Summary
Gol D. Roger and Edward “Whitebeard” Newgate were the most legendary and powerful pirates in the history of theOne Pieceworld. Both of these near-mythical figures were active and in their primes at around the same time, due to which they crossed paths on many occasions, and had even fought against one another multiple times. This caused the entire world to view the two of them as rivals.
However, what is not known to the rest of theOne Pieceworld is that the two of them actually shared a unique friendship and bond. Though they were the mostpowerful and prominent pirates of their time, they were on friendly terms with one another and were never really interested in the others' dealings due to them wanting different things in life. So, let’s take a look at how this special bond came to be and defined multiple eras!
The Age of Pirates
Before the Pirate Golden Age began with the execution of Gol D. Roger, the seas were still littered with pirates who have now become the stuff of legend. Among these were the 2 most iconic pirates of all time;Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard. These two were notorious pirates who had some of the highest bounties to prove their standing. This exceptional strength caused the two of them to battle many times in their careers.
However, their scuffles every once in a while were never things that led to a great amount of conflict, mainly because they wanted different things in their lives. While Roger was someone who craved adventure and wanted to see the world, Whitebeard’s main goal was to have the one thing that he never properly had; a family, which was the reason he called all of his crewmates his ‘sons’ while they called him ‘pops’.
With the two of them beingthe top dogs of the sea, it was only natural for them to battle every once in a while, but the aftermath of these battles is what fans of the series remember well, since the fights ended in good spirits, followed by drinks and laughter. This goes to show that these two were just friendly rivals and weren’t out for each other’s heads. In fact, on one occasion, the two fought non-stop for 3 days, during which time each of their crews exchanged gifts.
Their friendship was seen when Roger asked to borrow Oden for a year to complete his journey, a request which Whitebeard initially refused but later agreed to, following Oden’s persistence in letting it happen. However, their most important interaction was shortly before Roger turned himself in, where they shared drinks on an unnamed island. Despite being rivals, they had an unspoken bond built upon mutual trust and respect, which is why Roger offered to tell Whitebeard the location of the Final Island of Laugh Tale as well asthe significance of the D Clan.
The Bond That Defined Eras:
After Roger turned himself over to the Marines, his execution was made public due to the notoriety associated with him. During his final speech, he changed the world, letting everyone know about his treasure, the One Piece, and bidding the world to try and find it, singlehandedly startingthe Golden Age of Pirates. This announcement shook the world, as the great hunt for this legendary treasure began almost immediately.
Other than the crew of the Roger Pirates, no one else knew of the location of the One Piece or even Laugh Tale, the Final Island. However, this was something that Whitebeard almost definitely knew about, not only because of his status as a legendary pirate, but also because of his final meeting with Roger. Though he made it clear that he did not care about it, many fans are adamant that Whitebeard did know of the location of the One Piece.
When somebody finds that treasure, the world will be turned upside down. Oh yes! It will be found! That day will come! THE ONE PIECE! IS OUT THERE!
The Summit War at Marinefordwas the most significant event to take place on the seas after the execution of Gol D. Roger himself, where the legendary Whitebeard met his end. However, his death perfectly mirrored that of his late friend and rival, as he used his final words to announce to the world what Roger likely entrusted to him; the One Piece is real! By effectively reiterating and confirming the words of his old friend, Whitebeard began a new era with his death, just like Roger did 24 years ago.
This showed that there was more to the world than what everyone else knew and that the legendary treasure that the whole world was after was actually real, revitalizing the search for it and prolonging the Golden Age of Pirates. Despite the World Government trying its hardest to suppress the scourge of the pirates, the bond between Roger and Whitebeard ensured that it was here to stay!
One Piececan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
