Luffy and Blackbeard’s First Meeting in One Piece: A Key to Understanding the Void Century War

Recently, One Piece enthusiasts have been discussing a theory that delves into the relationship between Luffy and Blackbeard’s ideologies and the mysterious Void Century war. As many fans are aware, the World Government has kept a significant event from the Void Century hidden from the public. This theory suggests that the conflict between adventure and domination, represented by the protagonist and antagonist, may be at the heart of this hidden history.

The theory extends its comparison to real-life events, specifically the age of discovery when European nations embarked on voyages to the new world, to illustrate author Eiichiro Oda’s approach in One Piece. It is widely believed that Luffy and Blackbeard symbolize the contrasting aspects of exploration.

This could provide additional insight into the fate of civilizations that existed before the establishment of the World Government, as well as shedding light on the subjugation of the Fishman race by the same entity.

This article contains spoilers for the series. Please be aware of this before reading.

Explaining how Luffy and Blackbeard symbolize the conflict of the Void Century in the current One Piece series

This theory posits that Oda draws inspiration from the real-life era of discovery, which spanned from the 15th to 17th century and primarily featured Spanish pirates journeying to the land now known as America, while Portuguese pirates ventured to what is now modern-day Japan.

This eventually led to a 200-year period of isolation for Japan due to conflicts with the Portuguese, known as the Tokugawa Shogunate, which served as the inspiration for the fictional land of Wano.

During the time of the Void Century, there was a significant amount of conflict and bloodshed between the invaders and the inhabitants of the lands they conquered. This theory suggests that this was likely the case as the army that eventually formed the World Government aggressively seized and annihilated numerous islands and territories. It is also speculated that Joy Boy, the first explorer, was unable to defend the people, which is why his message to Poseidon on Fishman Island is interpreted as an expression of regret.

As per the theory, Luffy, who has been officially declared as the new Joy Boy, embodies the concept of sailing the oceans purely for the thrill of it. In contrast, Blackbeard symbolizes disorder and domination. This could potentially lead to a confrontation between the two, reminiscent of the ancient Void Century battle.

More on Blackbeard and his involvement with Luffy

Blackbeard in the anime (Image via Toei Animation).

Despite being portrayed as Luffy’s ultimate adversary, Blackbeard’s role as the ultimate villain in One Piece has been a subject of speculation for a long time. This is due to the fact that his journey in the series closely resembles that of Luffy’s, with both characters being polar opposites. While they share the common goal of becoming the Pirate King and have assembled a crew of companions, Blackbeard’s crew consists of notorious criminals.

Hence, it would make perfect sense that Blackbeard’s actions of destroying places during his sea adventures are a reflection of the ideologies that fueled the Void Century war, in direct opposition to Luffy’s character.

Final thoughts

This theory about One Piece provides a suitable explanation for the events that may have occurred during the Void Century and also offers further insight into the real-life inspirations behind Oda’s work. However, like many theories, it cannot be confirmed as fact.