Summary
Devil Fruits are the main part of the power system ofOne Pieceand are essentially fruits that give the user unnatural abilities once eaten. The abilities granted by Devil Fruits are incredibly varied, as they can range from powerful ones that can keep back entire armies to those that can barely be used in a combat situation. However, few come close to the power or the silliness of Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.
This Devil Fruit was always known as the Gomu Gomu no Mi untilOne Piece’sWano arc, where it was revealed to be one of themost powerful Mythical Zoansin existence. With Egghead revealing the concept of inherited will shared through Devil Fruits, one can see and speculate about how the users of the Nika fruit are all linked, so let’s go over this concept and see why each user of this fruit was the most important figure in their era.
What Is Inherited Will?
A Concept That Defines Generations
Inherited will is essentially a concept that explains the passing on of someone’s dreams, ambition, and will to future generations. Those people who believe in this concept do not fear death and welcome their mortality because they know thattheir dreams and wills will live onthrough future generations and will inevitably come true. Because of this, inherited will is not a concept that is bound by blood, since anyone can assume someone else’s dream.
People’s dreams have no end!
The reason why this is so potent for the users of the Nika Fruit is because of what they represent. The connection between Nika, Joyboy, and Luffy is made through the common goal they all have of seeing everyone live free of subjugation. Whether this specific will is passed down through the Nika Fruit itself is unclear, but it is known that this is what binds these 3 together and perhaps is the reason why the fruit sought out Joyboy and Luffy specifically, as Nika’s will is likely what kept the fruit out of the hands of the World Government.
Story Arc
Wano
As told to Jinbe in his battle against Who’s-Who, Nika was an ancient being who traveled the world to spread freedom and laughter to all subjugated people, earning him the moniker of ‘Warrior of Liberation’. Nika’s existence is tied tothe folklore of Elbafand the Buccaneer race, where he is revered as a Sun God who all imprisoned people around the world pray to for freedom. According to Dr. Vegapunk, Nika’s existence is kept in many hidden and ancient texts, but most knowledge of him has been erased from the annals of history.
They called him ‘Sun God Nika’. It was said he would bring laughter to their lips and free them from their suffering. Who knows if he really existed though…?
Vegapunk’s theory is that Devil Fruits are the result of people’s wishes and desires to become something more than what they are. Due to this, he believed that, over the years, people desired to be great liberators with strange powers like Nika was, forming the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika in the process. This fruit is greatly coveted by the World Government but has always managed to escape their grasp. Whether or not Nika was even a real person, the legend from thousands of years ago birthed one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in existence.
Fishman Island
Currently, it is unclear if Nika was even real at all, so all the legends of the Warrior of Liberation freeing everyone from their oppressors could very possibly have been Joyboy during the Void Century.As the very first pirate in history, Joyboy is also the only other known user of the Nika Fruit along with Luffy, and it is known that he and his allies fought a war against the entity that later became the World Government but failed in trying to stop them.
Remember Emet, only when the time is right.
Joyboy is the one behind the One Piece treasure and, at least from what is known of him, was a hero in his time. So, this is why many believe that the will of Nika was kept inside the Hito Hito no Mi that Joyboy ate all those centuries ago since the fruit itself sought him out due to his ideals matching those of Nika. Even if Nika wasn’t real, Joyboy was the first known user of the Devil Fruit and promised to return in 800 years to set everything right in the world.
The One Who Will Become The Pirate King
First Appearance
One Piece, Chapter 1, “Romance Dawn - The Dawn of Adventure”
Romance Dawn
Inherited will is a tricky concept to understand with relation to Devil Fruits. This is because not everyone who shares the same dreams and beliefs will get the same Devil Fruit as those before them. For example, Roger had the exact same dream and ideals as Luffy but theNika Fruit skipped his generation, only to go to Luffy instead. This is something that remains a mystery.
I don’t want to rule anything. Being King of the Pirates is about being more free than anyone.
Currently, Luffy is the user of the Nika Fruit, whose awakening has given him the same visage as the legendary Warrior of Liberation in his Gear 5 state. With this, he essentially becomes Nika and is indistinguishable from Joyboy in this form, as was seen with how both Zunesha and Emet spoke about the likeness between the two. It is likely through the use of this form that Luffy will eventually find the One Piece treasure and topple the oppressive regime of the World Government and Celestial Dragons, freeing everyone from subjugation and spreading joy wherever he goes.
One Piececan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
One Piece
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the next king. The manga’s popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
