One Piece already foreshadowed the continents before Void Century, and it's not the Pangaea theory

The One Piece world currently consists of many relatively small islands surrounded by a vast body of salt water, the Blue Sea. This ocean is divided into four quadrants, one for each cardinal point. The Grand Line, a particularly perilous strip of the ocean, and the Red Line, a huge ring-like landmass made of reddish mineral, bisect the world, forming a sort of cross.

In One Piece chapter 1115, Dr Vegapunk explained that, centuries ago, the world was totally different, as it comprised several full-sized continents. However, during the Void Century, someone used the Ancient Weapons to reshape the globe through a cataclysmic disaster. The sea levels went up by 200 meters, causing a flood that dragged the continents underwater and reduced them to mere fragments, i.e., the present-day islands.

To be fair, this revelation was anything but unexpected, as many fans had already predicted that the One Piece world was once made up of continents and that this changed during the Void Century. The truly interesting thing is that a seemingly trivial and yet absolutely brilliant foreshadowing had already hinted at this major truth long before the publication of chapter 1115.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1115.

The One Piece world was made up of continents, not islands, and this had been clear for a long time

The Pangaea theory has been popular among fans for years

The Pangaea Castle in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise (Image via Toei Animation)

The fact that the One Piece world was once made up of continents is now an established truth, but this objectively significant revelation comes as no surprise to many fans. The idea that the countless islands are, literally, one single piece has been a quite popular theory for years.

The assumption originated from the disclosure of the Pangaea Castle, the building where Imu-sama and the Five Elders reside. As it’s well known, hundreds of millions of years ago the real world was also very different from the present one. All the continents on Earth used to be one, which was eventually pulled apart by the tectonic shifts. The name of this supercontinent was “Pangaea”.

Taking into account Eiichiro Oda’s typical foreshadowing and attention to detail, the fact that the mangaka named the World Government’s most important building after the real-life historical supercontinent could not pass as a mere coincidence.

Back then, the map of the world didn't look like this (Image via Toei Animation)

Most fans assumed that the name was not just a reference to the World Government’s alleged claim to represent the unity of all the seas and islands under their flag but also a direct hint at the fact that the One Piece world was reshaped much like our real world.

Of course, in real-life history, this process took place naturally. Instead, in Eiichiro Oda’s fictional story, the World Government reshaped the globe artificially. On this basis, readers embarked on the most disparate assumptions.

Their final conclusions differed to a considerable degree. Some fans claimed that piecing back the islands would bring back the Ancient Kingdom and generate the real One Piece treasure, while others suggested that the Pangaea supercontinent would be the One Piece itself.

Nevertheless, the entire fandom pretty much agreed on the concept of full-fledged continents being a thing before the establishment of the World Government. While the Pangaea name caught everyone’s attention and continues to do so even today, it should be noted that the series featured yet another brilliant foreshadowing of the hidden truth about the past of the One Piece world.

Oda’s genius foreshadowing

The cover of chapter 905 (Image via Shueisha)

The cover of chapter 905 of the One Piece manga encloses an apparently minor detail that, seen with today’s eyes, takes on a much more striking significance. In the foreground, there is Orlumbus, a character that fans remember as a minor ally during the Dressrosa Arc, as well as one of the captains of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

With the trademark surreal humor of Eiichiro Oda's series, the cover shows Orlumbus starting his day as a pirate by folding his pajamas. What’s really intriguing, however, is what lies in the background of the drawing.

In a piece of furniture, it’s possible to see two globes on either side of a map. The two globes show the current geography of the One Piece world, with the Blue Sea, the Red Line, and the various islands. The map, however, shows something completely different.

Not only is the Red Line absent, but what catches the eye is the presence of several vast continents. Notably, the continents featured in the map seem to be a stylized version of the real world’s Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia.

The title couldn't be more evocative (Image via Shueisha)

Viewed now, with the benefit of hindsight granted by chapter 1115, this detail hidden in the cover of chapter 905 seems a reference to how the One Piece world looked like before the Void Century. What’s absolutely shocking, chapter 905 was titled “What a beautiful world”. It should also be noted that this chapter was part of the Levely Arc, i.e., the arc that introduced the character of Imu.

The One Piece world being destined to sink is something that had already been heavily foreshadowed by things like the sea level increases after the destruction of Lulusia, the Holy Land being at the top of the Red Line, or the situation in Water Seven, and even minor details like Silvers Rayleigh being a ship-coating mechanic, or the Red Hair Pirates not having Devil Fruit powers.

Likewise, the presence of continents before the huge flood caused by the Ancient Weapons was anticipated by this ostensibly minor detail featured in chapter 905. After all, the map of the current One Piece world, with its straight lines and well-distinguished partitions, has always seemed to be something man-made.

The current world of the series (Image via Toei Animation)

Needless to say, the population being split into several small, far-apart islands is something that benefits the World Government. The tyrannical institution can better control people by keeping them divided and restricting their freedom to explore the world.

The Celestial Dragons are considered to be the descendants of the creators of the world, i.e., the members of the Ancient Alliance that defeated Joy Boy and established the World Government. In all fairness, it can be said that these individuals literally created the world, as they reshaped the globe itself by artificially flooding it.

Nowadays, Imu and the Five Elders may try to finish the job by sinking the remaining islands. It will be up to Luffy and the others to stop them from achieving this evil goal. Of course, after Vegapunk exposed the truth to the whole world, the Straw Hat Pirates will find many people willing to help them in the final war against the World Government.