Blackbeard's strange body in One Piece may not exist at all

Modified Nov 21, 2024 04:30 GMT

Blackbeard's body is one of the biggest controversies in One Piece, given the hints from Marco, Luffy, and Zoro. While many fans speculate that he might have three hearts, others speculate that he might have different personalities. However, there is no telling what miracle could be behind his wielding two devil fruits. Ironically, all of this could be due to him not even existing in reality.

Marshall D Teech could potentially be a Klabautermann, the spirit of a dangerous ship that existed in the past. After encountering a strong entity, the ship was at its last end when the Klabautermann consumed its physical form and became what we now know as Blackbeard. This would explain how the pirate could own two devil fruits and explain every other unnatural phenomenon associated with him.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

One Piece: Exploring how Blackbeard might be a Klabautermann

Blackbeard as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Marshall D Teech, also known as Blackbeard, is one of the Four Emperors and the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates in One Piece. The pirate has one of the most eerie bodies in the series. Marco reveals that Teech never sleeps, and Blackbeard's first impression, as explained by Luffy and Zoro, is a 'we.'

All of these hints pointed out that the Emperor might not be human or might have more than one personality. Another strange thing about him is how he could wield two devil fruits, where such a thing doesn't exist in the logic of One Piece. So, what could Blackbeard be?

There is an possibility that the eerie body of Teech, which has been controversial since his introduction, might not even exist to start with. Blackbeard might not be a human but a Klabautermann. The Klabautermann is a ship's spirit that appears when a ship is about to meet its end. It appeared for the first time in the Skypiea Arc when Usopp witnessed the Klabautermann of the Going Merry.

The Klabautermann as seen in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

So, how could Blackbeard be a ship's spirit? It could be connected to his ship, the Saber of Xebec, which belonged to the Rocks Pirates in the past. During the Native Hunting Games, the Rocks Pirates lost and might have also lost their ship. However, during its last moments, the Klabautermann of the Saber of Xebec awakened, and with no one present to save it, it inherited its crew's will.

The Klabautermann then absorbed the physical ship and might have transformed into what we now know as Marshall D Teech. This would fit well with Blackbeard's current holding of two devil fruits and also be a valid explanation for his unnatural body that hardly sleeps.

Analysis and final thoughts

As some fans might have already noticed, where this theory does have some valid points, it negates some popular elements attached to Blackbeard. Firstly, the Emperor is currently looking for another devil fruit to hunt, and the slots for the devil fruits in his body are already filled (The Klabautermann and the physical ship). However, it doesn't specify Teech's current actions.

Moreover, Klabautermann only appears before those who care about the ship. As Blackbeard is visible to everyone, this point also has no validity. However, he could be a different Klabautermann than usual (because he has absorbed its physical form), and this theory might hold some weight. So, take this theory with a piece of sale and just as a piece of entertainment.

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Edited by Toshali Kritika