If you’re a One Piece fan, then you probably take pride in the franchise’s impeccable world-building. If you don’t, why aren’t you? Eiichiro Oda is a genius when it comes to lore development, so much so that new revelations often give rise to a slew of new questions. At least, that’s usually the case.
With the series entering its final arc, Oda is starting to drop one big revelation after another, such as the ever-elusive Dr. Vegapunk finally making his appearance. But despite the consecutive lore dumps, there remain multiple unanswered mysteries, such as these.
1. What is the One Piece?
The titular treasure is the main driving point of the series’ narrative. Gol D. Roger’s proclamation of the One Piece’s existence spurred the Great Age of Piracy, and Whitebeard’s last words reignited the world’s interest in it. The rules stay the same. Whoever finds the greatest treasure is set to be the next Pirate King.
It’s been decades since One Piece‘s release, and fans of the series still have no inkling of what the treasure may be. Interestingly, most characters in the series are in the same predicament. Only those who accompanied Gol D. Roger on his final voyage know what the treasure actually is. While we don’t know what One Piece is, we at least know what One Piece is not. After all, Oda already confirmed that it would not be some nonsense like memories or friendship.
2. What is Luffy’s dream?
Luffy has repeatedly proclaimed his goal to become the King of the Pirates countless times, but that’s not the dream I am referring to. After leaving Wano Country, Luffy told his crewmates about an old dream of his. He also told Ace and Sabo about the same dream during their younger years. Unfortunately, though, we didn’t receive the same privilege.
What we do know, however, is that it cannot be something ordinary. After all, both his crewmates and his brothers called his dream crazy, and crazy pretty much aligns with Luffy’s character.
3. What exactly is Uranus?
The Ancient Weapons are said to be the strongest weapons in One Piece verse. Each one is capable of destroying countries on their own. We were acquainted with Poseidon, who turns out to be Princess Shirahoshi. While we are yet to see Pluton in actuality, we are at least aware that it comes in the form of a ship. Franky already destroyed its blueprints, though, so there is less chance for us to witness its destructive glory.
Unlike the other two, Uranus remains a total mystery. We only know that Uranus exists, but we have no idea of its whereabouts or its capabilities. For all we know, it may already be in the World Government’s hands.
4. What secrets does the Void Century hold?
As its name suggests, the Void Century pertains to the time period with almost no historical records. It’s not that the records have magically disappeared; it’s just that the World Government is sparing no effort in eradicating its traces. They destroyed any records about the Void Century and made researching it a capital offense.
What exactly happened during the Void Century, you ask? That, we don’t know. However, the Void Century is said to hold the true history of the world. The only remaining means of unraveling its mysteries is by deciphering the Poneglyphs, which is something only Nico Robin can do.
5. What role does the Nefeltari family play?
The Nefeltari family was introduced early on with Vivi seeking the Straw Hats’ help to free her country. However, recent developments reveal that the Nefeltari family is more than just ordinary royals. They turned out to be one of the twenty monarchs who established the World Government, but unlike the other nineteen, they opted out of ascending to Mary Geoise.
Lili, the then-queen of Alabasta, vanished before returning to her kingdom. With Lili turning out to have inherited the Will of D, a new question arises: What role did and will the Nefeltari family play in the grand scheme of things, especially since learning of Lili’s true identity warranted ending King Cobra’s life?
6. What is the Will of D?
Speaking of the Will of D, that is another mystery that is yet to be answered. Many prominent characters possess the initial D, and most of them are said to make waves in the world. A few who bear this initial are Monkey D. Luffy and his kin, the above-mentioned Nefeltari D. Lili and her kin, Gol D. Roger, and Marshall D. Teech.
Based on those examples, there really must be something with the initial D. However, only future chapters of One Piece can reveal what that something is.
7. Why was Zunesha punished?
One Piece is no stranger to weird islands, but Zou remains unique. The moving island home of the Mink Tribe can move because it sits on top of a gigantic elephant—Zunesha.
Recent developments revealed that Zunesha isn’t just a mindless, perpetual-moving creature. In fact, Zunesha was Joy Boy’s companion who was punished for committing a certain crime. As to what that specific crime is, we can only make guesses at the moment.
8. What wonders does the Ancient Kingdom hold?
The Ancient Kingdom was once a very powerful kingdom, so powerful that 20 other kingdoms joined arms to eradicate it. After Luffy and the Straw Hats met Vegapunk, they learned that despite being named the Ancient Kingdom, it was a technologically advanced civilization.
These bits and pieces, however, fail to give the whole picture of the Ancient Kingdom’s grandeur. After all, Vegapunk also stated that despite Egghead being renowned as a Future Island, it was far from reaching the Ancient Kingdom’s level.
9. What secrets does Blackbeard hold?
Blackbeard is probably one of the most detestable characters in One Piece. He betrayed his original crew, handed Ace to the Marines, stole Whitebeard’s Devil Fruit powers, and the list just goes on. However, it’s undeniable that he is one effective villain, and part of it is how mysterious he is.
Blackbeard is the only character known to handle two Devil Fruit powers. According to Buggy, Blackbeard could also go days without a wink of sleep. Marco also noted that he had a rather unique body, though he didn’t specify why. While many theories are floating around — including Blackbeard having multiple personalities — the series has yet to provide a definitive answer.
10. Who is Luffy’s Mom?
A very simple query, yet it continues to boggle many fans’ minds. We already know about Luffy’s father, the revolutionary leader Monkey D. Dragon, and his grandfather, Monkey D. Garp. However, little is known about his mother and grandmother. So, why focus on Luffy’s mother? Because there are more interesting discussions about her.
There are many theories about who Luffy’s mom can be, but my favorite is the one involving Crocodile. The theory states that Crocodile was originally a woman who turned into a man using Ivankov’s Devil Fruit powers. Ivankov’s ties with the Revolutionary Army give the theory some weight.
