From the very first arcs, Eiichirō Oda sets the scene for a world in chaos. Pirates rule the seas, and the World Government attempts to maintain order. Between the two, there is a third category of characters: bounty hunters. While their beginnings were promising, they were ignored in the main story arc.
Promising Beginnings
As a reminder, their role is to hunt down pirates, deliver them to the Navy, and collect the bounty. They are neither vigilantes nor outlaws, but act for money. Naturally, this neutrality makes them unpredictable characters, sometimes allies, sometimes enemies.
When you think about it, their narrative potential was immense. They quickly disappeared from the radar. Why? And more importantly, what could Oda have done with them?
The Whiskey Peak arc, at the very beginning of the journey on the Grand Line, marked their first real appearance. The Baroque Works group, a criminal syndicate that also includes bounty hunters, seemed to play a decisive role in the story. This secret organization, led by the fearsome "Crocodile," was also well structured.
A card played too early?
But from their first confrontation with the Straw Hats, the members of Baroque Works fall one after the other. Without putting much effort into it, Zoro eliminates them and their threat vanishes. Right after the Alabasta Saga, the second saga of the anime, the bounty hunters almost completely disappear from the story.
Meanwhile, other factions rise in power. These include the Grand Corsairs, the Revolutionaries, and the Yonko. Each is associated with more political, more epic stakes. Compared to them, bounty hunters seem almost anecdotal.
Immense narrative potential
Imagine solitary, powerful mercenaries lurking in the shadows, ready to capture Luffy, Zoro, Robin, or even Law for a bounty. Inevitably, their presence would have added a layer of constant tension. Every stopover, every island, and every encounter could have hidden a trap.
For example, we could have seen a bounty hunter hidden under a false identity, a former ally turned tracker... Better yet, it would have made their relationship with the Navy more complex and interesting.
Moreover, the world of One Piece seems divided into three categories: the World Government, the Revolutionaries, and the Pirates. The addition of Bounty Hunters powerful enough to fight Luffy and working for their own enrichment would have been interesting; having no ideological adherence to the World Government, they could have had shifting loyalties and thus regularly upset the forces at play. An Emperor-level bounty hunter could thus rent his talents to both the Navy and the Revolutionaries.
The inconsistency is felt with the Cross Guild
Recently, Oda introduced a new group: the Cross Guild. Composed of Mihawk, Crocodile, and Buggy, this organization reverses the roles. From now on, the Marines are the prey, and bounties are placed on Government soldiers. It's a very intriguing concept, revolutionary even.
But if he had taken the time to develop powerful and charismatic hunters, the idea of hunting Marines rather than pirates would have been much more coherent and fascinating. Without this preparatory work, the Cross Guild remains a brilliant, but isolated idea.
Thus, many believe that by leaving them out, Oda closed the door on many stories.
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