One Piece's Wano Country Saga introduced many new characters, but most will likely only be relevant for this one arc. Naturally, Kaido and his Beast Pirates were the main attraction for many fans. However, of the 20,000 pirates affiliated with the Emperor, only a fraction were given distinct roles during the arc. They include the King of the Beasts, the All-Stars, the Tobi-Roppo, and a handful of Shinuchi and Gifters. After dividing up Wano's new characters this many times over, fans are left with a few minor characters whose names might not be worth mentioning even within the context of this arc. This is how one can come across a Gifter like Sarahebi.
By all rights, Sarahebi's face should have vanished in the crowd of other background Beast Pirates. However, something made her face stand out, and it wasn't because she could extend the length of her neck. For whatever reason, this minor character was given a surprising amount to do throughout the arc, and she left behind a legacy, unlike anything other Beast Pirates on her level accomplished. She has a life outside her pirate crew, a role in the battle with the Straw Hats, and her name is repeated long after her boss's defeat. She's like a fanmade character people would pretend exists and is vital to the overarching story as a meme. This disproportionate attention could have resulted from One Piece's sprawling narrative, but it's almost as if there was something special about Sarahebi.
Where Did Sarahebi Show Up?
Sarahebi first appeared as a schoolteacher in Chapter 919, The Ruins of Oden Castle (which coincides with Episode 919 of the anime). She spread propaganda to her students that made Orochi out to be a hero for keeping Wano isolated and vilified Oden for trying to open the borders. The kids have fun jumping back when she extends her neck.
Since her name wasn't confirmed by the time the anime adapted this scene, the credits listed her as "Rokuro-sensei" (ろくろ先生). This is a reference to the Rokurokubi (ろくろ首) yokai that can also stretch its neck. Sara-Hebi is another name for the Nure-Onna, a yokai with the head of a woman and the body of a snake (and another Gifter under Black Maria). In any case, this Beast Pirate going so long without a name should say everything about how important she's supposed to be.
Sarahebi made a cameo in chapter 943, "Smile" (Episode 941 of the anime). As Shinobu explained the effects of SMILE Devil Fruits, several Beast Pirates mutating to take on animalistic features were depicted. This was supposed to be a horde of nameless mooks who wouldn't figure back into the story, yet Sarahebi (and Pandaman) can be distinctly made out among the crowd. It's another contradictory representation of the character that both sets her apart and emphasizes how unimportant she should be.
The Gifter's story finally crossed paths with the Straw Hats' on Onigashima. In Chapter 997 (Episode 1011), she and another Beast Pirate lured Sanji into their Naughty Trap on the third floor and briefly knocked him unconscious; she asserted her dominance by stepping on the Straw Hat cook's tightly bound body. In a way, one could facetiously argue this minor Beast Pirate did more to Sanji than Queen ever did.
The anime gave Sarahebi a little more to do after capturing Sanji. She and the rest of Black Maria's subordinates chased Sanji around the Skull Dome's Third Floor and beat him up. Sanji couldn't do much to fight back since all his opponents were women, but he did try to get away. This is around when Sarahebi starts blending in with her fellow background characters.
After this, Sarahebi spent the rest of the raid as a background character in her superior Black Maria's battles.
Once the Tobi Roppo was defeated, she and the other underlings (and Kunyun) were promptly cut down by Brook's Phrase d'armes: Orchestra. If not for all the previous scenes of her, one would never think she was any more relevant than her fellow victims. Sarahebi had one more cameo in Chapter 1052 (Episode 1079). Her students were curious about where their teacher had gone. This admiration made them slightly resistant to her substitution for an Oden loyalist.
Is Sarahebi's Role That Big a Deal?
There were only about ten Beast Pirates anyone needed to remember. It was Kaido, the All-Stars, and the Tobbi Roppo. These ten would have been enough to provide each Straw Hat a one-on-one fight, although things went a little differently. There were more Beast Pirates, but they were mainly there to flesh out the Wano Arc, give the rest of the Straw Hats' allies opponents, and make several jokes about the Gifter mutations. Some of the Shinuchi had distinct roles, but Sarahebi wasn't one of them (at least not explicitly). Sarahebi was only a Gifter, who ranked below all these Beast Pirates. She was only an elite among the Pleasures and Waiters who didn't have Devil Fruit powers.
By rights, Sarahebi's only role was to be a bystander in one of the Straw Hats' more intense fights. This role is given to nameless foot soldiers in any enemy pirate crew going as far back as the East Blue Saga. She was as effective in these scenes as any other bystander in the Tobi Roppo battles. She's not even big enough to be called a minor character. She's a background character. The only difference is that fans know a lot more about her because of her previous scenes. She received an inordinate amount of screen time and development for the background character and reaped only benefits for it.
The attention given to Sarahebi is further emphasized by how little of it was given to the other Gifters on her level. If a fan were asked to name any of the Gifters watching the Tobi Roppo fight, Sarahebi included, they likely couldn't do it off the top of their head; they'd have to consult One Piece character guide or Wiki to even know they had names. None of these other pirates were shown in their daily lives outside Onigashima, nor did they impact the battle with the Straw Hats, nor was the aftermath of their absence revealed. Compared to her peers, Sarahebi is an anomaly not just by Beast Pirate standards but by One Piece background character standards as a whole.
How Else Was Sarahebi Important?
Sarahebi's role may seem small at first. However, it gives plenty of insight into the Beast Pirates and their control over Wano Country. Her story is a bonus to everything fans are getting from One Piece's story as it is. Her teaching role is a particularly peculiar subject. It implies that other low-ranking Beast Pirates have made lives for themselves among the people of Wano and are doing jobs for the community rather than traditional pirate duties. There could be more Gifters with various trades and professions across Wano – carpenters, brewers, actuaries, doctors, etc.
Even if these lower-ranking Beast Pirates spread anti-Kozuki propaganda, they're making themselves productive members of society, which is more than most pirates in One Piece can boast. Sarahebi's lost post as a teacher was simple enough to fill, but there's no telling how other parts of Wano adapted to so many pirates acting as workers suddenly vanishing; if the students' reactions were anything to go by, these Gifters would be missed.
The Gifter also helps fans understand where the Beast Pirates' horns come from. For a while, it was unclear whether they all grew horns naturally, like Kaido and Yamato, or were wearing horns that happened to look like they were coming out of their heads. Since Sarahebi is the only member of her crew shown as a civilian and a pirate, audiences can use her as a point of reference. She proves most of the Beast Pirates are only wearing horns, though curiously, hers look like they come straight out of her head. Whether she achieves this effect through makeup or her snake SMILE, she implies the horns can be removed at will.
The way Sarahebi uses her Artificial Zoan powers is also noteworthy. Most Gifters and Shinuchi suffer from an unfortunate inability to revert to human form. They're stuck with animal body parts, sometimes in uncomfortable ways. However, the Flower Capital teacher can fully control when her snake-like features emerge. This is likely meant to further the Rokurokubi resemblance, but it means she's one of the few Gifters not burdened by the mutation of her Artificial Devil Fruit.
As minor as Sarahebi is within the grand scheme of One Piece, her role throughout the Wano Arc cannot be understated. She didn't have to get as much to do in this arc as she did. Everything that happened to her beyond watching Black Maria's fights was a blessing from Eiichiro Oda. Even if she's only remembered as a background character, she's one of the most significant to come out of this franchise.
