One Piece Week 2: Celestial Dragons, Marines, and the Revolutionary Army
Back again this week talking about the fantastic world of One Piece. If you missed last week, the talk was all about the Straw Hat Pirates and their impact on myself. But this week brings us to a few different groups and organizations that differ from the protagonists. The first group that I am going to cover are the Celestial Dragons or World Nobles.
Celestial Dragons:
To give some context, the Celestial Dragons are at the top of the food chain in the World Government in the One Piece universe. Essentially, whatever wish they have has to be granted because they are the descendants of the people who founded the World Government. Many of them can be described as disconnected, vile human-beings that have no respect for the people that they preside over as they wear special suits and bubbles on their heads so that they do not breathe the same air as the common people. While many people do not agree with their actions, there is nothing that can be done against them due to the fact that they can execute a person on a whim. So, this portrayal has given the Celestial Dragons a villainous aura as most of the world disagrees with their blatant ignorance. With this being the normal Celestial Dragons, there is a group of Celestial Dragons that runs the World Government called the Gorosei or Five Elders.
Gorosei:
The Gorosei are still Celestial Dragons, but they are unique in the fact that they run the World Government and they can alter documents, dispatch secret organizations, decide the actions of the Marines even if they do not agree with them. The group consists of five old men who have yet to be named that appear more respectable than the other Celestial Dragons, but share an overwhelming hatred for Pirates and the Revolutionary Army. So, this opposition contradicts the concept of freedom in One Piece as they seek to control the world while the Pirates want to roam unchecked. Inherently, this makes them villains in the same sense as their brethren, but their control and power makes them far more dangerous. Although the Gorosei have not had many appearances, the actions that they have made heavily impact the world from a political standpoint. So, the next group on today's agenda are the marines.
Revolutionary Army
Led by the mysterious Dragon, the Revolutionary Army holds a deep hatred for the Celestial Dragons and seek to tear down their operation because they feel that their existence hurts the people more than it helps them. So, their goal is to not destroy the government, but the people that remain at the top in the hierarchy. But their other goal is to help people in need that the Marines cannot get to or will not help because there was not an order given. While their common enemy is the same as the pirates, their cooperation is rare as many pirates do not seek to help people in peril. Personally, I feel that we know just as much about the Revolutionary Army as we do about the Celestial Dragons. So, there is not much to go on except that we know what they do and why they do it. There are a few members that get a good chink of screen time, but they still carry an air of mystery that has yet to come forth.
Last Note
These groups focused on today are vitally important to the series and provide an interesting perspective on how the world functions from politics to personal beliefs. What is most important may not be what is known, but what is kept hidden from the public eye. Next week I am going to look at the secret government organization Cipher Pol, Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Sea), and the Yonko (Four Emperors).
Celestial Dragons:
To give some context, the Celestial Dragons are at the top of the food chain in the World Government in the One Piece universe. Essentially, whatever wish they have has to be granted because they are the descendants of the people who founded the World Government. Many of them can be described as disconnected, vile human-beings that have no respect for the people that they preside over as they wear special suits and bubbles on their heads so that they do not breathe the same air as the common people. While many people do not agree with their actions, there is nothing that can be done against them due to the fact that they can execute a person on a whim. So, this portrayal has given the Celestial Dragons a villainous aura as most of the world disagrees with their blatant ignorance. With this being the normal Celestial Dragons, there is a group of Celestial Dragons that runs the World Government called the Gorosei or Five Elders.
Gorosei:
The Gorosei are still Celestial Dragons, but they are unique in the fact that they run the World Government and they can alter documents, dispatch secret organizations, decide the actions of the Marines even if they do not agree with them. The group consists of five old men who have yet to be named that appear more respectable than the other Celestial Dragons, but share an overwhelming hatred for Pirates and the Revolutionary Army. So, this opposition contradicts the concept of freedom in One Piece as they seek to control the world while the Pirates want to roam unchecked. Inherently, this makes them villains in the same sense as their brethren, but their control and power makes them far more dangerous. Although the Gorosei have not had many appearances, the actions that they have made heavily impact the world from a political standpoint. So, the next group on today's agenda are the marines.
Marines
In One Piece, the Marines play a significant role as they are the most direct obstacle for pirates in the series, especially for the Straw Hats. There are many that subscribe to the idea of justice and that anyone who breaks the law is a criminal with no exceptions. With justice being so vague, there are many different variations that are seen through the vast number of marines. This could mean absolute justice where all crimes must be punished no matter the cost or a fluid justice that chooses what matters more in the moment. While many Marines will seek to fight criminals at the drop of a hat, some will avoid them or even give credit where credit is due if they are helping citizens. So, the diversity of the Marines makes it hard to call them antagonists as a whole because some choose to help and work with criminals like pirates while others only seek to apprehend. As I have my opinions on the Marines run by the Fleet Admiral, it is time to move on to the last group known as the Revolutionary Army.
Revolutionary Army
Led by the mysterious Dragon, the Revolutionary Army holds a deep hatred for the Celestial Dragons and seek to tear down their operation because they feel that their existence hurts the people more than it helps them. So, their goal is to not destroy the government, but the people that remain at the top in the hierarchy. But their other goal is to help people in need that the Marines cannot get to or will not help because there was not an order given. While their common enemy is the same as the pirates, their cooperation is rare as many pirates do not seek to help people in peril. Personally, I feel that we know just as much about the Revolutionary Army as we do about the Celestial Dragons. So, there is not much to go on except that we know what they do and why they do it. There are a few members that get a good chink of screen time, but they still carry an air of mystery that has yet to come forth.
Last Note
These groups focused on today are vitally important to the series and provide an interesting perspective on how the world functions from politics to personal beliefs. What is most important may not be what is known, but what is kept hidden from the public eye. Next week I am going to look at the secret government organization Cipher Pol, Shichibukai (Seven Warlords of the Sea), and the Yonko (Four Emperors).
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