World Government (One Piece)
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The World Government (世界政府, Sekai Seifu) is a fictional political organization in the Japanese manga and anime series One Piece.
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[edit] About the World Government
The World Government is affiliated with roughly 180 countries from around the world. Those member countries retain autonomy, that is to say, the countries run their own internal affairs (though the World Government does sometimes meddle), but cooperate with the World Government for massive international relations.
At first glance, the World Government seems to maintain a worldly order that benefits all, making the world safe for the sake of everyone. Using the Navy, they pursue criminals endangering the lives of those who are innocent, protecting the people of each country in the world. The World Government is the largest World Power maintaining full rights to halt or encourage any political action without question or opposition from any side.
The reality though is that, unknown to most citizens (and many world leaders), the World Government's actions are secretly and often based on corruption or questionable motives. Often when the storyline involves them, it shows them hiding the truth or ignoring the rights of the people. Individuals who become the enemies of the World Government are ruthlessly hunted down and dealt with and all those who walk along the same path as them are doomed to share the World Government's fury.
The World Government's power to release any information on anyone or anything they choose often cause the truth being hidden, altered or ignored all together. Any countries attempting to protect or harbour criminals are at risk from the World Government, although what would happen exactly has not been addressed yet. For the most part, the important role in maintaining world stability on a political ground far outweighs the corruption they often display.
Often there is a 'holy' or 'just' theme to the naming of things related to the World Government, like 'the Just Eleven Jurymen'.
[edit] Past interferences
[edit] The Blank Century
During Professor Clover's phone conversation with the Gorōsei, we learn more about the World Government. A long time ago, an enormous kingdom existed, which took great pride in its power and strength. During this time, the Ancient Weapons were constructed. People of that kingdom left the Poneglyphs as the only record of their existence, shortly before they were destroyed by some unknown enemy. Those enemies survived and, at the end of the Lost Century of History 800 years ago, the World Government was born. The Blank Century, according to Professor Clover, may be inconvenient history for the World Government. The kingdom held a great power, but all information about that was erased, along with that nation's ideals. Just as Professor Clover was going to speak the name of the ancient kingdom, one of the Gorōsei ordered him shot. Throughout known history, anyone wishing to study the Blank Century has been accused of trying to resurrect the Ancient Weapons and prosecuted as a criminal by the Government; knowledge of the poneglyphs is considered a crime in the highest degree.
[edit] The Ohara Incident
Twenty-six years before the current events, scholars on the island of Ohara were secretly researching the Blank Century; several archaeologists including Nico Olvia departed on a voyage to search for the Poneglyphs. About six years later, Olvia was captured by the Marines, who murdered her colleagues and branded her a criminal. Plans were laid for a Buster Call on Ohara, with Vice-Admiral Saul in command; but Saul was shocked at the government's brutality towards "simple historians" and deserted, freeing Nico Olvia from prison in the process.
Olvia went straight home and warn her colleagues (including Professor Clover) before attempting to escape, but was recaptured by Director Spandine and agents of CP9. Cipher Pol soldiers ransacked the Tree of Knowledge and discovered a poneglyph in the basement. the professor was granted a phone conversation with the Gorōsei, and revealed much information pertaining to the Blank Century (see above).
As Clover was about to speak the lost kingdom's name, the Gorōsei had him shot and gave the order to commence the Buster Call, saying that Ohara's knowledge had "exceeded its bounds" and needed to be wiped out. The fleet, led by Vice-Admiral Kuzan (who would later become Aokiji), opened fire while civilians were directed to a waiting rescue ship and soldiers set fire to the Tree. Spandine abandoned Olvia and fled the bombardment, although he learned that eight-year-old Nico Robin could also interpret the poneglyphs. Robin was kept from boarding the refugee ship, which was sunk moments later by Vice-Admiral Sakazuki. Saulo had ended up on the island by chance, and destroyed six warships to protect Robin before being killed by Aokiji, who allowed Robin to escape as Ohara was utterly obliterated.
In the months that followed, the World Government, working in tandem with the Marines, issued a massive coverup. Little Nico Robin was blamed for Saulo's destruction and given a bounty of 79,000,000 beri; publicly, the Ohara scholars were called "demons" and accused of seeking the Ancient Weapons.
[edit] Unspecified hostage incident
Fifteen years before the Alabasta Coverup (see below), an unnamed (unseen in the manga but used as filler in the anime) pirate captain took five hundred of a certain nation's soldiers hostage and demanded the throne. As the king was about to cave, the World Government sent an "emissary": thirteen-year-old Rob Lucci, who resolved the hostage problem by murdering every single hostage before beheading the pirate captain.
[edit] The Conspiracy of Water 7
The World Government made a move once again some 8 years ago at the island of Water 7. They discovered that the blueprints of the ancient weapon, Pluton, existed there and were under the protection of the great shipwright Tom. At that time, Tom had two apprentices working for him, Cutty Flam and Iceburg. Tom had spent the last ten years building a steam powered boat that would help make Water 7 a great city in order to cancel out the crime of building the ship belonging to Gold Roger. Tom was confronted by CP5 under the orders of the World Government to find and take the blueprints from Tom. However, Tom protected the blueprints by denying he ever had them.
Angry that Tom lied to him, Spandam, the leader of the CP5, decided to investigate Tom under the notion that he was a criminal. At the same time, he decided to frame Tom for not handing over the blueprints to him. On the day Tom was due for pardon for building Gold Roger's ship, CP5 attacked the boat the trial was to be held on using warships made by Cutty Flam, one of Tom's apprentices. Everyone knew who the warships belonged to and presumed Tom had ordered them to attack the trial boat to save himself. Still hoping to get the blueprints from Tom, Spandam confronted him once more declaring Tom as a criminal under CP5 and the World Government's investigation. However things did not go as planned. As Tom had been allowed to have one crime pardoned, he asked to have the crime committed that day, the attack on the trial boat, to be pardoned so that he could save his two apprentices.
As Tom was carted off on the steam boat he had created, Cutty Flam tried to stop it from leaving but was hit by the train and declared dead. After being declared dead, Cutty Flam was put down to being the one behind the attacks and he was known as a criminal who caused the deaths of over 100 people that day. Cutty Flam did not die however, as he managed to drag himself from the ocean and onto an abandoned ship, where he proceeded to modify himself into a Cyborg and later guising himself by bearing the new name Franky. Prior to being carted off, Tom had already handed the Pluton blueprints to Iceburg, the only apparent surviving apprentice of Tom. Thus once again the World Government had lost its chance to get hold of the blueprints.
[edit] The Alabasta Cover-up
One of the most recent actions made by the World Government was to hide the truth about Sir Crocodile and his actions in Alabasta. After Sir Crocodile was defeated and the secret behind the Baroque Works organization was discovered, the World Government took actions to cover-up the events that took place in that country. While it was Monkey D. Luffy and his crew that took out the Baroque Works organization, the World Government did not want the public to know that it was a pirate who defeated Crocodile and saved the kingdom of Alabasta. Captain Smoker and his partner Tashigi were awarded all the credit for the group's defeat and capture, and were given promotions.
To add to this, both were rewarded with medals and promotions, however, Smoker rejected both the medals and promotions for his partner and himself. Roronoa Zoro was given a bounty of 60,000,000 berri for defeating over 100 agents at Whiskey Peak and his defeat of Das Bones (Mr. 1), while Luffy's previous 30,000,000 berri bounty was raised to 100,000,000 after the Alabasta events.
[edit] The Second Water 7 Conspiracy
Later, Director Spandam was tipped off by Admiral Aokiji that the Straw Hat Pirates had recruited Nico Robin and were on their way to Water 7. Threatening the Straw Hats with a Buster Call, CP9 forced Robin to work with them. She and a disguised Blueno entered Iceburg's mansion and shot him, deliberately leaving him alive so that the Straw Hats would be publicly blamed.
The next night, CP9 attacked the mansion in full force with masks hiding their identities, and defeated dozens of Galley-La shipwrights who were protecting their boss. While retrieving the Pluton blueprints, foreman Paulie was attacked by Kaku and Lucci, who discovered the blueprints were fake. While Robin kept Iceburg under guard, CP9 met and decided to reveal their identities. Rob Lucci posited that Iceburg had given the blueprints to Franky, who had returned to the island four years previously and identified himself to Califa (only once) as Cutty Flam; Kaku used Iceburg's pulse to confirm this. The Straw Hats tried to interfere, hoping to clear their names and learn Robin's motivation. Robin was sent to the train station while CP9 easily defeated the Straw Hats.
Setting the mansion on fire (with Paulie and Iceburg trapped inside), CP9 hurriedly set out to locate Franky before Aqua Laguna struck. After brutally attacking the Franky Family, they learned that Franky was hiding out in Tom's old workshop, holding Usopp and the Going Merry as bait for Luffy. CP9 ransacked the warehouse, taking Franky prisoner when the Pluton blueprints could not be located. Spandam was notified of this, and eagerly anticipated his reunion with "Cutty Flam." Usopp was also captured, and Kaku sent the Merry into the sea. Chopper rescued Paulie and Iceburg, and the truth was made known; however, CP9 successfully departed with their prisoners aboard the Puffing Tom, bound for Enies Lobby.
[edit] Government Workers
[edit] Gorōsei
- Seiyū: Masato Hirano, Yasunori Masutani, Keiichi Noda, Kenichi Ogata, and Keiichi Sonobe
- Voice Actors (FUNimation): ?, ?, ?, ?, ?
The heads of the Government are the Gorōsei (五老星 Five Elder Stars). They are five elderly men who rule above the Navy, the Cipher Pol and made a pact with the Shichibukai. The tall thin one with the moustache (second from right) spoke with Professor Clover, ordered Spandine to kill him and initiate the Buster Call .
They have been shown to have at least a basic knowledge of the occurrences of the Void century, according to their shocked reactions to Professor Clover's statements.
[edit] World Nobles
The World Nobles (or Tenryuubito (Heavenly Dragon People)) are the descendants of the twenty kings who founded the World Government eight hundred years ago. They are corrupt and arrogant, taking part in the slave trade and they carry their own oxygen supplies so that they do not need to breathe the same air as commoners. According to Hatchan, they have the authority to summon one of the three Admirals.
[edit] Saint Roswald
One of the Nobles seen so far, Saint Roswald is an old, grumpy man with a devil-like creature as slave. He is constantly trying to discipline his daughter, Sharlia, to no vain.
[edit] Saint Sharlia
Sharlia is Saint Roswald's daughter. She was keeping the pirate, Devil Dias, as a slave but he got away and was knocked out after which she shot him. She looks like her father but is more arrogant.
[edit] Saint Charlos
Saint Charlos, the son of Saint Roswald, is a gross looking man, who is almost always seen having a runny nose with mucus reaching down. He makes many random beautiful women his wives, even if they are engaged or married, he cares nothing for commoners and even knocked over a man that was bleeding intensely. Charlos was almost killed by Roronoa Zoro when he shot at him, but Jewelry Bonney saved Zoro by faking his death. Charlos appears again during the slave auction in the hopes that he would find a mermaid. He bids 500,000,000 beri on Caimie, but Luffy breaks in before he claim her. When Luffy tries to save Caimie, Charlos shoots Hachi as he tries to restrain Luffy. Luffy then proceeds to punch Charlos in his anger.
[edit] Navy
[edit] Shichibukai
[edit] Cipher Pol
[edit] Vegapunk
Professor Vegapunk is a scientist in the employ of the Navy. His contributions include discovering the use of seastone, which, aside from being used to weaken Devil Fruit users, is also employed to hide ships from Sea Kings by applying a layer to the shipbottom. Furthermore, he also researched Devil Fruits, and gained an understanding of how their powers mutate. He is also the one who has figured out the recently developed technqiue for making objects "eat" Devil Fruit as well. In a recent SBS, it was stated that the Straw Hats will most likely meet him in their travels later on. Bartholomew Kuma mentions that Vegapunk's genius is 500 years ahead of their time, and that he was the one to give him his cybernetic parts.
[edit] Government Soldiers
These are the equals of the Marine Seamen in the direct employ of the World Government. Unlike the Marines, their rank system and hierarchy is, to date, completely unknown, although they seem to fight alongside marine soldiers quite regularly.
Their uniform is black, labeled with the emblem of the World Government in white.
[edit] Corgi
- Seiyū: Hisao Egawa
- Voice Actor (FUNimation): ?
Corgi (コーギ, Kōgi) is a "regular" worker, being something of a commander amongst the Government Soldiers, as he is seen speaking to the CP9 agents of the security of the Sea Train. He constantly tries to get Iceburg to hand over the blueprint of the Pluton. However, he is denied and is seen leaving in a huff. He later appears accompanying the CP9 and watching Robin aboard the Puffing Tom, and was later knocked out by Sogeking (Usopp) during the rescue attempt. He is able to sniff out pirates. Although he sometimes wonders if his gift is right or not, he has never missed a pirate.
[edit] Workers at Enies Lobby
[edit] Chief Judge Baskerville
Three-Headed Baskerville (３つ首のバスカビル Mittsu-Kubi no Basukabiru) is the gigantic, three-headed Chief Justice (裁判長 Saibanchō) on the island of Enies Lobby, in the service of the World Government and the Navy. He is Enies Lobby's only known (and probably only) judge (three judges) . He is a walking tribunal, and each of his three heads has a mind of its own: On the left and controllng the left hand is Left Baskerville, on the right and controlling the right hand is Right Baskerville, and in the middle is Center Baskerville, who prefers to call himself such things as "Center Freeway" and "Center Lone Mainline" instead of his actual name. In addition, each head has a distinct personality, and legal opinions to match: for example, Left Baskerville is in favor of punishing the Straw Hat Pirates because they are criminals, while Right Baskerville takes the opposite viewpoint and recommends letting them go. Center Baskerville, as his self-styled nicknames suggest, is a wild card: he consistently offers the "compromise" of execution, which is more extreme than either of the other two heads' viewpoints. This often leads to Left and Right Baskerville yelling at him and banging their heads against his own. Although being originally a judge they can also fight with a sword.
When they are chopped up by an attack from Paulie & Zambai, it revealed that Baskerville is actually three people. Center Baskerville is a man with very large legs but small arms, and Left and Right have very large arms but small legs. Left and Right actually sit on Center's thighs. Right's real name is Bas, Left's real name is Kerville, and Center calls himself Princess.
Eiichirō Oda seems to have drawn from a number of British sources as inspiration for Baskerville. The character's name comes from the famous Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Oda also paid homage to the novel by having Baskerville's elite subordinates direct packs of military canines. Baskerville himself appears to be based substantially on the Three-Headed Knight in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which shares a general resemblance in costume and argues with itself in much the same manner as Baskerville does. Combined with the character's speech quirks and stereotypical British faces (particularly that of Right Baskerville), it seems abundantly clear that the idea for Baskerville was inspired by sources from the United Kingdom. Members of the Franky Family also made references to Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the entrance of the Underworld in Greek Mythology.
[edit] Oimo and Kaashii
Oimo and Kaashii are the two giants that guard the front gate of Enies Lobby. They fight against the Franky Family, Straw Hat Pirates, and Galley-La foremen as soon as the three groups invade the island. Kaashii falls first against the combined effort of the group and Oimo is defeated when Rocketman, the prototype Sea Train, jumps the gate and crashes into him. The two are left as the protagonists press forward. However, Usopp (still disguised as Sogeking), who had been accidentally left behind, hears them lament about their tragic existence: They had joined and worked for the Government for 50 years only because they thought that the leaders of their clan were being held captive in prison. Oimo and Kaashii were promised that by serving the World Government, their leaders would be released. As luck (for the Straw Hats) would have it their leaders were none other than Dorry and Broggy, whom the Straw Hats had met during the Little Garden arc (This revelation was met with some concern, considering that the entire Little Garden arc was cut from the American dub). When Usopp realized this, he told the two the real truth and how he had met them. Angered at being deceived for 50 years, Oimo and Kaashii switched sides and swore vengeance upon the World Government and Naval forces that had kept them in the dark for so long. They arrived just in time to save the Franky Family from being overwhelmed by the marines when Yokozuna gets knocked out, as well as take over it in guarding the door to the inner courthouse, keeping the marines out — But not before flinging Sogeking up to the rooftop to rejoin the Straw Hats.
After the main battle is done, they carried Sodom and Gommorah and the Franky Family out of the path of the inpending Buster Call, and manage to escape on the Puffing Tom. They were seen repairing Water 7 and joined in the party with the Straw Hats. They plan to return to Elbaf and hope to meet Sogeking there someday and have recently set off for Elbaf in the "Where they are now" Mini-Series Comic.
[edit] Hou no Banken Butai
Translation: Watchdog unit of the law
"Houbantai" for short, these are the first class guards at Enies Lobby under the control of Baskerville. They consist of a group of troops that wear arm blades and they are backed by dogs. They have the flag of the World Government tattooed on their arms.
[edit] Just Eleven Jurymen
These are the strongest and most fearsome of the troops at Enies Lobby under Baskerville's command. They are eleven men each wielding a large ball on a chain. They are the final say in whether a criminal sent to Enies Lobby is guilty or innocent. The Jurymen themselves are pirates who are faced with death and have decided since they have no other fate they will try and take out as many other criminals as they can with them. Because of this notion they have adopted, in the whole of the history of Enies Lobby no one has ever been pronounced innocent by the Jurymen. The kanji on their arms say "Guilty".
[edit] Judicial Ships
Only remembered in the flashbacks by Franky, these ships are a traveling court and may judge a person anywhere. The one encountered judged Tom and sentenced him to death in Enies Lobby. It was later destroyed by Spandam as part of his plot against Tom.
[edit] Judicial Ship Personnel
The Judicial ship is accompanied by marines on board and is presided over supremely by its Judge. The one in question judged Tom twice - first sentencing him to death in Enies Lobby for building Gol D. Roger's ship, the Oro Jackson, but pardoned him after hearing Tom's plan with the sea train, thus allowing him to build it. After fourteen years, he returned to Water 7 and was positively fascinated with the sea train, planning to pardon Tom permanently. However, his ship was attacked on the orders of Spandam, then leader of CP5, using Franky's battleships, and afterwards made Tom and his apprentices responsible for the crime. The judge pardoned Tom for the original offense, but sentenced him and his apprentices for what Spandam had done. At the last moment, Tom managed to bargain that the building of the sea train may pardon the crime committed that day instead, and confessed to aiding Gol D. Roger, hoping to save Franky and Iceburg from death. The judge agreed, and Tom was taken away by CP5 on the sea train he built.
[edit] Government Bases
[edit] Enies Lobby
Known as the most powerful government fortress Enies Lobby is the setting of the Enies Lobby arc. It is relatively close to Water 7 and is connected to it by the Sea Train. It is defended by a variety of troops and warriors including CP9. The island possessed many novelties including the fact that it is a No Night island. The islands waters are ringed by a massive fence. The island itself hangs out over a massive hole in the ocean making access to the island difficult. The entrance to the island is from the part thats on the sea through two gates. To get to the Tower of Justice on a cliff/island on the opposite side of the hole you have to enter the islands Court house and lower its drawbridge. The Tower of Justice is the dwelling of CP9. Prisoners who are taken to it proceed to and underwater tunnel that leads to the Bridge of Hesitation. From there they pass trough the colossal Gate Of Justice. After that they go to Navy Headquarters or Impel Down. Enies Lobby was destroyed by the Buster Call.
[edit] Mariejoa
The capital of the World Government. It sits attop the Red Line at the opposite end as Reverse Mountain. It is one of only two ways to cross into the New World. The Gorosei dwell here as well as the Fleet Admiral of the Navy. It is the location of the counsel of the kings. It has also been shown to be the meeting place of the Shichibukai. From its appearances and the flashbacks it is clear Mariejoa is a magnificent place. Considering the fact the World Government has been around for 800 years, Mariejoa has likely been around for a similar amount of time.
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