Who are the Five Elders? Everything you need to know about Gorosei

In the manga One Piece, the mysterious Council of Five Elders, also called Gorosei , reigns in the shadows over the World Government. These enigmatic Celestial Dragons, whose history goes back more than 800 years, hold immense power over the world. They control in particular the Navy and the Cipher Pol.

Recently, they revealed their true demonic forms. Their history and origin, linked to the legendary Forgotten Century , remain a mystery that even Luffy will have to unravel to hope to defeat them. Together, let's try to discover who the Five Elders really are.

Council members

What is the origin of the Five Elders?

Eiichiro Oda has already given us quite a few clues about the past of these mysterious figures who run the World Government from the shadows. What we know for sure is that they have occupied a position of supreme authority for at least 800 years, a period that coincides with the Forgotten Century and the creation of the World Government.

Some fans believe that the Elders were part of the elite of the Old Kingdom and orchestrated its demise to found a new world order. Others imagine on the contrary that they were the enemies of this civilization and took advantage of its fall to seize power.

What if the Five Elders were more than just humans? When we see their longevity and their extraordinary powers , we can ask ourselves the question. Could they have a divine or mythological origin?

A secret link between the Five Elders and Imu, the hidden king?

Among the greatest mysteries of One Piece, Imu, the true leader of the World Government, remains Oda's best-kept secret. Nicknamed the King of the World , his existence is kept secret, but he appeared briefly during the Reverie Arc. When he was seen giving instructions to the Elders, it was thought that he was their leader, but some believe on the contrary that they would be equals.

We can imagine that they form a supreme council that would govern the world collegially. Their link would then go back to a common origin , perhaps dating from the mysterious Forgotten Century. Since they all come from the Old Kingdom, we often hear that they would actually be fragments of the Joyboy. And if it were true? This would explain their knowledge of the secrets of the world and their desire to maintain chaos ...

They would come from Joyboy

It all begins with the revelations about the Forgotten Century and the fall of the Ancient Kingdom 800 years ago. This period was marked by a titanic conflict involving an entity named Joyboy, whose body was supposedly divided into several parts following his defeat. The Five Elders are said to be fragments of Joyboy, petrified to be preserved through the ages. Their number would coincide with the division of the entity's "body" into five distinct parts.

When we see the mysterious giant statues scattered throughout the world, like the one in Albasta or on Jaya Island , we wonder if they might not be representations of Joyboy himself. The Elders would then be the guardians of these vestiges of the Ancient Kingdom, charged with preserving the secrets of this bygone era. This would explain their longevity... they who seem eternal!

Their opposition to Luffy , who seems to be the new Joyboy, would then become inevitable. The young pirate with the straw hat would embody the reincarnation of the ideals of freedom of the Old Kingdom. A great threat to the Elders then! A final confrontation with Luffy's crew seems to be looming. Will the New World experience a new upheaval?

What are the powers of the Five Elders?

Recently, the true forms and powers of the Gorosei have been revealed, as they possess an awakened form of a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit , allowing them to make super-powerful transformations.

• Jaygarcia Saturn has the power of a minotaur (Ushi Oni) with a regenerative ability far surpassing known Healing-type fruits.
• Marcus Mars can transform into a giant bird Itsumade.
• Warcury takes the form of a huge Houki boar with colossal physical strength.
• V. Nusjuro transforms into a giant skeletal horse named Bakotsu, an expert in swordplay. He also masters Haki and can instantly freeze anything he touches.
• Ju Peter becomes a titanic sandworm that can swallow up his enemies.

In addition to these forms, they are believed to be nearly immortal , with their wounds regenerating in an instant. Luffy himself concludes that no attack works against them. While the exact origin of their powers remains a mystery, one thing is for sure: the Five Elders have shown us that they have terrifying power , greater than anything we have seen so far in One Piece.

How do the Five Elders influence the New World?

The Five Elders often operate in the shadows, pulling the strings through the Celestial Dragons, the Navy, and the Cipher Pol. They are the true backbone of power, controlling nearly the entire planet with the exception of the Emperors of the New World.

Their power has allowed them to maintain a fragile geopolitical balance between the Four Emperors, the Grand Corsairs, and the Navy. Here are some of the major events they have orchestrated over the course of the chapters:

• The Marineford War : They are the instigators of the Marineford Summit War. Their goal was to eliminate the threat posed by the Whitebeard Pirates. This battle was triggered after Portgas D. Ace was captured by the Navy and sentenced to death.
  The Five Elders thus manipulated events to provoke a clash between the Navy and Whitebeard's crew.
• Marshall D. Teach's Recruitment : They recruited Marshall D. Teach, aka Blackbeard, into the Seven Great Corsairs after he turned Ace over to the Navy. This recruitment was part of their plan to destabilize the balance of power by eliminating Whitebeard.
• The Egghead Island Incident : Most recently, they dispatched an Admiral and CP0 Agent Lucci to Egghead Island to counter the actions of Luffy and his allies. Their goal was to prevent the spread of compromising information held by the Pacifistas' creator, Dr. Vegapunk.
• The Disbandment of the 7 Great Corsairs : Following the incidents of Dressrosa and Whole Cake Island involving Great Corsairs, the Five Elders made the decision to disband this system. They felt that it was no longer reliable in maintaining world balance.
• The Reverie and Sabo's Disappearance : During the Reverie, a meeting of world leaders in Marie Joie, they were the ones who oversaw the event. Following an incident involving Sabo and the Revolutionaries, they covered it up, leading to his mysterious disappearance.

Will the Five Elders be the ultimate antagonists of the series?

With the revelation of their true demonic forms , the Five Elders are poised to play a major role in the upcoming conflicts against Shanks , the Revolutionaries , or Luffy's crew . Their occult influence could even extend beyond the Grand Line if the secrets of the Forgotten Century were to be revealed.

Everything suggests that the Five Elders will indeed be the ultimate antagonists that the future Pirate King will have to defeat. A battle at the top to conclude the story of One Piece in apotheosis?