Nefertari D. Lili is at the same time an important and enigmatic historical figure in the popular manga series One Piece by Eiichiro Oda. She connects with some of the most important mysteries in the series, such as the Void Century and the creation of the World Government. She herself has never appeared in the series, even though her legacy influences current events leading on.
Who is Nefertari D. Lili?
Nefertari D. Lili was the queen of the family that ruled the kingdom of Alabasta known as Nefertari 800 years ago during the Void Century, which has been a period that the World Government has tried to erase from history. Along with 19 other royal families, she founded the World Government.
However, unlike others, she did not choose to become a Celestial Dragon during her lifetime, one of the factors that made the Nefertari family quite different in the modern world.
Instead of staying in Mariejois with the other royal families, Nefertari D. Lili returns to Alabasta. This bears greater significance, as the Nefertari Family remains free from the influence of the Celestial Dragons.
The “D” in Nefertari D. Lili’s Name
One of the fascinating sides concerning Nefertari D. Lili is her middle initial—”D.” Within One Piece, it has been provided that there are characters with the “D” initial, like Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar D. Water Law, sharing in the mystical “Will of D.”
This is not elaborated on much in the course of the series, but it has seemed that those with the “D” initial are doomed to alter the world in a big way, usually at odds with the corrupted World Government.
Although it is not established yet what her actual connection to “Will of D.” is, Nefertari D. Lili’s refusal towards the Celestial Dragons may have something to do with this legacy.
In fact, fans are still speculating how she is connected deeper with the “Will of D.” and how this may affect the story in the future.
Her Part in the Void Century
The Void Century is one of the most massive mysteries that exist within the One Piece world. It was a 100-year period that occurred 800 years ago, and almost all records about this era were erased. Its rulers included Nefertari D. Lili, whose family partly participated in events shaping the current world order.
Although she is little known for her role during the Void Century, she knew something about the ancient kingdom that was destroyed.
Some of the fans believe that she might have left some sort of message about this lost history, possibly through the Poneglyphs, ancient stone tablets telling the story of the history of the Void Century. This is a theory, though, and not confirmed in the manga and anime.
Impact on the Current Timeline
Although Nefertari D. Lili lived 800 years ago, the actions she did still have effects now in One Piece, setting in motion present events of the series. The Nefertari family is an important one within the series, ranging from Vivi to Cobra.
Vivi Nefertari was a great, strong ally to Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates, and the connection of her family with ancient history is quite crucial in the story. During the Reverie arc, Cobra Nefertari, Vivi’s father, investigates the mysteries surrounding Nefertari D. Lili.
His curiosity of both the Poneglyphs and the Void Century mark him for quashing by the World Government, who will do absolutely everything in their power to keep that history true to its name.
Nefertari D. Lili is part of the entire One Piece world, not in the present timeline. Perhaps her refusal of the Celestial Dragons and potential connection to “Will of D.” positioned her to be a very important figure toward unraveling mysteries related to the Void Century.
The more the series progresses and the more that is being revealed, besides finding out how she fits into the tapestry and how it would affect the future of the One Piece world, the more fans are excited about.
