World Noble

The World Nobles (Sekai Kizoku, 世界貴族), also known as the Tenryūbito (天竜人, lit. Heavenly Dragon Folks), are the descendants of the twenty kings who established what is now known as the World Government. In FUNimation subs, Tenryūbito was renamed as Celestial Dragons. They are first mentioned in Chapter 496 and Episode 390.

About
These are the people who are allowed to live in the Holy Land of Mariejoa. However, due to their connection to the World Government, they constantly abuse their power and look down on the people below them, referring to them as commoners. They can be sometimes seen walking around Sabaody Archipelago, but are disconnected to the point that they wear bubbles over their heads to prevent from even breathing the air of the common people. Whenever one appears people instantly bow as not to upset them, with the exception of the guards, servants, and slaves that are alongside them.

Culture of the Higher Classes
"Tenryūbito" "Slaves" "Human Shops" placed on the "purity" of these "Upper Classes", why the villains of the world look positively humane in comparison. It's because the world's in the hands of scum like them that it's screwed all to hell. - Captain Eustass Kid.

The Tenryūbito have various rights and privileges not held by many other people in the world. In particular, they are able to buy people, including pirates, who have been captured and put into slavery and their actions are overlooked by the World Government. They also mark their slaves with a branding iron that burns the Hoof of the Flying Dragon (天翔龍のひづめ, Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hidzume, FUNimation subs translate this as The Claw of the Celestial Dragons) into the backs of their human chattel.

Their method of discipline is to inject tranquilizers into the slave to stop them from escaping. They tend to treat their slaves poorly, making them do excess things and treating them badly when they reach their limits.

Although they often buy people from Auction houses, they can make anyone a slave that they choose to. They may also have as many spouses as they wish, can take anyone they wish as their spouse off the street, and can dismiss them in an instant.

Each Tenryūbito shown so far has been seen wielding a firearm, mostly for shooting people they dislike. They also seem to be immensely wealthy, as seen with Roswald's family owning so many slaves, and Charloss spending 500,000,000 casually to buy Keimi, a price that even the royalty present couldn't afford, only wanting to see her trying to outrun a pack of piranhas in his fish tank. It is said that no matter if someone is killed right before your eyes, you should never oppose the World Nobles. Those who do are immediately reported by them to one of the three Admirals: Aokiji, Akainu or Kizaru. Failure of the Marines is also unacceptable by the World Nobles' terms.

To this, the World Nobles show no moral values, no regard to Justice and are free to do absolutely as they wish. They can also be regarded as the very example of how corrupt and absurd the One Piece world is. They also swear anyone going against them is going against "the blood of this world creators".

History
800 years ago twenty Kings came together to "build" what is the current workings of the world. Their descendants later went on to become the World Nobles.

At some point, at least over 10 years prior to the current storyline, Fishman Fisher Tiger the Adventurer climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and caused havoc in Mariejois, the home of the World Nobles, in the name of all Fishmen and despite his dislike for humans, Fisher Tiger freed slaves of all races as he destroyed the city and told them to "run and never get captured again". Boa Hancock, Boa Marigold and Boa Sandersonia were some of the slaves freed by Tiger's rampage. The former Fishmen slaves were taken in by Tiger and formed the Sunny Pirates.

In the current storyline they first are seen when two of them, Saint Roswald and his daughter Saint Shalulia, appeared on the Sabaody Archipelago. They were seen upon the fall of the escaped slave Dias. After abusing the slave for his futile efforts to escape, they later appeared at the human auction house. The third member of their family, Saint Charloss, appeared. Having bid 500,000,000 on the mermaid Keimi, shutting all other bidders out, Luffy and the Rosy Life Riders appeared. Hatchi attempted to stop Luffy from causing an incident, but was shot by Charloss. For his efforts, Luffy punched Charloss, knocking him out.

After witnessing his son being assaulted, Roswald drew out a gun and attempted to kill Luffy. Roswald called out for an admiral while guards entered the auction house and tried to stop the Straw Hat Pirates. He was knocked out when Usopp fell on top of him. His daughter Shalulia attempted to kill the mermaid they were after, but Rayleigh knocked her out with Haki before she could kill Keimi.

After the World Nobles were all knocked out, word was put out they had been taken hostage by the Straw Hat pirates, with help from the Heart Pirates and Kidd Pirates who had been mistaken to be co-operating with them even though they had just been by-standers. During the aftermath, Saint Shalulia shows her frustration toward the marines for their failure to capture the Straw Hats. She then swore revenge against the very people who defied her and her family.

During the war against the Whitebeard Pirates, Admiral Kizaru mentioned that the World Nobles have been demanding Luffy's capture.

Trivia

 * Though they are said to have great power over the world, it has not been completely stated if they have any restrictions under the Gorousei, as all they do is use their power and wealth for their own selfish reasons.
 * They seem to be taken off the stereotype of Old Money, who are believed to be superior than who they see as lower class, as well as see themselves as so because of what their ancestors accomplished. This mixed with a belief that they are somehow godlike, this seen how they refer to themselves as Saints (being ironic as they are extremely cruel and have no care for human life) and live in the "Holy Land".

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