In chapter 395, Clover implied that the World Government still viewed the “existence and the idea” of the Ancient Kingdom as a threat to themselves.
With a focus on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, the latest chapters got me thinking a lot about the philosophy behind this statement. What ‘idea’ goes so fundamentally against the system the World Government relies on, that if it was revealed, would inevitably shatter it?
My take on answering this question is trying to single out what is shown as the basis for the representatives of the World Government’s rule. From where does stem the Celestial Dragons’ right to be considered as literal Gods, and the right of the Kings to rule over their respective countries and sit at the Reverie?
From blood ties. In One Piece, just as in a large majority of governing systems throughout our history, the world is ruled by individuals whose power is based on the blood running in their family. Nothing special so far. But there are two points that make this concept more interesting.
1: One Piece seems to insist a lot on how dear this ‘blood status’ is to those who have it, and in particular to Celestial Dragons. Doflamingo’s backstory is the most notable example of how being deprived of his Godly status affected a young Celestial Dragon and brought him to murder the person responsible for this demotion, his own father.
The parallel between young Doflamingo and Imu may suggest that both characters have gone through a similar ordeal. Some have theorized it is possible Imu also murdered their parent(s). Could it be because they were standing against their godly family right? Was Imu the creator of a world based on the idea that power derives from blood and surname? And could such murder (or similar action) be the inaugural act of this world?
2: In parallel, since the very beginning of the story, One Piece relentlessly makes a point that blood does not have to be the cornerstone of families. There are many instances of characters finding their parental figure in someone they do not share biological family ties with: Luffy and Shanks, Sanji and Zeff, Nami and Belle-Mere, Ace and Whitebeard, Franky and Tom, Chopper and Hiluluk, Sabo and Dragon, Coby and Garp, Law and Corazon, Shanks and Roger, also Mononosuke and Kinemon to some extent… These relations between individuals who are not part of the same biological family are the prime examples of positive, love-based and inspirational family relationships shown in One Piece.
It is also understood that individuals can inherit something else, something more than genetics, surname and status; they can inherit a will, that links them together through generations, exactly like genetics, surname and status do. The difference being that a will can be transmitted among people of different blood, and different race.
What I find interesting is that positive/healthy relationships between members of the same biological family also do exist in One Piece, but the main examples of this concern… Royalty! Cobra (and maybe Vivi’s mother Titi), Neptune and Otohime, Oden and Toki are shown to have real family relations with their children. As if the concept of family in a traditional sense, the one of being linked to others by genetics was, in One Piece, proper to the Kings?
My feeling is that inherited will is a concept which, by itself, challenges the world built by what is currently referred to as the World Government. The idea that something else than blood could tie individuals of different generations together, and effectively make them part of the same family, goes obviously against the very basis of Royal (and ‘Divine’, for Celestial Dragons) status in One Piece, which is being born as ‘son/daughter of’. It is a philosophy that endangers all those who rule the world, as it makes obsolete the grounds for their rule.
The taboo idea of the Ancient Kingdom could then simply be a fundamental disagreement over the concept of ‘family’.
As a practical representation of this, we could imagine that the Ancient Kingdom was ruled alternatively by individuals of different races, for as long as they shared the same will. This might be what the 20 Kingdoms stood against.
Will of D. – Natural enemies of Gods
This would explain why those who have the D. in their name are referred to as the natural enemies of Gods. Those individuals seem to be the proudest representatives of the philosophy of inherited will, as they share the will of D.
We already knew that the D. was carried by individuals of different races (such as Jaguar D. Saul). The revelation in Lili’s letter sparked theories that she could have decided to carry the D. in her name. In one of their videos, youtubers Mont Corvo theorized that the D. could be a rallying sign similar to the cross worn by the Strawhats and Vivi at the end of the Alabasta arc.
Maybe the meaning of the D. was forgotten, but is it possible it is carried as a way to remember who your allies are, who is part of your family, in anticipation of a great battle to come? Where I think this theory ties with mine, is how putting this sign in your name would fundamentally go against the idea of a name for the Kings, who must see a name as something that can be exclusively inherited between members of a same biological family.
Sharing sake
We talked about inherited will as basis for family, but in the world of One Piece, there is another way to create family links with others: sharing cups of sake.
There is an excellent theory developed by OharaLibrarianArtur, which suggests that the ultimate dream of Luffy is to cheer with the whole world; and that the discovery of the One Piece will allow him to achieve this goal.
My two cents is this: what would actually happen if the whole world cheered with sake? Everyone would be part of the same family. The principles of superiority, royalty, divinity based on blood ties would be obsolete.
TL/DR
The idea of the Ancient Kingdom that “threatens” the World Government is the one that inherited will is the pillar of the concept of family, rather than genetics. This idea endangers a ruling system based on blood ties between individuals who maintain their superiority solely thanks to their belonging to a Royal/Celestial family by right of blood and of surname.
Theory by zeutlers (https://www.reddit.com/user/zeutlers)
