Key findings
- Roger's team has found Joyboy's hidden treasure after 800 years and revealed the truth behind the Void Century.
- The strength of Shanks' crew lies in their mastery of the Haki system, and like Roger's crew, they are preparing for the end of the world.
- Crocus, who first met the Straw Hats, knows the history and existence of One Piece and is prepared to face the end of the world by living in Laboon.
At some point during or after the Void Century, Joyboy managed to seal away his fabled treasure, which remained undiscovered for the next 800 years. However, that changed when the legendary hero Gol D. Roger and his pirate crew finally managed to solve the centuries-old riddle and become the first humans to live in the world. A piece to ever find Joyboy's hidden treasure.
While searching for the Pirate King, Roger came across the various Poneglyphs scattered around the world and eventually uncovered the truth behind the Void Century. Dr. Vegapunk's broadcast revealed one of the A piece biggest secrets; the world is sinking. Therefore, every character that fans have met who was once part of Roger's crew has managed to prepare for this downfall. So let's take a look at exactly how this was possible.
Shanks and the Red-Haired Pirates
The protégé of the Pirate King
|
First appearance |
A pieceChapter 1, “Romance Dawn – The Dawn of Adventure” |
|---|---|
|
Notable members |
Shanks, Benn Beckmann, Yasopp, Lucky Roux |
Much of the world sees Shanks as the reincarnation of Roger himself, and Buggy even considers him the best candidate to take on the role of Pirate King for the next generation. And just like Roger, Shanks' entire crew is made up of incredibly strong fighters who are known around the world for their strength. However, not a single member of this crew has ever eaten a Devil Fruit!
You could train for another 10 years and still lose to me.
The Red-Hair Pirates gained this legendary strength through their mastery of Haki alone, which is another parallel to the Roger Pirates, who also had no Devil Fruit users in their ranks other than Buggy. The lack of Devil Fruits can be seen as preparation for the end of the world, in which case Devil Fruit users would immediately sink to the depths of the sea! Although Shanks himself never went to Laugh Tale, this mirroring of Roger's journey can also be seen as a thematic connection between the two.
Silver Rayleigh
The First Mate of the Roger Pirates
|
First appearance |
A pieceChapter 19, “Devil’s Fruit” |
|---|---|
|
Ship designation |
First Mate |
Rayleigh is one of the most legendary characters in the history of A piece as first mate and best friend of Roger himself. In his past, he was called the “Dark King” due to his incredible strength and mastery of the various forms of Haki. In the current story, however, he lives on the Sabaody Archipelago and makes his living as a ship painter, which is also how he prepared for the end of the world!
Haki is a power that lies dormant in all living beings in the world.
Rayleigh's profession is ship coating, which involves coating them with an air bubble that allows the entire crew to set sail underwater and make their way to Fishman Island, which is located below the Red Line. As a ship coating specialist, Rayleigh gained the expertise to give himself and others the ability to survive underwater in times of great flooding or, depending on the circumstances, when the entire world ends!
crocus
The Doctor of the Roger Pirates
|
First appearance |
A pieceChapter 102, “Now the big picture” |
|---|---|
|
Ship designation |
Physician |
Introduced over 1000 chapters ago as the first person the Straw Hats ever met on the Grand Line, Crocus is a fan-favorite character whose entire situation with Laboon really shows how incredible Oda's prescience really is. When the crew met Crocus, he was a hilarious and grumpy old man who was taking care of Laboon at the lighthouse. What fans didn't know at the time, however, was that the first person they met on the Grand Line was one of the few surviving humans who had seen the One Piece and knew the entire history of the world!
You look pretty strong and I don't want to die.
His relationship with Laboon is one of the best aspects of his character, although it also shows how he had prepared for the end of the world. This is because Crocus lived in Laboon and created an entire inner island and system for it. So when the world ultimately sinks beneath the waves, he will still be safe in a creature that can actually survive in the depths of the ocean!
A piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
