One Piece introduces viewers to Devil Fruits but what exactly are they and do Shanks, Zoro and Kuro have one?
*WARNING: Spoilers ahead for One Piece* — As well as being one of the most popular anime and manga series in the world, One Piece has now taken the step into live-action introducing fans to its unique world of pirates and superpowered Devil Fruit.
What are Devil Fruits in One Piece?
Devil Fruits are a mysterious and rare type of fruit worth hundreds of millions of Belly (the currency used in One Piece) that are found within the world of One Piece that grants their eaters permanent superhuman powers.
In episode 1 of the Netflix adaptation, we see how Monkey D Luffy gained his rubbery stretching powers as a flashback shows a young Luffy secretly eating the ‘Gum-Gum’ fruit that Captain Shanks and his crew had found.
The abilities a person gets from a Devil Fruit can vary from simple powers such as turning into rubber to much more destructive abilities like causing earthquakes.
While Devil Fruits may grant their eater incredible powers, there is a sacrifice to consuming the fruits as individuals lose the ability to swim, which isn’t ideal if you’re a pirate out on the open sea.
The origins of the Devil Fruits are unknown but a theory touted by Dr Vegapunk in the anime and manga suggests that the fruits are manifestations of possible branches of future human evolution while he also believed that mother nature despised those who ate the fruit and removed their ability to swim as punishment.
On top of that, a person is only able to consume one Devil Fruit. If they attempt to eat a second, it will cause their body to blow up.
Types of Devil Fruit
In the world of One Piece, well over 100 Devil Fruits have been found, most of which fall into one of three categories.
The first is Zoan. Those who consume this type of Devil Fruit are granted the ability to transform into an animal, either entirely or as a hybrid, which means they still retain some of their human form.
Logia is the second and rarest of the Devil Fruit types. A consumer of this type of fruit has the power to create, control or transform their body into a natural element, such as sand, smoke, lightning or darkness.
And finally, there is Paramecia which is the biggest category as it covers all abilities not within Zoan or Logia. For example, Luffy’s rubber powers are classed within the Paramecia category.
Do Shanks, Zoro and Kuro have one?
While there are numerous individuals with Devil Fruit abilities within One Piece, several characters wield their own abilities without the mysterious fruits.
Shanks is one of the Four Emperors, the most notorious pirate captains in the world of One Piece, but he is the only one of them not to have eaten a Devil Fruit.
Kuro, also known by his pirate alias Klahadore, serves as Kaya’s butler when we meet him in the Netflix series. Kuro does not have Devil Fruit abilities despite appearing to have powers as he has blades protruding from his hands and possesses incredible speed. In reality, Kuro’s blades are attached to the gloves he wears and he gets his strength and speed from the moon, which arguably makes him even creepier.
And finally, Zoro’s incredible sword-fighting skill seems to be another Devil Fruit power, but instead, Zoro’s ability to wield three swords at once is simply the result of years of training and dedication.
The live-action One Piece is available to stream now on Netflix after setting sail on August 31, 2023.
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