Flying Dutchman

Japanese name:

フライング・ダッチマン号

The Flying Dutchman is the stereotypical representation of a ghost ship: old and worn from time. The sails are torn and tattered, moss and barnacles are growing out from various spots of the ship and the mast is similar to a clock tower in design. On the bottom front sail is the name "FLYING DUTCHMAN", and the top one bears the crew's Jolly Roger, a fanged skull with cutlasses, their blades pointing down in place of crossbones. The ship's figurehead bears the same skull and swords. The Flying Dutchman is one of the larger ships to appear in the series, being as large as Wadatsumi, a sea giant who dwarfs the Thousand Sunny.

The Flying Dutchman is described as a ship that is unable to make port, and must wander the endless oceans forever. This was due to her deranged captain committing atrocious crimes. He brought about God's wrath, who then punished him and cursed the ship. It is a bad omen when the ship does appear. The captain of the "Flying Dutchman", in both sailing lore and in One Piece is named Vander Decken (although the spelling tends to vary in the real life lore).

However, the legend tends to be exaggerated, so some of the facts are debatable. Decken eventually died on Fishman Island, and his descendants would go on to pilot the Flying Dutchman, with the current captain being the eighth generation grandson of the original Decken.

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