Highlights
- Sea Kings are most active in the Calm Belt and serve as both a hazard and guardian to seafarers.
- Sea Kings come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all have a serpentine body.
- Despite their massive size, Sea Kings are intelligent creatures capable of communication and are part of an ancient weapon called Poseidon.
Among countless mysterious creatures in One Piece, one particular monster rules the ocean as the apex predator. They are called the Sea Kings, also known as the Neptunians. They have appeared numerous times throughout the Straw Hats voyage. They are even featured in one of the series’ openings.
Some consider the Sea Kings as a hazard that threatens the lives of every seafarer who dares to pass through their area, while others think of them as a guardian that protects their homeland. One thing’s for sure, there are still many things that people don't know about this magnificent creature. So let's use this chance to discuss some interesting facts about the Sea Kings.
They are Mostly Active in the Calm Belt
Sea Kings exist in every ocean around the globe. You can find a Sea King lurking anywhere from Luffy’s hometown in the East Blue to Fish-Man Island at the bottom of the ocean floor. However, they are actually much more prevalent in the area surrounding the Grand Line, particularly in the Calm Belt. They are often found preying on ships that are unfortunate enough to be stuck in this windless patch of the sea.
It is unknown why the Sea Kings preferred the Calm Belts over any other area in the Ocean. One thing’s for sure, the Calm Belts have become their nesting ground for ages. This is also one of the reasons why there are not many pirates who can cross the Grand Line. After all, most of them would be gobbled up by the ferocious Sea Kings before they could even see the Grand Line. This is why many people consider the Sea Kings as the guardians of the Grand Line.
They are Much Bigger Than You Might Think
Sea Kings are the biggest creatures in the ocean. There’s no question about that. However, it doesn’t mean they all have the same size. Because the Sea Kings actually come in different shapes and sizes. Some are the size of a large Marine’s ship, while others can be as colossal as an entire large island. When it comes to shapes, there’s one that looks like a humongous eel, there’s one that looks like a deep sea fish, and there’s also one that has a bird-like head and poodle-like body.
This massive difference in shapes is actually one of the unique features of the Sea Kings. Because every single one of them looks different from each other. The only similarity between them is the fact that most of them have a serpentine body. No matter how bizarre their heads may be, they will always look like a ginormous sea snake.
They are Intelligent and Sentient Creatures
Due to Sea Kings’ absurdly massive size and carnivorous nature, most people always assume that they are nothing more than a predator of the sea. A mindless beast blessed with a colossal body. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Sea Kings are not only sentient beings that have a consciousness, but they are capable of communication, highly intelligent, and incredibly wise as well.
Sea Kings seem to communicate through some kind of telepathic ability, rather than spoken words. Princess Shirahoshi is the only known person who can directly talk to them. This is precisely what happened on the Fish-Man Island when several Sea Kings prevented the legendary ship Noah from crashing into the Fish-Man Island. While they drag Noah away from the Island, they have a brief chat with Princess Shirahoshi about the importance of Noah and the heavy role given to her since birth as the Queen of Mermaids.
They are part of an Ancient Weapon Called Poseidon
According to legends, there are three ancient weapons somewhere in the world that are capable of causing mass destruction. One of those weapons is called Poseidon. Despite being called a weapon, Poseidon is actually a living being with the power to command the Sea Kings. It is said that a mermaid with the power of the Poseidon will be born into the Royal Family of Fish-Man Island every several centuries. In this modern era, the one who holds that title is none other than the youngest daughter of King Neptune, Princess Shirahoshi.
That is why as mentioned above, Princess Shirahoshi is the only person who can properly communicate with the Sea Kings. According to the Sea Kings themselves, Princess Shirahoshi is the prophesied Queen of Mermaids who is destined to be their sovereign. That means not only can she talk to them, she has the authority to command them to do whatever she wants. Be it pulling the Ship of Promise Noah or destroying the world as the ancient weapon Poseidon.
They are Not Invincible
The Sea Kings are without a doubt the Apex Predator of the sea, which means no predator actively hunts them. That being said, it doesn’t mean they don’t have natural enemies. Just like lions are often disturbed by hyenas and can be killed by human ingenuity, the same things apply to the Sea Kings. There are several creatures in One Piece that can hurt and even kill a Sea King.
The most obvious ones are human beings and other humanoid intelligent races like Giants. There are quite a few powerful people like Luffy or the giants from Elbaf who can kill a Sea King with their bare hands. Other than that, Sea Kings are also known to be a natural enemy of the poisonous sea serpent called Yuda that lives around the Calm Belt. The Blue Gorillas of Impel Down Prison are also capable of working together to hunt a Sea King.
Lastly, it is said that the giant Banawani crocodiles from Arabasta are natural predators of Sea Kings. However, this is highly unlikely to be the case because even the biggest Banawani Crocodiles are nothing more than a speck to the colossal Sea Kings. But they are certainly more than capable of killing some of the smaller Sea Kings near their habitat, just like the Blue Gorilla.
There are a lot of things that are still unknown about the Sea Kings. But the fact that some of the oldest Sea Kings know about the events that happened in the Void Century and the revelation about them as part of the ancient weapon called Poseidon means these colossal creatures will have a huge role in the future of One Piece.
One Piece is available to stream on Prime Video.
