The Solar System Theme of One Piece: Five Elders, Three Weapons and One Sun God

The names of the five elders or Gorosei were recently revealed in One Piece chapter 1086. Following the assassination of King Nefertari Cobra by Imu Sama and his five associates, fans of the series were treated with tons of exposition before Eichiro Oda takes a month-long break. However, the information raised in this chapter points to an interesting insight.

The Five Elders are each named after planets. This, when combined with the prior knowledge regarding the three ancient weapons and the nature and name of Luffy's Devil Fruit, hints at an ongoing theme in One Piece pertaining to the planets and the solar system. While no one knows how Oda's magnum opus might take this forward, it is interesting to speculate upon the nature of this motif.

---

One Piece chapter 1086 hints at an ongoing theme with planets after the Gorosei's names are revealed

The Five Elders were not, at least not in the sense of their names, which One Piece chapter 1086 dispelled. As a result, it untangled more lore from the poetry and at last made clear everyone's names as well as their status as "Warrior Gods." The following are their alleged names:

1. The bald man with glasses and a white gi is Saint Ethan Baron Venusjuro, the warrior god of finance. He is holding a sword in the samurai tradition. He is the one people have expressed the most interest in, considering him to be Zoro's endgame opponent, according to some fan theories. He is the only Elder of the Five without facial hair and who doesn't wear a black suit.
2. The dreadlocked, grey-haired Saint is Jaygarcia Saturn, Warrior God of Scientific Defence. He uses a walking cane and wears a cap. There is a visible scar on the left side of his face, and recent chapters have focused on him, especially in his seeming travel to Egghead Island along with Admiral Kizaru.
3. Saint Marcus Mars, is the tall, slender man with long white hair and the warrior god of the environment. He lacks eyebrows but has a long beard.
4. The bald man with noticeable moles on his forehead and a thick white moustache is Saint Valkyrie "Mercury," the warrior god of legal affairs.
5. Saint Shepherd Jupiter, the agrarian warrior god, or the warrior god of agriculture, is a blond-haired man with a matching beard. His semi-open suit allows the viewer to glimpse a scar on his chest. He appears to be the group's youngest member based on his appearance.

The very fact that many of these warrior gods or elders in One Piece have visible or semi-visible scars and/or weapons highlights how they can put up at least a moderate amount of fight, which will not be surprising as they are Im's direct subordinates. However, the warrior gods' names also thematically align with the names of the three ancient weapons, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto(n). While Pluton is revealed to be a warship, Neptune is the mermaid princess Shirahoshi.

---

The Warrior Gods' names and their alignment with Luffy's Devil fruit in One Piece

The Gorosei are hell-bent on capturing the three ancient weapons, just like they had sought to possess Luffy's Devil Fruit, the Hito Hito no Mi: Model Nika. The fruit is said to be possessed by the mythical figure of the Sun God Nika, the liberator of the world from all tyranny and oppression. As such, Luffy being the Sun God symbolically places him at a stature even higher than that of the Gorosei, who become mere planets revolving around the sun.

Such revolution becomes metaphorical (punning on the two senses of the term 'revolution'), in terms of how Luffy will go on to become the focal point around which the new age will dawn.

To do so, he must throw the Gorosei and Imu out of their orbit. The role the ancient weapons have to play in this is yet unknown, but considering Oda's penchant for playing with names and foreshadowing ability, the 'solar system' theme of the One Piece narrative is sure to delight fans.