Bink’s Sake isn’t just a joyfully performed shanty. It foreshadows the beginning, middle and end of the entire One Piece story.
The truth of Raftel and the titular One Piece treasure is the biggest mystery that fans of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece are desperate to unveil. Clues about the adventure’s final prize may have been consistently foreshadowed, but the truth will remain hidden until the Straw Hat Crew reaches the last island. When considering the possible clues that may have some sort of connection to the One Piece, the famous pirate song sung by both the Roger Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates comes to mind — Bink’s Sake.
There are many theories on what the One Piece is, but one binding factor between many is the inclusion of Bink’s Sake. The song has seemingly been passed on through generations of pirates as the perfect jig for a party, but there is a deeper meaning within its directly-translated lyrics and how the song has a connection to Brook, which in turn links to Laboon and the whales. Bink’s Sake may be the key to the One Piece’s importance, but it might also be the linchpin to changing the world’s very structure.
The Lyrics of Bink’s Sake Tell the Story of Laugh Tale
If Bink’s Sake truly was passed down through pirate generations — perhaps by Joy Boy — to prepare crews for the secrets of the world, one of the most notable lyrics in “Gather up all of the crew” implies that, as Monkey D. Luffy stated at the start of One Piece, he needs a full crew to complete his adventure. Another line goes, “Waves are dancing, evening comes, it’s time to sound the drums.” The relevance of drums has become more apparent after Luffy’s Joy Boy transformation — his heart beating with the drums of liberation. This could be an important factor in achieving the One Piece due to the liberation that coincides with not only Joy Boy, but Luffy’s supposed mysterious dream as well.
When Gol D. Roger arrived at the final, unnamed island, it was the conclusion of his adventure. He aptly named the island Laugh Tale, which corresponds with the end of Bink’s Sake: “Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!”
However, this is not only a reflection of Roger’s journey; the song transcends his adventure, and the island was always the end of a hilarious story. Roger named it, but the humor he and his crew witnessed was always specified within the song.
Brook Will Carry Bink’s Sake Across the Red Line
One Piece often references Brook as an everlasting storyteller due to his immortality and ending up as a skeleton. Luffy was dead set on having a musician in his crew, being even more important to him than a cook or shipwright. This could be one of two things — Luffy’s jovial nature, which is entirely possible, or subtle foreshadowing that a musician is paramount to the series’ endgame. Nothing brings out joy more than music.
Some theories go on to explore the idea that Laboon’s headbutting of the Red Line is foreshadowing the end goal of finding the One Piece and uniting the world. The Red Line signifies constraint, while Bink’s Sake, Joy Boy and Luffy signify freedom. With the song being a compass for the journey and freedom, the Red Line could be brought down by the return of Brook and Bink’s Sake to Laboon — and enacted through the giant whale as a way of ending the World Government’s reign.
Roger stated he was too early in reaching Laugh Tale, and he was well familiar with Bink’s Sake. This would imply that there is more to the One Piece than simply the song. That said, Bink’s Sake is not considered some magical entity that unlocks the One Piece, rather it’s a generational melody that represents the journey, the conclusion of the adventure, and what comes after.
