Summary
- Pirates have become a common part of everyone's life in the world of One Piece, thanks to the Golden Age of Pirates.
- The rise of Gol D. Roger and his Roger Pirates sparked a frenzy among people, leading to a surge in pirates setting out to find the fabled One Piece.
- The Golden Age of Pirates brought chaos, the rise of the Worst Generation, and the threat of the Blackbeard Pirates, forcing the World Government to cooperate with pirates and invest in military tech.
In the world of One Piece, pirates have been around for as long as anybody can remember. Merchant and passenger ships would expect, and are somewhat ready, to encounter a pirate ship during their journey across the ocean, while the Marines are always on the lookout for any pirate activities during their daily patrol. For better or worse, pirates have become part of everybody’s life.
However, that wasn’t always the case. Pirates used to be a novelty. Encountering these groups of seafaring criminals used to be an unfortunate occurrence, rather than something to be expected. The reason why Pirates have become so common is because the story of One Piece is set in the Great Age of Pirates, also known as the Golden Age of Pirates.
One Piece: The Dual Leadership in Zou, Explained
This is the story of how the island of Zou came under the leadership of two sovereigns; the Ruler of Day and the Ruler of Night.
The Beginning of an Era
The people of the world used to see pirates as nothing more than the bandits of the sea. But that negative perception slowly began to change as the exciting story of the rise and incredible adventure of Gol D. Roger and his Roger Pirates spread around the world. The moment he reached the last island in the world and donned the crown as the King of Pirates, tons of people around the world were filled with awe and respect over his unbelievable achievements.
Gol D. Roger's Last Words
But then something totally unexpected happened. Gol D. Roger surrendered to the Marines. Not wanting to waste this moment, the Marine quickly took Roger to his hometown at Loguetown and prepared for an execution that would be broadcast around the world. However, before he was executed in front of thousands of spectators and millions of people who tuned in to the broadcast, the Pirate King uttered his last words:
My Treasure? Why, it’s right where I left it. It’s yours if you can find it. But you’ll have to search the whole world!
The Pirates Frenzy
Gol D. Roger’s final words not only confirmed the existence of the fabled One Piece, but it was also a direct challenge to the world. His mountain of treasures is there for those who are brave enough to conquer the sea.
The last words of the Pirate King sparked a fire within countless people’s hearts, especially youngsters. All of a sudden, everybody wanted to jump onto a boat and sail in the open sea. This frenzy marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Pirates.
The Golden Age of Pirates
Since there’s a sudden surge in the number of pirates trying their luck in the ocean, chaos ensues. Piracy increased worldwide, which prompted the Marines to boost global security to a whole new level. Some areas were ransacked by pirates, while others, such as Water 7, enjoyed an era of economic boom thanks to new businesses brought by pirates. But the two most notable changes have to be the rise of the Worst Generation and the new threat of the Blackbeard Pirates.
The Rise of the Worst Generation
Among countless new pirates that set out on their journey during the Golden Age of Pirates, eleven rookies stood out from the rest. Some called them the eleven Supernovas, while others referred to them by a more unsavory name, the Worst Generation. They are rookies who have bounties of over 100 million Berries and have made a name for themselves by spreading chaos, destruction, and violence, in one way or another, all over the globe.
They are Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro from the Straw Hats Pirates, Capone Bege from the Fire Tank Pirates, Jewelry Bonney from Bonney Pirates, Basil Hawkins from Hawkins Pirates, Scratchman Apoo from On Air Pirates, Eustass Kid and Killer from Kid Pirates, X Drake from Drake Pirates, Urouge from Fallen Monk Pirates, and Trafalgar Law from Heart Pirates.
The Threat of Blackbeard
While the Supernovas are quite colorful both in terms of their attire and their tendency to commit crimes and violence, the Blackbeard Pirates are every shade of bad. To them, crimes and violence are not the last resort, it is the appetizer.
The Blackbeard Pirates began when its captain, Marshall D. Teach, betrayed his original crew, the Whitebeard Pirates. Since then, he gathered strong and like-minded people as part of his own crew, including several inmates from the deepest level of Impel Down prison. It’s unclear what Blackbeard is trying to do, but one thing’s for sure, his meteoric rise represents a threat to the World Government.
One Piece: The Sea Trains, Explained
Sea Trains are some of the most incredible inventions in the One Piece world. Here's a closer look at how they work.
The Impact of The New Era on the World
So what is the impact of the Golden Age of Pirates on the world? Does it make the world a worse place to live? Does it represent a wind of change and a thirst for freedom? The answers depend on who you’re asking those questions to. That being said, there are some tangible and observable changes that have happened since the dawn of this new age.
The Emperors and the Warlords
|
First Appearance |
Episode 23 (Warlords), Episode 45 (Emperors) |
|---|---|
|
Release Date |
February 26, 2005 (Warlords), June 25, 2005 (Emperors) |
The first visible impact was the willingness of the World Government to work together with Pirates, directly or indirectly, to limit the chaos and violence caused by other pirates. The first of this unlikely cooperation is the formation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. These are seven powerful pirates within the Grand Line who obey the World Government in exchange for being untouchable by the Marines.
A more indirect cooperation comes in the form of the Emperors of the Sea. They are the four strongest pirates in the New World. Just like the Warlords, they also keep the other pirates in the area in check by either destroying or absorbing them. The Emperors may not obey the World Government, but as long as they don’t pose a direct threat to the World Government, the Marines will often leave them alone.
The Rise of Advanced Military Tech
|
First Appearance |
Episode 399 (Pacifista), Episode 1087 (Seraphim) |
|---|---|
|
Release Date |
May 3, 2009 (Pacifista), December 10, 2023 (Seraphim) |
Another interesting impact of this new age of pirates is the astronomical rise of military tech. Since the World Government realized that the Pirates had grown not only in numbers but also in strength, they began to invest heavily in military tech made by Dr. Vegapunk. As a result, absurdly powerful cyborgs called the Pacifista have become a staple in most large battles, with a new generation of living weapons called the Seraphim ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.
Truth be told, the sheer number of pirates that were born during the Golden Age of Pirates makes it practically impossible to calculate how big of an impact this new era actually has on the world. One thing’s for sure, ever since Gol D. Roger uttered those legendary words, the world has never been the same.
One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
- Seasons
- 21
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
