Summary
One Piece Live Actionshowcased some powerful pirates in the first season. For anime fans, a few ‘wanted’ posters reveal some familiar pirates Luffy will run into on his journey. The scene with the posters is quick, but it expands on theOne Pieceworld, letting the crew know there are strong rivals between them and the mysterious treasure. There are many different kinds of pirates, each embodying a unique version of the title. The higher the bounty, the more dangerous said pirate is, and will require more strength to take down. As a result, the government only deals with pirates who prove they have the strength to benefit their needs. The ability to defeat pirates on a grand scale is a trait all the warlords have in common.
The most fascinating pirate types are those with the Warlord of the Sea title. The government and pirates are in constant opposition; pirates working for the government go against everything a pirate stands for. A pirate’s objective is to live freely on the water without obeying laws or rules. The government actively tries to curb pirate activity to keep civilians safe. These two entities maintain a hostile relationship at the best of times.
How many Warlords are there?
Season one of theOne PieceLive action series revealed Dracule Mihawk, a Warlord of the Sea. Monkey D Garp requested his services to capture Luffy before he could completely escape. The Warlords are pirates who made deals with the government to be free of persecution, and in return, they hunt down other pirates. The grandline is full of mystery and the unknown; encountering a warlord is a part of the mystery in the journey toward the One Piece.
Mihawk is the first member introduced, but anime fans know he won’t be the last. Shichibukai is the Japanese term and translates to seven Warlords of the Seas; there must always be seven to maintain the delicate balance of pirate versus the government. The number of Warlords is sobering to anyone who thinks the seas are free to roam; a pirate can run into one anytime. Defeat at a warlord’s hand is almost guaranteed. They all operate on the grandline and are an obstacle one must be ready to encounter while pursuing the One Piece.
Will the Warlords of the Sea clash with the straw hat crew?
Luffy and the Straw Hat crew encountered Mihawk early on in their journey. Before entering the grandline, they saw one of the warlords. Mihawk was a small introduction to what awaits them as their journey progresses. Not only are warlords powerful, but they also have the government backing their public activities. The sight of a strong pirate so early on indicates how much the straw hats will have to grow if they want to achieve their dreams.
One Piecefans know that Luffy will run into multiple warlords and face them in combat. Whether that is through his desire to hunt them down or they are drawn to him and want to destroy his crew. The first portion of the grandline in the straw hats journey puts Luffy on a collision course with the second warlord he and his team will encounter. Facing a warlord is scary, as the government only employs strong pirates. Further down the line, Luffy will find himself coming to blows with one warlord after another, and he will end up fighting or befriending them in his interactions with each one. He runs into every single warlord at one point or another, former and future, save for one.
How Strong are these warlords?
The requirement to become a warlord is to be powerful. they must be able to defeat other pirates, and they have to be incredibly difficult to beat. Many warlords gained their status by proving they were unbeatable, and their former bounties reflect strength and experience on the grandline. Warlords have a reputation that causes other pirates to avoid them actively, and most would rather run away than face one in combat. The power of each one is off the charts; the world government rarely interacts with them, and because of their strength,they are hard to control.
Each warlord boasts incredible power. The next warlord Luffy faces brings him to the brink of death multiple times in battle. He possesses a powerful devil fruit that makes him incredibly difficult to fight, and as a result, causes Luffy to struggle, unlike any opponent he has faced previously. In each instance that Luffy encounters a warlord, he is pushed to the limit in battle and barely makes it through with his life.
Warlords can destroy massive ships, create giant zombies, turn people to stone, control water, the natural enemy of devil fruit users and even throw victims across the ocean onto entirely different islands. Their powers and abilities vary even among them;some are stronger than others. They were far above ordinary pirates; their former bounties were generally between 100 million and 500 million berries, so they were considered dangerous pirates. To put it into perspective, Luffy has a bounty of 30 million berriesat the end of season one. The shichibukai, or seven warlords of the sea, are some of the most powerful pirates in the worldwith some potent abilities.
