Void Century

The Void Century is a century-long gap in recorded and archaeological history, the study of which is forbidden by the World Government. The events of this period are so important and relevant that by learning them, one is said to become aware of the "true history" of the world.

These events occurred 800 to 900 years before the current storyline. It was hinted at during the Skypiea Arc; the dates were seen in Robin's flashback.

About
This period became known as the Void Century because there is nothing left to acknowledge anything that happened in it, aside from the poneglyphs which are written in a language that only two living people know how to read.

However, it causes a problem with the known histories of the world as nothing ties up because of that missing period. Though many seem to know there is a gap in the historical record, virtually everyone is unaware that filling in this gap is possible. For example, Nefertari Cobra, after being told by Nico Robin about this missing period, was completely shocked that a way to "tie the threads of history together" existed. The fact that filling the gap is possible was proven when "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh revealed that the Roger Pirates discovered the true history.

The true history of the world apparently contains secrets so dangerous that those who are aware of them, including outlaws, are highly reluctant to talk about them. The Roger Pirates and Edward Newgate did not reveal to the public what lies hidden at Laugh Tale and Kozuki Oden did not reveal to his followers the true history because he considered it a burden. Silvers Rayleigh offered to tell the true history to Nico Robin, but warned her that the way she was then, she would not be able to do anything about it.

The Great War
The most important event during the Void Century has to be the Great War. It ended around 722 with the fall of Shandora.

Moon


In Enel's cover story, there is an ancient city on the moon with another bunch of identical Automata. There is a painting on the wall that shows a Skypiean with Automata following him on the left while a Shandorian and Birkan work on the right. After resources on the moon ran out, the three races departed for the "Blue Star".

One of the three races, the Shandorians, ended up on the isle of Jaya where they built the city of Shandora one thousand years ago. The great city of Shandora collapsed during this war, the Shandorians defended the city against "those who seek the stone". The city collapsed, but the Shandia, who are the descendants of the Shandorians, kept on defending the city for over eight hundred years afterwards.

All three races are noted to have wings on their backs (though each has a slightly different shape) and may have even once been the same race.

The connection between the sky island of Skypiea and the Void Century is the poneglyph left there for the Shandia and the Shandorians before them to protect.

Great Kingdom
The Great Kingdom was a great and powerful kingdom that was destroyed by the Twenty Kingdoms, who would later evolve into the World Government. The kingdom was so powerful that its existence posed a great threat to the world, and is the reason why studying the poneglyphs is outlawed. In the Great Kingdom's illustration, a few moon-craters are shown, indicating a possible connection of it with the kingdom.

The Great Kingdom had a name, which is yet to be revealed. However, Clover stated that its name was of tremendous importance and held the key of understanding the Void Century.

Joy Boy
Joy Boy arrived at Fish-Man Island and made a certain deal with Poseidon, involving a colossal ship called Noah. Part of their deal involved the raising of Noah with Poseidon's aid, but for unknown reasons, he failed to keep his part of the promise. He wrote his apology on the Poneglyph in the Sea Forest. The Fish-Man Island continues to keep Noah until the "appointed time" comes.

Joy Boy also left behind a certain item of unimaginable value in the last island of the Grand Line. According to Whitebeard, the world will be shocked to its core when it is found.

Once Kozuki Oden learned about the events of the Void Century, he reached the conclusion that Wano Country should be opened to the world before the day Joy Boy returns.

Tontatta Kingdom
Before the Void Century, the Dwarves of the Tontatta Kingdom suffered oppression under the ruthless rulers of the island of Dressrosa, the Donquixote Family. However, the Dwarves had forgotten what happened during the Void Century.

Lunarians
The lunarians used to live on the Red Line and were seen as gods long before Mary Geoise existed. However, during the Void Century, they were hunted down and after the Void Century only one is known to still be alive. Why and how they were overthrown or their role in the Void Century remains unknown.

Wano Country
Wano likely played an important role in the Void Century and was somehow affiliated to the Great Kingdom, as the Kozuki Family invented the poneglyphs and Pluton, one of the Ancient Weapons, currently rests within the country's depths. The ancient country of Wano that existed at the time was also much different from the one that exists currently, having been more similar to a standard island at sea level instead of the unique water-bowl mountain structure it now displays.

During his visit to Laugh Tale, Kozuki Oden learned that the country was once connected with the rest of the world, but adopted a policy of isolationism to protect itself from a "great enemy", leading to massive walls being erected around the country. According to Oden, it is essential for the world to reconnect with Wano, thus its borders must open before Joy Boy returns. Doing so would also mean unleashing Pluton once more.

However, the people of Wano seem to be oblivious of why their country is isolated and what happened during the Void Century, despite the fact that the World Government cannot enforce the prohibition of research in the country. Most people in Wano do not know of what lies in the outside world in the first place due to it being a crime to leave the country.

Birth of the World Government
800 years ago, at the end of the Void Century, the World Government was born and took political control of the entire world, uniting all countries and forming the Council of Kings. For the World Government, the events of the Void Century were better left unknown as information linked to it is considered far too dangerous.

When the research of the Poneglyphs was outlawed, hundreds of scholars across the world were killed. Since then, a very strict ban on any research at all related to the Void Century has been put in place.

At the end of the Void Century, the 20 kingdoms came together to defeat the Ancient Kingdom and then founded what is now known as the World Government. The founding members pledged the equality between their kingdoms in front of the Empty Throne, with each kingdom leaving a weapon of their own next to the throne in order to symbolize its protection.

The exact process of how it was founded and how they covered up the 100-year gap remains unknown.

Poneglyphs
Poneglyphs are mysterious stone blocks with history inscribed onto them, and these blocks are scattered all over the Grand Line. The Government has forbidden anyone to research or study these blocks. They have been said to be unbreakable by Professor Clover.

Ancient Weapons
The Ancient Weapons are three weapons of mass destruction that are powerful enough to bring ruin to the entire world. They're known as Pluton, an ancient battleship capable of massive destruction, Poseidon, a Mermaid with the ability to communicate with and control Sea Kings, and Uranus, the properties of which remain unknown. The Ancient Weapons are the argument used by the World Government to forbid the research of the missing years.

Trivia

 * Gol D. Roger's crew appears to have followed the poneglyphs all the way and figured out exactly what the missing history is. When queried by Nico Robin on the Void Century and the Will of D., Silvers Rayleigh replied to her that he would tell her the history if she wanted to know. At the same time, he appeared reluctant to even speak about it. He warned her that if she found out now about the history in her current condition, she would not be able to do a thing about it. In his closing statement, he explained that he believed his crew and the scholars of Ohara had been too hasty. At the same time, he encouraged her to see the world herself, so she might come to a different conclusion than the one his crew had.
 * Whitebeard also knew about the truth behind the Void Century and the Will of D., as Roger told him before he died. He told Blackbeard that he is not the one Roger was waiting for, and that just as Roger's will was inherited by others, so will Ace's be too. Even though their bloodline is dead, their flames will never die and there will be a man who will find the truth and carry the burden of the centuries upon his back to challenge the world. He further states that the people in the World Government are living in fear of the day when that happens, and a great battle will be fought.
 * Kozuki Toki was born during this time period, but it is unknown if she knew any history around that time.
 * According to Shaka, Egghead has preserved some of the technologies of a kingdom that existed during the Void Century. It is unsure whether the kingdom is the Great Kingdom or not.

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