Initially,One Pieceseemed to cast pirates and the World Government (particularly the Marines, and formerly the Seven Warlords of the Sea) as diametrically opposed forces vying for control of the world’s oceans. There is some truth to this: one of the biggest threats to the World Government is indeed the Yonko, who comprise the four most powerful living pirates on the planet.
That said, outside the Marineford arc, the World Government and Yonko are never seen to be in a state of total war, and indeed Totto Land and Wano, controlled by Big Mom and Kaido respectively, have been left untouched by the former. Even Blackbeard, the most aggressive of the Yonko, seems to be biding his time rather than choosing to take the World Government on directly. There is another, far more mysterious force, however, which actively seeks to destroy the World Government altogether:the Revolutionary Army.
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What is the Revolutionary Army?
The Revolutionary Army is lead by Luffy’s fatherMonkey D. Dragon, a mysterious figure known as the “World’s Worst Criminal”. Its second in command is Sabo, Luffy’s adopted brother. Bartholomew Kuma, a former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was once a high-ranking member of the group, as is the Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom, Emporio Ivankov and his associate Inazuma. After clashing with Blackbeard and losing their base on the island of Baltigo, the Revolutionary Army has moved their base of operations to Momoiro Island, which houses Kamabakka Kingdom.
The Revolutionary Army, as its name implies, seeks to dismantle the World Government and oust the exceedingly corrupt World Nobles, also known as the Celestial Dragons. To achieve this goal, they have five functioning armies in the North, West, East, and South Blue, along with the Grand Line. Insofar as pirates are considered evil, the reality is that those running the World Government also lack pure intentions, and in the worst cases (as demonstrated by the Roswald family in Sabaody) actively terrorize and enslave people in much the same way as the pirates they claim to oppose. Indeed, many important characters inOne Piece,like the Warlord of the Sea Boa Hancock, were once slaves of the World Nobles. The World Nobles' power stems from their bloodline, as they are descendants of 19 out of 20 monarchs which founded the World Government. They are fiercely protected by the Marines; laying a hand on a World Noble will result in a Marine Admiral being sent to neutralize the aggressor.
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Because of the sheer power of their enemy, the Revolutionary Army has so far focused on initiating smaller revolutions on various islands, freeing slaves, and collecting arms for the war they ultimately intend to declare. They made major headway in this goal when Luffy defeatedDonquixote Doflamingo, and were able to take all the weapons the latter had produced on Dressrosa. That said, so far the World Government has opted to fight them covertly with their Cipher Pol units, in particular having CP9 conduct assassinations on its members.
What Role Will the Revolutionary Army Play?
Despite the close connection of its leaders toOne Piece’s main character, Eiichiro Oda has so far revealed little about the Revolutionary Army’s intentions beyond their goal of toppling the World Government. So far, their motives appear to be altruistic, as they have worked consistently to free those who don’t have the means to defend themselves from both pirates and theWorld Government. That said, much like the politics of the real world, it’s hard to gauge exactly what Dragon intends to do after he defeats the World Nobles.
Would their be a new, fairer World Government? Would the World Government dissolve, leaving islands to their own devices with the Revolutionary Army as a peacekeeping force? How would the Revolutionary Army differs from the World Government in its treatment of pirates? The answers to all these questions have major implications for the world ofOne Piece,and at the moment it’s impossible to answer any of them. The fact that Oda has built all of this up, however, seems to point to it being resolved before the story reaches its conclusion.
With Big Mom’s recent defeat by Eustass Kid and Trafalgar law, and Luffy battling Kaido, the Yonko are in their weakest position sinceOne Piecebegan. Where one power falls, another tends to rise, and this may indeed be a crucial juncture in the Revolutionary Army’s story. The biggest indication that the Revolutionary Army will become far more important toOne Piece’s story in the near future is that for the first time since the series began, they and Luffy share the exact same enemies: Blackbeard and the Marines. What exactly that means for the Straw Hat Pirates is still unknown, but it probably isn’t wise to bet on the Revolutionary Army sitting this next conflict out.
