ONE PIECE Analysis! – Summary of Gol D. Roger! What About His Bounty and Devil Fruit? What Are His Commonalities with Luffy? His Strength and True Identity? - Manga Analysis

The ultimate goal in ONE PIECE is a mysterious island called Laugh Tale.

It is said that a mysterious treasure called ONE PIECE is hidden there, and the only pirate who reached this Laugh Tale was Gol D. Roger. Following Roger’s execution, which led to him being known as the Pirate King, the world entered the Great Pirate Era.

In this article, we thoroughly analyze Gol D. Roger’s true identity and strength. What was Roger’s past and bounty amount? Did Roger have a Devil Fruit? Just how strong was he?

Table of contents

Roger Was the Pirate King Who Reached Laugh Tale
1. Real Name: Gol D. Roger (Species: Family of D)
Summary of Roger’s Journey to Reach Laugh Tale
1. The Mystery of the One-Year Disappearance
Roger defeated the Rocks Pirates with Garp
Luffy’s straw hat originally belonged to Roger
The Origin of Roger’s Name is “Jolly Roger”
The Common Points Between Roger and Luffy
1. Do the Family of D Smile Before Death?
Roger’s True Identity as the Biological Father of Ace Next
1. Roger entrusted Ace to Vice Admiral Garp
Roger’s Devil Fruit, Unexpected?
Roger’s Bounty Exceeds 5.5 Billion, Strongest in ONE PIECE
How Strong is Roger? Is Kamusari His Only Special Move?

Roger Was the Pirate King Who Reached Laugh Tale

First, let’s revisit Gol D. Roger’s identity. Gol D. Roger was the captain of the Roger Pirates. The captains of the Four Emperors’ pirate crews are referred to with titles like “Big Boss” or “Admiral,” but it is unknown if Roger had a unique title. It’s also unclear whether Roger was one of the Four Emperors, as the era in which they emerged is not specified.

Incidentally, the Roger Pirates’ ship was the Oro Jackson, built by the shipwright Tom before they aimed for Laugh Tale.

Roger’s hometown was Loguetown in East Blue. Loguetown is the town closest to Reverse Mountain in East Blue.

Although Roger is already deceased, he lived to the age of 53. Is Oda planning to conclude ONE PIECE at the same age?

Real Name: Gol D. Roger (Species: Family of D)

Roger’s real name is Gol D. Roger. He belongs to the so-called Family of D. From what has been expressed in ONE PIECE so far, the Family of D seems to be a distinct species.

To prevent the public from realizing Roger was part of the Family of D, the Marines abbreviated “Gol D.” to “Gold.”

Roger’s height was 274 cm. Although this may seem large compared to Luffy’s height of 174 cm, it’s relatively standard in the world of ONE PIECE. His birthday is December 31, likely a play on the name “Goal” (end).

According to Silvers Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates, Roger’s personality was that of a man who loved to do everything in a grand manner. Hence, he was quite the battle maniac.

Summary of Roger’s Journey to Reach Laugh Tale

Next, let’s explain the sequence of events leading up to Roger’s “reaching the final island, Laugh Tale, and his subsequent execution.”

Roger was born 77 years ago. At the age of 25 (52 years ago), he made a name for himself as a rookie pirate. The exact date of the crew’s formation is unknown, but Roger encountered Silvers Rayleigh, who was living on a ship, and they formed the Roger Pirates.

When Roger was 38 years old (39 years ago), he and Rayleigh arrived at Lodestar Island, the final point indicated by the Log Pose. Realizing that “there is more beyond,” Roger began a new journey to gather the Road Poneglyphs.

Unfortunately, when Roger was 49 years old (28 years ago), he contracted an “incurable disease.”

Nevertheless, 26 years ago (when he was 51), he met Kozuki Oden, who could read the ancient script on the Poneglyphs and who was then with the Whitebeard Pirates. Oden was recruited into the Roger Pirates for one year. The inscriptions on the Skypiea Poneglyph were written by Oden.

Within less than a year, Roger conquered the Grand Line and reached the final destination 25 years ago (when he was 52), naming it “Laugh Tale” himself. However, Roger did not bring back the treasure hidden on Laugh Tale; instead, he just “laughed.”

Why did Roger laugh?

After returning from Laugh Tale, Roger was hailed as the “Pirate King” by the world, having acquired wealth, fame, and power. Incidentally, 38 years ago, he and Garp wiped out the Rocks Pirates, and 27 years ago, he fought the Golden Lion Shiki in the Battle of Ed War.

The Mystery of the One-Year Disappearance

Although Roger reached Laugh Tale in just three years after contracting his incurable disease, he disbanded the Roger Pirates immediately afterward. Following this, Roger inexplicably disappeared for about a year. The details of this blank period are unclear, but afterward, Roger surrendered to the World Government.

Twenty-four years ago (when he was 53), Roger was executed in his hometown of Loguetown. The sight of Roger laughing at the brink of death shocked the world, but essentially, Roger chose to die willingly. The Marines could not capture him as he was too powerful.

During his execution, Roger revealed the existence of “ONE PIECE” and left a will saying, “I am not going to die.” This sparked the beginning of the Great Pirate Era. For all pirates, Roger was both the “goal” and the “start.”

However, despite knowing the truth about the Void Century, Roger did not bring back ONE PIECE. It appears Roger’s words were intended to “guide everyone to Laugh Tale.”

Therefore, was the “mysterious one year” after reaching Laugh Tale a preparatory period to acquire ONE PIECE? When ONE PIECE is eventually revealed, the mystery of Roger’s blank year will likely also be clarified.

Roger defeated the Rocks Pirates with Garp

Meanwhile, the strongest pirate crew that suddenly appeared after the Wano Country arc was the Rocks Pirates. Led by a rough man named Rocks D. Xebec of the Family of D, this strongest pirate crew flourished more than 40 years ago. It included members such as Kaidou, Big Mum, Whitebeard, and Shiki the Golden Lion.

Garp reminisces, saying, “Before Roger, it was the era of Rocks,” indicating that the Rocks Pirates were indeed the strongest in both name and reality.

Roger annihilated the Rocks Pirates 38 years ago. As mentioned earlier, this was one year after reaching Lodestar Island, the final island indicated by the Poneglyphs. It was right after starting the journey to reach Laugh Tale.

Details are unclear, but Roger, while aiming for Laugh Tale, arrived at God Valley. There, he coincidentally encountered Vice Admiral Garp, and for some reason, they teamed up to destroy the Rocks Pirates. As a result of this battle, or for some other reason, God Valley disappeared from the world map.

Although Roger and Whitebeard were close enough to share drinks in Roger’s later years, the details of their first meeting are unknown. However, it seems that the battle against the Rocks Pirates was a significant event that led to their friendship, similar to how delinquents become friends after a fight.

On the other hand, God Valley is said to be an island where the Celestial Dragons were plotting some conspiracy using slaves. Therefore, it should have been unrelated to the Rocks Pirates. Why did Roger head to God Valley? This remains a major unanswered question.

Luffy’s straw hat originally belonged to Roger

The trademark of the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, is the straw hat. Luffy’s alias is also “Straw Hat Luffy,” and his pirate crew is named the “Straw Hat Pirates.” This straw hat is famous for being handed to Luffy by “Red-Haired” Shanks.

However, the original owner of the straw hat was actually Roger.

In Rayleigh’s flashback scene, it appears that Roger had the straw hat from the beginning. Roger handed it to Shanks, who was an apprentice on Roger’s crew, and 12 years ago, Shanks gave it to Luffy, seeing Roger’s image in him.

Meanwhile, in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, a mysterious giant straw hat is hidden. It is carefully managed and somehow kept in cold storage by Imu, to whom even the Five Elders kneel. Considering the story so far, it strongly suggests a connection between the straw hat and the Family of D.

Therefore, “the will inherited from Roger” seems to refer to this straw hat. However, Roger did not obtain the straw hat at Laugh Tale. Where did Roger get the straw hat? Why are there two straw hats? These questions remain unanswered.

The Origin of Roger’s Name is “Jolly Roger”

Next, let’s consider the “origin of the name.”

Gol D. Roger’s name is derived from “Jolly Roger.” In English, it translates directly to “pirate flag.” The origin of the name Roger symbolizes pirates themselves.

There are multiple origins of this “Jolly Roger” name.

The most notable origin is “Old Roger.” It can be easily inferred that the character name Gol D. Roger was derived from this, as “Old Roger” means “devil.” Of course, in ONE PIECE, the devil refers to the Devil Fruits.

Thus, it might have initially been conceived that he had the setting of “the strongest Devil Fruit user.” The setting that Roger was a member of the Family of D might have been added later. The English notation “GOL.D.ROGER” honestly feels somewhat forced. Roger’s Devil Fruit will be discussed later.

Additionally, the origin of Jolly Roger (pirate flag) is linked to the French terms “Jolie Rouge” (blood) or “Le Joli Rouge” (the jolly red one), which connects to the name of Roger’s wife, Portgas D. Rouge.

The Common Points Between Roger and Luffy

Next, let’s consider the “common points between Roger and Luffy.”

Luffy, who aims to become the Pirate King like Gol D. Roger, shares many common points with him. Although they are not related by blood, Luffy and Gol D. Roger belong to the same Family of D. The inheritance of Roger’s straw hat strongly hints at Luffy’s future as the Pirate King.

In fact, although the manga skips a lot of details, the journey Roger took to reach Laugh Tale is exactly the same route that Luffy followed.

Unlike other pirate crews who tend to form fleets, the Roger Pirates only had the Oro Jackson. Similarly, the Straw Hat Pirates only have the Thousand Sunny. Both pirate ships were built with the Treasure Tree Adam, which is another common point.

Do the Family of D Smile Before Death?

Another common point is their “personality.” Both Gol D. Roger and Luffy dislike being controlled by anyone and love “freedom.” Luffy declares that even if he becomes the Pirate King, he will not bind anyone.

Additionally, both Luffy and Roger can “hear the voice of all things,” which is a unique trait. They can hear the voices of Sea Kings, which even Fish-Men cannot converse with, and the voice of Zunesha. This indicates that both Roger and Luffy have a special lineage within the Family of D.

Moreover, a significant common point is that they both “smiled” just before their execution. When Luffy was about to be killed by Buggy before entering the Grand Line, Marine Captain Smoker started trembling.

Among the other members of the Family of D, Saul smiled broadly before freezing to death. Ace smiled forcibly after shedding tears and then died. Although this might be a potential foreshadowing, considering Ace as Roger’s son, the smile might be less significant.

Roger’s True Identity as the Biological Father of Ace Next

Let’s delve into “Gol D. Roger’s son.”

Many people mistakenly think of “Roger ≒ Luffy’s father” due to the Straw Hat and Pirate King references, but Luffy’s father is Monkey D. Dragon, the founder of the Revolutionary Army. Therefore, Luffy is not Roger’s son.

Gol D. Roger’s son is Portgas D. Ace. Ace spent his childhood with Luffy and later Sabo, who would eventually join the Revolutionary Army. Ace then rose to become the No. 2 of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Incidentally, Roger’s beloved sword was also named Ace. He named his son after it.

Ace’s mother and Roger’s wife is Portgas D. Rouge, also a member of the Family of D. Ace’s black hair was inherited from his father Roger, while his freckles came from his mother Rouge.

The exact circumstances of Roger and Rouge’s meeting are unknown, but based on Roger and Rayleigh’s conversation after reaching Laugh Tale, it is speculated that they met during the aforementioned “Void Century.” Roger’s statement that his son would find the ONE PIECE gives the impression that he intentionally fathered Ace.

As mentioned earlier, the origin of the Jolly Roger (pirate flag) actually comes from the French terms “Jolie Rouge” (Pretty Red) or “Jolly Rouge” (Jolly Red). Thus, Ace’s name, like Roger’s, symbolized the pirate flag.

Since the pirate flag represents blood and death, it is likely that “Ace’s death” was planned from the start, considering Roger as the origin.

Roger entrusted Ace to Vice Admiral Garp

However, Roger was the “world’s most notorious pirate” who knew the secrets of the Void Century. Even Tom, the shipwright who built the Oro Jackson for the Roger Pirates, was eventually executed. Given this, any relative of Roger would be considered guilty by the Marine Government.

While it is curious that Silvers Rayleigh was left alone, Ace, Roger’s son, was certainly marked for execution.

Therefore, Roger asked Vice Admiral Garp to save Ace. Despite their antagonistic relationship, Roger and Garp were close friends. It is natural to think that Roger surrendered himself to the trusted Garp. Afterward, Garp entrusted Ace’s upbringing to the bandit Dadan.

Thus, Ace spent his childhood in the East Blue with Luffy and the others.

As previously mentioned, it is believed that Ace was conceived during the “Void Century (25 years ago)” when Roger’s whereabouts were unknown, but his mother Rouge gave birth 22 years ago. The reason for this discrepancy is that Rouge carried Ace in her womb for over a year.

Normally, a child is born after ten months, but Rouge intentionally prolonged the pregnancy to avoid detection. Although Rouge died shortly after Ace’s birth, she did not give Ace the surname “Gol.”

Incidentally, it is also likely that Roger picked up and raised “Red-Haired” Shanks when he was a baby, suggesting that Roger had a surprisingly paternal side.

Roger’s Devil Fruit, Unexpected?

Next, let’s consider Roger’s Devil Fruit.

To conclude, Gol D. Roger did not possess a Devil Fruit. In other words, Roger was surprisingly a non-user.

According to Kaidou, the all-knowing explanation guy, Roger did not have a Devil Fruit and rose to become the Pirate King with only the “strongest Haki.” Indeed, despite the few combat scenes involving Roger, there has been no evidence of him using a Devil Fruit ability.

This categorically refutes the initial rumor that “Roger was the previous owner of the Gum-Gum Fruit.”

Roger’s crew reached Laugh Tale but ended up returning after laughing heartily. Initially, I thought the reason they couldn’t obtain ONE PIECE was that the Gum-Gum Fruit (Nika Fruit) hadn’t awakened, but it seems that possibility is unlikely.

Considering the origin of Gol D. Roger’s name, many anticipated he would have the strongest Devil Fruit, but ultimately, this was not the case. While it’s still possible that the Gum-Gum Fruit (Nika Fruit) is a necessary key to obtaining ONE PIECE, this narrows down the range of theories.

There is also the possibility that Kaidou didn’t fully understand Roger’s abilities, which leaves us with a bit of uncertainty. Could it be that possessing the “Sun God” Nika‘s ability is essential to obtaining ONE PIECE?

Roger’s Bounty Exceeds 5.5 Billion, Strongest in ONE PIECE

Next, let’s consider the “bounty amount.” How high is the bounty of the only pirate who reached Laugh Tale?

In conclusion, Gol D. Roger’s bounty is 5,564,800,000 Berries. As of 2022, he is the character with the highest bounty in ONE PIECE.

Roger’s strength is mostly evaluated based on the fact that he reached Laugh Tale. Additionally, he defeated Shiki the Golden Lion’s great fleet and the Rocks Pirates. These numerous achievements were undoubtedly considered.

How Strong is Roger? Is Kamusari His Only Special Move?

Next, let’s consider Roger’s strength. Since Roger’s combat scenes were rarely depicted, it was unclear just how strong he was, but his strength was fully displayed in the Wano Country arc’s flashback. He wasn’t just a man with a fearsome reputation.

Roger’s signature move is “Kamusari.” Despite Kozuki Oden’s preemptive strike, Roger easily blew him away with Kamusari. Roger’s eagerness to fight even before Rayleigh and others shows he was quite a battle enthusiast.

Incidentally, Kamusari means “October of the old lunar calendar” in Japanese. The connection between the calendar and the moon might imply Roger’s association with the Family of D. However, as of now, Kamusari is Roger’s only known special move.

Immediately after this, Roger and Whitebeard’s sword clash was overwhelming. Their swords did not touch, yet the shockwaves collided, blowing away even strong subordinates like Oden. Roger’s single sword swing was impressive.

The black lightning visible is the epitome of Haoshoku Haki. Following this, even the clouds in the sky were obliterated. It exudes a more terrifying aura than the battle between Luffy and Katakuri.

Given the slight difference in their bounties, Roger and Whitebeard’s strength was almost equal. However, Roger was the strongest Haki user, so Whitebeard was perhaps just holding his ground. Did Whitebeard use the power of the Gura Gura no Mi to compensate for the difference in strength with Roger?

Indeed, considering Oden clashed evenly with Whitebeard during their first meeting but was easily blown away by Roger, it’s certain that Roger’s Haki was stronger.