The dissappointment of Devil Fruit

[Antares]

I don't know if there is a thread with similar meaning of the discussion topic i wanted to make, because i sought it before but i haven't found it. So i made this thread.

I know Devil Fruit is a great trademark of One Piece, but i apologize if i will rant a little about this. Not its specifications of power, not its categorization (Logia, Paramecia, Zoan), not the Fruit itself. But it eventually comes to me as a little bit of disappointment, because of the method a Devil Fruit is gained by a character.

Luffy found it inside a chest and just ate it because he just likes to eat anything. Blackbeard gained it by killing his nakama because he previously saw the fruit in the hands of Thatch. The others, if they were explained, i don't remember.

But the point is, it's by chance. Coincidence. Fate. Someone doesn't have to train his physical strength rigorously, for example, to get this fruit. Someone doesn't have to struggle in his/her studies and knowledge to be a genius before he/she can get a Devil Fruit. Someone doesn't have to achieve a certain level of maturity, or compassion, or bravery, in his/her heart to be able to get it.

"Hey, what's this strange fruit i picked up in this forest while i was hanging out with my friends? Wow! It's the God God Fruit! I become God!"

You can blame me for whining too much, but i really expect a genius like Oda can invent a great method for achieving a Devil Fruit, so that someone who will get it actually deserves it.

For a puny example (a bit long):

Shiro is a boy attracted by nature's power. His hometown was a peaceful village, in which the citizens made their living by mining gold and silver from the abundant amount of those two resources of nature. But then a band of pirate cruelly attack the village, terrorizing the citizens by robbing all their houses, killing all who opposed without mercy.

Being a bold yet disciplined kid due to the teachings of his parents, Shiro fearlessly and secretly gathered the adults in the house and asked them to form a guerrilla force in order to drive the pirates away. Many laughed at him and mocked him, "What does a kid know about our circumstances? One move from us and our entire family will be killed. Shush, go away, boy, just do it yourself if you're really determined."

Since then, Shiro couldn't stop thinking and planning about the ambush he would do. He waited for the pirates in the forest while hiding and setting various deadly traps. One by one, the pirate crews were killed, falling into a hole full of scorpions and snakes, stabbed in the head or head by a swinging guillotine triggered by an ankle-level thin threads, and so forth. The boy Shiro was just so determined to destroy all the pirate members, he didn't realize that his parents were kidnaped and taken hostage by the pirate leader.

Shiro was told to reveal himself and surrender. He punches the pirate leader with all his might, but it was in vain. A kid's punch couldn't even make a famous pirate with 80 million beri bounty so much as flinch. Yet, on and on Shiro punch, even as the pirate leader lift him hanging with only one hand.

Shiro tried his hardest. Punching the air and hoping his little fists would reach the vile pirate and banish him away from this village, from this mountain, from this earth. Because he just couldn't let his parents die because of his actions. He just wanted to protect his family, which had given a true blessing to his life, to his determination, to complete his self.

Then, a vision. Inside Shiro's head. In his mind, he saw an eerie tree of some sort, bearing one strange-shaped light which the floated in the air. The light hovered closer to Shiro, and it emitted a glow Shiro recognize as an almost human voice. "Do not fear me. I am a living being, just like you are. The cries of your heart i listened. It kept me awake. Tell me. What made your strong soul burns with such agony?" Shiro cried in his mind, "My parents...they are bound to be killed by this vile, greedy man. I don't want that to happen. I don't. I don't. Let him kill me, but not my family. Not my sanity."

"No," that strange light said, "I will not let your family die. And i will not let you die. Your will to protect is strong, mightier than anything. Then, Shiro, i will give you my life. My life, which is going to make you stronger than this world itself." the vision in Shiro's head vanished, then he could taste something sweet in his mouth.

A juicy strange fruit unlike anything he had eaten before.

Shiro bit. Swallowed. It was delicately sweet, and a little bit sour. But then his consciousness took place. He was in the middle of his punching toward the air while being lifted by the vile pirate. Then by the next punch by Shiro, the whole island suddenly shook. Shiro saw a crack in the air he just punched. The crack widened to the ground, and widened even more to the pirate leader's hands. The pirate screamed in agony while his whole body is falling apart, showing his muscles, his bones, his insides, crumbling away like a rusty house struck by lightning storm.

The 80 million beri pirate literally fell into pieces. Pieces of meat, gore, liquid and bone.

Shiro was shocked. Seeing what he had done. But he quickly regained his composure, and stared ahead. "From now on, there'll be no more mindless killing in my presence. I'll protect my family from vile men such as him. I'll protect my family. And this world."

This was the beginning of a man later known to the world as Whitebeard.

Cheesy, i know. I just created that story as i began to type. But i think i've made my point across. I just hoped, from a man as great in plot making as Oda, that the way to get a powerful Devil Fruit can be more deserving to a character, instead of putting a coincidence. Again, i'm sorry for the rant. :amuseYour thoughts?

[Sachsenhesse]

its random and that is good

we have seen real strong devilfruits on weak characters, like the bomb bomb fruit on mr. 5 and also we have a seen a giraffezoan by a sworduser and a soapfruit by his comrade...

i like that shit

[lan2cp]

You could say that even if you do get Devil's fruit by chance, if you don't have the dedication, will or creativity, you won't be able to use it's full potential. That's one of the things I like from One Piece. Take Luffy for example, he's a rubberman. That isn't exactly the strongest devil fruit but we've seen how he's been able to defeat oponents with "stronger" devil's fruit than him. So even if it is luck or however you want to put it, the hard work comes after getting the fruit, so I guess it evens out. I dunno, just my 2 cents. ;)

[Raysen_ht]

I like the fact that its random!! Its different than what we are used to.
And having a strong devil fruit doesnt necessaraly means you´re strong... You have to perfect the use of your power!! Do you really think that if a regular man ate the gura gura fruit (WB fruit) he would have the power to "destroy the world"?
Imagine if WB had eaten Buggy´s fruit... he would probably make it so good the he could split to celular level... maybe he could become like a virus and infect people from the inside.. stuf like that!!
Eating a "strong" devil fruit doesnt, necessarely, make you strong...

[kkck]

A devil fruit in itself won't make you insanely storng instantly though. A fruit merely provides you with an ability but how strong you become depends strictly on how the power in developed. The manga has also proven that not matter what fruit you have, you are never invulnerable. The manga has repeatedly proven there are ways to get past the physical properties of a DF user and hurt him like if he was normal. The gorgon sisters were able to hurt luffy like he was normal, WB could hurt ace easily, raileight could hurt kizaru and so on... A DF needs a strong physical body to back it up otherwise you will be easily beaten.

[Drmke]

Yeah Devil Fruits may make someone stronger than before, but they have to train with their abilities and find new ways of using them to truely become strong with the powers. Otherwise they just become a liablity.

[RichardMNixon]

Logias are a little broken in that respect, Usopp with a logia could take on most of the world. So far though only powerful people have had logia fruits so I imagine they're hard enough to find that you have to be a complete badass to do so.

That said, there are two places I disagree with you. First, by your description, how would a bad guy ever get a devil fruit?

More importantly, you're implying that devil fruits are the only thing to happen by fate or chance. It drives me nuts when people say characters aren't badass just because they get their badass from a DF. Should we not consider Garp a badass because he was lucky enough to be born a D? Is Hancock not a badass because she was lucky enough to get the King's haki? Do you think there is any amount of physical training that would turn Usopp into Sentoumaru or Shanks, or were Sentoumaru and Shanks just lucky enough to be born that strong? Hell, is Sanji not a badass because he only got lucky in meeting Zeff?

[bittman]

Sorry, but the idea of fate choosing the wielder is quite romantic, which is why I find it worthwhile.

Still, that said: most devil fruits are only granted to those that are powerful, though some are found simply by chance.

E.g. Blackbeard got his through a contest of power by killing Thatch, the finder of the DF.
On the other hand, Chopper was just an reindeer runt who found the human fruit by chance alone.

Fate plays a big part in One Piece, though hard work always counts for something also, you could see fate and chance as the defining factors between characters.

But yeah, even though someone like Ussop could technically get a logia and power up beyond someone who has trained their whole life, getting the logia fruit would be part of his fate and the sudden jump in power would ensure he is remembered as strong rather than weak. (Just an example, Ussop will never be strong =P )

[Antares]

You could say that even if you do get Devil's fruit by chance, if you don't have the dedication, will or creativity, you won't be able to use it's full potential

Yes, i know this, but what if, like bittman mentioned also about Usopp's case, what if someone weak, plain, lazy etc got a God God fruit? Isn't it a little off?


First, by your description, how would a bad guy ever get a devil fruit?

No, no, the "good boy Shiro fascinating the Gura Gura Fruit by his will to protect" It's just an example. Blackbeard, while being "a bad guy", has a great determination to fulfill his dreams, and he obviously had cope his obstacles and gone through difficult parts of his life to achieve his mental and physical strength. Because the various nature of Devil Fruits, isn't it possible for a "Darkness" Devil Fruit to be attracted by a "Dark" nature of Teach? You know, something along that line.


More importantly, you're implying that devil fruits are the only thing to happen by fate or chance. It drives me nuts when people say characters aren't badass just because they get their badass from a DF. Should we not consider Garp a badass because he was lucky enough to be born a D? Is Hancock not a badass because she was lucky enough to get the King's haki? Do you think there is any amount of physical training that would turn Usopp into Sentoumaru or Shanks, or were Sentoumaru and Shanks just lucky enough to be born that strong? Hell, is Sanji not a badass because he only got lucky in meeting Zeff?

Well, i don't know about "born a D", but to get a King's Haki, for example, it's been mentioned that you must have the "King's disposition to stand above the others", so i wouldn't complain about it because there obviously were "efforts" made by Hancock, or Luffy, though unconsciously and unknowingly about the Haki itself. Efforts in order to become worthy enough to be able to use it.

About Sentoumaru and Shanks being born that strong, i guess there is nobody "born that strong". One must train physically, and so on, etc. I mean, to achieve physical strength, whether you are trained by Zeff or not, you yourself must have the will to be stronger, right?

I don't mean to say that the plot about Devil Fruits - BB killing Thatch, causing Ace to pursue, causing WB vs WG etc - i just don't like the randomness that is, in extreme situation, would and could cause an unworthy person to become crazy strong, feared, and respected just because he/she found something in his/her backyard while there is no effort required from him/her at all. :s

[ScratchmenApoo]

The thing about Blackbeard is that he was very strong even before eating the fruit. He supposedly gave the scar on Shanks' face more than 10 years ago. That's a lot before even eating the Yami Yami no Mi.
And all the strong villains (Eneru,Crocodile,Moria) Luffy has beaten have to be strong, otherwise it wouldn't be exciting, it's just that having a DF ability makes it more enjoyable - to see how Luffy's rubber can cope with their different abilities.

People who eat a DF also need to master their moves and who knows how they come up with stuff like that, that's what makes it exciting to me.

There can be no hard way of gaining a Devil Fruit. You either find it from a tree(if they actually grow on trees, that is), get it from a treasure box, steal it from someone or just eat it. I don't think the story of finding a certain DF is as interesting as the powers and appearances the characters get. It makes their personality work better.

And in the future Oda will probably tell us the real story about Devil Fruits as Vegapunk. Maybe they're not so magical after all ? Who knows what they really are meant for or what they actually are. Oda can make up a grand story with a lot of conspiracies and theories and things that go together all along, thatswhy he is a genius.

Sure, maybe I'm not understanding you completely, but the accessibility of Devil Fruits and the sheer number and diversity of them is what makes OP One Piece.

[mugen]

you want df's to turn one piece into an rpg? like a quest for a power up? no thank you.

[DARK]

Fruit can be found anywhere. It's not something that you have to work or train hard to obtain. By chance, Chopper could have found his Devil Fruit by chance while in the snow forest.

[D.King]

The only point I don't like is when BlackBeard can know exactly which fruit is the yami yami no fruit

I mean, basically people shouldn't know what kinds of DF it is until they eat it. Lucci also mentioned it during CP9 arc.

Speaking of most powerful characters have Logia ability, you can say it in another way that Logia ability make people powerful. :amuse:amuse

[DARK]

The only point I don't like is when BlackBeard can know exactly which fruit is the yami yami no fruit

I mean, basically people shouldn't know what kinds of DF it is until they eat it. Lucci also mentioned it during CP9 arc.

Speaking of most powerful characters have Logia ability, you can say it in another way that Logia ability make people powerful. :amuse:amuse

I agree- BlackBeard exactly knowing what powers can come out of a fruit and not something that comes off chance is a bit off. Better yet, he knew about the fruit's power for years. Perhaps he was informed by somebody on WB's ship who knew of the fruit's powers...

[Raysen_ht]

He just saw the fruit in the DF's book... the same one that shanks had and thats how he knew that the fruit Luffi ate was the gomu gomu one
here...
http://www.onemanga.com/One_Piece/1/20/

[Dark God Zeus]

It all depends on how you use the devil fruit. The rust rust fruit could be an insanely powerful fruit if given to someone with great versatility, ingenuity, and power, but it was given to a commodore who got taken out (albeit by surprise) by freaking usopp, and it seemed to take a while to rust Zoro.

Luffy has proven to be a genius with his power, a rubber man in and of itself isn't powerful but he was able to come up with some amazing techniques that have allowed him to fight with amazing fighters and logias.

Zoan are overall seen as the weakest devil fruits, however we saw kaku use his giraffe form to great ability, X drake was able to make a pacifista harder than steel bleed with just his teeth, and now Marco has a mythical zoan that is on par with logia.

[kkck]

^Zoans were stated by lucci to be the strongest type of fruit in melee combat though. So far I would think the statement is quite accurate.

[tothx]

You can get a devils fruit same way you can get pretty much any other merchandice. You can get lucky and find it, steal it, earn it (marines!) or you can just buy it (we know there is a market since shanks was supposed to sell his). Price is set at around 100 million beli for unidentified fruits.

[turboraton]

Yes, i know this, but what if, like bittman mentioned also about Usopp's case, what if someone weak, plain, lazy etc got a God God fruit? Isn't it a little off?


While I'm not a big fan of Usopp, he would be a total beast with a Logia and not just because of "Logias = Gods". Feel free to reread his duel against Luffy and how carefully prepared he was for it. Don't understimate him so much!

[beastboy]

well usopp is god without a logia, usopp and nammy creating a stretagy with the monster trio ready to execute is the best, not even the 3 admirals could survive that (they would end up in the bottom of the ocean..

About the topic:
this isn't some USA comic is the most cool and impredicteble manga in history

[DARK]

^Zoans were stated by lucci to be the strongest type of fruit in melee combat though. So far I would think the statement is quite accurate.

More specifically, "carnivirous" Zoan fruits are said to be the strongest in terms of close combat. I don't think that's accurate- even if Zoan users are great in close combat, against a Logia user or somebody like Kuma, it can do little. Kizaru and Pacfisita Kuma were able to make mincemeat out of X. Drake who had a giant dino.

[BetaRuler]

y'kno if you really want people with super powers they had to "TRAIN" so hard to get and deserve, go read rubbish like Naruto,

One Piece is imaginative with its powers and dreams up tons of things anyone can do with their fruit... Mr 5 had an awesome fruit and cool look too ;_; whyd he have to loose so easy... unlucky bomberman... his partner had a good one too, controlling her weight like that.

The fruits can be by chance, but when you get them you can train them to become stronger with them and master them, with determination/willpower and imagination you can become ownage with fruits, it's not just as lucky as finding a god god fruit.

ALSO, we need to get back to Impel Downs beasts, what the hell were they on? They were easily between Blueno's and Rob Luchi's power levels.

[malgranda]

There is belief called determinism, in which we are just links in chains of events - fate governs everything. In its light fuits are not uncool. They give power as well as hard work - both come with fate. In world of One Piece fate just have more ways to do things.

[Razh]

More specifically, "carnivirous" Zoan fruits are said to be the strongest in terms of close combat. I don't think that's accurate- even if Zoan users are great in close combat, against a Logia user or somebody like Kuma, it can do little. Kizaru and Pacfisita Kuma were able to make mincemeat out of X. Drake who had a giant dino.

Lucci said that because zoan's are the only type that can increase strenght, speed and endurance (aside from some paramecias and logias), and they are thus, generally best for melee.

[modoki]

The whole rayleigh hit kizaru np is a bit dry. Rayleigh as far as we know either does or doesnt have a DF.
If he does have a DF then his haki ability was used to counter any non physical df attack.

Since there arent scouters and power levels in One Piece as there was in Dragonball, luffy's past battles would have had completely different outcomes if haki was mastered (ex: Luffy vs. Aokiji and etc.)

Then again this post may bring more doubt since one may use the Luffy vs Croc/Enel references since both were Logia types.

I think to answer that, luffy found classic alternatives to nullify the invulnerability of their df


Hopefully since Franky has recently discovered Veapunk's previous home, we can get some answers regarding Devil Fruits in more detail.

[tasuki00]

I find it kind of interesting that they could know what a devil fruits power is even though there is only one of each kind in the world.

[Aikyet]

Why the randomness, you ask? Because life isn't fair like that. Deal with it.

I personally enjoy how Oda applies the real "laws of fate" to the fictional world, thus making it more believable.

[Razh]

I find it kind of interesting that they could know what a devil fruits power is even though there is only one of each kind in the world.

The same fruits obviously appear after some years. In Romance Dawn, it was said that Luffy ate the gum gum fruit which grows every 50 years.
I'm guessing this is not the first generation that came into contact with the fruits.