Cracking the Code: The Hidden Secrets of One Piece Poneglyphs

Highlights

The Poneglyphs are ancient inscriptions that hold secrets about the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom, posing a threat to the World Government's authority.

There are three categories of Poneglyphs: Historical, Instructional, and Road. The Road Poneglyphs play a vital role in locating Laugh Tale and the One Piece treasure.

The ability to decipher the Poneglyphs is limited to a select few, namely Nico Robin and Kozuki Oden. Their knowledge is being sought after by both the World Government and pirates.

The Poneglyphs in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece were developed by the Kozuki family in Wano Country as a means of preserving the world's true history. These massive cubic steles are inscribed with an ancient script and are scattered across different civilizations. The World Government considers their existence to be a major threat and has strictly forbidden any research into their whereabouts, origin, or contents. The severe consequences, including death, for breaking this decree, exemplify the value of the information held within these objects.

Currently, very little is known about the actual contents or purpose of the Poneglyphs. Only a few details have been revealed regarding their connection to the Void Century and the Ancient Kingdom that was defeated by the original 20 kingdoms forming the World Government 800 years prior to the main story of One Piece. As the Straw Hats have encountered some Poneglyphs on their journey, the contents have varied greatly since the steles were designed for different purposes. Moreover, the Poneglyphs hold the key to locating the One Piece, the fabled treasure of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. To discover the location of Laugh Tale, four special steles are required.

What Are The Poneglyphs?

The Poneglyphs, of unidentified stone, are skillfully crafted into uniform, perfect cubes in shades of grayish-blue, except for the distinctive red hue of the Road Poneglyphs. Each one bears ancient text engraved onto one of its six faces. These remarkable artifacts were deliberately made from an incredibly strong material to ensure their preservation for centuries. However, with the assistance of a special paper, the contents of a Poneglyph can be duplicated, similar to woodblock printing.

Tamago, a member of the Big Mom Pirates, reveals that there are a total of 30 Poneglyphs scattered across the world, each conveying its own unique message. During a confrontation between the Five Elders and Nefertari Cobra, it is revealed by Imu, the hidden ruler of the world, that the Poneglyphs were dispersed as a result of an unknown event involving the former Queen of Arabasta, Nefertari D. Lilli. These ancient treasures were entrusted to different civilizations, many of which still protect them to this day.

This is evident in Arabasta and Shandora, where the citizens of both countries fiercely protected these Poneglyphs. While the World Government claims that possessing or studying the Poneglyphs is dangerous due to their connection to the Ancient Weapons, the true threat lies in the information they contain about the Void Century. Moreover, the ideals and technological advancement of the Ancient Kingdom, which the Poneglyphs reveal, have the potential to significantly undermine the authority of the World Government if exposed.

Why Were They Created?

In the world of One Piece, there exist three distinct types of Poneglyphs: Historical Poneglyphs, Instructional Poneglyphs, and Road Poneglyphs. The Historical Poneglyphs serve as insightful records, preserving the knowledge of past events, the secrets of the Ancient Weapons, and the wisdom left behind by those who came before. The Instructional Poneglyphs are invaluable sources of information and clues that aid in the search for the Historical Poneglyphs. Lastly, the Road Poneglyphs are four extraordinary and vividly red steles. These sacred artifacts play a crucial role as guiding beacons, leading the way to Laugh Tale. Each of these Road Poneglyphs describes a precise location that holds important navigational information towards the fabled island. Collecting these Poneglyphs is an arduous task that cannot be overlooked, as it is the key requirement to uncovering the mythical treasure known as the One Piece.

In addition, there is mention of a unique type of Poneglyph called the Rio Poneglyph, which holds the true history of the world. Essentially, it is a collective message found within certain specific Poneglyphs on the Grand Line. It is believed that only nine of these steles make up the Rio Poneglyph, and Gol D. Roger is the only known person to have successfully collected their messages by following the "voice of all things." Nico Robin's dream is to discover the Rio Poneglyph and uncover the true history, fulfilling the aspirations of the scholars of Ohara who were unjustly killed for studying the Poneglyphs.

So far, the locations of Instructional and Historical Poneglyphs have been confirmed in Ohara, Arabasta, Fish Man Island, Shandora, Whole Cake Island, Wano, Onigashima, and an unknown island in the West Blue visited by Nico Robin. The Straw Hats have obtained three Poneglyphs thus far: one from the Whale Tree on Zou, another from the Treasure Room in the Whole Cake Island Chateau, and the third from Mt. Fuji Cavern in Wano Country. The location of the last elusive Poneglyph was believed to be Fishman Island at the beginning of the story, but there are now rumors that it is in the possession of the "Man Marked by Flames."

Who Can Read The Poneglpyhs?

The inscriptions on the Poneglyphs are written in a unique ancient script, belonging exclusively to the Ancient Kingdom. This script was also found on certain ruins in the city of Shandora. The Kozuki Family, comprised of skillful philologists, developed the ability to decipher this script, which was limited to specific individuals in Wano. However, this knowledge remained lost for many years until the scholars of Ohara successfully deciphered it. Tragically, the World Government deemed any attempts at deciphering the script as a criminal act, leading to the devastating Buster Call against Ohara.

Among those who can read the script is Kozuki Oden, who aided Roger in discovering Laugh Tale. Following the events of the Wano Arc, Nico Robin became the sole person recognized by the World Government and pirates worldwide to possess the ability to read the Poneglyphs. This has made her a prime target for those seeking the fabled One Piece. Unbeknownst to them, Kozuki Sukiyaki, the former shogun of Wano and Oden's father, is alive and also capable of reading the Poneglyphs. However, the majority of the world assumes he is deceased. It is highly likely that he will pass on his knowledge of the Poneglyphs and the ancient script to his grandchildren, Momonosuke and Hiyori, thus ensuring the continuation of the Kozuki Family's remarkable tradition.

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