Warning: SPOILERS for chapter #1075 of One PieceOne important detail in the cover story of chapter #1075 of One Piece confirms a theory regarding some of the series' most mysterious and powerful characters, the Gorosei (Five Elders).
The cover story of chapter #1075 of One Piece is the 31st in the series "Germa 66 ahh...An Emotionless Excursion", and it's titled "The Genius Scientist Gets An Audience With The Five Elders". It shows a meeting between a young Dr. Vegapunk and the Gorosei that took place about 30 years before the current events in the series. The Gorosei are silhouetted in the background, but it's still possible to see that they look the same as they do in the present, confirming a theory that the leaders of the World Government are immortal, or at least immune to aging.
One Piece's Gorosei Have Been Alive A Lot Longer Than Fans Think
The Gorosei, or Five Elders, are the highest-ranking Celestial Dragons that act as the heads of state for the World Government. Like the other Celestial Dragons, they are supposedly the descendants of the rulers of the Twenty Kingdoms that formed the alliance that took down the Great Kingdom 800 years ago. The Gorosei rule over even the other World Nobles, being the greatest official authority in the entire One Piece world, except for the mysterious "King of the World" Im, to whom they answer in secrecy. Officially, the Gorosei have absolute command over the forces of the World Government and the Navy, but everything else about them is a complete mystery.
The name of one of the Gorosei, Jaygarcia Saturn, was finally revealed in chapter #1073, which gave even more fuel to the theories surrounding these mysterious characters, including one that connects One Piece with aliens. Moreover, the cover story of chapter #1075 all but confirms the idea that the Five Elders do not age. The first hint was given during Nico Robin's flashback, depicting the Ohara incident that took place 20 years before the current events. The Gorosei were silhouetted there too, but they still looked identical to how they do in the present. This could actually imply that the Five Elders have been alive since the Void Century, which would be a shocking revelation.
How Did The Gorosei Become Immortal?
It will be interesting to learn how the Gorosei have gained their immortality. The most popular explanation at the moment is that they used the powers of the Ope Ope No Mi Devil Fruit (currently in Trafalgar Law's possession), which include a procedure called "Immortality Operation". However, using this power comes at the cost of the Devil Fruit's user life, but this would have not stopped the ruthless Gorosei from sacrificing five people to achieve immortality. It's great that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda dropped another clue on the elusive Gorosei, but there is still a lot that fans of the series are craving to know about these mysterious villains.
The latest chapter of One Piece is available from Viz Media.