Meaning behind One Piece's Will of D. may be much simpler than fans think

Modified Jan 22, 2025 11:30 GMT

One Piece could have a simple explanation for the Will of D (Image via Toei Animation and Shueisha).

One Piece has many mysteries in its story, but one of the most prevailing is the nature of the Will of D. It is part of the names of some major characters, such as the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. The story mentions that those who have the Will of D. are meant to change the world, and a recent theory suggests that Nika was the first Devil Fruit user and that the Will of D. means "Will of the Devil."

The theory assumes that people in One Piece call them Devil Fruits because Nika was their creator, and the World Government gave them this name because they thought the legendary liberator was an enemy. This theory would fit with the fact that the World Government has rewritten history throughout the years, and the Will of D. is connected to the descendants of Nika's friends.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series and reflects the author's opinions.

Explaining what the Will of D. could be in One Piece

Luffy, Dragon, and Garp are all part of the Will of D. (Image via Toei Animation).

The theory speculates that Nika was the creator of the Devil Fruits. This could make sense to a degree when considering that Dr. Vegapunk said they are born from people's desires. Therefore, it wouldn't be out of the question that the World Government branded Nika as a "Devil" as a way to demonize him and have citizens rage against him.

In that scenario, the Will of D. could mean "The Will of the Devil," meaning that this is a way to determine those who are associated with Nika to some degree. That would also explain why they are named Devil Fruits. This is yet to be explained in the series, especially considering that the concept of a Devil hasn't been explored in the story.

Notably, Corazon said that Celestial Dragons told them to be scared of the D. Clan, which could fit with the theory. The elite of the World Government are scared of those with a D in their names, and if the theory comes true, it could be because Nika was the creator of the Devil Fruits.

Luffy, Roger, and Vivi are also members of the D. Clan (Image via Toei Animation).

Another interesting element that gives this theory more credibility is the fact that Imu's powers and the Gorosei members are not Devil Fruit-related in One Piece. This fact validates the theory because Nika being the creator of Devil Fruits would mean that he gave people the chance to have powers and possibly stand up to these tyrants.

It could be a way for author Eiichiro Oda to explain the reason the Gorosei were going after the Nika Fruit since it could be related to the creation of these things, or perhaps they didn't want to face a user of that fruit again. Be that as it may, there is a certain validity to the idea that the World Government wanted Nika gone.

Final thoughts

One Piece has introduced many different concepts and ideas, with the origin of the Devil Fruits and Nika perhaps being two of the biggest questions within the franchise at the moment. Given the context, the theory that Nika created the Devil Fruits and the Will of D., meaning "The Will of the Devil," could be quite possible.

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Edited by Shreya Das