Summary
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The World Government inOne Pieceis arguably one of the most extensive organizations in the history of anime. With thousands of marines, Admirals, and the Elders among its ranks,the World Governmentis the ultimate powerhouse that is a threat to all pirates on the Grand Line and the New World. Despite possessing an immense amount of destructive power in the hands of its Admirals and Commander-in-Chiefs, the World Government’s most fierce weapon happens to be the Buster Call, a military attack by the marines that embodies the World Government’s doctrine of absolute justice.
This weapon is used as a surefire way to destroy an entire island and all of its inhabitants, quelling any threats to the World Government. However,the Buster Call’s usagethroughoutOne Piece, albeit limited, has showcased that this weapon might not be as powerful as it was initially hyped to be. The few instances of its usage all point towards the fact that the Buster Call may have been overhyped as it failed to deliver what it promised. While the Buster Call is still an effective and powerful weapon of the World Government, its usage in One Piece clearly showcases that the World Government has stronger weapons up its sleeve, making the Buster Call a merely overrated weapon.
Touted to be The Marine’s Strongest Weapon
First Mention
One Piece Episode 276 “The Fated Parent and Child! The Mother’s Name is Olvia!”
Targets
Ohara, Enies Lobby, Egghead
The World Government has many weapons and terrors up its sleeve, yet the Buster Call is arguably one of the organization’s strongest assets. It is a weapon that takes the form of an indiscriminate attack on an island via ten navy battle fleets with five Vice Admirals at the helm. Consideringthe position of Vice Admiralis quite high and significant in the World Government’s hierarchy, the Buster Call has the potential to do tremendous amounts of damage to the targeted island.
This is an attack without mercy! Without humanity! The Buster Call will burn everything on Enies Lobby to the ground!
The result is a catastrophic level of destruction, with the entire island and its inhabitants being annihilated altogether. The Buster Call follows the Marine doctrine of Absolute Justice, a notion that states that anyone who opposes the World Government is a criminal, and they deserve to be annihilated, irrespective of the collateral damage that may occur in the process. Due to this logic, the Buster Call kills all, whether it’s friend or foe.
This makes the Buster Call all the more lethal, as the navy battleships attack anyone in their way, even sacrificing their own marines and higher ups if they happen to be caught in the crossfire. This indiscriminate killing is exactly what lends the Buster Call its notoriety, as it is a symbol ofthe World Government’s ruthless ruleover the seas that spares neither their own nor any innocent civilians that may happen to reside on the unfortunate island.
Why The Buster Call Failed to Deliver
The Buster Call Failed to Live Up to Expectations
With a weapon that had such immense weight around it and a dramatic reveal, the Buster Call failed to live up to expectations. It was initially revealed to be the World Government’s strongest weapon, as it would mercilessly kill all in its wake, whether it’s friend or foe. While the first instance of its usage in Ohara was able to show off its destructive force, it’s worth noting that that instance was merely a show of force against civilians and unarmed archaeologists who remained at the mercy of the battle fleets.
However, against an actual threat such as pirates or Devil Fruit users, a Buster Call is almost entirely useless, which was witnessed in its second usage duringthe Enies Lobby Arc. While the Buster Call was able to entirely destroy Enies Lobby, it failed to annihilate any of its targets, whether it was the Straw Hats or the Franky family and the Giants. This underwhelming display showcased the weak points of the Buster Call and how its overhyped introduction failed to deliver.
The Buster Call Is Blunt Force Over Strategy
The Buster Call Lacks Strategic Planning
The foremost weakness of the Buster Call is that it primarily relies on the blunt force of ten Marine Battleship fleets and their firepower. Apart from the raw force of these ships, the Buster Call has nothing much to offer other than five Vice Admirals who, in the enemy’s lobby arc, were proven to be just as weak as the Marines they commanded. Apart from this, the Buster Call fails to do any actual damage against real threats such as the Pirates orother Devil Fruit users.
For true justice, you must be merciless at times.
The Enies Lobby arc is a prime example of how the Battleship Fleet’s firepower failed to do any harm to the Straw Hats. Instead, it ended upharming the Marines themselvesas it shredded their numbers little by little. Moreover, even the Franky family and the Galley-La shipwrights survived the Buster Call’s attack head-on. It’s worth noting that these characters were neither Pirates nor Devil Fruit users, yet they were able to survive a navy battleship’s attack head-on. This further undermines the Buster Call’s initial hype as it couldn’t even take down mere ancillary characters who had absolutely no power in their hands.
Newer Threats Make the Buster Call Seem Like Child’s Play
One Piece Has Introduced New Antagonistic Threats and Powers That Render the Buster Call Useless
TheOne Pieceseries continues to introduce new weapons and threats to the narrative, all of which continue to make the Buster Call seem like nothing more than an ineffective weapon. The weapon was initially supposed to be the epitome of power for the Marines, yet it has now become an antiquated weapon that serves no purpose other than an empty threat. For instance,the Mother Flame, created by Dr. Vegapunk for the World Government, is far more dangerous and destructive than the entirety of the Buster Call, as it can be used to power ancient weapons that can annihilate entire islands in an instant.
Moreover, there are singular characters in the series that can unleash more destruction in an instant than the entirety of a Buster Call. For instance,Akainu’s Magma Devil Fruit Magu Magu no Mi and Blackbeard’s Gura Gura no Mi are enough to unleash cataclysmic damage upon islands in mere seconds. This level of threat makes the Buster Call seem like nothing more than child’s play at this point, as it can be countered with ease by any character with a sliver of intelligence and power.
The Buster Call Has Never Been Successful
The World Government Has Never Reached Its Objectives Through This Weapon
The Buster Call has many inconsistencies and problems holding it back, yet the most obvious show of its ineffectiveness is the fact that it has never succeeded in its objectives. The first Buster Call witnessed in Ohara may have successfully destroyed the islandand killed the archaeologists, yet it failed to end the island’s legacy since Nico Robin managed to escape. Similarly, the Buster Call at Enies Lobby was a massive failure, as it not only failed to capture Nico Robin and the Straw Hats, but also resulted in casualties for the Marines themselves.
The biggest failure is arguablythe Buster Call on Egghead, as it involved nine Vice Admirals, CP0, and the Elders themselves, yet it still failed to achieve its objective. The Straw Hats, along with Kuma, managed to escape, making this event another failure for the World Government. With every usage of this weapon resulting in failure, the Buster Call has clearly lost its effectiveness as a tool to instill fear and drive the plot forward.
