Warning: This article contains spoilers from the One Piece manga! The ongoing Elbaph Arc of One Piece is heading towards a crucial point of the Final Saga as the World Government prepares for the upcoming war. For several years, fans expected that Elbaph would turn out to be one of the most crucial arcs in the series, and the manga didn’t disappoint at all. The main fight is still ongoing, and the arc has already dropped plenty of crucial information, including the introduction of the Holy Knights, the truth about Rocks D. Xebec, Blackbeard’s Clan, Imu’s face reveal, and many more.
Now that the main villain of the series has finally shown up on the island, it’s all the more evident that things will only get downhill from here on out. Chapter 1179 wasn’t only crucial for revealing Imu’s face, but it also dropped a major reveal about the consequences of Luffy’s Devil Fruit awakening that the World Government is still dealing with.
The World Government’s Struggles Continue As They Plan For the Final War
Image Courtesy of Shueisha
Ever since the Reverie, Mariejois has been struggling with the shortage of food supply. But that’s not all, after the Wano Country Saga ended, nothing has been going their way. The Five Elders tried their best to stop Vegapunk’s broadcast, but failed miserably. Now the entire world knows way too much about the Void Century, and the race towards Laugh Tale has officially begun. Not to mention that taking down Elbaph is turning out to be more difficult than they thought, especially with Luffy and the others on the island.
While Luffy isn’t directly responsible for the misfortunes of the World Government, the Five Elders associate all their problems with Luffy. Saint Figarland Garling mentions how all the misfortunes began only after Nika’s arrival, making him wonder if it’s all a coincidence or fate. While this may seem like a casual remark from someone who is dealing with stress, his worries aren’t unfounded, considering how the story has progressed so far.
Luffy’s Devil Fruit Awakening Changes The Course of This Era
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
Everything that’s happening in the Final Saga or will happen in the future is tied to the mural shown in Chapter 1138 that depicts the three worlds. The ancient text of Harley contains several historical facts, but since no one can read the language, there have been several interpretations of Nika, the Sun God. Some believe Nika is a ruler, a god of destruction, a god of liberation, or even a god of laughter.
Regardless of the many interpretations, one thing is for certain: Nika only appears when the world is about to undergo a major change. The world has been destroyed two times in the past, during Nika’s era, which was way before the Void Century. The second time happened 800 years ago when Joyboy carried the power of the Sun God. It’s not a coincidence that during both those eras, Nika was present at the center of the chaos.
The mythical warrior of liberation continues his fight to free those struggling under oppression even now. The will of those yearning for freedom manifested into a Devil Fruit, which chose Luffy to wield its power. Even though Luffy is still unaware of the impact he is going to create in the world, many have already braced themselves since the appearance of Nika.
Luffy’s Devil Fruit Waited For The Right Era to Choose a Worthy Wielder
Image Courtesy of Toei Animation
It’s not a coincidence for a Devil Fruit to have a will of its own, especially if it’s a Mythical Zoan type. For around 800 years, the World Government has been trying to get its hands on the legendary Human-Human Fruit: Model, Nika. The mythical Zoan type has escaped through their clutches for centuries as if it were avoiding them on purpose. When the World Government finally got its hands on it, Shanks stole the Devil Fruit and escaped to a small village in the East Blue.
It’s not a coincidence that the Devil Fruit practically landed on Luffy’s hands and the kid consumed it, without knowing what it would mean for his future. Luffy spent 12 years of his life honing his abilities, believing he possessed an ordinary Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. However, the truth about the fruit’s true powers came to light in the Wano Country Saga when the Five Elders described it as the most ridiculous power in the world.
Everything that has happened so far implies that the Devil Fruit was waiting for a worthy wielder, or particularly Luffy, who will bring Nika back to this era. The time has finally come when the entire world will be engulfed by the flames of war. Whether or not the world is destroyed once again or if Luffy can save everyone, the tides have changed ever since the return of Nika.
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