There has been some talk about pirates preceding the Golden Age, and who reigns supreme. When considering the history One Piece is built on, it’s hard not to think about it from a competitive angle. After all, Luffy is basically challenging everyone he confronts, and every true pirate is racing to acquire the One Piece. So, it makes sense to question who is in the lead, or in this case, who WAS in the lead. Undoubtedly, the rivalry between Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate paved the way for the pirates of tomorrow. With that in mind, it makes sense to ask the question: Roger vs Whitebeard, Who is the better pirate?
The Ground Rules: What Makes a Good One Piece Pirate?
First, this isn’t purely about who makes a good pirate in the conventional sense. This isn’t a trial to determine conventional pirate skills. One Piece pirates are superhuman and their personalities are arguably more complex than the Howard Pyle version. They have deep roots in the culture and there is meaning behind their decisions. Second, we’ll have to score this by comparing skills that the anime and manga value. This will make it a little less subjective (as much as possible anyway). This segment will compare the following: Physical Prowess, Devil Fruit, Haki, Other Special Abilities, Character Traits, and Legacy.
Why Compare Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate (Whitebeard)?
Look, we can already hear the fans squirming over the idea of comparing the two. It’s difficult to put two legends on a scale. Plus, some people don’t like to think too hard about this kind of thing. Many, if not most, will just tell you to choose the Pirate King, pack your bags, and set sail for something better. To that, one can only reply with, “My treasure? If you want it, I’ll grant it! Search on!” So, let’s capture the true spirit of One Piece by exploring every possible angle until we’re blue in the face.
Physical Prowess: Roger 0 – Whitebeard 1
We’re giving this to Whitebeard, and loyal viewers and readers probably won’t question why. Whitebeard earned the moniker “Strongest Man in the World” due to his unmatched physical prowess, surpassing even giants in strength. Throughout the Marineford Summit War, Whitebeard absolutely dominated hordes of strong Marine officers and giants with his legendary physical might. Surprisingly agile despite his colossal stature, Whitebeard displayed impressive speed.
During this tumultuous battle, Whitebeard endured a staggering 267 sword wounds, 152 gunshot injuries, and 46 cannonball strikes, including the loss of a portion of his head. Enough to make Rasputin blush. His health seemed severely compromised, likely attributed to his advanced age and notable drinking habits. Nevertheless, even in his troubled state, Whitebeard remained widely recognized as the world’s most menacing pirate.
Devil Fruit: Roger 0 – Whitebeard 2
This one also goes to Whitebeard. Whitebeard consumed the Gura Gura no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit bestowing upon him the ability to induce earthquakes and unleash shockwaves. His mastery over this fruit allowed him to send dramatic shockwaves cascading through the atmosphere, resulting in the creation of actual rifts in the air. Also, with this power at his command, he possessed the capability to agitate and rupture the very landscape itself. By channeling his quake abilities towards a specific area, Whitebeard could trigger substantial seismic disturbances and, in the right circumstances, release colossal tsunamis. As attested by Sengoku, it was believed that Whitebeard wielded the power to potentially bring about global devastation.
This may appear to be unfair, but Devil Fruits are a huge part of One Piece. At the start, they were the apex power source. Yes, we get it. Gol D. Roger doesn’t have any devil fruit powers. Yes, the fact that he did everything without one is insane. However, Devil Fruits are paramount to what makes a pirate in One Piece. That’s just a fact.
Haki: Roger 1 – Whitebeard 2
Here we go. Roger puts one on the board and for good reason. Roger has an extraordinary command of Haoshoku Haki, a fact made evident when he clashes with another Haoshoku Haki adept, Whitebeard. His mastery is most prominently in use through that rare technique where he infuses his attacks with Haoshoku Haki, resulting in a crazy amplification of their power. His strikes were known to emanate streams of energy akin to black lightning.
In addition to his proficiency in Haoshoku Haki, Roger is also a high-skill practitioner of Busoshoku Haki. He exhibits his reign in this Haki form when he effortlessly overcomes Kozuki Oden, a noble master of Busoshoku Haki, with a single swift and decisive strike.
Other Special Abilities: Roger 2 – Whitebeard 2
This makes it a draw. As revealed by Rayleigh, Roger had the unique capability to decipher the Poneglyphs, attributed to his extraordinary aptitude for “hearing the Voice of All Things.” Furthermore, among the limited number of individuals in the series with this rare gift, Roger was one of only four known humans who could hear Zunesha communicate. His connectedness with the world earns the point this round.
Character Traits: Roger 3 – Whitebeard 2
Roger takes the lead. Roger earned renown as the individual who achieved what seemed utterly implausible: conquering the Grand Line and discovering the secrets of the world. Also, the World Government’s plan was to publicly execute Roger as a means of deterring piracy, yet his final words had an entirely unintended consequence. The same words we recently used to justify this segment. Consequently, Roger becomes the sole catalyst for initiating the Golden Age of Pirates. His presence in the anime is always fun to watch. There are pirates that shape every era with their personality like Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean. His courage and selflessness change the pirate world forever.
Legacy: Roger 4 – Whitebeard 3
In truth, both get a point for this one. While Roger brought on the Golden Age of Piracy, Whitebeard helped the plane land when Roger was lost to history. He also held a position as one of the Four Emperors, while spearheading operations during the Summit War at Marineford. They both are monolithic to the world of One Piece.
The Verdict: Roger Wins!
It’s hard to give a trophy to something like piracy in the One Piece universe. There’s so much to account for, and four components don’t feel like a fair number to judge two rich lives. That said, given the scoring system we produced, Roger wins by a very thin margin. To those who say, “No duh.”… We have to ask a question. Did you have fun looking over the domineering forces of the Grand Line? Because we did. Anyway, if there were more traits listed, Whitebeard could have won as well. Perhaps this topic will be revisited in the future. For now, long live Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King!
