Void Century

Void Century
Statistics
Japanese Name:	空白の100年
Romanized Name:	Kūhaku no Hyaku-nen
Official English Name:	Void Century (VIZ) 100-Year Void (VIZ, former) Blank Century (Funimation)
First Appearance:	N/A

The Void Century, also known as the Void in History (空白の歴史, Kūhaku no Rekishi^?), is a century-long time period from 900 to 800 years prior to the current storyline with no recorded archaeological history. For unknown reasons, research into this era is considered to be one of the worst crimes possible by the World Government. The events of this period are so important and relevant that by learning them, one is said to become aware of the "true history" of the world.

It has been Nico Robin's dream ever since she was a child to uncover the truth of the Void Century. Following his death, the scientist Dr. Vegapunk revealed to the world what he knew about the Void Century via a pre-planned broadcast.

Background

This period became known as the Void Century because there is nothing left to acknowledge anything that happened during that time. The only exception are the Poneglyphs, which are written in an ancient language that only a few people in modern times know how to read: Nico Robin, the archaeologists of Ohara, Kouzuki Sukiyaki, and Vegapunk.

However, it causes a problem with the known histories of the world as nothing ties up because of that missing period. Though many seem to know there is a gap in the historical record, virtually everyone is unaware that filling in this gap is possible. For example, Nefertari Cobra, after being told by Robin about this missing period, was completely shocked that a way to "tie the threads of history together" existed. The fact that filling the gap is possible was proven when "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh revealed that the Roger Pirates discovered the true history.

Most, if not all World Nobles, including the Five Elders, are adamant in maintaining the secrecy of the Void Century. Some World Nobles, however, seem to be unaware of what the Void Century is.

The true history of the world apparently contains secrets so dangerous that those who are aware of them, including outlaws, are highly reluctant to talk about them. The Roger Pirates and Edward Newgate did not reveal to the public what lies hidden at Laugh Tale and Kouzuki Oden did not reveal to his followers the true history because he considered it a burden. Silvers Rayleigh offered to tell the true history to Nico Robin, but warned her that the way she was then, she would not be able to do anything about it. Also any knowledge of the true events of what happened in the Void Century is considered a death sentence and holding such knowledge is liable to death in the eyes of the World Government, regardless of the affiliation of the person knowing it. Even entire nations will be destroyed and erased from record should even a single person attempt to learn anything about the Void Century. The World Government is not even shy on killing innocent people even if they had nothing to do with the people learning about the Void Century, because of the pure speculation that they might know something about the Void Century. The World Government would not even hesitate from destroying their own property and killing their own valuable allies just to destroy anyone who has an affiliation with the Void Century, whether they know it or not. In fact, all three canon Buster Calls were initiated at least in part due to knowledge pertaining to the Void Century.

Great War

One of the most important events during the Void Century was the Great War. The Great War led to the formation of the World Government, the destruction of the Great Kingdom, and the current geographical state of the world. The reasons and circumstances for how this conflict came to be are currently unknown, so Vegapunk just referred to it as two conflicting ideologies.

The royals of twenty different countries, known as the First Twenty, banded together in opposition to the Great Kingdom. Opposing them on the side of the Great Kingdom was Joy Boy, the first pirate, who proved to be so powerful that the alliance could not defeat him. They thus turned to the Ancient Weapons which allowed them to emerge victorious, resulting in the fall of Joy Boy and the Great Kingdom. However, Vegapunk deduced that the usage of the Ancient Weapons resulted in sea levels across the world rising by 200 meters. Because the Ancient Weapons still exist, Vegapunk believes this war has not fully come to an end.

It has been indicated that this war was what led to the fall of Shandora.

Locations and Figures

Shandora

Shandora centuries after the war.

In Enel's cover story, there is an ancient city on the moon with another bunch of identical Automata. There is a painting on the wall that shows a Skypiean with Automata following him on the left while a Shandorian and Birkan work on the right. After resources on the moon ran out, the three races departed for the "Blue Star".

One of the three races, the Shandorians, ended up on the isle of Jaya where they built the city of Shandora one thousand years ago. The great city of Shandora collapsed during this war, the Shandorians defended the city against "those who seek the stone". The city collapsed, but the Shandia, who are the descendants of the Shandorians, kept on defending the city for over eight hundred years afterwards.

Great Kingdom

The Great Kingdom was a great and powerful kingdom that was destroyed by the Twenty Kingdoms, who would later evolve into the World Government. The kingdom was so powerful that its existence posed a great threat to the world and is the reason why studying the Poneglyphs is outlawed. In the Great Kingdom's illustration, a few moon-craters are shown, indicating a possible connection of it with the kingdom.

The Great Kingdom had a name, which is yet to be revealed. However, Clou D. Clover stated that its name was of tremendous importance and held the key of understanding the Void Century.

According to Vegapunk, the Great Kingdom was a highly advanced technological civilization 900 years ago. Vegapunk is considered to be 500 hundred years ahead of the rest of the world in scientific achievements, and he still considers himself vastly inferior to the Great Kingdom. Despite his intelligence, Vegapunk is only able to replicate that technology to a limited extent.

Joy Boy

Joy Boy fights the Twenty Kingdoms.

During the Void Century, Joy Boy set sail from his home in the Great Kingdom, becoming the very first pirate in history. He wielded the power of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to become an incarnation of the ever-playful sun god, Nika. It gave him a body with the properties of rubber, giving him the freedom to fight however he wanted. Joy Boy's defeat marked the end of the Great Kingdom and thus the Void Century.

Joy Boy also left behind a certain item of unimaginable value in the last island of the Grand Line. According to Whitebeard, the world will be shocked to its core when it is found again.

Once Kouzuki Oden learned about the events of the Void Century, he reached the conclusion that Wano Country should be opened to the world before the day Joy Boy returns.

Noah

Noah.

Joy Boy arrived at Fish-Man Island and made a certain deal with the mermaid princess of the day. This princess had the power known as Poseidon, a unique ability among Merfolk to summon and control the Sea Kings, only appearing in a Mermaid princess once every few centuries.

The terms of the deal are unknown, but it involved a colossal ship called Noah. The ship was built so the Sea Kings could pull it, but it's unknown where they were supposed to take it to or for what purpose.

For unknown reasons, Joy Boy failed to keep his part of the promise. He wrote his apology on the Poneglyph in the Sea Forest. The people of Fish-Man Island continue to keep Noah safe until the "appointed time" comes.

Tontatta Kingdom

Before the Void Century, the Dwarves of the Tontatta Kingdom suffered oppression under the ruthless rulers of the island of Dressrosa, the Donquixote Family. However, the Dwarves had forgotten what happened during the Void Century.

Wano Country

The massive wall erected around Wano.

Wano likely played an important role in the Void Century and was somehow affiliated to the Great Kingdom, as the Kouzuki Family were the ones who created the Poneglyphs, and Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons, currently rests within the country's depths. The ancient country of Wano that existed at the time was also much different from the one that exists currently, having been more similar to a standard island at sea level instead of the unique water-bowl mountain structure it now displays.

During his visit to Laugh Tale, Kouzuki Oden learned that the country was once connected with the rest of the world but adopted a policy of isolationism to protect itself from a "great enemy", leading to massive walls being erected around the perimeter of the whole country, which resulted in everything below the top of the wall to be flooded with rain water, leaving only a few mountainside plateau's habitable. According to Oden, it is essential for the world to reconnect with Wano, thus its borders must open before Joy Boy returns. Doing so would also mean unleashing Pluton once more.

However, the people of Wano seem to be oblivious of why their country is isolated and what happened during the Void Century, despite the fact that the World Government cannot enforce the prohibition of research in the country. Most people in Wano do not know of what lies in the outside world in the first place due to it being a crime to leave the country.

Lili

Nefertari Lili was the queen of Arabasta during the Void Century and one of the twenty royals to ally together against the Great Kingdom. After the collapse of the Great Kingdom, most of the twenty rulers decided to relocate to Mary Geoise, with their descendants becoming known as World Nobles, leaving their kingdoms to establish new royal families. Lili however opted to return home instead. As such, she also did not leave the symbolic weapon at the Empty Throne.

However, she disappeared before she went back to Arabasta and records of her were wiped out. Afterwards, her younger brother took the throne in her stead. The only proof of her existence is the letter that she left behind.

She was a subject of interest for Imu for some reason, along with her descendant, Vivi.

The Legacy of the War

Geography

Underwater ruins of the previous World.

During the Void Century, the global sea level rose by 200 meters, and so the continents that existed a thousand years ago sunk into the depths. The islands known to exist in the present day are merely the mountaintops of those continents.

Vegapunk took climatological, geological, environmental and atmospheric factors into account, and concluded that it is impossible that the extreme rise in the sea level could have been caused by a natural disaster (as one might assume at first). A single century would not have been nearly enough time for the world to change so drastically on its own. Vegapunk then concluded that it was the Ancient Weapons that were responsible for this man-made disaster. Additionally, keeping in mind that the weapons still exist in the present day, waiting to rise again, the Great War that occurred during the Void Century never actually came to an end.

The revelation of the rising sea levels and the possibility that they could rise further bring a new light as to why the World Nobles chose to make their home at the top of the colossal Red Line, as well as to the reason for why the World Nobles commissioned the construction of the megastructures Tequila Wolf (テキーラウルフ, Tekīra Urufu^?), Vodka Wolf (ウォッカウルフ, Wokka Urufu^?), Rum Wolf (ラムウルフ, Ramu Urufu^?), and Bourbon Wolf (バーボンウルフ, Bōbon Urufu^?), which slaves have been constructing for 700 years.

Birth of the World Government

The flag of the World Government.

800 years ago, at the end of the Void Century, after the alliance defeated Joy Boy, the World Government was born and took political control of the entire world, uniting all countries and forming the Council of Kings, which meets every four years. The exact process of how it was founded and how they covered up the 100-year gap remains unknown.

With the exception of Queen Lili of Arabasta, all the founding monarchs who joined the alliance and established the World Government relocated to the World Governments capital city Mary Geoise, located at the halfway point of the Grand Line, the "center of the world" so to speak, located at the top of the Red Line. Their homelands elected new royal families as a result. The descendants of those 19 royals are known as World Nobles, or "Celestial Dragons". The World Government is officially ruled by a council of Five Elders, who are the highest ranking of all the Celestial Dragons.

The founding members also pledged the equality between their kingdoms in front of the Empty Throne, a chair located in the Government's Headquarters, Pangaea Castle. The throne in the center of the world having no occupant is meant to signify that the world has no singular ruler. Even the Five Elders who rule the World Government are just that: five of them. Each founder left a weapon of their own stuck in the ground around the throne in order to symbolize their protection over it.

However, the throne being empty is a lie. A mysterious individual known as Imu currently sits on it. Even the Five Elders bow down to this person. The Revolutionary Army suspect that this person might actually be Nerona Imu, one of the founding royals from the Void Century, granted immortality by the power of a certain Devil Fruit.

For the World Government, the events of the Void Century were better left unknown as information linked to it is considered far too dangerous.

Poneglyphs

Law finding a Poneglyph.

Poneglyphs are mysterious, large stone blocks scattered all over the Grand Line. The text inscribed on them is information about what happened during the Void Century, as well as how to find the last island in the Grand Line, Laugh Tale. They are written in an ancient language that very few people in the world are able to translate. They have been said to be unbreakable by Professor Clou D. Clover.

The Government has forbidden anyone to research or study these blocks. When the research of the Poneglyphs was outlawed, hundreds of scholars across the world were killed. Since then, a very strict ban on any research at all related to the Void Century has been put in place.

Ancient Weapons

The Ancient Weapons are three weapons of mass destruction that are powerful enough to bring ruin to the entire world. The Ancient Weapons are the argument used by the World Government to forbid the research of the missing years.

They first weapon is known as Pluton, an ancient battleship capable of massive destruction. The blueprints were left with the Shipwrights of Water 7 who created it, passed down from master to apprentice over the centuries, and the ship itself was hidden in Wano Country after the Great War. Wano is surrounded by a massive wall that was erected around the islands border through unknown means, causing the sea level regions of the country to be flooded with rain water, leaving only a series of mountainside plateaus. Kouzuki Oden believed that Wano's borders should be opened before Joy Boy returned. Rather than ending Wano's policy of isolationism, "opening the border" actually meant destroying the wall and releasing Pluton.

The second weapon is known as Poseidon. Fish-Men and Merfolk are able to communicate with sea creatures, however communicating with Sea Kings has always been beyond them. Once every few centuries, a mermaid princess is born into the royal family of the Ryugu Kingdom with the power known as Poseidon; the power to speak with and command the Sea Kings. Apparently, even the Sea Kings themselves don't know why their queen always takes the form of a mermaid princess, but she's their exalted ruler all the same. The current mermaid princess, Shirahoshi is the current holder of this power.

The third weapon is known as Uranus, the nature and capabilities of which remain unknown. Its location is also a mystery.

One Piece

Joy Boy left something of unknown nature on the last island of the Grand Line. 800 years later, 25 years before the current storyline, Gol D. Roger and his crew became the only ones to make it all the way there since the Void Century. When they saw what was on the island, they burst out laughing and referred to it as a "funny story", which is how the island got its name, Laugh Tale.

It is currently unknown what they saw, but it was stated they "arrived a little too early".

After Roger was diagnosed with a fatal illness, he turned himself in to the Marines, and when he was up on the Execution Platform, he revealed the existence of the One Piece to the world, describing it as his vast treasure and that it was free for the taking to anyone who could find it. For years to come, his last words inspired countless people to set sail as pirates, beginning a time known as the Great Pirate Era.

According to Dr. Vegapunk, the fate of the world will be decided by whoever is able to claim the One Piece. He believes that the ones closest to the truth are those who refuse to buckle under any and all suppression. But the one who finds it may not be the one Joy Boy was hoping for.

Iron Giant

The Giant waiting to awaken.

Around the time the Void Century began, a gigantic armored robot was created for reasons unknown. 700 years later, 200 years before the present, it climbed up the Red Line and invaded Mary Geoise for unknown purposes and circumstances, however it lost power before it could do any damage. The Government ordered for it to be destroyed, but Jaygarcia Saturn secretly ordered scientists to preserved and research it instead, intent to one day use the data they collected for military purposes.

According to Vegapunk, the robot runs on a power source that cannot be replicated today, but was common in the Void Century. It is currently unknown what this is. He was never able to get it to work, being unable to replicate the mysterious Ancient Energy (古代のエネルギー, Kodai no Enerugī^?) that powers it, but it came alive when the "Drums of Liberation" began to beat.

Will of D.

Throughout the World, there are a number of people who have the middle initial "D." in their name. It's unknown what the "D." stands for, but the Five Elders seem just as adamant to suppress it as they would anything else related to the Void Century. The King of Pirates, Gol D. Roger for example; the Government told the public that his name was actually Gold Roger.

That initial has something to do with the Great Kingdom, but the nature of the connection is unknown. According to Donquixote Rosinante, the "D." has been secretly inherited worldwide and throughout history, and that in a "certain land", the family of D. (D（ディー）の一族, Dī no Ichizoku^?, VIZ: People of the D) was referred to as Natural Enemy of God (神の天敵, Kami no Tenteki^?). This would mean that the "D."s are considered to be the natural enemy of the Celestial Dragons, as Celestial Dragons (descended from the "creators of the world") are considered to be "Gods". In fact, children in Mary Geoise were apparently told that if they misbehaved, they would be eaten up by "D.". Similarly, elders of that country seemed quite wary of the "storm" that those with "D." were known to cause.

People with the "D." all seem to share a passionate desire for freedom and an equally strong belief in destiny and following one's dream. People with the "D." are also known keep fighting until the very end, never giving in until their fate is totally unavoidable, and when that does happen, they are known to smile when they're about to die.

People with the Will of D. always seem to be at the center of major world changing events, like Rocks D. Xebec Monkey D. Garp and Gol D. Roger at the God Valley Incident, and Monkey D. Luffy Marshall D. Teach and Portgas D. Ace at the Summit War of Marineford.

Trivia

• Gol D. Roger's crew appears to have followed the Poneglyphs all the way and figured out exactly what the missing history is. When queried by Nico Robin on the Void Century and the Will of D., Silvers Rayleigh replied to her that he would tell her the history if she wanted to know. At the same time, he appeared reluctant to even speak about it. He warned her that if she found out now about the history in her current condition, she would not be able to do a thing about it. In his closing statement, he explained that he believed his crew and the scholars of Ohara had been too hasty. At the same time, he encouraged her to see the world herself, so she might come to a different conclusion than the one his crew had.
• Whitebeard also knew about the truth behind the Void Century and the Will of D., as Roger told him before he died. He told Blackbeard that he is not the one Roger was waiting for, and that just as Roger's will was inherited by others, so will Ace's be too. Even though their bloodline is dead, their flames will never die and there will be a man who will find the truth and carry the burden of the centuries upon his back to challenge the world. He further states that the people in the World Government are living in fear of the day when that happens, and a great battle will be fought.
• Kouzuki Toki was born during this time period, but it is unknown if she knew any history around that time.