Throughout One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates adventure throughout the Grand Line in search of a mythical treasure.
Many of the friends Luffy makes along the way end up joining his crew and fighting at his side, including Roronoa Zoro, Sanji, Nami and Usopp. At the end of the Arabasta Arc, Nico Robin was the sixth person to join the Straw Hat Pirates, and One Piece went on to explore her fascinating backstory over the course of the series.
Nico is known as the “Light of the Revolution” and works as the archaeologist for the Straw Hat Pirates. She has become one of the Senior Officers of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet over the course of the show, and her association with Luffy has naturally put her on the radar of One Piece‘s villainous World Government. Led by the Five Elders, the World Government has been hunting Nico Robin for some time, because she may end up being one of the keys to their downfall in One Piece‘s Final Saga.
Who is Nico Robin in One Piece?
The Straw Hat Pirate Has a Very Rare Ability
Nico Robin is the daughter of Nico Olivia, an archaeologist from the island of Ohara in the West Blue. Robin’s family has had longstanding tensions with the Marines and the World Government, with her mother having been captured by the Marines for conducting forbidden research. Robin has the powers of the Hana Hana no Mi Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, which allows her to replicate pieces of her body from the surface of any object (or living creature).
While Robin does have one of the more unique Devil Fruit Powers in One Piece, the reason that the Five Elders are so interested in her is because of her other skills. She was considered a child prodigy thanks to her vast knowledge and archaeological prowess, having passed her exams at the age of eight to become a certified scholar. She is also one of only two people who are alive that can read the language written on the Poneglyph tablets — and this is something that the Elders are willing to go to great lengths to keep under wraps.
The Five Elders have almost endless authority over the world in One Piece, which has allowed them to control the narrative of history. They work tirelessly to make sure the people of the world see them as an upstanding and peaceful government despite their countless cruel and inhumane acts. People like Nico Robin threaten to expose the World Government’s facade, and the Elders are willing to do anything — even commit mass murder — to prevent that from happening.
What was the Ohara Incident?
The World Government Ruthlessly Destroyed Nico Robin’s Home
Nico Robin was born on the island of Ohara, which was primarily populated by archaeologists. The island was known for its huge Tree of Knowledge, a gigantic library that was a hub for archaeologists around the world, and it played a large part in Robin’s vast knowledge and her ability to read the Poneglyphs. The island of Ohara existed peacefully for thousands of years until Robin’s mother, Olivia, found herself in trouble with the Marines and the World Government.
After discovering Olivia was starting to gain knowledge of subjects they deemed inappropriate, the World Government sent Cipher Pol Number 9 to investigate the island of Ohara. When it was revealed that the archaeologists were studying the forbidden Poneglyphs and the history of the Void Century, the World Government ruthlessly ordered a Buster Call on the entire island.
A Buster Call is the strongest military action possible in One Piece and is only used in special circumstances because of the extent of damage it unleashes. The World Government deemed Ohara and all of its residents as threats to their mission, and the Marine’s Vice Admirals executed the Buster Call for the World Government, annihilating the entire island. The government went on to villainize the people of Ohara, claiming that they were using “forbidden knowledge” to destroy the world.
The Five Elders Didn’t Plan for Nico Robin to Survive
They Have Been Hunting Her After the Ohara Buster Call
When Robin’s mother realized that the destruction of Ohara was imminent, she asked the giant, Jaguar D. Saul, to protect her daughter. The giant ended up putting his life on the line to protect Robin, knowing that her ability to read the Poneglyphs made it crucial that she survived the Buster Call on Ohara.
After the World Government found out Robin survived, they named Nico Robin the Demon of Ohara, saying that she and the other scholars on the island were seeking out One Piece‘s mysterious and powerful Ancient Weapons so that they could destroy the world. They spread this evil version of Robin and put a 79 Million Berry Bounty on her head, forcing her to live her life on the run as she was hunted by townspeople everywhere she went.
At the age of eight, she joined her first pirate crew and continued living as a vagabond, fleeing to different crews whenever the World Government eventually caught up with her. They certainly didn’t plan on her surviving the Buster Call, and they realized just how dangerous she was to their way of life. Because she was just a child when these events happened, Robin didn’t truly realize the power she wields over the government, and she has instead been living largely in fear of them.
The Importance of the Poneglyphs in One Piece’s Story
The Ancient Texts Could Reveal The True History of the World
The Five Elders believe that Nico Robin is the only person left in the world who can read the Poneglyphs, and this is why they want her captured and killed so badly. The Poneglyphs are large, seemingly indestructible slabs of stone that are inscribed with an ancient text. Robin’s studies on Ohara made her able to decipher these texts, although she’s not actually the only person capable of doing so in One Piece‘s story; Kouzuki Sukiyaki is also able to read the Poneglyphs, but the world believes him to be dead.
According to the World Government, investigating the Poneglyphs is one of the worst crimes to be committed. This is likely due to the fact that some of the Poneglyphs contain a record of the Void Century which occurred 900–800 years prior to One Piece‘s current story. This time period remains shrouded in mystery, with the World Government working very hard to cover up the events of the Void Century.
Just what the World Government and the Five Elders are trying to cover up remains to be seen, but it is likely that more about the Poneglyphs and the Void Century will be revealed in One Piece‘s Final Saga. With the Five Elders and the World Government actually answering to a “Supreme Ruler” named Imu, it may even be possible that the Poneglyphs record Imu’s terrible history and would expose the government for what it really is.
The Five Elders Continue to Hunt for Nico Robin in One Piece’s Final Saga
The Egghead Arc saw Robin Confronted by One of the Strongest Elders
Since joining Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, Nico Robin has still been hunted by the Five Elders on their quest to eliminate her becaus of her knowledge of how to read the Poneglyphs. The Raid on Onigashima during the Wano Country Arc saw the Elders order Cipher Pol Zero to capture Robin so that she could be brought to justice, despite having not done anything truly wrong.
Even more recently, the Egghead Incident of the Final Saga saw Robin actually meeting one of the Five Elders for the first time. Jaygarcia Saturn, one of the strongest of the Five Elders, even tried to kill her during this confrontation, but Robin’s crewmates were able to protect her.
Tensions between the Five Elders and Nico Robin have always been high, but the Final Saga is escalating things even further. With Luffy being revealed as the reincarnation of Joy Boy and Robin being able to decipher the true events of the Void Century, the World Government’s tight grasp on the world may be poised for a gruesome downfall. As the Elders and Imu become more prominent antagonists in the One Piece Final Saga, their interest in Nico Robin will surely take center stage before the story reaches its epic conclusion.
