The creator of One Piece has proven his intellect time and again. For more than 20 years, Eiichiro Oda has woven a delicious tale with Luffy at the helm, and it has kept readers guessing. With the manga entering its final act, all eyes are on the Straw Hats to see how their travels pan out. For Luffy, all of this attention is heightened in light of his Gear Fifth form, and a viral theory suggests the pirate’s Zoan Devil Fruit is more powerful than we know.
The theory was shared online by writingpanini over on X (Twitter). After putting the pieces of Gear Fifth together, the One Piece fan suggested Luffy’s new form may tie him to something far more powerful than himself. It is said the Zoan Fruits all have a will of their own, and Panini breaks down this truth with a convincing lesson on voodoo.
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“Why is it that in his Nika form (awakened state), Luffy’s personality seems to change and fit that of the Devil Fruit,” the user asks. “In Haitian Vodou, the lwa serve as intermediaries between humanity and Bondye, a transcendent creator divinity. Lwa are spirits that could be the will behind Devil Fruits!”
As you can see here, the theory thread goes on to unpack how voodoo tradition may explain Luffy’s new form and its internal discord. By comparing Devil Fruits to the Lwa, the theory suggests the fruits are trying to commune with humanity through divination. We already know the Devil Fruits are born from a person’s wish for humanity, and just like the Lwa are born from blood, Devil Fruits appear in the world after the death of a holder.
Beyond the Lwa and Devil Fruit comparison, the One Piece theory goes on to tie Luffy and the Sun God Nika to possession. “During Vodop ceremonies or rituals, people enter a state of trance or possession and become a vessel for the lwa to manifest and communicate with the physical world. Does Luffy in Gear 5 enter a state where he lets Nika manifest and communicate with the physical world,” the post asks.
“Spirit possession is important, being central to many Vodoo rituals. The person being possessed is called the chwal (horse). The act of possession is termed “mounting a horse”. The secret behind Gear 5? The specific drums and songs encourage a specific lwa to possess someone. A central ritual involves practitioners drumming, singing, and dancing to encourage a lwa to possess one of their members and thus communicate with them.”
As usual, this robust fan-theory shows how connect readers are to One Piece, and it is more than convincing. Oda has been cooking on Devil Fruits for decades, and we know he has used real world practices to inform is seafaring series. It wouldn’t be surprising if Oda leaned into the Voodoo religion while piecing together the hidden power of Zoan Fruits. And if this theory comes to pass, Panini will earn the biggest prize possible.
What do you think about this One Piece theory? Does it have any teeth to it? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
