Why One Piece’s Gomu Gomu No Mi Rejected Gol D. Roger

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This article contains spoilers from One Piece’s Elbaf Arc.

Summary

  • Joy Boy was the original owner of the Nika Devil Fruit.
  • Luffy consumed the Nika fruit unknowingly.
  • Roger’s timing did not align for him to obtain the Nika fruit.

The Gomu Gomu no Mi, also known by its real name of the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, is a special Devil Fruit that holds tremendous importance in the story. Known to be the Devil Fruit of the protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy, it is only a given that this fruit is extremely special. Recently, it was revealed in the story that Luffy’s Devil Fruit is actually the same one that Joy Boy had, and after Luffy awakened his power, he was officially called Joy Boy by many.

Luffy and Joy Boy share the same dream, but there is one more individual in the One Piece world just like them — the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Fans know Roger and Luffy to parallel each other fully and Oda has made that clear on multiple occasions. Yet, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika never went to Roger. Clearly, this is confusing to some fans, but the answer has already been provided by Oda in the story.

The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika And Its Owners

  • Joy Boy Was The First Owner Of The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika
  • Luffy Ate The Devil Fruit Unknowingly

The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika is a very special Devil Fruit that exists in the One Piece world and has been, according to what fans know so far, consumed only by two people. The very first user of the Devil Fruit showed up during the Void Century, and fans know the person to be none other than Joy Boy. This was confirmed long ago in the story, and it was specifically stated that the fruit had not been awakened for 800 years. This clearly means that Joy Boy awakened the Devil Fruit before Luffy, and as is clear in the story, he used its powers to fight against the 20 Kings, leading people of his own, although eventually, losing out to them in this majestic battle. Joy Boy died in the war against the World Government, and eventually, his Devil Fruit was reincarnated, just as all of them do. The 20 Kings, who won the war against the Ancient Kingdom, decided to take over the world by creating the World Government, and the rest is history.

The Hito Hito no Mi, with its Nika model, is famously recognized as one of the most outlandish powers ever conceived by the Five Elders!

Following Joy Boy’s death, many attempts were made by the World Government to get their hands on the Devil Fruit. The Five Elders tried to obtain this Devil Fruit on countless occasions, and at the same time, the Cipher Pol almost got their hands on it too, only to fail because of Shanks. The Five Elders clearly admit that this Devil Fruit evaded them on purpose. Now, fans might be confused at that, but it is entirely possible for a Devil Fruit to evade someone on purpose. This is especially true for Zoan-type Devil Fruits, and as the Five Elders stated, the Zoan Devil Fruits have a will of their own inside. This is why they only go to the user they want to go to, and why an unworthy user can never have a Zoan ability.

To clarify,

As fans may recall, Luffy eventually obtained the Hito Hito no Mi, Model Nika, which is a type of Devil Fruit. As a result, he became its second user ever. Since consuming this special fruit, Luffy has reached remarkable mastery over it. In the Wano Country Arc, Luffy managed to awaken the power of his Devil Fruit, reaching new levels of skill in the process.

Why The Nika Fruit Never Went To Roger

Roger’s Timing Was Not Perfect

The parallels between Luffy and Roger are clear to see in One Piece. Luffy and Roger are exactly similar characters with fun personalities and fiercely loving individuals who value their crewmates a lot. In fact, they both have a childlike nature as well, and above all, fans know that Luffy and Roger share the same dream. When Roger fought Whitebeard, he made his dream known to them, and this very same dream was spoken by Luffy when he was with Sabo and Ace. Shanks even mentioned to Rayleigh that Luffy spoke the same words as Captain Roger, and based on that alone, Roger should’ve been the perfect candidate for the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika.

Oh, Joy Boy, I wish I was born in your era! — Roger

Roger also seems very similar to Joy Boy himself, and it is clear that this character would’ve been a perfect candidate for the Nika fruit. Now, it wouldn’t be as confusing if Zoan fruits didn’t have a will of their own, but they clearly do. Zoan Devil Fruits can find their way to the chosen user, and that’s why Roger not having the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika matters.

The reason for this is actually quite simple. Devil Fruits have “Devis” or souls inside them, and this is especially true for the Zoans. They can sense just about everything, which is why they can find their way to certain people who they deem worthy. The reason why Roger wasn’t deemed worthy is simple. For one, Roger was sick and would’ve died in no time. When he became the Pirate King, he had about a year left, at best. There is no way the Devil Fruit could’ve gone to a dying man. But, even more importantly, the Mermaid Princess was not born yet. Fans must remember that the two sovereigns must be born around the same time for the prophecy to actually work. When Roger reached Fishman Island, it was made clear that the Mermaid Princess would take 10 years to be born, and another 16 to grow up. Meaning, Roger was 26 years too early.

This is precisely why Roger was rejected by the Nika fruit, despite having all the requirements for being a perfect Nika. Undoubtedly, seeing Roger as Nika would’ve been incredibly fun. But, at the same time, fate works in mysterious ways and it was Luffy who was destined to save the world from the clutches of the World Government. Now that Luffy has awakened his Devil Fruit, it is only a matter of time before he finds out the truth about the world and declares war against the World Government, tearing them from their thrones and dragging them down to the battlefield itself. Roger couldn’t accomplish this, but he was the one who set everything up. Without him, the Will of D would never have been fulfilled and he played his role perfectly. For that, and much more, Roger will never be forgotten, and neither will his crew, the beloved Roger Pirates.

One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and the Manga Plus apps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1143, is set to be March 23, 2025.

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2025-03-17 00:08