After almost 3 decades of speculation and hype, One Piece’s Egghead Island arc finally revealed the Gorosei’s true powers and showed exactly why they sit on top of the World Government’s power hierarchy.
Unveiling their terrifying Yokai abilities, the 5 Elders showed powers that were somehow familiar, but, simultaneously, unlike anything else that the series has ever shown before, causing fan theories to go wild.
While many fans stand firm with the claim that these powers have nothing to do with Devil Fruits, just as many others wholeheartedly believe that they do. Some theories even state that these are Devil Fruits but ones that are different from the others in a crucial way, so let’s go over the powers of the Gorosei and see how they potentially hint at a new kind of Devil Fruit category that has never been seen before in One Piece.
The Powers Of The Gorosei
The Highest Authority of the World Government
First Appearance: One Piece, Chapter 233, “The World’s Greatest Power”
Debut Date: June 10, 2002
Story Arc: Jaya Arc
Ever since their very first appearance in the franchise, fans knew that the Gorosei were going to be unimaginably powerful once they finally showcased their full powers. This was proven to be a correct assessment since they tore through the ranks of Egghead Island and proved to be so powerful and durable that even Luffy in his Gear 5 form couldn’t manage to do any notable damage to them.
The reason why they’re so strong is because of their strange ‘Yokai’ abilities that transform them into giant, demonic figures with unique powers. These forms are inspired by myths and folklore from across the globe, giving each of the Gorosei an immeasurable amount of power the likes of which have never been seen before, especially when considering the pentagrams they use to summon one another from half a world away.
The 5 Elder’s Unique Devil Fruits
How Their Powers Hint At Strange New Devil Fruits
In the debates regarding the nature of the Gorosei’s powers, those against the idea of them coming from Devil Fruits point to the description Oda gave in Chapter 1110. Whenever there’s a notable Devil Fruit in One Piece, its name is always stated as well as the powers it gives. For the Gorosei, however, only the name of their Yokai was given, prompting many fans to think that this is an entirely new power system, which also makes sense with the summoning pentagrams and how Imu stripped Saturn’s powers.
On the other hand, the prevailing theory is that these are a new type of Devil Fruit category that Imu may have made artificially or at least have had some influence over. With the reveal of Luffy’s Gear 5 confirming the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika as a Mythical Zoan ‘God’ Fruit, many fans seem to believe that the powers of the 5 Elders are given to them using new ‘Demon’ Mythical Zoan Fruits.
This adds up as well, considering the ribbon of air/steam they each have around their upper bodies, which is synonymous with the awakened forms of Zoan Type Devil Fruits. Moreover, as seen with Saturn and V. Nusjuro specifically, the 5 Elders can also access the hybrid forms that Zoan fruits are known for, adding further proof to the theory that the true power of the Gorosei truly comes from unique Devil Fruits. However, the biggest problem that people point to regarding this theory has to do with when Imu took away Saturn’s powers in Chapter 1125, killing him in the process.
Yet, the theory has a potential answer to this as well. This answer states that these Devil Fruits were already Mythical Zoan Types when they were initially formed, but Imu somehow exerted their own power and influence upon them to essentially corrupt them into the demonic state they’re in now, which makes sense considering how each Yokai seems to be a demonic or adulterated form of an actual animal. By taking away this influence from the Demonic Mythical Zoan, they also strip the fruit of its power, leading to the death of the user.
Anyone who protects scum is lower than the scum they protect!
Although this is purely speculative until anything about the powers is eventually revealed, it does seem to add up. The 5 Elders are already some of the most powerful characters in the entire setting, so to give them Devil Fruits that are stronger and completely unlike any that fans have ever seen before would be a great way to ensure they are among the biggest obstacles waiting for Luffy and his allies by the end of the series.
