Long-time viewers of One Piece can sometimes be awakened at the wee hours of the morning simply because we do not have an answer as to why One Piece is named One Piece. It is a struggle really, knowing that when the finale comes around, there might not be an explanation. Two words that can cause much torment, well that’s the power of One Piece for ya!
There is still no explanation why One Piece is called such. The majority believes that One Piece is simply the name of Gol D. Roger’s treasure. Others believe that it is more than a treasure as it can be a treasure that can unite factions or tear down the tyranny of the Celestial Dragons.
Do you have your own theory as to why One Piece is called One Piece? Is it really just the name of the treasure and we should take the other possibilities with a grain of salt? Or is there really some sense in One Piece being more than it is? Find out in this article!
Is One Piece The Treasure Of Gol D. Roger?
Yes, we can all agree that One Piece is the mysterious treasure of Gol D. Roger. This treasure once belonged to Joy Boy and all of this happened in the Void Century.
Keep in mind that the current story of One Piece is on the Worst Generation, which compared to the Void Century, is a hundred years in the past. So this One Piece treasure is located on the last island of the Grand Line which is called Raftel.
If One Piece is just a treasure, then what is the fuss about its name? Well, for one the “One Piece” name is interesting as it may convey other things. A treasure can be named “Precious” like the one powerful ring in the Lord of the Rings.
When we hear a name such as “Precious,” we immediately think that there is a huge possibility that we are searching for a tangible thing. In contrast, when we hear “One Piece,” we are bombarded with questions.
One Piece of what? Treasure? Is the treasure located in one piece?
As you progress through the anime, there are also several instances where key characters proclaim that Luffy will change the world when he finds One Piece. So why is the One Piece treasure that great if it is simply just treasure?
Did you know?
Raftel is actually Laugh Tale based on the idea that Oda wants to convey. Nevertheless, they stuck with the old name even if it is considered an error. Direct English translation uses Laugh Tale, but long-time fans still refer to the island as Raftel.
Why Is It Called One Piece?
There is no doubt that One Piece is a physical treasure. We used to think that by the time they reach Raftel, the Straw Hat Pirates will figure out that One Piece was just the entire journey to the end.
But as Oda confirmed, One Piece is a physical treasure. So One Piece fans at least agree on that aspect. The thing that everyone is debating about is if the treasure means something more than a treasure that can bring you eternal wealth and happiness.
One Piece Is Just A Treasure
Point blank: One Piece is just the name of the treasure.
When Gol D. Roger announced that he left his treasure in Raftel and he dared everyone to find it, he simply named it One Piece. From then on, everyone refers to the treasure as One Piece as that was the name Gol D. Roger gave it.
End of the debate.
One Piece Wordplay
Now, this theory is interesting as it is a mix of One Piece as a treasure per se, and the way the treasure was announced by Gol D. Roger. If you go back to the episode where Gol D. Roger made the announcement about One Piece, and you focus on his words, you will realize that he did not actually name his treasure as One Piece.
Spoiler alert!
When he was about to be executed, he announced that all of his treasure can be found on an island “all in one piece.” He added that if anyone dares to find it, they can keep it. As we know, these statements paved the way for the new pirate era.
Based on this observation, we can conclude that the statement “all in one piece” is to refer to the way the treasure was hidden altogether aka “all of the treasure can be found in that island.” To the believers of this theory, they concluded that people who heard this just misunderstood and started to call the treasure One Piece.
One Piece Is A Key To Forming All Blue
This is where we dive deep into One Piece lore. A lot of people believe that One Piece can be a treasure that can unite all the factions in the world into One Piece. Some even go far as saying that this is a physical unification that will create All Blue.
Take note that Sanji’s dream is to find All Blue. All Blue is a legend where all parts of the sea (North, South, East, and West) meet. So far, they have not found All Blue and they are already in Grand Line.
Spoiler alert!
To understand this theory better, we go back to the Celestial Dragons in Mariegois and how they established the World Government. As we have seen in the anime, the Celestial Dragons are antagonists due to their dictatorial and oppressive rule.
Another thing to note is the mystery behind the will of D (Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Luffy, Trafalgar D. Water Law, etc.) It is believed that those who belong to the will of D may be descendants of the same kingdom as that of the Celestial Dragons.
Given this information, Luffy’s natural enemies are the Celestial Dragons and ultimately the World Government. If and when Luffy obtains One Piece and becomes the Pirate King, he will then destroy the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, paving the way for unification.
One Piece Is A Piece Of Missing History
This theory is fascinating in such a way that it is rooted in how the story is going as well as significant things in the anime. Case in point: Poneglyphs.
If you remember, Nico Robin is in search of the poneglyphs. We can dive deep as to how and why Robin is the only one who can read these poneglyphs, but the most important thing to remember is that these poneglyphs reveal something about the hundred years of missing history which is the Void Century.
The Void Century was prohibited for study by the World Government and this was perfectly exemplified when they obliterated Nico Robin’s people and city. Keep in mind, there are three types of poneglyphs:
- Historical poneglyph: they reveal pieces of history and messages from ancient people
- Instructional poneglyph: has clues and instructions on where to find historical poneglyphs
- Road poneglyph: the combination of the four road poneglyphs will help find Raftel
As you can see, the poneglyphs play a huge part in the search for the final island in the Grand Line. The poneglyphs are such integral parts of history, then why are four of them devoted to locating where One Piece is located?
Unless Gol D. Roger’s treasure is actually a “piece of missing history.” Once the treasure is found, the missing piece of the Void Century is finally complete. Thus, the truth will set everyone free.
In line with this theory, many believe that Joy Boy was probably the head of the kingdom and that he can see the future. He saw that they were defeated by what we know now as the World Government.
He then transcribed his will in the poneglyphs, hoping that someone will find them and continue what he failed to do.
(Source)
The same goes for Gol D. Roger and the fact that he really did not get to spend his treasure. Probably, he was made known of what truly happened in the Void Century and could not do anything about it as the conditions during that time will guarantee failure.
Unlike the current generation of pirates where the Straw Hat Pirates also belong. The new generation of pirates is pushing for change, so probably One Piece can help pave the way for that change?
Whitebeard’s Thoughts On One Piece
All of the things that we discussed above are again just theories and speculations. Although most of them have logic behind them and are supported by happenings in the anime, they are still not concrete unless it was seen in the manga or anime.
The only thing that we can be 100% sure about is that One Piece is such an epic treasure that it can really change history. Being recognized as the new Pirate King barely scratches the surface.
The person who said this is a known and respected pirate figure and it is none other than Whitebeard.
Spoiler alert!
Even if Gol D. Roger publicly announced that One Piece is somewhere out there just waiting to be found, there were still decades of doubts and speculations as to whether what he said was real.
The existence and the nature of One Piece were only confirmed by Whitebeard during his final breaths.
According to him, a grand battle will engulf the world in its entirety. Further, when One Piece is finally found, the world will be shaken to its core.
Imagine hearing that from Whitebeard. Just goosebumps all over!
Why Is One Piece Important?
One Piece is important as it is the central element of the story. For everyone in the Straw Hat Pirates, all of their dreams can only be attained when they find One Piece.
Luffy cannot be called the Pirate King if he fails to find One Piece. Nami cannot chart the ultimate map without reaching Raftel, and so on and so forth.
Further, the secondary characters are also in the hunt for One Piece as they are also chasing after their dreams.
The same goes for the World Government. When the era of pirates found a new spark due to Gol D. Roger’s challenge to find One Piece, it is as if they kicked into high gear to pursue pirates. It is like they would do anything for One Piece to remain unfound.
The beauty of having One Piece is that it was the beginning and the end of a story. Without it, it is just a bunch of random pirate adventures that mean nothing.
Did you know? The closest that the Straw Hat Pirates have ever come to finding out what is One Piece was during the Sabaody Archipelago Arc. Usopp wanted to ask Silvers Rayleigh about it. But Luffy stopped him since learning about it would defeat the purpose of their adventures and that becoming the Pirate King would no longer have merit if he already knew what One Piece is.
Conclusion
As far as what One Piece is, we know that it is a treasure and not just the journey itself as confirmed by Oda.
People are hoping for One Piece to be really more than a treasure not just because there are a lot of loose ends to cover, but also we did not watch One Piece for 20+ years just to find gold in Raftel, right?
Surely, we will not be disappointed when we find out what One Piece is. The past happenings are a testament to how good the stories are.
Definitely, we can expect the same magnitude of awe or even shock once One Piece is revealed. So patience, fellow One Piece lovers! The reveal is almost here.