One Piece may look like a light-hearted pirate adventure on the surface, but readers of the manga know better.
This world is shaped by centuries of erased history, broken promises, and characters who lived long enough to watch the same mistakes repeat.
This list is not about hype or appearances. It focuses on who truly outlived history, and how their long lives shaped the world Luffy is now sailing through.
1. Zunesha (1,000+ years)
Zunesha is the oldest confirmed living being in the One Piece world.
Introduced not as a fighter but as a walking continent, Zunesha has wandered the seas for over a thousand years, carrying the Mink Tribe while serving a punishment rooted in the Void Century.
When Momonosuke hears Zunesha’s voice in Wano, the manga confirms something crucial: Zunesha remembers the world before it was rewritten.
It knew Joy Boy personally, yet cannot act freely.
When Zunesha finally moves in Wano, the balance of power shifts instantly. Its story is not about strength, but about guilt, obedience, and surviving long enough to remember the truth.
2. Imu (800+ years)
Imu is history’s invisible ruler.
From the Empty Throne, Imu has governed the world since the Void Century.
Entire islands vanish, royal bloodlines are erased, and forbidden knowledge is deleted rather than defeated just to keep his existence a secret.
He had the immense power to turn a person immortal while also turning him a slave to his words.
Imu’s age explains why the world is silent. The World Government didn’t simply win — it outlived its enemies. While erasing every single things which could harm his authority.
3. Gorosei (Void Century era)
The Five Elders do not age like normal humans.
Across decades in the manga, their appearances never change.
Their role is consistent: suppress forbidden history, destroy dangerous knowledge, and enforce Imu’s will.
These are not politicians — they are caretakers of a lie preserved across centuries and not only they rule inside the room but they are the strongest soldiers of the Imu demon force which is completely loyal to him.
If Imu represents intent, the Gorosei represent execution.
4. Joy Boy (Void Century figure)
Joy Boy never appears directly, yet his presence defines the story.
He lived during the Void Century and left behind an unfulfilled promise that echoes through Poneglyphs, Ancient Weapons, and inherited wills.
When Zunesha recognises Luffy’s heartbeat, the manga confirms Joy Boy’s influence never truly died.
In One Piece, some characters live forever through unfinished dreams.
5. Toki Kozuki (800+ years, chronological)
Toki was born during the Void Century but died in the present era.
Using the Time-Time Fruit, she leapt forward through history, avoiding persecution while carrying fragments of forbidden truth. She never traveled backward — she believed the future would fix what the past could not.
With Toki’s death, the manga quietly removed one of the last living witnesses of erased history.
6. Dr. Kureha (141 years)
Dr Kureha treats death like a joke.
At 141, she remains sharp, mobile, and deeply informed.
On Drum Island, she casually references concepts like the Will of D. long before the story explains them, hinting that she knows far more than she says.
Her longevity comes from intellect, adaptability, and sheer refusal to disappear.
7. Brook (90+ years)
Brook’s life is divided into before death and after it.
He dies at 38, revives through the Revive-Revive Fruit, and spends decades alone with the corpses of his crew.
His jokes hide a loneliness older than most characters in the manga.
Brook shows that surviving time can be its own punishment, and he is one of the oldest member of luffy’s crew.
8. Sengoku (79 years)
Sengoku’s justice was shaped by loss.
As Fleet Admiral, he lived through Roger’s era and Marineford. He was the senior to Garp and the main founding pillars of the marine in the era of Gol D Roger he knew most of the dark history of the marines just like Garp but kept to stay silent to keep world in order.
By the end, he understood that absolute justice creates absolute victims.
His retirement was not weakness — it was realization.
9. Monkey D. Garp (78 years)
Garp watched the Pirate King rise and helped bring his era to an end.
He survived God Valley, trained future Marines, and refused promotions that would bind him to a system he no longer trusted.
His strength remained, but his belief eroded with time.
10. Silvers Rayleigh (78 years)
Rayleigh reached Laugh Tale and learned the truth of the world.
Instead of acting immediately, he waited.
Training Luffy was not about power — it was about timing. Rayleigh understands that history only moves when the era is ready.
11. Whitebeard (72 years)
Whitebeard was already dying when Marineford began.
Yet even weakened, he reshaped the era with his final stand. His death was not about victory, but about legacy. Even time respected Edward Newgate.
12. Big Mom (68 years)
Big Mom ruled for decades without reflection.
Her long life brought power, not wisdom. Her empire thrived on fear, proving that surviving long does not guarantee growth.
13. Kaido (50–60+ years)
Kaido survived too long without purpose.
His obsession with death reveals a man who outlived meaning rather than enemies. Strength without direction became his prison.
14. Shakuyaku (60+ years)
Once pursued by Garp, Shakuyaku chose survival over chaos and chose his lover in Rayleigh rather than the popularity with the pirate king.
One of the major reason why God Valley incident happened was because Shakky was kidnapped and put up as a price there otherwise the rocks pirate woul not had reached there and scale of fight there would be very small.
She aged out of piracy and into awareness — something few ever achieve.
15. Neptune (70+ years)
Neptune ruled Fish-Man Island through endurance, not domination.
His age reflects restraint and responsibility — rare qualities in a world driven by conquest.
Final Thoughts
One Piece is shaped by ancient promises, forgotten crimes, and characters who lived long enough to guard or challenge them.
Time does not create heroes in One Piece. It reveals intentions.
FAQ
Who is the oldest character in One Piece?
Zunesha is the oldest confirmed living being, having existed for over 1,000 years.
Is Imu older than the World Government?
Yes. Imu has ruled from the shadows since the Void Century. He was most likely the one who created the world government as a mask to control the world from behind the curtains.
Why don’t the Gorosei age?
In the recent chapters of the manga we get to know that Imu had the power to make anyone immortal and he would have made all the gorosei immortal from the time of Void century.
