One Piece: Whitebeard is a prominent supporting character in the One Piece series. He is considered a talented captain with enough power to blow away an entire fleet. But in the end, he had to fall. What is the real reason for Whitebeard's departure in the story?
What happens after One Piece: Whitebeard dies?
Right after the "Impel Down Arc" is the "Marineford Arc", where one of the most iconic battles in the One Piece anime took place. This is also where Whitebeard lost his life. Although his death left many regrets, it was also an essential detail to continue developing the story.
One Piece: Whitebeard was one of the Four Emperors and the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. Despite being a pirate, he played an extremely important role in the balance of power in the world, and it is no surprise that his death immediately threw the balance off balance. After Whitebeard and Portgas D. Ace left, the Navy won a landslide victory, while the surrounding pirates tore apart Whitebeard's territory. Even Blackbeard benefited because he was able to steal Whitebeard's Devil Fruit power, becoming a formidable force and at the same time earning himself the position of the New Four Emperor.
What does the author's implication of Whitebeard's death show?
Whitebeard was a pirate, not a king or emperor, and he knew full well that the pirate world was based on a system of “might makes right.” No matter how strong and talented he was, there were always enemies out to take his life. Because there are no boundaries or balances of power that can last forever in a world like One Piece.
To be fair, anyone else could be targeted for assassination if they had too much, as is the unwritten rule. One Piece is not a world of equality or ruler worship; the current leader is just the most recent victor in the Pirate Wars, and no one stays on top for long.
Even the former Pirate King Gol D. Roger couldn't stay on top forever, and like Whitebeard, he fell with a smile on his face, not tears. Both Roger and One Piece: Whitebeard knew that everyone eventually lost in this game, so they left peacefully. Therefore, in order for the plot to develop smoothly as well as show the pirate spirit, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda needed to remove this powerful character. Whitebeard's death also partly proves: No pirate is truly invincible.
Whitebeard's passing opens a whole new era
However, Whitebeard’s death not only reinforced the “Survival of the fittest” mentality of the Pirate world, but also opened the door to a whole new storyline. Many characters appeared and made their mark in many ways: conquering large islands, competing for the position of Yonko or hunting for the treasure One Piece. Obviously, the Straw Hat Pirates were also involved, and Luffy also tried his best for the sacrifice of both Ace and Whitebeard.
This is also the time to reposition the old characters, typically Gecko Moria, who was considered the weakest of the Shichibukai, was stripped of his title. In the New World, his power was not enough and needed to be replaced by someone stronger. Any position in One Piece can be replaced, the person holding that position must work tirelessly to maintain his position.
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Now, Luffy and his crew are facing new enemies while the old ones are left behind. They travel everywhere from Fishman Island to Wano to face enemies stronger than ever. Without Whitebeard's symbolic and world-shaking sacrifice, this probably wouldn't have been possible.
Hobiverse has already decoded the author's intention behind the departure of One Piece: Whitebeard . His death was necessary to start the New World, helping the One Piece masterpiece have completely new twists. And you, what do you think about this detail?
