The Destruction Of The Yonko System, Explained 

The Yonko are known to be some of the most powerful individuals to exist in the One Piece world. Known to the Kings of the New World, the Yonko hold tremendous power and authority and their presence is key to maintaining the balance of power in the One Piece world. The Yonko of the One Piece world has existed since the very beginning of the story. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that this system will last until the very end.

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Even though the Yonko are powerful, they can be taken down and it is highly likely that come the end of One Piece, they will meet their end in one way or another, which is sure to have massive repercussions for the entire world. With One Piece in the final saga, just about everything is set to get far more exciting, and fans need to keep a keen eye on the Emperors of the Sea.

How The Yonko System Came To Be

• The Yonko Were Established At An Unknown Time
• The Current Emperor Order Might Be the Last One

The Four Emperors of the Sea have existed since the very beginning of the story in One Piece. According to Oda himself, he intended for One Piece to be a fight Against the Four Emperors at first, but the involvement of the Shichibukai is what made the series as long as it is.

The reason why ‘One Piece’ has been continually running for the past 20 years is because of the Seven Warlords of the Sea (the Shichibukai). ‘One Piece’ was initially intended to be a tale of fighting against the Four Emperors (the Yonko), wrapping up after just five years. It struck me that having these cool Seven Warlords of the Sea in the comic would be awesome; it was just a passing thought really. And then, just like a horror movie, it spiraled into such a long series!! Why couldn’t it be Five or Two Warlords of the Sea? I thought that “Seven Warlords” just sounded so much cooler!! Well, I’ve no lingering regrets since I’ve already drawn what I’ve wanted to draw. Just a little more!! – Oda

As is clear from Oda’s own words, One Piece was always supposed to include the Four Emperors of the Sea. Although they had been ruling the seas for long, fans only found out about their existence in the Enies Lobby Arc of the story, when Luffy met his grandfather, Garp, for the very first time. It is also made clear to the fans that the order of the Four Emperors was made up of Whitebeard, Shanks, Big Mom, and Kaido. All four of these were described as shining stars in the world of pirates by Garp, with each of them having strength that cannot be comprehended by the average pirate.

While it is interesting to note that the Yonko always existed, one must also look at the reason for their existence. The Yonko are all powerful pirates who are deemed to be incredibly close to the One Piece. Whitebeard himself was known to be the man closest to the One Piece until recently. But, the key here is that none of the Yonko are truly above the other because none actually have the One Piece.

The Future Destruction Of The Yonko System

The Yonko Cannot Stand When A Pirate King Emerges

To spell the idea in simple terms, the Yonko exist because there is no Pirate King. The name Yonko literally means that these pirates are the Emperors of the Seas, but what happens when a King of the Sea emerges? Luffy says clearly to Hody on Fishman Island that there can only be one king of the sea. As such, the concept of the existence do the Four Emperors in itself is there because there is no Pirate King. Once again, Luffy goes on to back that idea up in the Punk Hazard arc of One Piece, where he clearly states that he’s going to take down all of the Yonko one by one.

If the Yonko are beaten one by one, surely, whoever beats them is the strongest, and at the same time, has the most Road Poneglyphs. With that, the person would go on to claim the One Piece.

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Even more importantly, logic dictates that once there is a Pirate King, there cannot be Emperors. The Emperors rule various parts of the seas. But the King rules it all and has the most freedom. As such, the destruction of the order of Four Emperors in One Piece is inevitable. This makes even more sense when fans take into consideration the current power balance. For instance, individuals such as Blackbeard are bound to fall at some point in the future. Meanwhile, Shanks has death flags of his own which he may or may not survive. The Cross Guild will lose a significant chunk of its powers when Zoro beats Mihawk and Crocodile is beaten by someone else. And, finally, the Straw Hat crew is all that will be left at the end of things. Clearly, the other Emperors are bound to fall, which simply erases the Yonko system in its entirety.

What Happens To The Other Yonko In One Piece?

The Other Yonko Could Still Survive

While the Yonko system itself might be erased, the Yonko themselves can still exist. Buggy, for instance, is likely not going to die. Shanks and Blackbeard might die, but there are other powerful pirates in the One Piece world who will take their place, such as Law and Kid, and potentially even Bonney in the future.

But, the big difference is that these pirates will not be called the Yonko anymore. There will simply exist once King of the Sea and all these pirates will then turn their attention towards Luffy. Whoever beats Luffy will then go on to claim themselves as the Pirate King, and make their own legacy in the world. These pirates will simply be known as Great Pirates, as was the case when Roger was the Pirate King. The idea of Yonko didn’t exist, and was most certainly a result of Roger’s death.

The Yonko could potentially return in One Piece in the future, and all that hinges on Luffy’s decision following his coronation as the Pirate King. If Luffy, after fulfilling his true dream, simply retires as a pirate, then, in the absence of a King, the Yonko or similar powers will emerge once again. If Luffy continues as a pirate even after, then pirates will turn their eyes towards him and battle it out to claim the position of the Pirate King officially.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1136, is set to be January 19, 2025.

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Creator

Eiichiro Oda

Number of Episodes

1122