One Piece author Eiichiro Oda reveals who the actual user of Gomu Gomunomi might have been instead of Luffy.

Gomu Gomu no Mi is one of the most important Devil Fruits. one piece The world is, considering that the series' protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, utilizes this power. In particular, it can be said to be the most important fruit in the entire series as it is directly connected to the sun god Nika. Gomu Gomu no Mi's real name is Hito Hitonomi, model Nika.. This Devil Fruit allows him to become the Sun God upon awakening, granting him immense physical abilities as well as the power to do whatever he wants, limited only by his own imagination.

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All users of One Piece: Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, Description

Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika has several users. There may be more to One Piece that we don't know about.

As fans know, Luffy was given this devil fruit at a very young age. However, this Devil Fruit had a different original user, as Oda himself recently revealed. one piece page. Luffy accidentally ate this devil fruit, The most likely user of this fruit was originally Portgas D. Ace.

Luffy ate Gomu Gomunomi 12 years ago.

• Gomu Gomu's beauty was stolen by Shanks.

• Luffy accidentally ate a devil fruit.

As fans know, Luffy ended up eating Gomu Gomunomi in the first chapter of the story.. Shanks had Gomu Gomu no Mi when he debuted, and according to the Red Hair Pirates, he obtained this fruit from an enemy ship. In the Wano Country Arc, fans got more context on how this power was acquired. While being transported on a government ship, Shanks successfully attacked Who's Who after defeating them.I am a member of CP9. He acquired the Devil Fruit and kept it to himself.

Afterwards, Shanks and the group go to Fusha Village and spend about a year there, eventually meeting Luffy. One thing led to another and Luffy ate the Devil Fruit. Although Luffy was completely out of control at first, he gained tremendous power. Shanks inspired Luffy to become a pirate, and years later he went on his own journey, and this is the beginning of the One Piece story, as fans know.

Now fans have more context as to why Shanks was in Foosha Village. It was always a bit strange to see Shanks anchored in the East Blue for so long. There was absolutely no reason for a Shanks-class pirate to go to East Blue in the first place, especially considering that it was the weakest of the four seas.

Shanks also stayed there for about a year, which obviously means he was looking for someone or something. He had already acquired this devil fruit by then, and despite having it, he neither actually ate it himself nor made his companions eat this fruit. clearly, Shanks was saving this fruit for someone in particular, and that person is none other than Ace, as strongly implied in One Piece Chapter 1169.

Ace was assumed to be the actual user of Gomu Gomunomi.

• Shanks believed that Ace would become the next Roger.

• The devil fruit was saved for Ace

in one piece In Chapter 1169, Shanks was seen spending time with Gavan in Elbaf about 14 years ago. This was about a year before Shanks stole Gomu Gomu Nomi 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 was immediately delighted to know that Roger's legacy lives on.

At the same time, Shanks also considered Ace to be his younger brother. surely, Shanks said he believed Ace would become the next Pirate King.Gaban disagreed at the time. Despite this, it was clear that Shanks viewed Ace as his younger brother and knew that he would carry on Roger's wishes.

Shanks was looking for Roger's son after learning about him from Gavan.

Putting two and two together, it's clear that Shanks already targeted Ace the moment he stole the Devil Fruit and went to East Blue. Shanks was likely looking for Ace during this time, but Garp hid him well. The reason he spent a year there was because he was looking for this elusive boy.

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One Piece: Why Gomu Gomunomi Rejected the Shank, Explained

Gomu Gomu no Mi is one of the most powerful devil fruits in One Piece. He rejected Shanks.

Matters were further complicated by the fact that Shanks didn't know his name either. Shanks most likely found him eventually; In the end, Luffy ate the devil fruit before Ace.And that's how the story is set up.

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 son. It's clear that Shanks was trying to make Ace the next Nikai and the next Pirate King. Unfortunately, he failed in this mission, but eventually succeeded in finding Luffy, who had awakened Nika's power.

Ace would never have become Nika in One Piece

• Zoan fruit has its own will

• Nikah Fruit chose Rupees

Even if Shanks had found Ace, he wouldn't have become this generation's Nika.. Actually Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is a Zoan type Devil Fruit. Joan Devil Fruit, as well as all other Devil Fruits, have their own will. They don't go to people they don't think are worthy of their power.

The Nika Devil Fruit specifically eluded world governments for centuries.. It is clear that he chose Luffy because he felt the same potential in him. Even if Shanks had found Ace, he would have avoided him because the Devil Fruit didn't match his personality and Ace wasn't Nika in the first place. This fruit was always meant for someone like Luffy, so it ended up becoming his property.

Still, it's interesting to know. Shanks was not only watching over Ace, but was also trying to make him the next king.And the savior of the world. Just goes to show you how many there are. Shanks was interested in Roger's legacy.If Ace had met him before he discovered the Whitebeard Pirates, how he would have loved to take care of Ace like his little brother. Hopefully, Oda will provide fans with 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 comic is currently in Final Saga. One Piece appears in this week's Weekly Shonen Jump issue. The official release date of One Piece Chapter 1170 is January 4, 2026. In Japan, One Piece releases on Monday at 12am JST, i.e. 11am EST or 8am PT. Fans can read the chapters for free on the Manga Plus and Shonen Jump apps. That way, fans will always be able to support the author.