Quick answer
- The Void Century is the 100 years from roughly 900 to 800 years before the story. The World Government erased every record of it, and researching it is a crime (Ch. 392, 395).
- During that century a highly advanced Great Kingdom, whose most famous figure is Joy Boy, the first pirate, fought an Alliance of twenty kingdoms (Ch. 1114–1115).
- The Ancient Weapons were used in that Great War and raised the sea level by 200 meters, sinking the old continents (Ch. 1115). Joy Boy’s defeat ended the war, and the victors founded the World Government about 800 years ago.
- One of the twenty founders, Imu, is still alive and secretly rules from the Empty Throne. The only surviving records of the era are the Poneglyphs.
What happened in the Void Century? Roughly 900 to 800 years before the story, an advanced Great Kingdom fought an Alliance of twenty kingdoms in a Great War. The Ancient Weapons were used, the sea rose 200 meters, and the Great Kingdom’s champion Joy Boy was defeated. The winners founded the World Government and erased the century from history.
Below is a timeline of confirmed facts only. Every row has a chapter source. Theories are kept apart in their own section at the end. Spoilers: this covers the manga up to Chapter 1194, including the Egghead and Elbaph arcs.
What is the Void Century?
The Void Century (空白の100年, Kūhaku no Hyaku-nen) is the period from about 900 to 800 years ago that has no surviving historical record (Ch. 392, 395). The only things left from it are the Poneglyphs: indestructible stone blocks written in an ancient script that almost no one can read (Ch. 202, 395).
The World Government treats researching this era as one of the worst possible crimes. When Poneglyph research was outlawed, scholars around the world were killed (Ch. 392). The best-known case is the Ohara Incident 22 years ago: a Buster Call wiped out Ohara’s archaeologists, with Nico Robin and Jaguar D. Saul the only survivors (Ch. 391–398).
Professor Clover of Ohara tells the Five Elders what he believes they fear: the history of a vast, powerful kingdom whose very existence and ideals threaten the World Government. He is shot before he can say its name (Ch. 395).
Void Century timeline: confirmed events and chapters
“Years ago” is counted from the present day of the story. Dates are approximate because the manga itself only gives rounded numbers.
| When (years ago) | Confirmed event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before ~900 | The Donquixote rulers of Dressrosa oppress the Tontatta dwarves; the dwarves’ own records of the Void Century are lost | Ch. 718 |
| ~900 | The Void Century begins. The Great Kingdom is a highly advanced civilization, far beyond even Vegapunk’s science | Ch. 1065, 1115 |
| ~900 | The Iron Giant Emet is built | Ch. 1120 |
| During the century | Joy Boy of the Great Kingdom becomes the first person ever called a pirate | Ch. 1114 |
| During the century | Joy Boy is a comrade of Zunesha and of Emet, and seals some of his Supreme King Haki inside Emet | Ch. 1040, 1119, 1122 |
| During the century | Joy Boy makes a promise to Fish-Man Island involving the ark Noah and Poseidon, then fails to keep it | Ch. 649 |
| During the century | Joy Boy’s apology to Fish-Man Island is carved on a Poneglyph in the Sea Forest | Ch. 628, 649 |
| During the century | The warship Pluton is built in Water 7 | Ch. 344 |
| During the century | Twenty monarchs form the Alliance to fight the Great Kingdom and Joy Boy. Joy Boy is so strong that his power is what drives them to unite | Ch. 1115 |
| During the century | The Great War: the Ancient Weapons are used and the sea level rises 200 meters. Today’s islands are the tops of sunken continents | Ch. 1115 |
| End of the century | The Kouzuki family of Wano invents the Poneglyphs, and the Great Kingdom’s history is carved on them | Ch. 818, 395 |
| ~800 | Joy Boy is defeated. The Great Kingdom falls and the Void Century ends | Ch. 1115 |
| ~800 | Joy Boy makes sure the Ancient Weapons survive for later generations | Ch. 1116 |
| ~800 | Joy Boy leaves a treasure on the last island, later named Laugh Tale by Roger | Ch. 967 |
| ~800 | The Alliance founds the World Government. Nineteen monarchs move to Mary Geoise and plant their weapons around the Empty Throne | Ch. 907, 1084 |
| ~800 | Queen Nefertari D. Lili of Arabasta refuses to move, disappears before reaching home, and is erased from the records. Her actions cause the Poneglyphs to spread across the world | Ch. 1084–1085 |
| ~800 onward | The World Government hunts the Davy family for 800 years | Ch. 1159 |
| ~700 | Slaves begin building Tequila Wolf and its sister structures | Ch. 1125 |
| ~200 | Emet climbs the Red Line and attacks Mary Geoise, but runs out of power | Ch. 1125 |
| ~25 | The Roger Pirates reach Laugh Tale and learn the true history | Ch. 967–968 |
| 22 | Ohara is destroyed by a Buster Call | Ch. 391–398 |
| Present | An Ancient Weapon powered by Vegapunk’s stolen Mother Flame destroys the Lulusia Kingdom | Ch. 1060, 1116 |
| Present | Six days later the global sea level rises by one meter | Ch. 1089 |
| Present | Vegapunk’s worldwide broadcast reveals the Void Century | Ch. 1113–1122 |
Who fought in the Void Century war?
The Great War had two known sides. The cause is still unrevealed. Vegapunk describes it as a clash between two ideologies (Ch. 1115).
| Great Kingdom side | Alliance side (the “First Twenty”) |
|---|---|
| Joy Boy, the first pirate (Ch. 1114) | Twenty monarchs, later the “Creators” of the World Government (Ch. 1115) |
| Emet, Joy Boy’s friend (Ch. 1122) | Imu, the only founder still alive (Ch. 1179) |
| Zunesha, Joy Boy’s comrade (Ch. 1040) | Nefertari D. Lili, Queen of Arabasta (Ch. 1084) |
| The “D.”: Imu says it was the name of the government’s ancient enemy (Ch. 1085) | The ancestor of the Donquixote family (Ch. 722) |
Two other figures belong to the same era but have unclear sides. Davy D. Jones lived at the same time as Joy Boy, and Rocks D. Xebec says Imu fears them both (Ch. 1164). The Kouzuki family made the Poneglyphs (Ch. 818), which ties Wano closely to the Great Kingdom’s records.
Lili is the odd case. She fought for the Alliance, yet her full name, revealed by her letter, carries a “D.”, and she urged her descendants to protect the Poneglyphs (Ch. 1085).
The Alliance’s descendants became the World Nobles. Imu’s inner circle today is the Five Elders plus the Knights of God. For who those knights are, see our Holy Knights members list.
What Vegapunk’s broadcast revealed (Ch. 1113–1122)
Before he died, Dr. Vegapunk recorded a message about the Void Century that played worldwide during the Egghead Incident. It was the biggest single set of canon answers about the era.
| Chapter | What Vegapunk revealed |
|---|---|
| 1113 | The world will sink into the sea |
| 1114 | The sea rise is not natural. He researched the Void Century, and Joy Boy was the first pirate |
| 1115 | The Twenty Kingdoms fought Joy Boy. The war ended in his defeat, the sea rose 200 meters, and the Ancient Weapons caused it. Because the weapons still exist, the war never truly ended |
| 1116 | The Mother Flame was stolen and used to destroy Lulusia. Only the Roger Pirates learned the full truth |
| 1117 | Emet is attacked just as Vegapunk starts to explain the “D.”, and the broadcast cuts out |
| 1119–1121 | The message resumes. The fate of the world depends on whoever claims the One Piece |
| 1122 | Emet releases Joy Boy’s sealed Haki. The transmission ends for good |
The explanation of the “D.” was never heard. It is still one of the biggest open questions.
What happened to the Great Kingdom and Joy Boy?
The Great Kingdom was wiped out and its name erased, which is why its real name is still unknown (Ch. 395). Joy Boy’s defeat ended both the kingdom and the Void Century (Ch. 1115).
Three things he left behind still matter today:
- The Ancient Weapons. Joy Boy made sure they survived (Ch. 1116). Pluton rests beneath Wano (Ch. 1055), Poseidon is the power held by Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi (Ch. 649), and Uranus is named but still unexplained (Ch. 650).
- The treasure on Laugh Tale. Roger’s crew laughed at the story they found there, and Roger said they had arrived too early (Ch. 967–968).
- His return. Zunesha heard the “Drums of Liberation” for the first time in 800 years when Luffy awakened his fruit (Ch. 1043). Emet mistook Luffy for Joy Boy (Ch. 1119–1122), and Imu calls Luffy “Joy Boy” too (Ch. 1125).
How the World Government was founded
After victory, the twenty monarchs set up the World Government about 800 years ago. Nineteen moved to Mary Geoise on top of the Red Line, and their descendants became the World Nobles, or Celestial Dragons (Ch. 722, 1084). Their weapons around the Empty Throne were a vow that the world would have no single ruler (Ch. 907).
That vow is broken. Imu, one of the original twenty, has survived for over 800 years and secretly sits on the Empty Throne as King of the World (Ch. 908, 1084, 1179).
The new government then erased the war and the Great Kingdom from the records and banned Poneglyph research (Ch. 395). It did not manage to control the Poneglyphs themselves, because Lili’s actions spread them across the world. Imu calls this the worst possible outcome for the government (Ch. 1085).
Elbaph and the latest reveals (Ch. 1138–1194)
The Elbaph arc has added a few confirmed pieces, mostly from Imu’s own words:
- The Harley. An ancient Elbaph scripture describes three “worlds”. The second appears to match the Void Century: the death of the sun god and a rising sea. A mural in the Treasure Tree Adam seems to depict it. Saul warns the text can be read many ways (Ch. 1138).
- The war is expected to resume. Knight of God Gunko says the government is preparing for the Great War to return (Ch. 1146).
- Imu fears two men from the era. On God Valley, Rocks taunts Imu about fearing Davy D. Jones and Joy Boy (Ch. 1164).
- Imu fears Joy Boy’s words. Scopper Gaban says Imu fears the “Words of Joy Boy” (Ch. 1190).
God Valley, 38 years ago, was also a turning point for the pirate world. For how the Rocks era led to today’s Four Emperors, see our Yonko history timeline.
What is still unknown about the Void Century?
These questions have no canon answer as of Chapter 1194:
- The Great Kingdom’s real name
- Why the war started
- What Joy Boy’s promise to Fish-Man Island was
- What the “D.” means (Vegapunk’s broadcast was cut off at that point)
- What Uranus is and where it is
- What the Rio Poneglyph and the One Piece actually say
- How Imu became immortal
Fan theories (not canon)
These ideas are popular, but none are confirmed:
- Uranus is the weapon that destroyed Lulusia. Plausible, since it is the only weapon unaccounted for, but the manga never names the weapon used.
- The Great Kingdom was connected to the Moon. This is based on Enel’s cover story and the lunar craters in the anime’s depiction of the kingdom.
- Joy Boy’s promise was to bring Fish-Man Island to the surface. Noah’s size fits this idea, but the promise itself has never been stated.
FAQ
What happened in the Void Century in One Piece?
About 900 to 800 years ago, a highly advanced Great Kingdom, whose champion was Joy Boy, fought an Alliance of twenty kingdoms. The Ancient Weapons were used and the sea rose 200 meters. Joy Boy was defeated and the victors founded the World Government (Chapter 1115).
When was the Void Century?
Roughly 900 to 800 years before the present day of the story (Chapters 392 and 395). The World Government was founded at its end, about 800 years ago.
Who won the Void Century war?
The Alliance of twenty kingdoms, known as the First Twenty. They founded the World Government, and 19 of their families became the World Nobles. Imu is the only founder still alive.
Is the Void Century war over?
According to Vegapunk, no. The Ancient Weapons still exist, so he says the Great War never truly ended (Chapter 1115). The government has already used an Ancient Weapon to destroy the Lulusia Kingdom (Chapter 1060).
What is the Great Kingdom’s name?
It has not been revealed as of Chapter 1194. Professor Clover was shot before he could say it (Chapter 395).
More One Piece guides
One Piece Elbaph Arc Characters: Full List & StatusEvery One Piece Elbaph Arc character by faction: royal family, giants, Holy Knights, Imu and Gaban, with Devil Fruits, heights and status as of Chapter 1194.
One Piece Yonko History: Every Emperor Change in OrderEvery Yonko (Four Emperors) lineup in One Piece in order: who held the seats, when Blackbeard, Luffy and Buggy took over, and the chapter and episode of each.
This guide is the English edition of a BuzzBeaver article originally written in Japanese: 日本語版を読む. Facts are checked against the official manga and anime; fan theories are labeled as such.