Power isn’t determined by your size, but the size of your heart and dreams!"
The Russo-Ukrainian War began back in February 2014 when Russia initiated hostilities after Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, eventually resulting in the annexation of Crimea. While conflict persisted in the intervening years, aggression dramatically increased when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the morning of February 24. Despite the general belief that Putin's forces would quickly overwhelm the smaller army, the Ukrainian military has continued to hold off the invaders and occupiers, initiating counteroffensives in the south in August and in the northeast in September. Notably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remained with his countrymen, fighting alongside them, despite international offers to get him out of the warzone, including one from the United States.
Overcoming the Odds Is a Common Theme in One Piece
Fighting against a seemingly more powerful force is a common motif throughout Eiichiro Oda's beloved One Piece manga, which tells the story of Luffy, a young pirate captain with a body made out of rubber, and his colorful crew as they adventure across the Grand Line in search for the titular hidden treasure. During the "Enies Lobby" Arc, Luffy declares war against the entire World Government after one of his crew members, Nico Robin, is captured by the organization's assassins. Similarly, in the "Sabaody Archipelago" arc, the Straw Hats' captain punches a Celestial Dragon -- a member of the world's totalitarian nobility -- in the face after the man attempts to purchase one of Luffy's friends and shoots another. His actions set off a massive battle between the Marines and multiple pirate crews.
Oda's series first appeared in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1997 and so far, the manga has produced over 1,000 individual chapters. With over 516 million copies sold worldwide, One Piece is undoubtedly the best-selling manga in history. Readers recently discovered that the story is entering its final narrative arc. Fans have begun to speculate about who Luffy's ultimate opponent will be, with theories ranging from Red-Haired Shanks, the pirate who originally inspired Luffy, to Admiral Akainu, the leader of the Marines.
The One Piece manga is distributed in the US and UK by VIZ Media.
Source: Twitter