One Piece is often considered one of the greatest manga series of all time, but what exactly IS the fabled 'One Piece' treasure the show is named for?
One Piece, created by author Eiichiro Oda, follows a young man named Monkey D. Luffy in his quest to become King of the Pirates. And from there, the premise only gets stranger. After being inspired to go out to sea by his pirate idol, Red Haired Shanks, Luffy decides to form a pirate crew, and make his way to the top... by becoming Pirate King. As captain of the plenty of One Piece characters who would stand in their way. While attaining One Piece is synonymous with becoming Pirate King, what is this fabled treasure, and where can it be found?
The One Piece was revealed by the former Pirate King, Gold Roger (actually Gol D. Roger) right before he was executed. Roger was a notorious pirate in his time, and was considered one of the greatest pirates to sail the Grand Line, the most ferocious sea in the One Piece world. However, Roger would eventually discover that he was terminally ill, and decided to make one last voyage around the most deadly sea, determined to uncover the secrets of the world.
On this final voyage, Roger and and his crew became the only ones to actually reach the final island of the Grand Line, "Laugh Tale"--or as it's been localized, "Raftel." With his voyage completed, Roger surrendered himself to the Marines, and was executed. Before he died, Roger announced that his greatest treasure, the One Piece, would be found in "one place," referring to the Grand Line and, presumably, Laugh Tale. This inspired a whole generation of Pirates to search for this fabled treasure, but what could the One Piece possibly be?
What fans DO know is that the treasure does exist, as the pirate Whitebeard (Roger's greatest rival), and Silvers Rayleigh (Roger's first mate) have confirmed as much. Secondly, during a recent manga chapter in the Wano Arc, the scene of Roger and his crew actually making landfall on Laugh Tale is shown. While there, Roger finds a story by a mysterious entity in the One Piece lore named "Joy Boy." The story that "Joy Boy" left behind on Laugh Tale was so humorous that it made Roger laugh, and inspired him to dub the final island "Laugh Tale." While it is not yet known, it can be implied that Joy Boy's story is indeed connected to the One Piece in some form. Also, given that even the most fearsome pirates in the world covet this treasure, including the Emperors of the Sea (essentially the big bosses of the Grand Line) Big Mom and Kaido, this treasure must be influential or powerful enough to warrant such attention.
While the exact nature of the One Piece itself is unknown, there are several theories about the nature of the One Piece. In the One Piece world, there are several stone figures dubbed "Poneglyphs," written in an ancient language known only to a few. Each of these stones carry pieces of long forgotten history, with the Rio Poneglyph said to contain the complete history of the world etched upon it. The location of the Rio Poneglyph is unknown, but it could very well be a part of the One Piece mystery. On the other hand, the One Piece could also be one of the three ancient weapons the World Government seeks to destroy: Pluton (an ancient battleship), Poseidon (a mermaid princess that can control powerful sea-kings) and Uranus. The final weapon is unknown... perhaps its whereabouts are on Laugh Tale?
It's also possible that One Piece is simply unlimited riches, possibly left behind to entice other pirates into discovering Joy Boy's story along the way? In order to find the One Piece, one needs four "Road Poneglyphs" that, when put together, will show the path to Laugh Tale. Currently, Luffy has two such Poneglyphs (copies, technically) in his possession, and is searching for the other two. Only then will Luffy achieve his goal of becoming Pirate King--and finally reveal the nature of the One Piece.
