Summary
- Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi has evolved with different Gears, showing his creative mastery.
- The true power of the Devil Fruit was revealed as belonging to the Mythical Zoan class.
- Joy Boy was the first user of the fruit, preceding Luffy, adding depth to the story in One Piece.
The Gomu Gomu no Mi is an incredibly important Devil Fruit in the One Piece world and the very first one that was introduced to the fans in the story, right at the beginning, when Luffy ate it. Ever since then, the Gomu Gomu no Mi has been central to the story of One Piece. This is the main power source of Luffy, the protagonist of the series, and he has been using it incredibly well over the years.
Of course, fans always knew that there was an element of specialty attached to this Devil Fruit, and it wasn't until Wano that this idea was finally confirmed by Oda himself. At the same time, fans also know that multiple Devil Fruit users can have the same power throughout history, and, as such, fans have previously wondered as to who the individual with this power before Luffy was. Now, Oda has finally given the fans the answer to this question.
What Is The Gomu Gomu no Mi?
The Special Devil Fruit With Rubbery Powers Has An Intriguing Origin
The Gomu Gomu no Mi is a unique Devil Fruit. At the beginning of the series, it was introduced as a Paramecia type of fruit with the power of rubber. Essentially, this fruit gave Luffy the ability to stretch, shrink, and do just about anything that rubber can. Luffy became a rubber human, and this power wasn't all that special at that point. In fact, if anything, it limited Luffy greatly in what he could and couldn't do. However, there was always going to be potential attached to this ability, and that is what Luffy ended up mastering over the years. Over a decade after training himself in the art of utilizing this Devil Fruit power, Luffy became strong enough to finally set out to see, and that is where the story begins. Luffy improved his skills greatly over the years. His creativity and innovation led to the evolution of the powers of this Devil Fruit and the creation of a unique concept called Gears.
Luffy could utilize Gear Second, which boosted his physical attributes, especially his speed and ferocity, to sky-high levels in Enies Lobby. He developed Gear Third to gain the body of a giant by inflating air into his bones. After the timeskip, by learning the power of Haki, Luffy gained the ability called Gear Fourth, where he inflated his muscles and used the full force of his haki to give himself maximum elasticity. Clearly, Luffy took this power to the next level with his own creativity and mastered it to a commendable degree. With these powers, he could even fight against Kaido eventually. However, it certainly was not enough.
Possessing a body of rubber and fighting in whichever way he fancies, bringing smiles to the people's faces, the Warrior of Liberation, lso known as the Sun God, Nika!
The true power of the Gomu Gomu no Mi was only revealed to the fans after Luffy ended up awakening it. The process of awakening required him to fully gain control over the power and the potential of this Devil Fruit and for his body and mind to be one with the powers of the fruit itself. Luffy awakened and gained access to Gear 5 in the Wano Country arc, and it was then revealed that this Devil Fruit was actually not the Gomu Gomu no Mi. It was also mentioned clearly that this fruit actually belongs to the Mythical Zoan class and holds the power of a God, the Sun God Nika.
Essentially, the rubbery body is just one aspect of this power. Luffy's true power lies in being able to fight with a lot of freedom and creativity. Awakening only made his body tougher and allowed him to fight with more freedom than ever before. In the past, Luffy has gone from place to place and spread laughter and joy, which is why the user of this Devil Fruit is also known as the Warrior of Liberation, and the Sun God, Nika.
How Luffy Ate The Gomu Gomu no Mi
Luffy And The Gomu Gomu no Mi Crossed Paths Due To Fate
Of course, fans would wonder as to how Luffy came to eat this Devil Fruit in the first place. This question isn't all that difficult to answer. Fans know that Luffy ended up consuming this Devil Fruit as dessert when he was hanging out with Shanks’s crew, the Red Hair Pirates. However, there is more depth attached to this.
Essentially, it has been confirmed in Wano that Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits have a will of their own. If they do not want to be eaten by the right individual, they will try to twist fate in a way that it becomes possible for them to escape the grasp of this individual. This is precisely why the Gomu Gomu no Mi was never attained by the World Government. Every time they tried to gain a hold of this power, it escaped their grasp. 12 years ago, the World Government finally had this fruit in their grasp, but it was Shanks who saved the day and took it for himself.
Shanks was likely looking for the next Joy Boy, as he wanted someone to consume this power. However, he did not intend for Luffy to eat this Devil Fruit. But that is precisely what ended up happening. Luffy ate this Devil Fruit anyway and this was down to Luffy's own personality, his way of thinking, and the choice of the Devil Fruit itself.
The First User Of The Gomu Gomu no Mi
Before Luffy, Joy Boy Used The Devil Fruit
For many years, fans have been wondering who the first user of the Gomu Gomu no Mi was. Many people believed that Luffy was the first user of the Devil Fruit and Joy Boy was the Sun God itself. This would mean the Joy Boy actually had these powers naturally, and after his death, a Devil Fruit was born with his powers, and that is what Luffy ended up eating. However, it has now been confirmed that that is not the case.
Just like the legendary Sun God Nika from the fables of Elbaf, he too fought with a stretchy and rubbery body!
Essentially, the first user of the fruit fans know of is Joy Boy himself. The legend of Sun God Nika predates even Joy Boy. The name Nika echoes throughout Elbaf due to the fascinating tales of this magnificent God. It is only because people wished for this God to be real that this Devil Fruit was born. It was then consumed by Joy Boy, and he became the first with this power. After Joy Boy's death, the Devil Fruit returned into circulation and eventually, after centuries, found its way to Luffy.
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This means Luffy is the only second user of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, while Joy Boy was the very first. Fans will definitely find out more about Joy Boy and his life in the Final Saga, and that is one of the most exciting aspects of the story at this point. Hopefully, Oda will keep on surprising fans with twists and turns and adding more depth to his already wonderful story.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus app. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1115, is set to be May 26, 2024.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
One Piece: Oda Confirms Joy Boy And Nika To Be Different Characters
Joy Boy and Nika are not the same in One Piece.