-6.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
One Piece, written by Eiichiro Oda, is a widely popular and critically acclaimed series revolving around the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, who currently embarks on an exciting quest to become the King of the Pirates. One of the key ingredients of the show is the One Piece, a fabled treasure sought out by Pirates all over the world, including the Straw Hats.
The series kicks off the story through the words of Gol D. Roger, “One Piece? Why it's right where I left it... But you'll have to search the whole world to find it.” Interestingly, after a gaping one thousand episodes, still, the manga-anime series is yet to reveal the One Piece treasure or open hints on its true nature. However, on a closer look, you may discover subtle hints on the possible nature of the One Piece and its location.
Does the One Piece Truly Exist?
-8.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
After watching a thousand episodes, it is no surprise that you may doubt the existence of One Piece; however, there are salient facts to prove that it exists and that the show is not based on some fancy idea or concept that turns out to be the One Piece. The One Piece treasure was introduced by Gol D. Roger, the former Pirate King, a widely-feared and revered Pirate who was the World Government's archenemy before his death. At the moment of execution, Gol D. Roger's world spurred pirates worldwide to embark on a treasure hunt for the fabled One Piece.
Gradually as the series progressed, the concept of Poneglyphs, which were special guides to the location of the One Piece, was introduced. To find the One Piece, four special Poneglyphs – the Red Poneglyphs must be found to unlock the mystery location. This was further bolstered by the fact that the Kozuki Clan was responsible for creating the poneglyphs, which could only be deciphered by this clan and the inhabitants of Ohara. But unfortunately, they were killed by the World Government because they didn't want anyone to discover the truth hidden at the location of the One Piece.
Until the Wano Arc, the series revealed little information regarding the location of the grand treasure until Chapter 967 of One Piece manga. In this chapter, the manga reveals the location of the One Piece to be on the Island, "Laugh Tale." Furthermore, despite Whitebeard's annoyance, Roger convinced the famous pirate to borrow a crew member, Kozuki Oden – a member of the Kozuki Clan that could decrypt the Poneglyphs to accompany him on his final journey. Through Kozuki Oden's aid, the Roger Pirates finally determined the final destination the poneglyphs led to – Laugh Tale.
These chapters also revealed that the One Piece treasure found on the Island of Laugh Tale wasn't Gol Roger's treasure like he earlier depicted, but the treasure of Joyboy. The Roger Pirates also recovered the huge chunk of history missing in the world's history books: the Void Century, the Ancient Weapons, and the initial "D" true meaning. This alone proves the existence and location of the One Piece, but not its true nature.
Theories About The True Nature Of The One Piece
There are very interesting theories regarding the fabled One Piece treasure. One of them is that the One Piece treasure is among the ancient weapons. The manga-anime series has subtly revealed that there are three Ancient weapons: Poseidon, Uranus, and Pluton. Poseidon was revealed to be Shirahoshi, the princess of the Ryugu Kingdom, who is destined to command the Sea Kings – ginormous creatures that stand at the top of the Grand Line's food chain. Although Uranus is still shrouded in mystery, the One Piece may be the ancient weapon or a coalition of all three entities. So, it is possible that in Laugh Tale, Roger discovered the true possible nature of the One Piece.
Another sensible theory is that the One Piece is a Poneglyph, holding the true history of the Void Century within. While this might be underwhelming since most viewers may expect a fancy treasure or lore-based entity, it is a possible theory. In One Piece, it was ascertained that after Roger discovered the One Piece, he laughed – it could be that he was amused at the absurdity of the documented information that could wreak havoc in the world if everyone should know – a justifiable reason for the World Government’s paranoia.
One Piece closely revolves around the concept of "Freedom," which Gol D. Roger, JoyBoy, and Luffy embody. Based on this concept, the One Piece may be an entity that closely relates to 'freedom' in the story. However, one thing One Piece is not is friendship or the close connection between people. Recently in a tweet shared by OROJAPAN, featuring an interview with Luffy’s voice actor, Mayumi Tanaka, she publicized her discussion with Oda concerning the nature of One Piece.
The 66-year-old voice actress questioned Oda on whether the One Piece is related to friendships or bonds, but Oda dismissed it, saying, "It's not that. The OP is real!” So, fans can be sure that One Piece is a physical entity that exists, and in the next decade, most likely, Eiichiro Oda will reveal the truth behind this fabled treasure.
Source: Youtube