Nearly 1100 chapters into its run, the Void Century is still among the most elusive mysteries in the world of One Piece, second only to the titular treasure that set off the story as a whole. Said to have occurred 900-800 years prior to the start of the main narrative, this period in global history has been the subject of an intense censorship campaign overseen by the World Government. Coincidentally, the end of the Void Century is also speculated to have aligned with the formation of the World Government by the original 20 kingdoms who founded it, hinting there may be many secrets yet to unveiled about the relationship between this time and the sinister, all-powerful organization.
Throughout the Straw Hats' journey, more is revealed about the Void Century. This information comes from a number of sources, such as former members of Gol D. Roger's crew, long isolated civilizations such as those on Wano and Skypiea, as well as from the Poneglyphs. Although the overwhelming majority of those capable of reading the ancient script of the Poneglyphs perished during the Ohara Incident, Nico Robin's survival and that of Kozuki Sukiyaki ensures the story they have recorded may not be lost forever. For many, the quest for the One Piece is a journey to learn the true history of the world and expose the ills of the World Government's tyrannical reign, thereby restoring balance to the world and ending their dominion over land and sea. There is no doubt that more will soon be revealed about this closely guarded secret in the chapters to come, with the final saga of Eiichiro Oda's long-running manga currently underway.
The Great Kingdom
Ever since the Enies Lobby Arc, at the time of Robin's flashback recalling her experience of the Ohara Incident, there has been talk of a Great Kingdom that dominated all the other nations of the world. The kingdom is also said to have developed technology far more advanced than anything currently in use across the world. Dr. Vegapunk himself reveals that many of his inventions are based on reverse-engineered studies of the kingdom and their knowledge. He has even attributed a large part of the advanced science of Egghead Island to the records he obtained from the destroyed library of Ohara. Depicted as an adversary to the twenty kingdoms that went on to form the original incarnation of the World Government, the Great Kingdom's name was itself said to be of great importance in comprehending the Void Century. This bit of information was so potent that Professor Clover, director of the Ohara library, was shot and killed before he could even utter it. From then on in, anyone suspected to have even an inkling of knowledge related to the Void Century was given an immediate death sentence, with the World Government showing no hesitation in eradicating entire tribes or even nations to prevent its spread.
Furthermore, the nature of the Ancient Weapons and the threat they pose to the government are innately tied to the kingdom and its actions during the Void Century. The creation of the Poneglyphs by this powerful, advanced civilization was probably a measure to preserve their version of history for the eyes of future generations. Lastly, the city of Shandora, now part of Skypiea is also said to have been either an ally or a part of the Great Kingdom, and its collapse during a Great War that brought the world to its feet, was another nail in the coffin for the kingdom. After falling to the twenty kingdoms at the end of the war, the Great Kingdom's collapse and defeat signaled the end of Void Century, and the vacuum of power so generated led to the eventual birth of the World Government.
The Birth Of The World Government
The standard version of the story explains how the Ancient Alliance of the original twenty kingdoms came to form the World Government, providing some details of the ruling families who left their homelands behind to become Celestial Dragons. In actuality, there is little verifiable information on the exact process that brought this near-omnipotent organization into power, and this is perhaps another signifier of the degree of censorship surrounding the Void Century. For the most part, any discourse or dissemination of information surrounding the Void Century is explicitly banned by the government, highlighting how any such revelations could spell out a catastrophe for the unquestioning attitude of the public towards the action of authority. In every case, the reason given is to protect against the revival of the Ancient Weapons, although the truth in this statement is questionable, to say the least.
The sovereigns of the twenty founding nations came together to pledge their loyalty to the Empty Throne, with each of them leaving a weapon from their homeland in front of it to signify the protection of their military might. In spite of how it was supposed to remain empty, as a symbol of the equality of all allied nations, the highest seat of power in the world is actually occupied by Im, who is an authority above even the Five Elders. Over time, as the number of allied nations grew to nearly 170, a council of the 50 most prominent and powerful among them was formed, termed the Levely. The global capital and home of the World Nobles, Mary Geoise, was established, consolidating all the government's power at a single point.
The Mystery Of Joy Boy
A title that has been conferred on only two known individuals throughout history, the name of Joy Boy carries a great deal of weight in One Piece. The few remaining records of the original Joy Boy's deeds throughout the Void Century include those inscribed on the Poneglyphs, as well as the testimony of individuals such as Zunesha, who was once his close comrade. Currently, they are the only known pieces of information still available to those yearning to learn more about his role in shaping the world as it is now. There is little doubt at this point regarding his relation to Laugh Tale and the mythical treasure of the One Piece, as attested to in Oden's flashback to the time he traveled there alongside Gol D. Roger. It has long been known that the Joy Boy from the Void Century is almost certainly the one responsible for leaving the treasure behind on Laugh Tale, along with the true history of the world.
On the other hand, the inscription on the Poneglyph the Straw Hats found onFishman Island revealed Joy Boy's relationship with the kingdom. After deciphering its contents, Nico Robin noted that it read more like an apology letter than an actual historical record, as Joy Boy's own account of his failure to raise the Noah and fulfill his promise to the residents of Fishman Island. After Luffy's awakening of his Devil Fruit, revealed to be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, the beating of his pulse to the "Drums of Liberation," led Zunesha to declare that Joy Boy had returned, implying that Luffy will be the one to fulfill the promise and overthrow the World Government.
Even though there is no hint at Luffy being a reincarnation of Joy Boy himself, there are references to his coming from as far back as 800 years ago, as explained during Oden's account of his journey to Laugh Tale. The existence of the giant straw hat in the palace of Mary Geoise is another clue towards the relationhsip between Luffy, Roger, and Joy Boy, even if it is very little to go on at the moment. It is certain that more information on this mysterious figure from the Void Century will soon be unveiled in the arcs to come, as the crew races against time, tides, and the might of the World Government to liberate the truth behind the One Piece and the history of the world.