Skypiea: One Piece Analysis
On the surface, Skypiea appears disconnected from the overall story — the Straw Hats partake in a conflict that has nothing to do with them or the Blue Sea. But in reality, the themes and narratives of Skypiea tell us much about the underlying story of One Piece.
The Shandians and their extraordinary journey stand at the very heart of this saga. Unlike my previous analyses, I’ll be speculating more, particularly when discussing the Shandians. I’ll use a specific framing throughout this analysis to ground my speculation: that the Skypiea saga is about returning to what was once good, but was later lost or perverted by the vicissitudes of history and the forces of evil.
We deal with three versions of the Shandians in the story. When necessary, I’ll refer to them as the ‘ancient Shandians’, who fought in a war to protect the Poneglyph 800 years ago; the ‘Jaya Shandians’, whom Noland met 400 years ago; and the ‘modern Shandians’, whom the Straw Hats encounter.
The Winged People
We don’t learn the origin of the Skypieans, but we do observe that they have wings on their backs unlike other humans in One Piece. While one would assume this is a common trait of ‘Sky Island Residents’, we later see that even 400 years ago, the Shandians also have wings despite living on the Blue Sea island of Jaya.
Could they share a common origin? If yes, could the Knock-up Stream, which devastated the Shandians and threw them into a four hundred year war, have actually reunited them with their own people?
The Golden Bell
We don’t know what the Golden Bell of Shandora meant to the ancient Shandians. Four hundred years ago, Kalgara believed that the ringing of the bill guided the spirits of their ancestors back to the island. But Noland’s time with the Shandians changes them profoundly. Noland rebukes their gods — slaying their serpent god and putting an end to their sacrificial practices. Then, he chops down the trees that the Shandians believe their ancestors’ spirits live within. The Shandians stop ringing the Bell, because there’s no longer any meaning to it — their ancestors are lost forever.
As Noland departs, Kalgara rings the Bell to mend their fractured friendship and invite Noland to return someday. The ‘Song of the Island’ takes on a new meaning. It is less mystical, and more intimate. It symbolizes a promise of friendship between two kindred spirits. Noland dismantles the Shandians’ entire belief system, but leaves behind a more powerful idea — that progress is possible, and that their fate lies in their own hands.
As the Skypiea saga comes to a close, the Bell also becomes the joining between two peoples. The Shandians and the Skypieans ring the Bell together, sending the Straw Hats off and ending four centuries of conflict. The Bell that once served only to appeal to long-dead ancestors is now a symbol of unity and friendship. A symbol of hope and progress.
I speculate this is actually a return to the original significance of the Bell. Just as the unification of the Shandians and Skypieans at the end of the saga is perhaps a return to what they once were. While the Jaya Shandians (pre-Noland) loathed outsiders, the modern Shandians at the end of the Skypiea saga would welcome the Straw Hats back.
Sacrifice
Throughout their eight hundred year history, the Shandians are defined by sacrifice. The ancient Shandians protect the Poneglyph, but lose their city in the battle — a monumental sacrifice.
Young Wyper: Did we win?
Shandian Chief: Yes, we won. But the survivors were few, and the sacrifices too many.
I hypothesize that in the aftermath of this battle, some precious principles are also lost. The Jaya Shandians are willing to sacrifice a young woman to appease gods they fear. They remain capable of difficult sacrifice, but their motivations are corrupted. They are ruled by fear.
How does Noland finally get through to Kalgara? By appealing to a different kind of sacrifice — that of brave explorers who risked their lives to find a cure to tree fever.
Noland: A botanist from the South Blue discovered an antidote during his explorations. It’s a medicine called Conine […] Do you know how many people all over the world have spent countless years searching for this? Or how many sacrifices have been made? […] That’s why I’m saying your ritual is a slap in their faces! Are you that afraid of the gods?
Sacrifices should be made in the name of progress, not to appease a god or to allay fears borne of ignorance. Kalgara understands and respects sacrifice; he grew up on tales of the immense sacrifice his ancestors made. But his ancestors sacrificed to fight for the future. Noland’s words drive home the point: Kalgara’s people have gone astray.
The arc ends with Kalgara accepting an unthinkable sacrifice. We’re told that the Shandians would lay down their lives to protect the spirits of their ancestors. But for the society to survive, the opposite sacrifice was required — the ancestral trees had to be destroyed to stop the disease.
It is poetic that Kalgara’s final transformation is prompted by Mousse. If he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter, why should he not sacrifice his ancestors to protect the village? Wouldn’t those ancestors do it themselves, if given the choice? At the end, Kalgara gives up his rage to protect something more important and more real — his friendship with Noland. He chooses the future over the past, and progress over tradition. We may never know for sure, but I suspect the ancient Shandians would have approved of this.
Inherited Will
In the East Blue saga, we’re introduced to the concept of ‘Inherited Will’. The Straw Hats inherit a legacy that propels them to follow their dreams. This is sometimes accompanied by sacrifice. Shanks gives up an arm and Zeff gives up a leg; acts that forever change Luffy and Sanji. Shanks and Zeff protect the future.
The Skypiea saga develops this idea further. To protect the Poneglyph, the ancient Shandians sacrifice their city. The Poneglyph holds the location of Poseidon, another ancient weapon. But the Jaya Shandians can’t read the script, and don’t know why the Poneglyph was important. When we get to the modern Shandians, the gulf is even greater — they haven’t even seen the stone! It is long-lost history to them.
When the Golden Bell is rung at the end of the Skypiea saga, with eight hundred years of chaotic history separating it from its original purpose, does it still ring true? The elaborate, meandering journey of the Bell says something fundamental about the story of One Piece. An inherited will can be corrupted and nearly forgotten, but it never truly dies as long as someone is there to carry it on in some shape or form. Eventually, with the help of people like Noland and Luffy, that inherited will can manifest once more as something pure and beautiful.
The False Gods
The Shandians are afraid of the gods. But they’re even more afraid of the words of Pantri (the Shandian priest), who claims to speak for those gods. His dying words prompt the Shandians to sacrifice Mousse.
Kalgara: If we disobey [Pantri’s words], judgement always follows!
If that sounds familiar, it is because this is the same effect Enel has on Skypieans. The Shandians escape their imagined gods with Noland’s help, but are blown to the sky to reckon with real (but still false) gods. They go from worshipping gods to fighting them.
People do not fear God… Fear itself is God.
- Enel
Fear is the common thread that the false gods share in the Skypiea saga. But Enel is different from the other gods in that he exists, and he wields real power. The consequences of disobeying him are real.
Enel inflicts a miserable existence on the Skypieans, but not out of malice. It is because he truly believes that their lives mean nothing, and that they exist only to worship and entertain him. So he kills them on a whim, and orchestrates a survival game for his amusement.
Enel has a perverse idea of what godhood means. He believes, based on Birkan myth, that god belongs on the moon and that people belong on the Blue Sea (and not in the sky). So he builds an arc to fly to the moon, and endeavors to sink Sky Island to the sea.
Enel is insane and literally believes he is god. When defeated, his mind cannot accept the idea of defeat, because god cannot lose. So he redefines the terms of victory — to take the moon for himself — and flies off. Good riddance.
For the Sky People and the Straw Hats, the defeat of Enel symbolizes the final defeat of gods of fear. When Luffy takes flight to confront Enel one final time, the Skypieans and Shandians pray. But it is a prayer devoid of expectations or twisted sacrifices. A prayer borne of pure hope. Luffy answers their prayers by ringing the same Bell that had been the focal point of so much of their history.
What the Straw Hats Represent
The Skypiea saga is written rather differently from previous major arcs in that the Straw Hats mostly pursue goals that are unrelated to the defeat of the primary villain. They seek adventure, party and hunt for treasure. Even when Luffy rises to defeat Enel, his actual aim is to ring the Bell for Montblanc Cricket.
The Straw Hats are in opposition to Enel simply by being who they are — adventurers who like to have fun. Luffy is able to neutralize Enel because he’s made of rubber, not because he uses a specific technique.
In most arcs, Oda continually builds the tension until the final confrontation, and releases it afterward with a celebration. In Skypiea, the Straw Hats celebrate midway through the story, the night before the survival game begins.
Courage can beat back fear, but laughter and merriment can make it disappear, if only for a time. We see many forms of worship in the Skypiea saga, but it is when the Straw Hats party through the night in reckless abandon that we are closest to the truly divine.