Published Jul 1, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master’s degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Warning: Contains spoilers for One Piece chapter #1186.One of the most iconic elements of One Piece’s narrative has always been its signature Devil Fruit power system, and it’s easy to see why. On a surface level, Devil Fruits are incredibly simple in function, but not only is there always incredible variety in the powers they can give someone, but it’s also a power system that allows for the creativity of the user to make even weak-looking powers strong, so there’s always a lot of fun to be had when a new Devil Fruit user is introduced.
Devil Fruits have always been a great part of One Piece’s story, but not everything about them has always made sense, and it didn’t take long for a major part of their lore to be hit with a massive retcon. It’s the kind of thing that One Piece fans have had to more or less accept, and that makes it all the more surprising that One Piece chapter #1186 has seemingly done away with that retcon after 29 years.
In the early days of One Piece, Devil Fruits were presented as something most people either knew nothing about or thought were just a myth, which paired well with the mysterious, mythical nature of their existence. However, when the story moved into the Grand Line, Devil Fruits became increasingly common and hardly ever surprised the average person, and with how some of the strongest pirates and Marines in the world were established to be Devil Fruit users, it no longer made sense for Devil Fruits to be treated as a thing of myth.
For decades, it had been accepted that One Piece had retconned the idea of Devil Fruits being myths, which makes it all the more surprising that *One Piece *chapter #1186 would say otherwise. At the end of Brook’s flashback arc, Brook said that he didn’t even know what a Devil Fruit was when everything that happened with Shuri and Esperia took place, which flies in the face of Devil Fruits being common knowledge. It’s a single line of dialogue, but sure enough, it all but says that Devil Fruits are once again something the common person doesn’t know about.
Luffy’s Gear 5 portrayal is a questionable development as it undercuts One Piece’s central themes in the realm of battle shonen.
As for how that works with the previous issues, even if some of the biggest figures in the world are Devil Fruit users, it could easily be that the news doesn’t focus on their specific abilities, not to mention how people in the Blue Seas wouldn’t have much reason to pay attention to things going on in the Grand Line. Overall, there’s plenty of logic in undoing One Piece’s massive Devil Fruit retcon, and after so many decades of it being so confusing, it’s nothing but great to see.
Even if Devil Fruits are back to being something most people think are myths in One Piece, some things still don’t make much sense. Not only is there a blatant retcon of Sanji being ignorant of Devil Fruits in his debut, but then saying he knew about them for years in the Thriller Bark arc, but the very origins of Devil Fruits have yet to be explained, even with the various hints provided by the Harley text. Those points and others will likely never be explained, and because of that, Devil Fruits will always be somewhat confusing in One Piece.
Interactive Quiz
Grand Line · Pirate Adventure Edition The One PieceAnime Quiz
⚡PowersDevil Fruit ☠VillainsEnemies
SET SAIL! →
QUESTION 1 / 8CREW
Monkey D. Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams of becoming King of the Pirates. He gained his signature stretching abilities by eating a Devil Fruit as a child. What was this fruit originally believed to be called?
AMera Mera no Mi BGomu Gomu no Mi CBara Bara no Mi DHana Hana no Mi
✓ Correct! The Gomu Gomu no Mi (Gum-Gum Fruit) was what Luffy’s Devil Fruit was believed to be — a Paramecia-type fruit that turned his body into rubber. Luffy accidentally ate it from the treasure chest of the Red Hair Pirates when he was a child in Foosha Village. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The Mera Mera no Mi is the Flame-Flame Fruit eaten by Ace, the Bara Bara no Mi is Buggy’s Chop-Chop Fruit, and the Hana Hana no Mi is Robin’s Flower-Flower Fruit.
QUESTION 2 / 8WORLD
The One Piece world is divided by a massive geological formation that runs around the entire globe, separating the oceans. What is this continent-like structure called?
AThe Grand Line DReverse Mountain
✓ Correct! The Red Line is a massive continent that circles the globe vertically, dividing the world’s oceans into four seas: North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue. It intersects with the Grand Line at two points, including the holy land of Mary Geoise. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Red Line. The Grand Line is the ocean route where pirates compete, the Calm Belt is a windless sea surrounding it full of Sea Kings, and Reverse Mountain is the entry point to the Grand Line. The Red Line is the massive continent dividing the world.
QUESTION 3 / 8POWERS
In the One Piece world, there is a spiritual power that allows users to sense others’ presence, predict attacks, and even exert their willpower over others. What is this power called?
✓ Correct! Haki is a mysterious power that exists in every living being in the One Piece world. It comes in three types: Observation Haki (sensing), Armament Haki (invisible armor), and the rare Conqueror’s Haki (dominating willpower), which only one in a million people possess. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Haki. Chakra is the energy system from Naruto, Nen is from Hunter x Hunter, and Ki is from Dragon Ball. Haki is One Piece’s unique power system with three distinct forms: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s.
QUESTION 4 / 8VILLAINS
The Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) were powerful pirates who worked for the World Government in exchange for pardons. Which of these characters was NOT one of the original Seven Warlords?
ADracule Mihawk CDonquixote Doflamingo
✓ Correct! Kaido was never a Warlord — he was one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), the most powerful pirates ruling the New World. Known as “the Strongest Creature in the World,” Kaido ruled over Wano Country with the Beast Pirates. Mihawk, Crocodile, and Doflamingo were all Warlords. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Kaido. Mihawk (the world’s greatest swordsman), Crocodile (the desert king of Alabasta), and Doflamingo (the Heavenly Demon) were all Warlords. Kaido was a Yonko — an Emperor of the Sea — a rank above the Warlords entirely.
QUESTION 5 / 8ARCS
The Marineford War arc is considered one of the most emotional and pivotal arcs in One Piece. Luffy desperately fought to save someone important to him from execution. Who was Luffy trying to save?
BPortgas D. Ace
✓ Correct! Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s sworn older brother, was captured by the Marines and sentenced to public execution at Marineford. Luffy broke into Impel Down prison and then stormed Marineford itself in a desperate attempt to save Ace, leading to one of the most heartbreaking moments in anime history. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is Portgas D. Ace. Nico Robin was rescued during the Enies Lobby arc, Zoro is rarely in that kind of danger, and Sabo was believed dead at the time. Ace’s execution at Marineford triggered an all-out war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
QUESTION 6 / 8CREW
Roronoa Zoro is the first member to join Luffy’s crew and serves as the Straw Hats’ swordsman. He has a unique fighting style. How many swords does Zoro wield in his signature technique?
✓ Correct! Zoro is famous for his Santoryu (Three Sword Style), wielding one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. This unique fighting style makes him one of the most distinctive swordsmen in all of anime. His dream is to become the world’s greatest swordsman by defeating Dracule Mihawk. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is three. Zoro’s signature Santoryu (Three Sword Style) involves wielding one sword in each hand and gripping the third in his mouth. While he can fight with one or two swords, his three-sword technique is his most iconic and powerful combat form.
QUESTION 7 / 8WORLD
The World Government in One Piece is controlled by a mysterious group of individuals who sit at the very top of its power structure, above even the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral. What are they called?
AThe Five Elders (Gorosei) BThe Celestial Dragons CThe Revolutionary Army
✓ Correct! The Five Elders (Gorosei) are the highest-ranking leaders of the World Government, residing in the holy land of Mary Geoise. They command all military and political power, including the authority to order a Buster Call. Their true nature and abilities have only recently been revealed in the series. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Five Elders (Gorosei). The Celestial Dragons are descendants of the founding kings but don’t rule directly, the Revolutionary Army opposes the government, and the Yonko are pirate emperors outside government control. The Gorosei sit at the absolute top.
QUESTION 8 / 8POWERS
It was revealed that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is not actually the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but a mythical Zoan-type fruit with a much more significant true name. What is the fruit’s real identity?
AHito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika BTori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix CUo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu DInu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami
✓ Correct! The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika is a Mythical Zoan-type fruit that the World Government had been hunting for 800 years. When Luffy awakened it during the Wano arc, he unlocked Gear 5 — gaining the power of “the most ridiculous ability in the world” with limitless imagination-based combat. ✗ That answer missed like a Gum-Gum Pistol in a storm! The answer is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Sun God Nika. The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix belongs to Marco, the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was Kaido’s dragon fruit, and the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami was Yamato’s fruit. Luffy’s true fruit is the legendary Sun God Nika.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Voyage Complete Your Pirate Bounty
Are you King of the Pirates — or still swabbing the deck?
↻ SET SAIL AGAIN
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though; much of the appeal of Devil Fruits comes from how little the characters and the audience know about them, so certain elements to them not having proper explanations only adds to their air of mystery. Said air of mystery is only further enhanced by making them something the average person doesn’t think is real, and it’s truly amazing that One Piece would bring that idea back after so many years.
](/tag/one-piece/)
Video Game(s)
One Piece: Unlimited World Red, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, One Piece: World Seeker, One Piece Odyssey
One Piece: The Movie
First TV Show
Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi
Character(s)
Monkey D. Luffy, Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)