A three-decade-old manga symbol may seem an unlikely rallying cry for disaffected young people in 2025, but the “One Piece” pirate flag has been at the forefront of recent protests against government corruption and repression, from Jakarta to Paris to Kathmandu.

Depicting a skull with hollow cheeks, a broad grin and a straw hat, the flag is “an example of how Gen Z is reshaping the cultural vocabulary of dissent”, said Nuurrianti Jalli, from the School of Media and Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University, on The Conversation .

What is One Piece?

It is a hugely popular Japanese manga created by artist Eiichiro Oda. First published in 1997, it holds the Guinness World Record for the most copies published in the same comic book series by a single author. It has sold more th

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