@Captain:
Franky hasn't been getting near-raped and standing in the background when not being near-raped, though.
He's still been pushed to the background as of late. And for rape - well there is the Robin incident.
Speaking of which, you can apply that very same criticism to Robin. Doing nothing significant since Ennies Lobby besides grab Franky's junk; getting licked/fondled by Absalom and then strung up in a spread-eagle pose by sticky white (spider) fluids does not make her a bad character who is 'nothing but pure fanservice.'
Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro have several unique design characteristics. Singling out Zoro, aside from his hair, he's got the three earrings on one ear, haramaki, three swords he carries around, sharp eyebrows, lack of big "good guy" eyes, head/armband, chest wound from Mihawk, etc. Nami has the vanilla OP chick appearance; face and all (at least Robin got different eyes and a unique nose, for criminy's sake). Only other thing she has is her tattoo, and again, sleeves take that away.
Wow, you're really grasping at straws here. By that same standard I can cite Nami's unique phsyical characteristics as being her hair (the colour and that signature strand by her ears), her staff, eternal log, and that circular pattern on all her skirts/pants.
She didn't change at all, and that was the problem! Right after the Arlong arc, she was the same exact character with only two differences; we knew she wouldn't leave the crew like that and now she had no reason to be a money-grubbing gold digger. She swapped one negative trait for another.
And she didn't stay out of battles. She participated in the Black Cat pirate fight.
She did change. You just ignored everything I wrote. Look at Whiskey Peak, where she was willing to leave the crew when the stakes got too high; then Jaya where she swallowed her pride and stuck by her captain; then Skypiea where she voluntarily placed herself in danger just so Luffy could ring a bell; then Water 7 where she was doing everythign she could to hold the crew together. She's developed a lot.
And she didn't participate in the Black Cat fight as one of the main fighters. Considering she had no super strength, no devil fruit powers or anything, I think we were all expecting Nami to be the standard shonen cheerleader. But she willingly took up the mantle of fighter in Alabasta and is now one of the regulars.
From barely being able to bat off canon fodder
to taking out a member of CP9
Go watch ehr flashback again. Hachi's right there with Arlong, snickering over Belle-Mere's death and carrying the kids away.
But we don't know what exactly happened during those ten years. It was Arlong who we saw smacking her around and taunting her. Now had Nami forgiven Arlong just like that, I would've agreed with you.
And Ivankov did intervene with Crocodile, but Luffy still accepted it. Same for Buggy, Mr.3, etc.
A plot device still has bearing on the character involved. It still made Nami a bitch.
But it only happened once. And with a specific purpose in mind. Not just for the sake of 'bitchiness'.
Besides, it's refreshing that Nami has a bit of an evil streak. We don't really need more goody-good girls like Vivi.
So how is Nami screeching at the top of her lungs any better than that other crap?!
Because she shuts them up! I can't begin to tell you how satisfying that is - seeing stupidity rightly punished.
Do you feel a similar hatred whenever Moe clobbers Larry and Curly?