The Four Emperors are four pirates considered to be the most notorious and powerful captains in the world. Currently, these four are recognized as Shanks, Marshall D. Teach, Monkey D. Luffy, and Buggy, with known predecessors being Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaidou.
Historically, the Emperors have dominated the second half of the Grand Line (the "New World"), captaining powerful subordinates and massive fleets while exerting influence and control over dozens of separate pirate crews and even full-fledged nations. As such, the World Government views them collectively as one of the Three Great Powers underpinning world stability. However, no formal system supports them; each Emperor works as an independent force, and may oppose or align with whomever they see fit.
With the rise of the Worst Generation, the Emperors underwent much upheaval, beginning with Teach's murder of Newgate during Summit War of Marineford[8] and usurpation of his position.[9][10] Two years after the war, Kaidou and Linlin formed an unprecedented two-Emperor alliance, only to be toppled by the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance in the Raid on Onigashima. Subsequently, Luffy and Buggy were declared new Emperors, the former for defeating Kaidou in combat and the latter for his unwitting "leadership" of the infamous Cross Guild.[3]
The concept of the Four Emperors was first revealed by Garp in the Post-Enies Lobby Arc, and this group has had an especially large role in the second half of the series. Luffy has had varying relationships with each Emperor, but intends to defeat all of them in his quest to become the Pirate King.[11] Big Mom and Kaidou respectively served as the main antagonists of the Whole Cake Island and Wano Country Sagas.
Members
- See also the associated category: Four Emperors.
Former | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Crews | |||
- †: the character is deceased.
- ?: the character's status is unknown.
- ≠: the character is non-canon.
- ‡: the character is no longer part of this group. Hovering the symbol may give further details.
- *: other relevant information. Hovering the symbol gives further details.
Members' Profile
| Name | Affiliations | bounty | Abilities and Powers | Epithet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Members | ||||
| Shanks |
|
"Red-Haired Shanks" (赤髪のシャンクス, Akagami no Shankusu?) | ||
| Marshall D. Teach |
|
|
"Blackbeard" (黒ひげ, Kurohige?) | |
| Buggy |
|
"The Star Clown" (千両道化, Senryō Dōke?) "The Clown" (道化, Dōke?) | ||
| Monkey D. Luffy |
|
|
"Straw Hat" (“麦わら” モンキー・D・ルフィ, "Mugiwara" Monkī Dī Rufi?) | |
| Former Members | ||||
| Edward Newgate † |
|
"Whitebeard" (白ひげ, Shirohige?) "The Strongest Man in the World" (世界最強の男, Sekai Saikyō no Otoko?) "The Man Closest to the One Piece" ( | ||
| Charlotte Linlin ? |
|
|
"Big Mom" (ビッグ・マム, Biggu Mamu?) "Evil Spirit" (悪神, Akujin?) | |
| Kaidou ? |
|
|
"Kaidou of the Beasts" (百獣のカイドウ, Hyakujū no Kaidō?) "The Strongest Creature" (最強の生物, Saikyō no Seibutsu?) "Wise King" (明王, Myōō?) | |
Chronology
The following is a chronology of the known Emperor lineups:
| Information | Members |
|---|---|
| The Four Emperors original line-up | ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
| Edward Newgate dies during the Summit War of Marineford, and a year later, Marshall D. Teach replaces him after the Payback War | ![]() ![]() ![]()
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| Both Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin are defeated during the Raid on Onigashima, and both Monkey D. Luffy and Buggy replace them. | ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Strength
Garp speaking about the Four Emperors in Water 7.
As an entity, the Four Emperors are one of the Three Great Powers of the world, the others being the Marines and the Seven Warlords of the Sea (the latter of which were abolished and replaced with the Seraphim).[13] Their strength and influence are such that they live quite literally as though they are sovereigns, doing mostly as they please as the "Emperors of the Sea" (海の皇帝, Umi no Kōtei?).
Individually, the Emperors are usually considered to be the most powerful pirates in the world, with devastatingly powerful and versatile Devil Fruit abilities, immense physical prowess, a sheer mastery of Haki, or, most often, a combination of all three. Their individual bounties are among the highest in the world, with the lowest being
3,000,000,000 and the highest (formerly) over
5,000,000,000. The only known pirates with comparable bounties to the Four Emperors are their greatest known rivals: The captain of the Heart Pirates, "Surgeon of Death" Trafalgar Law and the captain of the Kid Pirates, Eustass "Captain" Kid are two of Straw Hat Luffy's biggest rivals among the Worst Generation, having the same bounty as him; "Hawk Eyes" Dracule Mihawk was Red-Haired Shanks' old swordsman rival before the latter lost an arm; and the Pirate King and captain of the Roger Pirates, Gol D. Roger, was Whitebeard's rival back when he was alive.
The only known exception to this is Buggy, who got his position and new massive bounty because of the many misconceptions made by the Marines, similar to how he was made a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Silhouettes of five of the people who have become Emperors.
In addition, all known former Emperors (Whitebeard, Kaidou, and Big Mom) were once members of the legendary Rocks Pirates, considered the world's strongest pirate crew of their time. Also, two of the current Emperors (Shanks and Buggy) are former members of the Roger Pirates under the service of the late Pirate King, and the other two (Teach and Luffy) are carriers of the Will of D.
During a Marine briefing, it was stated that an alliance between two of the Four Emperors could lead to the formation of the strongest pirate crew in recorded history, and that the collective bounty of such an organization's captains alone would easily dwarf that of even the Pirate King himself.[14] During the Raid on Onigashima, Luffy, Zoro, Kid, Killer, and Law worked desperately to separate Kaidou and Big Mom from each other and keep them separated due to how dangerous it was to face the two Emperors at the same time.[15]
The backing behind the Emperors is so powerful that a small conflict involving an Emperor can result in war. As such, a Vice Admiral's or higher's approval is needed to engage in combat,[16] and even CP0 are not allowed to engage them without prior clearance.[17]
Fleets
- Further information: Fleet
Though undeniably powerful in their own right, much of the Four Emperors' martial strength can be attributed to their large crews filled with hundreds or even thousands of elite combatants; as well as to their close alliances with other pirate captains.[18]
| Name | Leader | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Fleets | |||
| Red Hair Pirates' Fleet | Shanks |
|
The Red Hair Pirates forces are smaller in comparison to other Emperors, and while the exact number of their forces is currently unknown, it is known that the crew operates with the Chief and First Mate mainly in charge, and with the crew having eight Senior Officers who command the remainder of the crew. The Red Hair Pirates are also known to have many subordinate pirate crews under their umbrella, with the subordinate crews all free to do as they wish. While the majority of the crews under their control are large in number, they are notably weak combat-wise, with the exception of the Giant Warrior Pirates. The main crew of the Red Hair Pirates do the majority of the fighting and are all skilled and seasoned combatants, making the Red Hair Pirates more balanced and impregnable as a group, showing little weakness overall, despite the difference in numbers. |
| Blackbeard Pirates' Fleet | Marshall D. Teach |
|
The Blackbeard Pirates forces have grown exponentially since the complete takeover of Whitebeard's territories and status as an Emperor. Blackbeard is supported by his Ten Titanic Captains, powerful officers who each have a Devil Fruit power, and lead a ship and division of their own, and consists of four pirates with unique skills, five of the most dangerous inmates from the world's most dangerous prison, Impel Down, including Shiryu, the ex-Head Jailer of the prison, and finally former Marine Admiral Kuzan, one of the Marines most powerful fighters. In addition to the main crew, Blackbeard has several subordinate crews under his command, and he also has the island of Hachinosu, which is essentially a nation of pirates, which he has complete control over. |
| Cross Guild | Buggy |
|
As a former Warlord of the Sea and now currently an Emperor, Buggy is the leader of a massive underworld organization with enough resources, manpower, and political influence to not only challenge the World Government and the Marines, but to place bounties on the Marines themselves, pitting the public against them and getting ordinary civilians, pirates, bounty hunters, and criminals to hunt them down instead of the opposite. The bulk of the organization consists of Buggy's original crew, the loyal and fanatical followers he gained from both Impel Down and from his previous organization, Buggy's Delivery, former Baroque Works Officer Agents Daz Bonez and Galdino, and finally two fellow ex-Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk. While the world officially recognizes Buggy as the leader of Cross Guild, in actuality, Crocodile and Mihawk are the ones in charge, and Buggy himself simply acts as a figurehead. |
| Straw Hat Grand Fleet | Monkey D. Luffy |
|
The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and current Emperor Monkey D. Luffy has a total of seven pirate crews who vowed to serve under him, effectively forming and serving as a fleet under his crew's command, despite Luffy himself not wanting to lead them. Regardless of Luffy's wishes, the seven representative captains of the fleet have all sworn allegiance to Luffy and vowed to come to his aid if he ever needs them, operating in a manner similar to both Whitebeard and Shanks' fleets, with them having the freedom to do as they wish, while also representing themselves as under Luffy's command. The Grand Fleet has at least 5,640 members from those seven crews, not counting the ten Straw Hat Pirates members themselves. After officially becoming an Emperor, Luffy himself was officially recognized by the world as the Grand Fleet's Senior Captain and boss, while the other nine members of the Straw Hats became recognized as his Senior Officers. |
| Former Fleets | |||
| Whitebeard Pirates' Fleet | Edward Newgate |
|
With at least 1617 members strong, Whitebeard commanded a massive pirate crew, with his forces being controlled by 16 powerful Division Commanders that make up the main fighters of his crew. Aside from their own 1617-member crew, the Whitebeard Pirates have many subordinate crews from the New World. Each one of the pirate captains was an infamous pirate who had made a name for him or herself in the New World; some of whom were once members of Whitebeard's main crew. There seemed to be at least 43 crews under Whitebeard's protection. |
| Big Mom Pirates' Fleet | Charlotte Linlin |
|
Big Mom's crew consists of tens of thousands of soldiers, ships, and Homies and are led by dozens of her children, and are further boosted by an unknown number of subordinate crews who married into the Charlotte Family,[19] including the Sun Pirates and the Fire Tank Pirates. The main crew's top brass is divided by combatants (categorized by "knight", "rook" and "bishop" titles), as well as many officers and their strongest members, the "Three Sweet Commanders". The sheer size of her crew is enough to overwhelm other powerful pirate crews and maintain the vast territory of Totto Land, which is willing to house anyone of any race so long as they offer one month of their lifespans every half-year. |
| Beasts Pirates' Fleet | Kaidou |
|
The Beasts Pirates are a massive pirate organization with roughly 20,000 members formed into an army organized along simple yet strict hierarchical lines. The crew had nine powerful Ancient Zoan users acting as the strongest fighters in his forces, with three of them, the All-Stars, serving as Kaidou's right-hand men, with the other six, the Tobiroppo, serving under them as well as potential candidates for succession of them, with other less powerful members known as Shinuchi. With this hierarchy, they are effectively able to operate as a massive fleet. The fleet also employed the use of Artificial Devil Fruits called SMILEs, which grant animal-like powers to those who eat them, to bolster the strength of their army, though only 10% of them are successful while the defective 90% cause the eaters to lose both the ability to swim and express negative emotions. The fleet is made up of at least 500 members who have eaten successful SMILEs called Gifters, while the rest of it is made up of roughly 4,500 members who ate defective SMILEs called Pleasures, as well as at least over 4,000 members who never got to eat a SMILE or any Devil Fruits at all called Waiters. The Beast Pirates also included several subordinate crews who swore loyalty to Kaidou (including the Drake Pirates, the On Air Pirates, and the Hawkins Pirates), a group of artificially created giants, a surveillance network of cyborg humans and animals called "Marys", and even the entirety of Shogun Kurozumi Orochi's forces, consisting of 5,000 samurai and 5,000 ninja who eventually swore their loyalty to Kaidou after he beheaded their Shogun. |
Officers and top officers of the Beasts Pirates.
Due to the sheer size of their crews, most of the Four Emperors utilize several executive officers to lead their forces. Because of their great strength and exposure as the top brass for the Emperor crews, they are regarded as a huge threat by the Marines, second only to their captains. This is further reinforced by their massive individual bounties, surpassing many infamous pirate captains and even the billion mark. Whitebeard had his 16 Division Commanders, each of whom had a hundred crew members under their command. Big Mom has the Sweet Commanders, Katakuri, Smoothie, Cracker, and formerly Snack, who are the strongest of all of Big Mom's children. Kaidou has his three-right hand men known as the All-Stars, also known as the Disasters, as well as the Tobiroppo, six extremely powerful pirates each wielding a powerful Ancient Zoan. Blackbeard has the Ten Titanic Captains, some of whom were the most powerful and ruthless criminals ever to be locked up in Impel Down and also has the former Marine Admiral Kuzan under his crew. Luffy has the Senior Officers of his main crew, and seven representatives of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, each of whom was instrumental in the fight against Doflamingo and his forces and even helped defeat his best fighters. These top officers are seen to be able to contend with the elites of the other two Great Powers: the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Marines. However, even the strongest of these officers cannot compare to the Four Emperors themselves, as seen when Big Mom easily overpowered Queen the Plague, one of the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates, and Marco the Phoenix, the former 1st division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Furthermore, during their first confrontation, Kaidou effortlessly defeated Luffy with just one blow, although at that time, he had already defeated two of the Big Mom Pirates' Sweet Generals; Charlotte Cracker and Charlotte Katakuri. The latter being the strongest officer and the strongest of the Big Mom Pirates, second only to the Empress herself.
Political marriage to strengthen the Big Mom Pirates.
Even with their already vast number of resources and strong subordinates, the Four Emperors continually seek to further their military might. Kaidou takes advantage of the superior craftsmen in Wano to make weapons that could otherwise not be made, as well as monopolize vast amounts of artificial Devil Fruits for his subordinates to eat. Kaidou also forces captive pirate captains into hard labor to break their spirits and make them subservient. Teach and his crew utilize the unknown method for stealing another person's Devil Fruit post-mortem in order to gain multiple powers. Big Mom constantly increases the strength of her crew by creating more and more Homies and by marrying her dozens of children into various powerful organizations to create a network of familial connections, forming the infrastructure of her forces.
Trafalgar Law claimed that there are only two methods of surviving in the New World; one is to become the subordinate of an Emperor and be protected under the umbrella of their dominion. Another is to constantly oppose their authority, that is, to defeat them. That was the main reason why he made a temporary alliance with Luffy to defeat Kaidou, as he knew he couldn't defeat him alone, and to increase his and his crew's chances of surviving in the New World.[20]
Influence
Whitebeard protecting an island from pirates who would do it harm.
Accordingly, each of the Four Emperors has a large number of territories that they govern within the New World. The Four Emperors provide protection to all who reside within their territories, keeping the borders safe from any faction that may wish to invade them. Because of their power, the Four Emperors can declare any chosen locations as their own. The mere declaration is often enough to compel others, both Marines and pirates alike, to acknowledge and respect their authority. When Whitebeard declared the crime-ridden Fish-Man Island to be under his control, he immediately ended all pirate attacks on the island as well as its slave trade, making Whitebeard much more effective than the treaty signed with the World Government 200 years before his death.
Some of the Emperors also have an island designated as their home base; this main territory of theirs would be heavily fortified, and any pirate crews unfortunate enough to venture there would likely either be wiped out or become subordinate to the Emperor. Big Mom's main territory, Whole Cake Island and the rest of Totto Land, for example, is heavily protected by scouting ships and by maritime watchtowers called Tartes that dot the coastlines of each of her islands, both prepared to inspect and potentially shoot down any ships not affiliated with her crew. She also has territorial sea slugs that patrol the waters, warning would-be intruders that they are entering her territory. Finally, Big Mom has 34 ministers as part of her administration, one to run the affairs of each of Totto Land's islands. Kaidou and his crew took over Wano Country as their main territory after conspiring with the Kurozumi Family to overthrow the Kouzuki shogunate twenty years ago. Since then, the Beasts Pirates have consolidated their power by monopolizing the country's resources to manufacture weapons at mass production for the underworld, specifically with Joker as their main broker and primary seller in the SMILE trade. Ryokugyu noted how Kaidou's presence in Wano had served as a deterrent in keeping many Marines and outsiders at bay.
The Four Emperors themselves are the linchpin to their respective crews' influence in the world, as Charlotte Perospero feared that if Big Mom were to die from a possible poisoned wedding cake, her crew and the entire Totto Land empire would collapse. When Whitebeard died, all the locations he declared to be his territory were instantly open for attacks and for other Emperors to take, and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were mainly shunned aside by the crew that usurped their infamy in the great sea.
The amount of influence they can possess, or are perceived to hold, is a crucial factor in deciding an Emperor in the public's eye. This is shown after the Raid of Onigashima; with Kaidou and Big Mom gone, the ones to replace them were Luffy and Buggy. In spite of nearly all the recently abolished Seven Warlords receiving bounties over a billion belly (with Mihawk possessing a bounty trumping either of the new Emperors'), and Law and Kid now holding a bounty equal to Luffy's, none of them were pronounced an Emperor, most likely due to their apparent lack of influence. On the other hand, Luffy's reputation and "fleet" give him great sway, while Buggy was mistaken as Crocodile and Mihawk's superior, with Crocodile's underworld connections helping fuel the newly established Cross Guild. Thanks to said influence on top of their own personal power (which Buggy truthfully lacks), neither the Marines nor any World Government official can carelessly face an Emperor at the risk of causing an all-out war that they are not prepared for. Even the Knights of God, who possess authority above other World Nobles, are hesitant to start fights against Emperors. This is seen when they fought the Straw Hats without Luffy around but only captured them and did not kill them for fear of angering the captain.[22]
They can also motivate others to partake in a life of piracy. Shanks personally inspired Luffy, and Whitebeard's last words inspired many pirates to travel to the Grand Line.
Balance of the Three Powers
It is only with the combined efforts of the Marines and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, as well as the distrust amongst themselves, that their power is kept in check. During the Summit War of Marineford, the Marines and Seven Warlords of the Sea needed to fight together just to engage one of the Four Emperors, Whitebeard, his crew, and their allies. The arrival of a second Emperor, Shanks, and his crew immediately brought an end to the hostilities, showing the power and influence they have without even needing to resort to combat, with Sengoku himself, who was the Fleet Admiral of the Marines at that time, stating that it was impossible to face two Emperors at the same time.
The Four Emperors themselves are not a coalition like the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and they follow their own discrete agendas. Nevertheless, some of the Emperors still have the intention of locating the One Piece and becoming Pirate King, while former Emperor Whitebeard had no such interest in doing so.
The possibility of two or more of the Four Emperors forming an alliance was enough of a threat to cause the World Government to panic, as seen when it unsuccessfully attempted to prevent a meeting between Shanks and Whitebeard. The World Government feared that the two Emperors would unify, creating a much more imposing threat that would disrupt the balance between the Great Powers. This feared scenario ultimately came to fruition when the Emperors Big Mom and Kaidou formed an alliance during the Wano Country Arc. A war between two of the Four Emperors is considered a terrifying crisis, as Shanks' interception of Kaidou's advancement on Whitebeard had taken the Marines by shock and awe, putting the World Government in a "cold sweat," as stated by one of the Marines.
Though very powerful, they do have potential threats from even lower-ranked fighters and pirates. For example, it is said that once Elizabello II has gathered enough strength, his King Punch can knock down even an Emperor, though this may just be an exaggeration.[23] However, because of their immense power, it is necessary for factions aiming to oppose them to first form an alliance with other factions in order to bring any member of the Four Emperors down. However, even with pirate crews forming multiple alliances, the chances of defeating an Emperor are still very low. When the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates formed an alliance to defeat Kaidou, Law informed Luffy that he believed their chance of success was still only 30%; however, considering that Law wasn't actually serious about fighting Kaidou at that time, this statement is questionable. This alliance would eventually grow to the massive Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance, consisting of over 5000 men, and yet its numbers still paled in comparison to the combined forces of the Beasts Pirates and their Wano allies, who were 30,000 strong, around six times bigger.
The relationship between the Four Emperors is best described as a four-way standoff. Due to the power each of them possesses, they generally try their best to avoid going to war with each other, as this would potentially result in mutual destruction, and even if one side were to win, both sides would inevitably suffer massive casualties, leaving the victor vulnerable to the remaining Emperors and the Marines. An example is when Big Mom and her crew attempted to invade Wano Country, Kaidou furiously ordered his crew to shoot her ship down, fearing all-out war with Big Mom.
This also applies to the World Government and Marines, as fighting an Emperor can lead to war between them to which any of the other Emperors, or even the Revolutionaries, might take advantage of the ensuing conflict as an outside third party. Even high-ranking members, such Vice Admirals and CP0, aren't allowed to engage an Emperor without permission from the Fleet Admiral themself. Additionally, even if they get permission, they would require an Admiral to be with them before they engage.[17] However, when they decide to fight, the Marines won't hesitate to move out as many of their forces as possible. Against the newly dubbed Emperor Luffy, the World Government brought in over one hundred battleships with 30,000 Marines aboard, led by Admiral Kizaru and nine Vice Admirals.[24] Being a military attack with a power greater than even that of a Buster Call, which Aokiji claims is equivalent to the military power of an entire nation, indicating that even the Marines' strongest military action is considered insufficient to combat them, showing how dangerous the Emperors are in the eyes of the World Government. Even the Knights of God recognize the strength of an Emperor and prefer not to anger one if it's not part of their mission.[25]
History
Past
Teach's father, Rocks, leading the future Emperors.
Over 44 years ago,[26] three of the future Four Emperor members: Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaidou, who was a Pirate Apprentice, were members of the Rocks Pirates under their captain Rocks D. Xebec, who later fathered Marshall D. Teach. After the Rocks Pirates' defeat against the combined forces of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp at the God Valley Incident 38 years ago, the crew was disbanded.[27]
At least 33 years ago, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaidou started recruiting.[28]
During Roger's time over 25 years ago, Whitebeard, Shiki, and Big Mom were the most powerful pirates behind the Pirate King.[29]
At least 25 years ago, Kaidou allied with the shogun of Wano Country Kurozumi Orochi. After the execution of Kouzuki Oden 20 years ago, Kaidou attempted to kill the rest of his family, but Toki sent her son and some of his retainers to the future. Kaidou took over Wano Country and transformed most of it into a wasteland.[30]
Exactly when the title of "Emperor" began to be used is unknown, but it was at least 22 years ago,[31][32][33] two years after Roger's execution.
About six years ago, Shanks became recognized as an Emperor.[2]
About three years ago, Kaidou formed a partnership with Donquixote Doflamingo and Caesar Clown so that the two would give him Artificial Devil Fruits known as SMILEs, which he used to create an army of Devil Fruit users known as Gifters.[34][35]
East Blue Saga
Loguetown Arc
Shanks and his crew were relaxing on an island when Dracule Mihawk paid the Emperor a visit. The Warlord brought news that delighted Shanks, which was Luffy gaining his first bounty of
30,000,000. Hearing that Luffy had finally proven himself a true pirate, Shanks threw another party despite being already hungover from his previous drinking session.[1]
Whitebeard had also been notified of Luffy's wanted poster and bounty by his older brother Portgas D. Ace. Sometime shortly after, Marshall D. Teach murdered the 4th Division commander Thatch in order to acquire a Devil Fruit he had found. Ace decided to hunt down Blackbeard by himself, even though Whitebeard did not want him to go because he felt uneasy about the situation.[36]
Sky Island Saga
Jaya Arc
Sometime later, Shanks sent Rockstar to deliver Whitebeard a letter requesting a meeting.[37] Unimpressed that Shanks sent him a letter instead of coming to see him in person, Whitebeard tore it up in front of Rockstar, whom he told that Shanks should see him in person and bring some good sake. Shanks and his crew then head out to meet him.[38]
Water 7 Saga
Post-Enies Lobby Arc
Shanks and Whitebeard clash.
Following the Enies Lobby incident, the two Emperors met with each other despite the World Government attempting to form a blockade. Shanks warned Whitebeard about the rise of the latter's former subordinate Teach now "Blackbeard" and told Whitebeard to call off Ace's pursuit. However, Whitebeard refused, and the two briefly fought, with their clash of blades splitting the heavens.[39]
Summit War Saga
Impel Down Arc
In an attempt to rescue Ace from execution, Whitebeard summoned all of his allies from the New World in preparation for war.[40] Kaidou and King attempted to attack Whitebeard, but were intercepted by Shanks.[41][42]
Marineford Arc
The Whitebeard Pirates invade the plaza of Marineford.
Whitebeard and his crew and allies arrived at Marineford three hours before Ace's scheduled execution and initiated what would be known as the greatest war since the beginning of the Golden Age of Pirates. During this battle against the Marines, Whitebeard revealed how debilitated he had become over the last two decades, and he steadily acquired increasingly critical wounds from his enemies because of his weakened state.[43]
During the battle, he destroyed most of Marine Headquarters, easily defeated two large giants who were at the rank of Vice Admirals and withstood the combined efforts of the three Admirals. He was able to help free Ace with the aid of Monkey D. Luffy and his own ragtag group of allies, but Admiral Akainu executed Ace afterwards. An enraged Whitebeard dealt a serious blow to the Admiral, but it was not enough to completely incapacitate him.[44]
Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates arrive at Marineford to bring the war to a close.
Remaining at Marineford alone to resolve the conflict with the Marines, Whitebeard was attacked and ultimately killed by the Blackbeard Pirates.[45] Shortly afterwards, Shanks arrived at Marineford with his crew.[46] His presence spared the remaining allies of Whitebeard and brought the war to an end. Shanks challenged Blackbeard, which the latter turned down before leaving with his own crew.[47]
During the Timeskip
After the death of Whitebeard, Big Mom took over as the protector of Fish-Man Island in exchange for a large amount of candy every month, forming an alliance with the Sun Pirates.[48] She also formed an alliance with the Fire Tank Pirates.[49]
The Four Emperors following the Summit War of Marineford.
Blackbeard also usurped Whitebeard's position as the fourth Emperor as the Five Elders predicted, having managed to conquer most of Whitebeard's former territories and becoming stronger by hunting down powerful Devil Fruit users and taking their abilities after killing them.[9] He became recognized as an Emperor after overwhelmingly defeating Marco and the remaining Whitebeard Pirates a year after the Summit War in the "Payback War."[10]
Fish-Man Island Saga
Fish-Man Island Arc
Big Mom revealed.
When the Candy Factory was demolished during the uprising of the New Fish-Man Pirates and Flying Pirates, Fish-Man Island almost provoked Big Mom's wrath, since the island did not have enough candy for the tribute to her. Monkey D. Luffy pledged that he would claim Fish-Man Island as his protectorate by defeating Big Mom, shifting her fury from the island to him.[50]
Dressrosa Saga
Dressrosa Arc
Blackbeard sent Jesus Burgess to Dressrosa in order to win the Mera Mera no Mi in the Corrida Colosseum tournament. While talking with Burgess over Den Den Mushi, Blackbeard came into contact with the passing Luffy and the two had a brief clash of words.[51]
Kaidou appearing at the Kid Pirates' hideout.
That night, Kaidou went up to Ballon Terminal on a sky island and jumped onto an island 10,000 meters below to attempt suicide. He survived the fall with no injuries and confronted the Supernovas Eustass Kid, Scratchmen Apoo, and Basil Hawkins as he shouted a declaration to start the world's biggest war because he felt it had become too mundane.[52] Kaidou then defeated and imprisoned Kid[53] while Apoo[54] and Hawkins became his subordinates.[55]
Whole Cake Island Saga
Zou Arc
Kaidou goes into a rage after finding out about the loss of SMILEs.
Big Mom formed an alliance with Vinsmoke Judge, who arranged for his third son, Sanji, to marry her 35th daughter, Charlotte Pudding. Big Mom ordered her crew to retrieve Sanji unharmed and to escort him to the wedding on Whole Cake Island.[56] However, she was secretly plotting with Pudding to assassinate all of the Vinsmokes during the upcoming wedding and take their technology for herself.[57]
Kaidou found out about the loss of his SMILE supply and entered drunken mood swings in response, but despite his subordinates' concern, he refused to pay any mind to Luffy and Trafalgar Law, who were responsible for the loss of SMILEs.[58]
According to a newspaper report, Blackbeard and his crew attacked the Revolutionary Army's base on Baltigo, destroying it by the time the Marines and Cipher Pol arrived. The Blackbeard Pirates fled after briefly clashing with Cipher Pol.[59]
Whole Cake Island Arc
Big Mom discovered that the Straw Hat Pirates had invaded Totto Land to try to rescue Sanji from his wedding,[60] and she lured them into a trap on Whole Cake Island.[61] The next day, Big Mom went to confront Brook of the Straw Hats after he had broken into her Room of Treasure.[62] She defeated and captured him,[63] but unbeknownst to her, he had copied the text from all of her Poneglyphs.[64]
Big Mom confronts an alliance of the Straw Hats, Fire Tank Pirates, Vinsmoke Family, Jinbe, and Caesar Clown as they go against her.
Luffy, Nami,[65] and Brook managed to escape from Big Mom's clutches with the help of their crew, but she did not notice as the wedding day arrived.[66] The Straw Hats crashed the wedding[67] with the help of Big Mom's subordinates the Fire Tank Pirates and Caesar Clown, and as Big Mom tried to deal with them, she was hit with another blow as her subordinate Jinbe also defected to join the Straw Hats,[68] and the Vinsmoke Family was freed after the assassination attempt proved unsuccessful. The enemy alliance destroyed Big Mom's prized portrait of Mother Carmel, putting her in a psychological crisis that rendered her weak to attack.[69] The Fire Tank Pirates were unable to successfully assassinate her though,[70] and Big Mom easily subdued the enemy alliance with the help of her crew. However, Big Mom's prized treasure, the Tamatebako, was sent falling and created a massive explosion that toppled over the Chateau.[71] The enemy alliance got away, but as Big Mom's crew began to pursue them, she got a craving for wedding cake.[72] Entering a mindless rampage, she pursued the Straw Hats, who she believed had the cake.[73]
Big Mom pursued the Straw Hats into the seas of Totto Land[74] for several hours and grew skinnier and weaker as time passed on. She then attacked the Sunny to find the cake, threatening to kill the Straw Hats onboard.[75] Bege's ship later arrived with the cake, diverting her attention away from the Straw Hats. Big Mom followed them to Funwari Island,[76] where she ate the cake and ceased her rampage, collapsing from the deliciousness of the cake.[77] Later when she woke up, she was briefed on the current situation. Rather than attempting to chase after the Fire Tank Pirates, she headed towards Cacao Island, where her crew was battling the Sun Pirates and Germa 66, who stalled the Emperor's crew from pursuing the Thousand Sunny.[78] After the Straw Hats successfully escaped, Big Mom arrived at the island before the Sun Pirates and Germa 66 could retreat.[79]
Levely Arc
News of the events between Luffy and Big Mom was published in the World Economy News Paper, which claimed the incident as Luffy's victory and declared him to be "the Fifth Emperor" among the Four Emperors. All four of the Emperors read the newspaper and commented on Luffy's new status.[80]
Big Mom later contacted Kaidou, and they argued over who had the right to kill Luffy.[81]
Wano Country Saga
Wano Country Arc
At Wano Country, a drunk Kaidou transformed into his Beast Form and flew to Kuri, where he ordered Jack to bring his enemies to him.[82] When Hawkins told him that Luffy and Law were hiding in Oden Castle, Kaidou proceeded to destroy the castle ruins. Afterwards, Luffy attempted to defeat Kaidou[83] only to be overpowered by a single blow.[84] Kaidou then decided to take Luffy prisoner and turn him into a subordinate.[85]
Big Mom and Kaidou form an alliance.
Big Mom and her crew reached Wano Country and attempted to scale the waterfall around it as Kaidou tried to have his men stop her. King of the Beasts Pirates flew in and attacked the Big Mom Pirates' ship, causing them to fall back down. Big Mom fell into the ocean[86] and washed up on Kuri Beach but ended up losing her memories.[87] Later, she arrived at the Prisoner Mine, where she got into a confrontation with Queen, one of Kaidou's crew members, and recovered her memories in the process. However, Queen captured her when she fell unconscious after being struck in the head.[88] Big Mom was immediately taken to Onigashima, and Kaidou engaged her in a full-powered duel which split the heavens.[89] After a few days, however, the two Emperors came to the decision to form an alliance for the purpose of taking over the world.[90]
Gecko Moria attacked Blackbeard's territory on Hachinosu to find his missing subordinate Absalom, whom the Blackbeard Pirates had killed. Blackbeard offered for Moria to sail under his flag after the latter found out what had happened, and had Moria imprisoned after he refused.[91] When the World Government decided to dissolve the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Blackbeard sailed to Amazon Lily to attack Boa Hancock for her Devil Fruit power.[92] He interrupted a battle between the Kuja and Marines and triggered a standoff as he seized Hancock after she had petrified his men. However, Silvers Rayleigh then arrived on the island and convinced Blackbeard to retreat in return for his crew being freed. Blackbeard moved to capture the Marines, and took their Captain Koby into custody.[93] He intended to use the Marine as a hostage to turn Hachinosu into a World Government kingdom, but Koby revealed this would not work as he was with SWORD.[94]
Big Mom and Kaidou vs. the Worst Generation.
On the day of the Fire Festival, Kaidou and Big Mom declared their goal of finding the Ancient Weapons to rule over the world, and Kaidou betrayed Shogun Orochi to further his personal ambitions for Wano.[95] However, Kaidou was then ambushed by the Nine Red Scabbards as their alliance launched a surprise raid on the festival, and Big Mom came into conflict with the Straw Hats. Kaidou defeated the Scabbards atop the dome roof, and Big Mom joined him there before the duo were confronted by Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Trafalgar Law, and Killer. The upstart Worst Generation pirates managed to split up the Emperors, and Law and Kid got Big Mom into the Skull Dome while Luffy continued battling Kaidou on the roof. Kaidou managed to defeat Luffy and send him falling into the ocean, but his own son Yamato, who defected against him, held him up long enough for Luffy to return.
Big Mom and Kaidou defeated.
Law and Kid managed to overpower Big Mom with their awakened Devil Fruit abilities before blasting her off Onigashima and onto Wano's mainland, where her body entered a magma chamber. Kaidou defeated Luffy again due to interference from a CP0 agent, and moved to coerce the remaining alliance into surrendering. However, Luffy then rescuscitated after awakening his own Devil Fruit, and resumed fighting Kaidou. After a long and hard battle, Luffy inflated his fist to giant proportions and Kaidou decided to meet it head-on, but the Emperor was blasted down to Wano and wound up in the same magma chamber as Big Mom; the volcano above it then erupted, leaving the two Emperors' fates unknown.
The newspaper publicizes the new Emperors.
After this event was revealed to the world, Luffy, Kid, and Law all had their bounties raised to
3,000,000,000 and Luffy was declared as one of the new Emperors of the Sea, along with Buggy.[96] The World Government had mistaken Buggy for the leader of the newly formed Cross Guild; in reality, he had offered to serve its founders Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk, but when making posters to inform the world about Cross Guild's founding, Buggy's crew put the focus on their captain.
One week after the raid, Shanks and his crew arrived near the shores of Wano, while Luffy was still partying with others to celebrate their victory. When Admiral Ryokugyu arrived at Wano with the intention to take Luffy's head to impress his senior Sakazuki, he was interrupted with the Scabbards, before witnessing Shanks' Supreme King Haki from the outskirts of Wano. The Emperor angrily asked if the New Age frightens Ryokugyu that much, with the Admiral deciding to disengage the fight and leave the country, not wanting to confront Shanks. Shanks would then pick up Marco from Wano and bring him back to Sphinx before he attended to Beckman and asked him if it was finally time for them to claim the One Piece.
Final Saga
Egghead Arc
Crocodile and Mihawk were initially very displeased to learn of Buggy being recognized as their leader, and contemplated killing him; however, they decided to allow Buggy to remain as the Cross Guild's figurehead.[97] Buggy was able to use his status to his advantage to rally the organization into pursuing his dream of going after the One Piece. The Cross Guild rapidly grew in power, managing to demoralize the Marines by placing bounties on them.[98]
Shanks defeats Kid.
Shanks was on Elbaph when the Kid Pirates arrived, looking to take down another Emperor crew.[99] Shanks accepted their challenge though was initially laid back, but after foreseeing Kid inflicting devastation on his subordinate crews, he leaped into action personally and defeated Kid and Killer with a single strike. Shanks' giant friends Dorry and Brogy then sunk the Kid Pirates' ship, destroying the crew.[100]
Blackbeard fighting Law.
After his crew kidnapped Charlotte Pudding, who possessed three-eye ancestry, Blackbeard laid in wait for one of Luffy, Law, or Kid to arrive at Winner Island.[101] Law and his crew arrived and battled the Blackbeard Pirates;[102] after a tough battle, the Heart Pirates were defeated and their ship sunk. Blackbeard took the Road Poneglyph rubbings that Law had obtained from Wano, but Law did manage to escape.[103] Afterwards, Blackbeard's subordinates Van Augur and Catarina Devon informed him that they had met a pirate named Caribou who wanted to share information with him, which the Emperor accepted.[104]
Luffy and his crew sailed to Egghead, the home of Dr. Vegapunk and his laboratory. When he first met Luffy, the scientist made an unexpected request for the pirate to take him off Egghead safely, as he was in danger from the World Government due to studying the Void Century.[105] Sure enough, CP0 soon made landfall on the island and moved to assassinate Vegapunk. Agent Rob Lucci, who had battled Luffy two years earlier on Enies Lobby, reunited with the pirate and fought him, disregarding the order that he was not to unilaterally start conflict with one of the Emperors.[106] Luffy bested Lucci again, and Lucci and fellow agent Kaku were eventually subdued and taken prisoner.
Luffy and Kizaru battle each other.
The next day, a Buster Call fleet besieged Egghead, led by Admiral Kizaru and Elder Jaygarcia Saturn. Kizaru attacked Egghead alone and came into direct conflict with Luffy; the two battled until both of them were left exhausted on the ground.[107] Saturn then arrived on Egghead and moved to finish off Vegapunk and the Straw Hats; Kizaru decided to help Luffy regain his strength,[108] but then struck the death blow on Vegapunk. The scientist's death triggered a worldwide broadcast regarding the Void Century, and Saturn summoned the other four Elders, whom Luffy battled as they attempted to stop the broadcast. Luffy and the Straw Hats successfully escaped aboard the Giant Warrior Pirates' ship, and afterwards Imu killed Saturn for allowing Luffy to escape.
Elbaph Arc
The Red Hair Pirates destroy the Barto Club.
The Red Hair Pirates went to Gartel Island to confront the Barto Club, which had burned down their Jolly Roger signifying their rule and replaced it with the Straw Hats'. Shanks initially let the Barto Club go, but Yasopp then shot down and sunk their ship.[109]
Blackbeard returned to Hachinosu to find that Moria and Koby had escaped imprisonment, which he was angered by, but was satisfied to have Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp now in his captivity.[110]
The Straw Hats accompanied the Giant Warrior Pirates to Elbaph. Shortly after their arrival, the island came under attack by the Knights of God, who were sent to enslave the giants into World Government military service, causing the crew to fight them.
Translation and Dub Issues
The term "Four Emperors" is used by all official One Piece translations and is also displayed in Episode 957 of the anime,[111] as well as the Chapter 1054 color spread of the manga.[112] However, the untranslated "Yonkō" has been common in fan translations, and is frequently used among the fandom. Although "Yonkō" directly translates to "Four Emperors," the term is also used in the original Japanese to refer to a single member of the Four Emperors,[113][114][115][116] which does not grammatically work when translated.
It was not until One Piece: Grand Pirate Show that the term was used.
Trivia
- The cover of Volume 25, which came out in 2002, features the current Emperors, who were revealed in 2022, in the exact same order as the newspaper article announcing them. The cover to Volume 105 recreates the cover in their timeskip appearances.
- Before the Four Emperors were established, the balance of power in the New World was centered around Gol D. Roger, Shiki, Whitebeard, and Big Mom.[29]
- According to Skull, the original Four Emperors each have their own point where they are most fearsome: Shanks when he is enraged, Whitebeard when someone does dishonorable or inhumane things, Big Mom when she is in a bad mood, and Kaidou at all times.[117]
- In the first Romance Dawn story, the main antagonist, Crescent-Moon Gally, was aiming to become one of the "Best 3" (ベスト
3 , Besuto Surī?),[118] which could be considered the prototype of the Four Emperors. - Linlin claimed that had she managed to marry off her daughter Charlotte Lola to Elbaph prince Loki to secure a political alliance, she would have gained the strongest army of giants that would have allowed her to defeat the other three Emperors and become the next Pirate King.[119][120]
- Shanks was stated to have earned his title of Emperor six years before the present time. It is unknown, however, if the title of "Four Emperors" already existed before that point and if Shanks had a predecessor in the group.[2]
- Shanks is so far the only Emperor to have not eaten any Devil Fruit, both in the current and original lineups.
- Luffy is so far the only Emperor known to have managed to awaken his Devil Fruit.
- Of the current and former emperors, Buggy is the only one who does not possess any kind of Haki.
- Teach is the only Emperor of the current lineup to have never been active in the East Blue.
- Luffy is the youngest of all past and current Emperors, as well as the only member so far to have never served under another captain before forming his own crew.
- In addition, Luffy is also the only member of the current lineup to have never been a pirate apprentice. However, he was an affiliate of the Red Hair Pirates and wanted to join the crew during his childhood.
- The original Four Emperor lineup, except for Shanks, were all former members of the now defunct Rocks Pirates.
- Five of the seven Emperors were involved in the God Valley Incident: the original quartet, with then 1-year-old Shanks being found inside a treasure chest by the Roger Pirates at the site, and Blackbeard as one of the "rabbits."
- While Luffy was yet to be born during the incident, he is a blood descendant of two of the incident's participants.
- With Big Mom no longer being an Emperor, the Four Emperors are now all males.
- Each of the current Four Emperors played a significant role in the Summit War of Marineford; Teach was the chief instigator of the conflict through his capture of Ace, Luffy and Buggy took part in the war itself, and Shanks was the one who ended the war through forceful mediation.
- Buggy and Teach are the only known Emperors that are not yet shown to have Supreme King Haki.
- Shanks currently has the highest bounty among the current Emperors, while he had the lowest bounty in the original lineup.
- Whitebeard was the oldest among all current and past Emperors, at 72 years old.
- All Emperors, current and former, are linked to the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, whether directly or indirectly: Whitebeard was Roger's biggest rival when he was alive; in addition, he, Kaidou, and Big Mom were part of the Rocks Pirates and came into conflict countless times against the Roger Pirates. Shanks and Buggy were apprenticed to the Roger Pirates. Teach was a member of the Whitebeard Pirates for over 20 years, having become an apprentice during the time Roger was alive, and met him several times during the conflicts between Roger and Newgate; he is also the son of Roger's first and most formidable rival, Rocks D. Xebec. Luffy is the stepbrother of Roger's son, Portgas D. Ace, and the inheritor of his straw hat.
- For both sets of Four Emperors post-timeskip, each member has used a different title of authority.
- Shanks uses "chief," Blackbeard uses "admiral," Big Mom uses "captain," and Kaido uses "governor-general."
- Big Mom and Kaido were replaced by Luffy and Buggy, who use "captain" and "president," respectively.
- Notably, three Emperors were originally intended to become Marines in their youth: Linlin was meant to be sold by Carmel to the World Government, while Kaidou was forcefully drafted from the Vodka Kingdom. Meanwhile, Luffy was trained by his grandfather Garp with the intent of becoming a Marine soldier.
- Whitebeard and Blackbeard are the only Emperors to have users of all three types of Devil Fruits in their respective crews.
- Teach is the only Emperor to have a Logia-type Devil Fruit (and the only one to have two Devil Fruits); Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Buggy have Paramecias; Luffy and Kaidou have Mythical Zoans (although the World Government has publicly labeled the Gomu Gomu no Mi as a Paramecia); and Shanks has none.
- Luffy and Kaidou are the only Emperors shown to date to have advanced mastery of all three forms of Haki.
- Luffy and Shanks are the only Emperors who are not Grand Line natives.
Notes
- ↑ Shanks -
4,048,900,000
Marshall D. Teach -
3,996,000,000
Buggy -
3,189,000,000
Monkey D. Luffy -
3,000,000,000
- ↑ Kaidou -
4,611,100,000
Charlotte Linlin -
4,388,000,000
Shanks -
4,048,900,000
Marshall D. Teach -
2,247,600,000
- ↑ Edward Newgate -
5,046,000,000
Kaidou -
4,611,100,000
Charlotte Linlin -
4,388,000,000
Shanks -
4,048,900,000
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 11 Chapter 96 (p. 17-18) and Episode 45, Shanks appears for the first time since becoming an Emperor.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 957 (p. 13-14) and Episode 958, Shanks' time as an Emperor is revealed.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1053 (p. 16-17) and Episode 1080, The new Four Emperors are revealed.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1053 (p. 4-5) and Episode 1080, Luffy's bounty as one of the new Four Emperors.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 105 Chapter 1058 (p. 14) and Episode 1086, Buggy's current bounty is revealed.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 105 Chapter 1059 (p. 12-13) and Episode 1087, Teach's current bounty is revealed.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 957 (p. 13-17) and Episode 958, The Four Emperors' bounties are revealed.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 59 Chapter 576 (p. 15-17) and Episode 485.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 66 Chapter 650 (p. 7-8) and Episode 570.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 82 Chapter 820 (p. 11-12) and Episode 773.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 70 Chapter 697 (p. 2) and Episode 623.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 81 Chapter 815 (p. 4-5) and Episode 766, Pekoms speak of an Emperor's capabilities.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 45 Chapter 432 (p. 7) and Episode 314, Garp explains the Three Great Powers.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 957 (p. 12, 18) and Episode 958.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 100 Chapters 1009–1010 and Episodes 1025–1027.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 105 Chapter 1059 (p. 8), A Marine soldier requests Yamakaji to give the order for their fleet to engage Blackbeard.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1069 (p. 3) and Episode 1099, Kaku states that CP0 cannot engage an Emperor without being ordered to, leading to Stussy instructing the Marines be contacted.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 81 Chapter 815 (p. 6) and Episode 766, Pekoms explains the Four Emperors' approach to marshaling forces.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 81 Chapter 815 (p. 6) and Episode 766, Pekoms explains Big Mom's policy of requiring all who sail under her to be tied by blood.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 67 Chapter 667 (p. 19) and Episode 593.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 54 Chapter 529 (p. 4) and Episode 430.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1147 (p. 3-4), St. Killingham and St. Sommers of the Knights of God are both against the idea of angering Luffy.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 71 Chapter 707 (p. 4) and Episode 636, Elizabello's punch is said to be able to knock down an Emperor.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 108 Chapter 1089 (p. 7-9) and Episode 1123.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 113 Chapter 1147 (p. 2-3), Sommers and Killingham admit they don't want to fight an Emperor.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1049 (p. 4) and Episode 1076.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 957 (p. 5-11) and Episode 958.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 962 (p. 13) and Episode 962.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 One Piece Novel — A Vol. 2 Chapter 5 (p. 145).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 91 Chapter 920 (p. 6-12) and Episode 910.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 112 Chapter 1134 (p. 5), Saul states he's familiar with the power of the Four Emperors due to his time in the Marines.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 41 Chapter 396 (p. 12-14) and Episode 277, 22 years ago, Saul deserts the Marines.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 103 Chapter 1039 (p. 7) and Episode 1066, Big Mom states the Emperors have been "reigning for decades."
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 67 Chapter 664 (p. 14) and Episode 589, Caesar returns to his Punk Hazard lab a year after his arrest.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 70 Chapter 698 (p. 14-16) and Episode 625, Law explains Doflamingo and Kaidou's business deal.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 57 Chapter 552 (p. 13-14) and Episode 461.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 25 Chapter 233 (p. 15-17) and Episode 151.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 25 Chapter 234 (p. 10-15) and Episode 151, Whitebeard refuses to read Shanks's letter and tells him to come in person.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 45 Chapter 434 (p. 2-17) and Episode 316.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 54 Chapter 523 (p. 11-12) and Episode 417.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 55 Chapter 533 (p. 3) and Episode 434, Momonga's men report on Kaidou and Shanks.
- ↑ Vivre Card - One Piece Visual Dictionary (Card #1308), King's Vivre Card entry.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 58 Chapter 563 (p. 10) and Episode 473, Marco contemplates how Whitebeard's condition worsened during the years.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 59 Chapter 575 (p. 6) and Episode 484, Whitebeard seriously wounds Akainu in rage after the latter executes Ace.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 59 Chapter 576 (p. 15) and Episode 485, Whitebeard dies.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 59 Chapter 579 (p. 14-17) and Episode 488.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 59 Chapter 580 (p. 2-15) and Episode 489, The Red Hair Pirates arrive at Marineford.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 62 Chapter 610 (p. 12-13) and Episode 529, Big Mom becomes the protector of Fish-Man Island after Whitebeard's death in exchange for candy.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 81 Chapter 812 (p. 10-11) and Episode 763.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 66 Chapter 651 (p. 10-19) and Episode 571, Big Mom learns of Fish-Man Island's predicament and decides to target Luffy for its failure to deliver its payment of sweets on time.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 72 Chapter 720 (p. 10-11) and Episode 650.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 79 Chapter 795 (p. 10-17) and Episode 739.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 82 Chapter 824 (p. 12-13) and Episode 779.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 82 Chapter 821 (p. 19) and Episode 774.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 91 Chapter 911 (p. 19) and Episode 894.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 81 Chapter 812 (p. 17) and Episode 763.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 850 (p. 14-17) and Episode 817.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 82 Chapter 824 (p. 9-12) and Episode 779.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 82 Chapter 824 (p. 5) and Episode 779.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 82 Chapter 827 (p. 17) and Episode 786.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 83 Chapter 835 (p. 11) and Episode 796.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 849 (p. 14) and Episode 815.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 853 (p. 2-5) and Episode 820.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 855 (p. 14-16) and Episode 824.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 852 (p. 4-5) and Episode 818.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 855 (p. 8-12) and Episode 823.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 86 Chapter 862 (p. 15-17) and Episode 832.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 86 Chapter 863 (p. 4-19) and Episode 833.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 86 Chapter 865 (p. 3-16) and Episode 835.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 86 Chapter 868 (p. 10-13) and Episode 838.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 87 Chapter 871 (p. 14-17) and Episode 842.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 87 Chapter 872 (p. 15-19) and Episode 843.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 87 Chapter 873 (p. 5-10) and Episodes 843–844.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 87 Chapter 879 (p. 6-8) and Episode 851.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 88 Chapter 889 (p. 15-17) and Episode 863.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 89 Chapter 899 (p. 2-4,6-7) and Episode 874.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 89 Chapter 900 (p. 3-7) and Episode 875.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 901 (p. 2, 15-17) and Episode 876.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 902 (p. 16-17) and Episode 877.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 903 (p. 7-8, 15-16) and Episodes 878–879.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 907 (p. 2-3) and Episode 887.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 91 Chapter 921 (p. 16-19) and Episode 912.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 922 (p. 10-17) and Episodes 913–914.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 923 (p. 2-17) and Episodes 914–915.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 924 (p. 4-6) and Episodes 915–916.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 930 (p. 6-11) and Episodes 923–924.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 931 (p. 14-17) and Episode 926.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 94 Chapter 947 and Episode 947.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 94 Chapter 951 (p. 14-19) and Episode 952.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 954 (p. 15) and Episode 955, Kaidou and Big Mom form an alliance.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 925 (p. 4-11) and Episode 917.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 956 (p. 10) and Episode 957.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 105 Chapter 1059 (p. 7-16) and Episodes 1087–1088.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1080 and Episode 1113.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 98 Chapter 985 (p. 12-19) and Episodes 993–994, Kaidou unveils the full details of the New Onigashima Project.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1053 and Episode 1080.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 105 Chapter 1058 (p. 6-8, 12, 14-15) and Episode 1086.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1082 and Episode 1116.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1076 (p. 12-17) and Episode 1109.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1079 and Episode 1112.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 105 Chapter 1063, cover story: Germa 66's Ahh... An Emotionless Excursion Vol. 21 and Episode 1093.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 105 Chapter 1064 and Episode 1093, Pudding is held captive while the Blackbeard Pirates and Heart Pirates fight.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1081 (p. 16-19) and Episode 1115.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 111 Chapter 1122 (p. 5) and Episode 1153.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapter 1067 (p. 13) and Episode 1098, Vegapunk asks to leave with Luffy.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 106 Chapters 1069–1070 and Episodes 1099–1102, Luffy and Lucci reunite and clash.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 108 Chapter 1095 (p. 5) and Episode 1129.
- ↑ SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 110 (p. 114).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 111 Chapter 1126 (p. 5-9) and Episode 1156.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 111 Chapter 1126 (p. 10-14) and Episode 1156.
- ↑ One Piece Anime — Episode 957, "The Four Emperors" is rendered in English.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 104 Chapter 1054 (p. 1-2), "Four Emperors" is written on the color spread.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 83 Chapter 829 (p. 1-2).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 86 Chapter 859 (p. 1).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 88 Chapter 882 (p. 1).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 92 Chapter 923 (p. 1).
- ↑ One Piece Novel — A Vol. 2 Chapter 2 (p. 56-57).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Romance Dawn, Version 1
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 84 Chapter 847 (p. 14-16) and Episode 813, Big Mom expresses her hatred of Lola.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 85 Chapter 858 (p. 8-11) and Episode 827, Chiffon explains about the failed political alliance.
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