From the very first frame ofOne Piece, the name of Gol D. Roger — commonly known as Gold Roger — has been omnipresent. His last words set in motion a swarm of changes in the world that no one else could have foreseen, sparking the dawn of the Golden Age of Piracy, which eventually gave way to the New Age that began after the Summit War of Marineford. While the truth behind his life and deeds was only shown much later on,in Kozuki Oden’s account of his legendary journeyto Laugh Tale, there have been a number of hints about his life that were sprinkled through the series, as recounted by his former crew mates and allies. The protagonist ofOne Piece, Monkey D. Luffy, has often been likened to Roger in terms of their shared beliefs and characteristics, especially since Luffy was himself inspired by the former Pirate King.
In many ways,One Pieceis the story of how Luffy will see out his dream and rise up to the challenge set by Roger in the moments before his death — but it is also far more than that alone. Of their own accord, Roger’s achievements in conquering the Grand Line, reaching its final island, and learning the truehistory of the world and the Void Century, are things that no one has been able to match since his death. Many have tried and failed in the years that followed, but few, if any, have even come close. Although the fact that Luffy might be the first to find and claim Roger’s treasure on Laugh Tale is quite clear, the manner in which he will build on the work that Roger did, and even surpass it, is not entirely certain. This begs the question of what Luffy’s real goal is, what differences will arise between their respective journeys, and why he has been touted by many as one who will change the world.
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Conquering The Grand Line
When Roger beganhis now famed journey to Laugh Tale, he was already nearing the end of his life, with a terminal illness cutting short what time he had left. Having amassed his power and fame over a considerably long period of time, Roger’s journey to the apex of the pirate world was not a straight path by any means. He suffered many setbacks along the way, and in the view of even his closest friends, was extremely fortunate to have survived the dangers he faced to emerge triumphant as the Pirate King. Additionally, his first voyage through his hallowed sea ended in failure, as the Roger Pirates only managed to reach Lodestar Island, as they wee unaware of the existence of the Road Poneglyphs.
Even though it was the final island that the Log Pose pointed to, Roger knew that there was another destination just beyond his grasp. In the final year of his life, Roger set out once again after recruiting Kozuki Odento read the Road Poneglyphsthat the crew found scattered across the world along their travels. On this second try, he finally managed to achieve what he set out to do, and landed on the shores of Laugh Tale. Here, he and his crew finally heard Joy Boy’s account of the Void Century and the prophecy which said that he would return 20 years into the future.
Luffy’sjourney aboard the Thousand Sunnyhas been somewhat more straightforward, in that the Straw Hats are well aware of the existence of the Poneglyphs and have already managed to find three of the four Road Poneglyphs needed to locate Laugh Tale. As this is his first voyage across the Grand Line, Luffy could succeed and surpass Roger in conquering this fearsome sea in only one try, as opposed to the two attempts the former Pirate King needed. Furthermore, Luffy has also been a harbinger of freedom and change in every territory he has visited, liberating those he encounters at every turn. Hence, the impact of his journey, is, to some extent, just as was foretold by Joy Boy on Laugh Tale.
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Uncovering The Void Century
A key part of Roger’s role in the story is how his he used the spotlight he gained during his execution to urge people far and wide to take to the seas in search of Laugh Tale. While this may have seemed like a final plea for publicity, it was in fact, a carefully calculated move that he made in the hopes of finding the onethat was referred to in Joy Boy’s messageon the final island of the Grand Line. Of the many who became pirates in search of theOne Piece, none have emerged successful till date, which speaks volumes of the sheer difficulty ingrained in the task Roger set out for them.
Roger was unable to use the knowledge he gained from Laugh Tale as he arrived too early on, and had his life cut short by the incurable disease which was slowly tearing him apart from within. Therefore, another key motivation of his in starting the Golden Age of Piracy was to find one who would have the willpower andstrength to go up against the world’s strongest, emerge victorious, learn the true history of the world, and be able to take action against the World Government with the aid of this knowledge. Once again, no one has been able to live up to any of these expectations, and if Luffy manages to bring the truth about the Void Cnetury to light, he will indisputably be hailed as the strongest pirate in recorded history, having fulfilled every facet of the prophecy laid out by the Ancient Kingdom.
Taking Down The World Government
By virtue of being a pirate, Roger had acomplicated relationship with the World Government. Even though he was a wanted criminal, he allied with the Marines on God Valley, fought alongside Monkey D. Garp, and even trusted him with his child, Portgas D. Ace, shortly before his death. In this vein, despite his animosity towards anyone that threatened him or his crew, Roger was not above allying himself with less fanatical members of the World Government and Marines if the situation demanded it. On the other hand, it is certain that he sought to take action against them with the information he learned on Laugh Tale, but was prevented by his impending death from illness.
Similarly, there is no love lost between Luffy and the World Government, although, he has also, on occasion, formed temporary alliances with Marines such as Smoker, Koby, or even members of Cipher Pol, when the situation called for it. However, Luffy and the Straw Hats also openly declared war on the World Government in Enies Lobby, and they might finally make good on this threat after reaching Laugh Tale and finding out about the Void Century and its secrets. TheWorld Government has successfully stifled the releaseof this information since its inception, and the onus is now on the Straw Hats to share it with the world. Considering how Luffy is never one to leave his allies behind, and will fight on behalf of anyone whose is being oppressed, the thought of him raising the banner of revolution would be quite easy to visualize.
The events of Fishman Island, the Awakening ofthe legendary Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, and Zunesha’s revelation that Luffy is Joy Boy, prove that he will be the one to make good on the promise that was made by the Joy Boy of the Void Century. For pirates inOne Piece, there is no greater cause than rallying and taking up arms against the tyranny of the World Government and Celestial Dragons, and this would be the fulfillment of a wish that has been in the works for over 800 years, This, in effect, would be how Luffy truly builds on and supersedes Roger’s achievements as Pirate King, in creating a world where everyone enjoys freedom in all its forms, liberated of the World Government’s totalitarianism, which has prioritized the needs of the few over those of the many.
