Ever looked at Ace’s back and felt like something was... missing? If you only watch the anime, you’ve seen the iconic Whitebeard Pirates jolly roger as a purple skull with a big white crescent moon moustache, sitting in front of a simple cross. It’s clean. It’s heroic. It basically screams "Family."
But if you go back to the early 2000s manga chapters, things look very different.
Oda originally drew a manji behind that moustachioed skull. For Western fans, that’s a jarring sight. For Japanese fans, it’s a symbol of peace and divinity. This single design choice sparked one of the biggest "stealth edits" in shonen history.
The Controversy Shonen Jump Had to Fix
Here is the thing. Eiichiro Oda didn’t choose the original symbol to be edgy. In Japan, the manji is deeply tied to Buddhism. You see it on maps marking temples. It represents harmony.
Whitebeard, a man who literally dedicated his life to protecting the weak and building a family for outcasts, was the perfect candidate for a symbol of peace. The problem? Most of the world doesn't see a manji and think "peace." They see something much darker.
Around 2006, as One Piece was exploding globally, the higher-ups at Shueisha realized they had a PR nightmare on their hands. You can't really sell "The World's Strongest Man" to a global audience if his flag looks like a 1940s hate symbol.
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When the Swap Actually Happened
The change wasn't instant. It was a slow pivot.
- Chapter 157: Ace shows off his tattoo for the first time. It’s the original manji design.
- Chapter 434: This is where the switch becomes "canon." When Whitebeard meets Shanks, the flag in the background is suddenly the bone-cross version.
- The Viz Media Fix: If you pick up an English volume today, you’ll often find a small editor’s note explaining the history. They had to tell people, "Hey, this isn't what you think it is," before eventually just retouching the art entirely to match the anime.
Breaking Down the "New" Whitebeard Pirates Jolly Roger
The version we have now—the one on the flag of the Moby Dick—is actually more "pirate-y" anyway. It’s a skull that perfectly mirrors Edward Newgate’s face.
Most pirate flags in the series use a standard "X" for the crossbones. Whitebeard’s is different. It uses a vertical and horizontal cross. Some fans think this is a nod to Whitebeard’s "father" role—a religious allusion to him being a savior for guys like Marco and Jozu. Honestly? It might just be because it looks sturdier.
Everything about Whitebeard was about being an immovable wall. A vertical cross is structurally more stable than an "X." It fits.
Is the Manji Version Still Canon?
Kinda. In the One Piece world, symbols evolve.
Oda hasn't gone back and "erased" the old chapters in Japan, but for all modern merchandise, games like Pirate Warriors, and the official anime, the cross is the only version that exists.
There's a cool detail in the Marineford arc. When Ace dies (yeah, still hurts), the hole in his chest is positioned right where the center of that jolly roger would be. Whether it’s the manji or the cross, the symbolism remains the same: the mark of Whitebeard was his entire identity. He died with his back to the enemy so that the mark of his family would never be defaced.
What to Look for in Your Collection
If you're a hardcore collector, keep an eye on older figures or "First Edition" Japanese manga.
- Check the "Great Banquet" art spreads from the early 2000s.
- Look at the early Portgas D. Ace statues from MegaHouse.
- Some of the very first trading cards featured the original design before the global sweep.
These pieces are rare because the "correction" was so thorough. Most modern fans will never see the original flag unless they go digging through old forum archives or second-hand shops in Akihabara.
Why This Matters for One Piece History
It shows how much Oda cares about his audience. He didn't have to change it—plenty of manga like Blade of the Immortal or Tokyo Revengers keep the manji because it’s historically accurate to Japanese culture.
But One Piece is about freedom and bringing people together. If a symbol, no matter how well-intentioned, makes a portion of the fanbase feel excluded or hurt, it goes. That’s the most "Whitebeard" move Oda could have made.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see the evolution yourself, compare the art in Manga Chapter 157 with Chapter 550. You’ll see how the lines of the cross thickened over time to become the iconic symbol we recognize today. If you're buying merchandise, always verify the "Cross" version for authenticity, as most bootlegs still accidentally use the old manji templates found in outdated art assets.