Yonkou

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The Yonkou(（四皇) is a title given to four fictional pirates from the manga/anime One Piece.

Contents 1 About the 4 Yonkou 2 The shift in the balance 3 Yonkou members 4 See also

[edit] About the 4 Yonkou

The Yonkou (四皇, Yonkō^?), literally Four Emperors, are the 4 great pirates who rule the second half of the Grand Line (known as 'the New World'). This is the stage where the battle to be the next Pirate King will be fought, with the Yonkou as the most likely candidates - Ace, subordinate of Yonkou member Whitebeard, has stated that he is working towards making his captain King.

They are one of The Three Great Powers, the others being the Shichibukai and Navy Headquarters, who are both more or less at the command of the World Government. The Yonkou live quite literally as though they are Emperors, doing mostly as they please.

The other three Yonkou are said to be on the same level of strength as Whitebeard, who himself could stand up to the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger, suggesting that the Yonkou are all incredibly powerful. Whenever there is a shift in the balance of the three powers, one of the Yonkou makes a move. This is the reason for Sir Crocodile's defeat being such a crisis for the World Government.

Like the Shichibukai the Yonkou themselves are not united together as one group , and live by their own individual paths in life. For that reason, the World Government does not want a meeting between Red-Haired Shanks and Whitebeard, fearing the two of them may unite together creating a stronger threat. But not only are the Yonkou themselves extremely powerful, they have also humongous fleets and powerful crews under their control.

For the World Government, these are the greatest pirate threats in the world. The Navy Headquarters and the Shichibukai balance the powers out.

[edit] The shift in the balance

Several factors play into this balance of the three powers.

• The balance that the World Government attempts to attain is brought about through having the Shichibukai on their side, so one is to assume that the sudden absence of Sir Crocodile is disruptive.
• The World Government has twice shown a great level of paranoia toward the idea of Shanks and Whitebeard meeting in regards to the balance; it appears they fear a formal alliance.

[edit] Yonkou members

Whitebeard

Red-Haired Shanks

There are also two unknown Yonkou members, featured alongside Whitebeard and Shanks when Garp introduces the Yonkou (see above picture).

[edit] See also

• The Three Great Powers
  • Shichibukai

• World Government (One Piece)