Oda officially sets up a new god devil fruit for straw hats

With One Piece currently in the climax of the Elbaf arc and the lead-up to the Great War, God Devil Fruits is finally set up by the creator of the series, Eiichiro Oda. In the latest One Piece chapter 1182, published in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #24which officially came out on May 10, 2024, Eiichiro Oda created another great God Devil Fruit by introducing Rain God Zaza to us.

Before the introduction of Zaza, Oda set up Sun God Nika in the final saga, just before the final saga of the story. Now that Rain God Zaza has been established, that in itself confirms the existence of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Zaza somewhere in the world of One Piece. Interestingly, by analyzing various arcs and character themes, I've come to the conclusion that Hito Hito no Mi Model: Zaza will most likely come directly to the Straw Hat Pirates as the power of their final member who will join sometime after the conclusion of the final battle in Elbaf.

One Piece Chapters 1182 And 287 Set Up Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Zaza As The Next Straw Hat Devil Fruit

God's existence devil fruits i One Piece is something we were all skeptical of at one point in the story. When One Piece first started exploring the powers of Devil Fruits, mainly in the Grand Line, Devil Fruit abilities were still very basic, and I couldn't even imagine seeing divine powers. But in the last saga, Eiichiro Oda already introduced a lot of god abilities. This all started with the Wano Country Arc, specifically Chapter 1044, which was officially released in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17 on March 28, 2022. In this chapter, Monkey D. Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi was revealed to originally be Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. Immediately after the reveal of this Devil Fruit, many other fans and I immediately tied it to the massive reveal that came in the Skypiea arc, specifically chapter 287. In One Piece chapter 287, Eiichiro Oda officially introduced the four gods of the world to us, and these were the Sun God, the Rain God, the Earth God, and the Forest God.

“God of the sun, god of the rain, god of the forest, god of the earth, take this woman's blood and save our village from disaster.” – Shandian Elder in One Piece Chapter 287

Immediately after the introduction of the sun god, the possibility arose that other gods might be real. Now, in One Piece chapter 1182, Eiichiro Oda officially introduced Rain God Zaza to fans through Rimoshifu Killingham's Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Kirin. With that, it has now essentially been confirmed that there is a Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Zaza somewhere in the world of One Piece.

Considering that this Devil Fruit has not been picked up so far, it means that no one has access to its power yet. But now that it's been put up by the author, it's very likely that someone will get hold of it soon enough. Based on Killingham's very own comments from Chapter 1182, it is highly likely that it belongs to an enemy of the World Government, especially since Chapter 1044 confirmed that the Zoan Devil Fruits have a will of their own. The rain god Zaza Devil Fruit has the innate desire to oppose the world government and side with the enemy, while helping the sun god Nika.

“It's as if the Devil Fruit is trying to escape our grasp, and it may well be. Zoan fruits contain a will of their own, and this particular fruit has the name of a God. The other name of the Gum Gum Fruit is…Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.” — The Five Elders in One Piece Chapter #1044

Why Zaza is a Straw Hat ally in the final saga

The main reason Rain God Zaza will become an enemy of the World Government and Nerona Imu is because of Killingham's comments. He, along with Sommers, stated i One Piece Chapter 1182 that when they were children, they were told stories about the existence of the Rain God who would flood the lower world with water and flood everything. All of the Celestial Dragons are afraid of the Rain God Zaza, just as they are afraid of the Sun God Nika and the people of D. This officially sets up the Rain God Zaza as an enemy of the Celestial Dragons and Nerona Imu specifically.

We were born in a place so high, it is above all the rain clouds. Does water come down from the sky? It's a mysterious horror! After the people in D and Nika, it was the most common boogeyman they warned us…that in the lower world there is a monster called the Rain God that dumps water on top of your head! — Saint Killingham, One Piece Chapter 1182

At the same time, when we connect it with the Five Elders' statement that the Zoan Devil Fruits have a will of their own, we can be assured that the Rain God Zaza Devil Fruit will belong to someone on the opposite side of the World Government, automatically making the Rain God an ally of the Straw Hat Pirates in the upcoming Great War. Even better, this Devil Fruit may even belong to the last straw hat, and that is none other than Nefertari Vivi.

Nefertari Vivi is the prime candidate to wield the power of Zaza as the last Straw Hat

At the moment, Nefertari Vivi is the prime candidate to consume the power of Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Zaza. Vivi has long been set up by Eiichiro Oda to become a Straw Hat. When Vivi parted ways with the Straw Hat Pirates in Chapter 216, she stated quite clearly that she would one day like to reunite with the Straw Hat Pirates, stage a reunion, and rejoin the crew. Meanwhile, One Piece officially recognizes Vivi as an honorary member of the Straw Hat Pirates, and as such, she is the most likely to join the crew.

“I will stay here. But if we ever meet again, will you still call me your shipmate?” — Nefertari Vivi, One Piece Chapter #216

What's even more important is that at the beginning of the Elbaf arc, specifically in Chapter 1130, which came out officially in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #47 on October 21, 2024, Vivi sent a direct message to Monkey D. Luffy, setting up a reunion in the Final Saga.

“When Luffy transforms into his free form, is that X mark visible on his arm? It seems unnatural to me. His hands seem blurry but the mark is crystal clear.” — Nico Robin analyzes Vivi's message to Luffy, One Piece Chapter #1130

My biggest problem with Vivi joining the crew would be that she is way too weak. However, if she continues to consume Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Zaza, the strength deficit would be compensated. Why Vivi is the most likely candidate for Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Zaza, the reason is quite simple. The rain god Zaza comes through prayers for the rain, which was officially confirmed by Killingham in chapter 1182. There is only one country in the world of One Piece that has longed for rain, and that is Arabasta. As such, in the past, this Devil Fruit likely belonged to someone from Arabasta, potentially Nefertari Lily.

Appearing to the rhythm of the prayers for rain…The rain god Zaza! —Saint Killingham, One Piece Chapter #1182

In addition, Vivi is described in Japanese as “Mizuiro Hime” or “blue-haired princess”. The theme of Mizu (water) and blue is directly linked to both Nefertari Vivi and Rain God Zaza. Even the peacock, representing blue and water, is her spirit animal and symbol, and all signs point to her being directly tied to this ability. If there's one individual in the world of One Piece that it makes sense to have this Devil Fruit, it's definitely Vivi. If Vivi joins the crew with the power of the Zaza Devil Fruit, she would go on to become the second god power within the ranks of the Straw Hat Pirates.

It must be noted that there are also interesting ideas that suggest that Chopper is the God of the Forest, which would suggest that a divine alliance is forming within the ranks of the Straw Hat Pirates against Nerona Imu, the King of the World. Either way, the Straw Hat Pirates will likely gain more godlike abilities as the story continues, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

The latest chapters of One Piece by Eiichiro Oda are all available through Manga Plus and Viz Media.