Discussion Dragon: The real 5th Emperor?

[TitaniumOxide]

So I just showered and thought hey, wtf Monkey D Dragon should be the 5th emperor. Why?

A. He got a full APB on his whole inner circle. Pretty much at the top of the FBI's most wanted list.
B. He got his own army or (armies?)
C. Directly oppose world government as well as clashing with yonkous. Honestly, if he didn't get attacked by blackbeard, I'd be like wtf Dragon? Why you fighting with fodderass crews?
D. Has allies. His people liberate islands and nations, aspiring them to rebel. Anyone who rebels is a part of their cause because every bit helps even if they are doing it for their own nations. And I bet some of them will join the revolutionary outright. This is very comparable to Luffy saving Alabasta or Dressrosa. Luffy is more of a revolutionary than he knows.
E. This dude is tough. He got a mysterious DF and so far no one is mentioned of defeating him yet.

Alright I'll stop there but there's much more. Seems like his army and executives do a lot of his work. Sabo gets a decent amount of screentime. But to be fair, King is working for Kaidou and Kaidou is the yonkou, not King. Same here goes for Dragon. Also it might be prudent to point out that I accept the fact that people in the One Pieceverse calls Luffy the 5th Yonkou and while that might be true, Luffy should be the 6th because Dragon made history before Luffy did. Also, there is no rulebook that says Yonkous have to be pirates nor do they have to look for One Piece or Laugh Tale or have a rio poneglyph.

 

[goldb]

I disagree that Dragon should be known as an emperor.

From Garp's introduction of the Yonkou/ 4 Emperors, his description( ch432) of these pirates sets what I believe to be a prerequesite of what how to consider characters as emperors:

• Pirate Captain - If being a pirate captain wasn't necessary, someone like Mihawk would be considered as one, despite not ruling over any territory but possessing strength enough to put him in the conversation.
• Influence - Displaying the ability to influence other crews, whether through physical strength or willpower.
• Governance - Control over territories within the New World.

As we know Whitebeard had no interest in knowing what One Piece was despite Roger offering to tell him everything. Neither does he nor Shanks seem to seek out the Rio Poneglyphs in searching of this great treasure. So what qualifies these two is the fact that they are strong pirate captains who have islands under their control and can flex great influence over other pirate crews and matters with their prescence or name alone.

Whichever way I look at it, being a pirate captain is the most important requirement to even be considered an emperor.

 

[HereNThere]

I think the main thing that prevents him from being consider a Yonkou is the lack of territories and influence.

The Revolutionaries' whole thing is liberation of locations under control of the WG. They don't seem interested in controlling any sort of territories or ruling over islands. They just have a single headquarters (which was recently destroyed) and don't have any sort of allies in their endeavors.

And speaking of allies, in terms of influence, they aren't in any position to really make any connections who could help them expand their influence. They have a few pirate friends, but for the most part, their on their own. They probably get most of their information from inside agents like Kuma and whomever else is out there. Those that are rebels will either join the Revolutionary Army directly or just remain in their nation. I wouldn't consider them much of an ally as they probably don't gain anything from their territories, unlike the Yonkou, who get some sort of benefit from them.

Dragon may have the strength, but he's just missing a few elements that'd get him the title.

 

[Fox666]

Dragon is not a pirate.

He cannot be an emperor, just like he cannot be an admiral.

 

[M3J]

Even if Dragon could be an emperor, he's not seeking territories, he's trying to free territories, and as far as we know, territories are a prerequisite to becoming part of the Emperor.

Luffy is not an emperor or an emperor-level either, he's too weak to be an emperor for now. Big Mom and Kaidou fought evenly for hours, with no decisive winner. Luffy couldn't hurt Big Mom and got his shit rocked by Kaidou in one blow, and he barely beat Katakuri and wasn't able to beat Cracker quickly. If Luffy wasn't a main character, I feel he wouldn't be hyped by readers like this.

 

[TitaniumOxide]

Great point guys. I can see what you guys are saying but I feel like him freeing people from the grasp of the world government is his influence. He can is controlling people by letting them rule themselves. In a way, his control is lack thereof. I think several royals present at the reverie would lend a hand to help Luffy.

I'd like to think if Dragon asked the nations he's helped to lend forces to start a war they would if the reasons are good enough. I understand he has no territories and he is a mysterious figure. But it seems like his executives might have some friends on various islands that they certainly not rule with an iron fist. I just cannot see an organization as threatening as theirs to not have some reliable people on speed dial.

Blackbeard's attack was an ambush and unexpected. But had they known it'd be different. Either way, they survived and went to a new base. An organization such as theirs probably has more.
I can agree that they are lacking some traditional ingredients to consider themselves a Yonkou crew but I think they are at least threat level: Yonkou Crew lol if this was One Punch Man.

 

[kkck]

It simply wouldn't make sense for dragon to be known as an emperor. The main fact for this consideration is that dragon is in no way, shape or form a pirate. Meanwhile emperors in this context are specifically pirates. Add to that there are substantial differences in how dragon operates from how the yonko operate. Dragon isn't out to collect territories or set up his own crime spheres of influence. He is a criminal by world government standards and even a terrorists but he isn't out to create his own kingdom. His wars have different motivations from that of yonko.

 

[Grandmaster Woro]

dragon is not a pirate, so he can't be a pirate emperor

 

[M3J]

Dragon cannot be an emperor point blank if the prerequisite is having territories as Dragon is about liberating places. To have territories would be to go against what he stands for and does, and I think Dragon would actually be willing to take on evil emperors if he can.

 

[TitaniumOxide]

I still disagree. I feel that he doesn't have territories per se but as I said places that they help can provide support when they the RA need it. I'm sure Alabasta would provide assistance to the SHP if they specifically asked. In that sense, these places are liberated, self governed, and has their own leaders. In short, having great allies that come thru is like having your own forces come from your territory. In this sense I feel like Dragon got that covered. If being a pirate is the only other big prerequisite to being an emperor then it is time to revise that requirement.

 

[M3J]

If they're liberated, then how are they part of his territory? That's the opposite of liberated. If they do provide support to RA, that'd be out of choice because they're free to make that choice.

 

[Fox666]

If they're liberated, then how are they part of his territory? That's the opposite of liberated. If they do provide support to RA, that'd be out of choice because they're free to make that choice.

They are "liberated" from the World Government. What you are questioning is a paradox that exists for almost every revolution, overtaking a government to place another one in place.

The World Government exists to provide protection to countries from pirates, in exchange of an Heavenly Tribute. The Revolutionary Army liberate islands by providing protection of their own.

In that sense, these islands are within the Revolutionary Army territory. Except that, on theory, they did not took control of these islands by force, like Blackbeard did for example.

Of course, in real life revolutionaries also fought governments to free the country, only to become bloodthirsty directors.

 

[M3J]

How is the Revolutionary Army providing protection? From what I recall, they just provide weapons if need be and move on, they claim no territory, especially the way Luffy did for Fishman Island. And do these towns/cities align themselves with the RA like Dressrosa did, if Dressrosa did?

 

[fist-of-fury]

Dragon's forces are too spread out for him to be an emperor.
BM's commanders live with their mother on the same isle, Dragon's commanders operate on different seas and so do their armies.

 

[Dropp]

To be an Emperor, you need an Empire.

 

[LadyVados]

Weird way to spell Mihawk...