Tony Tony Chopper

In the anime/manga One Piece, Tony Tony Chopper (トニートニー・チョッパー ) is the ship's doctor in Monkey D. Luffy's pirate crew. Originally, he lived on Drum Island, where he was taught by the elderly "maiden" Dr. Kureha.

Contents

1 Origins 2 Life at Sea 3 Powers 4 Misc. Information 5 Voice actor/seiyu

Origins

Chopper was originally an ordinary reindeer with the slight oddity of a blue nose, but after eating the Hito Hito Fruit (a Devil Fruit that causes the eater to become partially human), he was ostracized from his herd and struck out on his own. Unfortunately for Chopper, his attempts at communicating with the humans on Drum Island proved disastrous, and he was shot by villagers who mistook him for a monster. Luckily, though, he was rescued by the quack Dr. Hiruluk, who named him and took him in as his friend and 'assistant.' Although his deeds were of dubious medical value, Dr. Hiruluk became Chopper's role-model. Hiruluk taught Chopper his philosophy on life, his strong faith in the Jolly Roger as a symbol of strength against all odds, and his belief in a panacea that would one day cure all illness. The two went from house to house, administering their "cures" in a country where all doctors not sanctioned by King Wapol were banned.

When Hiruluk's health took a turn for the worse, however, Chopper found himself left out in the cold once again as the old man (apparently) didn't want Chopper to worry about him. But once Chopper found out what was going on, he determined that he would find something to cure his mentor and only friend. He soon found what he was looking for: a special kind of mushroom with a skull-and-crossbones prominently displayed. Thinking that something worthy of the Pirate symbol would surely help Hiruluk, he set out to find it. Chopper's arduous journey was a success, although his left horn had broken and would need to be reattached.

Hiruluk, for his part, expressed gratitude... but Chopper would later find out that he had given Dr. Hiruluk a fatal dose of poison. But Hiruluk was not to live much longer, anyway. Declaring that he had had a wonderful life, he committed suicide by blowing himself up outside of Drum Castle, passing on his will. As per Hiruluk's last wish, Dr. Kureha (the last remaining doctor not owned by the Government) took Chopper in and taught him real medicine for the next 6 years. Chopper worked as hard as he could, in order to one day create the panacea that he longed to have saved Dr. Hiruluk with.

However, Chopper's isolated life in Drum Castle (which he and Dr. Kureha annexed after the King fled) would one day come to an end with the arrival of Monkey D. Luffy and his Pirate crew. Chopper, naturally distrustful of humans, was not pleased (nor was this helped by Luffy and Sanji's shared desire to cook and eat him). But when Chopper showed both his medical prowess and his skills in battle against the returned forces of King Wapol, Luffy offered him the (as-yet unfilled) position of Ship's Doctor in his crew. While Chopper was at first unwilling to leave, he was spurred on by Dr. Kureha, and his desire to broaden his medical horizons. Fleeing the castle with the Straw Hat Pirates, Chopper was given a send-off of gigantic proportions: Kureha had turned the snow into pink "cherry blossoms," the very same that Hiruluk hoped would one day cure the people of Drum of their "sickness of the heart." Overcome with tears, Chopper bade a fond farewell to his birthplace and mentors, setting out to sea for the first time in his life.

Life at Sea

Abord the Merry Go, Chopper was quickly thrust into battle against the forces of Baroque Works, on the island of Alabasta. While unused to the heat, Chopper was instrumental in getting the assistance of the island's animals and defeating the Mr. 4 / Miss MerryChristmas team.

As time would go on, Chopper would form an especially strong bond with the ship's Marksman and Liar, Usopp. The naive reindeer would often get taken in by Usopp's fibs, believing him completely. But despite this oddity, the two came to be a sort of "team," supplementing each other's skills in battle and generally becoming the best of friends. On his own, Chopper became a vital aspect of the crew, treating their injuries and keeping their spirits up with his constant amazement at the variety and wonder of the world. Chopper "'does'" tend to overreact a bit when someone is in need of help, though; he is prone to freak out, yelling "'MEDIIIIIIIIC!!!,'" and then, realizing his mistake, freaking out more and yelling "'MEEEEEEEE!!!'" This, along with his credulity, inject Chopper with both humor and humanity.

As of late, Chopper has become somewhat conflicted in his role. While he continues to be faithful to his crew and dispense valuable medical assistance, he was badly shaken when Usopp (arguably his closest friend in the group) chose to leave. Panicked and saddened by this development, it was all Chopper could do to leave behind some medical supplies to treat his former crewmate's wounds, while he followed his captain into the Venetian-styled city of Water Seven. It remains to be seen what actions, specifically, he will come to take in the battle against the Government forces of Cipher Pol #9, and (it seems) against the further dissolution of the Straw Hat crew.

Powers

As previously mentioned, Chopper ate the "'Hito Hito no Mi'", or "People-People Fruit". This is a "Zoan"-type fruit which gives the one who eats it three base transformations:

• "'Walk Point'": This is Chopper's form as a normal reindeer, useful for general travel on foot.
• "'Brain Point'": Chopper's usual 'Super-Deformed' look, with a small body and large head. He is smarter in this form, and also inexplicably cute.
• "'Heavy Point'": Chopper's "monster" form, which gives him a human-like appearance and height. He uses this form to help steer the ship.
  

Additionally, Chopper has added on to these by use of the "'Rumble Ball'", which gives its user several more transformations for a limited time:

• "'Jumping Point'": Chopper keeps his reindeer legs in a human-like form, which allows him to jump long distances.
• "'Arm Point'": Chopper's fore-hooves become extremely muscular in his humanesque form, powerful enough to inflict a great amount of damage.
• "'Horn Point'": Similar to Walking Point, but Chopper's forelegs get bulkier and his horns get larger and sharper.
• "'Guard Point'": Chopper's fur grows out and becomes an impenetrable shield against outside attacks. He looks like an overgrown Chia Pet in this form.

Misc. Information

• Chopper is currently about 15 years old.
• Chopper can understand and speak to other animals, which comes in handy at various points during the story.
• The name "Tony Tony Chopper" is partly a play on "Tonakai" ("Reindeer"), and partly on the idea that his horns look like they could chop down trees.
  

(Story information current to manga chapter 345; needs filling in of Jaya / Skypiea)

Voice actor/seiyu

In the Japanese version of the anime, he is voiced by Ikue Otani.zh:多尼多尼·喬巴