Highlights
- Devil Fruits are the basis for characters’ fighting styles and still hold relevance in One Piece, even though Haki has become the main power scaling metric.
- Scientists like Vegapunk and Ceasar Clown can now synthesize artificial versions of Zoan Fruits, which was introduced back in Arabasta.
- Inanimate objects can consume Zoan Fruits, gaining extraordinary abilities, and the technology behind this is likely related to Vegapunk’s research on the lineage factor.
The One Piece Devil Fruits were the first power system introduced in the story and are still extremely relevant to the series today. Though they have now been replaced by Haki as the main metric for power scaling, many of the most powerful fighters in the One Piece world complement their Haki with these strong and creative abilities, so even now, they still serve as the basis for the characters’ individual fighting styles today.
Most Devil Fruits that appear in One Piece are natural, but Vegapunk’s research on their origin has led to great scientific advancement, and scientists in the One Piece world such as him and Ceasar Clown are now able to synthesize artificial versions of existing Zoan Fruits. This research has only been a focus of the series since the Punk Hazard Arc, so many forget that it had actually already been referenced all the way back in Arabasta, when fans were introduced to the concept of inanimate objects consuming Zoan Fruits and acquiring extraordinary abilities.
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What Are Zoan Devil Fruits?
One Piece Devil Fruits are divided into three types: Paramecia Type Devil Fruits, Logia Type Devil Fruits and Zoan Type Devil Fruits. Of the three, Zoan Types are some of the most referenced in the story so far and have taken central stage ever since the introduction of the Smile Fruits. Of this type, there are some which are even rarer and considered special within the category. These are the Ancient Type Zoan Fruits and the Mythical Zoan Fruits, which allow the user to transform into ancient beings such as dinosaurs, or mythical creatures like with Kaidou’s Uo Up No Mi, Model: Seiryu.
Though Zoan Devil Fruits traditionally grant the user enhanced physical abilities, Mythical Zoan Types seem to be an exception to the rule, with their powers assuming many different forms that don’t follow a single criterion. Of course, the most important of these is Monkey D. Luffy’s fruit which, though originally believed to be a Paramecia, Gear 5 has revealed to be the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
What Objects Have Eaten Devil Fruits?
Over the course of One Piece different inanimate objects which have eaten Zoan Devil Fruits have been introduced, though not much is known on them other than Dr. Vegapunk being involved. The first of these items was Lassoo, an agile and loyal bazooka which consumed the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Dachshund. Similarly, in the Enies Lobby Arc fans were introduced to Funkfreed, Spandam’s sword which had eaten the Zou Zou no Mi, Model: Mammoth.
None more of these creations were seen until Punk Hazard, where the focus of the story shifted to include research on Devil Fruits and the science of the One Piece world. Here, Ceasar Clown’s studies into toxic weapons had culminated in the creation of Smiley, a poison gas weapon transformed into a living axolotl-gas hybrid after having ingested the Sara Sara No Mi, Model: Axolotl. Second only to Vegapunk’s creations, the axololt’s regenerative abilities and the deadliness of the poison gas made for an extremely powerful weapon of mass destruction, capable of eradicating an entire Island.
The last of the inanimate objects with Zoan Fruit powers was seen in Wano, with the introduction of gag character Bunbuku. Unlike the others, Bunbuku isn’t a weapon, but a teapot that consumed the Inu Inu No Mi, Model: Tanuki fruit. This character is a fan favorite that has been featured in many SBS questions, though even more so than with the weapons, it is unclear how and why such a creation exists.
How Is This Possible?
One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda is yet to reveal how inanimate objects with Devil Fruits came to be, though it is probably somehow related to Vegapunk’s advancements in his research on the lineage factor. In fact, some fans believe the technology behind these creations to be the same green blood seen in the Egghead Island arc, though this is actually unlikely as this synthesized substance mimics the power of Paramecia Fruits, not Zoan Fruits. Instead, this technology is probably more similar to the SAD compound, infused into objects much like the green blood is placed in the Seraphims. As Momonosuke’s Devil Fruit proves that Vegapunk is able to reproduce Zoans without the same defects found in Caesar Clown’s SMILEs, it is likely for these creations to be related to that branch of research.
Though Devil Fruit-Object Hybrids haven’t been particularly relevant to the story, many in the community enjoy them as fun and quirky additions to the One Piece world. As the story progresses, the focus shifts more and more to the mysteries behind the lineage factor, and Vegapunk’s relevance in the current Egghead arc has brought fans closer than ever to understanding the secrets of how Devil Fruits came into existence.
One Piece is now available to read on MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA.
