As youth protests sweep the European continent, one flag has become a familiar sight: a cartoon skull and crossbones wearing a yellow straw hat and a toothy grin, waving defiantly above the crowds.

Born in ‘One Piece,’ the popular manga created by Japanese artist Eiichiro Oda in 1997, the ‘Jolly Roger’ pirate flag has evolved into a symbol of young people challenging governments around the world, from Latin America to Asia.

The 1997 manga – which holds the Guinness World Record for the most copies published of a single comic series by one author, with over 600M copies in print worldwide – has evolved into a symbol of protest, resonating with young demonstrators across borders.