One Piece Writer Eiichiro Oda Reveals Who The Real User Of Gomu Gomu no Mi Would Be Instead Of Luffy

Gomu Gomu no Mi is one of the most important devil fruits in the world One Piece world, given that the protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy, uses this power. It can also be said that this is the most important fruit in the entire series, especially since it is directly connected to the sun god Nika. The real name of Gomu Gomu no Mi is Hito Hito no Mi, Model Nika. This Devil Fruit allows one to become the Sun God upon awakening, giving them immense physical abilities, as well as the power to do exactly what they want, limited only by their own imagination.

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One Piece: All Users of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, Explained

Hito Hito no Mi, model: Nika has had several users. Maybe there's more we don't know about it in One Piece.

As fans know, Luffy ended up eating this Devil Fruit at a very young age. However, this devil fruit had another original user, which was revealed by Oda himself in recent times One Piece chapter. While Luffy happened to eat this Devil Fruit, the most likely user of this fruit was originally Portgas D. Ace.

Luffy Ate The Gomu Gomu no Mi 12 years ago

• Gomu Gomu no Mi was stolen by Shanks

• Luffy accidentally ate the Devil Fruit

As fans know, Luffy ended up eating Gomu Gomu no Mi in the very first chapter of the story. Upon his debut, Shanks was carrying the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and according to the Red Hair Pirates, they had acquired this fruit from an enemy ship. In the Wano Country Arc, fans got more context on how they got this power. While being transported on a government ship, Shanks managed to attack it after defeating the Who's Whomember of CP9. He obtained the Devil Fruit and kept it for himself.

Shanks and his crew then went to Foosha Village, where he spent over a year, and eventually that's how he met Luffy. One thing led to another and Luffy ate the Devil Fruit. Immediately after, Luffy gained immense powers, although at first he could not fully control them. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and years later he embarked on his own journey, and that is the beginning of the story of One Piece, as fans know it.

Now fans have more context as to why Shanks was in Foosha Village. It was always quite strange to see Shanks anchor himself in East Blue for as long as he did. A pirate of Shank's caliber had no reason to go to the East Blue in the first place, especially considering that it is the weakest of the four seas.

Shanks also stayed there for about a year, which clearly means he was looking for someone or something. He had already obtained this Devil Fruit at that time, and even though he had it, he did not actually eat it himself or let any member of his crew consume this fruit. Clearly, Shanks saved this fruit for a certain someone, and that person is none other than Ace, as strongly hinted in One Piece Chapter 1169.

Ace was meant to be the true user of Gomu Gomu no Mi

• Shanks thought Ace was the next Roger

• The devil's fruit was saved for ace

IN One Piece Chapter 1169, Shanks was seen spending some time with Gaban in Elbaf, about 14 years ago. This was about a year before Shanks ended up stealing the Gomu Gomu no Mi from the World Government. During this time, Gaban revealed to Shanks that Roger had a son. It was revealed to Shanks that Garp was raising this child, and Shanks felt immediate joy knowing that Roger's legacy lives on.

Meanwhile, Shanks also considered Ace as his own little brother. Absolutely, Shanks also said that he believed Ace would go on to become the new generation Pirate Kingsomething Gaban didn't quite agree with at the time. Regardless of all that, it was very clear that Shanks considered Ace his little brother and he knew he would carry on Roger's will.

Shanks searched for Roger's son after learning about him from Gaban

Putting two and two together, it's pretty clear that the moment Shanks stole the Devil Fruit and went to East Blue, he already had his sights set on Ace. Shanks was probably looking for Ace during this time period, but Garp had hidden him well. The reason he spent a year there was because he was looking for this boy who was quite hard to find.

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One Piece: Why Gomu Gomu no Mi Rejected Shanks, Explained

Gomu Gomu no mi is one of the most overpowered Devil Fruits in One Piece. Shanks rejected that.

Shanks didn't know his name either, so that further complicated the matter. While Shanks would most likely have found him eventually, Luffy ended up eating the Devil Fruit before Ace didand that's how the story was structured.

This makes even more sense when you consider Roger's own words. Roger believed that the next person to find the One Piece would be his own son. Shanks was clearly trying to make Ace the next generation Nika and also the next Pirate King. Unfortunately, he failed in this task, but ended up finding Luffy, who has now awakened Nika's power.

Ess would never have become Nika in one piece

• Zoan Fruits have a will of their own

• Nika Fruit chose Luffy

Even if Shanks had found Ace, he certainly wouldn't have become this generation's Nika. In fact, Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Zoan Devil Fruits, and probably all other Devil Fruits as well, have a will of their own. They do not go to people who feel unworthy of their powers.

The Nika Devil Fruit specifically eluded the World Government for centuries. It definitely chose Luffy because it just sensed the same potential in him. Even if Shanks had found Ace, the Devil Fruit would have avoided him because their personalities don't match and Ace wasn't supposed to be Nika in the first place. This fruit was always meant for someone like Luffy and that's why it ended up in his possession.

Still, it's interesting to know Shanks was not only looking for Ace but also trying to make him the next generation kingas well as the savior of the world. It shows how much Shanks cared about Roger's legacyas well as how much he would have loved to take care of Ace as his younger brother if he had met him before Ace found the Whitebeard Pirates. Hopefully Oda will give fans more context on this later in the story.

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece focuses on the journey of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail the seas to claim the great treasure known as One Piece. The manga is currently in its Final Saga. One Piece will be featured in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue. The official release date for One Piece Chapter 1170 is January 4, 2026. In Japan, One Piece is released at 12:00 JST on Monday, which is 11:00 EST or 8:00 PT. Fans can read the chapter for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps. If you do that, the fans will always support the writer.