Aug
What can really be called piracy in One Piece?
In the real world, pirates are well known as outlaws who engage in illegal acts for their own benefits regardless of damages, pain or suffering they caused to their victims. Illegal acts like, stealing, violence, kidnapping and even murder… generally summaries by the term “piracy”.
In the One Piece World, piracy is open for interpretation. Whether it’s by the public, the marine or even by those who call themselves pirates. Some could see pirates like adventurers who go on adventures seeking for freedom, wealth, power and fame but also fighting to achieve their goals. Others, like the general public and the Marine, just see them as outlaws who go where they want, steal what they want, destroy anything they want, kill anyone they want and do whatever they want with no care for the law or peace. For those who personally know the Straw hats and were saved by them, they know that the former interpretation is more accurate than the latter. There is one character who, on the other hand, fully embodies what a pirate is or is supposed to be, as Oda Sensei himself stated from the beginning! Yes! We all know who that person is! Marshall D. Teach aka Blackbeard, the pirate among pirates.
In this World of One Piece, without being a marine or working with or for the Marine, traveling the seas to discover its mysteries and histories will eventually brand you as, if not a pirate, a non-law abiding individual opposing the rules of the World Government. Thus, individuals who travel the seas in quest of freedom and adventures, unwilling to join the Marine, usually end up being considered as dabbling in piracy or called criminals even without being part of the Revolutionary Army and any known criminal organization.
Considering all of that, the former interpretation of piracy mentioned earlier might be more common than we know.
As One Piece fans we also have our view of what piracy is and who is truly a great “pirate”.
