Gold Roger
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Gol D. Roger, known to most as Gold Roger, is a fictional character in the Japanese manga and anime series, One Piece. He is the first character introduced, and the very reason for the "Age of Piracy" that is the setting of the story.
Gold Roger was the The Pirate King, the strongest pirate alive, and owner of the legendary treasure known as One Piece. He was said to be completely fearless, and those who witnessed his execution even claim that he smiled gleefully just before his death. Exactly how Gold Roger died is a subject of debate, however: in the anime, two men jabbed spears into his heart, impaling him (though utterly failing to make him stop smiling); in the American dub he was "hung" (hanged) at the Roguetown gallows; and the American manga says the Navy "lopped off his head" (decapitated him). The original Japanese manga never reveals precisely how he was executed (though it depicts the scene), but it remains to be seen whether this will become an important plot point in the future, or if it was simply a way of lessening the visceral impact of the character's death.
Gold Roger and his former crew were apparently versed in ancient languages, and they had allegedly visited almost all (if not all) of the islands in the Grand Line; he befriended Gan Forr, the "God," of Skypeia, a few years before his death, and left a cryptic inscription near the Poneglyph of Cyandora. Each of the Poneglyphs (ancient stone tablets) reveals something lost to normal history; Gold Roger took the most important tablet to the last island of Grand Line.
Image:Gold02.gif The death of Gold Roger marked the beginning of the age of pirates. In the American dub, Roger's last words before he died were: "My fortune is yours for the taking, But you'll have to find it first. I left everything I owned in one piece." So with his legendary treasure One Piece now up for grabs, people took to the seas in search of it. It should be noted that the words "In One Piece" are an American interpretation. In the original Japanese opening Gold Roger states "My Wealth and treasures? If you want it, I'll let you have it...I left all of it at that place." The common understanding of these words were that he hid his treasure at "that place", which is generally believed to be Raftel, the last island on the Grand Line. It should also be noted that Roger may well have been about to name the island or place in question, if not for his short speech being interrupted by his execution (this is only shown in the Japanese anime). The series' emphasis on what 'wealth' and 'treasure' are, and how the definition changes for some people (such as Luffy's hat as his treasure) leads some fans to believe that his treasure may be nothing more than something Roger himself treasured. This also challenges the english translation of "in One Piece."
With the demise of Gold Roger, Whitebeard (the only person who ever tied in a fight with the Pirate King) is now considered the strongest man alive. How the navy captured him remains a mystery.
Later on in the manga, Dr. Kureha reveals that his true name was Gol D. Roger. The significance of the middle initial "D" (which is shared by Luffy, his brother Ace, Blackbeard and recently the giant Jaguar D. Saul) could suggest either that Gol D. Roger was related to Luffy in some way, or perhaps that their fates are all somehow intertwined. The real reason is unknown, and is the subject of much speculation among fans.