Amid the thousands of banners bearing union markings or Palestinian colors that were raised on the streets of Paris on September 18, a black flag suddenly emerged, featuring a smiling skull topped with a straw hat with a wide red ribbon. While many saw only a pirate emblem, for fans of One Piece, the reference was unmistakable: It was none other than the "Jolly Roger," the black flag of the Mugiwara crew led by Monkey D. Luffy, the hero of the manga created by Eiichiro Oda. It is also one of the most recognizable logos in popular culture; the manga series − which has been published in 110 volumes and adapted into thousands of television episodes − has sold more than half a billion copies worldwide since 1997. In France, its volumes are bestsellers.

The reference remained marginal across these multi-union protests: In Paris, Le Monde counted only a few flags and one cape in the colors of One Piece among the sea of signs, symbols and slogans critical of Emmanuel Macron and Sébastien Lecornu, or in support of Gaza.

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