Okay, so it’s technically not just Four Emperors at this point since three of the originals have been deposed and replaced. Now, the number is back down to four though, with each Emperor making their own move for the One Piece in the final saga which is currently running. So, what does one have to do to become an Emperor of the Sea? That depends on how far they’re willing to go, whether it be in violence or rebellion.
This article will cover not only the Emperor system but how each Emperor earned their spot. Or, in the case of a certain clown, how others earned the spot for him. Emperors past and present will be included as well.
What Are Emperors of the Sea?
To put it simply, Emperors are the four strongest pirates to rule over the New World. The World Government doesn’t have nearly as much of a foothold across the Red Line, and that means pirates rule the seas around here. Despite that, there are still thriving civilizations recognized as nations, though the Navy has turned a blind eye to quite a few of them when a Warlord has an interest. Doflamingo was actually only able to take over Dressrosa like he did thanks to Kaido’s help, as the Emperor of the Sea ensured nobody from the government or otherwise would try to attack.
While only four are usually recognized as Emperors at any given time, Luffy was an unofficial fifth Emperor among those in the Grand Line after his hijinks in Whole Cake Island. Emperors despite being incredibly dangerous and wanted by the World Government, are unable to be fought by the Navy or even CP0 without authorization. Even Rob Lucci had to get permission granted by the Gorosei before he was allowed to take Luffy on, not that he waited to get it anyway.
How Pirates Become Emperors
There’s no set path to becoming an Emperor of the Sea. It can be due to brute force, reputation, or even just the fearsome nature of their followers or selves. Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido all became Emperors after their time in the Rocks Pirates. The battle at God Valley gained them enough fear and power along with their history that pirates flocked to them. Before long, they had fleets of ships under their rule and began to take land for themselves, expanding their empires.
Then there are the other sides of the coin. Each Emperor has a different way of building themselves up. Big Mom offers promises of freedom and comfortable lives in exchange for lifespan or tributes from territories. Kaido beats the crap out of anyone that he wants to take from. Shanks just offers his protection to anyone that may need it, no strings attached, and has built a beloved reputation in the New World for it. Meanwhile, Luffy has done much the same by helping countries in his way and gaining loyalty in the process.
What the Four Emperors Do
The Four Emperors are essentially a balance between the Warlords and the Navy, keeping the seas from being completely taken over. While they all align against the Navy for some reason or other (mostly contempt) the Four Emperors historically don’t get along very well. Shanks and Whitebeard would occasionally speak with each other, though it would often end in a clash as they didn’t see eye to eye. Whitebeard and Shanks would protect any territories that asked them too fiercely though, and Whitebeard kept Fishman Island safe for years.
They don’t always get along though, and skirmishes break out between them on a regular basis. Even during the battle of Marineford, it was strategic because Shanks and Kaido were in the middle of a raging battle. When Shanks finally appeared it put a stop to the fighting completely, and Whitebeard’s presence would have been more fearsome in his prime.
Emperor’s Territory
Depending on the Emperor, some will take massive swaths of territory while others take none. Big Mom, for instance, took the entire chain of islands around Whole Cake Island. It’s unknown if all the weird weather took place there before she got there though. Kaido, in comparison, has only really taken the land of Wano as his own. Then there are independent islands and countries that fly the flag of an Emperor as a sign they have protection.
Luffy does this when he takes Wano from Kaido, and offers a Straw Hat Jolly Roger to Momonosuke. Whitebeard did the same for Fishman Island, and after his death, Big Mom did. Big Mom’s safeguard at the undersea island was only dependent on two things- JImbei serving her, and a monthly candy tribute. When these couldn’t be met, Luffy replaced her as the guardian of Fishman Island.
Whitebeard
One of the original members of Rocks D Xebec’s Rocks Pirates, Whitebeard was an insanely powerful fighter. In his prime, he would often go toe to toe against Gol D Roger as equals, with fights lasting days. What’s even better, after they would fight for days, they would party even longer. By the end of the visit, crews would exchange all kinds of goods, eat, and drink with one another for a week at least. The two pirates were great friends, and Whitebeard was always determined to become the new Pirate King after Roger passed.
Even in his old age, Whitebeard was something to be feared in any fight. His Tremor-Tremor Fruit and massive size are intimidating, but it’s his commanding presence that really makes him an Emperor. He exudes power, yet there’s also a gentle care that lies under the surface. He may be a monster on the battlefield, but he’s a good person to those he oversees as an Emperor.
Kaido
Kaido was another member of the Rocks Pirates, but he was captured not long after the God Valley incident and locked up for a time. Many experiments by Vegapunk later, and Kaido finally breaks out of the lab along with his new first mate, King the Lunarian. Kadiou only believes in power, and that nothing else can measure up to Haki in a fight. He fights brutally, taking advantage of his Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit Azure Dragon Model. While he usually decries the power of Devil Fruits, it hasn’t stopped him from trying to turn his entire crew into Zoan users.
The Beast Pirate captain shows no mercy whether it be in battle or outside of it. He raised Yamato in a cell for most of his life, and beat the hell out of him the rest. When he took over Wano, he cruelly executed Kozuki Oden while also attempting to kill his entire family, though most of his vassals and both children survived. The man has no lows to which he won’t sink, only holding up any sense of honor when in the heat of battle.
Big Mom
Big Mom was the last of the Rocks Pirates to hit Emperor status, not that she was weak. Hell, she’s responsible for recruiting Kaido to the Rocks Pirates. She even secures his Devil Fruit for him at God Valley. She’s incredibly strong, with the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit backing up her mean streak. Not that anybody knows it, but Big Mom actually didn’t eat a Devil Fruit to gain her power. Instead, she ate the Devil Fruit user, her long-lost adopted mother, in a fit of hunger and sweets.
She plays off the cutesy Alice in Wonderland feel of Totto Land like a whimsical happy place. Meanwhile, all of her citizens make a yearly tribute to her of two weeks of their lifespan, increasing her own. It’s a brutal system where the people don’t have true freedom, and Luffy dismantles it in due time. Her tributes from other countries come in the form of tributes of candy, sweets, and any other kind of confections Big Mom loves to eat. She seems like a loving, caring mother on the surface, but underneath the Big Mom facade is one bad bitch.
Shanks
Who would’ve thought that the pirate that gave up his arm for Luffy was an Emperor of the Sea? While his former crewmate, Buggy the Clown, is also a Warlord now, it took much longer than Shanks. His full power is still unexplored, only just shown off a killer finishing move against Kid in the manga. Shanks is probably the strongest Emperor currently, and it’s unsure just how close Luffy is to his kind of power.
Thankfully, despite Shanks’ massive power gap, he’s a kind and caring soul to all those that seek protection. Currently, his base of operations is in Elbaph, land of the Giants. He even recruits former Giant Pirates co-captains Broggy and Dorry to his side. Despite Eustass Kid’s new status, Shanks takes them out in moments while admirers fawn over him.
Luffy
The title of Emperor hasn’t changed Luffy a bit. While the others have to be careful of the massive power and influence they wield so as not to start a total war, the Straw Hat Captain doesn’t give a damn. He’ll fly off into new adventures haphazardly as possible and fight anyone that gets in his way. Hell, even CP0 can’t strike back without the Gorosei’s permission. Luffy is much like his idol Shanks as well. He offers his protection to nations he knows are in need, but can’t offer tribute to the other Emperors.
Luffy is the chaotic good alignment of the Four Emperors, and often does anything he can to help those that ask. His happy-go-lucky nature and newly unveiled Gear Five show that he’s the liberator the World Government has been in fear of for so long. He plans to use his powers of joy, since any that encounter Luffy can’t help but have fun.
Buggy the Clown
Luffy’s first words when Buggy becomes an Emperor of the Sea- “Don’t they know he’s an idiot?”. If the Straw Hat Captain calls someone an idiot, everyone knows it’s a serious insult. Buggy won his power as Emperor much like he did everything else, through luck. His overblown feats during Marineford led tons of lackeys to him with the belief that he was a great warrior. Some even thought he had the admiration of Luffy since he was part of his rescue. They don’t realize that Buggy was only in it for the promise of treasure.
Buggy the Clown is just that, a dancing court jester that’s just a face to entertain the masses while others pull strings. That’s what he did as a Warlord to the World Government, and now as Emperor and leader of Cross Guild. He cowers behind Mihawk and Crocodile whenever danger is near. Buggy will use everything in his ability to cower out of a fight, despite his blustering. He’s an idiot, but at least he’s useful.
Blackbeard
Whereas Luffy was born with the Will of D and a chaotic good nature, Blackbeard was born the total opposite. The head of the Blackbeard Pirates was once just Marshall D Teach, a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Until he killed the second division leader Thatch and went on the run, which prompted incident after incident, from there he kidnapped Ace, bargained his way to Warlord, then broke the worst of the worst out of Impel Down in betrayal. To finish off his path of evil, he was the one to finally kill Whitebeard before doing the impossible, stealing a Devil Fruit.
Teach doesn’t give a damn about anything but himself and his dream of a pirate paradise. That’s what he intends to turn his home island of Fullalead into eventually. He’s also collecting Devil Fruits to take down the Celestial Dragons. It’s still not known how he steals the Devil Fruit powers, or able to use more than two. Blackbeard is a dangerous man, only held back by his inability to think ahead and plan his moves.
With the newest iteration of the Four Emperors finally set in place, there’s sure to be a final showdown soon. All four have begun to make their moves toward Laughtale, and each has made their intent very clear. Luffy, Shanks, Buggy, and Blackbeard have all sworn to find the One Piece and become Pirate King, but only one will stand by the end.
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