One Piece: Is the Vivre Card databook canon? Explained

Eiichiro Oda’s record-breaking One Piece series features an intricate, ever-evolving world in which hundreds of different characters interact with each other. Due to the sheer amount of narrative material, the One Piece franchise has released several databooks to supplement the manga by compiling facts, statistics, and information of various kinds.

The sixth databook, called One Piece Vivre Card, provides information through a collection of cards that are released regularly. Starting with September 2018, nearly 400 cards have been released. Each card divulges a character’s basic data, and depending on the case, provides information about the individual’s history, alignment, role, fighting skills, and more.

Like the other databooks in the series, One Piece Vivre Card is mostly a summary of already-known information. However, it is no stranger to revealing new original details, even if they are of some importance. With this in mind, this thread will explain whether the data contained in the One Piece Vivre Card are canon or not.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1109.

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The Vivre Card and the other databooks are a reliable source of information about One Piece

The Vivre Card revealed the name of Roger's sword, and Oda approved it (Image via Toei Animation)

Yes, the One Piece Vivre Card databook is canon. In the recently published SBS of volume 108, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda confirmed the legitimacy of the Vivre Card databook. When asked about the nature of “Big News” Morgans’ bird-like traits, Oda answered by repeating, word for word, what the Vivre Card had already mentioned in this regard years ago.

Oda also confirmed that the name of Gol D. Roger’s sword is Ace, validating another piece of information that the One Piece Vivre Card revealed well ahead of the manga. This establishes that the content of this databook is dependable, as the mangaka acknowledged it as truthful.

Oda validated what the Vivre Card said about Morgans (Image via Toei Animation)

Takuya Naito, who has an extremely important role in the One Piece franchise as Eiichiro Oda’s editor for the series, explained that Oda personally supervises the Vivre Card databook. When the interviewer made a remark regarding how the cards "are all in color," Naito said:

"That’s right. In addition, Mr. Oda supervises each and every one of them, and adds any missing information depending on what he feels."

In response, the interviewer asked:

"Master Oda is serious… is there any information for the first time?"

To which Naito replied:

"There are quite a lot of blood types and birthplaces! I also posted a rough sketch of Mr. Oda's settings. The information is disclosed at the very limit of the line."

The interviewer further asked:

"Is that all supervised by Master Oda?"

Naito confirmed it by stating:

"Yes. All the ones scheduled to be published in the future will be supervised by Mr. Oda."

With the recent SBS, Oda unequivocally validated the information featured in the One Piece Vivre Card. Therefore, it’s safe to say that the claim regarding his involvement in the databook was confirmed by facts. This means that to reject any statement or detail included in the Vivre Card would be the same as rejecting Oda’s own words.

Broadly speaking, Oda himself confirmed that all databooks are a reliable source of information. In the SBS question corner of volume 47, the author, when asked about the effects of some Devil Fruits, declared:

"Well, these abilities were all described in the fanbook called One Piece Yellow. However, for those of you who don't have it, I'll explain! There were three Devil Fruit users revealed in that battle scene."

This declaration from Oda is compelling, as the mangaka encouraged readers to look for the databooks to get more information. This makes it clear that Oda himself considers those sources trustworthy.

Oda repeated something very similar in the SBS of volume 91, further reinforcing the concept. He said:

"There are a lot of Devil Fruit users, but if I took the time to explain each and every one the story wouldn’t be able to move forward. For the few that still want to know, that’s what the SBS and guidebooks are for!!"

If the author of One Piece considers the databooks a credible source, to the point where he references them and invites fans to refer to get informed through them, there’s little to say. One Piece is Eiichiro Oda’s creation, meaning that his words can’t be doubted.

Sabo as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

To be fair, there have been instances where the Vivre Card contained some mistakes, such as information later contradicted by the manga. Still, these errors were a really small percentage compared to the sheer amount of information featured in the databooks.

Moreover, for obvious reasons, they aren’t supposed to contain spoilers about major issues that are meant to be revealed later in the manga. This explains why the databooks sometimes use a deliberately misleading choice of words to avoid revealing certain details. For example, the instance where they mentioned that Sabo was dead.

Charlotte Katakuri as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

A few trivial mistakes shouldn’t be enough to invalidate everything. Otherwise, going by the same reasoning, the manga would be flawed too, as even the manga has its fair share of errors and retcons. Notably, Charlotte Katakuri’s Devil Fruit, which is now known to be a Paramecia, was initially meant to be a Logia-type.

It must be noted that every error contained in the databook is corrected on the One Piece Vivre Card’s official website, where an entire page is dedicated to fixing mistakes. This earnestness only emphasizes the commitment that the staff puts into the Vivre Card project.

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The main information revealed or confirmed in the One Piece Vivre Card

"Hawk Eyes" Dracule Mihawk (Image via Toei Animation)

Although the large majority of the Vivre Card’s content revolves around basic data, such as the characters’ heights, ages, birthdays, and zodiac signs, the databook also features some major information.

• Roger’s sword was named Ace, and was ranked among the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades.
• Currently, Shanks is the closest person to becoming the Pirate King.
• Mihawk is the World’s strongest swordsman in both name and reality. He wants to find an opponent even stronger than Shanks.
• Blackbeard’s ship is called “Saber of Xebec.”
• Zoro is the second strongest Straw Hat after Luffy and acts as the crew’s vice-captain.
• Akainu’s Mag-Mag Fruit boasts the deadliest offensive power among Devil Fruits.
• Among all Conqueror’s Haki users, only the absolute strongest can use the advanced version of this power.
• Benn Beckman’s presence and combat power are seemingly comparable to that of Shanks.
• Sengoku can use Conqueror’s Haki.
• King is the only member of the Beasts Pirates who headed to Marineford along with Kaido.
• King’s bounty amounts to 1,390,000,000 berries.
• Marco’s bounty amounts to 1,357,000,000 berries.
• The bounties of the members of the Flying Six
• The bounties of some members of the Revolutionary Army
• Nami considers Bell-mère her mother and Genzo her father.
• Shakuyaku is the romantic partner of Silvers Rayleigh.
• Morgans is not a member of the Mink Tribe, but a Zoan Devil Fruit user.
• Lindbergh is not a Zoan Devil Fruit user, but a member of the Mink Tribe.
• Raizo is a Devil Fruit user whose abilities stem from the Scroll-Scroll Fruit.

"Red Hair" Shanks (Image via Toei Animation)

In most cases, the information in question merely references situations already shown in the manga. However, there are also some instances in which the databooks uncover things that the manga had yet to reveal, such as the bounties, weapons, or powers of certain characters.

All in all, the manga comes first as the primary and original source. The databooks, according to One Piece author Eiichiro Oda’s own words, are meant to be a reliable source of information. Until otherwise contradicted by the manga, their content is part of the franchise’s canon.

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