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The first part of the One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale companion book was released in a scanlated format earlier today. The issue seems to mainly discuss Gol D. Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, and the general Poneglyphs in a summarised context.
Beyond these recaps, One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale part one shows various sketches from series author Eiichiro Oda. These show various characters and scenarios which appear differently from their mainline series counterparts, showcasing scrapped concepts Oda came up with as part of the design process.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down everything that One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale’s first part has to offer.
Does One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale Part 1 tease a deeper connection between Rocks and Roger's lives?
Roger’s life and the Poneglyphs
One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale part one opens up with a summary of Roger’s life, goals, and dreams, beginning from his meeting with Rayleigh all the way to his execution date. Additionally, it also discusses mysteries of Roger’s life, such as his romance with Rouge and the location of his sword, Ace, which his son is named after.
The Roger section begins with a beautiful, black background double spread which features several manga panels of the man himself. Iconic moments throughout his legendary journey can be seen here, including shots of Oden as part of the Roger Pirates.
A panel of Kaido and Luffy can also be seen here, with the former discussing how the winner of their battle has come a step closer to filling Roger’s shoes.
The next page features a timeline structure, showcasing Roger’s life and its events from his birth in Loguetown 77 years prior to his execution 24 years ago. They go over the formation of the Roger Pirates upon his meeting Rayleigh, his battle at God Valley, his relationship and fights with Shiki, and more.
Nearly every known fact of Roger’s life and journey is present on this page, making it a fantastic refresher for weekly fans as the series begins its final saga.
Some highlights of the page include a section discussing the unsolved mysteries of his life, such as his romance with Rouge, what he said to Whitebeard and Oden after their three-day battle, and the location and significance of his sword, Ace.
After summating Roger’s life and journey, One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale then begins discussing the Poneglyphs that allowed Roger to complete his infamous journey. The page features an explanation section that distinguishes between the Rio and Road Poneglyphs, as well as a history section highlighting the Kozuki clan’s relation to the stone documents.
What’s most intriguing about this section of One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale is a comparison of where the Road Poneglyphs were during Roger’s time versus now. Interestingly enough, the table seems to imply that the currently missing fourth Road Poneglyph is the one which Roger found on Fish-Man Island.
One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale Part 1 follows this up by teasing possible locations of the missing Ponegylph, with Elbaf being one named place.
The island of Fullalead, Blackbeard’s current base, is also mentioned as a possibility, as is Vira. Vira is a town mentioned by Nami early on in the series as constantly undergoing coup d’etats, but is never mentioned beyond this.
This section of One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale also names several other possible locations, but it clearly wants readers to focus on the three mentioned above. It does, however, emphasize that there are even more islands beyond those named in the pages on the Grand Line, making all of them potential locations for the final Poneglyph.
Rocks D. Xebec revisited
One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale then dedicates a section to Rocks D. Xebec, the legendary captain of the incredibly powerful and infamous Rocks Pirates. The section revisits all known information about his life, including the formation of the Rocks Pirates on Fullalead over 44 years ago.
They revisit Kaido joining the crew as a rookie, which seems to have happened six years before the God Valley incident which tore the crew apart. He’s also referred to here as “Roger’s most formidable foe,” apparently solidifying him as a bigger rival to the Pirate King than Whitebeard or Garp were.
The page then discusses the most iconic members of the crew which went on to do big things themselves, consisting of Shiki the Golden Lion, Big Mom, Kaido, Whitebeard, and Captain John. Big Mom, Kaido, and Whitebeard went on to become Yonko, while Captain John earned a name for himself thanks to his famous hidden stash of treasure.
Shiki is shown speaking to Whitebeard before saying he’ll lay low, after which he eventually fights Garp and Sengoku at Marineford. The lines between canon and non-canon are hazy for Shiki’s character, so it’s hard to comment on his actions in the story beyond what’s present in One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale and the manga.
A final, interesting note the page makes is that Blackbeard’s ship is called “The Saber of Xebec.” One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale also seems to imply that it’s the ship Blackbeard himself is currently sailing on in the series, or at least was, as of the last time fans saw him.
A deeper connection between the two is teased as a result, with the companion book even saying Rocks’ will may still “threaten the world.”
One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale's character designs
Finally, One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale ends by showing various character designs and alternative scenarios for those which appear in the mainline series. One example of the latter is Worst Generation sailing into Onigashima, which seems to have been very different in initial concepts compared to the final product.
One page is dedicated to the Straw Hats alone, showing alternative takes on their raid outfits and in their disguise outfits during their time as citizens of Wano. They specifically mention Luffy here, who seems to have donned a samurai-style helmet in the initial concept art.
The next page features concept art for various manga scenes, including an alternative look for Robin’s Gigante Fleur move. Luffy and Nami are also seen here in rare alternative outfits, donning a samurai robe and kimono, respectively.
The next page of One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale features concept art and designs of various Wano natives, including Kozuki Oden himself. Also present are alternate versions of the Red Scabbards, concept art of Kiku and Izou, and a sketch of Momonosuke’s 28-year-old adult form.
The final page of One Piece: Road to Laugh Tale part 1 features concept art of Shimotsuki Kozaburo, as well as the daimyo Yamato met as a child. The latter group includes Shimotsuki Ushimaru, Uzuki Tempura, and Fugetsu Omusubi.
Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as the year of the series’ 25th anniversary progresses.
