Bonney could become Luffy's apprentice in One Piece, mirroring Roger taking on Shanks and teasing her relation to the latter

By Anupam Barua

Modified Jun 22, 2024 16:01 GMT

One Piece: Bonney will become Luffy's apprentice (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece has introduced many different key figures, such as the celestial dragon Figarland Garling, Ginny, and several other significant side characters. It has also been revealed that, similar to Bonney, Shanks is also the offspring of a celestial dragon.

Given the fact that Luffy's journey mainly mirrors that of Roger's, along with the recent reveal of Bonney achieving Gear 5, many fans believe that Bonney might become Luffy's apprentice, similar to how Shanks became Roger's. Chapter 1118 will be officially available for reading on Shueisha's MANGAPlus platform and will be released on June 23, 2024.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for One Piece.

One Piece: Luffy will be Bonney's mentor like Roger was Shank's

Bonney as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Bonney's powers and background set her up as a unique candidate to follow in Luffy's footsteps, much like how Shanks was Roger's apprentice. Her Devil Fruit, which manipulates age, is incredibly potent when she is a child.

However, this potential is counterbalanced by her limited haki and combat skills at such a young age. As she ages, her haki and combat skills improve, but the fruit’s power wanes, symbolizing how possibilities narrow with age.

This dynamic creates an interesting contrast, positioning her as a future leader who will be skilled in combat and haki but without the full power of her Devil Fruit. Although this might be a huge letdown for many fans, this will be cohesive with the themes of old mentors relying more on actual combat and experience that have been set so far in One Piece.

Shanks as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Bonney's character parallels Luffy in many ways, from personality traits to her voracious appetite and preferences. This connection suggests that she is being set up to be the main character of the next era, effectively succeeding Luffy.

No other character fits the role of Luffy's direct apprentice better than Bonney, as she embodies many aspects of Luffy’s character and potential.

Historically, Bonney draws inspiration from the real-life pirate Anne Bonney. Roger's wish to name his child Gol D. Anne if it was a girl and Gol D. Ace if it was a boy connects Bonney to Ace, Luffy's older brother. This makes Bonney not just a parallel to Luffy but also akin to an adopted sibling, similar to Ace’s relationship with Luffy.

Bonney's biological connection to Shanks appears to be a strong indication, further cementing her ties to the One Piece legacy. In gender-bent illustrations of the supernovas, Bonney is depicted similarly to Shanks, hinting at a familial connection. This was revealed before it was known that Bonney was a celestial dragon.

Kuma as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The timeline and character connections suggest that Bonney's father is Garling, who resembles a young Shanks. It makes Bonney a Figarland, providing a narrative symmetry where both Roger and Luffy mentor a Figarland child after their biological father’s abandonment.

As the story heads towards the Elbaf arc, it is anticipated that Bonney will meet her brother Shanks. Blackbeard's actions against Bonney's crew and his possible defeat of Shanks could lead to a significant moment where Bonney and Shanks formally acknowledge each other as siblings.

Roger as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Some fans speculate that the Sun God image in Kuma's Bible, which is female, suggests that the original Nika was a woman. This aligns with the idea of "Mother" Flame and mythology, where Eve was the first to eat the forbidden fruit, making Nika potentially the first to consume a devil fruit.

An older fan theory proposes that Makino’s child is also Shanks’ offspring, and Luffy might eventually pass the Strawhat to them. With Shanks potentially falling to Blackbeard, it is plausible that Bonney, connected by blood and narrative parallels, will inherit the Strawhat from Luffy, signifying her role as the torchbearer of the new era.

Final thoughts

One Piece chapter 1118 will be released on June 23, 2024, and will mainly continue the battle between the Gorosei and the Straw Hat crew on Egghead Island. Given the unpredicted amount of plot twists in the Egghead Island arc, it is near impossible to accurately predict the final outcome of this conflict.