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Discover the mysteries of Poneglyphs in One Piece, their types, significance, and those who can read them.
There are multiple curiosities in One Piece that manage to captivate fans into their history and purpose. Among these, Poneglyphs are one of the most intriguing ones that carry an aura of spectacle whenever mentioned in the series. So, what are Poneglyphs in One Piece?
Poneglyphs are indestructible stone tablets carrying centuries-old secrets that could change the world. Let us take a closer look at these.
What Are Poneglyphs in One Piece?
As mentioned above, Poneglyphs are large, ancient structures inscribed with a lost language. The writing on these contains important details regarding the Void Century – the period of Joy Boy’s travels erased by the World Government.
It is believed that there are 30 Poneglyphs in One Piece, scattered across the seas and islands of its vast world. The Kouzuki Clan, a master group of stonemasons, originally built them to create a permanent record of the past.
They preserve the ideals of the Fallen Kingdom and details about the Ancient Weapons, along with the history of the Void Century. Due to this, the World Government has prevented studying them.
Poneglyphs have been inspired by the Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Along with the similarity in their names, Hieroglyphics carry the writing system of ancient Egypt and symbolize the knowledge of that era. Deciphering them still remains a challenge to this day.
Types of Poneglyphs
There are three main types of Poneglyphs in One Piece:
1) Historical Poneglyphs:
These carry the pieces of forgotten history, words of ancient civilizations, as well as Joy Boy’s apology to Fish-Man Island.
Historical Poneglyphs are also believed to carry directions to the three Ancient Weapons – Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus. They are dark blue in color.
2) Instructional Poneglyphs:
Instructional Poneglyphs are one of the less-focused concepts in One Piece. They are also dark blue in color and guide readers to find the Historical Poneglyphs.
Among the Historical and Instructional Poneglyphs, there are nine in total that make up the Rio Poneglyph. This is believed to carry the true text of history and all information regarding the Void Century.
3) Road Poneglyphs:
There are totally four Road Poneglyphs, and they come in a dark red color. These are arguably the most important since they guide adventurers to the One Piece.
The Importance of Road Poneglyphs in One Piece
Collecting all four Road Poneglyphs is believed to be key to finding the objective of all pirates – the One Piece. Each one will indicate a specific location, and the area in which the four locations meet is where the island of Laugh Tale lies.
This is where Joy Boy kept the treasures of his adventures and the history of his life. Among all the characters in One Piece, only Roger has made it here since he could hear the Voice of All Things. However, despite finding the One Piece, Roger regretted that he had arrived too early for Joy Boy’s prophesied return in the future.
How Do You Read Poneglyphs?
Poneglyphs are written in ancient script by a forgotten civilization. We have already explored that they were created and inscribed by the Kouzuki Family. As the central family around whom the Wano Arc takes place, the Kouzuki family were also talented at reading and writing this language.
Hence, it was passed down their family till Oden Kouzuki, where it perished with his untimely death. However, in a surprise, it was revealed that Oden’s father, Sukiyaki, was still alive and imprisoned in secrecy. Due to this, the knowledge of the ancient script lived on among their family, with Sukiyaki likely planning to teach it to Momonosuke and Hiyori.
Apart from this knowledge that was passed down, there were also researchers studying the ancient language. The most prominent were the archaeologists of Ohara, who learned it despite the Government’s ban. This led to a Buster Call where all of them except Robin were wiped out. Having spied on her mother and the archaeologists ever since she was a child, Robin could also decipher the language of the Poneglyph.
Similarly, after his death, Vegapunk also revealed in a message to the world that he had carried on the work of Ohara and was researching the Void Century and Poneglyphs.
Along with Robin, the only active Pirate who can decipher their language is Charlotte Pudding. Being from the Three-Eye Group, she has the ability to hear the Voice of All Things.
List of Every Known Poneglyph in One Piece
Since Poneglyphs don’t have names of their own, we will be listing them based on their types and locations.
Historical Poneglyphs:
- Tree of Knowledge, Ohara
- Tomb of the Kings, Arabasta
- Sea Forest, Fish-Man Island
- Great Belfry of Shandora
Road Poneglyphs:
- The Whale Tree, Zou
- The Room of Treasure, Whole Cake Island
- Mt. Fuji Cavern, Wano
- Fish-Man Island, next to Joy Boy’s message
Undeciphered Poneglyphs:
- Island in West Blue
- Taken from Coastal Ruins to the Room of Treasure
- Third Poneglyph of Big Mom in the Room of Treasure, Whole Cake Island
- Sukiyaki’s Secret Chamber in Flower Capital, Wano
- Island in Blue Sea
- Skull Dome Second Basement in Onigashima, Wano
- Hachinosu
The Straw Hat Pirates have the deciphered messages from three out of the four Road Poneglyphs. Therefore, they are currently the closest to Laugh Tale. They are on their way to Elbaf in the hope of finding the fourth.
Conclusion
The Poneglyphs are a critical addition to the narrative of One Piece. They symbolize the pursuit of knowledge and the resistance to oppressors attempting to silence it. With the secret behind the majority of Poneglyphs still not being revealed, the mysteries of One Piece only keep deepening with time.
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