The manga One Piece has finally revealed the mysteries of the Void Century, with the death of Nefertari Cobra shedding light on the enigmatic figures of Joy Boy and Im Sama. During the Void Century, roughly 800 years ago according to the One Piece calendar, Joy Boy was a ruler whose history and problems have only been uncovered recently. Now, as the pieces fall into place, the creation of the World Government and the history of the ancient artifacts known as Poneglyphs are finally coming to light.
The death of Cobra, one of the 20 kings allied with Im Sama, the leader of One Piece’s universe, has brought to light several other One Piece mysteries. One of which is Im Sama’s betrayal of Joy Boy and the ancient empire during the war at Night of the Void Century. The creation of the Poneglyphs to preserve the history of the ancient empire and the establishment of the World Government by the 20 kings who defeated the empire have also been revealed.
Im Sama was already ruling over One Piece when the 20 allied kings formed the World Government, with the kings living in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise above the Red Line. They swore an oath that no one would be above them in front of the Empty Throne. Meanwhile, the descendants of the 20 kings are known as Celestial Dragons, and they still wield immense power in the One Piece universe.
When the war against the Ancient Kingdom began to turn in favor of the 20 kings, it became clear that the history of the kingdom would be erased by the victors. To combat this fate and preserve their history, the Kozuki clan created the Poneglyphs, indestructible stone blocks that serve to preserve information for future generations.
Shandora, also known as the Golden City, was one of the wealthiest places in the Void Century. It was a part of the Ancient Kingdom and was eventually destroyed by the 20 kings. Though it was wiped out, the people survived and lived in Upper Yard in Sky Island though the city was destroyed, the ruins were discovered by Robin in Skypiea.
Joy Boy himself was one of the most prominent figures of the Void Century. He was thought to have connections to the Ancient Kingdom and may have held a position of great authority within it. He had the power of the Nika fruit, or possibly Nika itself. During the war against the 20 kings, he made a promise to Posiedon. Although he was unable to keep this promise, Luffy is the one who will fulfill it.
The Arc at Egg Island introduced the remaining Iron Giants that were believed to be powered by ancient fuel. These Giants were created by the Nineteen Kingdoms more than 800 years ago during the Void Century. Two hundred years before the current One Piece arc, they attacked Mariejois and were subdued. They eventually found their way to Egg Island, where Vegapunk studied them extensively.
The creation of one of the Three Ancient Weapons, Pluton, was another major event during the Void Century. It is thought that the Ancient Kingdom had advanced knowledge and that they could create weapons capable of mass destruction. The battleship-sized weapon was created on Water 7 Island, perhaps in response to the threat posed by the 20 kings. It is unknown if the Ancient Kingdom ever used Pluton, but it was eventually sealed underground in Wano.
Finally, a major event during the Void Century was the Great War that effectively determined the age’s events. The war was fought between the Ancient Kingdom and 20 allied nations. Although the reasons behind the war are unknown, it may have been driven by scientific knowledge. As the puzzle pieces of One Piece’s history fall into place, the mysteries of the Void Century are slowly coming to light.
