Gol D. Roger

Gol D. Roger

@wikia

Romanized Name:	Gōru D. Rojā
English Name:	Gol D. Roger
First Appearance:	Chapter 1; Episode 1
Affiliations:	Roger Pirates
Occupations:	Pirate Captain, Pirate King
Epithet:	Gold Roger (Gōrudo Rojā), Pirate King (Kaizoku-Ō), King of the Pirates (English Versions)
Japanese VA:	Chikao Ōtsuka
4kids English VA:	David Brimmer
Funi English VA:	Sean Hennigan

Gol D. Roger, known to most as Gold Roger, was the Pirate King, captain of the Roger Pirates, and owner of the legendary treasure known as "One Piece". He was also the biological father of Portgas D. Ace, the adoptive brother of the series' protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. 

Appearance

Roger was a tall man who walked proudly before his execution. His most prominent physical features were his curved black mustache, a fierce grin he almost always wore, and his intense eyes. He also had thick black hair and a short thick neck.

Like many other high ranked pirates, he wore a long red captain's coat. Beneath his coat, he wore a blue shirt and had a green sash around his waist. He had a white cravat around his neck, wore dark blue pants, and (unlike most other pirates seen in the One Piece World,) he wore what appeared to be black sea boots. Before he turned himself in, he also wore a pirate hat with his jolly roger on it over a yellow spotted bandana. During the Battle in Edd War, however, he donned a dark-blue vest and a yellow sash. He was one of the few people to mirror the stereotypical pirate.

Later on, during a flashback to Roger's first meeting with Rayleigh, it was revealed that Roger looked a lot like Luffy to the point of also wearing the straw hat that Luffy is currently wearing.

Personality

He was said to be fearless and those who witnessed his execution even claim that he smiled just before his death. Gol D. Roger's personality is often commented by people who knew him to have been similar to Luffy, this is best shown when he meets Rayleigh and ask him to join him despite having no idea how strong he was or even what role he would have on his ship. Ace revealed his lineage to Whitebeard, who noted that Ace's personality wasn't much like his father's. However, they both share the "Didn't run" from battle: Garp stated that Roger would not run away from an enemy in order to protect his crew. Roger was also a man who loved big, flashy things and reveled in his title of Pirate King despite his oncoming death. While not portrayed during any of his appearances, he can be a merciless enemy when he got angry. This was further evidenced when he killed all of Squardo's crewmembers personally for unknown reasons. Roger was very quick to anger and he would retaliate for something as simple as an insult to his crew however small it might be. Garp stated that an angry Roger can be a violent, selfish, and short-tempered man, but his actions had been pure and straight, just like a child's and that he was lucky to survive and become the Pirate King despite his extremely reckless nature. Luffy has a similar personality in terms of recklessness and Ace had a similar personality in terms of getting easily angered by insults. 

Abilities and Powers

Wealth, fame, power.

The man who had acquired everything in this world, the pirate king, Gold Roger!

Prior to his death, Roger was called the "Pirate King" because his fighting power was nearly unstoppable. Only two people have ever matched Roger in battle: Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, who possesses immense strength even in old age and cornered him multiple times before his surrender, and his rival Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate who held the power of the Gura Gura no Mi and was called the "Strongest Man in the World". Other examples of his strength include fighting on equal ground with Shiki, who commanded the largest pirate fleet of the time and single-handedly defeating the armies of several countries. He was possibly the strongest man in the world (together with his rival Whitebeard). Another testament to his strength is the fact that his first mate, Silvers Rayleigh, was able to battle on par with Admiral Kizaru, even in his old age.

Roger was also able to 'read' Poneglyphs as well as write in the same language. However, he was not like the Ohara scholars who used their intellect to study the Poneglyphs. According to Rayleigh, Roger could interpret the Poneglyphs because he had the ability to "hear the voice of all things".

History

 

Born in Loguetown, Roger was famed as the man who did what no one thought possible - he conquered the Grand Line. It would seem that he had been around for some time, considering that Brook refers to him as a rookie, more than 50 years before the original storyline.Before he formed his crew, he met Silvers Rayleigh, a young man who was living on a ship he had stolen after his house had burnt. Roger said that it was a fated meeting and asked Rayleigh to join him.

Unavoidable Fate

Twenty-six years before the start of the story (four years before his death), Roger came down with an incurable disease. He decided to pitch one last journey with his crew into the Grand Line. Upon reaching the lighthouse at Reverse Mountain, at the entrance of the Grand Line, he recruited Crocus as his doctor that would be responsible for keeping him alive until the completion of his journey.
Their journey took them to Skypiea and later Water 7 where the shipwright Tom built them a ship called the Oro Jackson.
Two of the most powerful opponents Roger faced on his journey were Marine Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp and the pirate Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate. The former is said to have cornered him many times on the journey, and the latter was the closest rival to his title. It is said that Whitebeard was the only one capable of matching Roger in combat.


Before reaching Raftel on his final journey, Roger was approached by the "Flying Pirate" Shiki, who had learned that Roger had located an Ancient Weapon. Seeing the opportunity, he asked Roger if they could join forces. With his large pirate fleet and Roger's weapon, Shiki believed that together they could take over the whole world, even telling Roger that what happened between them in the past was now forgotten. Despite the urge of one of his apprentices, Roger refused Shiki's offer, saying that he wanted to be free to do what he wanted. Shiki then announced that his answer meant the death of him, while Roger said it meant that he would beat him and a great sea battle soon ensued between their crews.


Roger was spared due to a storm that happened during their fight, half of Shiki's fleet sunk. Despite this and getting a piece of a steering wheel lodged into his head that almost killed him, Shiki came to have great respect for Roger.
Near his death, Roger had a final meeting with Whitebeard, as he told him about the nickname the government gave him, Gold Roger, and the secret of the Will of the D.

Final Days of the King

“	In the last moment of his life, he turned his fading "flame of life" into a huge fire that enveloped the world. I've never laughed more than on that day...!! I've never cried more than on that day... I've never drank more either..!! He was our captain... and he was a magnificent man...!!!	”
— Silvers Rayleigh talking about Roger's death

In the final days of Roger's reign, he had attained more wealth, power, and fame than anyone could imagine. Though now known as the Pirate King, Roger was well-aware of his own mortality. As if seeing the end, he disbanded his crew in secret. Before his death, he told Rayleigh he would not die. He also informed Whitebeard that he was going to die before his execution. Whether he was referring to his illness or him giving up to the Marines, is unknown. Here, he also informs Whitebeard of the meaning of the people carrying the Will of the D. Also, someday he met Portgas D. Rouge, a woman living in Baterilla, that would later become the mother of his son, Ace. Roger then turned himself into the Marines and scheduled to be excecuted, and while in prison, he asked of Garp to take care of his son when he was gone, saying that an infant child should not be labeled a criminal for his family ties, and although Garp said he had no obligation to do so, Roger knew he would do it anyway.


Thinking they would make an example of him to prevent others from becoming pirates, they immediately set up his execution in Loguetown. But as he was about to die, Roger yelled out his famous last words. Upon his final words, possibly the greatest achievement Roger made was to start the "Great Age of Piracy", dubbed by a few characters as the "Age of Dreams".