One of the greatest mysteries in One Piece is the Void Century. It is claimed to have the secret to discovering both the world’s truth and the location of the eponymous big treasure.
The World Government is in charge of the realm where One Piece is situated. The Void Century is what they most want to keep people from knowing about, and they control everything, even the public’s awareness of the real past.
Nico Robin made the first reference to the Void Century in the Alabasta Arc. It was also the story’s first introduction of the Poneglyphs. But the period wasn’t really discussed until the story’s revelation of Robin’s past during the Enies Lobby Arc.
One of the most significant plots in the series is the Void Century, which serves as the focal point of the truth about the world. More details about the forbidden era are emerging as One Piece’s finale approaches and the manga enters its Final Saga. It’s time to talk about what the Void Century is and how it affects the narrative.
The Void Century: What Is It?
The century that elapsed between 900 and 800 years prior to the current One Piece tale is known as the Void Century. The name of this era originates from the fact that there are no historical records of it.
But during the Void Century, everything altered throughout the world. These events are so significant that the World Government is keeping them extremely secret. Any investigation into this era might result in the death penalty or possibly the devastation of an entire island.
Even though the World Government made every attempt to erase all historical records from this era, some still exist. Large stone blocks known as Poneglyphs bear ancient lettering that records the history of the Void Century.
Dispersed over the Grand Line, the Poneglyphs eluded the World Government’s grasp for hundreds of years. Given that the Poneglyphs are a remnant of a vanished civilization, relatively few people are able to interpret the ancient lettering discovered on them.
But Ohara’s archaeologists, who studied the Void Century, could decipher them. As a result, the World Government used the Buster Call to wipe out the whole island and all of its residents save for Robin. Fortunately, Dr. Vegapunk was able to preserve a portion of their research and ultimately discovered a portion of the history of the Void Century.
Very few One Piece characters are aware of the reality because so few individuals are able to decipher the Poneglyphs and because of the World Government’s stringent gatekeeping. When Gol D. Roger and his crew arrived at Laugh Tale, they discovered the truth about the world, and they subsequently informed Whitebeard of this.
Kozuki Toki, who was born during that time, was also familiar with its past in addition to them. Later, Vegapunk learned about it via the diaries of Ohara’s archaeologists, and because of his global broadcast, everyone is now aware of the existence of the Void Century.
What took place in the Century of Void?
Vegapunk exposed the truth about what had transpired during the Void Century to the world in his postmortem broadcast. He discussed the earlier state known as the Ancient Kingdom.
The kingdom had considerably more sophisticated technology than the modern world, surpassing even the scientific achievements of a genius like Vegapunk. Egghead Island’s massive Iron Giant robot is one illustration of these accomplishments.
The world’s geography was different during the Void Century from what it is today. There used to be large continents rather than innumerable islands separated from one another by the sea. This world also appeared to include the mighty city of Shandora.
There was a terrible war in the Void Century. The world’s destiny was altered by what is known as the Great War. A coalition of twenty countries gathered to fight the Ancient Kingdom. The Ancient Kingdom was erased from history and the twenty winning nations were declared the winners of the conflict.
The Void Century came to an end with the conclusion of World War I. Subsequently, the globe underwent a permanent transformation when the First Twenty Kings united their countries to establish the globe Government and proclaimed themselves the global deities.
The globe submerged 200 meters beneath the sea after the Ancient Kingdom was vanquished, wiping out numerous civilizations in the process. According to Vegapunk theory, the submerge was artificially formed by employing Ancient Weapons rather than being the result of a natural disaster.
As a result, the world’s truth is now lost beneath the ocean and will never be recovered.
What is the Great War about?
The Ancient Kingdom was destroyed during the Great War, which also permanently altered the course of human history. The Ancient Kingdom and the First Twenty Nations, including Alabasta under the leadership of their queen Nefertari D. Lili, were at war.
Given the length of the Void Century, it appears that the Great War lasted 100 years. The Great War was fought between the D Family and the First Twenty Kings, though much about it is still unknown. As a result, the D Family gained notoriety as the “enemy of gods.”
One character in particular stood out during the conflict and came to represent the First Twenty Nations’ worst nightmare: Joyboy. Joyboy, a mystery historical character, was a major player in the Great War and a resident of the Ancient Kingdom.
There is still much to learn about the Great War and the Void Century. The message of Vegapunk tells us that the planet submerged under the water and that the Ancient Kingdom was defeated at the end of both the Great War and the Void Century.
But since Wano withdrew from the world after the end of the world, it is reasonable to believe that they supported the Ancient Kingdom in the Great War.
Vegapunk discovered that the Great War was fought as a conflict between the ideologies of “good” and “evil,” based on what he had read about Ponegylphs. Since the scientist was unable to conduct a thorough investigation, the specifics of this remain unknown.
The voyage of Joyboy
Joyboy, one of One Piece’s most enigmatic characters, holds the key to both the Void Century and One Piece. He became well-known during World War I and was the First Twenty Nations’ most dreaded character.
Despite the fact that not much is known about Joyboy, it is known that he used Devil Fruit and shared with Luffy the power of the Mythical Zoan, Hito Hito no Mi; Model: Nika.
Because he sailed for the oceans before anyone else, Joyboy was also the first pirate in history. Because of this, he visited numerous locations and made his mark. His trip to Fish-Man Island stands out as one of the most notable instances.
Joyboy visited Fish-Man Island at an unspecified time in the Void Century, when he met the Mermaid Princess of that era. The ancient Mermaid Princess shared the power of Poseidon, one of the three Ancient Weapons, with Shirahoshi.
Joyboy struck a bargain with her to take the big ship, Noah, and use Poseidon’s might. But for whatever reason, he was unable to follow through on the agreement. He then apologized on a Poneglyph and said he would make good on his promise to come back eventually. Noah is still being protected by the people of Fish-Men Island, who are waiting for Joyboy to return.
Zunesha is another character that has been anticipating Joyboy’s return with great anticipation. The huge elephant has been traveling the oceans for hundreds of years, waiting for Joyboy to return. It is unknown where they met or how they got to know each other.
The link between the Void Century and the present
In One Piece, history repeats itself, and this is precisely what is going to happen. The Void Century and the present are closely related in that regard. The effects of that era are not only still being felt today, but they are also going to be repeated in the near future.
Joyboy returns after an 800-year hiatus, this time as Monkey D. Luffy. Throughout the narrative, there are numerous allusions to the link between Joyboy and Luffy as well as the possibility of a rebirth. This is most evident when Luffy eventually obtains his Gear 5, which allows him to unleash the full potential of his Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
Joyboy appears for the first time in a silhouette in One Piece Chapter 1115. His silhouette in the panel resembles Luffy’s Gear 5 perfectly, demonstrating how similar their historical roles were.
It’s the Great War that will change the globe once more, just as Vegapunk predicted. The world will drown in the sea once more, just like it did the last time. Like when they quickly annihilated the whole Lulusia Kingdom on Imu’s orders, the planet Government will attempt to rule the planet alone once more and won’t think twice about destroying anything for it.
The D Family is still going strong because there are so many characters with the letter “D” in their names all around the world. Joyboy’s return means that the Final War—in which “good” and “evil” will once more battle it out—is rapidly approaching.
This concludes our current understanding of One Piece’s Void Century. There will be more revelations regarding this enigmatic era as the show progressively moves closer to its end.
