Kozuki Toki may still have a role to play in One Piece, and it has to do with Luffy's Devil Fruit

In the One Piece series, Kozuki Toki, wife of Kouzuki Oden and mother to Momonosuke and Hiyori, may still hold a significant role in the unfolding saga of One Piece. Born around 830 years before the present, Toki's remarkable Devil Fruit ability allowed her to leap forward 30 years, intersecting with key events in the series.

As Luffy's journey continues to align with ancient prophecies and the reemergence of pivotal figures, Toki’s influence could be far from over. The intriguing possibility that her powers and foresight might intertwine with Luffy’s Devil Fruit adds a new layer of complexity to the epic narrative.

Kozuki Toki's role in the One Piece world

There was a theory about Joy Boy being Luffy’s mother and sending him into the future using Toki’s Devil Fruit power, which started as a humorous slander joke among One Piece fans.

Yet, upon further consideration, the concept, though outlandish, opened up intriguing possibilities, particularly concerning Toki's fruit and its potential impact on prophecies within the One Piece universe. While the notion of Joy Boy being Luffy's mother is clearly far-fetched, the existence of Toki’s time-travel ability lends credibility to the fulfillment of prophecies, like the one about the return of the Wano samurai.

One Piece: Joy Boy's plan for bringing down the World Government

The prophecies in One Piece—such as the one Roger and Oden discovered at Laugh Tale and the prophecy of the Mermaid Princess—imply a predestined future. Joy Boy was seemingly awaiting a specific individual, who we now know to be Luffy, and yet, it raises questions as to how Joy Boy, Roger, and Oden were so certain this person would arrive at a particular year.

This year is notably significant as it coincides with the age of the current Mermaid Princess, who is now capable of controlling her powers. Joy Boy’s initial plan involved the former Mermaid Princess and the Ark, Noah, but when circumstances prevented its success, the plan was presumably postponed. Now, the same plan can be executed with both the new Joy Boy and the new Mermaid Princess present.

Emeth remembered Joy Boy when he heard Monkey D. Luffy's heartbeats (Image via Toei Animation)

This scenario suggests that Joy Boy may have orchestrated events far in advance. The only plausible explanations for such precision in timing could be: A) Joy Boy perished, yet his soul or the will of his fruit managed to evade capture by the World Government for centuries, or B) Toki used her time-traveling ability to send the fruit into the future, ensuring it would reappear at the correct time.

The notion that a mere base officer like Who’s-Who was able to capture the fruit after hundreds of years seems improbable. It’s likely that Shanks, who knows the secrets of Laugh Tale, was aware of the significance of this fruit.

Unlike Buggy, who was eager to pursue the One Piece, Shanks avoided it, possibly because he understood the need to wait for the prophesied person or the reappearance of a specific fruit. Shanks' crew, which notably lacks Devil Fruit users, likely captured the fruit not for personal gain but because Shanks was keenly aware of its importance.

One Piece: Kozuki Toki and Joy Boy's plan to preserve the Devil Fruit for Monkey D. Luffy

The Hito Hito no Mi Model: Nika (Image via Toei Animation)

The idea that an inanimate object like a Devil Fruit could evade the World Government for 800 years and then conveniently fall into Shanks' hands without any guiding force is highly suspect. It seems more likely that the fruit was deliberately sent into the future by Toki, Joy Boy’s ally, carefully timed to coincide with the birth of the new Mermaid Princess.

However, this theory implies that Joy Boy had already died by then, and his allies would have had to recover the fruit afterward, assuming they knew how to preserve Devil Fruits. Joy Boy's foresight is further emphasized by his creation of an Emeth, seemingly powered by his Haki, as a means of continuing his plans centuries after his death.

The Roger Pirates were utterly convinced that they had to abandon their quest and wait decades for a prophesied figure to emerge. Oden, too, seemed content to bide his time until this chosen one appeared, which indicates deep, shared certainty about the prophecy's accuracy.

Such certainty likely stems from Toki’s ability to manipulate time, allowing her to foretell the prophecy to Orochi with unerring precision, ensuring it unfolded exactly as planned.

Final thoughts

Monkey D. Luffy (Image via Toei Animation)

Kozuki Toki's time-traveling Devil Fruit may be pivotal in fulfilling ancient prophecies linked to Luffy’s Devil Fruit. By strategically sending objects and potentially fruits into the future, Toki could ensure the alignment of key events, suggesting she still has a crucial role in shaping the ultimate outcome of the series.