How is the yonkou decided?

[Warmmedown]

Is it just public opinion? Pirate opinion? Marine opinion? How did Luffy become known as a yonkou? Was it the moment he defeated Kaidou? What about Buggy or Blackbeard? Was it in a moment, or was it a gradual process as they took territory?

 

[Yoshi]

I honestly think Yonko are decided generally by just being stronger than Admiral level characters.

 

[Warmmedown]

That doesn't make sense, because there are non-Yonkou above that tier too. Mihawk is stronger too, but he's not a yonkou. Big Mom and Kaidou didn't get any weaker relative to the Admirals, but they lost their Yonkou status.

 

[Yoshi]

Do you think it’s decided by bounty level then?

 

[SSJ2]

It’s tough to say. The government prints out the bounties for everyone but it seems like they don’t declare who the Yonko are. Initially Luffy was referred to as the fifth emperor by the World Economic Journal. The new Yonko after Wano were also declared in the newspaper. So idk if Morgans is making it up on his own or if the government is telling him what to write in these instances.

 

[sei'taer]

Given that there are only 4 at any given time the world government or marines decide this. Otherwise Luffy would have been named the 5th emperor by Morgans and that would have been that.

 

[Warmmedown]

I was reading Morgans as Helmeppo's dad this whole time and wondering how he became so powerful.

If it is the WG who has the final say, how do they decide? Why did Big Mom get replaced? Did she lose her territory? She's still a big threat on the seas and controls a big empire, no? Why is Buggy an emperor for giving marines bounties, despite having no empire? Why is Dragon not an emperor, even though he's as big a threat to the marines and WG as Buggy is? (Maybe they want to avoid giving Dragon publicity, because of how dangerous he'll be if he gets fans).

Also when did yonkou first start? Is it just after Roger? Was Fisher Tiger a yonkou?

 

[SSJ2]

Both Big Mom and Kaido are still stuck in the Wano magma chamber as far as we know. I guess their crews are not powerful enough to maintain the entirety of their territory without having the threat of the Yonko themselves.

Buggy apparently has a decent sized following with all of the Impel Down convicts that are apparently relatively strong. Though without Crocodile and Mihawk there's no way he'd be considered one. Realistically the Straw Hats don't have territory either, though they have a grand fleet and would obviously defend islands that they are familiar with.

I think Dragon is not one because he's not actually a pirate. He helps to liberate kingdoms but after that he stays out of their affairs. And his organization is mostly working in the shadows whereas the Yonko have established territory that even the government will not enter.