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Japanese Name:     ゴーイング・メリー号
Romanized Name:     Gōingu Merī-gō
English Name:     Going Merry (Uncut dub); Merry Go (Viz, Edited dub)
Japanese VA:     Houko Kuwashima
Affiliations:     Straw Hat Pirates
First Appearance:     Chapter 41; Episode 17
Last Appearance:     Chapter 430;Episode 312

Introduction

The Going Merry (ゴーイング・メリー号 Gōingu Merī-gō?, renamed "Merry Go" in the English manga and 4Kids dub) is the first ship of the Straw Hat Pirates that they used as their main mode of transportation from East Blue to Water 7. It is a caravel class ship designed by Merry and given by Kaya to the Straw Hats as a reward for saving her. Over time, the ship came to be loved by the crew as a home and as a friend, so much so that it literally took on a life of its own and became just as much a part of the crew as any of them. Unfortunately, the Going Merry took an inordinate amount of damage during its "lifetime", being blown up, impaled, and even sliced up multiple times. Eventually, the Going Merry could no longer continue and received a Viking funeral.

Ship Design and Appearance

The Going Merry has a jib and a central steer rudder. The ship's armaments consisted of four cannons, one in the bow pointing forward, one in the stern, and two pointing to either side. They were rarely used, as the Straw Hat Pirates usually prefered to run away or engage in hand to hand combat. After the Arlong arc, the Going Merry gained three tangerine trees from Bell-mère's grove, a memento of Nami's home. As the series continued on, the ship received more and more damage and gained several metal patches to hold it together at places that could not be nailed back together, like Merry's figurehead and the mast, which was torn off several times. In the Skypiea arc, the body of the ship had wings and the sheep figurehead was dressed as a chicken

In volume 11 of the manga, Oda presented various schematics and explanations of each part of the ship. These included everything from Merry's figurehead to its kitchen.

Meeting Room, Lounge, and Helm

This is the single most important room in the entire ship. It serves as the meeting room, lounge, and helm for the entire crew. Here the crew can do a number of things. Since the kitchen is located here, they can enjoy a meal here made by Sanji. And because of its comfortable atmosphere, it is the perfect place where the crew can also hold meetings here and discuss what to do next.

The device for steering the ship is also located here. However, unlike regular ships that commonly have a steering wheel, the Going Merry doesn't have one. Instead it uses a "steering pole" with a sheep's head like the one used for the ship's figurehead. By tilting the pole left or right, the rudder at the stern will move in that direction.

Men's Room

The men's room of the Going Merry is located below the deck of the ship right below the mast. It is quite large and untidy. This room is normally crowded due to the fact it is shared by Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji to sleep. It is accessed through a hatch next to the mast. There are a total of five hammocks located here to sleep on. There is an emergency exit that connects to the women's room in case something should happen.

Storage Room and Cannon Deck(aft)

A storage room and a cannon deck are located under the lounge of the Going Merry. This is where the crew keeps all their cargo such as beer barrels, water barrels, rations, and treasure boxes in storage. Any treasure that Nami can't keep in the women's quarters is kept here as well. The room also houses two cannons facing each side of the ship.
The bathroom and the women's quarters can be accessed from here. Some towels can be found next to the bathroom's entrance for when one finishes taking a bath. The hatch going down to the women's quarters has a latch to keep out prying eyes.
The steering shaft that is used to steer the ship can also be seen located above this room.

Women's Room

The women's room of the Going Merry is located below deck under the storage and cannon deck. This is where Nami and Robin usually sleep. It was originally designed by Merry for Kaya's use and thus its design reflects for whom it was originally meant. The room is accessed through a hatch that leads to the room above. This hatch has a lock for obvious reasons. There is an emergency exit that connects to the men's room located here in case something happens. This hatch, however, isn't normally used and is usually locked.

After the Arlong arc, a bar was added here by a carpenter from Cocoyashi, Teru-san, from which people can drink.