Recent One Piece arcs have seen a surprising amount of discourse develop around Luffy; between inheriting Roger’s will and the Gum-Gum Fruit both containing the power of Nika and once belonging to Joyboy, many people felt like Luffy’s accomplishments were all predetermined as opposed to stemming from his own merit, and that idea has been highly controversial.
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The idea of Luffy being a chosen one has created a massive amount of discourse among One Piece fans, but fortunately, One Piece chapter #1169 seems to be subtly addressing the issue, and if that’s truly what’s going on, then it’s probably one of the best twists a One Piece fan could ask for.
One Piece Reveals That Luffy Was Never Supposed To Be Its Hero
One Piece chapter #1169 opened with a continuation of Shanks and Gaban’s talk from the beginning of Harald’s flashback. There, Shanks found out for the first time that Roger had a son, and Shanks remarked that if he were Roger’s child, then he would probably be the one to become the next Pirate King.
One Piece chapter #1169 establishes that Shanks had a major interest in Ace becoming the Pirate King, and since it’s never been explained why Shanks took the Gum-Gum Fruit to Dawn Island, the implication seems to be that Ace, likely knowing the Gum-Gum Fruit’s true nature, went there to give it to Ace as part of Roger’s will.
This isn’t the first time characters have talked about how they hoped Ace would follow in Roger’s footsteps, and if even Shanks believed that, then it means Luffy eating the Gum-Gum Fruit was always an accident, as opposed to a thing of destiny, and Luffy only became a hero because he usurped the role from Ace.
Why One Piece’s Latest Twist Is Secretly Great
If One Piece really did reveal that Shanks wanted to give Ace the Gum-Gum Fruit, then not only does it mean that Luffy had to work to get to where he is, but it also means Shanks saw something special in Luffy that made him change his original plans in favor of supporting Luffy, which perfectly highlights Luffy’s charismatic nature.
The twist also adds a lot to Ace’s character; not only is it poetic for Luffy to inherit the role that Ace couldn’t, but Ace not getting the Gum-Gum Fruit means he was always avoiding following in Roger’s footsteps, so he was always living out his goal of being his own person and not being held down by Roger’s legacy.
While destiny is a major part of One Piece’s narrative, it’s supposed to be presented as more of a guide than something people are bound to. One Piece chapter #1169 reinforces that by all but refuting the idea of Luffy being a chosen one, and overall, that’s great to see at such a crucial point in the final saga.
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