Gol D. Roger
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| Japanese Name |
ゴール・D（ディー）・ロジャー |
| Romanized Name |
Gōru Dī Rojā |
| Official English Name |
Gol D. Roger |
| Debut |
Chapter 1; Episode 1 |
| Affiliations |
Roger Pirates; Clan of D. |
| Occupations |
Pirate Captain |
| Origin |
East Blue (Loguetown) |
| Alias |
Gold Roger (ゴールド・ロジャー, Gōrudo Rojā?) |
| Epithet |
Pirate King (海賊王, Kaizoku-Ō?, King of the Pirates (English versions)) |
| Status |
Deceased |
| Age At Death |
53 |
| Birthday |
December 31st |
| Height |
274 cm (9'0") |
| Blood Type |
S |
| Bounty |
5,564,800,000 |
| Japanese Voice |
Chikao Ohtsuka (Episode 1-Episode 590);Masane Tsukayama (Episode 849+);Takeshi Kusao (young) |
| English Voice |
Odex:Brian Zimmerman4Kids:Frederick B. OwensFunimation:Sean Hennigan;Marcus D. Stimac (young) |
| Live Action Portrayal |
Michael Dorman |
Introduction
Gol D. Roger, more commonly known as Gold Roger, was a legendary pirate who, as captain of the Roger Pirates, held the title of Pirate King and possessed the legendary treasure known as the One Piece. He was also the lover of Portgas D. Rouge and the biological father of Portgas D. Ace.
Roger was the first pirate in history since Joy Boy to circumnavigate the Grand Line, culminating in reaching its final island which he named Laugh Tale. However, knowing that his life was limited by an incurable disease, Roger disbanded his crew and turned himself in to be executed. Though the World Government staged the execution as a public spectacle to discourage piracy, Roger used his final words to ensure the opposite, openly willing One Piece to anyone that could find it. As such, he singlehandedly began the Great Pirate Era. Because of his past actions and achievements, Roger is a central background character in the series as a whole.Gol D.
Roger, more commonly known as Gold Roger, was a legendary pirate who, as captain of the Roger Pirates, held the title of Pirate King and possessed the legendary treasure known as the One Piece. He was also the lover of Portgas D. Rouge and the biological father of Portgas D. Ace. Roger was the first pirate in history since Joy Boy to circumnavigate the Grand Line, culminating in reaching its final island which he named Laugh Tale. However, knowing that his life was limited by an incurable disease, Roger disbanded his crew and turned himself in to be executed. Though the World Government staged the execution as a public spectacle to discourage piracy, Roger used his final words to ensure the opposite, openly willing One Piece to anyone that could find it. As such, he singlehandedly began the Great Pirate Era. Because of his past actions and achievements, Roger is a central background character in the series as a whole.
Appearance
Roger was a tall and very muscular man with thick black hair and a thick neck. His most prominent physical features were his long, curved mustache, a fierce grin he almost always wore, and his intense eyes. Like many other pirate captains, he typically wore a long captain's coat, colored red with gold accents. Beneath his coat, he wore a blue shirt and had a yellow sash around his waist. He wore a white cravat (a short, wide strip of fabric worn by men round the neck and tucked inside an open-necked shirt.) around his neck, dark blue pants, and what appeared to be black sea boots. Before he turned himself in, he also wore a pirate hat with his Jolly Roger on it over a yellow-spotted bandana. During the Edd War, however, he donned a dark-blue vest and a yellow sash. Later on, during a flashback to Roger's first meeting with Rayleigh, it was revealed that Roger wore the straw hat that Monkey D. Luffy is currently wearing. Ironically, Roger's looks in his youth were strikingly similar to Luffy's and as he grew older, he began to resemble his future son, Ace. Thirty-eight years ago, Roger held the straw hat on his coat and did not have his trademark moustache yet. Thirty years ago, he was seen wearing a necklace.
Gallery
Video Games
Other
Personality
Roger was said to be fearless, and those who witnessed his execution even claim that he smiled just before his death, and during all of his flashback appearances, Roger was seen with a confident smile. His personality is often noted by people who knew him to have been similar to that of Monkey D. Luffy. This is best shown when he meets Rayleigh and asks him to join him, despite having no idea how strong he was or even what role he would have on his ship. Portgas D.
Ace revealed his lineage to Whitebeard, who noted that Ace's personality was not much like his father's. However, they both shared a refusal to run from battle. Monkey D. Garp stated that Roger would not run away from an enemy in order to protect his crew from danger. They both also shared the common traits associated with the Will of D.
Roger was also a man who loved big, flashy things and reveled in his title of Pirate King despite his oncoming death. While not portrayed during any of his appearances, he could be a merciless enemy when he got angry. This was further evidenced when he killed all of Squard's crew members personally for unknown reasons. Roger was very quick to anger, and he would retaliate for something as simple as an insult to his crew, regardless of how small it might be. Garp stated that an angry Roger could be a violent, selfish, and short-tempered man, but his actions had been pure and straight, just like a child's, and that he was lucky to survive and become the Pirate King despite his extremely reckless nature.
This headstrongness would be seen when he would argue against the risk's and warnings of his crew mate Scopper Gaban and fight with him about it. Roger also had a side to him that mocked his enemies, as after defeating a group of Marines, he told them to bring Garp or Sengoku while telling the Marines he just defeated that they were not worth his time. He would get excited when he got the opportunity to face strong enemies, charging straight ahead past Rayleigh and Gaban to face Kouzuki Oden himself. When he clashed with Whitebeard for the first time in a while, he reacted with glee and casually greeted his old rival. Despite his prideful and aggressive nature, Roger was a considerably humble man as he bowed to Whitebeard and Oden when requesting the samurai to join his crew and offered all the treasure and supplies his crew obtained to Whitebeard in exchange for Oden's service. He was also more than happy to tell others of his dreams and would socialize with his rivals with great enthusiasm. In addition, he was considerate towards civilians, and forbade his crew from stealing from them. He also had a soft spot for children, as he was seen happily cradling Kouzuki Hiyori when she was a baby. He was even gentle towards children of other races such as with the mermaid Shyarly when he innocently asked her for some predictions with a gentle smile, and with the mink Pedro when Roger encouraged him to wait for his own moment one day. He also believed a newborn child should not be responsible for the sins of their parents, as he asked Garp to protect his unborn child because he did not want his child to be killed for being related to him.
Relationships
Crew
He apparently had a strong bond with his crew. Silvers Rayleigh, his first mate, described him as a "magnificent man". Shanks and Buggy also seemed saddened when speaking of the day of their captain's execution, and both cried a lot at his execution. It is unknown if any of his crew knew that Roger had a son, Portgas D. Ace, prior to Sengoku making it public. According to Monkey D. Garp, even though the whole world hated him, his crewmates trusted Roger completely. He had also destroyed the military force of one country for insulting his crew. Kin'emon stated that Roger had great admiration for Kouzuki Oden and recruited him as a crewmate for his final voyage. The feeling appeared to be mutual as Oden thought very highly of Roger, perhaps even more than his previous captain Edward Newgate. After receiving news of Roger's execution, Oden simultaneously cried and laughed as he marveled at Roger's achievements in life.
Friends
Most characters who speak of their personal encounter with Roger only make good comments about him, as he seemed to have made many friends in his journey.
Gan Fall
He befriended Gan Fall, the God of Skypiea, and left him with wonderful memories.
Tom And Kokoro
He also befriended Tom and Kokoro, gaining enough admiration and respect for Tom to build him a ship, the Oro Jackson. The Fish-Man would later boast that he was proud he had built the Oro Jackson for the late Pirate King, even though such a declaration led to his death.
Enemies
Monkey D Garp
While the two had been enemies for many years, In the past, both Roger and Garp allied with each other in order to defeat the Rocks Pirates. As a Marine, Garp attempted to kill Roger several times, but both men respected one another to the point that Roger trusted him as he would trust any member of his own crew. Garp was one of two Marines that Roger considered to be worth his time, the other being Sengoku. Prior to his execution, Roger imparted the name and location of his lover to Garp in order to protect their child, Portgas D. Ace, from being branded a criminal just by being born as the son of the Pirate King.
Shiki
In the past, Shiki the Golden Lion and Roger were enemies on opposing crews as he was a Rocks Pirates. Eleven years later, Shiki got in a fight with Roger. Later, upon hearing news of Roger's upcoming execution, Shiki attempted to kill Roger himself because of his respect for his rival; he believed that dying by the hands of the weak Marines would not be honorable, even for Roger.
Charlotte Linlin
In the past, Linlin and Roger fought against each other during the God Valley Incident. Some years later Roger managed to locate Big Mom's Road Poneglyph using the Voice of All Things and learned its contents with the help of Oden, allowing him to reach Laugh Tale before her. After failing to stop Roger from this, Big Mom vowed not to let anyone who read her Road Poneglyph get away again. As Linlin was defeated by Law and Kid in Wano, she cursed and resented Roger for having started the Great Pirate Era, thereby bringing about a new wave of ambitious pirates which aims to remove her, as well as her fellow Emperors, from power and dominion over the seas in order to find the One Piece.
Rocks D Xebec
Roger's first and perhaps his most formidable rival and greatest enemy was Rocks D. Xebec, the captain of the legendary Rocks Pirates who sought to become the king of the world.
Others
In Ace's past, there were thugs who hated Roger and spoke ill of him. Ace himself had to endure a life of listening to bad remarks about his father, and in his own death, he confirmed that Roger was not popular on a worldwide scale. This implies that those who did not encounter him in their lifetime tend to view him in a bad light.
Family
Portgas D Rouge
Rouge was Roger's lover. It is unknown if they were ever married, nor how their relationship worked out, but she was seen crying when she learned of Roger's death from the newspaper. She died after Ace's birth due to a prolonged pregnancy, which lasted an unnatural twenty months in order to protect Ace from being hunted by the World Government, and also named their child "Gol D. Ace", proving that she wanted him to live up to his father's name.
Portgas D Ace
Ace was the son of Roger. As Roger did not want his child to be born a criminal simply due to family ties, he requested Garp to take care of him in secrecy. When Roger spoke to Garp, he said that his unborn child held no sins. However, Ace did not see this as love and detested his father. Despite his hatred for his father, Ace seemed to have at least some respect for him, as he severely beat anyone who badmouthed Roger. However, this may have actually been due to the fact that said offenders often would begin slandering "the son of Roger", thereby unknowingly referring to Ace himself. Dadan noticed that Ace had inherited much of Roger's personality after asking him why he did not run from Bluejam. Also, Shanks remarks at the place of Ace's burial that he was the same as his captain, who would not run away, even in the most critical situations. The most prominent of the traits that Ace inherited from Roger was ruthlessness toward anyone who threatened or insulted his loved ones.
Other
Edward Newgate
Even though they were rival pirates, Roger and Whitebeard appeared to be on fairly good terms. They seemingly had multiple duels upon their lives, with one instance in particular leading to a friendly gift exchange between their crewmembers after three days of endless battling. When Roger requested Whitebeard to allow him to borrow Oden for a year in order to reach the Final Island, even bowing down and giving away all of his treasure in exchange, Whitebeard became enraged by this request and initially refused until Oden himself asked him to allow it. Before his death, Roger and Whitebeard met alone on an unknown island to have their final discussion. During which, Roger even offered to tell Whitebeard the location of Laugh Tale and explained the significance of the initial D.
Abilities And Powers
Roger was hailed as one of the strongest pirates of all time, considered nearly unstoppable in battle. As the Pirate King, he retains the highest status among all the world's pirates, even post-mortem. Elucidating this is the truly enormous bounty he had prior to his death, with 5,564,800,000 being the highest in pirating history. In addition, unlike the majority of the most powerful individuals in the world, Roger never had any Devil Fruit powers, which makes him even more impressive. Very few people are known to have ever matched Roger in battle: most prominently the legendary "Hero of the Marines", Monkey D.
Garp, said to have cornered Roger multiple times before his surrender. According to Roger himself, he also considered Sengoku, the then future Fleet Admiral who wielded the power of a golden Buddha Mythical Zoan, as one of the two Marines that were worth his time. Aside from his animosity with the Marines, Roger's second foremost pirate rival was Whitebeard, who wielded the strongest Paramecia-type Devil Fruit and was renowned as the "Strongest Man in the World", even before Roger's death. Another person known to rival Roger was Rocks D. Xebec, who was considered to be his first and most formidable rival, even more so than Whitebeard would come to be. Other examples of Roger's strength include fighting with Shiki, who commanded the largest pirate fleet of his time, and single-handedly defeating the armies of several countries. He also fought against Chinjao in the past many times. Kaidou, who at some point came to be called the world's "Strongest Creature", put Roger in the same elite class with a very small number of other notable figures that actually possess the strength to stand against him in battle, such as Whitebeard, Kouzuki Oden, Shanks, and Xebec. Even a mighty warrior such as Oden, who had effortlessly slain actual gigantic beasts, commented on Roger's prowess, comparing his presence to that of a wild beast's.
Physical Abilities
Roger possessed immense physical strength, as shown when he easily sent Kouzuki Oden flying. He could also clash evenly with a young Edward Newgate, who could, even in his old age, effortlessly overpower giants. Roger also had immense levels of endurance and vitality, even when his body was ravaged by an incurable disease. Aided by Crocus' medical skills, he managed to conquer the Grand Line in a mere three years. He was even able to fight for three days and three nights against Whitebeard until the fight resulted in a draw.
Swordsmanship
Roger was an immensely skilled and powerful swordsman, overpowering the legendary master samurai Kouzuki Oden with only one strike. Along with his mastery of Haki, he was also able to clash equally against Whitebeard's Murakumogiri, creating a powerful shockwave that blew back everything on the island as well as the Moby Dick by the coast.
Voice Of All Things
According to Rayleigh, Roger could locate the Poneglyphs because he had the ability to "hear the voice of all things". However, he was not like the Ohara scholars who used their intellect to study the Poneglyphs, so he could not exactly "read" them. Roger was also one of only five known beings who possessed the ability to hear Sea Kings speaking, the other four being Luffy, Shirahoshi, Poseidon, and Oden. He was also one of four known humans in the series who possessed the ability to hear Zunesha speaking, the other three being Luffy, Kouzuki Oden, and Kouzuki Momonosuke.
Haki
Roger was one of the very few people in the world who could use all three types of Haki. Kaidou mentioned that despite him not having a Devil Fruit, his Haki alone was powerful enough to make him among the strongest people in the world.
Supreme King Haki
Roger possessed immense mastery in the usage of Supreme King Haki, which was seen when he clashed with fellow Supreme King Haki user Edward Newgate. Their clash created a notable effect similar to lightning and released a large burst that traveled across the island that they were on and pushed back the Moby Dick alongside the nearby trees, clouds, and people. Most notably, Roger was one of the very few Supreme King users able to use the advanced application to "infuse" his attacks with Supreme King Haki to exponentially increase his attack power, with his sword being shown emitting streams of black lightning-like energy in his clash with Edward Newgate, signifying the infusion.
Armament Haki
Roger was an immensely skilled user of Armament Haki. He could imbue his saber with Haki, allowing it to evenly clash against the Haki-infused Murakumogiri, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Meito. As a testament to his mastery, he overpowered Kouzuki Oden, who was an exceptional master of Armament Haki in his own right, with only a single brief attack. Furthermore, Roger could utilize the advanced application of emitting Armament Haki out from his blade, allowing him to attack opponents without making physical contact. He was first shown using this during his battle against Whitebeard. In the anime, when Roger used advanced Armament Haki, it is shown as a red-colored flowing aura.
Observation Haki
Roger possessed the ability to use Observation Haki.
Weapons
Roger's main weapon was a cutlass named Ace, which is one of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades. He wielded it at least as far back as the God Valley Incident, and was shown possessing it up until the end of his pirating journey. During the Battle of Edd War, Roger was shown wielding a flintlock pistol with his right hand and Ace with his left.
History
Biography
The Beginning
Gol D. Roger was born in Loguetown in the East Blue 77 years ago. According to Monkey D. Garp, Roger grew up in difficult circumstances and developed great fear of losing his loved ones above all else. Sometime later during his youth, he met Silvers Rayleigh and became impressed by the ship he was using, which Rayleigh stole to live on after his house burned down.
Viewing their encounter as a fated meeting, he asked Rayleigh to join him in "turning the world upside down". Though Rayleigh refused at first, Roger's insistence managed to win him over, and the two became best friends ever since. Roger eventually became the captain of the Roger Pirates with Rayleigh as his first mate. He was renowned as a rookie around five decades ago. At some point, Roger's crew visited Water 7 and hired the master shipwright, Tom to build a new ship for them.
Using wood from the legendary Treasure Tree Adam, Tom constructed the Oro Jackson, which became the Roger Pirates' famed ship. Roger and his crew then sailed into the New World, and 39 years ago, he and his crew reached Lodestar Island, the final island that the Log Pose pointed to. However, Roger knew that the real final island was beyond this point and that the Road Poneglyphs gave clues about its location. 38 years ago, Roger and his crew arrived at God Valley to confront Rocks D. Xebec for some past grievance that occurred a year prior as well as to intercept oncoming attacks from the God's Knights.
At the same time, he and his longtime rival, Marine Vice Admiral Garp formed a temporary alliance against the Rocks Pirates, which led to the pair fighting on God Valley against the crew including Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, Shiki, Kaidou, and their captain, Rocks D. Xebec. The battle resulted in the dissolution of the crew, with people viewing Xebec as Roger's first and most formidable enemy. Afterwards, the event became known as the God Valley Incident, although the alliance and Roger's involvement was not publicly reported. Roger also found a one-year-old Shanks inside a treasure chest they had looted from the location post-incident and decided to have the infant sail with them. At some point, Roger managed to sneak into Linlin's territory of Totto Land and gained a copy of her Road Poneglyph, though they could not translate it. 30 years ago, Roger read a newspaper and learned that a samurai from Wano Country had joined the Whitebeard Pirates, leading Roger to become interested in meeting him. Roger and his crew got into numerous battles with other pirate crews, with one such clash being against the Maelstrom Spider Pirates; this battle ended with the Roger Pirates wiping out everyone on it except for the captain Squard. At another point, Roger was gravely wounded in a fight and needed to recover from his injuries at a hospital in the mountains. When hundreds of enemies came to ambush him, Scopper Gaban fought them all off while he recovered safely.
The Final Voyage
28 years ago, Roger came down with an incurable disease. He decided to pitch one last journey with his crew into the Grand Line. Upon reaching the lighthouse at Reverse Mountain at the entrance of the Grand Line, he recruited Crocus as his doctor to keep him alive until the completion of his final journey. 27 years ago, Roger was approached by Shiki, who had learned that Roger had located an Ancient Weapon. Seeing the opportunity, he asked Roger if they could join forces, as with his large pirate fleet and Roger's weapon, Shiki believed that they could take over the whole world together, even telling Roger that what happened between them in the past was forgotten.
Despite the urges of Buggy, Roger refused Shiki's offer and said that he wanted to be free to do what he wanted. Shiki announced that his answer meant the death of him, while Roger said it meant that he would beat him, and a great sea battle soon ensued between their crews. The battle was resolved by a storm that happened during their fight, which sunk half of Shiki's fleet. Around a year later, Roger and his crew brutally defeated a Marine squadron, creating a ruckus that attracted the attention of the Whitebeard Pirates. Roger's crew went to meet them and encountered Kouzuki Oden charging toward them.
Roger quickly overpowered Oden before clashing with Whitebeard, and the skirmish between the crews lasted for three days and three nights before it ultimately became a gift exchange. Roger spoke with Whitebeard and Oden and told them about his intention to reach the last island in the Grand Line. Roger then begged Oden to join his crew for one year to decipher the Road Poneglyphs. Oden agreed, and he, his wife Toki, and children Momonosuke and Hiyori set sail with Roger. Inuarashi and Nekomamushi followed them as stowaways.
Crocus told Roger he had one year left to live, and soon afterward, the Roger Pirates journeyed up to Skypiea. Roger easily found the Shandorian Golden Belfry Bell due to his ability to hear its voice, which he claimed spoke about a certain weapon named Poseidon. Roger told Oden to inscribe a message about his presence at Skypiea and intended goal to reach the ends of the world into the bell's surface. After leaving Skypiea, the crew's ship sailed to Water 7 to pay Tom a visit. With Oden at his side, Roger sought after the Road Poneglyphs, which held together the key to the coordinates of the final island.
Already possessing a transcription of Big Mom's Road Poneglyph at hand and having a general idea about where to find another, Roger learned about the location of two more from Oden, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi, whose family and people had them guarded at Wano Country and Zou, respectively. The crew later journeyed to Fish-Man Island. Roger and Oden also noticed voices during the undersea trip, unaware that they came from the resident Sea Kings. After reaching Fish-Man Island, Roger got reacquainted with King Neptune. The Road Poneglyph whose whereabouts Roger had a suspicion of was located at the Sea Forest, near Fish-Man Island and right next to the Poneglyph containing Joy Boy's letter of apology.
While at Fish-Man Island, Roger met a young Shyarly and became aware of certain prophecies about the future, showing a particular interest about Poseidon's whereabouts. Sometime after leaving Fish-Man Island, Toki became ill, and the Roger Pirates stopped by at Wano Country. After acquiring the information from Wano's Poneglyphs, the crew left Toki, Momonosuke, Hiyori, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi behind. Later, with the help of a Vivre Card and letter from Nekomamushi and Inuarashi, Roger was able to land at Zou and befriend the Mink Tribe. On his way to the Road Poneglyph inside the Whale Tree, Roger experienced another mysterious voice alongside Oden, leaving the both of them with feelings of unease.
Later on, Roger was approached by a young Pedro, who was eager to accompany him on his adventure. Roger declined Pedro's request, but still reassured the Mink that he would play an important role in the future. Roger's condition was worsening as they progressed further, so he and his crew had to rush their quest, leaving Buggy, who became sick, and Shanks, who was taking care of him, behind. With the information of every Road Poneglyph at hand, Roger and his crew ultimately made it to the elusive final island of the Grand Line. There, not only did they learn the truth about the Void Century, the Ancient Weapons, and the Will of D., but they also stumbled upon Joy Boy's treasure.
Roger and his crewmates reacted to this discovery with a burst of laughter. Roger professed his curiosity about Joy Boy, considering the circumstances behind this past figure as funny. Inspired by Joy Boy's story, Roger bestowed the final island with the name of "Laugh Tale". Soon, the news of Roger's discovery of Laugh Tale led the world to recognize him as the Pirate King. As a result, many pirates and Marine forces were targeting the crew to eliminate Roger and get his treasure. Later, Roger decided to disband his crew. Upon learning they were early, Roger planned to sire a son that would find One Piece next. Roger also told Oden that he wanted to meet Whitebeard before he died. Later, he was the first to leave the crew and the ship, leaving his first mate Rayleigh some final words claiming that he "would not die". He also took some medicine from Crocus as he parted ways with his comrades, who cried as he left.
Final Days Of The King
Following disbanding his crew, Roger had a final meeting with Whitebeard, where he told him about the nickname the government gave him, Gold Roger, and the secret of the Will of D. Roger offered to tell Whitebeard how to get to Laugh Tale, but Whitebeard declined due to lack of interest. At some point after leaving his crew, he met Portgas D. Rouge, a woman living in Baterilla, and the two fell in love. In time, Rouge came to bear Roger's child, and Roger came up with two names depending on the baby's gender: "Ann" if it was a girl, or "Ace" if it was a boy. Knowing that he would be long dead by the time the child arrived, Roger then left Rouge and turned himself in to the Marines. While in prison, he asked his old enemy, Garp, to take care of his child after he was gone, saying that an infant should not be labeled a criminal just for his family ties. Although Garp said he had no obligation to do so, Roger knew he would do it anyway. Thinking they would make an example of him to prevent others from becoming pirates, the Marines brought him back to his birthplace, Loguetown, to face his execution in front of a large crowd. However, instead of trembling with fear like most people would before their demise, Roger smiled proudly without regret, which was noticed by several spectators, including a young Smoker. And just before he met his end, Roger yelled out his famous last words: Immediately after that, the swords of the executioners fell, and the greatest pirate of them all died while still smiling.
Legacy
The Great Pirate Era
Roger's legacy has been among the most impactful legacies left by one person in history. Although the World Government intended his execution to send a message against the institution of piracy, Roger's final words created the opposite result. Numerous people from across the world began to set sail as pirates in the hopes of finding Roger's treasure, with the general view that whoever next made it to Laugh Tale and acquired the One Piece would assume Roger's mantle of "Pirate King". The explosion in piracy across the world has resulted in the time following it, all the way to the present day, to be dubbed the "Great Pirate Era". The crowd at Roger's execution consisted of a great number of people who would go on to become extremely infamous pirates and criminals, and this fervor was passed down to those who were born after Roger's execution, with many of the young adults composing the newest pirate generations of the present day being among that group.
Pirates who knew Roger personally all had different reactions to his demise. The members of his old crew all became depressed upon learning of their former captain's execution, but also proud of what he did right before he was executed. This includes his First Mate, Silvers Rayleigh as well as Kouzuki Oden, who both laughed and cried at the news. His disciples, Shanks and Buggy, who were both heartbroken at Roger's death, began forming their own crews right afterwards. Though while Buggy preferred laying low with his crew to avoid attention from the Marines, Shanks eventually returned to the New World with his men and joined the ranks of most influential pirates in the world; the Four Emperors, and also inherited his old captain's trademark technique.
In addition, right before heading to the New World, Shanks inspired a young boy from the East Blue named Monkey D. Luffy to become a pirate himself and seek out his old captain's fortune to claim his title; even giving the boy his prized straw hat, which he also received from Roger himself. As for those outside Roger's crew; his greatest rival, Whitebeard, having known of Roger's intentions leading up to his execution, was unaffected by the Pirate King's death. Roger's other rival Shiki, on the other hand, could not believe that the Marines managed to take Roger into custody and attacked Marineford in order to get the chance to kill Roger personally. Due to Roger's exceptional infamy, the World Government worked tirelessly to eradicate anyone with connections to him, no matter how small. Members of the Roger Pirates continue to possess active bounties, even with nearly a quarter-century having passed since Roger's death. Any civilian who worked with Roger, regardless of what reasons they had for doing so, is also considered a criminal; a prominent example of this was Tom, who was sentenced to death simply for building the Oro Jackson, despite the general standard being that shipwrights were not responsible for how their ships were used. Although this persecution caused most people who were affiliated with Roger to go into hiding, these connections also granted the potential to gain respect in more lawless circles. This was seen to a considerable degree with Buggy, who was able to get hundreds of powerful Impel Down prisoners to rally around him out of admiration just for his affiliation with the Pirate King. This connection alone was enough to enable him to acquire a seat within the Seven Warlords of the Sea until its dissolution, and then allow him to become one of the Four Emperors after unintentionally forming an alliance with two other famous pirates, Crocodile and Dracule Mihawk. In addition, Roger's other disciple, Shanks would also become a powerful pirate who, unlike Buggy, actually earned the title of Emperor, which he held for six years running, and would even copy one his old captain's most powerful sword techniques.
Rogers Son Portgas D Ace
A special degree of attention was given to the idea of Roger's progeny, with the World Government being committed to eliminating any and all remainders of the Pirate King's bloodline. It was heavily believed by the government and Marines that anyone with Roger's bloodline would start a new reign of terror with the next generation of pirates. Their efforts were at their most intense in the year following Roger's death, and all children born near areas where Roger had visited within 10 months of his death were inspected along with any pregnant woman; any child possessing even a suspicion of a connection to Roger was to be killed. This hunt resulted in Rouge, Roger's only lover, keeping their only child, who she named Ace based on Roger's wishes, in her womb for an additional 15 months to allow him to be born after the hunt had subsided, though at the cost of her own life. As per Roger's request, Garp adopted Ace and guarded him throughout his childhood. Although Roger inspired a great number of people to pursue piracy, he appeared to be despised by the majority of civilians, who like the World Government viewed any child sired by him as a dangerous threat. Pirates who had been victimized by Roger and his crew in the past also despised the Pirate King and looked to take out their grudge on any potential offspring. Due to these sentiments and Roger not being in his life, Ace hated and disowned his father for bringing him into a world that wanted him dead just for existing, choosing to use his mother's surname instead of Roger's to keep his true heritage a secret. Nontheless, and despite Garp's insistence that he should become a Marine, Ace ultimately followed in his father's footsteps and became an infamous pirate in his own right. However, he had no desire to find his father's treasure or claim his title of Pirate King, beleving that should be his adopted brother, Luffy's acomplishment. Instead, he wished to surpass Roger by doing the one thing his father could not: killing his greatest rival, Whitebeard, though he ultimately ended up joining his crew, where he became like a son to Whitebeard. When Ace revealed his heritage to Newgate, the old pirate stated that he did not even care that Ace was related to his sworn rival.
Summit War Of Marineford
Roger's legacy ultimately played a large role in facilitating the Summit War of Marineford, one of the greatest conflicts of the last century. Having known for some time that Ace was Roger's son, the government took him being delivered into their captivity by Blackbeard as an opportunity to publicly execute him, even though this would start a war with Whitebeard and his crew, who fought with everything they had to save him. Before the war began, Sengoku revealed Ace's true heritage to the world, making him even more infamous than he ever was previously, and also claimed that Whitebeard was grooming Ace to inherit his father's title, a belief whose veracity is uncertain. This revelation would cause one of Whitebeard's allies to betray his benefactor due to his grudge against Roger, only to be calmed down and reminded that one's bloodline does not make them guilty for the sins of their parents. Despite great efforts to rescue him, Ace ultimately perished in the war, thus ending Roger's bloodline completely, and Whitebeard himself would follow suit afterwards.
But just before his death, Whitebeard claimed that even if Roger's lineage was erased, his will would still be inherited. He and others have given indications that Ace's adopted brother, Monkey D. Luffy would carry on this will. After all, Luffy was inspired to find the One Piece and become the next Pirate King by Roger's former disciple, Shanks, who gave him the straw hat that Roger himself once wore. After spending two years aiding in Luffy's training, Silvers Rayleigh himself noted the similarities between the two men and stated that Luffy had grown to be "more worthy" of the hat Roger wore. There were many who did not believe Roger's words upon his death, believing that the One Piece was nothing more than a myth he invented to spread chaos upon the world after his demise out of spite. Many pirates who have had their dreams crushed by the harsh environment of the Grand Line also came to accept this philosophy and even chose to mock others for continuing to believe in such things. However, Whitebeard used his final breath to proclaim to the world watching the broadcast of the Marineford War that the One Piece does indeed exist, thus removing any and all doubt in Roger's final words. Although the Great Pirate Era had not subsided at that point, this proclamation created a renewed interest in piracy, leading to the years after the war being dubbed the "New Age".
Hidden History And Unknown Dream
Roger's arrival at Laugh Tale and discovery of the true history of the Void Century there would set into motion many of the events that were foretold in that time, even though he arrived two decades before those events would ultimately take place. Namely, Kouzuki Oden became aware of the need to open the borders of his homeland Wano Country in preparation for these events. However, his efforts were blocked by another one of Roger's rivals, Kaidou, who conspired with the Kurozumi family to take control of Wano and kill Oden; although his retainers swore to accomplish what their leader couldn't. But even after Kaidou's defeat, Oden's son and heir, Momonosuke, decided not to open the country's borders yet, believing it to be too soon to do so. Before his death, Dr.
Vegapunk left a message for the world to see upon his demise, and in it, he explained that Roger and his crew had uncovered the true history of the world when they found Laugh Tale, including about Joy Boy, the Great Kingdom and the Ancient Weapons. This revalation shocked everyone listening and made several people even more determined to find the One Piece, which Vegapunk stated could decide the fate of the world. In addition, Roger had an unknown dream, and he thought that by reaching Laugh Tale and obtaining whatever treasure was left there, he would be able to accomplish it. When he told his dream to both Whitebeard and Oden, the former laughed at how silly or impossible it was while the latter was left in awe and shock. Oden wrote down what Roger said in his logbook, which was retrieved and kept safe by Yamato. Coincidentally, Luffy has the exact same goal that Roger had and also believed that he can truly accomplish it by reaching Laugh Tale and becoming Pirate King. He told it to both Ace and his other adoptive brother, Sabo, and then years later told it to his crew. When Ace told Yamato what Luffy said years prior, Yamato was surprised and left in tears at the similarities that Luffy had to Roger.
Major Battles
Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp vs. Rocks Pirates (unseen) Gol D. Roger vs.
Shiki (unseen, several times) Gol D. Roger vs. Edward Newgate (unseen, several times) Gol D. Roger vs. Monkey D.
Garp (unseen, several times) Gol D. Roger vs. Sengoku (unseen, several times) Gol D. Roger vs. Chinjao (unseen, several times) Roger Pirates vs. Golden Lion Pirates (Edd War) Roger Pirates vs. Whitebeard Pirates Roger vs. Kouzuki Oden Roger vs. Newgate Roger Pirates vs. Maelstrom Spider Pirates (unseen)
Filler Battles
Gol D. Roger vs. Killer Giant (mentioned) Gol D. Roger vs. "King" Eric Dow (mentioned) Gol D. Roger vs. the giant men Gowns Brothers (mentioned) Gol D. Roger vs. the famous gunner Silver-Silver (mentioned) Gol D. Roger vs. Zephyr (mentioned) Roger Pirates vs. Naguri Pirates
Anime And Manga Differences
The Toei anime created a number of original details on Roger's life—and death—during the Loguetown Arc, in particular Episode 48. Among them: Establishing him as awing an old bartender (who eventually renamed his bar after Roger) the night before sailing for the Grand Line. Establishing four (apocryphal) foes he conquered during his voyages: Killer Giant, Eric Dow, the Gowns Brothers, and Silver-Silver. Setting his execution on a hot, clear day (something later contradicted by the manga, which confirmed it—much like Luffy's near-execution in Loguetown—was held during a heavy rainstorm. ) Framing his last words as a response to an unnamed man witnessing the execution, rather than speaking it unprompted. By extension, framing his death as a panicked effort by the executioners to stop him from stating One Piece's exact location (something that is, at best, ambiguous in the original manga). Depicting his cause of death as a double impalement through the heart (also ambiguous in the manga, which has only ever depicted the killing motion(s) from a long, almost-imperceptible distance and never stated the method in either narration or dialogue) Toei went on to ignore most of these when adapting the manga's own expansions on Roger's final days, though Episode 400 (adapting Chapter 506) reiterates the idea of Roger being impaled by the executioners.
Translation And Dub Issues
While Japanese sources have always remained consistent on Roger's last words, every official English translation has offered different wording and emphases: VIZ manga: Chapter 1: "My treasure? Why, it's right where I left it… it's yours if you can find it, but you'll have to search the whole world!" Chapter 506: "My treasure? You can have it if you want it. Go find it!
I left all the riches of the world there." 4Kids anime: Opening 1: "My fortune is yours for the taking, but you'll have to find it first. I left everything I own in One Piece." Funimation anime: Opening 1 (and Episode 48): "You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I gathered together in one place. Now you just have to find it!" Episode 400 (dubbed): "If anyone wants my treasure…
then it's yours for the taking. Go find it! I left everything I gathered in one place." Episode 400 (subtitled): "My treasure? If you want it, you can have it! Find it! I left everything this world has to offer there!" While all preserve the dialogue's general spirit, only some emphasize "that place" (そこに, soko ni?)—a place presumably known to Roger, and possibly his audience, but not the reader—as the original does. The specific execution method used on Roger also differs among translations (due in part to the ambiguity mentioned above): The VIZ manga claims that the executioners "lopped off his head" with their blades. The 4Kids anime claims that they "hung him from the gallows" (the penalty passed on most real-life pirates) (It should be noted that in the manga, the execution is punctuated by the sound effect "zan" (ザン?). This is often accepted as a katakana rendering of 斬, a term associated with cutting/slashing actions in general, and decapitation in particular. Additionally, the initial execution attempt on Portgas D. Ace during the Summit War of Marineford, set-up almost identically to Roger's, has the executioners aiming their blades at Ace's neck. ) The live-action series depicts the executioners skewering Roger in the back.
Other Appearances
Video Games
Playable Appearances One Piece Treasure Cruise One Piece Thousand Storm One Piece: Set Sail One Piece: Burning Will One Piece Bounty Rush One Piece Bon! Bon! Journey!! One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 (DLC) Support Appearances One Piece: Gigant Battle One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X One Piece: Burning Blood Non-Playable Appearances One Piece: Become the Pirate King! Grand Battle! Birth of Luffy's Dream Pirate Crew! Grand Battle! Swan Colosseum Aim! The King of Belly One Piece: Dream Pointer
Trivia
Roger is the first character depicted in the series, as well as the first to die on-panel. It was stated that Ace's mother held him for 20 months (5 months before and 15 months after Roger's execution). Since Ace's birthday is January 1st, Roger must have been executed sometime between late September and early October. Although his bounty is now inactive, Roger's bounty is the highest recorded bounty in the entire series, with 5,564,800,000, stated to be unsurpassed by any pirate. In Roger's bounty of 5,564,800,000, the 6-4-8 can be read as ro-shi-ya (ロシヤ).
This could refer to his given name "Roger" (ロジャー, Rojā?). Roger is the first character to be shown with the D in his name. However, he is the second to be named, since Dr. Kureha revealed that his true name was Gol D. Roger after his initial introduction.
This is also the first indication that there is an underlying mystery and something special in those who carry the initial D, and Roger himself admits to Whitebeard that the D has a greater meaning than a simple initial. Roger did not like the nickname "Gold Roger" because it was not his true name. It is confirmed that Roger did not have Devil Fruit powers prior to his death. In Episode 85 of the anime, when Hiriluk was describing what a pirate is to Chopper, a man who was identical in appearance to Roger was seen. When Oars was pretending to be a pirate by placing a piece of rubble on his head, a pirate similar to Roger was also shown.
Roger is the first known owner of the straw hat that Luffy (and previously Shanks) wears. In One Piece Green, it was revealed that Roger's mustache was actually intended to be his nose hair in the beginning. In the 1st, 4th and 6th Japanese fan polls of most popular characters, Roger was ranked the 13th, 83rd (along with Blueno, Tom, Chopper Man and Van Augur) and 39th, respectively. Upon his death, the real-life pirate Olivier Levasseur had tossed a cryptogram from the scaffolding into the crowd and told them if they could figure out the message, his treasure (now valued at £160,000,000 in today's money) would be theirs, a treasure that to this day has never been found. This seems to have been part of the inspiration for Roger's legendary death speech, as Roger himself had delivered the message to find his treasure, and notably the Poneglyphs are also part of a grand cryptogram leading to the end of the Grand Line. Another possible inspiration for Roger could be Henry Every. In 1695, Every led what has been called the most profitable pirate raid of all time, capturing an enormous treasure estimated to be worth up to £600,000 (around $400 million in modern currency), becoming the richest pirate in the world and earning him the epithet "The King of Pirates". Despite being the target of a worldwide manhunt and getting the highest bounty in history placed on his head (£1,000, around $700,000 currently), Every vanished with his treasure in the Caribbean (then called New World). He is said to have influenced the next generation of pirates, including Blackbeard, Bartholomew Roberts, Calico Jack, Samuel Bellamy and Edward Low, among others, who were children at the time (and whose names are used for several One Piece characters). Roger's favorite foods are sake and Higashizame steak, and his least favorite food is medicine. Roger's animal resemblance is a quokka. Roger's hobby is adventuring.
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