While One Piece‘s story centers on Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates trying to reach Laugh Tale to find the “One Piece,” what keeps the story most interesting is the small tidbits it gives fans about the lore behind the world’s history.
As fans will know, the Void Century in One Piece refers to the 100-year period from roughly 900 to 800 years before the present timeline. The historical records from the time have been long erased, and the World Government forbids people from researching them. As such, any lore the anime drops about it is often fascinating and plot heavy.
While fans know that key figures, such as Joy Boy and Imu and significant events, such as the downfall of the Great Kingdom and the rise of the World Government are linked with the Void Century, creator Eiichiro Oda may have also dropped another key hint about it with the introduction of the Empty Throne.
The Empty Throne May Be the Biggest Void Century Bombshell in One Piece
As fans must recall, the Empty Throne first appeared in One Piece chapter 907. King Sterry of Goa Kingdom had arrived at the Pangaea Castle for Reverie. Before the conference, he was asked to make a pledge before the Empty Throne. This was the first time the manga gave fans an explanation about the throne’s significance.
While, at the time, the manga very clearly labeled the throne “Empty Throne,” the manga may also have dropped a hidden connotation. According to the very popular One Piece analyst on X (formerly Twitter) @sandman_AP, the throne may have an alternate name, “Void Throne,” as in the Void Century.
It is true that the illustration clearly reads “Empty Throne,” but the dialogue referring to the same uses an unusual kanji. Instead of “空の玉座,” Eiichiro Oda used “虚の玉座,” which, while not incorrect, was pretty unusual.
According to @sandman_AP, VIZ Media’s English translation for the same, “Empty Throne,” rendered the explanation too weak, failing to capture the religious, metaphysical, illusory, and deceptive connotations carried by the Japanese word “虚.” As such, a more appropriate translation might have been “Void Throne.”
Why Empty Throne Having an Alternate Name Makes Sense
As One Piece fans would know, Eiichiro Oda loves to foreshadow events through subtle hints. Hence, while he did label the throne “Empty Throne” in English in the illustration, his usage of the unusual kanji could be a subtle set-up for a connection he might want to make later, when further exploring the lore behind it.
This is a problem when translating from Japanese to English. The Japanese language is capable of many nuances that just don’t work in English. Hence, unless the translator is aware of the nuance, they can only put forth their best translation, hoping it captures the creator’s original idea.
For now, the only thing fans know is that, while the Empty Throne’s vacancy is considered a symbol of equality among all nations, it is occupied by the mysterious being Imu. Although fans don’t know a lot about Imu, they know that they are linked to the Void Century. As such, @sandman_AP’s analogy could turn out true later.
Therefore, considering how long ago this foreshadow was set up, when Eiichiro Oda eventually updates it in the Final Saga, it could change One Piece forever.
- Created by
-
Eiichiro Oda
- First Film
-
One Piece: The Movie
- Cast
-
Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Video Game(s)
-
One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey
- Character(s)
-
Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)
