Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger

Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger

Use	Straw Hat Pirates from One Piece Indonesian anti-government protesters
Proportion	Various
Adopted	1997(appearance in the saga) August 2025(as one of the protest flags in Indonesia)
Designed by	Eiichiro Oda

The Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger is one of the flags featured in the Japanese One Piece manga and its franchise, where it is used to identify the Straw Hat Pirates, the pirate crew featuring the series' protagonists. It is a fictional variant of the Jolly Roger, featuring a cartoonish skull with two crossbones and wearing a straw hat. In the series, different pirate crews have their own unique Jolly Rogers that reflect their characteristics and beliefs. The flag was originally designed by Luffy, but because it was drawn so poorly, was redesigned by Usopp. ^[1]

Use as a political symbol in Indonesia

See also: 2025 Pati demonstrations

The Straw Hat Pirates' flag came into prominence during the 2025 Indonesian anti-government protests which started in the weeks leading up to Independence Day on 17 August. ^[2] President Prabowo Subianto had called on Indonesians to fly the red and white national flag to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the country's independence. ^[3] Truck drivers began flying the Straw Hat Pirates' flag in late July 2025 to protest mishandlings by the government. ^[4] They also refused to fly any Indonesian flags, as a part of the demonstration against the prohibition of ODOL (over dimension, overload) trucks throughout several cities in Java, ongoing since 19 June. ^[5] Trucks of this type will be completely banned for safety reasons from 2027, following an agreement by several ministries and the House of Representatives (DPR). ^[6]

In response, the flag was called a threat to the national unity of Indonesia by its government, ^[7] especially by the leading figures from People's Consultative Assembly. ^[8] It has been also declared a symbol of treason ^[9] and sedition, ^[10] while various government institutions, such as the Banten regional police, have attempted to ban this flag. ^{[11] [12]} Meanwhile, the deputy speaker of DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad ^[13] and West Java governor Dedi Mulyadi found no problem with its raising. ^[14] Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi said that President Prabowo had no issues with protesters raising the flag and considered it as freedom of speech, but urged people not to "compare it to, tarnish it, or put it in conflict with the Red and White flag". ^[15]

References

1. One Piece Chapter 42
2. Raidi (1 August 2025), One Piece Pirate Flag Rises Across Indonesia Ahead the Independence Day, Indonesia Sentinel
3. Guzman, Chad de (15 August 2025). "Indonesian Authorities Respond to Mass Flying of 'One Piece' Flag". TIME . Retrieved 24 August 2025.
4. "Sopir Enggan Kibarkan Merah Putih, Sarbumusi: Pasang Bendera One Piece Simbol Perlawanan" [Drivers Reluctant to Fly the Red and White [flag]: Raising the One Piece Flag is a Symbol of Resistance]. jakarta.nu.or.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
5. "Sopir Truk Tak Akan Kibarkan Bendera Merah Putih pada Kendaraan pada Agustus 2025? Ini Kata Aptrindo" [Truck Drivers Opt Not to Fly The Red and White on Their Vehicles in August 2025? Aptrindo's Response]. tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
6. "Kesepakatan Tercapai, Truk ODOL Akan Dilarang Total di 2027" [Agreement Reached, Over-Dimension and Over-Loading Trucks to be Completely Banned in 2027]. finance.detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 August 2025.
7. Ilham Oktafian; Juan Ardya Guardiola (1 August 2025), 'One Piece' Anime Flags Pose Threat to National Unity, Says Deputy Speaker Dasco, Jakarta Globe
8. "Soal Bendera One Piece, Ketua MPR: Ekspresi Kreativias, Hatinya Pasti Merah Putih" [Concerning the One Piece Flag, MPR Chairman Says: It's a Creative Expression, Their Hearts are Certainly Red and White]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
9. Alberto Zambrano (2 August 2025), Richard Rosales (ed.), Indonesian Government Declares One Piece Flag a Symbol of Treason, Otakukart
10. "MPR soal Pengibaran Bendera One Piece: Provokasi Jatuhkan Pemerintah" [MPR on Displaying the One Piece Flag: A Provocation to Overthrow the Government]. CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
11. "Natalius Pigai Larang Pengibaran Bendera One Piece: Demi Stabilitas Nasional" [Natalius Pigai Prohibits One Piece Flag Display: To Ensure National Stability]. kumparan.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
12. "Polda Banten Larang Pengibaran Bendera One Piece saat HUT RI, Ini Alasannya" [Banten Police Bans One Piece Flag Display on Indonesian Independence Day, Here's Why]. radarsurabaya.jawapos.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 August 2025.
13. "Wakil Ketua DPR: Bendera One Piece Tidak Ada Masalah" [DPR Deputy Speaker: The One Piece Flag Is Not a Problem]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 August 2025.
14. "Dedi Mulyadi tak Persoalkan Pengibaran Bendera One Piece, Asalkan..." [Dedi Mulyadi Doesn't Mind the Hoisting of the One Piece Flag, As Long As...]. Republika (in Indonesian). Retrieved 6 August 2025.
15. "Polemik bendera One Piece, ini tanggapan Presiden Prabowo" [President Prabowo's response to the One Piece flag controversy]. CNA.id: Berita Indonesia, Asia dan Dunia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 17 August 2025.