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Ahoy! This here is the 153rd Featured Article.
"World Noble" has been featured, meaning it was chosen as an article of interest.
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The World Nobles, also known as the Celestial Dragons (天竜人, Tenryūbito?, literally meaning "Heavenly Dragon Folk"), are the aristocratic descendants of nineteen of the First Twenty who established what is now known as the World Government.
Due to their actions and role, they are among the major overarching antagonists of the series. Many of the series' antagonists, including the Five Elders, the God's Knights, Doflamingo, Rosward, Charlos, and Shalria, are all members of the World Nobles (or were, in the case of Doflamingo).
Overview
| — Rob Lucci justifying the World Nobles' actions.[2] |
The World Nobles are the descendants of nineteen families of the First Twenty, a group of royals that founded the World Government eight centuries ago. These sovereigns abdicated the thrones of their original countries to take up residence in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, which is where their descendants live to this day. The only family among the Twenty that forsook this opportunity was the Nefertari Family, who remained in their homeland of Arabasta.[3] As a result, members of this family do not possess World Noble privileges; in fact, they appear to be looked down on as "traitors" by the Five Elders.[4]
This birthright is taken so seriously that they are considered "gods", with no one believing this more strongly than the Nobles themselves. Because of this, it is fundamentally believed that the Celestial Dragons are inherently completely different from other humans, even though there is no indication this is the case (at least for typical members). As a result, many things regarding the World Nobles are referred to as sacred or holy, their home of Mary Geoise being a chief example. The formal name of seemingly every World Noble contains the title of Saint ("-sei" (聖?) for men and "-gū" (宮?) for women).
They live in a residential area of Mary Geoise known as the Domain of the Gods, which consists of opulent mansions.[5] For the most part, World Nobles appear to be able to go anywhere they like both inside and outside the Holy Land, even to distant locales like Fish-Man Island, with their staff seeming to have no choice but to accommodate even the most dangerous of journeys to the best of their ability.[6] World Nobles have all their needs and whims catered to by official staff as well as slaves; even Marines as high up as the admirals are often required to serve the personal objectives of the Nobles. The ease of life for the nobles in Mary Geoise is exemplified by the moving sidewalks called travelators, which are moved by slave labor.[7] The Nobles are well-guarded; the inaccessibility of Mary Geoise atop the Red Line makes invasion extremely rare, and they have many guards at their disposal; should the standard guards be insufficient, the Marine Admirals are typically called upon.[8]
World Nobles each possess a government-issued identification chip to identify their statuses. Homing handed his family's over to the government official escort when he had their statuses rescinded.[9] If a Noble wishes to renounce their status, government officials will acquiesce and take them to a suitable faraway location with a large house and the family's fortune provided, allowing them to retain a comfortable lifestyle. However, the other Nobles do not take kindly to this abdication, and once a Noble's status is rescinded they will have no way to reclaim it, nor will they receive any further assistance from the World Government; this includes the children and family of the Noble who decided to renounce their position.[10][11] Interestingly, Figarland Shamrock indicated that Shanks was able to return to Mary Geoise after living out at sea in his youth, but Shanks would ultimately decide to return to the outside world.[12]
Although certain people dream of it, there is no indication that an outsider can become a World Noble except under extraordinary circumstances. Sterry attempted to see if the Marine hero Monkey D. Garp had connections that could get him in, but was brushed off.[13] Vegapunk York successfully got the Five Elders to agree to make her a World Noble in exchange for providing information on Vegapunk's activities and supplying them with the Mother Flame;[14] even then, the Five Elders initially intended to renege on the deal until it became necessary to preserve York to provide more Mother Flame.[15] Donquixote Doflamingo, a former World Noble whose father Homing had taken him out of Mary Geoise, was never able to return there but did regain access to some of his Celestial Dragon privileges by blackmailing the World Government over his knowledge of their secret national treasure.[16]
Most standard World Nobles add the verbal tic "-eh" to the end of their sentences. In the Japanese version, female World Nobles tend to add "~amasu" (~アマス?) at the end of their sentences while the "-eh" verbal tic is used for male World nobles. Neither the Five Elders or God's Knights do this.
Hoof of the Soaring Dragon
The World Nobles' symbol is called the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon (天駆ける竜の蹄, Ama Kakeru Ryū no Hizume?, Funimation: "The Claw of the Celestial Dragons"). Presumably representing a dragon's foot, its design is of a red circle with three claws in front and one in the back. There was once a sculpture of the Hoof located in Mary Geoise, which was destroyed by the Revolutionary Army to signify a declaration of war against the World Nobles.[17] Additionally, all slaves in Mary Geoise have the Hoof branded on their bodies to signify the Celestial Dragons' ownership of them.[18]
Sub-Groups
Five Elders
The Five Elders are the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons who possess the responsibility of overseeing the World Government's affairs as well as the world in general. They carry themselves very different than the other World Nobles, seeming to view themselves as much greater in status and the only ones among the Nobles with a role in politics. They eschew the typical World Noble wardrobe mostly in favor of formal business outfits, and never wear bubbles over their heads even when in the Lower World. Their different countenance compared to the other nobles may come partly from their immortality, as they appear to have lived for centuries, as well as a host of other abilities they possess including Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit powers.
Unbeknownst to all but the Elders themselves, this group is subordinate to a mysterious figure named Imu who holds the highest authority in the World Government. It has been speculated that Imu must be a member of the original First Twenty who gained immortality - with Nerona Imu being this possible figure - as this is the only reasonable explanation for someone holding sway over the Five Elders.[19] Imu appears to have the authority to appoint new Elders and revoke the status of current ones.[20]
God's Knights
The God's Knights are a group entrusted with the authority to settle disputes among the World Nobles. While Nobles comprise a good amount of their membership, it is indicated that non-Nobles can join their ranks as well.[21] Like the Five Elders, the Knights eschew typical World Noble garb and do not wear bubbles on their heads, instead favoring opulent jackets and cloaks. As combatants, they are considerably more physically fit and powerful than a typical World Noble, and their position even allows them to execute World Nobles should they be found wrong in an internal dispute.[22]
World Nobles
- See also the associated category: World Nobles.
Rosward's Family | ||||
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Other World Nobles | ||||
Affiliation | ||||
- †: the character is deceased.
- ?: the character's status is unknown.
- ≠: the character is non-canon.
- ‡: the character is no longer part of this group. Hovering the symbol may give further details.
- *: other relevant information. Hovering the symbol gives further details.
Appearance
World Nobles typically wear their hair, or a part of it, combed upward with a distinct curl on top. This hairstyle is called the noble opener (
When Homing's branch of the Donquixote Family abandoned their statuses, they ceased wearing their World Noble attire, and changed their hairstyles as well. Notably, even before their departure, the family seemed to have no members who are overweight and/or had hideous appearances. Even Doflamingo, who possesses the same, nigh-perpetual arrogant look as his amoral former brethren unlike the rest of his family, did not look too far off when compared to people around him. The male members all grew up to be rather tall.[24]
Exceptions for the typical World Noble's wardrobe are mainly for the Five Elders and God's Knights. None of the Elders wear the full-body robes nor the oxygen-tank connected bubble around their heads. Instead, they wear black business suits, while Nusjuro wears a white samurai gi. Furthermore, none of them have their hairs curled upwards the same way their lower-ranked brethren do. Prior to his promotion, Figarland Garling, the former Supreme Commander of the God's Knights, wore a black variant of the typical full-body suit, and did not curl his hair the same way his lower-ranked brethren do; he also eschewed the bubble or glass helmet over his head even outside of Mary Geoise. In a similar vein, the God's knights are shown wearing knight uniform in the Native Hunting Competition, and they wear ornate black military uniform while operating within Elbaph.
Culture of the Higher Classes
Blood Ties
| — Donquixote Doflamingo[25] |
The World Nobles claim to possess "the blood of the world's creators", which is their sole justification for their actions.[26][27] This single fact allows them to utterly disregard any facet of law or society that does not serve their own interests. They have no regard for justice, at best paying it lip service if anything, and are above any retribution for their actions (to the extent that they cannot be punished by the law, anyway). Eustass Kid regards them as a prime example of how corrupt and absurd the world is.[28] Kid notes that pirates are more "human" compared to the World Nobles, as while pirates are honest about their crimes, the World Nobles use the fact that they are "descendants of the creators of the world" as justification for their crimes. In fact, the World Nobles are much more hated, despised and feared by people than the pirates themselves. The vast majority are under the impression (or delusion) that they are gods, not humans, and seem to think that being a Celestial Dragon itself is something beyond human comprehension.[24]
Because of this, most of them are unable to fear even if they are threatened by those who would ignore the World Government's protection, as Rosward only became wrathful towards Luffy for assaulting Charlos,[26] while Mjosgard only became furious at the fish-men for daring to defy him despite being isolated from witnesses and protection.[29] They are even fearless enough to threaten the admirals who are tasked with protecting them, as one Noble threatened Ryokugyu with the death penalty if his fighting caused collateral damage to their homes.[8] They hold a similar flippant attitude toward the fleet admiral, having berated Sakazuki for incompetence and going beyond his bounds.[30][31]
According to Pappag, each subsequent generation of Celestial Dragons are worse than the last, becoming more and more arrogant and self righteous.[32]
Connection to the Common People
| — Eustass Kid, commenting on the World Nobles.[33] |
The World Nobles refer to the world outside of Mary Geoise contemptuously as the Lower World (下界, Kakai?).[2] They look down on all non-Celestial Dragons as garbage and even wear resin bubbles over their heads to avoid breathing the same air as commoners. If a World Noble is out in public in the lower world, all commoners are expected to clear out of their path and prostrate themselves for as long as the Noble is in their presence.[34] They do not take kindly to any commoners who forget themselves in such encounters and will frequently move to shoot anyone who does not show the proper respect, including children.[24] Naturally, speaking ill of any World Noble or putting up any resistance to their whims will also likely result in capital punishment.
Although commoners bow in the presence of World Nobles, the general population, absolutely hates and despises the World Nobles, but he does not have the courage to attack them for fear of attracting the wrath of an Admiral upon them. However, there are certain people who are more than willing to ignore the Admirals' threat and attack anyway, notable examples include; Monkey D. Luffy, Fisher Tiger, the Revolutionary Army and Rocks D. Xebec. In fact, the World Nobles are so hated by the common people (especially former slaves and relatives), that if a rare chance for revenge arose, people would eagerly and happily try to kill them. This was shown on Fish-Man Island when the population accepted Mjosgard's former slaves moving to kill him after the Noble shipwrecked and was left isolated enough for his death to be framed as an accident; it was only an extraordinarily uncommon effort from Queen Otohime that spared his life.[29] Additionally, when the people living near Homing's family learned that they were World Nobles who forsook their status, they took the opportunity to lash out for all the wrongs the World Nobles had done to them by driving the Donquixote Family out of their home and eventually lynching Homing and his sons.[24] In normal circumstances, commoners may be pushed to the breaking point and move to protest - or even attack - a World Noble who tries to take one of their loved ones away, especially if they do so on a whim. However, this never ends well as more often than not the Noble will simply shoot the interfering commoner to death.[34]
However, while commoners and former slaves despise the Celestial Dragons, many regular nobles actually idolize them due to their fool's dream to either become one of them someday or to be recognized by them, which would greatly elevate their status. The nobles of the Goa Kingdom even went to great lengths to impress just one World Noble to gain far better aristocratic status compared to other kingdoms. After having witnessed Jalmack seemingly kill Sabo, the citizens were more concerned about angering the Noble over the fact he tried to kill a child, then later cheered for the noble while he was riding a slave. Idolizing the World Nobles is also a trait found in Marine Admiral Ryokugyu, suggesting that some portion of the world's population may truly believe in their divine nature as he does.[35]
In addition to civilians, even though several members of the World Government are blindly loyal to the World Nobles, as Ryokugyu and Rob Lucci, even among them, there are also those who hate and despise them completely. For example, according to Sengoku, (like his son and grandson) Garp completely hates and despises the World Nobles and has no true respect or real loyalty towards them, with his own sense of justice and morals defining that it is not his obligation to protect any of them. The World Nobles are also the main reason why Garp never accepted the promotion to admiral, as it would have made him his direct subordinate. Another very similar example is that of Fujitora, who although he is a direct subordinate of the World Nobles like an admiral, he also hates and despises them and does not even have true loyalty towards them. This could be seen during the Revolutionary Army's most recent attack on Levely, where it allowed the revolutionaries to flee along with all the freed slaves.
Doflamingo is noted for his complete lack of fear of the World Nobles, on account of himself being a former one. He went as far as to rob tributes from them to blackmail the government, an attitude that the government finds very troublesome.[36] Kurozumi Orochi believed that with Emperor Kaidou backing him and Wano Country, not even the Celestial Dragons can threaten the powerful nation of samurai, and openly mocked the CP0 agents who tried to negotiate with him for opening the country's borders for weapons.[37]
World Nobles also appear to have little knowledge of the Lower World, and therefore have little knowledge of the common folk's resentment towards them. This is exemplified by Homing's ignorance of the common people's hatred for nobles as well as a young Doflamingo's shock and anger after seeing no one bow to him, having been under the impression commoners always bow to a World Noble when one is present.[10][24] However, it does appear that some World Nobles are more aware of global affairs and notable figures in business and politics; they may at times give political favors to these figures, with such a thing happening to Wapol.[38]
There are occasional instances where World Nobles are forced to make small concessions for political purposes. Although they would have liked to execute Monkey D. Garp for insubordination on account of his refusal to submit to them, Garp's tremendous accomplishments and reputation have caused them to hold off.[39] Additionally, Jinbe was able to negotiate the release of several fish-man slaves from the World Nobles as a condition for joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea; this led Mjosgard to go on a solo mission to Fish-Man Island to take his slaves back as he did not understand why they had been taken away from him.[29]
Although extremely rare, there are World Nobles who do not possess the same degree of haughtiness and contempt for commoners as the majority of their brethren, with the oft-cited cases of Homing and Mjosgard being the most prominent known examples; it is not known what proportion of the Celestial Dragons might hold less extreme views, or how many may have abdicated their statuses as Homing did over the centuries. Mjosgard's case shows that in certain, possibly extraordinary circumstances, World Nobles may in fact be reasoned with, as his experience on Fish-Man Island and resulting discussion with Otohime led him to change his ways and support the fish-men's plight for equality, and he was somehow able to curry favor with other World Nobles on this subject to the point of securing written approval for human and fish-men coexistence. Most of the time, however, holding sympathetic views towards commoners will be received very negatively by other Nobles and it is commonly viewed that aligning oneself with a commoner is tantamount to casting away one's World Noble status; siding with a commoner against another World Noble is grounds for a Noble to be executed by the God's Knights.[40]
Higher-level World Nobles (such as the God's Knights and Five Elders) do not appear to participate in pointless cruelty unlike their lesser brethren as most of their actions tend to serve some purpose, but can be even worse in their own right while doing so. For example, Jaygarcia Saturn of the Five Elders performed scientific experiments on Revolutionary Army commander Ginny which gave her the fatal Sapphire Scales disease and subjected her to a prolonged death, then when the disease passed to her daughter Jewelry Bonney, he used fellow resistance commander Bartholomew Kuma's relations as her step-father to coerce him into the World Government's control. [41]
Heavenly Tribute
The World Nobles have tremendous wealth; Saint Charlos casually spent 
500,000,000 to buy Camie, a price that even the nobility present at the auction could not afford, just to see her try to outrun a pack of piranhas in his fish tank. They can also easily afford rare and highly expensive Devil Fruits to feed to their slaves simply for entertainment, as the Gorgon Sisters suffered.
The source of this seemingly limitless income is monetary tributes from the various nations of the world that are affiliated with the World Government, known as the Heavenly Tribute (天上金, Tenjōkin?). The amount of money a nation owes to the Heavenly Tribute is determined by the size of its population, a highly exploitable policy. Depending on the conditions in each country, this price can range from cheap to almost impossible. For example, King Bekori actually split his country in half and formally recognized only the northern half of the island as his sovereignty, leaving the southern half as a lawless zone, in order to reduce the Tribute tax.[42]
Failure to deliver this money is seemingly very consequential, as the government was forced to comply with Donquixote Doflamingo's demand to make him a Warlord of the Sea when he took the tribute as hostage.[36] Each country is forced to comply with giving the tribute regardless of the cost or sacrifice needed to accomplish the quota.[24] Many countries are left on the verge of starvation to pay this tax, with populations dying from hunger solely to meet these quotas. If a country is unable to pay the tax, it will lose its ties to the World Government which will render it vulnerable to attacks from pirates. Some countries even go as far as to pillage other countries to fill the quotas, such as the Vodka Kingdom. It is mainly for this reason that many countries choose not to ally with the World Government in the first place, or that the people of government-affiliated countries rebel against their monarchies.[43]
Slavery
The Celestial Dragons have various rights and privileges not held by many other people in the world. In particular, they are able to buy people who have been captured and put into slavery, as well as openly enslave any commoners they have encountered, with their actions overlooked by the World Government. They use a branding iron to mark their slaves with the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon on their backs. According to Boa Hancock, anyone who bears this mark is not seen as a human being but as an item or a possession of the World Nobles.
Their method of discipline is to inject tranquilizers into the slave to stop them from escaping, in addition to the use of explosive collars.[44] They tend to treat their slaves poorly, working them to exhaustion then punishing them for their weakness. Each Celestial Dragon shown so far has been seen wielding a firearm, mostly for shooting people they dislike.[34] When faced with defiance from commoners that they cannot immediately rectify through the use of their pistols, they have the power to summon an admiral to deal with the offender. Failure in dealing with the offender is considered unacceptable.[45] However, this does not apply to a dispute between World Nobles as Mjosgard could stop Charlos from enslaving Shirahoshi.[46]
Although they often buy people from auction houses, they can make anyone a slave that they choose to. They may also have as many spouses as they wish, being able to take anyone they wish as their spouse off the street, and can dismiss them in an instant, as demonstrated by Saint Charlos.[34] Due to their authority, World Nobles are able to make any person they want a slave regardless of their status, including World Government and Levely-affiliated royalty, as shown when Charlos decided to take Princess Shirahoshi as his slave during the Levely with CP0 actively enforcing his right to do so.[2] This also applies to associates to the World Government, as even a powerful pirate such as Warlord of the Sea Bartholomew Kuma was made a slave for rent for the World Nobles and, as a result, they horribly abused him due to his inability to resist demands from them.
World Nobles have been shown to be extremely cruel and brutal towards their slaves by torturing them for fun, as many people who were their slaves were brutalized so harshly and traumatically that they committed suicide after being freed, with one slave stating his eyes were plucked out solely for sport and another was burned alive just for laughs.[24] World Nobles offer even crueler fates such as starving their slaves to reduce them to skin and bones. Their sadism towards their victims apparently does not end with the latter's death, as some World Nobles have been known to preserve their victims' corpses, such as Rosward who wanted to preserve and stuff the female members of the Straw Hat Pirates for their part in defying his family.[26] The horrors the Nobles leave on the slaves have been shown to viciously traumatize them even after their release, as both Koala and Boa Hancock, through their horrid experience, were terrified of showing weakness ever again towards others. Even Fisher Tiger, who freed many slaves, commented on them representing the "madness" of humanity; his personality was forever warped from his years as a slave.
Female slaves of the World Nobles are usually slim, pretty faces with long hair, slender bodies wearing belly dancer outfits, the color of their outfits is either pink, blue or white. They also wear headpieces, face veils, coin belts, flower belts and sandals.
Male slaves are used differently, usually used as carriers by putting soft chairs on their backs and forced to walk on all fours like beasts of burden. Unlike their female counterparts, male slaves are reduced to wearing rags, or vestiges of their clothes of when they were free men.
Native Hunting Competition
One of the World Nobles' most blatantly cruel traditions regarding the Lower World is the Native Hunting Competition, an event held every three years where Celestial Dragons stage a game where the goal is to slaughter an island's subjects. The islands selected for this competition are those unaffiliated with the World Government, meaning the government and Nobles actively subjugate the global populace not under their authority as well with no remorse or repercussions.[47]
Fear of D.
It is said that those who bear the initial D. are the "Natural Enemy of God", with "God" commonly understood to refer to the World Nobles. Indeed, this stems from the days of the World Government's founding, as the D. was originally a moniker of those who opposed the World Nobles' ancestors. The legend of D. has been passed down among the Nobles through the centuries, with Donquixote Rosinante recalling how he was told he would be eaten by D. if he did not behave as a child.[48] Doflamingo was shown trying to brush this off as superstition, but after learning that Trafalgar Law was also a D. and was working with Monkey D. Luffy to bring him down, Doflamingo became shocked.[49]
Out of the few characters who have displayed open defiance against the World Nobles, many of them indeed bear the D, with a chief example being Luffy, the instigator of the attack on Charlos on Sabaody that started the Celestial Dragon Hit-and-Run Incident. Luffy's father, Monkey D. Dragon, is actively waging war against the World Nobles as the leader of the Revolutionary Army, while his grandfather Monkey D. Garp, despite being a Marine, is well-known for his refusal to directly submit himself to the World Nobles, causing a considerable degree of animosity. Additionally, Rocks D. Xebec threatened many World Nobles when he and his crew attacked God Valley, which instigated the eponymous incident.[50]
Hedonism and Extravagance
The World Nobles live an immensely extravagant and hedonistic lifestyle made possible by their unfathomable wealth and resources supplied by the Heavenly Tribute. As part of this lifestyle, they dine on the finest luxury meals such as lobster and beef and spend tremendous money on special slaves and rare Devil Fruits to feed their slaves for their own amusement. Even when their food supplies were damaged by the Revolutionary Army, they were more concerned about what they wanted to eat as opposed to what they had left available, such as one Noble complaining about being served fish despite ordering beef, and shooting his starving chef for telling him about the dwindling supplies.[51] In fact, prior to losing his World Noble status, Doflamingo noted he never experienced nor understood hunger nor pain.[24] The food shortage following the attack led many Celestial Dragons to complain about being something as minor as being forced to skip as little as one meal and a snack, exaggerating their situation by comparing it to a prisoner's diet.[51]
National Treasure
The World Nobles possess a certain national treasure within Mary Geoise, which is said to be able to allow one to control the world. The community outside of the World Nobles' inner circle are prevented from knowing about this treasure, for if knowledge of it spreads, it may be detrimental to their power. The exact nature of this treasure is currently unknown.
When Doflamingo returned to Mary Geoise, the Celestial Dragons attempted to kill him for his knowledge of the national treasure, since they no longer consider him to be one of them. Doflamingo escaped alive and blackmailed his former compatriots to grant him favors that only Celestial Dragons can give, which they complied in fear of him exposing said treasure to the world.[16]
Secrecy of the Void Century
As with the Five Elders, most if not all Celestial Dragons are adamant in maintaining secrecy regarding the Void Century. When Vegapunk's prerecorded broadcast went into said topic, many Celestial Dragons were roaring with rage demanding the Marines to silence it at once, and even wanting to mutilate the scientist's corpse. Younger World Nobles, however, seem to be unaware of what the Void Century is, as Shalria was confused when she heard of it.[52]
Some World Nobles are further aware of certain parts of the Void Century's hidden history, seemingly including the world's rising sea levels and the threat they pose to various landmasses. So far, however, this knowledge has only been shown by Gunko, a member of the God's Knights, potentially placing her in a position with more information than the average World Noble.[53]
Law and Order in the Holy Land
It is possible for the Celestial Dragons to be punished if they go against their fellow Celestial Dragons, up to and including the death penalty. For example, Mjosgard was executed for defending Shirahoshi and her brothers from Charlos.[54][40] The only authority that can pass judgment on the Celestial Dragons is a member of the God's Knights.[22]
Abilities and Powers
The World Nobles constitute the core of the World Government's power, given that the Five Elders, who are regarded as its highest authority, are Nobles themselves. This fact is known by the Revolutionary Army, who do not seek to abolish the structure of the World Government but rather to eliminate the World Nobles that control it.[55] Although the Nobles aside from the Elders are not involved in day-to-day politics, their whims still hold tremendous sway and influence on global affairs should they choose to act on them; it was the decree of the Nobles that initiated a mega-structure project of Tequila Wolf and other places that has lasted for 700 years.[56][57] They appear to be able to create new kingdoms as they see fit, which they did with the Evil Black Drum Kingdom to give to Wapol.[38] Additionally, Otohime made tremendous progress in her quest to achieve sanctioned coexistence between humans and fish-men by getting the World Nobles to sign a document approving this.[58] The World Nobles are capable of using their resources to hide news stories and create hoaxes, which was utilized by Doflamingo to fake his resignation from the Seven Warlords in an affair that even went above the Marine Fleet Admiral's knowledge. When Sakazuki berated the Five Elders about this after the fact, they brushed him off because as far as the world is concerned, the World Nobles feel no obligation to answer to anyone.[31]
The majority of Celestial Dragons display absolutely no physical combat abilities and appear to merely be simple humans, who have a difficult time fending for themselves due to their pampered upbringing. Despite this lifestyle, high-ranking Celestial Dragons have demonstrated immense power and combat experience, such as the Five Elders[59] as well as the God's Knights.[60][61] As shown by the Native Hunting Competition 38 years ago, there are some World Nobles outside those groups who appear to take care of themselves and are trained in combat, although the majority of the partakers had typical World Noble appearances and mainly fought by shooting the helpless targets who could not fight back.[47] They each possess a pistol-like firearm of some kind, but more often than not are quite inefficient, using it only to injure and murder people they dislike at point blank range.
If a Noble faces a legitimate threat, they have the authority to summon a Marine Admiral to deal with it; the devastating effects of this power were shown when Admiral Kizaru near-effortlessly defeated and arrested hundreds of pirates after Charlos' family summoned him to Sabaody, though ironically he was prevented from bringing Charlos' actual assailants to justice. This threat is enough for most people to take every step to ensure they do not cross the World Nobles. However, if there are no witnesses to report an attack against a World Noble, then the threat of an admiral is nullified, which would leave said noble weak and vulnerable.[29] Indeed, when the Donquixote Family abandoned their statuses, they found themselves struggling for survival due to their pampered past, and helplessly facing the wrath of angry civilians who took full advantage of the family's lost protection.[24]
The Nobles also have CP0 at their direct command; CP0 is regarded as the strongest Cipher Pol unit, even more so than the secret assassination unit CP9. In addition to performing combat missions and guarding World Nobles from immediate threats, CP0 also can be utilized to relay important messages that further the World Nobles' objectives; they played an integral role in managing Doflamingo's Warlord resignation hoax, ensuring that the populace of Dressrosa did not panic from the false news.[62][32]
The Celestial Dragons' national treasure is said could shake the world's foundations, and is of such importance that they were forced to comply with Donquixote Doflamingo's blackmail about its existence. If this treasure is used in combination with the Ope Ope no Mi, it would allow the person to effectively conquer the entire world.[16]
Ships
Whenever the World Nobles travel the seas, their mode of transportation takes the form of a large ship with a grandiose design. The ship possesses four masts, with the frontal sail having the World Government insignia on it. At least the front three have a crow's nest, with the top of each also having the government flag on top. The upper part of the ship is cobalt blue with white edges, while the bottom is wooden with a steel plating under the keel. There are numerous cannon ports on the sides of the ship. The ship's figurehead is that of a golden animal wearing a crown with a white mount, with what appears to be golden whiskers coming out from underneath the figurehead. The ship that carried the Donquixote Family to a North Blue nation and Jalmack to Dawn Island both have a golden lion head with a golden crown, suggesting it may be the same ship on two different voyages.[63][64] The one Mjosgard traveled on had a rat figurehead wearing a silver crown.[6]
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History
Past
During the Void Century 800 to 900 years ago, twenty royal families formed an alliance for the purpose of battling Joy Boy and the Great Kingdom in the Great War. This alliance ultimately emerged victorious, and formed the World Government in the wake of the war. Nineteen of the families accepted new statuses as "Creators" ruling over the government from Mary Geoise; only the Nefertari Family elected to forgo this and return to their homeland of Arabasta.[3] The descendants of the 19 Creators continued to possess the same revered status and all-encompassing power, forming the World Nobles.
700 years ago, they ordered the creation of mega-structures including Tequila Wolf to connect the world's islands together, presumably for their safety against the rising sea levels of the world.[57] 200 years ago, the Iron Giant suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked Mary Geoise, prompting the World Nobles to flee from it until it ran out of energy and the attack ending.[65]
38 years ago, a group of World Nobles were present at the island of God Valley for the Native Hunting Competition. During this time the Rocks Pirates invaded God Valley, where they were ultimately defeated by the combined efforts of Marine Vice Admiral Garp, who had come to the aid of the World Nobles, and the pirate Gol D. Roger. This would later be known as the God Valley Incident. It is currently unknown what happened to the Celestial Dragons who were on the island at the time, but at the very least Jaygarcia Saturn and Figarland Garling survived the incident.[39]
| — The World Nobles replying to Homing's rescue request.[24] |
Thirty-three years ago, Donquixote Homing abdicated the World Noble statuses of himself, his wife, and two sons Doflamingo and Rosinante. However, the family would end up being persecuted after the commoners learned of their background, and Mary Geoise rejected Homing's pleas for them to take back his wife and children. Homing's wife died of sickness, and Doflamingo killed his father in order to try to regain his status, but his attempt was rejected as well.[10][24] Due to Doflamingo having knowledge of Mary Geoise's national treasure, the World Nobles saw him as a danger and tried—and failed—to have him killed, making him an outlaw and eventual pirate. He was able to use this knowledge to blackmail them into granting him a certain degree of political influence that he could extend as needed.[11][16] As a pirate, Doflamingo robbed the Celestial Dragons' Heavenly Tribute and used it to blackmail the government into granting him a position as a Warlord of the Sea.[36]
At some point, Dr. Vegapunk was invited to visit Mary Geoise, alongside his six Satellites. While Vegapunk and most of his Satellites saw the World Nobles' tyrannical culture as horrendous and looked down on them for it, York secretly desired to be elevated to a Celestial Dragon, even if it meant betraying her peers.[66]
15 years ago, the former fish-man slave Fisher Tiger climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and returned to Mary Geoise, where he caused havoc to the home of the nobles. His actions led to freeing many of the World Noble's slaves of all races including the Gorgon Sisters, who the nobles had force fed Devil Fruits to as a form of cruel entertainment for themselves. Some of the slaves in the case of the Ryugu Kingdom residents managed to return to their home, while others such as Koala had no means to get to hers without assistance. The former fish-men slaves formed the Sun Pirates with Tiger, and masked the World Nobles symbol with their crew's Jolly Roger.[67] Despite their escape, the slaves were still considered property of the World Nobles by the World Government.[68]
A year later, the Revolutionary Army commander Ginny was spotted by a World Noble. The World Government was then ordered to launch a surprise attack against the army and took Ginny to Mary Geoise to be the Noble's wife. While enslaved, Ginny had a child and contracted the Sapphire Scales disease, being released back to the lower world two years later.[69]
The next year, a World Noble by the name of Saint Jalmack came to Dawn Island.[70] He then destroyed Sabo's ship because it had cut in front of his and was flying a jolly roger.
Ten years ago, a ship containing Saint Donquixote Mjosgard broke down near Fish-Man Island. Traveling there with the intent on getting his fish-man slave collection back after they were freed by Jinbe becoming a Warlord of the Sea, his ship was attacked by Sea Kings on the way. Being the sole survivor, the citizens of Fish-Man Island, especially members of the Sun Pirates, tried to kill him without fear of an admiral. However, Queen Otohime saved Mjosgard and had his wounds tended to, though he remained highly ungrateful before departing.[29] Despite this, Otohime followed him, and returned one week later with his support for coexistence between humans and fish-men, which was planned to be used for the next Levely.[58]
Summit War Saga
Sabaody Archipelago Arc
Saint Rosward and his children, Charlos and Shalria, were on the Sabaody Archipelago at the same time as the Straw Hat Pirates. Their slave Devil Dias attempted to escape, only for his exploding collar to trigger. Elsewhere, Charlos had a run-in with Roronoa Zoro, who nearly attacked him due to not knowing of the World Nobles, but was tackled away by Jewelry Bonney who faked his death.[34]
The trio then arrived at the Human Auctioning House, where Charlos immediately bid 500,000,000 on the mermaid Camie. While going down to collect her, he shot her friend Hatchan, angering Monkey D. Luffy and causing the pirate to punch Charlos.[28] As chaos erupted, Rosward called out for an admiral while guards entered the auction house and tried to stop the Straw Hats. Rosward was knocked out when Usopp fell on top of him, while Shalria attempted to kill the mermaid they were after, but Rayleigh knocked her out with his Haki.[26]
During the aftermath, Shalria was frustrated with the Marines for their failure to capture the Straw Hats. She swore revenge against the people who defied her and her family.
Marineford Arc
During the war against the Whitebeard Pirates, Admiral Kizaru mentioned that the World Nobles had been demanding Luffy's capture.
During the Timeskip
Two years after the war, Wapol's company had become so successful with his Wapometal toys that the World Nobles granted him a kingdom, which he named the Evil Black Drum Kingdom.[71]
Dressrosa Saga
Dressrosa Arc
Doflamingo used the leverage he had against the Celestial Dragons to blackmail them into mobilizing CP0 as well as falsifying his resignation from the Warlords of the Sea in order to deceive Trafalgar Law and the Straw Hat Pirates.[11][16]
Whole Cake Island Saga
Levely Arc
During the meeting of the royals at Mary Geoise for the Levely, Saint Charlos attempted to enslave Shirahoshi. As Neptune was about to attack him and CP0 in order to save his daughter, Saint Donquixote Mjosgard struck Charlos with a club and apologized to Neptune for the incident on behalf of the World Nobles, having been reformed into a benevolent and humble man thanks to Otohime. He told Neptune he had been waiting a long time for him and his family to attend the Levely and expressed that he owed the Ryugu Kingdom a great debt for saving his life, wishing to support them with everything he has.[72]
Wano Country Saga
Wano Country Arc
The World Nobles were soon attacked by the Revolutionary Army, who destroyed their symbol and food storehouse as well as freeing many of their slaves (including Bartholomew Kuma). Marine Admirals Fujitora and Ryokugyu were summoned to fight on their behalf, but Fujitora elected to help free the slaves instead.[73]
After the Levely had ended, Mjosgard was executed by the leader of the God's Knights, Saint Figarland Garling, for taking the side of commoners against Charlos.[40]
Final Saga
Egghead Arc
A day before the Egghead Incident happened, the remaining World Nobles were starving, since all their food supplies were destroyed and their imports were cut off by the Revolutionary Army. The Nobles grew extremely furious and impatient with the Royal Guards, calling them useless and noting Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's supposed incompetence and failed attempt at killing Kuma, who rampaged through Mary Geoise before mysteriously vanishing without a trace.[74]
Several World Nobles watched Vegapunk's world-wide broadcast in Mary Geoise. While most of the World Nobles were outraged with Vegapunk's message and demanded that the Marines cut off the broadcast and execute the scientist, Saint Shalria was confused by Vegapunk's mention of a Void Century.[75]
Translation and Dub Issues
All the World Nobles are referred by "Saint" as a prefix-honorific. In Japanese, it becomes a suffix, with the males being "-sei" (聖, sei?) and females "-gu" (宮, gū?).
The VIZ Media translation of the manga omits the typical Celestial Dragons' verbal tic of "-eh" at the end of their sentences.
Trivia
- Among other acts of cruelty, semi-mythical tyrant and oppressor Jie of Xia rode on people's backs like a horse while drinking wine, just as Charlos and Jalmack did. In one incident, Jie was riding on the back of a top chancellor, and after a while the chancellor was exhausted to the point that he could no longer crawl or move. He asked King Jie to spare him, and Jie immediately dragged him out to be executed. Similarly, Charlos sold off his slave who was too exhausted to carry him any further.
- Doflamingo once shared the standard Noble verbal tic "eh";[24] he gradually grew out of it after his family left Mary Geoise.
- Enel shares some similarities with the Celestial Dragons such as in his behavior and belief that he is a god. Fittingly, his natural enemy happens to be Luffy (due to his possession of the power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi) who is a D carrier (said to be "God's Natural Enemy"). His elite army is also known as the God's Army, which is similar in name to the World Noble's fellow God's Knights.
- It is unknown if the family names are public knowledge or secret, as some appear to be knowledgable to at least an extent about the clans while others are not. Emporio Ivankov is knowledgeable of at least the Nerona name,[19] while several have shown to be unaware that Donquixote is a Noble family,[76] although Riku Doldo III was aware. It may be the case that those of greater status or position in the world are more familiar with these sort of history and affairs, while commoners and pirates are less likely to be aware, although this is not confirmed.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 907 (p. 8) and Episode 886, The Five Elders are confirmed to be Celestial Dragons.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 907 (p. 12) and Episode 886.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 73 Chapter 722 and Episode 653, Doflamingo is a descendant of one of the twenty kings.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 908 (p. 14) and Episode 889.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 908 (p. 4-7) and Episode 888.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 63 Chapter 625 (p. 2) and Episode 545, Mjosgard's broken down ship lands on Fish-Man Island.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 906 (p. 2-5) and Episode 884.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1083 (p. 12-13) and Episode 1117.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 76 Chapter 763 (p. 6) and Episode 702, Homing handed over the ID chips of his family when they left Mary Geoise.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 76 Chapter 760 (p. 12-13) and Episode 699, Doflamingo reminiscences his childhood misfortunes.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 73 Chapter 723 and Episode 654, Doflamingo reveals he is no longer a Celestial Dragon.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1138 (p. 3).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 905 (p. 9) and Episode 883, Sterry wants to be a Celestial Dragon.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 107 Chapter 1078 (p. 14-15), York reveals her desire to become a Celestial Dragon.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 108 Chapter 1089 (p. 15) and Episode 1123, Mars preparing to grant York the position of a Celestial Dragon.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 76 Chapter 761 (p. 2-10) and Episode 700, Doflamingo fights Law and speaks of his past.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1083 (p. 2) and Episode 1117.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 53 Chapter 521 (p. 8-13) and Episode 415, Boa Hancock explains the World Nobles' symbol.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 107 Chapter 1086 (p. 13), Ivankov states Saint Imu of House Nerona was one on of the First Twenty.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 111 Chapter 1125 (p. 9-13).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1136 (p. 14-17).
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1054 (p. 17) and Episode 1081.
- ↑ SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 111 (p. 146), Oda names the World Noble hairstyle.
- ↑ 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 76 Chapter 763 (p. 2-9) and Episode 702, Doflamingo had a nightmare of his past.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 76 Chapter 760 (p. 12) and Episode 699.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 503 and Episode 397.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 53 Chapter 514 and Episode 408, Shalria accuses the Straw Hats attack and later liberation of their slaves as being one against the blood of the world's creators.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 502 and Episode 396, Kid speaks of the corruption that the Celestial Dragons represent.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 63 Chapter 625 (p. 6) and Episode 545, Mjosgard's threat against Fish-Man Island fails as nobody there would report to an admiral.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 108 Chapter 1092 (p. 4, 7) and Episode 1126.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 79 Chapter 793 (p. 2-4) and Episode 736, The Five Elders criticize Sakazuki's arguments.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 497 and Episode 391, Hachi and Pappag tell the Straw Hats about the World Nobles.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 500 (p. 14-15) and Episode 394.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 499 and Episode 393.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 104 Chapter 1054 (p. 3-7) and Episode 1081.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 73 Chapter 727 and Episode 659, Riku revealed Doflamingo's method of entering the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 92 Chapter 929 (p. 12-13) and Episodes 922–923, Orochi shows no fear of the Celestial Dragons due to Kaidou's support.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 64 Chapter 635, cover story: From the Decks of the World Vol. 19.
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 957 (p. 9) and Episode 958.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1086 (p. 15) and Episode 1120.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 109 Chapter 1103 (p. 10-11).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1097 (p. 9).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 909 (p. 5-7) and Episode 890, Marco explains to Nekomamushi the plight of Sphinx and how Whitebeard covertly sent humanitarian aid to support the citizens.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 51 Chapter 496 and Episode 391, mentioning of how World Nobles control their slaves.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 52 Chapter 512 and Episode 404, Kizaru mentions he cannot let the Straw Hats go because of the World Nobles are involved.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 907 (p. 12-13) and Episode 886, Cipher Pol cannot interfere when Mjosgard orders for Shirahoshi's release from Charlos after beating him down.
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1095 (p. 13-15).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 77 Chapter 764 (p. 7-8) and Episode 703, Rosinante reveals the Celestial Dragons' fears of anybody with the initial D.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 77 Chapter 768 (p. 5-7) and Episode 707, Doflamingo is shocked when Law discusses Luffy's arrival on Dressrosa as fate and reveals his lineage as a D.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 95 Chapter 957 and Episode 958.
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 111 Chapter 1125 (p. 8), Celestial Dragons complaining their lack of good food.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 110 Chapter 1114 (p. 11), Celestial Dragons demanding Vegapunk's broadcast of the Void Century to be silenced.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1146 (p. 6-7).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1084 (p. 12-15) and Episode 1118.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 905 (p. 16) and Episode 883.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 60 Chapter 593 (p. 4-5) and Episode 510.
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 One Piece Manga — Vol. 111 Chapter 1125 (p. 17), Ivankov figures out the real reason behind Tequila Wolf's construction.
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 63 Chapter 625 (p. 18) and Episode 545, Otohime gaining a World Noble's support for the Levely.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 109 Chapter 1110 (p. 4-7).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1096 (p. 6).
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Chapter 1138 (p. 4-5).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 71 Chapter 705 and Episode 635, CP0 is introduced.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 60 Chapter 588 and Episode 502, Jalmack's ship travels to Goa Kingdom.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 76 Chapter 763 (p. 8) and Episode 702, The Donquixote Family's ship drops them off at a North Blue nation.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 111 Chapter 1125 (p. 5).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapter 1078 (p. 14-15) and Episode 1111, York reveals her treachery.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 53 Chapter 521 and Episode 415, Boa Hancock recalls her slave days to Luffy and tells him about Fisher Tiger and how he freed her and her sisters.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 63 Chapter 623 and Episode 543, Rear Admiral Strawberry informs Fisher Tiger that the Marines intended to overlook Koala's status as property of the Celestial Dragons after receiving intel about the Sun Pirates' location.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 108 Chapter 1098 (p. 2-4).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 59 Chapter 584 and Episode 498, Dadan notes the coming arrival of the Celestial Dragon to Goa Kingdom.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 64 Chapter 635, cover story: From the Decks of the World Vol. 19, Wapol is seen in his new Evil Black Drum Kingdom.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 90 Chapter 907 and Episode 886.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 107 Chapters 1082–1084 and Episodes 1116–1118.
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 108 Chapter 1092 and Episode 1126.
- ↑ One Piece Manga — Vol. 110 Chapter 1114 (p. 11).
- ↑ One Piece Manga and Anime — Vol. 73 Chapter 723 (p. 10) and Episode 653, Law learns that Donquixote Doflamingo was formerly a World Noble.
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