In the world of ONE PIECE, there’s a massive landmass encircling the globe known as the Red Line.
The Red Line stands like a towering cliff before the pirates, so high that its top is obscured by clouds, and the pirate ships in front of it look as tiny as LEGO toys.
This time, we will thoroughly examine the nature of the Red Line. Was it artificially created? And will it be destroyed in the final arc of ONE PIECE?
The Red Line is a gigantic landmass that encircles the globe. As you can see from the aforementioned image, it’s more appropriate to describe it as a “cliff.” Its surface is red, hence it’s also referred to as the “Red Continent.”
Intersecting the Red Line at a right angle is the so-called Grand Line. The Grand Line, home to Sea Kings, is one of the most impregnable locations, and the intersection of the two is where the Holy Land Mary Geoise and Reverse Mountain (the entrance to the Grand Line) are located.
ONE PIECE Eiichiro Oda / VIZ Media LLC
Around Mary Geoise, the Marine Headquarters is situated to protect the Celestial Dragons. Although it is possible to cross the Red Line, as shown by Germa 66 (Vinsmoke Family), it’s generally impossible to cross the Red Line both physically and militarily.
Thus, in the world of ONE PIECE, the Red Line and the Grand Line encircle the globe both horizontally and vertically.
The “General Meaning” of the Red Line
What is the original meaning of the “Red Line”?
In conclusion, it seems natural to interpret the Red Line as the “line that must not be crossed.” Intuitively, you can think of it as the “boundary line indicating entry into a dangerous area.”
For example, the term Red Line is used to indicate a military situation’s boundary. Additionally, if we overlay the world map of ONE PIECE with a real globe, the Red Line might represent the “equator.” If this theory is correct, then the name and its existence might not hold any special significance.
In modern times, the term Red Line is also used for “train lines.” Although it’s unclear whether this connects to the world of ONE PIECE, it could be a hint that the Red Line represents a “route to somewhere.”
Red Line was “artificially” created?
If you think about it calmly, the existence of the Red Line seems somewhat unnatural. Is it possible for a landmass that completely encircles the Earth to be formed by natural phenomena alone? It’s reminiscent of the “straight borders” of African countries that were colonized for a long time.
Therefore, the Red Line clearly has an “artificial scent” about it.
It’s not quite like the three walls in “Attack on Titan,” but there’s a possibility that someone created it intentionally. As we can see from the Vearth in Skypiea, there are precedents of enormous land masses being moved entirely. Could the Red Line have been intentionally uplifted from the seabed as well?
Otherwise, the world created by the ONE PIECE author, Eiichiro Oda, would be too simplistic. However, to conclude, the detailed past of the Red Line remains unknown. As of now, there is no confirmation in ONE PIECE of any hints suggesting it was artificially made.
If it was formed by natural phenomena, it might be that the world was once peacefully divided by the Red Line. For instance, East Blue might have been inhabited by the Family of D, and West Blue by the current World Nobles. There’s also the possibility that the wars in the Void Century were fought to overcome the Red Line and unite the East and West.
On the other hand, the Red Line might play a significant role or unfold a major development in the final chapters of ONE PIECE.
Red Line as a symbol of “unfreedom”? Will it be destroyed eventually?
To conclude, it has been speculated for a long time that the Red Line will be destroyed towards the end of ONE PIECE.
On a map, the Red Line appears to be just a “line,” but in reality, it’s a towering cliff, as mentioned earlier. This can be described as a “giant wall.” For humanity, a wall is precisely the “symbol of unfreedom.”
In the real world, walls are symbols of division, like the Berlin Wall, the wall that former President Trump planned to build along the Mexican border, and the separation wall in Israel. They symbolize ideological division, racial division, and the infringement of freedom of movement.
Meanwhile, the protagonist of ONE PIECE, Luffy, is a young man aiming to become the Pirate King in pursuit of “freedom.” Thus, in the final chapter of ONE PIECE, might he destroy the Red Line, the “symbol of unfreedom”? Was the Red Line created to be destroyed from the beginning?
For example, could the “grand plan” (the laugh tale) that Gol D. Roger laughed about after reaching Laugh Tale involve the destruction of the Red Line (the wall of unfreedom)? Like Luffy, Roger might have been dissatisfied with a world where free navigation was hindered by the Red Line.
ONE PIECE Eiichiro Oda / VIZ Media LLC
Why is the Red Line made of “soil”?
Considering its alias “the continent of red soil,” it’s strange that the word “soil” is used instead of “rock.” Soil seems easy to destroy. Soil is obviously vulnerable to water. It’s clear which is more resilient to water damage: a simple gravel road or a paved asphalt road.
Does this imply that the Red Line was intentionally made of “soil”? What if the Red Line itself is a “giant mass of Vearth”? Could the term “Red Line” actually refer to the “Red Vearth”? Could Reverse Mountain actually be a shortened term for “Red Vearth Mountain”?
Additionally, the Grand Line is surrounded by numerous Sea Kings. Is this to protect the Grand Line? Why can only some of the Family of D hear the voices of the Sea Kings, while Fish-Men and mermaids cannot? Considering this, the Grand Line also has a strong artificial scent.
It is well known that the Ancient Weapon Poseidon can intentionally control the Sea Kings. It might also be possible to command them to inhabit the Calm Belt intentionally.
ONE PIECE Eiichiro Oda / VIZ Media LLC
Therefore, is it certain that the Red Line, which intersects at a right angle, is also a device that plays a fundamental role in the story of ONE PIECE? As mentioned earlier, if interpreted as a “path leading somewhere,” could the Red Line’s surface be a runway to launch to the moon?
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