In One Piece, Poneglyphs are more than just giant stones, they are ticking time bombs for the World Government. Not because of their physical power, but because of the truths they hold. These stones are scattered everywhere as if deliberately hidden to avoid destruction.
But why are these ancient artifacts spread from the ocean depths to the sky islands? Their distribution is no accident but a grand gamble by Queen Nefertari D. Lili to ensure the flame of truth never dies out.
Here are clues that reveal this scattering was actually a calculated “mistake.”
1. Were all Poneglyphs once kept in a single location?
We know the Poneglyphs were created hundreds of years ago by the Kozuki clan in Wano at the end of the Void Century. Using the same ancient language, made from ultra-durable stone, and serving the collective purpose of “preserving history,” there are many signs they were not originally scattered.
It’s very likely all these stones were once kept in a central cultural or political hub before being spread far and wide.
2. Shocking revelation from Imu: The “mistake” named Nefertari D. Lili
The strongest clue comes from the one sitting on the Empty Throne. Imu declared that a major past mistake directly involved Nefertari D. Lili, Queen of Alabasta.
Imu firmly states that because of Lili’s actions, the Poneglyphs were scattered across the world. This indirectly confirms an incident happened when all Poneglyphs were together, and Lili was the mastermind behind sending them away.
3. Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, The perfect tool to “transport” Poneglyphs?
One of the most intriguing theories involves the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi Devil Fruit. How else could multi-ton stones be moved to impossible locations like Fish-Man Island or Skypiea in a short time? The ability to push anything to a specific spot over great distances is the most reasonable explanation.
It’s very possible that an ally of Lili, or even Lili herself, possessed this power at the time. Without such a “global transport” level ability, moving the Poneglyphs around before Imu could stop it would have been nearly impossible.
4. Urgent action to protect the truth of the Void Century
Putting the pieces together, a bigger picture emerges. Lili and her allies were forced to scatter the Poneglyphs because the World Government (or Imu personally) planned to destroy all records of the Void Century while they were still in one place.
Spreading them worldwide made total destruction impossible. At the same time, it created a “race against time” where only those truly worthy and capable could gather the truth again. This explains why the World Government has failed for centuries to erase history, and why Joy Boy believed a future generation would connect these fragments.