The Admirals, the Warlords of the Sea, and the Five Elders are among the most powerful groups who rule the high seas in One Piece, and they all serve or once served the World Government in some way. The pirates need their own version, with the four Emperors being the pirate world's answer to the Admirals or Five Elders. The world of pirates may be fragmented among many self-serving crews, but even these roving ruffians might come together when a strong leader like an Emperor comes along.

The four Emperors made some appearances before One Piece's time skip, such as both Captain Whitebeard and Shanks showing up at the battle for Marineford. The Emperors became much more important after the time skip in the New World, with the New World being their domain. By now, One Piece has explained everything fans must know about the Emperors and their power, and that made it clear why the Navy has no hope of taming the New World.

The Four Emperors Help Maintain the Balance of Power

Fighting With or Against an Emperor Can Change the World

Garp with the Emperors images behind him.

While it's true any of the four Emperors may rank among the world's most powerful fighters while also commanding the world's most formidable pirate crews, sheer strength is not the sole factor among the Emperors. Part of the Emperor system is the world's balance of power, with the Emperors being more than mere powerhouses on the battlefield. They're not just pirates who happen to be incredibly strong. They are the custodians of the world's balance along with the other two Great Powers of the Warlords and Marine Headquarters. This has many implications, such as the delicate, tense standoff between the Emperors and the Navy.

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Of course, the four Emperors and the Navy's top brass are mortal enemies, and the three Admirals and Imu would never call the Emperors allies or friends. But those Navy officials would call the Emperors vital for the world's state of affairs, reluctantly enough. As much as Imu would love to rule the entire world uncontested, power is split among the major parties, and the Emperors cling tightly to their share. The Emperor system involves the Emperors' utter domination of the New World, a place where the Navy doesn't dare challenge their supremacy. In short, the Navy has all but conceded the New World to the four Emperors, while the Emperors seem to accept the fact that they can't easily capture the Grand Line's first half for themselves.

So great is the power and influence of the Emperors that the Navy has rules about when to fight them, and when not to. Lower-ranked officers may not attack or otherwise provoke the Emperors, since any serious provocation may spark all-out war between the Navy and the massive fleets of any or all Emperors. The Navy has a "don't poke the bear" policy regarding the Emperors, even if the Emperors often feud with one another and are unlikely to form a single, mammoth fleet to unite the New World. Even the COP0 organization can't casually attack the Emperors, so there's little chance of the ever-stronger Rob Lucci taking on the likes of Shanks or Captain Blackbeard for duty's sake.

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The Emperors Are Appointed Through Feats of Strength and Conquest

The Emperors' Lineup Rarely Rotates Except in Historic Moments

Another major component of the Emperor system ties into the general vibe of pirates as a whole: might makes right. Pirates are all about seizing power through deceit, treachery, and of course, sheer power through ship cannons, formidable Devil Fruits, Haki, and more. While some righteous pirate crews such as the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates exist, the Emperors follow the conventional wisdom of the pirate world. The only difference is how the Emperors take this to a radical extreme.

Earning a place among the Emperors means having the physical power, fleet size, and influence necessary to compete with or even surpass the existing Emperors. And of course, this means any prospective Emperor must be much stronger than any other pirate crew operating in the New World, and strong enough to discourage the Navy from targeting them. It's an exclusive club where new members must fight their way in, or take advantage of a rare opening in the group. Based on the small number of known Emperors, past or present, it's evident that the lineup doesn't change often. When it does, history is being made.

Notably, new Emperors are not chosen by the current members. Instead, new Emperors join the lineup through circumstances, with their appointment being unofficial but also uncontested. That's a comment on the messy and chaotic nature of pirates, who follow no one else's rules. It's a contrast with how the World Government chooses worthwhile pirates to become Warlords of the Sea, or how officers are promoted to ranks such as Vice-Admiral and Admiral. New Emperors gain that rank simply through widespread recognition of their power, influence, the size of their fleet, and even their participation in major events, such as the Onigashima raid at Wano.

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That is how three of the current Emperors attained this lofty rank. Luffy's awakening of Gear 5, along with his personal victory over Emperor Kaido and the fame of his Straw Hat crew, made him a shoo-in to the four Emperors group once Kaido was toppled. Something similar can be said about Marshall D. Teech, or Captain Blackbeard, who claimed a slot as the only person in the world to wield two Devil Fruits, and astonishingly dangerous Devil Fruits at that. With Whitebeard dead and Kaido and Big Mom defeated, it was time for a new generation of Emperors to join Shanks to define the New World's balance of power. It was the perfect opportunity to show how far Luffy had come.

Amusingly, the four Emperors lineup includes another example of how Buggy the Clown keeps failing upward through sheer luck. His outsized charisma, popularity, and his membership in the elite Cross Guild allowed him to join as well, though in reality, he's not even Warlord material, let alone Emperor caliber. It may be only a matter of time until Buggy's lack of Emperor-level power becomes clear as the other three Emperors arrive on the field of battle in the Final Saga to decide the fate of not just the New World, but the entire globe.

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