One Piece has always been a source of surprise and mystery for its fans. There are many events, characters, and places that mangaka Eiichiro Oda has yet to reveal in the One Piece universe. One of these mysteries includes the enigmatic Ask D Question in One Piece.
According to CBR, Gol D Roger, the Pirate King, is usually attributed to starting the story of One Piece. He acquired everything the world had to offer and left it in one place, before challenging the world to find it. His dying words inspired many to seek out their biggest dreams, ultimately starting the Great Age of Pirates.
At least, that’s what the anime wants fans to believe. Some fans jokingly suggest that someone else is responsible for the inciting incident of One Piece. This is the person who first made Roger realize the existence of his legendary treasure. Without this person, the story would never have happened.
So who is Ask D Question in One Piece? This person appeared in a flashback during Roger’s execution in Episode 48, “The Town of the Beginning and the End – Arrival at Logue Town.” When Roger is on the scaffold, he seems content to let the executioners end his life quickly without saying a word. However, one of the onlookers calls out to him to reveal what he did with his treasure and, perhaps, his legendary One Piece. It was only when this person asked the defining question that Roger admitted his treasure was in “that place” and urged everyone to find it.
This person does not have a name in the canon, but fans lovingly refer to him as Ask D Question. This is part of the D. Will of Fate game, where people with middle initials are destined to shake up the world. Other examples include Wheres D Treasure, Ran D. Omuyi, and Start D. Story. Of course, in the context of the story, Ask D Question is not considered too special. He is not even featured in the next version of the execution shown throughout the anime.
At least this person’s bravery contrasts with all the other major names who witnessed Roger’s execution. Whether it was Crocodile, Dracule Mihawk, Gecko Moria, Donquixote Doflamingo, or Monkey D Dragon, they did not dare to ask Roger where his world-changing treasure was stored. If they did, they didn’t bother to speak.
Ask D Question may have been just a regular citizen who didn’t do much, but at this moment, he had more ambition than anyone else. Whatever happens to Ask D Question, his contribution to the story cannot be overlooked. If it weren’t for him, Roger might have died peacefully and the Great Age of Pirates might not be as we know it today. If pirates weren’t sure that One Piece existed out there, they wouldn’t risk their lives to find it.
It’s not important who Ask D Question is, but there are people who have big enough hopes and dreams to ask that question to the Pirate King. In the end, Ask D Question is not just a character, but a symbol of the hope and ambition that drives even ordinary people to do extraordinary things in One Piece.
