One of the darkest points in One Piece’s long, troubled history, the Ohara Incident is one of the first World Government horrors revealed. This ‘incident’ which involves annihilating the entire population of one island country, is just the tip of an awful, blood-soaked iceberg. The Ohara Incident begins the story of one particular Straw Hat, and is quickly coming to light in the story of One Piece.
This article contains overall spoilers for One Piece. Catch up on Crunchyroll for the anime or Viz for the manga. That’s the only warning, so proceed with caution!
Where is Ohara?
Located in West Blue, the home of infamous pirates like Capone ‘Gang’ Bege, Ohara is a tropical island. The residents are kind, though they’re a bit rowdy when it comes to some of their own residents. Notably, the Ohara Scholars, who work inside the massive library at the Tree of Knowledge, are some of the more skeptical residents that the others are wary of. The country itself has a rich history dating back over five thousand years though, all the way to the planting of the Tree of Knowledge.
It’s only natural that such an old country is known for the long line of archeological scholars that live there. They’re completely devoted to preserving the history of the land, as well as figuring out the mysteries left behind. Knowing everything they do, it leads the World Government to take drastic measures when it comes to Ohara.
The Ohara Scholars
While they appear outwardly interested in simply exploring the known world, the Ohara Scholars have ulterior motives. For years they researched the Void Century, trying to gather anything they could about the missing time. It’s this instance that brings them into the World Government’s line of sight, making them targets for the ensuing disaster. Despite how well they try to keep everything secret, it doesn’t work nearly as well as they plan, and things go terribly wrong.
They’re discovered much earlier by one young girl on the island though, the daughter of their own explorer Nico Oliva. Nico Robin, now known as the ‘Demon Child’ was listening in on the Poneglyph studies that the scholars were having. Though they knew she was a curious young mind, what they didn’t expect was her using her Flower-Flower Fruit to listen in on them.
Demon Child Nico Robin
The young Nico Robin was only five when the Ohara Incident occurred. Unfortunately, she’s one of the outcasts of the village. Ohara, being a small country, is also a pretty socially outcast country. Citizens reject Nico Oliva for what she does with the Ohara Scholars. Though her daughter does still lives in the village with her aunt’s family, they constantly belittle their niece. In turn, Robin flees to the Tree of Knowledge most of the time. Now opting to spend time learning from the scholars there about history.
Unknown to them, Robin is using her Devil Fruit powers to bloom ears and eyes inside the basement study room. It’s one of the most pivotal points in her history, becoming one of the most crucial Straw Hats. Robin’s listening in on these meetings helps her to learn the ancient language of the Poneglyphs. In turn, making her one of the few who can read the stone manuscripts around the world. She’s determined to find out the secret of the Void Century now. In turn, she is going to find out just why her entire country was destroyed.
Void Century Research
The Ohara scholars are invested in finding out the truth of the of the Void Century, and they get pretty far in their research. First, they discover that the Poneglyphs are records of something lost in the past, namely the hundred-year gap. Next, they find out something about an Ancient Kingdom. They know it had some sort of conflict with the World Government that took place during the Void Century. It’s only the tip of what they’ve discovered though. Unfortunately, the World Government sends out some of their most infamous agents to take care of them.
It’s also this Void Century research that gets the Oharans out in the world. The archeologists, in addition to those back at the Tree of Knowledge, send others to find new information. These explorers risk their lives, trying to find whatever information they can relating to the Void Century. All while maintaining total secrecy so they don’t all die.
Nico Oliva
Robin’s mother, Nico Oliva is just one of the players in the Ohara Incident. She’s also the one that sets the spark for the blaze. Oliva is researching, doing her damnedest to discover the Void Century and get them back to the scholars. Unfortunately, she’s caught by the Marines. They turn her over to Cipher Pol 9, who decide that they need to bring her back to Ohara. All so they can then make sure she isn’t the only one looking into their crimes.
Oliva stands strong the entire time she’s in custody, never speaking to any of the Cipher Pol agents in order to protect her home. It’s not long before her steadfast resistance meets a fellow soul looking for freedom, and inspires him to action. A Vice-Admiral steps up, helping to bring freedom and a chance of survival to the people of Ohara.
Jaguar D Saul
The Vice Admiral in question is Jaguar D Saul. He’s one of the many carrying the Will of D. Much like Garp, he believes he can change the Navy from the inside. Although he’s a good, loyal soldier, Vice-Admiral Jaguar D Saul eventually finds something that makes him re-examine his values. This turns out to be Nico Oliva, who he is in charge of taking back to the Marines.
Thankfully for the archeologist, Saul takes to her cause and helps her to escape from the Marines. She’s freed, but they get separated and Saul washes up on the beaches of Ohara. It’s fate, as this is where he meets a young Nico Robin. While he doesn’t know they’re related, he becomes friends with Oliva’s daughter. He encourages her to look at life, even in the darkest times, and laugh. Not just any laugh though, he teaches her how to let out one big deep belly laugh. This gives joy to the Demon Child for the last time in a long time.
Cipher Pol 9 Arrives
The end begins when Cipher Pol 9 arrives at Ohara carrying Nico Oliva in tow. They toss her down to the ground in front of the Tree of Knowledge, calling out all the scholars while civilians get rounded up into an evacuation boat. While Spandine, the leader of Cipher Pol, monologues for a time about how they’re messing with something they don’t know. They don’t find the young Nico Robin, who is hiding nearby and watching, but Oliva notices her. As Spandine begins to put out the Buster Call, he sentences the Ohara Scholars to their fate.
Spandine executes each of them on the spot, with Oliva’s final words being used to tell Robin she loves her. It’s a sweet moment, quickly cut off by a gunshot. All of these scholars, dedicating their lives to knowledge, are lost to the world as Nico Robin runs away in tears, followed by Saul.
Buster Call Begins
A Buster Call was approved by the Marines, led by many of the Vice-Admirals that accompanied Cipher Pol to the island. These include many like future Admirals Akainu and Kuzan, who were Vice Admirals at the time. Robin and Saul are on their way to the beach meanwhile, and Saul tries to set Robin out in the small raft he was using to leave Ohara originally. They meet Kuzan there though, and he doesn’t seem to have any intention at first of letting either of them go. As the first bombs begin to fall, Kuzan freezes Saul, throwing his body into the ocean.
Always the enigma though, his sense of justice beaten into him by Garp takes hold. Kuzan saves the young girl, making an ice parth out of the island and toward another where she can start a new life. The Ohara Incident as of now seems like most of the island population will survive, save for the archeologists and scholars. While the Marines are hyping up the Buster Call, the group with Spandine is throwing any books from the Tree into the lake, ruining them in the process. Finally satisfied with their work, the bombs begin to fall on Ohara.
Participants
There is so much more than bombs being dropped in Ohara, and the incredible violence involved in the Buster Call is just the beginning. Most of the ships are focused on bombarding the island, including Spandine and many of the other Vice Admirals. Kuzan leaves, taking no part in the destruction, but his more hot-headed counterpart takes far too much of a part in the carnage that follows.
Akainu, at this point still just Vice-Admiral, is really gunning for that promotion. He decides to step up his game by taking part in one of the World Government’s favorite pastimes- genocide. Using his Magma-Magma Fruit and various explosives, he blows the civilian refugee ship out of the water, killing everyone. The island of Ohara becomes a charred wasteland in mere minutes, with only ghosts living among the ashes where knowledge once stood proud.
Survivors
Despite the best efforts of Akainu and the other Marines, there are survivors of the Oharan Genocide. Nico Robin is miraculously saved by Kuzan, who sets her on a path to a nearby island. She has an incredibly rough life after this, of course, going from organizations of crime and espionage to assassinations. It all stems from the Ohara Incident, where she was first shown the horrors of war and how far governments will go to keep their secrets.
Jaguar D Saul was most recently confirmed to be alive by Dr. Vegapunk in Egghead Island. After the Ohara Incident, Vegapunk and Monkey D Dragon visit the burned ruins. Dragon goes in hopes of finding some survivors, but all he finds is the frozen Jaguar D Saul. They manage to unthaw and revive him, moving Saul to Elbaph, his ancestral home, for safety. He’s still there in the current story, under the protection of Shanks.
Fallout
While the World Government thought they destroyed everything in the country, they were quite wrong. Dragon and Vegapunk pulled a number of the books thrown out from the lake, and managed to have most of them restored. It’s not the victory that everyone wants, but it does lead to the final talk between Dragon and Vegapunk, with the latter still insisting he’s joining the World Government. Ohara is a turning point for the Dragon, and he begins to majorly ramp up efforts to form the Freedom Fighters after witnessing the Oharan Genocide.
Robin meanwhile goes on to learn whatever she can about the Poneglyphs and Void Century, using her knowledge from the scholars. Eventually, this leads her to Baroque Works, where she tries to find out the truth about the Ancient Weapon Pluton, believed to be in Arabasta at the time. Eventually, her past catches up with her, but thanks to the Straw Hats, the Demon Child survives yet again to fight.
Ohara’s Effect Today
The world is slowly but surely learning about the Ohara Incident in today’s One Piece story. The Revolutionary Army was doing what it could to spread the word, and the Enies Lobby Incident brought even more attention. The Demon Child being a part of an Emperor’s crew is a huge development throughout the Grand Line. Soon, the Straw Hats are going to blow the entire World Government Conspiracy open. More and more countries across the Grand Line are rising up against the World Government, and some are getting the Ohara treatment.
It’s still going to be one of the most tragic events in One Piece’s history, but the Ohara Incident has one of the best butterfly effects. It brings Nico Robin in contact with Monkey D Luffy, furthering his journey toward Pirate King. Even though the Oharan people were almost erased from history much like the Ancient Kingdom, they still have one survivor to carry on. The Oharan Incident will soon be public knowledge, and Joyboy will free everyone with the truth.
