One Piece Explained: How do bounties work in the world of “One Piece?”

One Piece Explained

Since its debut in 1997, One Piece has not only established itself as a monumental titan in the world of manga and anime but also left an indelible mark on pop culture.

Eiichiro Oda’s masterful tapestry intertwines epic adventures, intricate characters, and sprawling lore, capturing the hearts of millions and epitomizing the very essence of storytelling in the modern age. There are profound themes of friendship, ambition, and the pursuit of dreams here, ideas that have resonated across cultures, making One Piece an iconic testament to the power of animation.

The world of One Piece is vast and deep, filled with mysteries, histories, and intricacies that mirror our own societal challenges and triumphs. To the uninitiated, it offers an exciting adventure on the high seas; to the veteran fan, a poignant exploration of humanity’s shared values and conflicts.

Being the geeks that we are over here, we’ll be diving deep into the rich mythos and lore of One Piece, shedding light on the elements that make this anime such a cultural phenomenon.


What Are Bounties In The One Piece World?

Bounties are wanted posters assigned to some of One Piece’s most prolific criminals. They serve as a monetary reward promised to individuals who manage to capture or murder the pirate, bandit, marine, or other evil party who is pictured on it. They receive a large pay in berry/belly, the One Piece world’s form of currency.


Who Assigns The Bounties & How Do They Work?

The World Government is responsible for assigning bounties to prevent dangerous adversaries from causing mass corruption in the One Piece universe. As mentioned earlier, bounties provide folks with a financial incentive to capture hostile evildoers. Some posters will ask hunters to capture or murder the individual pictured in the image. Moreover, bounties reflect the criminal’s threat level and there are many factors to consider in that regard besides the person’s strength.

The many ways criminals can get a higher bounty include: declaring war against the World Government, causing harm to citizens, destroying property, inspiring criminals to fight local governments, and being associated with a prominent villain. Moreover, pirates cannot participate in the bounty reward scheme.  


How Do Bounty Photos Get Taken?

Every bounty poster goes through the identification process before they’re posted. The Marines once hired a man named Attach for their Marine Photography Department. He’d give them images of various criminals they’d use for bounty posters.

Attach was known for being a sleek photographer, who knew how to navigate through several locations to get fabulous photos of criminals. Unfortunately, like everyone in life, Attach had his share of mistakes during his photo-snapping quest. One of his most known mistakes involved Sanji’s bounty poster because he humorously forgot to remove his lens when taking his photo.

After being fired from his position, Big News Morgans of the World Economic Journal hired him. As of now, One Piece fans have no clue who replaced Attach as the Marine Photography Department’s bounty photographer.


Are Bounties Always Accurate In The One Piece World?

As stated above, the World Government often determines one’s bounty amount based on the criminals’ strength. However, some criminals can boost their bounty amounts tenfold by performing specific actions that’ll upset the World Government or the One Piece world as a whole. From Luffy defeating the former Shichibukai Gecko Moria in Thriller Bark to Eustass Kid causing property damage, there are many ways for evildoers to raise their price tag.

Moreover, some bounties aren’t always accurate. For instance, despite Chopper being a staple member of Luffy’s Straw Hat Pirates Crew, he has one of the lowest bounties in the entirety of One Piece. This is because bounties often depend on the government’s knowledge of the criminals who receive them, making them far from precise.


What Are The Different Bounty System Variants In One Piece?

The World Government isn’t the only government with a bounty system in place. There are three other organizations that operate with them. These include Fish-Man Island, Dressrosa, and the Cross Guild. Fish-Man Island’s bounty posters were circulated by Vander Decken IX. He headed them with “Danger” on the bounties but never mentioned if he wanted someone dead or alive.

For Dressrosa, DoFlaming had people place bounties on the five straw hat pirates and seven independent allies who opposed his and his pirates’ authority. The Cross-Guild, an organization created by former Sea Warlords Buggy, Mihawk, and Crocodile, began issuing bounties for Marines. The bounty amounts are indicated by symbols instead of monetary figures. 


In Conclusion

One Piece’s world is full of complexity and wonder. It contains fabulous characters, strong attention to detail, and many intricate components that make it engaging to follow on a weekly basis. Whether you enjoy reading the latest updates in the manga or love Toei Animation’s handling of its source material, you’ll grow to cherish this pirate-centric world Eichiro Oda created. In addition to its riveting bounty system, there’s much to contemplate about with this tale.


Are you a big One Piece fan? What do you like or dislike about its bounty system? Let us know in the comments below!

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