Gecko Islands

Gecko Islands
Statistics
Japanese Name:	ゲッコー諸島
Romanized Name:	Gekkō Shotō
English Name:	Gecko Islands
First appearance:	Chapter 23; Episode 8
Region:	East Blue

The Gecko Islands is the archipelago where Syrup Village is located. It is the third island the Straw Hat Pirates visited.

Layout and Locations

It is not known how many towns are here, but there is at least one major town as Merry told Kaya that Klahadore left for another town. There is also a small hamlet, Syrup Village, home of Yasopp and Usopp.

The Gecko Islands has two sloped hills, a forest and a hilly landmark. It seems to be a large island judging when seen in the distance.

Notable Places

Syrup Village - Usopp and Yasopp's home village. The birthplace of Kaya and where the Straw Hats obtained the Going Merry.

Meshi - A restaurant in Syrup Village where Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp ate at.

Gallery

Syrup Village of the Gecko Islands.

The town that Kaya is walking through.

History

Yasopp was born 47 years ago in the Gecko Islands and presumably grew up there for most of his early life. Around 22 years later a young pirate named Shanks journeyed to this island to recruit Yasopp for his crew, but he turned him down, 3 years later he fathered a child with Banchina in the Syrup Village named Usopp. Sometime after he left them to pursue becoming a pirate on Shank's crew, Usopp would frequently lie to his mother that he had returned to raise her spirits but she would ultimately die of illness. As Usopp grew up he began to form a habit of lying that pirates had arrived at the village leading to them chasing him around, he would also go on to befriend three kids and from the Usopp Pirates. Five years ago, Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates conducted a scheme to fake his death to avoid dealing with the Marines while staying arriving at Gecko Islands to seek wealth and peace, he was then taken in by the father of Kaya after lying about his origins. For the next three years he worked as a butler after her father passed, biding his time so he could eventually kill her and take her fortune. Usopp would eventually become friends with Kaya telling her fantastical tall tales he came up with.

Syrup Village Arc

One day Monkey D. Luffy, Nami and Roronoa Zoro came to the syrup village and met Usopp, later the same day he went to visit Kaya and got into an argument with Kuro punching him after he insulted his father. When both Luffy and Usopp discovered Kuro discussing his plan to kill Kaya with Jango and let the the Black Cat Pirates loose in the village Usopp attempted to warn her but she did not believe him loosing faith in his recent behavior, as well as the villagers. Despite this Luffy, Zoro, and Nami helped in dealing with Kuro in order to save the villagers and Kaya. On the day the pirates were supposed to raid Syrup Village, Usopp and his allies engaged in battle while Kaya on the same day discovered from Merry Usopp was indeed telling the truth realizing her life was in danger. When she confronted Kuro he sent Jango to kill her while the Usopp pirates and Zoro went to intervene, ultimately Kuro was defeated by Luffy as he threw him toward the Black cat pirates forcing them to flee, saving the Gecko Islands from pirates. Usopp then left the village and the Island to join Luffy's crew shortly before disbanding the Usopp Pirates. Before they left as Kaya and Merry constructed a ship for the pirates to sail in.

Translation and Dub Issues

Gecko (ゲッコー^?) here is spelled with characters identical to those in Gecko Moria's name, and thus technically subject to the same Gecko/Gekko ambiguity (especially as the islands' name has never been romanized, either by Japanese material or the Viz manga). In this instance, the name more likely refers to the Japanese for moonlight (月光, Gekkō^?)—tying in with the general "crescent moon" motif of the Syrup Village Arc—than to the animal.