What is the One Piece Treasure?

Have you ever wondered what the title of the popular One Piece anime really means? What is it referring to? Well, fans already know that it refers to a treasure, but what kind of treasure?

Hello everyone! I’m Mokugyo, a proud anime lover and writer of the Anime Study column here on Manga.Tokyo.

It’s getting cold in Japan and we’ve already had snow falling in Tokyo. I feel that cold wind in my wallet, as well. I wish I could get some real treasure in my hands. To get my blood pumping, I’m going to write about the treasure that is one of the central mysteries of our favorite pirate anime. The treasure that One Piece is meant to be, called One Piece.

There are so many speculations on the internet regarding what sort of treasure One Piece is. Let’s try and see what we can find out!

One Piece is Something Concrete

The story of One Piece is essentially the story of Luffy, the main character, travelling around with his pirate crew, hunting for a hidden treasure called ‘The Great Treasure of One Piece’, which was discovered by the legendary Pirate King Gol D.Roger. Pirates from all over the world are seeking that great treasure that was hidden somewhere by Roger.

Although the existence of One Piece is explicitly confirmed in Episode 01 in both the original manga and anime, the real identity of the treasure has remained unknown in the past 15 years of serialisation. Eiichiro Ogata, the original author, suggested that One Piece is something concrete. We, therefore, can assume that it’s not something abstract, such as friendship or remembrance, but something we can get our hands on.

Note that the ‘Great Treasure of One Piece’ in the original Japanese text literally means ‘A Rope of Treasures’ or ‘Treasures that Connect into One’ (Hitotsunagi no Zaihou). So, what on earth does a rope of treasure indicate?

1. One Piece is the Ultimate Devil Fruit

At first, many fans speculated that One Piece is the ultimate Devil Fruit. The fruits play a very important role in the storyline and the stronger the fruit is, the more formidable the enemy who eats it becomes. If One Piece is a rope of all the Devil Fruits in the world, it would certainly be a great treasure.

Alternatively, some say that One Piece is a tree that bears Devil Fruits. Imagine a tree that bears all the Devil Fruits in the world. It’s definitely an interesting concept.

2. One Piece is a Nautical Chart or a Chronological Table

Another theory is that it’s a nautical chart. This rumour has been making the rounds right since the beginning of the manga series. Many areas of the world in One Piece have remained a mystery, therefore if there is a nautical chart that connects all these areas, it would be quite valuable.

Others say One Piece is a chronological table that shows the course of history of the world. But, would you call a chronological table a treasure?

3. One Piece is an Ancient Weapon

As the story progresses and we learn more about the world, there is one theory that makes more sense. The theory that One Piece is an Ancient Weapon. There were three types of Ancient Weapons: Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus. Pluton was a powerful battleship, and Poseidon was a mermaid who had the ability to open up the hearts of Sea Kings. We don’t know much about Uranus, but it’s said that when these 3 weapons are put together, they will be powerful enough to destroy the world.

The theory insists that One Piece is the combined force of all the Ancient Weapons, and the world would be united by one ultimate power. It’s certainly considered credible; However, I feel it’s not suitable for a boys’ manga if the treasure is actually a weapon.

4. One Piece is Panthalassa; the United Ocean

The globe in One Piece is divided by the Grand Line into four Blue Seas. The Grand Line is dangerous to enter, so each sea is isolated from the others. Some fans declare that One Piece is the world when the Blue Seas unite as one after a possible movement of the tectonic plates. This theory is consistent with the legendary ocean All Blue that Chef Sanji is pursuing for the abundance of resources of food. It, however, might be too big to describe as, according to the author, ‘something concrete’.

5. One Piece is a Means of Communication that Connects People

One unique theory tells of a means of communication like the internet. Apart from newspapers, the main communication tool in One Piece is ‘Den Den Mushi’, which is similar to a telephone. Some fans theorise that a revolutionary development of their communication technology unites humanity as one, and One Piece is that technology.

Some might say that the internet has united the world in a sense, as a result we can share information all over the world. If indeed the treasure is a revolutionary information network, I can’t wait to see how the story evolves with it.

What do you think?

As we have seen above, there are many theories and speculations regarding ‘The Great Treasure of One Piece’. I presume that it will be a while before the real identity of One Piece is revealed. Until then, we can enjoy ourselves anticipating what this One Piece actually is.

Do you have a theory? Let us know in the comments below!