The Navy might be the first “antagonist” of One Piece with an overarching presence, but the World Government is the true master. This organization is run by the Celestial Dragons in Marijoa and the Gorosei above them. This over-arching power rules over most islands in the Grand Line and four seas, with no other power to keep them in check. From how they came to power to what they do to keep it, the World Government is one of the most atrocious organizations in One Piece!
Warning that this article contains spoilers for One Piece through the current chapter 1091. If not caught up, the manga is available to read online from Viz or MangaPlus, and new chapters drop weekly. So, that’s the only warning!
Who is the World Government?
The World Government of One Piece is a worldwide governing body that oversees from Marijoa. Composed of over fifty countries throughout the world, they meet once every four years for a Reverie to discuss events. Despite these world leaders who meet and know the needs of those below the Red Line, the Celestial Dragons have the final say over everything. The World Government is essentially just the acting body of the Celestial Dragons on the surface, but there’s a much more insidious agenda behind it.
While those in the Reverie believe that they have a say over policy with approval from the Gorosei who are above them, this is far from the truth. Instead, the World Government is subject to the whims of one person, whose motives and goals are still unknown. Their secrecy means not much is known, but the World Government uses the Navy as their outward show of force and power.
Gorosei
The five elders that make up the Gorosei are from some of the oldest families to establish the World Government. These five old men are each in charge of a different aspect of the world, from finances to energy, to weapons. Everything they do seems to be according to their own will for quite some time when they’re initially introduced, things turn out much differently upon the introduction of Imu. That’s not to say the Gorosei aren’t powerful though, as they have shown themselves to be monsters in more ways than one.
When Sabo leads his raid on Marijoa during the Reverie, he gets a look at the true nature of the Gorosei. They have Devil Fruit powers of some sort, most likely Mythical Zoan types, as the silhouettes they display are monstrous. Even Sabo, who has seen some really terrible shit in his life, says that he’s found hell atop the Red Line. Their power is nothing to be laughed at, and they’re able to easily end lives with the snap of a finger.
Imu
The mysterious all-powerful Imu is the one who sits on the “Empty Throne” of Marijoa. It’s unknown if they’re male or female, or even human at this point. Unnaturally tall, Imu seems to wear a massive crown with sharp points at the top. Their power level is currently unknown, but considering the Gorosei bow to Imu with fearful obedience says a LOT.
One thing we do know about Imu is that they’ve been around since the World Government’s founding. Imu was there even before the twenty families threw their weapons down before the throne to become Celestial Dragons. They’ve overseen the world this entire time, awaiting the arrival of Joyboy once more while making sure nobody knew the secret of the Void Century. With Imu’s age, they were likely a patient of the Immortality Surgery ability of the Op-Op Fruit. This is still up for speculation though, so take it with a grain of salt.
The World Government’s Purpose
While they make policy for the East, North, West, and South Blues at the Reverie every year, the World Government is active at all times. The rulers of various kingdoms are constantly corresponding on issues, while the Gorosei really don’t do anything other than sit in their little room and bitch about pirates. Instead, the Gorosei use the World Government to keep an iron fist over the rest of the world. They’re unknown to the general public, so they can use the shadow and anonymity of the Government as a cover to impose any sort of fascist policies on the world.
They enforce it through the Navy, but for the most part, the Gorosei leave them to the everyday activities. Instead, they focus efforts on maintaining the status quo with eyes and ears everywhere. Whether it be the secret agents of Cipher Pol 9 or covert assassins of Cipher Pol Aegis 0, the World Government will make sure everyone keeps to the structure they want.
Does the World Government Control the Navy?
Oh absolutely. The World Government commands the Navy in every single sense, with the headquarters for Marines based in Marijoa. It’s here that Sengoku, then Akainu receive their orders as Navy Fleet Admirals, and despite how they may feel about it, carry those orders out anyway. It’s this stranglehold on the Navy, as well as the very blurred vision of justice from the Gorosei, that instills disenchantment into many of the Navy higher-ups like Garp and later Sengoku. Those who have been in some of the more secretive missions also have a healthy distrust of the World Government.
The reason is that these usually involve large-scale war crimes. The World Government will authorize Buster Calls on any island they deem as traitors, and that doesn’t take a whole lot. Of course, the Buster Call isn’t always the first option, and the World Government likes to use more covert or geo-political interference methods to get what it wants. Kind of like the United States running coups in small countries for oil.
The Void Century
The reason for most of the war crimes the World Government makes the Navy commit on their behalf. The Void Century is a mysterious one-hundred-year gap in the history books, occurring eight hundred years before the main story of One Piece. It’s unknown to most, who don’t take a huge interest in history past the eight hundred years in most books. For those that get curious though, things start to make a little too much sense about why it’s unknown.
The World Government creation took place at the end of the Void Century, with the twenty original families throwing down their weapons at the empty throne. That was the start of history as far as they’re concerned, and any attempts to look further back are under the mark of taboo. The Gorosei have killed kings for simply asking about the Void Century, and even worse has become of entire countries after the World Government found out about their crimes.
The Ohara Incident
Ohara is one of the most damning pieces of evidence that the World Government needs to be stopped. The island was once known as a hub for scholars to learn about the world at large, with a massive library in the World Tree there. It’s also the home of a young Nico Robin, the only survivor of the Ohara Incident, now one of the most wanted criminals in the Grand Line. The entire reason for Robin’s criminal status, as well as Ohara’s disappearance, is the study of the Void Century.
The scholars of Ohara are attempting to study the Poneglyphs and Void Century when Cipher Pol 9 shows up. The secret government agency is there to investigate, any sign of research and to eliminate it, whether material or human. This leads to the point when Spandine calls in a Buster call to wipe out an entire island.
The Seven Warlords
To maintain their reach across the Grand Line, known for the chaos that ensues all around, the World Government sets up the Warlord system. This system recruits pirates, usually with high bounties and infamous reputations, to work for them in exchange for amnesty. This could range from hunting down fellow pirates to fighting alongside the Navy in Marineford, but they’re basically there to keep World Government interests secure. Just in more… ethically gray ways than the Navy would use.
Some of the strongest pirates through history have become Warlords though, with the final lineup including multiple heavyweights. Everyone from Dracule ‘Hawkeye’ Mihawk to Donquixote Doflamingo, a former Celestial Dragon, served as Warlord until their dissolution or defeat by Straw Hat Luffy.
Now, the World Government is using more outright brutal means to enforce their laws. Most recently Imu destroyed the island of Lulusa leaving only a crater behind. The World Government is no doubt one of the overarching villains of One Piece, it’s just a question of whether they’ll be the final villain.
