Gol D Roger, King of the Pirates, the one who set off the Golden Age of Piracy! The Roger Pirates Captain is the most infamous man in the world of One Piece, but how did he get that way? Much of his history is still foggy, but what we know of Gol D Roger is an adventure full of danger and joy. This is the King of the Pirates, who kicked off the search for the One Piece!
How Did Gol D Roger Become a Pirate?
Roger’s childhood and most of his early life are cloudy, but the earliest scene is him approaching Rayleigh. He wears the iconic straw hat that Luffy now dons, and has the same smile but without a mustache. A joyful young Gol D Roger with everything in front of him as a pirate, and the Will of D to follow. The two set off and built their crew, recruiting anyone they found.
It’s not like Roger became a great pirate overnight though, he had a lot of sailing to get under his belt before reaching the peak of his life. The man was strong enough to fight at the Battle of God Valley alongside Garp against the Rocks Pirates, the most fearsome crew on the seas. Roger made his name there, and even gained a new crew member when he finds a baby in the ruins of the battlefield.
Who Was on Gol D Roger’s Crew?
Not everyone on the crew have names, and some only sail with Roger for a short time like Kozuki Oden. The most prominent member of Roger’s crew back in his prime was obviously his first mate, ‘Dark King’ Silvers Rayleigh. Rayleigh is a monster of a man, comparable in strength to Roger, and still feared even in his old age. To the point where Garp tells Sengoku not to allow a move on Sabaody while he’s there. Roger’s crew are the strongest around for a damn good reason.
Then there are the two apprentices of the Roger Pirates, Buggy and Shanks. Both would eventually become Emperors of the Sea, though only one truly earns the title. Nonetheless, it’s where Shanks grows up and instilled Roger’s same ideals into him, while Buggy did… Buggy things. He’s kind of an idiot, there’s no telling what he does offscreen.
Who Did Gol D Roger Marry?
Though Gol D Roger wasn’t the marrying type, he did have someone. This woman is named Portgaz D Rouge, a loving, kind woman from the South Blue. There’s really not a lot known about her time before Roger’s execution though, so it’s unknown if they were together for long. That said, Ace was at least conceived a couple of months before Roger turned himself in. Rouge held him in her belly for freakin’ months to hide him from the Navy, and if that ain’t love then what is?
Ace of course was taken in by Garp when his mother died after his birth. It wasn’t the greatest of childhoods, and though his father chose Ace’s name, he changed his surname to Portgaz in honor of his mother. Ace resented his father for most of his life, and instead proclaimed himself one of the many sons of Whitebeard before his death.
Gol D Roger Powers
His infamous power and legendary strength were all Roger’s with no help from Devil Fruits at all. None of his crew were really Devil Fruit users either other than Buggy. Not that Buggy was much like anyone else in his crew. Instead, Roger uses Haki reinforced by his massive strength to get jobs done. He was often seen fighting with a sword in battle too, so he likely learned to infuse Haki into it.
He is proficient in all three Haki forms too, with his Conqueror and Armament Haki particularly strong. Rayleigh was much the same, and they fought as a team. He and Garp would often go hand to hand in fights, as is Garp’s style, but Roger was always an even match for him. Roger was the one to take down Rocks D Xebec, if that gives any idea of his power level. It should be, since Xebec commanded a crew with Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido as his underlings.
Gol D Roger Friends and Enemies
Roger was never short on friends in his journey, and typically made a few wherever he roamed. Among them was Ganfall of Skypiea, who showed Roger’s crew his Poneglyph from Jaya. He even recruited Crocus from his crew at Reverse Mountain, though he went under the pretext of finding the Rumbar Pirates who Laboon was waiting for. Even Kureha has some memories of Roger when he passed through Drum Kingdom. Not just that, but he’s friendly with most other pirate crews he meets, a lot like Luffy is. He and Whitebeard would fight for days only to party just as long by the end of it all.
As for enemies, Garp was more of a longtime frenemy than anything. The two fought on and off as Navy and pirates their entire time on the ocean, but Roger still trusted Garp more than anyone with Ace. It’s one of those many qualities that reflect Luffy and Koby’s relationship. Otherwise, Roger’s greatest enemies were the Celestial Dragons and Rocks Pirates, though they disbanded after God Valley.
The most notable friend of Roger that, and a part-time member of his crew, was Kozuki Oden. The destined shogun of Wano ran away to join the Whitebeard Pirates when they came ashore in Wano one day. Then, during one of Roger and Whitebeard’s many fights, revealed he was able to read the Poneglyphs. Roger asked him along, and Oden had two kids on his ship as they found Laughtale.
The Pirate King
The hidden home of the One Piece, Laughtale, holds the throne of the Pirate King, metaphorically. The title goes to those that find the island and uncover the secrets of the Void Century. What made it even more dangerous this time though, was that Roger had the Will of D in his name. Enemies to the Celestial Dragons, one with the Will of D as Pirate King is obviously the true threat to the evil of Imu. Unfortunately for Roger, he wasn’t able to make it to Laughtale at the right time, and was twenty-five years too early for Joyboy’s return. All he could do was laugh.
Roger disbanded his pirates there, his journey over and illness entering the final stages. It’s unknown what illness Roger had, but Crocus said it was deadly. Rather than let his illness bring his death, he opts to turn himself into the Navy. He knows the spectacle of his execution will be huge, and that’s where he intends to make his last contribution to Joyboy’s mission.
The Golden Age of Pirates
Gol D Roger’s true legacy lives on thanks to his public execution, where he announces that he left his treasure at the end of the Grand Line, the One Piece! This does just what Roger hoped before he was executed, and sparked the Golden Age of Pirates. Millions set sail from the Four Blues of One Piece’s world, in search of Gol D Roger’s famous treasure on the final island. If it was that easy though, someone would have already made it. Instead, Roger’s treasure remains unclaimed, and nobody knows what lies in wait there. The story is moving into the final arc, so it will be revealed soon!
A kind, caring man who always did good wherever he went for those in need, Gol D Roger was just the person the world needed. He’s the rightful Herald of Joyboy, foretelling and ushering in the birth of a liberator with Luffy. Luffy isn’t just the one to follow in Roger’s footsteps, but the one to fulfill his journey. Everything Roger did was a message of the freedom to come, and the world of One Piece is better because of it.
One Piece is available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll in the United States. Crunchyroll debuts new episodes every Sunday.
