Warning! Spoilers Ahead!
As a series that’s over 25 years old, One Piece is full of important lore drops and reveals that have dramatically shifted the narrative. While most only affect specific arcs, others shake up the overall story, forcing the audience to recontextualize everything they knew up to that point. These epic and exciting moments are why many consider Eiichiro Oda to be one of the best mangaka.
These big reveals are often presented differently and have varying effects on the story as a whole. Some shift the focus of the plot while others fill in missing blanks in the world’s deep history. Either way, they are associated with huge turning points, marking the end of eras or acting as harbingers of events to come. As One Piece continues its final saga, there is sure to be more to learn.
1
CP9
The True Face Of The Government
For the longest time, the World Government was just the organization behind the Navy, and the Marines in general were only small hiccups on Luffy’s long journey. They were present at every event, but they weren’t necessarily the biggest threat in the story. That changed during Water 7 and Enies Lobby. The reveal of CP9’s undercover mission fundamentally changed the game.
Not only was it a huge switch-up for some unassuming side characters, but for the first time, the conflict wasn’t caused by a pirate or an organization of bounty hunters. The World Government proved itself to be much more insidious than it was perceived to be thus far, making it a much more present force in the plot, especially after the Straw Hats declared war.
2
Gol D. Ace
Ace’s Real Father
Marineford is probably the biggest turning point in all of One Piece due to the events that occur during and after it. Not only did it involve a clash between some of the world’s greatest powers, but it also had some of the greatest reveals up to that point in the series. The identity of Ace’s father is one of them. It may have gotten lost in the chaos of the arc, but it presented many questions and implications.
Roger’s legacy is the driving force of One Piece and the motivation of nearly every pirate. With this reveal, Ace became a physical manifestation of that legacy. His death, along with Whitebeard’s, symbolized the end of the old pirate era as well as the conclusion to the first half of One Piece‘s story, ushering in the new world and a timeskip.
3
Prince Vinsmoke Sanji
Sanji’s Hidden Past
For a long time, not much was known about Sanji’s past. Except for his history with Zeff, his origins were a complete mystery. Oda had hinted at some greater importance, but nothing was concrete until the Whole Cake Island arc and the official introduction of the Germa Kingdom. Sanji’s identity as a prince becomes the driving force of the arc.
The most important part of this reveal is the past that it comes with. It’s learned that Sanji is actually a failed experiment who didn’t become a superhuman like his siblings, and it’s shown that his love of serving food originally started with his mother. This added context explains many parts of his character and adds new possibilities for growth in the future.
4
Shamrock Figarland
Another Shanks Appears
Elbaf introduced many important figures, including the God’s Knight Shamrock Figarland. While it’s obvious now that he’s Shanks’s twin brother, that wasn’t the case during his first appearance when he met the Gorosei during the Reverie. With no title card or description, many fans questioned Shanks’s identity and his standing in the world.
Now that he has an official appearance in the main story, it’s clear that Shamrock will eventually be an important antagonist that must be defeated before the end of the series. Along with the other God’s Knights, he’ll be one of the most powerful enemies in the story that Luffy and his friends will need to overcome.
5
The World Is Sinking
The End Of The World
There were many revelations on Egghead about Bonney, Kuma, Vegapunk, and the government, but none of them compare to the reveal that the world of One Piece is sinking. Vegapunk explained that water levels were rising due to some unnatural phenomenon and that all land would eventually be completely submerged.
It’s implied that this is a result of the government’s use of an ancient weapon that can destroy islands, which was seen with the Lulusia Kingdom earlier in the story. This serves as an example of how the government’s corruption is causing the end of the world. This announcement also marks the beginning of the final saga as the One Piece is presented as the solution to stopping the oncoming flood.
6
Laugh Tale
The Location Of The One Piece
For most of the series, not much was known about the One Piece aside from the fact that it was a treasure of unfathomable value. As the main motivation of the story, it remained shrouded in mystery until the Wano Country arc, where Kouzuki Oden’s flashback gave a hint to the treasure’s true nature. After seeing it, Gol D. Roger burst into laughter, which inspired the name of the island.
During this flashback, it’s also revealed that the treasure on Laugh Tale was left there by Joy Boy for future generations, revealing the truth of the world’s history as well as the answers to many mysteries. The One Piece itself is tied to the fate of the world, which further connects Luffy to the greater conflicts occurring with the World Government.
7
Rocks D. Xebec
The Father Of Blackbeard
Rocks D. Xebec has been a notorious figure for a long time, but it’s only in the most recent chapters that he’s been given a proper introduction, revealing his full name and his relation to Blackbeard. This flashback also provides incredible feats and accomplishments that prove he was at least on the level of Roger and Garp. These include killing an admiral and facing off against Imu in the flower garden.
Blackbeard is already a formidable enemy and antagonist, but the introduction of Rocks will most likely foreshadow his role for the rest of the story. His identity as Rocks’ son also serves to explain his unnatural powers and special constitution, which was mentioned by Saturn on Egghead. As the story continues, there’s sure to be more connections between the two.
8
Imu And The Empty Throne
The True King Of The World
The Reverie arc may not seem like much, but it contains tons of important lore and information about the world of One Piece and its history. The biggest secret by far is the existence of the world’s one true ruler, Imu, a mysterious and immortal figure who has been controlling everything from behind the scenes. This reveal solidifies them as the overarching antagonist for the rest of the series.
Since their introduction, there have been many theories surrounding Imu’s true identity, their goal, and their relationship with Joy Boy, but not much is known for sure. The stakes of the story have gotten higher as Imu’s influence allows them to erase islands on a whim, and their power is enough to rival the Giants of Elbaf.
9
Human-Human Fruit Model: Nika
There Is No Gum-Gum Fruit
Since the beginning of the series, Luffy has always been the rubber man who at the Gum-Gum Fruit. With all his attacks named after his Devil Fruit and the stretchy quality of his body, there was really no reason to question that aspect of his character. The fact that he wasn’t a rubber man this whole time was nothing less than shocking.
While it doesn’t change much about Luffy’s journey, this reveal has changed the story’s framing. The One Piece and the fate of the world have become linked, and as the embodiment of Nika, Luffy will play an integral part in liberating everyone from the tyrannical rule of the World Government.
One Piece
- Release Date
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October 20, 1999
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Directors
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Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
- Writers
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Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
