One Piece: The Great Cleansing, Explained

As the One Piece enters its final arc, the great cleansing remains a terrifying unknown that can shape the series’ future.

The tumultuous events unfolding on Egghead Island have revealed many mysteries and also added to the long list of mysteries that permeate the One Piece series. The five elders are currently wreaking havoc on Egghead to stop Vegpunk’s broadcast to the world. The five elders, on the order of Imu, use the people as pawns in their big plan to suppress all propaganda against their rule.

However, the immense knowledge Vegapunk possesses about the evils of the World Government will risk their infinite rule. Vegapunk message in the broadcast that the world will sink into the ocean might be part of a grand plan of the five elders and Imu, the sinister ruler of the world, to cleanse the world of all insects and maintain their power in the One Piece world.

Eliminating Threats to World Government Control

Maintaining The Status Quo

In One Piece, the five elders operate under the belief that their rule is the only path to global stability. They view themselves as the guardians of order, and anything that disrupts their vision is deemed a threat. The tumultuous events of Egghead made the five elders descend from their high citadel of power in Mary Geoise to Egghead to stop Vegapunk’s broadcast to the world. Vegapunk is the world’s smartest man in One Piece and has enormous knowledge about the World Government’s hidden oppression. Hence, the five elders aim to put a stop to it and eliminate the Straw Hat pirates in the process.

Pirates like Monkey D. Luffy and the Revolutionary Army, who defy the established order and pursue freedom on the Grand Line, will continue to be a threat.

Moreover, the great cleansing would be the World Government’s plan to eliminate any significant threats to their absolute power. Many times, the World Government has shown its might in destroying anyone who tries to challenge its authority.

• The island of Ohara and its people were destroyed for delving into the forbidden knowledge.
• Portgas D. Ace was executed for being the child of the great Pirate King Roger and affiliated with the Whitebeard pirate.
• The Straw Hat pirates separation at Sabaody for punching a Celestial Dragon at a slave trade.
• The destruction of Lulusia and elimination of all its inhabitants to test run the Mother Flame and kill Sabo

While the evils of the World Government are so many, they are the opposite of justice they presume to represent because the idea of a just world is where they continue to oppress people and change the narrative as they deem fit. All the five elders− Saturn, Mars, Nusjuro, Warcury, and Ju Peter – refer to other people as insects that need to be stepped on to pave the way for greater power. As the series enters its final arc, the power balance on the sea is at stake, and the only way for the World Government to maintain order is to regain control. However, Vegapunk’s broadcast will be the last straw to preserve order and can lead to a revolution against the government.

Military orders, like the Buster Call, can also be regarded as a form of cleansing to regain control. The World Government unleashed it on Ohara, the city of scholars, and Egghead is currently facing the same doom that comes with the Buster Call order. In One Piece, the great cleansing perpetuates a cycle of fear, where the World Government maintains control through intimidation and violence, which hinder the possibility of a just world.

Control Historical Narrative

Fear Of The Past

At the end of chapter 1113 of the manga, Vegapunk announced on the broadcast that the world would sink into the ocean. The reason for this is unknown, but a theory is that the kingdoms during the Void Century period probably sank into the sea. In other words, the five elders, presumed to be immortals, and the great Imu do a form of cleansing to eradicate any trace of history or any sect that opposed them in the past. The five elders actively suppress information about the Void Century, suggesting a desire to control historical narratives and maintain their power. The Void Century is tagged a forbidden knowledge that no one must ever delve into; hence, the World Government would eliminate such a person. The island of Ohara was destroyed because the people tried to uncover the truths of the Void Century.

The five elders fear the truths of the Void Century because it would expose their past transgressions, challenge their legitimacy, or reveal connections to a powerful figure− they wish to remain hidden. It is for this reason that the five elders want to retain control of the Punk Records and protect it at all costs on Egghead. If the theory of the five elders using a flood to sink the world is true, then it can be assumed that they want to use it as a means to rewrite and reshape history.

Elimination Of Some Races

Culling The Lineage Of Any Insect

While the evidence is limited, the narrative so far in the series hints that the theory of elimination of some races as part of the great cleansing is possible. The World Government eliminated the Buccaneer race due to their historical alignment and knowledge about Sun God Nika. Hence, the whole race was eliminated to prevent the historical knowledge of the Sun God, who is a symbol of liberation for the people. To kill off the last known member of the Buccaneer, the World Government turned Bartholomew Kuma into a war machine and stripped him of his conscience. Also, the five elders demonstrate a particular fear of people with the “will of D.” This mysterious lineage of the D seems to transcend race; however, many prominent figures challenge the World Government, like Luffy and Dragon.

In this way, as Luffy continues to become more troublesome on the Grand Line, especially with his god-like devil fruit, Hiti Hito no Mi, Model Nika, his elimination in the series is crucial. For the World Government, the will of D indicates a broader fear of rebellion originating from specific races perceived as historically bothersome. Moreover, since there have been many uprisings and challenges to the World Government power, the need to eliminate certain races, like the people with the will of D, seems paramount to maintain the status quo.