A small country in the North Blue, The City of Flevance was once a bustling trade hub in the world of One Piece. It’s also the childhood home of Worst Generation member Trafalgar D Water Law, himself the only survivor of the horrible incident here. Flevance, for all of the opulence it held, was a nation cursed by greed and avarice. So, what happened to this small country that no longer exists, and why was Flevance wiped from history?
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Where was Flevance?
Situated right near the entrance to the Grand Line from North Blue, Flevance was a bustling port of business back in the day. Unfortunately, it was quickly brought down by those who were looking to exploit it. For a time after finding the deposits of White Lead (or Amber Lead depending on translation) business was booming for the formerly small town. White Lead was everywhere, and the richest in the world was obsessed with the bright shine it gave off to normal, everyday items. It became a huge commodity, being sold everywhere for the highest prices possible. With all the mining going on under their city, Flevance was quickly becoming a new North Blue hub for all the wealthiest people.
Until the White Lead showed just how volatile it could be. The substance began manifesting in the bodies of those around the town, spreading what was known as White Lead Disease. Flevance fell in a matter of months, with people giving in to the terrible disease as the lead slowly infected their entire bodies. Eventually, the World Government knew that Flevance was a lost cause, and decided to strike their shame from the face of the earth. With a quick firebombing, there is now no evidence that Flevance was ever there. Only one survivor is known to this day – Trafalgar D Water Law, the Surgeon of Death.
Richest Country on Earth
Flevance experienced a huge boom in industry after White Lead was discovered in the small country. As it turns out, there were deep deposits of the material just below the main city. Its discovery sets the pace, leading to a mining operation taking up. Once the rich aristocrats caught a glimpse of White Lead, the money came pouring in like a flood. The citizens of Flevance never wanted for a thing. Many worked in the mines or as merchants of White Lead. The sale substance that would soon bring their country to doom.
The avarice of Flevance lasted a surprisingly long time. Especially since it took the White Lead a few generations to work into the populace. With the immense amount of the material beneath the town, they were able to keep going for years. The whole time churning out even more White Lead to ship all across the world. Those who bought nice items made from the substance were relatively safe thanks to the small amounts of exposure. Unfortunately those who lived in the city were about to see very, very terrible side effects. All because of their greed, death begins popping up throughout the country.
Consequences of White Lead
The White Lead that everyone in Flevance and beyond were obsessed with eventually brought about the end. Generations of mining beneath the ground, loose dust and debris from the White Lead into the air. Then the people of Flevance began to notice a change in themselves. White splotches began to appear on the skin, spreading over the people to eventually cover their entire body. It’s much like the Sapphire Scale disease that Bonney has later on. Though instead of bright shining blue, the sick turn a pale, sickly white over time.
As the splotches spread on the outside, the lead begins to move inside their body just the same. Eventually, it takes over organs, shutting them down as White Lead slowly calcifies in the bloodstream. After generations of using it for their own gain, the toll comes. The people of Flevance improved their own lives just to bring death to all that came after. By the time Law was born, White Lead Disease was appearing in newborn babies in the country. It takes its time showing that even the youngest aren’t safe from the consequences of greed.
What Happened to Flevance?
Just like in the real world, the World Government will go to extreme lengths to make sure the status quo isn’t interrupted by some minor thing like disease. Flevance quickly descends into chaos, with doctors like Law’s parents working around the clock to save whoever they can. It’s hopeless though, and even as Law watches on helplessly, the disease wipes out most of the country. Now, the disease leaves it standing as a ghost, a monument to the avarice that did them in. White Lead is suddenly popping up around the homes and buildings of the town, showing that nowhere is safe.
Destroyed by Fire
When Law’s parents die, they leave him with one last request- flee Flevance and live. They were doctors, doing their best to keep everyone they could alive. In the end, though, they have to beg their child to flee. As Law leaves his home, the only place he’s ever known, a Buster Call begins to sound out. Fires break out all around Flevance, burning it to ash and wiping an entire country’s history from the world. Now, the only one who knows the real truth of what happened there is Law, and he’s going to find out why the World Government allowed it to happen.
Despite how easily it was taken down by its own greed, Flevance is still one of the crucial non-existent countries in One Piece today. It’s the place of birth and growth for Law before he goes on his life-changing journey with Rochinante. The White Lead Disease he’s infected with pushes Law into becoming a doctor, using the Op-Op Fruit to cure himself. It’s just the start of a long road for the Surgeon of Death, and the end of a country, but Flevance is an important stepping stone in the story of One Piece.
