For many years, One Piece’s Void Century has remained one of the franchise’s biggest mysteries. While Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the manga, has begun to unravel the enigma behind this time, there is still much to be learned about this period of history. Still, the few details that have been revealed about the Void Century paint it as an incredibly violent era.
The fact that the ancient cities built before this historic period are now underwater points at the Ancient Weapons being utilized carelessly. The amount of destruction and death caused by these tools during this era might be exponentially higher than anyone who has studied this period might expect, even after knowing that Uranus has the power to sink the entire world.
The Ancient Weapons Have Seemingly Been Used Hundreds of Times
The Water Level Rising Over 200 Meters Might Indicate These Tools Were Overused
In chapter #1115 of the One Piece manga, Vegapunk shocked the world by revealing that the sea level was raised over 200 meters during the Void Century. This human-born catastrophe is what caused the multiple civilizations that existed during this period to now be found at the bottom of the sea. The only other time that the sea level has been raised during the series was after the destruction of the Lulusia Kingdom. Even then, the sea level was only raised a single meter, despite the immeasurable damage done to the world of the series.
Im, the mysterious ruler of the world, used one of the Ancient Weapons to carry out this atrocity. If this is true, this may mean that the water overtook the world because these tools were heavily used in the past. It could also imply that the power of the Ancient Weapons was several times higher than it is today. The Ancient Kingdom could have possessed an even stronger fuel than the Mother Flame, the energy source that inspired Vegapunk to commence his research.
With this extremely powerful fuel at their disposal, those who fought during the Void Century could have caused a level of destruction unlike anything fans can imagine. Considering that a single attack from the Ancient Weapon completely evaporated a whole Kingdom, these attacks could have destroyed entire continents. It is a miracle that the world of One Piece survived the prolonged use of these tools for so long. Vegapunk’s concerns about the Ancient Weapons destroying what is left of the surface are more than justified.
The Death Toll During the Void Century Is Unimaginable
No Matter What Caused the Sea Level To Rise, Many Died Because of It
Whether the Ancient Weapons were used extensively over the Void Century, or if their fuel source was stronger, the result is the same: millions died during this time. With a single attack, Im was able to destroy an entire country, leaving no trace of its existence behind. If the weapons were fired 200 times or their destructive level was higher, it is almost certain that the Void Century was the most violent period in the series’ history. The damage caused by these weapons during this time cannot be imagined.
Even if these machines had the same power level as the one used to destroy Lulusia, they would still be considered weapons of mass destruction. If these tools were truly used 200 times, the same number of Kingdoms or Islands were likely destroyed during the Void Century. Millions of people were killed and erased from existence in mere seconds. If this is the case, this era of One Piece’s history may be among the most violent and deadly in all anime
The World Government may not only be hiding the story of this era due to their fear of people figuring out how to defeat them. They likely are afraid of their citizens knowing about the number of deaths they are capable of causing just to remain in power. One Piece is a series that has never shied away from showing the cruel realities of life. The events of the Void Century are a clear example of how brutal and damaging war can be to a world. It is almost impossible for the world of the series ever to go back to what it was once before.
Given that the One Piece manga is rapidly approaching its end, the events of the Void Century are likely to be revealed gradually over future chapters. Yet, it is highly probable that this time is several times more cruel and violent than fans ever imagined.
