Who is Hibari in ‘One Piece’?

The Egghead arc is currently underway in the One Piece anime. Fans of the manga are already reaching the arc’s last remaining legs (or at least, we think we are), but the anime is just starting its new adventure, and with it, many more characters are also being introduced — Hibari included.

Truthfully, Hibari’s character would’ve easily gone unnoticed if it weren’t for her gorgeous design, reminiscent of Uta’s own quirky looks. Even in the manga, her presence was quite small, with the character only appearing momentarily. Nonetheless, we all know how Oda truly enjoys throwing a little piece of information here and there, only to pick it back up at the most unexpected times.

That said, although Hibari’s cameos in the story were brief, she will undoubtedly appear more often in the future. But if you happened to catch a glimpse of her in episode 1090, this is what we know about Hibari in One Piece.

Is Hibari related to Akainu?

As far as we know, no, Hibari is not related to Akainu. The only connection between the two is the fact that both Hibari and Akainu are Marines. Hibari is a Marine Commander who has power over lower-ranking subordinates. In contrast, Akainu is a Fleet Admiral of the Marines, with power over quite literally every single Marine — and this is where their similarities end. Especially because Hibari is also a member of SWORD.

Aside from being a Marine, Hibari is also member of SWORD, much like X-Drake and Koby. If your memory is failing you in any way, SWORD is the secret special force comprised of Marines who have formally resigned themselves from the actual command structure of the organization but still operate on its behalf. This means that Hibari is entirely able to disregard any rules and laws from the higher-ups, without repercussions.

Aside from her hierarchical place in the Marines, not much is known about her. We know that she has an affinity for Koby, becoming somewhat bashful whenever he’s around, and most importantly: she’s a brilliant sniper. She uses Vegapunk’s gunpowder Flower technology, called Flower Bullets, to neutralize enemies, making her capable of stunning and disarming a whole team of gunmen without being detected.

At this point, we’ve seen her fighting briefly as SWORD members ambushed the Blackbeard pirates and interacted with Garp and Koby. Hopefully, as we learn more and more about SWORD and all its members, we’ll also see more of Hibari and her naturally kind personality. Oh, and of course, her adorable teddy bear, Kopy-Senpai.