One Piece’s Mysterious New Devil Fruit – Theories Explained

Warning: contains spoilers for One Piece chapter 1037!

The latest chapter of One Piece showcases the much anticipated final clash between Luffy and Kaidou, but this is not even the most exciting part. The chapter ends on a mysterious note, with the Gorosei, the five elders of the World Government, discussing a legendary Devil Fruit that their organization has tried to keep hidden. Thanks to some masterful misleading by author Eiichiro Oda, there are already many theories on what fruit they are actually talking about.

In One Piece, Devil Fruits are mysterious edible objects that can confer extraordinary powers to whoever eats them, at the cost of losing their ability to swim. Particularly powerful and expert users can “awaken” their Devil Fruit, gaining increased strength and abilities. At the end of chapter #1037, the Gorosei are talking about various issues, including the battle going on in Wano and their attempts to capture Nico Robin. They discuss a Devil Fruit, which is “nothing but a legend, even for us,” and “hasn’t awakened for centuries.” “How else do you explain,” one of the Gorosei yells, “the World Government giving a specific Devil Fruit a unique name?They were hiding the fruit’s true name from the annals of history?!” It’s then that a mysterious figure in the mists around Wano is revealed as Zunesha, the giant elephant that carries the island of Zou, home of the Minks, on its back.

Fans of One Piece are currently running wild with theories on what this mysterious Devil Fruit that the World Government tried to erase from history actually is. The presence of Zunesha on the very same page could hint at a connection between the giant elephant and the fruit, but it could also be deliberately misleading by Oda. One theory speculates that the Gorosei are talking about the Kibi Kibi no Mi, possessed by Tama, which has the power to control all animals (and Zoan type fruit users). This could be the reason why Zunesha suddenly showed up near Wano, where Tama is helping the Straw Hats in their fight against the Beasts Pirates. The giant elephant is also a mystery in itself: 1,000 years ago, it committed a heinous but unspecified crime and was condemned to wander the seas endlessly and only act upon being ordered to do so.

The Gomu Gomu no Mi, Luffy’s fruit, is also a strong candidate, because some chapters ago it was revealed that the World Government went to great lengths to protect it, before it got stolen by Shanks, and also because Luffy seems close to its “awakening” in order to defeat Kaidou. However, it doesn’t make sense that it should be a legend for the Gorosei, because its existence is widely known. Some fans are leaning towards the Toki Toki no Mi, a fruit with the amazing power of sending the user or other people forward in time, even centuries. This was possessed by Kozuki Oden’s wife, Toki, who supposedly died twenty years before current events in the manga, but who fans speculate may have returned. However, Toki actually came from 800 years in the past, the “Void Century” that the Government tries to keep obscured at all costs. It would then make sense that her Devil Fruit was considered a legend in the present, and that it would be feared and hidden by the World Government.

Whatever the truth behind this mysterious Devil Fruit might be, it’s another example of how fans of One Piece keep getting caught out by Oda’s ability to knock them off their feet with each new chapter.

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