Known for years as “Raftel” in the world of One Piece, this mysterious island was first visited by Roger's pirates. However, Oden's diary revealed that its original name was “Laugh Tale.” This name change carries a much deeper meaning about the true nature of the island: “a story to laugh about“ or ‘the tragicomic end of the world.”
The name ’Laugh Tale” is directly related to Roger's laughter when he first set foot on the island. This laughter reinforces the theory that the island is not a treasure-filled place, but rather an ironic reflection of the world's past. Oda admitted that the name “Raftel” was actually a romanization error and officially confirmed the name “Laugh Tale” in the 2019 film Stampede.
Requirements for Reaching Laugh Tale
Knowing the map alone is not enough to reach Laugh Tale. You must locate the four Road Poneglyph stones, obtain the coordinates from their combination, and plot the route to the island. However, these coordinates are not straightforward; the Earth's tilted magnetic field and the Grand Line's instability make the journey nearly impossible.
To date, only Gol D. Roger and his crew have reached Laugh Tale. When Roger discovered the island's location, he realized he didn't have enough time to enjoy the treasure due to his health issues. Instead of revealing the island's secrets, he decided to leave “One Piece” for the next generation.
The Symbolism of Roger's Laughter
The moment Gol D. Roger arrived on the island and “burst into laughter” is not just a comedic scene. This laughter could be an expression of confronting the history that the World Government has tried to suppress, Joy Boy's failure, and the tragedy of ancient times. Roger's laughter implies that Laugh Tale is actually the ironic culmination of humanity's greatest tragedy. In other words, the treasure is not material, but based on historical understanding.
Joy Boy's Diary and the Connection to Laugh Tale
The most critical document believed to be on the island is an old letter or diary belonging to Joy Boy. The contents of this inscription have never been revealed, but information leaked from Oden's diary suggests that Joy Boy made a promise a thousand years ago and was unable to fulfill it.
This promise was most likely a “promise of freedom” to the people of Fishman Island or the entire world. Laugh Tale is the key to understanding why this promise was broken and how it can be fulfilled once again.
The Connection Between the Ancient Weapons and Laugh Tale
It is believed that Laugh Tale contains information about the locations or functions of the ancient weapons Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus. These weapons are powerful enough to destroy the World Government, and the information in Laugh Tale may hold the secrets to controlling them.
Additionally, each of these weapons is connected to a different species: Poseidon to a sea princess, Pluton to an ancient ship... In this context, Laugh Tale is speculated to be a “historical center” testing whether an era of inter-species peace is possible.
Laugh Tale, the World Government, and the Broken History
The World Government keeps the existence of Laugh Tale a secret because the information it contains could expose the historical crimes committed by the 20 founding kingdoms of the Government. This information has the potential to shed light on everything about the 100-year dark period known as the Void Century.
The fact that the Poneglyphs point the way to Laugh Tale explains why the Government is trying to destroy these stones. This is because the information hidden in Laugh Tale has the power to fundamentally undermine the legitimacy of the current regime.
Theories About the True Nature of One Piece
According to many theories, the “One Piece” in Laugh Tale is not a physical treasure but a cohesive whole composed of scattered pieces of history from all corners of the world. Some fans believe that One Piece actually represents the idea of “uniting the world”—a symbol of unity transcending geographical, racial, and political boundaries. Another claim is that One Piece is a massive “information chamber” where knowledge gathered along the Grand Line is transmitted digitally or through projection. Laugh Tale may function as a terminal for this system.
The Relationship Between Laugh Tale and the Destruction of the Red Line
According to some theories, Laugh Tale is directly linked to the destruction of the Red Line. The collapse of the Red Line will lead to the disappearance of the Grand Line and the merging of all seas into a single ocean. This scenario perfectly aligns with Luffy's dream of “freeing all the seas.”
If it is confirmed that One Piece contains information or tools to destroy the Red Line, Laugh Tale would become the “starting point of a new world order.” This would mean that Luffy would be positioned as the “liberator of all people” rather than the “king of the seas.”
The Physical Location and Inaccessibility of Laugh Tale
It is claimed that Laugh Tale is located directly opposite Reverse Mountain at the end of the Grand Line, meaning it is geographically very close to the “starting point.” However, the magnetic imbalances of the Grand Line and the complexity of the log pose system prevent a direct route to the island from being mapped.
Additionally, it is claimed that Laugh Tale is not an island but rather a “shifting island” that is submerged underwater or constantly affected by magnetic storms. This could explain why only Roger's crew was able to reach it.
Shanks and Laugh Tale's Relationship
Shanks' visit to Laugh Tale as a member of Roger's crew makes his complex relationship with the World Government more meaningful. Instead of using the information he obtained in Laugh Tale to fundamentally change the world's current order, Shanks adopted a position of “maintaining balance.”
Shanks' private meetings with the five elders suggest that the truths he learned in Laugh Tale may still be a subject of political bargaining. In other words, Shanks may have secured the preservation of order in certain regions in exchange for keeping the information about Laugh Tale a secret.
Laugh Tale and the “D” Will
Laugh Tale is believed to reveal the historical origins of the “Will of D.” Those bearing the letter “D” may be descendants of an ancient people who rebelled against the World Government. Therefore, the information contained in Laugh Tale could uncover a much broader history that gives meaning to the existence of characters like Luffy.
After learning what he did in Laugh Tale, Roger predicted that someone like Luffy would be born in the future and that the war would take place “not today, but tomorrow.” This shows that Laugh Tale is not only a center that shapes the past, but also the future.
Laugh Tale and the Ancient Kingdom
It is believed that the island contains remnants or cultural symbols of the Ancient Kingdom. The architecture, technology, and worldview of this kingdom were completely opposite to the World Government, being libertarian and collective. Laugh Tale may therefore be filled with “forbidden knowledge” in both a physical and ideological sense.
Some theories suggest that Laugh Tale is actually the last capital of the Ancient Kingdom and that the island's location was deliberately isolated. This isolation may have been a kind of “self-sealing” that the people did to save themselves during the genocide.
Laugh Tale and Technological Secrets
Thanks to Vegapunk's research, it is now known that the Ancient Kingdom possessed incredible technology. It is claimed that the original sources of this technology are hidden in Laugh Tale. This makes Laugh Tale not just a history book but also an “archive of lost technologies.”
Theories linking Alabasta and Wano, where the plans for weapons such as Pluton are located, suggest that this information will be combined on the island and lead to the discovery of a power that will change the world.
The Emotional Weight of Laugh Tale
More than the physical challenges, it is the emotional weight of Laugh Tale that has a profound effect on the characters. Roger's laughter was not an escape, but rather a painful acceptance of reality. Even Oden couldn't bear this information and sacrificed his life to open Wano. So, everyone who reaches Laugh Tale must pass a test of not only strength, but also character and emotional resilience. This island is not an end point; it is a symbol of both destruction and rebirth.
The Connection Between Laugh Tale and Bink's Sake
There is a striking parallel between the name “Laugh Tale” and the lyrics of the song “Bink's Sake.” This song is a sea shanty often sung by Roger's pirates and performed by Brook in the past. The phrase “Laughing Tale” in the lyrics may have inspired the name of the island.
It is claimed that the song has a history dating back to the Ancient Kingdom and serves as a melodic narration of the tragic history in Laugh Tale. This song, which remains in Brook's memory, suggests that history may have been passed down from generation to generation through folk songs. This implies that Laugh Tale is actually a place of memory that has been secretly preserved in soft forms such as folk music, despite attempts to erase it from history.
Laugh Tale and Time Paradox Theories
According to some theories, Laugh Tale is a region that interacts directly with time. Joy Boy's letter or message could be a kind of record “sent to the future.” This theory gained further strength after we learned that the character Toki in Wano was sent to the future using the time fruit.
If there is a mechanism in Laugh Tale that affects time, then Joy Boy's message being left in a way that “someone in the future will read it” is not a coincidence, but a conscious design of time. This also explains why the information on the island can only be understood by certain people.
Laugh Tale and the “Redrawing of the World Map”
Laugh Tale is not just an information hub but also the starting point where the world will be redefined. The true shapes of continents, historical routes, and the World Government's deliberately misrepresented geographical features may be revealed here.
According to some theories, Poneglyphs are not just written history, but also geographical markers. Laugh Tale is the central point where these markers can be combined to reveal the real world map. This leads to the island being perceived as a “projector that will show the truth of the whole world.”
Why is it dangerous to go to Laugh Tale?
Only Roger's crew has been able to reach Laugh Tale because the journey requires knowledge, physical strength, technical equipment, and historical connections. Going to this island is a crime punishable by death by the World Government. This explains why Laugh Tale is known to so few people and why it is only referred to as a “legend.”
The fact that no pirate other than Roger has been able to approach the island to date is not only due to technical reasons, but also because the places that must be visited during the journey (Whole Cake Island, Wano, etc.) are extremely dangerous from a political and physical standpoint.
Laugh Tale and Cosmic Meanings
Some fan theories suggest that Laugh Tale may be connected not only to this world but also to celestial entities like the moon. The ancient civilization ruins Enel discovered during his moon journey align perfectly with certain symbols on Earth.
According to this theory, Laugh Tale may contain traces of people who migrated from the moon to Earth and information about the technology they brought with them. Thus, Laugh Tale is not only a piece of history but also a link to the galactic origins of civilization.
The Power of Laugh Tale's Wordless Narrative
It is believed that the story is told more through symbols, places, structures, and visual elements than through written documents on the island. This narrative style aims to allow the reader or viewer to experience not only information but also emotions.
Roger's laughter represents the intense emotional impact of this silent narrative. Laugh Tale may be an island that “feels” rather than “tells.” This is what sets it apart from all other centers of wisdom in history as its most human characteristic.