One Piece's Celestial Dragons are integral to the story, and it's obvious why

Modified Sep 29, 2024 22:30 GMT

The Celestial Dragons could be the most hated class of characters from One Piece and for good reason—they are corrupt to the core and settle for nothing less than the best, often gained through illegal means. They get their wealth from the people they enslave and are protected by the World Government for every sin that they commit.

However, these ruthless tyrants are still a big part of the story as their ruthlessness is something that is leading people like Dragon and Luffy to change the world for the better. Moreover, there are some hints that could lead to a big event, one of which is the recent execution of a Celestial Dragon at the hands of Garling Figarland. So, their importance in the series' world still holds.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the One Piece manga series and has the author's opinion.

One Piece: Exploring the importance of the Celestial Dragons

The Celestial Dragons as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The Celestial Dragons, also referred to as the World Nobles, are a group of officials who live on top of the Red Line, inside the Holy Land of Mariejois. These people are the direct descendants of the First Twenty, who laid the foundation of the World Government, which, to this day, acts as the ruler of the entire Grand Line.

Due to this, they are treated as royalty in the world and are protected by the Marine Corps and the strongest part of the Cipher Pol, CP0. Despite being respected by the entirety of the world, these people are still ungrateful for everything they receive and act rudely towards everyone other than their own kind.

The Celestial Dragons are protected by the Marine and CP0 (Image via Toei Animation)

They treat the people of the Grand Line like their slaves, and in exchange for protecting them against atrocities, they also demand the "Heavenly Tribute," which is the biggest part of their fortunate due to which they live lavishly. With them having nothing to offer to the protagonists, be it power or knowledge, how could they be important to the plotline?

The answer lies in the agendas most people of the world are carrying against them for a better world. For instance, Monkey D. Dragon plans to go against the World Government, and one of the first steps to this is to stop the food supply of the Celestial Dragons. So, their existence matters for the better cause of the world.

Moreover, Monkey D. Luffy also punched a Celestial Dragon after witnessing their injustice with his own eyes. However, this event led to Kuma knowing the whereabouts of the Straw Hat Pirates and eventually led to the time skip. On the other hand, the Celestial Dragons also play pivotal roles in different parts of the Grand Line.

Garling Figarland as the newly appointed Gorosei (Image via Toei Animation)

Garling Figarland, the person who replaced Saint Saturn after the Egghead Incident, and Donquixote Doflamingo, the former Celestial Dragon, who could be planning something inside the Impel Down (a part of the Cross Guild in the future, as speculated by the fandom) are two such examples.

Therefore, the Celestial Dragons' existence could be a big part of the integral plotline of One Piece. Yes, the recent execution of Saint Mjosgard does mean that their importance could be minor; however, there could be some deeper meaning to their existence, which is yet to be released.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith