The Will of D has been confusing One Piece fans for decades. Eiichiro Oda has been tight-lipped about the secret behind this initial and has gradually built it up to surround it with mystery.
But who knows the actual meaning of the initial? Why does the World government try to censor anyone who carries the name? A One Piece theory attempts to explain it all.
Does Eiichiro Oda Refer to the Joy Boy Pirate Crew by the Will of D?
According to a theory named the One Piece “Family Theory“, the Will of D actually refers to the strongest pirates to ever exist. Every pirate crew has a name, for example, the Roger Pirates, Straw Hats, the Heart Pirates, and so on and so forth. So what if the Will of the D is actually deferred from a pirate crew as well?
The theory states that Joy Boy’s pirate crew is the one who first developed the Will of D, which created camaraderie between them. It was a bond beyond blood and friendship. It united them towards a common goal.
Even if the pirates themselves died, the will was inherited by their successors and eventually manifested in the many characters of One Piece.
Some characters in One Piece like Whitebeard knew what the D initial meant as Roger himself shared it. But one thing is for sure, the Will of D brings danger to the existing overbearing system and also inspires people to fight. Those who inherit the will are fighters through and through, and it inspires people to trust in them.
The World Government Tries to Remove the Will of D in One Piece
The World Government has tried to remove the initial D many times from history. When Gol D. Rogers was a feared pirate, he complained to Whitebeard that the government was trying to erase his initial. The government had also changed the name of Hito Hito no Mi: Nika, Luffy’s devil fruit because they feared its powers.
If the same logic is to be followed, then the World Government is simply afraid of the Will of D and everyone who holds it. The superiors in the World Government know the power held by the initial and are thus trying their hardest to suppress and erase them. They are trying to erase the name that will give people hope and make them follow a natural leader.
The erasure of D was attempted once again when Luffy’s wanted poster was being issued. They explicitly wanted to erase the D from his name but failed due to a printing error. Luffy was only a small nuisance when he had become a pirate so why was everyone so pressed to erase his name?
In fact, the family of D was referred to as the ‘Natural Enemy of God.‘ The God in question could mean the Celestial Dragons and Imu who sit atop the world and rule everything as if they are the deciders of the world’s fate.
Imu himself confessed that D was initially used by their enemies during the Void Century. So does the origin of the Will of D come from the Joy Boy pirates? Or will Eiichiro Oda reveal an even deeper secret?
You can read One Piece on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
