One Piece: The Tragic Fate of Bepo's Brother Zepo

The reason why Bepo set out to sail the seas of One Piece was to find his brother. Given that they aren't sailing together, where actually is Zepo?

One Piece's world is home to a sea of characters. While many have their own flaws, a few of them are simply impossible to dislike in any way. Among these are Straw Hat Pirates' very own Chopper and the Heart Pirates' Bepo, whose adorable appearances and endearing personalities have won fans' hearts worldwide. Chopper, the reindeer with a kind heart and remarkable medical skills, has become an invaluable member of Luffy's crew. On the other hand, Bepo, the lovable polar bear with distinctive martial arts skills, adds a touch of charm and mystery to the Heart Pirates.

While Chopper's backstory and journey have been well-explored throughout One Piece, Bepo has remained somewhat of an enigma. However, the original reason he set sail was to find his brother. That was also around the time he met Law and established the Heart Pirates with him. But it begs the question of who Bepo's brother is -- and what happened to him.

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Zepo's legend intertwines with the fabled Nox Pirates, a crew consisting of Minks. This infamous group, led by Pedro, sails the seas in search of the treasured Poneglyphs. They want to help their kings, Dogstorm and Cat Viper, but after an arduous journey, most of their members get discouraged and left the pirate crew. The only ones who remained were Pedro and Zepo, a polar bear Mink. Together they sailed the treacherous seas, facing formidable challenges and braving unimaginable dangers. Through their shared adventures, Zepo and Pedro forged a bond rooted in loyalty, brotherhood and a mutual commitment to their ideals.

As members of the Mink tribe, Zepo and Pedro possess unique abilities that make them formidable adversaries. They both command great animalistic strength while also possessing the Minks' unique ability to generate electricity, and these powers have taken them to the furthest lands of the New World. However, their journey in One Piece has not been without setbacks -- the greatest of which came when they attempted to steal Big Mom's Road Poneglyph.

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Zepo and Pedro's tale took a tragic turn when their path crossed with the fearsome and formidable Big Mom on the treacherous Whole Cake Island. As members of the Nox Pirates, their pursuit of the Poneglyphs led them to this notorious territory, unaware of the impending danger that awaited. They were caught trying to steal Big Mom's Poneglyphs and made to choose their own fates. Given that their nemesis was none other than the Emperor Big Mom, they could only spin her Soul Pocus Roulette.

Unfortunately for the two Minks, Zepo's spin landed on a 100-year verdict. Big Mom took his life as compensation, instantly killing the polar bear Mink. Unfortunately, even that was insufficient to make up for the 100 years they owe. Zepo only had 30 years of life left, so Pedro had to supplement the remaining 70. With Pekoms' begging and pleading, Big Mom cuts down the number of years by 10. Then, with Pedro taking his own eye, Big Mom moved it further down to 50 years. Pedro barely managed to get out of the predicament alive, but the same couldn't be said for Zepo. As Bepo had returned to Zou before their big clash at Wano, he is most certainly aware of his brother's sad fate in One Piece.

Christian Markle is writing anime, manga, webtoon, and manhwa-related articles for CBR. Either that or he's hiding inside his hole indulging in manga, anime, and/or video games.