The newfound power of Luffy that allowed him to transform into Sun God Nika has helped him a lot since the Wano arc. Not only did he defeat the Strongest Creature in the World, but according to recent developments, he also managed to escape the clutches of the Five Elders. This proves that Luffy’s new power will be a crucial element in him becoming the Pirate King.
As One Piece fans know, the power of Sun God Nika was given to him by his Devil Fruit, which was revealed to be known as Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (formerly known as Gomu Gomu no Mi). It was a mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that was in the possession of Shanks until Luffy ate it unintentionally. This was the moment that changed the life of the One Piece protagonist.
There have been multiple theories about Shanks’ intention with the mysterious Devil Fruit and its use. While some believe that Shanks stole it for himself, others believe that he wanted Luffy to have it. However, according to a theory, Shanks wanted Ace to have the Nika Fruit and he had a valid reason for it.
The Impact of Luffy’s Devil Fruit on The One Piece Story
When Eiichiro Oda’s series began, Luffy was portrayed as a simple pirate with a lot of self-confidence, positivity, and the power of rubber. These powers came from the Devil Fruit Gomu Gomu No Mi which was believed to be a paramecia-type Devil Fruit. Initially, fans thought that it was a normal Devil Fruit just like any other and Luffy’s creativity helped him in using it perfectly.
However, as the story progressed, fans found out that Luffy’s Devil Fruit did more than just give him the power of rubber. It allowed him to use different modes, that too before the awakening. And finally, during the Egghead Island arc, Dr. Vegapunk revealed that there was never a Gomu Gomu No Mi to begin with.
It turns out that the World Government renamed the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika to hide its true nature and the impact it can have on the One Piece world. It allowed Luffy to turn into Nika and unlock a potential within him that no one knew existed in the first place.
Theory Explains Shanks’ Real Intentions With Luffy’s Nika Fruit
It was revealed in One Piece episode 1081 that Shanks intentionally stole the Gomu Gomu No Mi from the CP9 Agents but the reason behind it was never revealed. Thus, the fans started suspecting that Shanks had some kind of ulterior motives with the Devil Fruit as he knew the true mystery behind it. Some even started thinking that Shanks might be evil.
However, according to a theory posted by @Animelogyyy on Instagram, Shanks stole the Devil Fruit because he wanted Ace to have it. The theory states that just like Shanks, former Pirate King Gol D. Roger also knew about the Nika Fruit, which is why he went to the God Valley to steal it. However, the mysterious Devil Fruit was replaced with Baby Shanks and Roger took him under his wing.
Ultimately when Roger told this to Shanks, he took it upon himself to steal the Devil Fruit for his former Captain and give it to his son, Ace. This is why he was at the Foosha Village where Luffy and Ace lived at the beginning of One Piece. But the Nika fruit chose Luffy instead of Ace thus giving Shanks no choice but to “bet on the future.”
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
