Thread by @StrawhatUFO

One Piece Theory:

Here it is. The BIG ONE. A question that's been out there for nearly a quarter of a century.

What is the One Piece?

The hints have been there all along...let's go.

#onepiece #onepiecetheory

Obviously, this thread is going to be full of spoilers. If you think knowing what the One Piece could be will ruin your experience, turn back. 🔙

That said, it's been 25 years and more than a thousand episodes and chapters. I think it's about time we learn what it is.

I'll structure this thread like this:

#1 My criteria for the One Piece
#2 My foundational assumption
#3 What the treasure is and why it makes complete sense
#4 What it means for the bigger story
#5 Some concluding words

Long, but it's a big topic. Bear with me. 🙏

Criteria #1: It has to be a real and unquestionable treasure. It's going to be something people will look at and immediately recognize it's value.

In the series, we've seen items and places being referred to as treasures, by owners. For the One Piece, this will not be the case.

Criteria #2: It has to be something hinted at very early on, and it'll make complete sense once we see it.

An example of this is Gold Roger's name - given what we know about the 'D' Clan, Roger's role in the story, the scheming nature of the WG, we could have put it together.

Criteria #3: It's a treasure which will give whoever found it some sort of choice.

Were the Roger Pirates really "too early"? Maybe there's no right time. Even when Luffy reaches it, some might still think it's early.

"The answer you will arrive at may be different from ours".

So the treasure is (1) undeniable, (2) hinted at from the beginning and (3) will offer whoever finds it a choice.

Now for the assumption.

My assumption is this: The treasure that is the One Piece will be related to music. 🎶

Music is an integral part of the journey.

It's something that pirates love, and Luffy values. It's something that has been equated to the light.

'Piece' can also refer to a musical creation.

(Music can even summon gods.)

As recently as #1043, we see a reference to music - Zunesha can hear the Drums of Liberation.

It's not just 'music' in the obvious sense of the word.

There's also an emphasis on laughter, and heart beats in One Piece, where characters can have unique laughs.

Heart beats and laughter are the music humans make.

Even Luffy's eyes might be a reference to a musical symbol - the fermata. Check this thread out.

So...what is the One Piece?

The One Piece is not sake. Nor is it drums.

The One Piece is a GONG.

It's a giant golden gong many times larger than the Golden Bell of Shandora, grand enough to be called "vast".

Now let me tell you why.

I've previously speculated about the importance of Drum Island.

How it's the place where we hear about the clan of 'D'. And how Kureha and Drum Castle and even Chopper himself might be the key to some of One Piece's mysteries.

Drum = important. But the treasure is not a drum.

Drum Island can be read as "DORA-MU" Island.

'Dora' = Gong. What about 'Mu'? It can mean "without".

Dora Mu = Gong-less.

The One Piece, which is the gong, is gone.

Let's take a step back and talk about 'sound'.

The sound of drums and gongs pop up in a lot of other important parts of the story - just not in the ways you might be used too...

It's the legendary "DON!!"

The One Piece has been with us all this while - we just didn't know it.

Now....let me approach this from another angle. Oda loves visual metaphors, tricks, goroawase and puns.

I initially thought the One Piece might be a drum...so I started researching into drum terms. I found this:

In a very pirate-manner: X marks the spot.

Turn a china drum or hi-hat sideways and you get a gong.

You know how I said it'll be something hinted at early on? It's actually right there - in the logo.

(It's more obvious in the simplified logo.)

Visually, I think this might also be what the straw hat represents.

The One Piece, both in the form of the 'DON' and the straw hat, has been with us all this while.

The gong has been mentioned as early as Chapter 15. It stood out to me because it was one of the first chapters of One Piece I read. There was no mention of a gong in the chapter. 😓

But they do talk about treasure. 😉

Another gong thing - Chopper uses a lot of gong-based attacks. I think his true role still has a lot to be revealed. 🤔

Also, gongs are a prominent part of japanese culture (and most cultures actually) - here's an Oni carrying one.

Now...why did Roger laugh?

I think that the gong is also a poneglyph.

Bink's Sake is an incomplete song. On the One Piece are the rest of the song - which will be a story that's equal parts comedy and tragedy.

Pirates laugh at tragedy too.

One Piece = A giant gong completing the tale of Bink's Sake.

A gong that's foreshadowed by the bell of Shandora, the repeated "DON"s and the straw hat Luffy has inherited.

Pretty interesting, huh?

Let's go into some speculations now...

#1 I think the decision Luffy will have to make will be whether to strike the gong or not. I think this might awaken a creature that can potentially turn the world upside down - sort of like a Buster Call.

#2 Not everybody will agree with this decision.

Law's new ability bring an interesting possibility - there's a scenario where Luffy rings the bell but Law arrives at another answer.

#3 The treasure at Mary Geoise, and possibly at other places might be musical instruments as well. Some instruments might be hidden in Wano too.

When everything is played together, maybe that's how we'll achieve harmony?

So…that’s my ‘What is the One Piece’ theory.

There’s still plenty of mysteries in left. The journey is still far from over.

I was just reading the ending of Skypiea again, and there was a scene that made me tear.

“I’m just glad they’re okay.” Thank you for reading.

One last thing - as I was preparing this, I stumbled upon the ending song of One Piece: Stampede.

The movie's about the fight for a treasure that belonged to Roger - an Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale.

Guess what the ending song was called? 😆

GONG!!

Do like and RT if you enjoy it.

I've been holding this theory since late last year, and I don't think anyone's come up with it. As Wano comes to a close, I think more pieces are popping up, so I decided to just pull the trigger.

Let's all enjoy One Piece. ❌

Want to read more?

Check out these theories, which are all related to this one.

D for Drummond:

The Three Doras:

Ancient Kingdoms:

Hammers: